The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1848-05-16 00:00:00

POLITICAL MISCELLANY.

The parliamentary committee
recently appointed to en-
quire into the recent election at Lancaster will sit during
the present week.
DEATH OF MR. CRIPPS, 111. P. FOR CIRENCESTER.—
This gentleman, whose recent dispute with Mr. Feargus
O'Connor in the House of Commons will be fresh in the
recollection of our readers, expired on Thursday morning
at his residence in St. James's-place. The malady which
has brought the lion. and learned gentleman unto a pre-
mature grave was an attack of brain fever.
THE SPANISH CORRESPONDENCE —ln the House of
Lords, an important debate has been provoked by a motion
of Lord Stanley. respecting Lord Palmerston's extra-
ordinary Spanish lecture. Lord Lansdowne was fairly
obliged to throw Mr. Bulwer over, and that in the face of
the very awkward fact now made public, that Lord
Palmerston has, on behalf of the cabinet, ratified and ap-
proved of Mr. Bulwer's conduct.
UNIVERSAL SUFFRAGE NOT UNIVERSAL REPRESEN-
TATION.—Let our Chartist friends take warning by the
results of the late French elections, that Universal Suf-
frage is not Universal. Representation. If combined with
the vicious principle of a plurality of votes given to each
elector, it seems but to rivet the despotism of the majority.
Large and energetic minorities in the French nation will
either not be represented, or will be insufficiently repre-
sented in the French Constituent Assembly, although
elected by universal suffrage ; and many leading men
amongst those of socialist, communist, and other extreme
or peculiar opinions, will not have a seat there.
REPRESENTATION OF NORTH CHESHIRE.—Mr. E. J.
Stanley, member for North Cheshire, has been called to
the upper house, by the title of Baron Eddisbury of Win-
nington, in the county of Chester. A knot of radicals in
Manchester, have brought forward Mr. F. Dukinfield
Astley, as a candidate to succeed him ; but we are glad to
find that the conservatives have succeeded in inducing Mr.
Cornwall Legh, of Iligh Legh, to become a candidate,
and on Friday last a meeting was held at Knutsford to
promote his return. The meeting was numerously atten-
ded by the most influential gentry of the division. Sir
Richard Brooke, of Norton Priory, hart., was called to
the chair. After considerable discussion, it was resolved
that Mr. Cornwall Legh, of High Legh, be requested to
come forward to represent the uivision in parliament on
the conservative interest. A deputation was then appoin-
ted to wait upon Mr. Legh, and the meeting adjourned
until two o'clock. Shortly after two o'clock, the meeting
re-assembled, when the deputation were present, along
with Mr. Legh, who accepted the invitation to stand as
the conservative candidate for the division, and issued his
address.

TEMPERANCE.—A SCENE.—On Friday, Mr. Brother-
ton, in moving that the House of Commons do adjourn,
adverting to the conversation on the introduction of the
new Borough Elections Bill, said that as his name had
been frequently mentioned by the hen. member for Sun-
derland, he (Mr. Brotherton) must complain, that be-
cause the hon. member did not choOse to be in his place
when the discussion took place early in the evening, he
should come down at that hour and attempt to re-open a
debate which bad been disposed of. lie (Mr. Brotherton)
should strongly advise the hon. member to join a tem-
perance society. ( Laughter, and cries of " Order.")—
Mr. Hudson, with great warmth, said the imputation
thrown out by the hon. member for Salford was most
gratuitous, but he returned it with all the scorn and con-
tempt which one individual could exhibit to another.
What did the hon. member mean by the charge? The
hon. member seemed to be as careless of character as he
was of principle. Would it be right, however, in him
( Mr. Hudson) to charge the hon. member with being a
perfect drunkard ? 'Would it—an hon. member here in-
terrupted the scene by observing that there were not forty
members in the house.—The house was accordingly
counted out.

DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS BILL.—We suppose that this
bill may now be allowed to die in peace. As to " his
Holiness," with whom it seemed so desirable to establish
relations, he is, it would seem, to use a familiar phrase,
" neither here nor there." Whether he is to become
" Prince of Italy," or simply " Bishop of Rome," or
whatever other fate is reserved to him, it appears very
improbable that he will ever again claim the title of
" Sovereign of the Roman States." The only thing,
therefore, that remains to he done is, quietly to put the
bill behind the fire, and to let us hear no more about it.
By the way, the last news which reached Dublin from
Italy, stated the " Holy Father's" great indignation
against this very bill. " England had insulted him ; she
refu-ed to recognise him as `head of the Catholic Church;'
and consequently he could not consent to receive an am-
bassador from a government which thus treated him."
Such was the gratitude of this old usurper, for England's
foolish offer to receive him, after an exclusion of 300
years, into the fraternity of European sovereigns. Like
the Papacy of former ages, he will have " all or none."
England must not only exchange ambassadors with the
" Sovereign of the Roman States," out she must acknow-
ledge the Pope to be the " head of the Catholic Church."
As if he could overlook the evident fact, that to acknow-
ledge him as " head of the Catholic Church," would be,
to admit ourselves to be out of the Catholic Church ;
or, in other words, in a state of open and avowed heresy !
THE NEW POLITICAL MOVEMENT.—The mere Whigs
appear no little annoyed at the treachery of the Free-
traders, who have converted the Anti-Corn Law League
into an association for furthering the new radical move-
ment, by which we are to be blessed with household suf-
frage, vote by ballot, triennial parliaments, and electoral
districts. The Globe thus complains of the breach of
faith :—" Again and again the leading members of the -
Anti-Corn Law Council declared the League was not a
political association. That it had not nor would it ever
connect itself with politics. They pledged themselves
that when the Corn Law was repealed the League sjiould
be immediately and for ever abolished. Money was sub-
scribed and co-operation by thousands of persons upon
this express condition. Is it not, then, a public breach of
faith to use the machinery constructed under such circum-
stances for the purpose of political agitation ? That it is
intended so to use it is evident, for the circular of the late
chairman of the League is not addressed to parties known
to be favourable to organic changes; or who have ex-
pressed a willingness to join a movement to obtain such
changes. The initiative is taken by the members of the
late Council of the League ; the circular comes from the
old address, with the old signature, and is forwarded to
parties in the character of principal supporters of the free
trade movement throughout the kingdom."—The wonder
is that any one could be so very green as to imagine that
the Manchester League would ever be permitted to expire
so long as it could be made available for promoting the
interests of the manufacturing districts at the expense of
the nation at large, especially when the pecuniary interests
of Mr. Cobden and Mr. Wilson were so sedulously pro-
vided for, the former netting a clear £70,000, and the lat-
ter finding himself richer by £lO,OOO, which was coolly
transferred from the League fund into his own pocket, on
the passing of the Corn Law Relief Bill. The prospect
of another such harvest may be distant—but, at all events
nothing will be lost by the trial, and therefore the League
is now to come forward and bid for popular favour against
Feargus O'Connor and his Chartist Convention.

THE PROTESTANT ASSOCIATION.

The annual meeting of this society was held on Wed-
nesday at twelve o'clock, at Exeter-hall. The audience
assembled on the occasion was respectable, but by no
means crowded.

Mr. G. 130 CH. FORT CLARKE presided, and in opening
the proceedings, said, he conceived there was no one pre-
sent who did not feel that at present there was more need
for the Protestant Association than at any period since the
association was formed. They were living at a peculiar
period, when Popery appeared to be assuming a new type.
The Pope seemed to wish to settle his power on a new
basis, that basis being the form of democracy. He had
said, "My subjects are but 3,000,000, but we have
300,000,000 of brethren scattered through the world."
Scarcely, however, had that appeal been made when an
earthquake shook to their foundations the thrones of Eu-
rope. The Infidel throne of France vanished. He called
it Infidel, because Louis Philippe consented that, instead
of being called King of France " by the grace of God,"
be should be called King of the French by the will of
the people." They all knew what a day the 10th of April
was to the people of this country—a day, the morning of
which was one of gloom and anxiety to all but the igno-
rant or the vain, but the evening of which was one of
thanksgiving to God for a great deliverance to all but the
vainglorious. Instead of the British throne being shaken,
it stood firmer than ever in the affections of the people.
Now, if it was asked on what the stability of that throne de-
pended, he answered that it was a throne unlike any
other, because it was a Christian throne in the highest
sense, one which was antagonistic to the false system of
Rome. and which adopted the Christian faith in such plain,
palpable, and distinct language, that there could be no
mistake about it. The Liturgy and Articles of the Church
of England, and the Word of Truth, as contained in the
Bible, stood against the blasphemy of the Socinian, and
the idolatry of the Papist. The Chairman then proceeded
to denounce the Pope as anti-Christ, and his so-called
liberal policy as a scheme to entrap the true believer. He
denounced the bill for establishing diplomatic relations
with Rome and the Jewish Disabilities Bill, and concluded
a long address by calling upon the meeting to remain true
to their Protestant principles.
Mr. LORD, the secretary, then read the report, which
reviewed the operations of the society during the past
year. It referred particularly to the steps which had been
taken to secure a Protestant party in the House of Com-
mons at the last election, and to oppose the two bills re-
ferred to by the chairman in his opening address. From
the financial statement it appears that the funds of the
society are in a prosperous condition. The receipts dur-
ing the past year amounted to £1,554, and the expendi-
ture to £1,503, leaving a balance of £5l in hand, with
outstanding liabilities to the extent of £4OO.
Mr. W. Peters moved, and the Rev. D. WILSON se-
conded, the first resolution, which was that the report be
adopted and printed, and which was unanimously carried.
The following resolutions, which were supported by the
Rev. H. Stowell, and other clergymen and gentlemen,
were also agreed to :
"That the solemn warnings of history and of Scripture ad-
monish this and other nations a-ainst making any alliance with
Rome ; that the alarming aspect of the present times calls for
prayerful and united efforts amongst Protestants, in order that
the evils which Popery has brought upon other countries may
not be brought upon our own; and that the subtle policy of the
Romish see ought, instead of beguiling the people of this coun-
try into confidence, rather to make them increasingly watchful
against its stratagems, and more zealous than ever in opposing
its usurpations and encroachments."
" That considering the progress and attitude of Popery in the
present day, and the manner in which some statesmen and
theologians are anxious to conciliate its favour, it is imperative
upon all true Protestants to exert themselves in vindication of
the cause of true religion and the maintenance of our civil in-
stitutions against the efforts of Romanism, whether wielding
the weapons of despotism or democracy, and especially to op-
pose any measure for establishing diplomatic relations with the
Onirt or (lintel' of Rome, as unconstitutional and fraught with
danger to the safety and independence of this kingdom."
After the u nal vote of thanks to the chairman, the
meeting separated.