The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1849-07-10 00:00:00

argosies were on every sea, and whose wealth and
luxuries were drawn from every clime, had no
agriculture ; were dependant upon another land
for the food of their people; and were compelled
to sue for the favour of Herod to preserve their
very existence. They are now swept away; and
their very locality unknown to nine-tenths of
mankind.

The same danger to Great Britain herself is
adverted to by the writer of an able article in this
month's Blackwood.

" Assuming it, then, as certain that, under the free-
trade system, the importation of grain is to be constantly
from a third to a fourth of the annual consumption, the
two points to be considered are, how is the national
independence to be maintained, or incessant commercial
crises averted, under the new system ? These are ques-
tions on which it will become every inhabitant of the Bri-
tish islands to ponder; for on them, not only the inde-
pendence of his country, but the private fortune of him-
self and his children, is entirely dependent. If so large
a portion as a third or a fourth of the annual subsistence
is imported almost entirely from three countries, Russia,
Prussia, and America, how are we to withstand the hos-
tility of these states ? Prussia, in the long run, is under
the influence of Russia, and follows her system of policy.
The nations on whom we depend for so large a part of
our food are thus practically reduced to two, viz., Russia
and America—what is to hinder them from coalescing to
effect our ruin, as they practically did in 1800 and 1811,
against the independence of England ? Not a shot would
require to be fired, not a loan contracted. The simple
threat of closing their harbours would at once drive us to
submission. Importing a third of oar food from these
two states, to what famine-price would the closing of their
harbours speedily raise its cost ! The failure of £15,000,000
worth of potatoes in 1847—scarce a twentieth part of the
annual agricultural produce of these islands, which is
about £3oo,ooo,ooo,—raised the price of wheat, in 1848,
from 60s. to 110 s.—what would the sudden stoppage of a
third do ? Why, it would raise wheat to 150 s. or 200 s.
a-quarter—in other wordq, to famine-prices—and inevi-
tably induce general rebellion, and compel national sub-
mission. After the lapse of fifteen centuries, we should
again realise, after similar Eastern triumphs, the mourn-
ful picture of the famine in Rome, described by the poet
Claudian, from the stoppage of the wonted supplies of
grain from the two granaries of the empire, Egypt and
Lybia, by the effect of the Gildonic war. But the know-
ledge of so terrible a catastrophe impending over the
nation would probably prevent the collision. England
would capitulate while yet it had some food left, on
the first summons from its imperious grain-producing
masters."

Add to the danger of such a contingency as
this the .too probable alienation of our American
colonies, and the destruction of our present over-
whelming supremacy as a maritime power, by our
transfer of the carrying trade to the shipping of
the foreigner, and our possible position is full of
matter for serious fear. Already we are perilled
by our dependance upon a rival country for the
supply of the greater portion of the most important
staple of our manufactures. For the last twenty
years no British statesman has contemplated the
consequences of a rupture with the United States
with very complacent feelings. The withdrawal of
the supplies of cotton from the mills of our great
manufacturing towns for a few months would of
itself plunge the whole kingdom into confusion,
which would be infinitely increased by the with-
holding of a necessary supply of food.

WHATEVER the result of the step taken by
Baron Rothschild, as regards his future relation to
the electors of the City of London may be, the
events of last Monday and Tuesday repeat a thrice
told moral: the modern Babylon is anything but
Christian. The mass of the population of Lon-
don know as little and care as much about the con-
cerns of religion as the people of the interior of
Africa, or any other heathens. It is mere trash to
assert that their views are not confined in choosing
a parliamentary representative to men of their own
creed, from the conviction that religion has nothing
to do in the affairs of the " Houses." They who
laud the liberality of the Londoners know well
that religion of any description is practically un-
known to them. If Christianity is anything it is
of paramount importance, and must weigh in the
prosecution of national onjects : it is absurd to
contend that the people may be sincere Christians,
while the law-makers are of any or no religion, as
the case may be. But it is unnecessary to take up
space in advancing arguments to show that no
sincere body of Christians could choose a Jew as
their parliamentary representative. This will be at
once acknowledged. The extreme rigour of indi-
vidual christianity is supposed to relax in large
bodies, and soften down to a simple profession of
creed. If this be true, it is a lamentable truth
that on the low ground of consistency ought not
to be acknowledged. But in fact no such sophis-
try is assumed in favour of the electors of London.
Religion is despised rather than courted in the
metropolis, no occasion is allowed to pass where it
may be scoffed and reviled : the church is regarded
as a cunning invention and her pastors as wolves
in sheep's clothing. It is a melancholy truth, but
nevertheless an evident one, that the population of
the metropolis is fast assimilating in taste and cha-
racter to that of Paris, which is nothing less than
a hideous mass of infidelity. It is indeed time
after such evidences as have lately been given of
the tendency to atheism for good men to bestir
themselves. The work of religious teaching is yet
scarcely begun, notwithstanding the great efforts
lately made. All great masses of men, left to
themselves, continue unbelievers, and as such will
eventually aid the enemies of Christianity. This
lesson has been read to us by the frequent acts of
the metropolitan constituency; it behoves us to
guard our own and other swelling communities
against the pit-fall, by assisting our clergy in their
benevolent endeavours to make provision for the
religious instruction of the masses.

OFFICIAL STATISTICS CONDEMNED BY A
HIGH AUTHORITY.

There is no member of Parliament who has been more
in the habit of making use of official statistics to bear out
his views than Sir Robert Peel. Assail his policy upon
any point, and he has always tried to overwhelm his op-
ponents with official documents. But Sir Robert can
manage to throw them overboard when their statements
do not suit him. Mr. Disraeli, in his splendid speech on
Monday night last referred to the fact that there had been
a falling off in the declared value of our exports last year,
as compared with the average of 1845 and 1846, of
£6,500,000; and contended that it spewed that we had
received this amount less for the labour of our Deputation
in 1848. The conclusion is a natural one making some
allowance for the cheapening of imported raw materials;
but Sir Robert demurred to the evidence. " Nothing can
be more fallacious," he says, " than any inference drawn
from a falling off in the declared value of manufactures
exported." We suspect that he would not have objected
to the evidence had it shewn an increase. We should
have had it paraded in all the pomp of statesmanship as
an unanswerable proof of the wisdom of his measures.

LIVERPOOL GOVERNESSES' INSTITUTION.
We have great pleasure in stating that a most satisfactory
progress has been made, greater even thaw might have
been anticipated, in the formation of an institution for
governesses in Liverpool and the northern districts. This
object has received the cordial support of many of the
noble and leading families in the neighbourhood, as well
as of the town ; and we have no doubt that, by a little
more continued and united exertion, this great object will
be speedily and efficiently attained. Amongst other let-
ters promising patronage and support, the following has
been reeeived from our venerable and highly esteemed
neighbour, Lord Skelmersdale:—
Portland-place Linden,
June 26, ISO.
" Si 11,-i have to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the
16th inst., which was addressed tome at Latham, together with
a lecture delivered by you on the subject of a proposed Institu-
tion for Governesses at Liverpool, but which by some accident
did not reach me till a few days ago. I would not write to thank
you till I could add to my. thanks the expression of my appro-
bation of your lecture, which I have read with great interest,
and am glad to find that the cause of so deserving a class of so-
ciety as that of the governesses has been taken up, and so ably
and feelingly supported and brought into public notice.
" I shall have much pleasure in accepting the honourof being
one of the patrons of the society, and in promoting the fur-
therance of the plan which you have proposed, for the town and
port of Liverpool. But I live too far from it to be able to give
much personal attention to it, and I am at too advanced a time
of life, and too severely afflicted with extreme deafness to be of
much service to so good a cause.
" 1 hope to be in Lancashire before long> and as I shall hope to
see my friend Archdeacon Brooks soon, 1: shall be glad to com-
municate with him on the subject. I heartily hope that the
plan will succeed to the utmost of your wishes, and I do not
doubt it from the character which Liverpool has always deser-
vedly borne on all subjects connected with charity.
" I have the honour to be, Sir, your obedient Servant,.
" SKELMERSDALE.
"W. H. Bainbrigge, Esq."

ST. SILAS. CHURCH.—This church will be reopened,
we understand, after being thoroughly repainted and
otherwise improved, on Sunday week, the 22nd instant,
when sermons will be preached in aid of the schools in
connection with the church. In the morning the Rev.
W. W. Ewbank will occupy the pulpit, and in the even-
ing the Rev. Thomas Nolan.
THE QUEEN'S VISIT.—The loving brotherhood of the
Dublin Corporation had a special meeting on Friday, to
take into consideration the letter of Sir George Grey, in
relation to the intended visit of her Majesty, with its
fore-shadowings of baronetcies, and the other good things
which were almost of necessity to follow in its train. The
address of congratulation was proposed by a red-hot
Repealer, and upon a Conservative devolved the honour
of seconding the motion. So far all went smooth and
merry—the Lord Mayor (Mr. —a slip of the pen was
nearly writing it " Sir"—Timothy O'Brien) all smiles
and condescension, when the harmony was interrupted
by an unlucky wight named Loughnan, who, wandering
from the question before the chair, commenced an attack
on the Whig Ministry for their " paltry grant of 4:501000
for the relief of Irish distress."

THE LIVERPOOL sitiiiiiiiiii.