The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1843-01-06 00:00:00

existing society is humanised and elevated, are worth-
less

the craft which can
fashion a shoe or weave a piece of calico. Carry the
application' of this philosophy a little—a very little
further. A piece bf machinery can weave with more
unerring skill than a human being : it does not eat;

weeds when compared v

it does not tire; it " does not. get drunk :" ergo, a
piece of machinery—a power-loom-7in the estimation.
of the *League is a more valuable member of society
than the human weaver, the most gifted sage, the
learned historian, the poet, or the statesman !
This is not an exaggerated conclusion. It is the
heart, the marrow, the soul, of the ❑tilitarian philoso-
phy which is gaining ground amongst us. That
philosophy regards man as a machine, or the raw
material of a table, a chair, a pair of stockings, or a
printed calico, rather than as a being with an immortal
soul to be saved,—with an intellect capable of grasping
the universe,—with passions to be subdued,—with
feelings, tastes, and appetites to be elevated above the
grossness of a mere earthly nature. In such a spirit
it would legislate ; and we ask our readers what a world
that would be into which the ascendancy of such a
philosophy would convert this mingled and varied
scene in which we live, and in which, if there is much
deformity and suffering and grief, there are also alter-
nations of beauty and quiet and joy, to enable poor
human nature, to support its lot! Such a world
would be one arid desolation ; a landscape without a
flower; a smoke-enveloped scene of toil and strife,
without a glimpse of blue sky or sun to cheer its dark-
ness !

But let us briefly glance at the concluding sentence
of Mr. Cobden's insolent slander. The aristocracy of
England, he says, "` are only fit for grooms, jockeys,
or coachmen. The business of the stable yard or the
chase is their principal occupation; they possess no
higher accomplishments, that he knows of " ! Pray,
does this pert smatterer wish to bring his order—the
cottonocracy of the manufacturing districts—into a
comparison with the aristocracy of England, in intel-
lect, in virtue, in learning, in mariners, in tastes—in any
qualification, moral, physical, or intellectual ? Surely
even his insufferable impudence would not go thus far
for we do not hesitate to say that a class more inferior
in all these qualifications does not exist, as a class,
throughout the United Kingdom, than is to be found
in the agitating body to which Mr. Cobden belongs.
The house stewards and butlers of many of the gentry
only of England are infinitely the superiors of the
bulk.of them ; and the assistants in many a draper's
shop are, in all but the possession of money, the equals
of many that we know—aldermen, mayors, or coun-
cillors of new corporations, though they may be. The
cottonocracy of Manchester and Bolton and Stock-
port and Rochdale and Wigan and Chowbent and
Oldham—men grovolling still in the sordid quest of
money, whose possession alone dignifies them above
the wretched slaves who toil for them—men who.wor-
ship it as a god—dream of it, waking and sleeping,
daily and hourly ;—compare such men with the chival-
rous aristocracy of England I As a sane man, Mr.
Cobden, you could not intend any such suicidal
folly!

The Manchester Guardian of Wednesday contains
an announcement, which we copy, verbatim et literatim.

" PRINTED VELVETEENS.--A. beautiful specimen of
printed velveteens has been produced at the Ancoats Vale
Works, by Mr. W. Barlow. The cloth is entirely cotton ;
but so beautifully dressed as to appesr like silk. Tlta design
represents a stalk and ear of wheat, grouped, or rather thrown
together, very tastefuly, with a small scroll peeping from be-
neath, bearing the word FREE. Mr. Barlow presented two
pieces of it to Sir Robert Peel, who, in acknowledging the
New Year's Gift, returned Mr. Barlow the following hand-
some letter."

Possibly the small scroll peeping from beneath the
"ear of wheat, grOuped, or rather thrown, together very
tastefully," and the occurrence, has furnished a fund
of amusement to Mr. NV. Barlow's acquaintance. Sir
Robert, however; bas apparently no suspicion of the
jocose intent of the velveteen presentation; as, indeed,
will be apparent from the following reply which he has
written to the before mentioned Barlow :

Drayton Manor, 31st Dec., 1842

Sir,—l am much obliged by your kind attention, in send-
ing a specimen of the beautiful manufacture which accom-
panied your letter. _

Lady Peel admired it so mu'h that she will convert one
of the pieces into a cloak for her own wearing : the other I
will apply to my own use.
ry

I an:, Sir,
Your obedient servant,
Robert Peel."

The instruction intended to be conveyed to the Pre-
mier by this, must, we think, be tolerably apparent. We
have a strong persuasion that the gentleman in question
is a member of the league; and, no doubt, the recital of
"bearing the word FREE," is so very small a scroll,
that it has escaped the eye of Lady Peel or of the
Premier. Otherwise, we really cannot see with what
ladyship can appear, cloaked in the livery
propriety her lad
of the League, or Sir Robert present a jacket of this
"beautiful manufacture" to the stable boy. Strange
things, however, do happen occasionally in this world
if the Conservative public should of ours ; and be
startled, some of these days, by the vision of Sir
passing down Parliament-street, clad in
Robert's tiger, P
cotton velvet, with a " small scroll bearing the word
FREE" beneath his waistcoat or his jacket pocket, we
trust that none of her Majesty's lieges will take liberties
with the pocket in question, but rather attribute the
invitation to the temporary blindness of his illustrious
master. William Barlow, of Ancoats Vale Works,
take care that you be not indicted as aiding and
abetting !

As much anxiety is felt to know the interior arrange-
ments at the opening of the Collegiate Institution to
day, we subjoin -
a programme of the proceedings to
take place within the building.
Previous to the arrival of the procession, the gentle-
men composing the Philharmonic Society, who have
kindly offered their services to conduct the musical
performances, will play the Jubilee Overture (by Weber),
and a variety of other music.
Before the entrance of the individuals forming the
procession, a voluntary will be performed as a duet on
the organ.

The following Anthem, by Mozart, will then be

"Judge me, 0 Lord, according to thy righteousness; and
let them not triumph over me.
" I will give thanks into thee, 0 ! Lord, among the peo-
ple, and I will sing unto thee among the nations ; for the
greatness of thy mercy reacheth unto the heavens, and Ulf
truth unto the clouds."

Prayer will then be offered up by the Rev. Rector
Campbell.
The Rev. Rector Brooks will make a few intro-
ductory remarks.

The Inaugural address will follow. The Principal will
then make a few observations descriptive of the princi-
ples in which it is intended to conduct the educational
department of the Institution.
The National Anthem.

" Lord of Heaven, and Earth, and Ocean," will then

be spng.
The Bishop will pronounce his benediction, which
will close the proceedings.
As the company arc going out, the Hallelujah Chorus,
"Hallelujah, for the Lord God Omnipotent reign-
eth !" will be performed.

We had prepared a few remarks upon the proceed-
ings of the Paid Officers' Committee, as laid before
the last two meetings of the Council, and the debates
thereon. The pressing demands upon our space in
the present' number compel us, though reluctantly, to
withdraw our observations until Tuesday. In the
meantime we may say that the Committee deserve un-
qualified praise for the searching investigations they
have instituted—investigations which cannot fail to be
of great. practical benefit to the welfare and manage-
ment of the corporate estate.