The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1850-12-17 00:00:00

THE LIVERPOOL STANDARD.

EVERTON AND KIRKDALE WARD,

LITERARY AND PHILOSOPHICAL SOCIETY

LORD ELDON'S PREDICTIONS IN 1829,
ON THE THIRD READINC OF THE ROMAN CATHOLIC

RELIEF BILL

The following predictions of this venerable pillar of
church and state were at the time sneered at, as the senile
and effete expressions of a bigotted octogenarian. What
a lesson has he left to those who now hold the rudder of
the state in their hands:—
" I know, that sooner or later, this bill will overturn
the aristocracy and the monarchy. What I have
stated is my notion of the danger to the establishment.
Have they not Roman Catholic archbishops for every
ot2stant Archbishop : Roman Catholic deans for
every Protestant dean ? Did not the Roman Catholic
ecclesiastics dispute against Henry VIII in defence of the
power of the Pope ? and in Mary's time were not the
laws affecting the Roman Catholics repealed. not by the
authority of Parliament, but through the influence of the
Pope's legate ? And even though you suppress these
Roman Catholics who utter these seditious, treasonable,
abominable, and detestable speeches, others will arise who
will utter speeches more treasonable, more abominable,
and more detestable. No sincere Roman. Catholic could
or did look for less than a Roman Catholic King and a
Roman Catholic Parliament. Their lordships might
flatter themselves that the dangers he had anticipated
were visionary, and God forbid, that he should say, that
those who voted for the third reading of the bill will not
have done so conscientiously, believing that no danger
exists or can be apprehended from it. But in so voting,
they had not that knowledge of the danger in which they
were placing the great, the paramount interests of this
Protestant state ; they had not that knowledge of its true
interests and situation which they ought to have. Those
with whom we are dealing are too wary to apprise you
by any indiscreet conduct of the danger to which you are
exposed. When those dangers shall have arrived, I shall
have been consigned to the urn, the sepulchre, and mor-
tality ; but that they will arrive I have no more doubt
than that I yet continue to exist. You hear the words of
a man who will soon be called to his great account.
God forbid, therefore, that I should raise my warning
voice, did I not deem this measure a breach of every
notion that I have of a civil contract—a breach of every
article of the Constitution, and contrary to the spirit of
those oaths which I have taken to my King, and to that
Constitution. Pardon, my lords, a man far advanced
in years, who is willing to give up his existence to avert
the dangers with which ail he loves, all he reveres,
aro threatened. I solemnly declare, that I had ra-
ther not be living to-morrow morning, than, on
awaking, find that I had consented to this measure.
Believing it, as I do, after all the consideration which I
have given it, to be an abrogation of all those laws which
I deem to be necessary to the safety of the church ;—a
violation of those laws which I hold to be as necessary to
the preservation of the throne as of the church, and as
indispensable to the existence of the Lords and Commons
of this realm, as to that of the King, and of our holy
religion ;—feeling all this, I repeat, that I would rather
cease to exist, than, upon waking to-morrow morning,
find that I had consented to a measure fraught with evils
so imminent and so deadly, and of which, had I not
solemnly expressed this, my humbie but firm conviction,
I should have been acting the part of a traitor to my coun-
try, my sovereign, and my God."

POPERY As IT Is.—The " Annual Registers" of the
last few years scarcely contain a single volume which is
not disfigured, in some place or other, by Contests between
the Romish bishops and the continental governments. To
mention a few of these :—ln 1823, the government of the
Netherlands was obliged to dissolve two religious confe-
deracies, as dangerous to the state. In 1824, there were
serious disputes and commotions, on religious points, in
Bavaria, Saxe Weimar, and Saxony. In 1825, the Belgian
government had a conflict with the Archbishop Mechlin.
In 1827, the bigoted Ferdinand of Spain had such a
struggle with the Papal pretensions, that he forbade the
Pope's nuncio to enter Spain. In 1828, the French go-
vernment felt itself obliged to suppress the society of the
Jesuits, and it met with great opposition from the bishops.
In 1830, Charles X., under the advice of ecclesiastical
bigots, endeavoured to enslave his people, and lost
his throne by it. In the same year, the Romish bishops
in Belgium united themselves with the radical party,
whom they in their hearts hated, in order thereby to
accomplish a revolution, and to get rid of a Protestant
king, whose sway they would not submit to. In the
same year, the Jesuits occasioned great disturbances
in Saxony. In 1834, the Spanish government was obliged
to make very strong laws for the punishment of many
bishops and priests who aided the Carlists. In 1837, the
' Archbishop of Cologne set the Prussian government at
defiance, and they were obliged to place him in confine-
ment. In 1838, the Austrian bishops induced the govern-
ment to banish the entire body of inhabitants of the
Zillar-hall for becoming Protestants. In 1842, the church
party in France raised a great clamour (as they are doing
in Ireland now) against the university system maintained
by the government. To propitiate them the government
consented to send an expedition to root up the Protestant
missions in Tahiti ; and thus was very near involving these
two great nations in war. In 1847, Switzerland was utterly
convulsed and driven to civil war by the demands and con-
spiracies of the Romish bishops. And in the present year,
the Sardinian government, a government wholly Popish,
has been obliged to send two archbishops into exile be-
cause they resolutely refused to obey the laws. Here are
no fewer than fifteen instances, in the course of 30 years,
of troubles, commotions, and civil wars, brought ou by
the Romish bishope and the agent' of Rome.

In consequence of the lamented death of Mr. Thomas
Chalmer, jun., the highly-respected and talented member
for Everton and Kirkdale Ward, a vacancy has occurred
in the Council Chamber. A deputation of the electors,
• immediately on being apprized of the melancholy occur-
rence, waited upon Mr. Thomas Claimer, sen., the father
of their deceased representative, and pressed him to allow
them to elect him as his son's successor. Mr. Claimer
assented, but, owing to the recency of the bereav ur.ent
already alluded to, excused himself from the usual public
declaration of principles. These are, however, well
known to be identical with those professed by his lamented
son : they have al,o been tried in the public service, Mr.
Claimer, sen. having represented the burgesses in the
Council. A meeting of the electors of the ward was held
last night, at Halliday's Coffee-house, for the purpose of
adopting measures for the return of Mr. Claimer.
Among the gentlemen present were Mr. Roskell, Mr.
Hainsworth, Mr. Jones, Mr. Langsdale, (T.C.,) Mr.
Godfrey, (T.C.,1 and others.
Mr. ROSKELL was called to the chair. He regretted
the painful circumstances which led to the calling of the
meeting ; he considered that the ward had lost an excel-
lent representative. In the township in which he resided
much had been done by the deceased Mr. Chalmer to
reduce the excessive amount of feces which some time
ago prevailed. He thought he could not better show his
respect for the son than by assisting to return his father.
([Tear, hear).
Alderman LANGSDALE came forward to propose a re-
solution. He had known Mr. Chaloner for thirty.five
years, and the lamented young man from his infancy.
(Here the worthy alderman became so much affected that
he was unable to proceed). He proposed that. Mr. Chat-
mar is a fit and proper person to represent the ward.
Mr. GODFREY seconded the resolution. He was sorry
that melancholy duty devolved upon him ; he could assure
the chairman that no man could be more regretted than
the deceased gentleman by the Council ; a letter had
been sent that day from the mayor to his father con-
firmatory of this view. He thought it would be paying
a just tribute to the memory of the son to return the
father.

The motion was carried nem. con.
Mr. H AINSWORTH moved the second resolution to the
effect that the meeting use its utmost efforts to secure the
election of Mr. Chalmer.
.Mr. ROURKE seconded the resolution, in doing which
he paid a high compliment to the memory of the late Mr.
Chalmer.

A committee was then formed to promote the election
of the candidate, and after the usual routine had been
observed, the meeting separated.

The usual fortnightly meeting of this society was held
last night at the Royal Institution, the President, J. B.
Yates, Esq., in the chair.
A letter was read from Mr. James Boardman, contain-
ing a memoir of Mr. Bentley, for some time a resident of
Liverpool, and subsequently resident in London, in part-
nership with Mr. Wedgewood.
Mr. LASSELL made a communication respecting a third
ring of Saturn, which had originally been observed by an
American astronomer. About a fortnight ago, being on
a visit to a friend who had an excellent glass, and the
night being exceedingly favourable for observations, he
perceived a new feature in the planet Saturn. On re-
turning home. and making further observations, he saw
on one occasion the eight satellites of the planet, and a
dark and well defined edge to the outer ring, which he had
always observed obscure. He observed a distinctness
which led him to conclude that a third ring was probable,
though he could not say that his own observations per-
fectly convinced him of the fact.
The Rev. Dr, HUME then read a paper upon the edu-
cational and literary condition of Liverpool. The rev.
gentleman, after describing the peculiar social condition
of Liverpool, composed as its inhabitants are of men
engaged in mercantile pursuits, and sprung from every
class and country, remarked upon the absence of anything
like libraries of reference or educational facilities uni-
versally approachable, by which literature might be pro-
moted amongst the inhabitants. It was evident that there
was existing abroad a desire for a better state of things;
but a fatality seemed to have attended previous efforts
to advance the desideratum. He viewed, however, the
recent transfer of the Royal Institution to the Council
as an auspicious event by which a public library, suited
for all classes, would be provided, free of cost. The rev.
gentleman drew a very humiliating picture of the literary
position of Liverpool, which he attributed, in a
great measure, to the want of a sufficient sup-
ply of useful literature and science. He remarked
upon the excellence of the Athenum and Lyceum
libraries for reference ; and stated that it was melan-
choly to see such libraries restricted to the few who
are proprietors of these institutions; and he suggested to
those proprietors to concentrate their collections by
placing them in the library of the Royal Institution, where
they would still serve ns works of reference, easily
approachable. The rev. gentleman proceeded to suggest
his views as to improvements which might be made in
the museum which he considered at present to be un-
attractive. The lecturer went on, at too great length, un-
fortunately, to enable us to give even the thread of his
argument., to dilate upon the great benefits which would
arise to our town from the institution proposed to be im-
proved and rendered efficacious in promoting our interests.