The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1841-12-10 00:00:00

trut abroad unpunished•
as, of course, an impostor ; but

he enfant troni4 of popery
he possesses very extra-
nobody has proved more
surgeon of Reading, him-
Ate man, most likely, dis-
greatly heightened by the
ire enjoined as meritorious

in some, perhaps we
Juld say, a great degree, the victim of his own ignorant
Anaticism. The llornish.priests in Ireland at first encouraged
and abetted him in his delusions both on himself and others ;
they proclaimed his eudurabitities as a miracle providentially
vouchsafed to do honour to their creed; in the course of time
he ripened into a confirmed knave, and*then evincing evi-
dently more concern for his own emolutnentary interests
than the pure honour and glory of mother church, their
reverences discarded him. In what light they may look upon
him now that he is put up in durance vile by stranger, and
still worse by " heretic "- hands, we cannot exactly say; but
we incline to think that they will take him into favour again

,te chttrc

as one who had suffered for the faith.
Notwithstanding the commendable promptitude of the
Reading magistrates, and the strict justice of their adjudica-
tion, we own. we do expect at some future day to see the
emancipated " Saint " upon the world again, and probably
with increased eclat. He will have learned, like his com-
patriot the right honourable Lord Mayor of Dublin, how to
drive " a coach and six " through the meshes of an act of.
parliament, and to violate the law, without incurring it 6
penalties. At Reading he proved himself a novice in this
respect, and is now paying for his inexperience ; but he maY
mend his hand, and with, or without the assistance of some
pettifogging attorney, easily learn to avoid such a casualty
in future. And after all, if people will be fools, it may be as
well to let them have their way •, the maxim of our law is
caveat emptor—let the purchaser beware. Was the cannon
against cheats to be generally enforced, what would become
of half the quack doctors, false teachers, puffing traders,
cozening hawkers, bubble speculators, and " rogues" ad
infinitum, with which the world abounds? If every ;wog
should have " justice," who would " escape whipping
Liberty is a blessing whose preservation we must not ea'
danger by a too vigorous, and after all perhaps fruitless,
endeavour to guard the simple "against the consequences Or
their own folly. We may remember that though the fool
" should be brayed in a mortar among wheat with a pestle'
yet will not his foolishness depart from him."

EXTRAORDINARY MEETING OF THE OPERA-
TIVE CONSERVATIVES IN TOXTETH-PARK
UPON THE EDUCATION QUESTION.

On Tuesday evening, a meeting of the operative copse'
vatives of North and South Toxteths, to which only voter!,
were admitted, was held in Toxteth-hali, for the purpose In
expressing the opinions of that body upon the course pur-
sued. by the conservative members at the meeting of tPC
town-council on the Ist of December, with respect to We
corporation schools. Mr. JOHN SHEPPARD was called upon
to preside ; and having briefly opened the business of the
meeting, and explained the circumstances under which they
had been called together,
Mr. HARRISON rose to propose the first resolution, which
would at once express, without any lengthened preface o;
his, the feelings which were entertained by the conservatives
of the Park with respect to the proceedings of WednetclaY
last. The meeting knew well what it was that for Years
they had been fighting for—the advantages of a scriptural
education ; and although they were confident the conduct of
their own members—one of whom he was glad to see pre-
sent—would be satisfactorily explained, as conservatives they
had a right to be dissatisfied when they found the object for
which they had struggled withheld from them. He therefore
moved—" That this meeting has noticed with regret the ap-
parent schism amongst the conservative members of the
town-council, at the meeting of that body on Wednesday,
Dec. Ist ; and, in consequence, they are anxious to be made
fully aware of the sentiments of the representatives of theirwards on that important subject, ' the school question.'
Mr. ROBERT M'CLAY seconded the resolution, and, In
doing so, he did not at all suspect their member, Mr. Alex-
ander Sn:ith, of being lukewarm in the cause. That gen-
tleman had declared that he would support a scriptural Os:
tem of education in the corporation schools. They fount',
however, that he had divided on Wednesday against their
friend Mr. Harbord and the resolution of the Education
Committee to do away with the present system, and they
:
thought that he ought to state what were his views in
doing. He had himself every confidence in Mr. Smith. so
trusted tat he would be able to satisfy the meeting
were about to have Christian education in the fearthat
of God,
and that he would go to the council to-morrow prepared tot•
vote for it. The meeting had no wish to offend either
ut
their members present—Mr. Smith or Mr. Harbord;
hoped, on the contrary, to strengthen their hands. He hirn-
self was not afraid of irreverence towards the Bible being
created by its being placed in the hands of children. Christ
they
himself had said that children should be taught to " read his
statutes." He would never sanction the religion of popery
being taught, or the Douay version of the Bible being tole-
rated, in the corporation schools ; for he would not be a party
to teaching the children of any other man what he would not
teach his own.
In reply to a GENTLEMAN, who considered that the course
pursued by the meeting was hasty, and that the votes of those
conservative members of the council which had been given
against the resolution of the present Education Committee
to rescind all the regulations of the late committee, was quite
justified under the circumstances that many members of the
council had never read those resolutions,
Dr. HARBORD explained the circumstances by which the
operative conservatives of the Park had been induced to take
that course. They had been taunted by their enemies on
every side, and told that they had been deserted by their re-
presentatives in the council on this question. The resolution
was then passed unanimously.
Mr. SANSON then rose to move the next resolution, viz.--
" That this meeting has viewed with deep regret the conduct
of Mr. John Smith, the mis-called representative of the bur-
gesses of West Derby Ward ; and that this meeting stronglY.
recommends to the aforesaid burgesses that they dernano
Mr. John Smith's immediate resignation." The seeckeS
contended that the conduct of Mr. J. Smith fully merit!
this censure. He had gone into the council under conserva-
tive„ colours, and was now "going the whole hog" wit",,ocio
pery, which he proceeded to show by reading extracts ,er
various works, and amongst others, from the volumes of
Dens, was one which could not with safety be propagated do
a protestant country. It was the duty of the electors to
their, duty even if the elected did not ; and although they
would not attempt, and had not attempted, to dictate, ."„
their representatives upon general questions, yet upon tin'
one of Scriptural education they could allow of no surrender'
(Applause.)
Mr. YOUNG (an operative) briefly seconded the motion.
He considered that it was awful to gull protestants with the
cry of " The Bible, the whole Bible, and nothing but the
Bible." Why should any one hesitate, he asked, upon this

question ? IC he believed the Bible he would fear no man.
A proposition was made to include other names in the re-
solution, which, however, was opposed by Mr. HAnnon°l
the conservative member for North Toxteth, on the group,'
that many of the gentlemen aimed at had erred from a
mis-
understanding of the nature of the question before the coun-
cil. Mr. 1-larbord contended that the course taken by the
Education Committee in rescinding the resolutions was
strictly correct, and in taking it they had acted upon the ad-
vice of the Town-clerk, who had advised them that the):
could arrive at no good conclusion unless they first got rid of
the voluminous mass of rules with which they were beset.
~
Mr. Harbord's explanation was received with the fullest
satisfaction by the meeting.
The resolution, after a short discussion upon a proposition.
to modify its terms, which the meeting however would not
entertain, was ultimately passed in its original form.
that
Mr. ALEXANDER SMITH then rose, and complainew
the committee of the operatives in calling this meeting, an"'
as it were, placing him upon his trial before his constituents,
had acted with a want of courtesy towards him in not giving
him sufficient notice beforehand of their intention, to enable
him to prepare himself fully with an explanation of his tirea-
sons for voting as he did upon the education question. He
was as staunch as any man upon the principle of religion?
education. He was quite prepared to exclude from the schools
the Douay version of the Bible, in which he found through-
out the sense perverted by notes to fsvour the views and the
doctrines of the Roman Catholic Church. He should, se
his constituents would see, if they gave him time, support 110
other system except one based upon the resolution which Is
to have been proposed by Mr. David Hodgson, that the schoo
should be opened and closed with prayer, that the authorised
version of the Bible should alone be freely used, and that the
children of Church of England parents should be taught the
church catechism, His reasons for voting as he did against
the resolution of the Education Committee were, that he
thought it inconsistent to rescind the former committee s
resolutions without time being allowed for the members to
have made themselves acquainted fully with them ; and e°
many of his friends entertaining similar views, he thought
any other course would damage the cause of education, as if
he arid the others had voted differently, although they might
have affirmed the course taken by the committee, yet theY,
would have done so by so small a majority, that he preferred
virtually postponing the question, as was the case by the
result of the course which he took, and which he would take
again under similar circumstances. He was confident that
to-morrow the conservative body would have no Cause left to
complain of him or the friends who voted with him, and that
the question would be decided by the result of Mr. Bolton's
motion, which he anticipated would be defeated by a majoritY
of at least twenty. Mr. Smith having concluded,
The CHAIRMAN rose and said, I beg to make a remark
touching that part of Mr. Alexander Smith's speech where
he alludes to a want of courtesy—indeed I think he has
reason to complain—in not having been sent a copy of the
resolution bearing upon the subject under discussion previ-
ous to his coming to this meeting. Now, I must observe,
that the first time I heard of the meeting was this morning;
on my way to attend my duty as a poor-law guardian. I wag
accosted by a gentleman who asked if I had received a Elie
to attend here this evening. I replied in the negative. El.
then requested my attendance, and 1 promised it. I hap,"
done so, and was urged upon my entrance to take the char;
This honour I at first declined, feeling that as I was not 7.
member of the association, some person belonging to the;"
body should preside; but again was solicited, and withonw,
further hesitation complied. How could 1 have done other-
wise when I reflected upon the many acts of kindness shown
towards me by the conservative electors of North and South
Toxteth Wards? And allow me here, gentlemen, to sate
that upon no occasion have I felt your kindness towards to
greater than upon a recent one, when confined to my h°Liset
by indisposition—unsolicited by me ; for indeed I did
desire the honour—Many of you got up a memorial to te`
conservative members of the Town Council, requesting there
to appoint me an alderman, for that in your estimation ii°%
deserved it better. I have been informed the memorial was
presented, but that ere it reached its destination the copse`
vative alderman had been selected. Once more 1 thank pour
and pray rest assured, that whether it he in this town °r
elsewhere, you will always find me manfully supporting the
Protestant principles of protestant England.
Mr. INMAN rose to propose the next resolution
this meeting begs leave to express its unqualified approbatnlf
of, and its confidence in, the conservative representatives
their wards upon this occasion, feeling convinced, from their.
well-known conservative and Prorestant principles, that the:,
:
conduct will always be in strict accordance with their prinel
pies,"--which was passed nem. con.
Thanks were then voted to the chairman by acclamati,°,l3;
when, having left the chair, he said that he could not alluir
his brother conservatives to disperse without calling the...
attention to the assistance which they had on all occasioPe:
derived from the conservative press of the town. He there-
fore moved.—" That the thanks of this meeting be given
the conservative press of this town for the zealous co-011.e7,,,
tion in the good cause, and it pledges itself to support there
every lawful means."
The resolution having been seeonded by Mr. Rohedre,
Cottin, and carried by acclamation, was briefly acknowledge
on the part of the conservative press, by a gentleman fro
this office, and the meeting then broke up.

the
GOVERNOR. OF PRESTON GAOL.—Captain Anthony,.
governor of the Preston House of Correction, has re
notice of his wish to retire from his office in March nes' ..
We have authority to condradict a paragraph which 1111:1
appeared in several of the public journals, that his 1113,1
Highness the Duke of Sussex is about to resign the Grabill
Mastership of the ancient order of Freemasons. llat„
Royal Highness has no such intention is evident wae"r the
state that he Was unanimously proposed at a meeting Tiled
Grand Lodge on Wednesday last to fill the distingins
office for the ensuing year.—London Times.