The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1853-02-01 00:00:00

SCRIPTURAL EDUCATION IN THE NEW

PARISH OF ST. SIMON'S.

A tea meeting was held on Thursday evening last, 0
six o'clock, in the Concert Hall, Lord Nelson• street!
with the express object of promoting the cause 0:
scriptural education in the above parish by the erection
schools. The meeting was very largely attended. Not
St. Simon's congregation only, but numbers of persorle
from the surrounding districts testified by their presence
the interest which they felt in the proceedings and object
of the meeting. On the platform were some ladies, wbo
kindly undertook to preside at the speakers' table, and
the Revds. J. R. Conor (incumbent of St. Simon's,) tU
the chair, Dr. Hume, Messrs. Higgins, Powell, S. Suttout
Bardsley, Butler, T. Sutton, Marland, Ellison, Alban!
Lloyd, and R. Sayers.
The room was most appropriately and tasteful!!
decorated with paintings, banners, mottoes, and emblems.
The platform was profusely ornamented with evergreent
and flowers beautifully arranged in arches, surmounts'
by the Bible and the crown. In the gallery, immediate!!
above the speakers, were large paintings representing the
Martyrdom of Cranzner, the burning of the bones 01:
Wickliffe, and William of Orange at the Boyne. Round
the room the eye rested upon flags encircled also with
wreaths of flowers and evergreens, and bearing such
inscriptions as " Search the Scriptures," " Keep tb!
heart with all diligence," "Success to St. Simons
Schools," &c. Not the least interesting object, hoe'
ever, was a number of the poorer children of the conga'
gation, who were placed in the gallery over the platforin,
and sang, during the intervals between the speeches,
selection of simple hymns, anthems, &c., which the!
have learned in the temporary schools connected with the,
parish. The apparent enthusiasm with which the eloquent!
appeal of their hoping and happy faces, and sweet thouge,
artless voices was received by the assembly, led those me 9
deeply interested to form expectations which were nel
realized.

After tea, which was preceded and followed by grad
sung by the children, the more important business of the
evening was commenced by prayer. The chairman, the
Rev. Mr. CONOR, then delivered an address, describisi
the end for which the meeting was convened, viz., till
erection of new and permanent schools in St. Shanoni
parish, the great and urgent necessity for such school,'
the efforts hitherto made in the cause, and those still
necessary before the work can be commenced. He state
that St. Simon's parish contains a very poor populatioo
of 6,134, of whom 2,4l6'are children, that it abounds je
gin-shops and houses of a still worse character, that the
scenes which are consequently presented daily in tilt
streets have a fearful tendency to familiarize with tilt
grossest sins the minds of the children of his flock,
pad
harden and demoralize them, and lead them in the par',
of the destroyer. He stated that the schools at presee'
in operation are conducted in a hired house, the leased
which will expire in June next, when there will cease tt
be a public school of any kind in the parish, and wbe/
the children now attending the Sunday, Day, and Ragr
Schools, in all about 500, must be scattered. Allusioo
was then made to the extreme poverty of the parishioner3j
who are utterly unable, even were they inclined, to huh"
schools, and to the very inadequate efforts of the coil'
gregation of the church, who, with all their desire, el°
not possess the means to accomplish, unassisted, tilt
work in view. It was calculated that the amount requite'
would be, as in the case of several other schools alreadl
erected in Liverpool, about £3,000. Of this sum the
speaker stated he hoped to obtain a third from govertii
ment, and a third from the merchants and tradesmen °,
the town, so that, consequently, there remained oni
£l,OOO to be raised by the exertions of the members ao,f
more immediate friends of St. Simon's Church. To he'
of this amount they had already pledged themselves;
and Mr. Conor concluded by calling upon the meeting t°
come to their aid and his own, by allowing to be dig;
trihuted among them 500 collecting cards for a polio'
each, which, if properly used, would complete tile
necessary sum.

Interesting and eloquent appeals then followed from tbl
Rev. Dr. Hume, Rev. Messrs. Higgins, Sutton, Povre,w
Bardsley, and Butler, the children singing at intervsig
and the young men of the congregation, who appeared to
take a lively interest in the work in hand, proceedings
through the meeting, and offering collecting cards to el,
acceptance of those present; a collection was also made
after the Rev. Mr. Sutton's address.
It is to be lamented, however, that, notwithstanding°,
much of hope and promise at the onset, and the exertioo:
of the clergymen who kindly undertook to advocate the
cause of the poor children of St. Simon's, the meetil
altogether failed of effecting the end desired. Of the 5
cards only 82 were taken, and thus, in the mysteriott:
providence of God, a check is for the present given to,,
good cause, and those who feel the disappointment mot
bitterly must only continue to hope and pray that in 1111,
own good time He will " raise up His power and cold
among them," by sending the friends of religion alio
virtue to assist in the accomplishment of a work so de
to their hearts. .1

A blessing was pronounced by the chairman at half• pa'
ten o'clock, and the meeting separated.

MORALITY IN THE GOLD MINES.

SOME of our readers may possibly have perused the WI
of the Lincolnshire shepherd, whose proceedings at one°
thhoenmouorsatbflieourihsing
mention
in Australian
the
reemeni nteisnitiealvleiggeanicnee d
from-e.
ofon:Lr
bi
Gold-Land. Not as a fortunate candidate In the felgels-t
race after riches, has the name of this humble ennigrailf
been borne across the waters. Not as the discoverer °a
the perishable riches abounding on the hills and in tt
valleys of that great continent, has his story been told
excite human envy and cupidity. The work to which be
devoted himself among a mammon-serving multitude'
undertaken in love and fulfilled at first with many far!
was a more exalted one than the zealous ore-bunting
which thousands have dedicated themselves. He was rile
keeper of a flock of sheep, whose run led him daily Iles f.
.;
" claim," at which an eager band of gold-diggers We;
busily at work. Enjoying himself, on that great pastut:
field, the privilege of daily perusing the Bible, he 50';
rowed deeply at the lost condition of the miners, on 10911,',
of whom the debasing lust of wealth had set its seal, sciPl;
all of them, apparently, were oblivious of every interest/
save that of acquiring the coveted metal. His long.
thought-of purpose at length became fixed, and the shell:
herd went every day among the diggers to read a porlde"
of the Word of God to them. At first they received
rudely, and endeavoured to repulse him with taunts, eljt
even curses. But he patiently kept his ground, till, 1/i
length, the wicked oath was replaced by the kindly word °,
welcome. A glow of pleasure now overspread the coal;
id
tenances of the gold-hunters, as the shepherd Wog siese
approaching their camp ; and, while they willingly
down their implements to listen to the voice of the
Eternal, and to join in the prayers of this meek and 101014
messenger, morality and good - feeling were diffuse
throughout the hamlet.

At the present moment there are thousands of Cll
grants on the Australian wilds pursuing a career vitiate
by every evil passion which a total devotion to the aci
quirement of gold can engender. And, unfortunateb:9
large as the field is, the labourers are few. Many fleet
are gorging themselves with gold in those lone valle5;;;
who are altogether destitute of a good shepherd. ``e
have before us a letter, recently received from the BO;
digo diggings, by a gentleman in Liverpool. The united
is an intelligent Scotsman ; and, in delineating life id
Australia, he thus alludes to the state of religion 31i
morality

ot
" There is here a field, a wide field, for the labouccs
the Christian pastor. Oh ! what a wicked people.
colony is filled with the veriest scum of the earth. IN''r,
ders are common. Robberies take place every houo
Gambling is a favourite pastime, and drink is the gre4
curse of the land. Thank God there are a few othergoo
amongst the bad, and praise Him also ! that the farnais,
country is now sending forth others than her air', ie.
so that by and by this beautiful land may
of religion and morality. Before winter came on, a
the roads from Melbourne to this place became alto.e;
impassable, we used to have sermons on Sunday fl'i
Episcopalian and Roman Catholic clergymen. But 0°,4
the sounds of praise are never heard. I have never beg;
our own form of worship (Presbyterian) on the digging:o
that, T understand, being purely for want of a clergy 0,
to undertake the duty. Pity, too, that it should be ;,0
as there are very many Scotchmen on the gold fields
would be glad to attend regularly, and to subscribe hOht
somely for the payment of a minister. In fact, with tvri
exception of our own stores, I do not think any otbefe
refrain from doing business on Sunday. 1 know that of
were the first to begin the system of doing none on t",O
day, for which we personally received the thanks of t"
Bishop of Victoria."
Here the letter breaks off, and is resumed thus :
riso in the solid
"Oh ! horrible. I have just been interrupted b,l.e,
fearful row about a hundred yards below my store,--"A
tular Donnybrook scene of fighting. A mob of 1,',0
Irishmen attacked some ten or tweive men they Poi
quarrelled with relative to a hole this morning. To'goe
them have been mortally wounded with pistol shot—',.`ift
shot right through the body ! What a sight, to see Poe
lying bathed in blood. I have been busy dressing s°,,r4
fearful gashes in the head of another! About a dozeog,
wounded. I feel half sick now with looking at the frirci
ful gashes that some of them have got. Awful stetotol
things, this ! I never venture out without my pistols, I
fortunately as yet I have had no occasion to use tbeco'of,
see from the latest home papers that government are g°'ol
to send soldiers out here ; but what would be the us°
the whole army in a place like this, where there are of
many old convict ruffians, who care neither for life

death—heaven nor hell !" fef
While the commercial world respond to the CO
material help from that vast colony, shall the Chile),
neglect her more momentous mission ? There are ;. .ei
ready not a few excellent and devoted ministers laboin.`;o
in that land, but a vast addition must be made to tiO
number of the Evangelists ere a branch of the Churele"ol
be planted in every gold hamlet, and a rising
vast extent, and with a rapidly increasing population'
cured for the Church of Christ. count& e,

MR. MECHI'S BALANCE SHEET AGLALN--.5. „,fe
pondent of the Morning Herald, adverting to a 's"st''
recently delivered by Mr. Mechi on agriculture,. saYt-a.fe',
" With reference to your article on Mr. Mechi'sleo,," floe
allow me to ask through your columns why he 11131 01
published his Michaelmas balance-sheet ? That °op (1
previous year showed a deficiency or loss of u 053,
4.;600, but which Mr. Medd, in a note appended tol 010
timated that lie should recover the following year'olid'is
notjust to the rfe.rmers, over whom ho has set bi°3o4lll
a tutor, that ,he
,phoultl withbalsl such tut WU
document."