The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1844-09-10 00:00:00

MR. RUSHTON'S OBJECTIONS TO ORANGE-

MEN, DISSECTED.

In some remarks which will be found in our leading
columns-upon the recent proceedings of the Justices of
the Borough, we have abstained from setting up our judg-
ment, in purely legal matters, against any of the lawyers
consulted upon the question at issue, but we cannot re-
frain from the opportunity afforded us, and earned by
such forbearance, of remarking here, very briefly, upon
one portion of Mr. Rushton's long and laboured display
of legal lore, in which his motives and those who act with
him are set forth. In justification of the course taken
against the few members of the Orange order found in the
police-force, he says :

"The justices were perfectly aware that, in a town where at least
70,000 Irishmen are estimated to be among the population, and
where the Catholics and Protestants among them partake in a great
degree of the fierce spirit which unhappily prevails between them
in Ireland, great caution was necessary in order to prevent the po-
lice force being formed out of any part of those factions which have
been generated amidst the contests and alarms of one party or the
other. The justices thought that it was highly important that
those who were to act in the suppression of riots, and particularly
of riots occasioned by religious party fights, ought not to be either
Orangemen or Ribbon:nen; they thought. that such men would im-
pair the strength of the force, and render it not only less morally
influential, but very much less powerful with regard to the effi-
ciency of the force itself. It was the opinion of the justices that
their officers should not be formed out of either faction, but that
they should all of them be persons to whom every member of the
working classes might appeal for advice or assistance without meet-
ing a hostile partizan where they sought only a minister of justice."
And again :

" The very cause of all the inquiry originated in a procession
which, though not numerous, was represented to the justices us
dangerous to the public peace, and which, a few days before the in-
quiry, had passed through the town unmolested by the police, and
then, for the first time, the justices were informed that Orangemen
and Itibbontnen were in the police. The justices had not tbrgotten
that battles had been fought in the town, during which life was en-
dangered and property destroyed ; and that one of these battles
continued to agitate the town for several days, and that the com-
batants were persons enraged against each other by religious dif-
ferences. To suppress such riots with a force containing members
of hostile factions, agitated by the very feelings which had created
the disturbances, was, in the opinion of the justices, dangerous, and
they thought for this cause, if for no other, that Orangemen and
Ribbonmen were both unfit for the performance of the duty of
constables in Liverpool."

Now it is a little singular that this 'excessive anxiety
that the constitution of the police-force should be devoid
of party—that its members should in no degree be influ-
enced by " that fierce spirit" of religions animosity which
" unhappily prevails in 'lreland"—should haVe been dis-
played at this particular period, and not before. There
was none of this stickling for the absence of all religious
furor amongst the police-force in the palmy days of radical
supremacy, when a large number of that force consisted of
Papists bitterly opposed in feeling to the Protestant por-
tion of our population. There was no anxiety then, of
which we are aware, that the force should be constituted
of persons to whom "every member of the working clas-
ses might appeal for advice or assistance without meeting
a hostile partizan where they sought only a minister of
justice," unless the " fine pisintry" who presented them-
selves in sho'als to the watch-board for election, with the
magical P.P. appended to the euphoneous names in their
credentials were, by virtue of their brogue and their ori-
gin, such impartial and learned persons. Why the in-
creased care of Mr. Rushton and the magistrates now ?
We ought to have been informed.
A word upon the care displayed by Mr. Rushton in
classing together as unworthy and antagonistic characters
Ribbonmen and Orangemen. Mr. Rushton had been in-
formed " that Orangemen and Ribbonmen were in the
force." Possibly the case was so then, and, with respect
to Ribbonmen, may have been more extensively so in
former years ; but his informant well knew the almost
impossibility of detecting Ribbonism. Men do not ordi-
narily acknowledge themselves to belong to societies con-
nexion with which is an indictable offence. "The jus-
tices," he says, " had not forgotten that battles had taken
place in the town," &c. ; and they thought that " to sup-
press such riots with a force containing members of hostile
factions, agitated by the very feelings which had created
the disturbances, was dangerous, and for this cause, if
for no other, Orangemen and Ribbonmen were both unfit
for the performance of the duty of constables in Liver-
pool." But, Mr. Rushton, were these battles between
Orangemen and Ribbonmen? 1 hat, we submit, is a fact
as yet scarcely proved. They were contests between Pro-
testants and Repealers and Papists;—that we do know,
and little more than that. The real conclusion, therefore,
from the exquisitely-learned gentleman's own premises is,
that, because of their religious differences, Protestants
and Roman Catholics were unfit members of the force.
This is a dilemma he does not face; and he escapes out
of it by selecting, as especially unfit, those Protestants who
are members of legally organised societies—who are espe-
cially loyal and conservative—and throwing in, as a make-
weight to give the course pursued the semblance of fairness,
a class of men illegally embodied together for purposes
of outrage, disowned by their own fellow religionists, and
denounced by their own priesthood ! This is anything
but fair, Mr. Rushton.

LIVERPOOL ILLUMINATED ! We were really not
aware, until informed of the circumstance by the pla-
cards published by a radical contemporary of Saturday,
that there was anything like universal rejoicing, even
amongst the low Irish population of our town, upon the
occasion of the recent " unexpected" decision of the
House of Lords, releasing O'Connell and his co-conspira-
tors (we must still call them such) from their well-de-
served imprisonment. We find, however, that in some
streets of our town (not very savoury streets) there has
been an awful waste of tallow during the last two or three
nights. Orange-street, Lace's-street, Preston-street,
and other similar localities, we are informed,. were Mu-
tant-tiled on the news of the decision being received. The
fragments of breeches and old hats 'which supply the
place of glass were taken out, for the nonce, and farthing
dips inserted in the windows. Bonfires we are told wore
actually lighted in Trueinan-street, and other similar re-
sorts of the unwashed, (what were the police about, by-
the-bye ?) and the most exuberant and riotous festivities
were carried on amongst the Paddies. Something almost
akin to a procession was also attempted—viz.: a few
carts containing drunken repealers paraded the town on
Thursday, and were not interrupted in their fooleries, the
Protestant population looking on in contempt.
HALE FLORAL AND AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY.—We
remind our readers that the annual meeting at the fine
village of Hale, for the exhibition of fruits, flowers, &c.,
will be held on Thursday next. The prinlipal object of
the society is to benefit the cottage-holder, and small
tenant, and generally to encourage an improved system of
agriculture amongst the more wealthy farmers. Its
ameliorating influence has already been evidenced in the
superior air of cleanliness and comfort of the cottages and
neatness of the gardens in that neighbourhood ; and the
useful exertions of the society, are, we rejoice to observe,
appreciated and encouraged amongst the higher classes in
the locality, and many miles round it. The meetings are
invariably highly respectable, the distalce from Liverpool
and other large towns tending to make them select. The
drive to Hale, and the proverbial beauty of the village,
conspire to render a visit one of the most delightful
"outs" of the season, and we know of no one who has
been present on former occasions who has not returned
home delighted with the treat, whetier as regarded the
show, or the attractions, rural and antiquarian, of the
spot. The society was established only 4 years ago, under
the patronage of John Ireland Blackburne, Esq., of
Hale Hall, and its flourishing condition affords the best
testimony of its merits.
THE BISHOP OF JERUSALEM.—We are happy to state
that the friends of Israel in this town purpose to present
the worthy Bishop of Jerusalem with a handsome Bagster's
Polyglot Bible, consisting of eight languages, as a small
token of their sincere esteem and regard for him. We
understand that it has originated with the Chrislian
Israelites of this town, some of whom are old friends of
his lordship. The mounting of the Bible will, therefore,
be done in the old Jewish style, with a Hebrew motto,
taken from the ancient Hebrew Ethics, which is " Be thou
bold as a leopard, swift as an eagle, quick as a hart, and
mighty as a lion, to do the will of thy Father who is in
Heaven." Mr. John Herbert, herald chaser, of this town,
designed the mounting as follows. The four corners on
each side are after the Gothic, or old French (which is
extremely well adapted to such work), and two centre
plates, with two clasps, highly enriched. The motto will
begin at the right hand corner, and finish in the centre of
one side, with a double intersected triangle rayonce on the
lower side of the book. The same is the arrangement of the
corners on the upper side, and finish in the centre, with
his lordship's coat of arms, mitre, &c. The clasps will
also be pierced work, with a mitre upon each. We look
forward to its completion with interest, and trust that
Israel's friends will do their utmost to forward such a well-
merited testimonial.

GRATIFYING.—Sunday last was the half-yearly l.rize
day at Christ Church Sunday School, and a more pleasing
sight could not be witnessed. The girls and boys were
arranged on each side of the room, headed by their respec-
tive teachers : a large assemblage of ladies and gentlemen
occupied the platform. The curate (Rev. T. C. Cowan)
distributed the prizes in a very pleasing manner; after
which an appropriate hymn was sung by the children. Mr.
Cowan then rose to address the teachers respecting a pre-
sent they had sent him the previous evening, but his feel-
ings overcame him, and after a second attempt to give ut-
terance to his sentiments, he was obliged to sit down.--
The Rev. F. Ould then rose and addressed the assembly,
stating how highly he was gratified at the harmony that
existed among the teachers and children, and alluded to a
Reference Bible and Prayer-book that had been presented
to one of the teachers, in the morning, by the children of
his elm., as a proof of the kindly feeling existing among
the children towards their teachers ; and, above all, he was
highly gratified to see that the teachers had so much re-
spect and affection towards their clerical superintendent,
as they evinced by the very handsome present they had
made him, and for which he, in Mr. Cowan's name, re-
turned thanks. The present consisted of " Bagster's
Hexapla," 4to, and " Horne's Introduction to a critical
Study of the Scriptures," in five volumes, all splendidly
bound in Turkey morocco, with suitable inscriptions.
FATAL ACCIDENT.—An inquest was held yesterday,
before Mr. Curry, the borough coroner, on view of the
body of Thomas Warrington, a labourer, aged 39 years.
It appeared that, about a fortnight ago, the deceased and
some other men were engaged on the premises of Mr.
Guthrie, dyewood-grinder, Bedford-street, in hoisting to
its position a heavy wooden shaft. Deceased, while the
shaft was in a.perpendicular position, placed himself near
it, and was advised by two of those with him to withdraw,
lest an accident might occur, but he declined their admo-
nition, and the chain immediately afterwards having giyen
way. the balk fell upon him, and severely injured him,
breaking his thigh and hurting his head. He was taken
to thelSouthern Hospital, where he died on Sunday night
from the fracture of the thigh. Verdict—" Accidental
death."
A. YoUNG LOGICIAN.—VeriIy children do put strange
questions to their papas and mammas, sometimes; to wit :
—" Pa, why do you wear straps ?" "To keep my tro)u,-
sees down, John." " Pa, why do you wear braces
"To keep my trousers up, John." " Well, pa, that is
funny ."