The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1844-04-16 00:00:00

THE LIVERPOOL STANDARD.

Ferguson, architect. And may the Great Head of the I
Church bless and prosper the undertaking."
Dr. M'Cou.octi then addressed the right hon. gentle-
man. He made a few appropriate observations as to the
occasion, and to the condescension of the hon. gentleman
in coming so great a distance to lay the foundation stone
of a church in which they hoped they and their children's
children would worship for ages to come. He then alluded
to the great exertions of the hon. gentleman in the cause
of the Free Church, and concluded by handing him the
silver trowel, on which the following inscription was en-
graved :
(c arisT.)-
" Presented to the Right Honourable Fox niule. M.P.,
on the occasion of his laying the foundation stone of St.
George's Presbyterian Church, Myrtle-street, Liverpoal,
11th April, 1844."
The Right Hon. Fox MAtmg.then ascended from the
place in which the stone was placed. He said that after
the speech they had heard from-,their aged, excellent, and
Christian friend, Dr. M'Culloch, it was impossible for
him to lay the foundation stone of that church without
first returning thanks to him for- the kind mention of his
name, and secondly congratulating them on the commence.
ment of a work, which he trusted, would be concluded as
happily as it had been begun. It was not in the power of
mankind to command a happy conclusion to that event,
but he trusted that the prayer which had been offered up
that day would not have been• uttered unheard, and he
hoped their continued faith in Him.who had promised that
" when we ask it shall be given," and that no prayer
offered in sincerity will be cast on the winds, would bring
about that happy termination. He bad to congratulate
the ladies and gentlemen present on an undertaking the
most interesting which man could put his hand to—the
erection of an edifice where they and their children could
worship unmolested, and enjoy that which was the privi-
lege of this country in particular, namely, the exercise of
religious liberty " without any man making us afraid."
In Scotland an event had lately occurred—one that would
mark the page of history probably more deeply than any
which had taken place during their time, at least, and he
was glad to find that the spirit which had been thus work-
ing so nobly there, actuated Scotland's sons, though they
might not be absolutely dwelling in their own native land.
He rejoiced to find that in that great commercial metro-
polis of the world, while their sons were busy, as they
always were busy in pushing their industry to its utmost
legitimate extent, that they were not negligent of the faith
of their fathers, and that they erected amongst themselves
a communion in which they might worship in that faith,
not in any of its modern interpretations, but in its ancient
purity for which their fathers fought and bled. (Applause.)
Their excellent friend, Dr. M'Cur.och, had said that he
(the Right 'Honourable Gentleman) had done them an
honour on being present on that occasion. in the fulness
of his heart he had spoken, he was sorry to say, just ex-
actly the wrong way. (No, no.) All the honour, said he,
lies on me, conferred by you. It was a proud distinction
that he stood that day in the presence of so many of his
countrymen in this great and flourishing city, to promote
the cause of the free church of Scotland, being, as he held
it to be, the cause of pure and true evangelical religion.
Hear, hear.) He had taken part in that cause not more,
perhaps, and not so much from his conviction of its being
the inheritance of his country, as from bis conviction that
it was a pure cause, and one which would always flourish,
being co-ntenanced from on high. What he had done he
had done as a humble individual, whom accident had
placed in a position in which, if any other then present
had been placed be would have done the same. (Hear,
hear.) He was highly delighted to have been able to avail
himself of the opportunity, but at that moment he would
not detain them longer by referring to the cause itself or
to the circumstance of his being there, as he hoped to
have an opportunity of doing so more fully that evening.
The Right Hon. Gentleman concluded by again thanking
the company for the honour conferred on him, and the
ceremony concluded with the pronouncing of the blessing
by the Rev. Dr. Smith, of Glasgow
The new building will be in the Norman style of archi-
tecture, and built of white stone. It will accommodate
between 1500 and 1600 individuals, and, we understand,
the plans, &c. have been kindly and gratuitously furnished
by Mr. George Ferguson, a member of the congregation.