The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1836-03-25 00:00:00

ATLAS ASSURANCE COMPANY.
LIFE' DEPARTMENT.
P
ERSONS Assured for the whole term o
a. fe in Great
it Britain or Ireland respectively, will ye an addition
made to their Policies every seventh yea or an equivalent
reduction will be made in the future payme s. of Premiums, at
the option of the Assured.

Tho following Tahle shows the
'Policies for £lOOO, which hav
teen Years at Christmas, 1830:.

total Additions made to Life
'e been in force for the Foto-

FRIDAY MORNING, MARCH 25, [836.

The Lady Charlotte, WILLIAMS, arrived here on Wed
nesday, from Canton, which place she left on the 29th of
November, bringing Canton papers of that date. We
copy the following article from the Canton Press:—
DESTRUCTIVE FIRE IN CANTON.._

ABOCT ONE THOUSAND FOUR HUNDRED HOUSES AND A PRO-
DIGIOUS VALUE IN OTHER PROPERTY CONSUMED !
On Sunday evening last, about the hour of seven, the inha-
bitants of the celestial city of Canton were thrown into a state of
inconceivable alarm and consternation, from a most destructive
fire having broken out in that part of it in which are situated all
the trading establishments of their" community. It ravaged with
irresistible fury, its devouring influence rendering the weak,
ignorant, and ill-applied efforts of the Chinamen, to arrest its
impetuous advance, quite abortive; and it was not until it had
consumed every thing within its course, and had reached the
which presented an impenetrable barrier to its de-
and impeded its progress to the suburbs, that,
cityav
at satbawo; aiulntlgse,
pi
go
h,e
t.
tri;
e following morning, itibecame extinguished.
The destruction of property by this lamentable occurrence is
reported to be prodigious, and although much depends on con-
jecture, as to the real extent of the loss, yet from the rapidity
with which the devouring, element spread over a wide expanse
of the city, and from its being tolerably ascertained that recently
the Chinese traders had been speculating to some extent in par-
ticular descriptions of merchandise, all or most of which had been
cleared from the warehouses and taken to their own depositories,
it may be fairly inferred that conjecture is not put to the stretch
when it states that by this devastation property to an incalcula-
ble value, in goods, houses, and chattels, has been consumed
and swept away in the dreadful conflagration, leaving innume-
rable individuals bereft of a home, and reduced to most unhappy
circumstances. We do not hear of any loss of life, though it is
said many individuals have sustained personal injury.
From the terraces of the several foreign Merchants and others
the whole of the melancholy occurrence could he perceived, and
the spectacle was awful. About the hour of twelve, when the
fire had attained its greatest ascendancy, and when midnight
had shed its dark influence around, the scene was truly imposing.
The columns of flame ascending—the occasional sudden corus-
cations of light biirsting through the dense columns of smoke
which now and then partly enveloped the scene from the spec-
tator, together wills the distant view of edifices involved amidst
the devouring element, and demolishing into nothing, gave the
whole spectacle an appearance of awful sublimity, and called'
forth feelings of no ordinary sensibility and conimiseration. It
conveyed to the mind some devoted city given up to pillage and
the flames, to sate the merciless revenge of some modern Nero;
or like unto a mighty caldron throwing up its flames and smoke,
from the consuming materials with which it was charged. The
suburbs escaped destruction, and it has been, so far, a most for-
tunate event for the foreign mercha
:for had
the fire spread beyond the city wallsas-aathell"gs' the result might have been
still more lamentable.
The extraordinary adverse feelings that pervade the Chinese
authorities and the people against Europeans, on this occasion
was strongly exemplified in their grossly ungrateful conduct to
several European gentlemen who obtained access into the city,
and were active in pointing out the .•way for the ignorant people
to act. No sooner had the fire ceased to rage than these shame-
ful and most diabolical wretches sought to show their sense of
gratitude by beating.the very persons who had rendered them
such essential services. This speaks enOugh,for China ! !
We were struck, indeed, with the precautionary measures
adopted by the foreign merchants, whose zeal to protect' the pro-
perty of their constituents was admirably displayed on the occa-
sion; and had the extension of the disasters needed any thing
like a removal being resorted to, we believe the whole or most
of it would have been saved from destruction. We must take
this opportunity of bearing testimony to what we deem most
meritorious conduct, because we think it will show the people
who repose confidence in our merchants of Canton, that they
do not repose it in individuals who are regardless of .the sacred
.r

In one of the latest American journals we have re.
ceived, the New York Morning Courier of the 2d in-
stant, we find some cnrious illustrations of the working
of what is called in this country the " voluntary system"
in religion. In order to avoid any misrepresentation we
quote the words of our American contemporary :
" We have heretofore pointed out the anti-social nature of
that fanatical spirit which is now abroad in the land, warrinj.
against the rights of property, the peace of the people, the -bond of
our union, and the civil institutions of the country. We had sup-
posed it had reached the end of its tether, and the Climax of its
extravagance; but it appeals we were mistaken. It id advanc-
ing step by step in its career, and now contemplates a dissolu-
tion of the ties of nature. It is employed in erecting_ edifices
consecrated to God, for the purpose of disseminating ,doctrines
in direct contradiction to his word, and tending in then' practical
consequences to the violation of all domestic obligations,, the
• duties v-e owe to our kindred, and our offspring and the esta-
blishment of a new basis for the interchange of all the good of-
fices of life.
Solve ten or twelve days ago, an evening meeting of a con-
gregation then about being formed by Arthur Tappan, under
the style of the Fifth Free Church,' now building by that
pious and useful citizen, was held for the purpose of agreeing
on their al ticles of association. The seventh article comprises
an express prohibition against 'FORMING ANY CONNEXIoN IN
BUSINESS WITII UNBELIEVERS.'"

This, w•e believe, is the first time that any class of pro-

MARCH 25. I 8 6.

fessingly protestant christians ever openly avbvi;.-s(l,9lr,,pnh-:,
tidy encouraged the practice' of exclusive dealing, there-
by endeavouring to ruin and reduce to beggary those
whom they could not convert. We are aware that
among many small sects in this country exclusive deal-
ing is silently and extensively resorted to, but this is the
first time that its policy'has been unequivocally asserted,
'and made the basis of a joint-stock company of narrow
minded, uncharitable, and anti-social bigots. It-is in
the "land of liberty" alone that we find a community of
christians not ashamed to turn the ordinances of religion
and the doctrines of their society into a source of profit,
making the purchase of a pound of butter or a dozen of.
salt herrings dependant upon the admission of the ven-
der to the most sacred place in their obscure temple. In
the report we find one man only connected with these vo-
luntaries objecting to the abOminable proposition, and he
did it on the ground that he would be prohibited thereby
from:dealing with his own son. His objections, however,
were overruled,' and the clause was retained, and now
forms part of the articles of association of the " Fifth
Free Church" in the free city of New York.,
The Morning Courier concludes its remarks as fol-
lows :

Is it at last come to this; that a little cabal of self-willed, self-
sufficient outcasts from their own church, shall set themselves
up as the.arbiters of what is and what is not the true belief, and
ostracise all who do not conform to their peculiar code of doc-
trine and discipline? Are these fanatical dogmas to be made•
the criterion of truth, and the basis on whiCh men are to do bu-
siness and hold social intercourse with each other? The next
step will' be piohibitiug their female disciples from marrying
any except the followers of Mr. Tappan, the sole monopolizers
of orthodoxy; the next that they will not exchange the offices
of good neighbourhood with any other.; the next that they will
not vote for any other; and, if they ever have the power, to
disfranchise all those who do not believe in the infallibility. of
Mr. Arthur Tappan—who is an excellent judge of silks—and
without doubt takes suclfati interest in the people of colour„be-
cause their faces look so much like black satin.

"The whole proceedings of the fanatics, Whether directed to-
wards immediate abolition, or against connexions in business
with unbelievers, are at war with the peace and happiness of
society,'which are founded'on the.social feelings and social in-.
stitutions. When the mere abStract opiniolii of 'ilaankind shall
regulate the intercourse between man and man .in the. ordinary
busines3 of life, and acts of kindness, comfort, and assistance,
are withheld from our fellow-creatures, because they do not be=.
lieve what we believe, then charity comes as selfishness, and that
feeling of benevolence which is placed by the Saviour at the .
head of all the,virtues, falls a sacrifice to the pride of human
opinion. These people cry out persecution, while they are at-
tempting an indirect and ►nsidious persecution against all who
differ with themselves, just as the flying plunderer cries " stop
thief" in order to shelter his own transgression. It would be
but a righteous retaliation, were the rest of the merchants of
this city to enter into an association (not however under the sa-
cred mantle of religion) to transact no business with these sub•
lime exclusives, and to abstain front purchasing any of Mr. Ar-
thur Tappan's orthodox silks and satins—lf the unbelieving'
banks were to refuse to discount his notes, the poor gentleman
could build no more free churches.' "

A few days ago Lord HOWICK made a most intempe-
rate, scurrilous, and uncalled-for attack upon two reve-
rend gentlemen who are already known to our readers,
namely, Messrs. M'GHEE and O'SULLIVAN. The whig
lordling did not attack these genilemen by name, but he
pointed at them in a way that could not be misunderstood,
and he slandered them in a style of acrimony which
would have been worthy of the Irish beggar. He called'
them "itinerants going about the country preaching in-
tolerance"—" missionaries of mischief, who fan the flame
of religious animosity," and he applied to them various'
other epithets equally insulting.

Mr. M‘GutE did not choose to remain silent under'
such calumnies directed against him in the reported
.pro-
ceedings of the House of Commons, and in his own vin
dication he addressed a letter to Lord HowicK, which.
appeared in the Standard of Tuesday evening. The
following, we take it, is the marrow of the reverend
gentleman's answer :
"A nd now, my lord, that your lordship may see that those
who know and feel they act On principles of truth can act in the
honest independent exercise of those principles, if your lordship
really desires to exhibit before the nation who are the persons
who are guilty of the crimes which you have so justly denounced
iu the senate, I state as follows. In the name of my God and
Master, to whom I confess myself responsible for the truth'
which I assert, I impeach the 'Roman Catholic bishops anct.
priests of Ireland of these facts:—
" I impeach the bishops that for 27 'years and six months past,'
up to the very,day of the date of this letter, they have set up and
maintained, as the standard of religion for their priests, and as.
the " best guide.' with. which they could supply them, a book'
inculcating principles of tyranny, confiscation, exile, imprison-
ment, and murder, against their protestant fellow subjects
which book is founded, not, as they falsely pretend, on indivi-
dual ptivate opinion, but on laws and canons, which to this
hour they assert to be infallible, and which every time they re-'
peat their creed they swear to maintain, to the latest hour of
their existence.

" I impeach the present Roman Catholic Archbishop of Dub-
lin, Dr. Murray, of sanctioning and approving not only the re-
publication of this book, but of an additional volume, corrobo-.
rating and confirming its most detestable principles of intolerance'
and persecution, laying it down as the duty of his order to
exterminate protestants out of their dioceses; and also of re-"
publishing a certain bull, not only held by him of infallible
authority, but also which he has admitted in evidence before
the House of Commons to be in force in Ireland, in which bull
the same principles of persecution are inculcated.
" I impeach him, and his provincial bishops of Leinster, of
having set up these very principles, and canons, and this very
bull, as the subject of private conferences coital! priests of their
province, not in times of exasperation and ./111PRical restriction,
but in times of conciliation, in times of concession, even since
the passing of the emancipation bill, and of the reform bill,
namely, in the year 1832.
" I impeach them, not only of inculcating these pestilential
doctrines in this book, but also of so sanctioning in it the Crimes
of treachery, and faithlessness, and perjury, that no oath can be
devised to bind men who hold such opinions; and they have
themselves exemplified the doctrines they have taught.
" I impeach the Roman catholic bishops, not only of this in-
culcation of these criminal principles on their priests, but I im-
peach both bishops and priests of inculcating these principles on
the mass of the Roman catholic population. 1 impeach them
of inculcating in the very worst of all possible printed docu-
ments—because, being documents of the most forcible and au-
thoritative order, namely, a so-called infallible interpretation
of the Holy Scriptures—such detestable principles of the papal
infallibility and power, and of the duty of subjection to the pope,
of hatred, intolerance, persecution, and extermination of their
protestant fellow-subjects, as are quite sufficient to account for
the horrible state of Ireland, for all the seditious, anarchy, re-
sistance to law, persecution, and murder, both of protestants
and of Roman catholics who had enough of feeling and princi-
ple to resist such horrid doctrines. 1 impeach them of the incul-
cation of these principles for twenty years past, and all substan-
tiated by dates, facts, and documents.
" Now, my lord, we hear much of ` justice for Ireland;' so I
say too, •justicelor Ireland;' but, let me add, `no humbugging
for England.' England shall now see who are the preachers
and who are the patrons of the preachers of intolerance and
persecution. Your lordship will admit, that if these charges be
really true—if these be actual facts, capable of proof, that the,
men who faithfully denounce them are the genuine advocates of •
civil and religious freedom, and that the men who will cushion
the facts, or patronise or encourage, much less co-operate with
those who are guilty of them, are the real advocates and patrons
of intolerance and persecution, the real missionaries of
mis-
chief' in the country.
" Now, my lord, I-shall put this to the test. And therefore,
in tho presence of your lordship's.constitutents, who no donbt
expect that you will honestly advocate the liberal principles
you profess—in the presences of the House of Con-Maims—in the
face of all England, and the empire,—l say to you, if you de,
sire truth, if you desire to legislate on the principles of justice
for Ireland, take these charges in your hand, read them inthe
House of Commons, move that the Rev. Mortimer O'Sullivan
and the Rev. Robert 111`Chee be summoned to the bar of your
honourable house, and that they may be celled on, and gibers
fair, and open liberty to substantiate thoseeharges; and that if
they tail to do go, after fair liberty of speech-being givelithem,
they he committed to the Toyer for contempt of parliament, in
preferring charges of such a flagrant nature before your
honourable house, which they Were not able to prove.
" If the Popisla:JaislicAps,ase- wet co-rise-ions-Of' the critnes;They
will petition your honourable house for an investigation to clear
their character. If the honourable, and learned member for
Dublin is not conscious.of, and privy to, these crimes, he•will
present and insist on their petition with shouts of " Justice for
Ireland !" And now l aagert before the. empire, that r will
maintain these chaNes, Carq, acp,t- before what tribunal' fmy
fellow-sinners, for I. will Maintain them to prison or" to death,
in the presence of my Gode: .
" And now, my lord, you may see the confidence and hide-
pendence of, truth. I only saw your lordship's speech thii-ilay ;
I have no time to consult with member of the House of tom-
moos, who, you say, encourage me ; and I repeat, I neither
know what they may.think of this, nor do I care for or want
the encouragement or the suppOrt of any one or of .all the
members it contains. I assert truth in the presence of a free
people—truth that scorns the aid of human 'patronage to pro-
tect it, and defies the impotence of human power to put it
down. It is for the advocates of falsehood to skulk beneath
the shield of policy and power. It is the privilege of truth to
contemn their favour nod to despise their frown: t fib not
even consult with Mr. O'Sullivan, for he is in Londlon—this
will be in the press before I could hold communication with
him ; we need not to communicate ; we have acted all along
independently of each other, as of all other men ; we never
met but once by agreement upon a platform, and that was at our
first meeting at Exeter-hall; we never were sure till we soy
each other on the spot that we should meet again; we never
concocted one syllable of our evidence ; yet I say, without his
leave, summon him to your bar—true witnesses need not corr-
sultation—we defy integrity to resist, or iniquity to shake, out
testimony."

Which of the small brown bears is to dance next, with •
the greatest eclat, in Clayton-square, we are now rather
anxious to learn. The radical journals do not seem to be
harmonious upon this interesting question. One ig
ready to lead. out Mr. JAMES BRANCKER as the more
popular bear; a second prefers playing his " genteel
tunes" to Mr. WM. EWART the more learned bear
while a third of larger liberality will not be satisfied ow
less both bears be allowed-to dance together, to the sole
fiddle, at the next election.
How the parties are to be reconciled'after having 004
agreed to differ, and knock their twirl's., against each
other, is their business. At any rate the collective vvig'
dom of the Clarendon-rooms has decided'iltat for Lord
thel
SANDON there is " not a chance!" He:of/As:1o,