The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1841-05-07 00:00:00

ANTI-CORN LAW LEAGUE

Last evening a meeting was held in the Music-hall, Bold-
street, for the purpose of giving certain gentlemen, calling
themselves a deputation from the anti-corn law league of
Manchester, an opportunity of making speeches on free
trade—the corn monopoly—the crisis, and all that.
At seven o'clock, a good many of our old friends of Clay-
ton-square, had congregated at the upper end of the room—
including Sir Joshua Walmsley, Alderman Sheil, Mr. W.
Rathbone, Mr. Duffy, Mr. Lawrence Heyworth, &c. &c.,
and the middle and upper end appeared to be about half-filled,
chiefly with artificers, and others of the unwashed. After
some delay, sir Joshua Walmsley was called to the chair, and
informed the meeting that he was not at all aware of the
course of proceedings intended to be aodpted—that they had
met merely in compliment to the gentlemen from Manchester,
and that their proper business would consist in giving those
gentlemen an attentive hearing.
THOMAS BASLEY, Esq., one of the deputation, then rose
and addressed the meeting at some length. He said they
had come to Liverpool, not with the intention of dictating
to the people, but rather with a view to ask their assistance
and advice in the glorious struggle which was being made to find
food for tht hungry, and clothing for the naked. Manchester
had long felt the privation consequent upon the inequality of
our fiscal regulations, but especially from that barbarous law
which prevents the labourer from receiving a sufficiency of
the staff of life. (Cheers.) Liverpool enjoyed more of the
comforts of life than Manchester; but let her not deceive
herself ; her evil day would certainly come, if she now re-
fused to join the struggle to procure equal and just laws for
the:people. We have been to every part of the country to obtain
help ; we are missionaries in the cause, for we feel that
a great crisis is at hand. Our trade was like a felon in chains,
but now was the time to emancipate it. (Chsers.)
JOHN BRIGHT, Esq., of Rochdale, manufacturer, next
addressed the meeting. He came forward, he said, in behalf
of the bread-eating people of England against a giant and
bread-taxing monopoly. The tax was passed to keep prices
high, and that was the only object in maintaining it. To
keep prices high, the article must be kept scarcely, and
therefore the objeet of this tax was to keep corn out of the
country—to reduce the quantity, and makeit scarce. (Cheers.)
It was a cursed and inhuman law. (Cheers.) Having en-
larged on this head and in this strain for some time, this
speaker concluded by exhorting the meeting to join the
league in using every exertion for the total abolition of the
corn duties.

JOHN BROOKES, Esq., folloWed, with a very long

Lnd discursive speech. He said they must agitate,
:ate, and petition, petition unceasingly. For his part he
lespised politics, and cared for nothing but free trade

in Corn. It was the only salvation for the country; it was a
matter of life and death. As to the landowners, they were
" drones," and " crabs ;" they cared not for the calamities
of the people, and would grind them down to the dust ; they
were as the Scotchman said worse than the devil, if any
thing could be worse. (Cheers.) Richard Cobden, Esq.,
calico-printer, followed, and, beginning at the beginning,
spoke a tolerably long pamphlet on the question, for which,
however, we have unfortunately no room.

SPORTING INTELLIGENCE

CHESTER RACES..-TUESDAY

HER MAJESTY'S PLATE of 100 guineas. Thrice round,
more than three miles.
Mr. Graydon's Roscius
A SWEEPSTAKES of 25 sovs. each. Half-a-mile.
Mr. F. It. Price's Marion
Mr. Worthington's br f by Muley Mcloch 2
SIXTY GUINEAS (clear,) the gift of the Members for the
City. Heats, once round and a distance.
Mr. M. Jones' Portrait .
Lord Westminster's Dr. Jenner
WEDNESDAY.
The DEE STAKES of 50 sovs., to start at the Castle-pole,
once round, and finish at the Coming-in-Chair.
Lord Westminster's br c Satirist Walker.. 1
The STAND Cur, value 150 sovs. in specie, the gift of the
Stand Proprietors, added to a Sweepstakes of 15 sovs
each. Twice round and a distance.
Mr. Orde's b m Bee's-wing, aged
FREE HANDICAP STAKES of 20 sovs. each, 10 sovs. forfeit,
with 50 soya. added by the Grand Stand Proprietors, for
all ages. Heats, once round and a distance.
Mr. A. Bower's ch f Lady Grove, 4 yrs : 1 1
Sir C. Monk's b m Garland, 6 yrs.... • • 3 2
THURSDAY.
The MARQUIS of WESTMINSTER'S PLATE, value 100sovs.
in specie, added to a Handicap Sweepstakes of 20 sovs.
each, h. ft.
8 0 Lord Eglington's bin Bellona, 6yrs (Lye) 1
6 9 Mr. Mr. Graydon's ch li Clinker, syrs...
7 7 Sir R. Bulkeley's b c Spring-heel'd Jack,4yrs 3
The BEESTON CASTLE STAKES of lOsovs. each, with 50
sovs. added by the Gentlemen of Cheshire and the Princi-
pality : one mile and a half. Three to start, or no race.
7 3 Mr. Loy'? br h Ararat, syrs... (G. Francis) 1
8 3 Lord Eglington's b g The Potentate, aged .
The WIRRAL STAKES of lOsovs. each, with 50sovs. added
by the Gentlemen of Wirral, for two and three years old.
Mr. Price's br f Marion, 2yrs . (Stagg) 1
Mr. M. Jones's gr c Portrait, 3vrs .
Tau SELLING STAKES of 5 sovs. each, with 30 sovs. added
by the Citizens ; heats.
Mr. Osborn's such g The Emperor, 3 yrs .... (Francis) 0 I 1
Mr. Saunders's b g Frank, by Priam, 5 yrs
Lord Miltown's ch f Semiramide, by Economist, 3 yrs 0 2 0
Mr. Speed's ch h Aimwell, 6 years
First heat won b j a neck.

It is reported that Sir Henry Pottinger, now in Upper
India, is to proceed to China. The nature of the mission has
not yet transpired, but it is supposed that he is to supercede
Captain Elliot.
LYCEUM NEWS ROOM.—The annual meeting of the pro-
prietors of this institution 'took place on Tuesday evening '
last. The motion for closing the room on Sundays was ne-
gatived by a considerable majority, and atasubsequent period
of the evening a resolution was passed which prohibited any
alteration in the hours of opening or closing the room unless
tivo thirds of the proprietary are agreeable thereto. The
discussion of the former motion produced very great sensa-
tion among the members present, who were more numerous
than on any former occasion.
CURTAILMENT OF THE HOURS OF BUSINESS.--A pub-
lic meeting of the tradesmens assistants, engaged in all
branches of business, was held last evening at the Claren-
don-rooms, for the purpose of considering measures for a
curtailment of the hours of business--which, considering the
difficulty the assistants labour under of attending a meeting,
even at the late hour at which this was convened (half-past
eight), was very well attended ; and the speeches delivered
on the occasion, (of which we regret our inability, from the
crowded state of our columns, to insert more than a bare no-
tice,) displayed an enthusiasm, tempered by respectful con-
sideration of the interests of their employers and the public,
which augurs well for the ultimate success of the under-
taking. Mr. Flower having been nominated to the chair,
stated the objects of the meeting, and called upon Mr. W.
B. Jones to move the first resolution (for which, and the
two following, see advertisement). Mr. Jones warmly ex-
pressed his thankfulness to the lay and clerical gentlemen
who had so ably advocated their cause at the Sessions
House.—Mr. Smith, in seconding the resolution, said that
the conduct of those gentlemen should be deeply felt and ap-
preciated by all assistants, as the first means of their being
considered in the light in which they had an undoubted right
to stand; they had raised them from the depth in which
they had hitherto been considered to lie, and brought them
before the public as men desirous of becoming better than
they were, and of employing their leisure hours to advantage.
He felt confident that their employers were as anxious as
themselves to further their views, not only for their own ad-
vantage, but from a more parental feeling—the desire of bet-
tering the condition of their assistants. Mr. Charles
Willmer moved the second resolution in an able speech. He
denied that the assistants wished to coerce their employers.
The public had taken the subject into consideration, and
had decided that ten hours a.-day were sufficient for
the public requirements ; and if so, what necessity
was there for keeping the assistants toiling for 13, 14, 15, and
16 hours a-day ? He concluded by saying
that their em-
ployers only required to be convinced that 10 hours a-day
were sufficient.—Mr. w. Connor seconded the resolution.
He was not an assistant himself, but felt an interest in the
success of the undertaking. He contended that the assistants
only sought to be placed in their natural position, as free
members of society.
Men of talent and interest. together
with the organs of the press, had come forward—the
STANDARD and the Mercury had gone together—to advocate
the good cause. He denied that the assistants came forward
to coerce the employers; for by a respectful conduct they
would disarm the masters of ill-will, and obtain the sympathy
of the public.—Several other gentlemen then spoke, after
which the meeting separated.

LIVERPOOL PROTESTANT ASSOCIATION.
FORMATION OF A BRANCH FOR EVERTON
AND KIRKDALE.

On Monday last a numerous and highly respectable meet-
ing of the inhabitants of Evertor and Kirkdale, was held in
the church school-room, Everton-valley, for the purpose of
considering the propriety of forming a Branch Association in
connection with the Liverpool Protestant Association.
The Rev. W. W. ENVISANK, incumbent of St. George's,
Everton, took the chair. The proceedings having opened
with a prayer for the divine blessing upon them, the
chairman in a very able address of considerable length, ex-
plained and enforced the duty of members of the church of
England, to resist error of every description. They were
specially called upon to expose and resist those of the church
of Rome, and meetings for that purpose, like the present,
were strictly in conformity with the revealed will of God.
How were they to act? They must present a bold front
against every sort of error. And what was the sort of error
which now especially seemed to oppose the light of truth in
this land ? It could not be denied that it was principally, at
this moment, the errors of the papal church. (Hear.) One
great reason of this was, that the religion of popery seemed
to be a religion—if we might call it by that word—altogether
suited not to the wants and necessities of man, but to allay
his fears of a future judgment : and to administer an opiate
to his conscience. (Hear, hear.) Fallen man must have
something of this sort, he must either have true religion, or
he most make a religion for himself. Tkis.vyas the secret o£)

all false religions n-litterer shape they might assume:
ther they were departures from the faith of the gospel, or
from the primitive traditions which were even before the
gospel, and being derived from a knowledge of the
Old Testarneut and the Jews, and which were a source of
many of the ancient idolatries of the world. They all rested
upon one point—the attempt to administer an opiate to the
conscience of man, who, knowing he was a guilty being in
the sight of God, was glad of something to make him feel
comfortable in this world, and which would justify him, as
he thought, before God in the next. This was the great se-
cret of Popery. (Hear.) This secret seemed to arise from
not holding the one great article of justification by faith, as
revealed to us in the word of God, with purity and simplicity.
He should insist upon this, rather than bring before the
meeting any of the particular doctrines of Popery. Luther
said well when he declared that it was this article which,
with regard to its receipt or rejection, constituted a standing
or a falling church. So long as it was held, the church was
safe, in spite of some errors, because she had always some-
thing to fall back upon. The error which lay at the root of
the whole Romish system, lay in not putting faith in its right
place. Mr. Ewbank clearly established this position, and
gave a masterly exposure of the subtlety of the Popish reli-
gion with regard to it.
The Rev. Dr. TATTERSALL, in a short speech, moved the
first resolution, which was to the effect that " the meeting,
.
considering the influence of true religion the best security for
individual rights, and the surest basis of national prosperity,
earnestly called upon all who venerated the word of God,
and valued the British institutions, to co-operate in pointing
out to the people the peculiar dangers of the present time,
and in taking measures to inspire them with a just sense of
the benefits and blessings of the Protestant religion, under
our Protestant constitution."
Mr. EWBANK seconded the resolution, and after a few
words from the CHAIRMAN, it was carried.
The Rev. D. JAMES, incumbent of St. Mary's, Kirkdale,
moved the next resolution, which was to the effect that the
meeting, considering Protestant Associations the most effec-
tual means of carrying out the principles of the, reformation,
do form an association for this district, to be called " The
Everton and Kirkdale Branch of the Liverpool Protestant
Association." (Applause.) He perceived, from this reso-
lution, that the attention of the meeting was called to the
principles of the reformation, to the necessity of advocating
those principles in the present day, and that it pledged them
to undertake by such associations, a branch of which they
intended to form in this district, to carry out those principles
among the people around them. The chairman had already
entered upon an explanation of one of the most vital of the
principles of the reformation. It was a question proposed at
one time, whether the Church of Rome was more self-righ-
teous, or superstitious, or idolatrous; and the answer, after
the most mature consideration, was that she was more self-
righteous than either idolatrous or superstitious. The man-
ner in which the chairman had explained the great article of
a standing or a falling church, would also support thatan-
swer, inasmuch as the greatest prominence was given init to
the doctrine of justification by faith, so as to remove the
ground of self-righteousness ; and it was advocated, above
all, by the great reformer Luther. (Cheers.) Looking at
the character of Popery, we must consider many of its prac-
tices as constituting the self-righteousness of the Papists,
and looking at the rites and ceremonies enjoined by the
priests, and practised by the people, that the Papists are
superstitious and also idolatrous. (Hear.) The principles
of the reformation, therefore, were in direct opposition to
those practices of the Papacy ; so that, instead of relying
upon anything done by man for acceptance before God, the
people should be led to rely upon Christ, and upon Christ
alone. Instead of teaching the importance of rites and cere-
monies, in the highest degree frivolous, and foolish, and vain,
as Of cmportance in the sight of God, our reformers led the
people to the simplicity of the gospel, and to the practice of
those duties enjoined by the pure word of God, confining
themselves to the two sacraments of baptism and the supper
of the Lord, as the only ones instituted in the Christian
church. Instead of falling down before idols and images, or
paying adoration to the virgin and to relics, the people
were called upon to worship the one living and true God
through Jesus Christ, as the only mediator ; so that
the superstition, the idolatry, and the self-righteousness of
the church of Rome were overthrown by our reformers, and
the principles which they advocated went to exclude them
from the Christian church for ever. (Hear, hear.) These
were the principles to which the attention of the meeting was
called by the resolution. Whilst it was admitted that in the
present day these principles were loudly called for, and that
the character of the times was such as to make it imperative
upon us to return to consider of those principles, and to ad-
vocate them, because there were attempts making on the part
of the papists to introduce the old corruptions, and to make
them spread widely through the land, in order to obscure and
overthrow that faith which had saved this country and been
the means of conferring upon it the highest distinc-
tion in the scale of nations. (Cheers.) In order to check
the aggressions of popery in the present day, it was necessary
to apprise our friends of that insinuating spirit which it had
put on and employed with a great measure of success in va-
rious towns and districts in England and Wales. The jesuitry
of the papists so entirely escaped the notice of the public and
the mass of the population, that unless we closely pursued.
the path which it took, and examined every step of the way,
we could not at all discover the object which these men had
in view until the mischief was done. So far as he had been
able to give attention to this subject, it was his conviction,
and had been for several years, that there were jesuits in this
country wearing the mask of protestantistn, and under that
mask entering into the church established by law, and into our
universities, so as to frame men as it were from the cradle
towards their opinions, their ideas, and their sentiments, and
make them spread widely through the country, in order to
dispose especially the rising generation to a favourable consi-
deration of the church of Rome in future times. (Hear,
hear.) Nor would any one persuade him that among the
ranks of the dissenting ministers, who had so violently at-
tacked the established church for the last ten years, there
were not jesuits who had been preachers, preaching the prin-
ciples of dissent in connection with their respective denomi-
nations, but exercising the influence which they had acquired
by their station and popular preaching to undermine the
foundations of the protestant church of this realm. (Cheers.)
He would also mention his suspicion of the Plymouth Bre-
thren or Derbyites, who were apparently possessed of most
zealous hearts and most pious minds, as going forth
to eipose the " corruptions" of the church of England,
and calling upon the people to separate from her com-
munion, with the ostensible object of establishing a still
purer church and a more spiritually-minded community. He
could not otherwise than believe that the Jesuits had been
the first moving springs of the alienation of this large party
from the church of England, in order to weaken her strength
and multiply her opponents, so as at last to overcome our
country bringing us again into the slavery from which we
emerged at the Reformation. (Hear, hear.) Whcreever we
saw any denomination of Christians, by whatever name they
called themselves, or were called, from circumstances giving
them names, if we saw in them a disposition to attack the
established church—the citadel and bulwark of Protestantism,
we might make up our minds that there were some hypocriti-
cal spirits working underneath and undiscovered, laying a
mine by which it was intended so completely to convulse the
country as to bury the church in the general ruin. (Hear.)
When he saw any denomination of separatists opposing the es-
tablished church of these realms he immediately asked him-
self this question—" What is the real object of this party or
denomination, whilst plausibly advocating the principles of
truth and protesting against come corruptions in the church ?
—for we did not insist that the church was free from faults,
as what human institution could be—but, he said, he always
asked himself the question—how can they, who pretend to
be so free from error, and so opposed to corruption, reconcile
to their own minds the wilful inconsistency of standing up in
companionship with Infidels, Socinians, Sceptics, mid Pa-
pists, to attack the Reformed Church of England and advo-
cate the claims of the corrupt Church of Rome ? (Loud
cheers.) Looking, therefore. at such movements as these,
we could not but suspect that the papacy deserved at our
hands the largest share of credit for them. We heard, for
instance, of some pious brethren coming to England, with
the appearance of mortifying themselves, and of living upon
a mere pittance, that they might establish schools to teach
the children of the poor, but at last we found out that it was
only the offshoot of the popish spirit in Ireland. Indeed, if
we traced all the different movements of the day, which em-
barrassed many Protestants, and seemed to throw confusion
into the camp of the church, we should find they had the
same origin ; and under whatever form they presented them-
selves, and however plausible they appeared, we might de-
pend they were desiged to oppose the Protestant church which
God had established in these realms, and which, under
the sway of the sceptre of England, had flourished and
communicated scripture knowledge to the people. (Loud
cries of " hear, hear.") And whatever might be the
spirit of the combination against her we were called upon
to present a bold front in opposition. (Loud cheers.) It
was our duty in advocating the extension of these associa-
tions, to understand bow far we should go and where we
should stop; because, if the enemy was advancing, it would
not be sufficient to act upon the defensive—we must also act
upon the offensive. The great mistake of the Popish church
was to stop short. When the light of truth had spread
throughout England and the Principality, she only got a
little corner of Ireland, and the consequence was that Ire-
land had been to us what the inhabitants of the land of
Canaan were to the children of Israel, who did not obey the
commands of the Lord respecting them, a thorn in our sides.
Popery was spreading in the Principality, he regretted to
say, for its priests were learning Welsh, which her own
bishops had not done, and without which it could never
make any progress. And whilst Popery was making these
and other advances, we ourselves ought to carry the Protes-
tant movement to Rome itself—to bleed the beast in its own
lair. (Great cheering.) What, England the mistress of the
world, afraid to march to Rome and tell the Pope lie must
part with Popery ! Why, the thing was as possible as it was
for the rich inhabitants of Everton to erect a new school in
their own district, and make a present of that in which the
meeting was assembled to the poor church in Kirkdale.
(Cheers and laughter.) The rev. gentleman then proceeded
to address some energetic observations upon the practica-
bility, and the benefit which would result from it, of extend-
ing the Protestant agitation to Rome, Spain, and Portugal.
He concluded amidst loud cheers by moving the resolution.
Mr. ADSIIEAD seconded the resolution in an appropriate
address, and it was unanimously carried.
One or two others afterwards addressed the meeting, and
the proceedings terminated shortly before ten o'clock.

A Letter from the Rev. Hugh M'Neile to Dr. Butler

Liverpool : Lace and Addison.
We beg to call the special attention of the Protestant pub-
lic to a pamphlet which has just issued from the press, bear-
ing the above title, and which is of peculiar interest at the
present moment. Dr. Butler has not hesitated to charge his
opponent with falsehood, and has ventured to itnpugn the
authority of several quotations which were brought forward
by Mr. M'Neile, in proof of the charges advanced against
the Church of Rome in his sermon entitled " Antichrist."
To corroborate the authenticity and correctness of the quo-
tations, Mr. M'Neile has had recourse to the letter before
us, and whilst he substantiates clearly the positions which he
had previously laid down, he demolishes most pointedly
and succinctly the appearance of argument which Dr. But-
ler has made use of. We recommend an early application for
this letter, as the price will induce most persons to become
posses►ed of it.