The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1843-10-10 00:00:00

CORRESPONDENCE.

THE MERCURY AND THE CHURCH

TO THE EDITOR OF THE LIVERPOOL STANDARD

SlR,—The Mercury of to-day destroys its cobweb, as
you will see, by being at its " dirty work again." Re-
iterating the foul charge against the Protestant operative
body, upon the vague and anonymous statement of some
Achan in the dark, he still would fasten the charge of
giving money, &c. to that body, though admitting that it
was not done through the agency of the chairman or
treasurer. This is the extreme,of jesuitry; and one of
those many slimy and sinuous remarks with which that
many-faced journal did always abound. In his paper of
this day, the editor endeavoyrs to escape (or rather slyly
wipe off) the charge of being hostile to the Established
Church, by a cunning paragraph in favour of the bazaar
for defraying the debt on St. Silas's Church ; and, in a
feigned notice to correspondents, asks any one to make
out a list of the established clergy of the town, and put a
mark against the name of those whom he has ever publicly
attacked, either as ministers of religion, or as men! This
is " matchless impudence personified ! ! I perfectly re-
collect the history of this mercurial organ, from its birth
to the present era ; its " concentric" phalanx of Smiths,
and Nobles, and Johnsons, not forgetting its memorable
Caseys and Jordans, and Rushtons, down to the present
period ; and I have been, (with a slight exception of about
three years,) a constant reader and observer of its leading
articles; and the truth warrants me in asserting, that,
throughout its whole career, the Established Church of
England, and its ministers, have been the object of its in-
vincible slander and rancour. The clergymen of this
town, from the two present (and a deceased)-rectors, to
above twelve more, can be pointed out as having been un-
justly maligned in his columns, both as clergymen and as
men ; and I hereby offer to prove it from those columns,
in almost innumerable instances! If any clergyman of
that church committed an impropriety, an error of judg-
ment, or in any way acted in a public capacity contrary
to the jesuitical aim of the Mercury, he, and the church
also, were forthwith assailed in:thelcoarsest phraseology,
and the finger of scorn directed at it, and them, by_the
very " minnows and small fry," who now wish to crawl
and live in the circle of the salmon's waters, fearful of
that one lash of his tail that would crush them for ever as
designing slanderers ! That lash must now come : the
crisis has approached : delays -are now dangerous! Talk
of " pictures." View the Rev. H. M'Neile, open-
minded, resolute, firm, faithful,. flinching not,—as he has
been attacked and vilely abused by this journal !—nay, a
black list might be collected fitting for a St. Giles's voca-
bulary therefrom,—and contrast that abuse with the cant-
ing, crawling, and hypocritical paragraph about St. Silas's
church, of this day ! Why, the most radical and revolu-
tionary palate must be gorged with such a nauseous dose
of advertisement and subscriber-hunting sycophancy !
I had intended to say something about the public career
of Mr. W. Rathbone, the "hanging" of his picture, &c.
&c. ; but am afraid of occupying too much of your va-
luable space, knowing that your duties, for three weeks to
come, will demand and require your every vigilance ; so
shall reserve it for your next paper. But I will make one
general remark, that all the sophistry, all the soft-soapy-
ness of the times, cannot controvert; and that is, that
not the most liberal charity, the widest declarations of
philanthropy, can countervail, or counterbalance, the
struggles of twenty years efforts to upset the constitution
and institutions of the country ! Picture revolution and
passionate anarchy as you may, in " robes and furred
gowns" withal, the true historian must still depict and
narrate the deformities and horrors of anarchy and dis-
union in all nations, and hold up as beacons to true order
and morality, the dangerous shoals which landed La-
fayette and his tribe of philanthropists in temporary foot-
ing.—l am, &c. LYNX.
Oct. 6th, 1843.

TELEGRAPHIC CLOCK.—The experiment of the u ility
of a new description of night clock, that exhibits three
lights fixed to the points of the hands and the centre of
the dial, was tried on Monday evening, at St. Nicholas's
church, with perfect success. One light is stationary and
marks the centre. It is distinguished in size and colour,
and serves as an index, pointing out the situation of the
other, which is always that of the hour and minute, res-
pectively. The burning planes, surrounded with darkness
showed the time a great way off, whilst the illuminated
dials now in use, look at a short distance only like so
many full moons. The other advantage of this invention,
which is that of a Mr. Hughes, is in the reduced cost,
which is but from one-third to one-twelfth of that of the
old plan, according to the degree of the distance. By
dispensing with the incumbrance of the old " figures,"
the day dial affords a large and clear field for the display
of the indicators, which also make the time visible at a
much greater distance.

THEATRE ROYAL.—The Liverpool Theatre Royal,
which has been closed since the bankruptcy of Mr. Ham-
mond, has at length found a tenant in the person of Mr.
Webster, the spirited lessee of the Haymarket. The
company which is at present playing at that establish-
ment, will be divided between that town and the metro-
polis ; the new lessee, we understand, being of opinion
that he can work both theatres to his own advantage, and
the satisfaction of the public. The house will open un-
der :the new arrangement, in the course of a month or
six weeks. The length of the season will depend, doubt-
less, upon its success ; but it will have one advantage over
the seasons of the late lessees, it will open at the best
period of the theatrical season, whereas they always se-
lected the worst season for their opening—the summer,
and closed at the best part of the year—Christmas. Mr.
Clarke, well known in this town and in Manchester, from
his long connection with both theatres, is to assist in the
management.

DUTIES RECEIVED AT THE PORT OF LIVERPOOL.—
We understand that there has been a considerable fallen
off in the amount of duties collected at this port on the
articles of coffee, corn, molasses, and brandy, or, at least,
in that portion of the remittances, which falls into the
exchequer receipt of the last quarter, compared with the
corresponding quarter of the year 1842, whilst there is an
increase in that of the duties collected on silk manufac-
tures, rum, sugar, tea, tobacco, wine, sawn wood, and
cotton and sheep? wool. The increase is the most re-
markable on tobacco, being, as we are led to believe,
somewhere about £50,000; sugar, about £10,000; tea,
£12,000 ; wine, £12,000; cotton wool, £40,000. On the
other articles enumerated it is comparatively trifling,
whilst the greatest decrease is in corn, said to be about
£240,000 ;:molasses, £23,000; coffee, £6,000; and brandy,
£6,000, In round numbers, the total difference between
the two quarters is stated to be between £40,000 and
£50,000.

SCOTLAND WARD.—A most numerous and respectable
meeting was held on Wednesday evening last, at the
house of Mrs. Barton, Burlington-street, to consider the
means necessary to be adopted in order to secure the re-
turn of Thomas Wilson, Esq., to the Town Council, next
November. A little before eight o'clock the chairman,
Thomas Vernon, Esq., opened the business of the even-
ing in a business-like speech, in which he warmly dwelt
upon the private and public excellencies of the gentleman
named as a candidate, and of the very encouraging fact
that many gentlemen of opposite political principles were
so well satisfied of his qualifications that they had at
once signed the requisition which had been presented,
and which contained the names of at least half the regis-
tered electors. Resolutions respecting the nomination of
Mr. Wilson, the determination of the meeting to use
every lawful exertion to secure his election, the appoint-
ment of a committee, and the subscription to defray ex-
penses, were severally put by Messrs. William Stewart,
Francis Stewart, James Teesdale, Harry Ashcroft, R.
Edwards, P. Rowson, G. Taylor, and R. Mansfield.
John Wilson Green, Esq., on behalf of his brother (Mr.
Wison) expressed his pleasure at the good feeling and
respect paid to one with whom he was so intimately con-
nected, and for whom he could say that the kind and en-
thusiastic proceedings of that evening would be deeply
felt. After passing a few remarks respecting the support
which his brother had already received, Mr. Green ex-
pressed his conviction of the triumphant return of the
candidate, and sat down amidst loud and general applause.
A most imposing list of names was read over as the com-
mittee, and indeed the number who offered in the room to
become committeemen and canvassers was so great,:that
the chairman desired the further additions to be made
upon the next night of meeting. Three times three cheers
were given for Mr. Wilson, and a vote of thanks and con-
tinued applause for the chairman, after which the meeting
separated.

UNFOUNDED CHARGE AGAINST A POOR FEMALE.—
An inquest was yesterday held before Mr. Curry. on view
of the body of a young child named Eiizabeth Tattersall.
The mother was brought in custody into the court. She
was wretchedly attired and appeared to be in great dis-
tress, and much reduced by want of the necessaries of
life. It appeared she lived with her husband, a night-
man, and a worthless character, in Eaton-street, Vaux-
hall-road. The child had been ill for some time, and
some of the neighbours had sat with it along with it
several nights. The husband had gone out on Sunday af-
ternoon ; came back in a drunken state after being robbed
of his money ; and finding the child dead, and that she
had been drinking a little, abused her, brought a police-
officer, and gave her in charge for having suffocated her
child and being drunk. She was taken to the police-
station in Vauxhall-road, where the keeper, not seeing
sufficient ground for the charge, refused to book her.
She was taken to Mr. Dowlings, but he was not in. She
was then taken to the Main Bridewell, where she was
booked on the charges stated, and hence the inquest. On
the circumstances being inquired into, it appeared that
the child had all along been most kindly and affectionately
treated by the mother ; and that the husband was a brute ;
and that there was neithera chair, nor abed, nor a blanket in
the cellar they inhabited, which presented a scene of the
greatest wretchedness. It further appeared that though
often in a starving state herself, the mother had taken all
the little money she could by any means raise from time
to time, and bought wine with it for the infant when it
could not take the breast. Several witnesses were brought
before the coroner, and deposed to these facts. On a
post mortetn examination, it was found that the deceased
had died from inflammation of the lungs, which had been
going on for some time, and died from natural causes,
there being no appearance of maltreatment in any way.—
The coroner said the poor woman was free from all impu-
tation, but that the husband deserved punishment, and
he regretted the law would not reach him. The verdict
must therefore be " death from natural causes." He
then said that as she was booked " drunk" as well as the
other charge, he could not discharge her from custody
without Mr. RuAiton's consent; but he sent a police-
officer with her to that gentleman. Mr. R. had left the
court, and she was taken to the Main Bridewell, where,
the circumstances being explained to Mr. Parkinson, he
took the responsibility upon himself and discharged her.
It happened that she was slightly affected by drink ; but
it was only from some small-beer, which had taken hold
of her from long want of food. The coroner on her re-
turn after being dismissed gave her lhalf-a-crown out of
his own pocket.