The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1840-06-02 00:00:00

despicable mode of warfare. We have, as Editor of
the STANDARD, controverted the false positions of the
Editor of the Mercury. For anything that we know,
his name may be " Legion ;" we care not for his name,
and we cannot imagine why he should care for ours.
In one particular we trust he is correct, with respect to
this disputed point. We can, he says, " assume the
tone and language of a gentleman ;" and we have not,
privately, sufficient knowledge of our contemporary's
ability to do either, and his public exhibitions, espe-
cially towards ourselves, would not warrant us in
making the assumption.

ATTEMPT OF MINISTERS TO CURTAIL THE
FRANCHISE OF FREEMEN.

We have heard much during the discussion of Lord Stan-
ley's Irish registration bill of the hardship of some of its
provisions as applied to the poorer classes of voters. That
measure was denounced by the factious priesthood of Ireland,
and by their tools, on both sides of the channel, on the
especial ground that its operation would tend to curtail the
franchise in counties, and to throw obstacles in the way of
registration, both in counties and boroughs, which a poor
man would not be able to surmount. We should, therefore,
naturally have supposed that in any alteration of the regis-
tration in England, as well as in Ireland, the same anxiety
would be manifested to foster and protect the rights of the
humbler classes, and to extend, rather than restrict, the
franchise. But mark the futility of such a supposition, and
the dishonesty of this corrupt faction, as displayed in a
measure brought in by Lord John Russell, to the operation
of which we beg to call the attention of our readers, and es-
pecially of those who happen to be freemen of Liverpool !

The bill to which we allude is entitled " A bill for the
registration of parliamentary electors," and proposes a num
ber of alterations in the present system, very few of which
we think are likely to be adopted by the legislature. Got up,
as the measure is, to obstruct the bill of Lord Stanley, we
were prepared by the whig lordling's former intimations, to
expect that it would contain an attempt to assimilate the
English to the Irish system, by doing away in some degree
with the necessity of annual revision; and accordingly we
find that attempt made after the following fashion :
By a clause in the bill just introduced, his lordship proposes
to establish a new class of voters, Who, when once registered,
are to be exempt from having their right to vote called in
question before the revising barrister, unless the ground of
objection shall have arisen subsequent to the period of regis-
tration. Parties wishing to obtain this immunity—to obtain
in fact a perpetual right to the suffrage—are required to send
in their claims to be allowed to establish their " qualification
absolutely ;" and in case they succeed in this, no matter
whether on sufficient grounds or not, the revising barrister is
to write opposite to their names, upon the register, the word
"established," which secures their right from any further
attaint, provided they still retain the qualification—good or
bad—for which they have been thus " absolutely" registered.
The object of this clause is, professedly, to prevent
frequent vexatious objections being made to voters already
on the lists. With its policy we have nothing to do. If
honestly calculated to do away with the evil of vexa-
tious objections, we should not hesitate to support it,
and we might believe that it was honestly intended to do so,
had we not cause to suspect a lurking dishonesty in every
measure which comes from the hands of the present base and
shabby crew. But will it be believed that from this boon—
this protection offered to
.the regiStered freeholder and the
£lO inhabitant householder—one class of voters is studiously
excepted ? Will it be believed that, from a boon held out by
these " friends of the poor man's franchise," not any fifty
pound householder, or beneficed clergyman, but the poor
freemen of our boroughs, are rigidly shut out The free-
holder, the leaseholder, or the householder, once " absolutely
registered," may not afterwards have the value of his lands,
his lease, or his title questioned, whilst the poor freeman is
left to fight year after year before the revising barrister, and
to defend his franchise, as best he may, from the attacks of
an unprincipled objector !
Of course this is the whig version of even-handed justice.
The enslaved bogtrotter, whose conscience and vote are car-
ried in the pocket of a Maynooth priest, to be used for the
vile purposes of a vile faction, must be protected in his frau-
dulent franchise—be allowed to put his own interpretation
upon the meaning of an act of parliament—personate dead
men, or qualify out of a mud hovel not worth as many pence
as he swears it is worth pounds : but the freemen of England
will receive no such protection from those liberal gentlemen
who claim to be, par excellence, " friends of the poor man's
franchise." The lower classes of the £lO householders of
England, who are especial favourites with the whig faction,
must be protected from the annoyance of being told that

their £lO beer-house, for which they qualified, is not worth
£lO a-year after being converted into a dwelling-house ; but
the freeman, whose title to a vote is inalienable, may be
dragged before the revising barrister by any provincial Cop-
pock, any given number of times, although he may have
proved that title over and over again. The poor freeman is
no favourite of whig radicaliim, and therefore he receives
none of its protection.
Let our townsmen—let the freemen of Liverpool and of
England—ponder upon this despicable and shabby attempt
to withhold from them the privileges offered to other classes
of voters. Let them add this to the catalogue of former in-
sults received from the whig faction ; and when one of that
base and dishonest crew attempts to beguile a freeman of his

judgment, with hollow pretensions of respect for the con-
stitutional rights of the poorer class of voters, let him point
to this measure as a damning evidence of the cowardly and
treacherous malignity which rankles in the heart of a Whig,
whilst plausible and false professions are upon his lips !

CHURCH MISSIONARY SOCIETY.—We are happy to notice
that a meeting of planters is convened in the metropolis for
the following important purposes :—To submit to them the
important services rendered to the island of Jamaica by the
Church Missionary Society in extending religious instruction
amongst the population there—the very heavy general expen-
ture made by the society—the very large proportion of it
incurred in Jamaica—their consequent inability to continue
that expenditure upon the same scale—and the necessity of
withdrawing their mission unless assisted by the body of
Jamaica proprietors.
ST. SILAS CHURCH, PEMBROKE-PLACE.—The foundation
stone of this church, about to be erected thro' the liberality
and exertions of the congregation of St. Jude's, will be laid
this morning by the Rev. Rector Campbell. The site se-
lected is the vacant ground adjoining the large house lately
occupied by Mr. Muspratt, on the north side of Pembroke-
place. Some delay has taken place in the arrangement of the
preliminary steps, but we understand that the whole will now
be proceeded with to completion, and the poorer inhabitants
of the district have now a prospect of shortly worshipping
together in the church of their fathers, as we are informed a
considerable proportion of the seats will be free.
List of cabin passengers per Stephen Whitney, Captain
W. C. Thompson, from New York :—Mrs. Sarchey, D. C.
King, Henry Livingston, J. Q. Aymar, Augustus Aymar,
Peter Sharpe, 11. S. Sharpe, New York ; William Apple-
ton, Albany ; Col. Hare Powel, Mrs. Powel, Saml. Powel,
De Veaux •Powel, Baring Fowel, Hare Powel, John H.
Powel, Miss Julia Powel, two servants, M. J. Miller, Phil-
adelphia; Dr. A. Hume, W. N. Lucas, S. H. Lucas,
Charleston, S. C. ; George Tiffany, Mrs. S. M'Kenn, Miss
Gill, Franklin Bowley, Baltimore ; Mrs. Jas. Sewell, Que-
bec ; Seth Sprague, N. P. Annes, 'Mass ; E. S. Jopey.
Boston ; P. H. Stowell, Isle of Man ; J. W. Allwood,
England ; Jas. Edgan, Canada; William Pratt, Miss Pratt,
Liverpool; S. W. De Rantgon and Lady, Stockholm, Swe-
den; Lieut. Mills, K.D.G.; Lieut. B. B. Lassett, 71st
Regt. ; Mr. R. S. Cannon 63d Regt.
AN AUSTRALIAN WOLF DOG.—There is now in the pos-
session of Mr. Jackson, commercial naturalist, Clayton-
square, a female of this species, the only carnivorous animal
found in that country, and characterised by zoologists as
very savage and untractable. The present specimen, how-
ever, from its intercourse with man, and probably, in some
degree, from its having two fine cubs, whose sire is an
English pointer, appears to have lost its native ferocity, and
suffers itself to be handled and even teazed by its master,
without further murmur than a sort of low growl or snort-
ing, which appears to he peculiar to its breathing. Bewick,
who furnishes a very faithful likeness of this " dog of the
woods," thus describes it :—" The New South Wales Wolf
has been called a dog, but its wild and savage nature seems
strongly to point out its affinity to the wolf, to which, in
other respects, it bears a strong resemblance. It neither
barks nor growls. but when vexed erects the hairs of the
whole body, and appears extremely ferocious. It is fond of
rabbits and poultry. Its height is rather less than two feet,
and its length two-and-a-halt feet. The ears are short and
erect; the tail long and bushy (like that of the wolf.) It is
a pale (or brownish) white, and lighter on the belly." The
feet and legs, we may add, are white, and the eyes of a
bright light amber colour. Bewick's description is correct
as regards the animal in question, with the exception of its
having become tamed; though, we rather think it is not
much to be trusted. The cubs are exceedingly strong and
healthy, and it is supposed will have a superior scent. They
partake of the carnivorous appetite of their parent, which is
fed on raw meat, and dislikes any thing cooked : when a
piece of meat is thrown down to them, the " tug" of the one
to take it from the other, is like " Greek meeting Greek."
THE TWENTY-NINTH OF MAY AT WALTON.—Thurs-

day last, being the anniversary of the restoration of King
Charles the 11. to the throne of these realms, was comme-

morated at Walton in a suitable manner by a party of gen-
tlemsn of the village and neighbourhood, who, to the number

of about twenty, sat down to an excellent dinner at the Black
Horse Inn, prepared and served in Mrs. Stanley's accus-
tomed style of neatness and profusion. Mr. M`Gregor
ably presided, and was well supported by Mr. Hanning and
Mr. Chubb; the vice-chair was occupied with equal ability
by Mr. Shalcspeare, who was supported by the Rev. Mr.
Wilson, curate of the parish, Mr. Birkett, and several gen-
tlemen of the township. The room was appropriately
decorated for the occasion with branches of oak, flowers &c.
amidst which were seen, a picture of King Charles when a
youth ; an engraving of Sir Robert Peel, a full length figure
of the Duke of Wellington, and a bust of the late Mr.
Canning. After a repast, including many of the delicacies
and abundlnce of the substantials of the season, the usual
loyal and truly constitutional toasts were drunk, including,
amidst immense applause, the health of Sir Robert Peel,
and the first and gallant captain of the age, " the Duke."
Conservative and convivial sentiments were intermixed, and
the afternoon was spent in the most agreeable manner, and
with a unity of feeling demonstrative of the stability of those
principles to which the country owes so much, and to
which alone she must look for redemption from the hands of
a weak and mischievous administration, and the prominent
establishment of her national dignity and happiness.
THE MICROSCOPE.— The attention of naturalists and
philosophers has recently been drawn in a peculiar degree to
this invaluable instrument, and many are the secrets of nature
and science, which its use and study are daily bringing to
light. We were struck with an instance of its power the
other evening, when a paper being produced, containing ap-
parently only a series of waving lines, it displayed, when
placed beneath the microscope, an inscription of the most
minute, but beautiful character. As this exquisite produc-
tion of the burin of Messrs. Perkins and Bacon is fully
detailed in an advertisement which appears in our publication
of to-day, we can only say, that is designed for the especial
protection against fraudulent imitation of " ROWLAND'S
MACASSAR OIL," which words are repeated, nearly 1500
times, comprising nearly 30,000 letters.—See advt.