The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1844-06-11 00:00:00

TO THE EDITOR OF THE LIVERPOOL STANDARD.

SIR,---It was not tint it a very few days ago that I got a
sight of Mr. Blackburn's speech on education, as pub-
lished in a pamphlet : should you deem the following
observations on that speech suited to your valuable and
highly-respectable paper, you will please give them in-
sertion.

I would first observe, that the subject of education is
not one, now to be speculated on, as to the results or be-
I nefits to be derived from the different systems of secular
and scriptural education, as the systems have been in
operation for thousands of years—therefore, to reason
fairly on the question, we must look to the rend!. or
• or benefits which have arisen to society from each system.
Mr. Blackburn commences by saying, that the system
now adopted in the Corporation Schools practically ex-
cludes the children of Roman Catholics. It would have
been a more ckar and fair way of stating the question to
have said, that Roman Catholics had withdrawn their
children from the schools in consequence of the scriptures
being read in them. Mr. Blackburn, through all his rea-
soning, assumes, as facts, matters which are not so. He
assumes as fact, that Roman Catholic parents are free
agents, in prescribing to their children what they should
read or learn at school—when any one at all acquainted
with the Roman Catholic religion must know, that the
clergy claim and exercise the right of dictating to the pa-
rents how their children should be educated, and nearly
all parents submit to their claim. Again he assumes as a
fact, that few if any Roman Catholics would attend
schools where the scriptures are read ; to this assumption
we have a most decided contradiction—for in Ireland, at
this moment, there are more than one hundred thousand
Roman Catholics receiving scriptural education, and re-
ceiving and reading the Scriptures,_ in despite of all their
clergy can do to prevent them. But Mr. B. intimates,
or assumes, that if the Douay translation was allowed in
the schools, the Roman Catholics would read it. but there
is a fact on record which contradicts this. Some time
after the British and Foreign Bible Society was formed,
t lie directors made an offer to the clergy of the Church of
Rome to print the Douay version, without notes, if they
(the clergy) would not prevent their people from reading
it—but this they peremptorily refused. Thus it is evi-
dent that it is the matter contained in both to which they
object. But the greet error in Mr. Blackburn's reasoning
is this, that is a matter of convenience with a Roman
Catholic, or any other man, to obey or reject any precept
taught in the word of God ; surely convenience can never
act in this case. The first duty of every one is to carefully
examine the word of God, to ascertain what the will of
God revealed in his word is—and that once ascertained,
the duty is most undoubtedly implicit obedience. But
let us see what the consequence would be if convenience
were to be exercised on the commands or declarations of
the word of God. The man reads the word, and clearly
sees that a certain duty is demanded, but he does not like
to obey it, and his convenience tells him he need not do
so ; surely such conduct and reasoning as this would most
effectually destroy the whole value and obligation of the
word of God, and leave every man to follow his own
mind or feelings. Now it is a most evident fact, that
through the whole word of God there is not a single prin-
ciple so clearly taught, so frequently and stren,ously
urged, as the reading of the word c f God, and that children
from their very infancy should be well instructed in that
word. Our Saviour appealed to that word to prove the
truth of what he taught. and so did every inspired writer
or teacher ? Now if what I have stated be facts—and I
challenge contradiction—surely the crime of those who
have been building up Roman Catholics in tiler great
error, of refusing to read the word of God, is far from
being a small one ; and what adds greatly to the crime is,
that it effectually prevents the poor Roman Catholics
from ever having access to the word of God, and leaves
them to the instruction of those whose interest it is to
keep them in the grossest darkness. Surely those who
have been so publicly teaching such errors are called on
as publicly to retract them.
ALEXANDER M'CREERY.
Liverpool, 6th June, 1844.

SPORTING INTELLIGENCE.

ASCOT RACES.-TUESDAY, JUNE 4.

The Emperor of Russia, the King of Saxony. and his
Royal Highness Prince Albert, arrived at one o'clock,
accompanied by a numerous suite, and were received with
acclamations. The Queen did not accompany her illus-
trious visitors.

The TRIAL STAKES of 10 sovs. each, was won by Mr.
Townley's Coranna, beating Lord E. Russell's Nat, and
two others.

The ASCOT DERBY STAKES, of 50 sovs. each, won by
Lord Chesterfield's The Miser Scarve, beating the Duke
of Bedford's c Panther, and Colonel Wyndham's Master
Henry.

A SWEEPSTAKES of 50 sous. each, h ft. Three-quar-
ters of a mile. Lord Albemarle's Scarmentado walked
over.

The ASCOT STAKES, of 25 sovs. each, 15 ft, and 5 only
declared, with 100 added ; the second horse to receive 50
sous. out of the stakes, won easy by Mr. Payne's Johnny,
beating Lord Chesterfield's Knight of the Whistle, and
eleven others.

The QUEEN'S VASE, added to a SWEEPSTAKES of 20
sovs. each, won by Mr. Salvin's Alice Hawthorn, beating
Lord Verulam's Robert de Gorham, Lord Albemarle's
Delapre, and three others.

The BOROUGH MEMBERS' PLATE, Of £5O, added to a
SWEEPSTAKES of 5 sovs. each, won by Lord Chester-
field's The Artful Dodger, beating Mr. Copeland's Imaum,
Colonel Peel's f by Slane, and eight others.
A SWEEPSTAKES of 100 sovs. each. Mr. Ford's Poison
walked over.

The ST. JAMES'S PALACE STAKES, Of 100 SOVS. each,
h ft. Colonel Peel's lonian walked over.

WEDNESDAY.
The SWINLEY STAKES of 25 sovs. each, &c.
Lord Glenlyon's Ben y Ghlo
Duke of Richmond's Pastoral....
The FERN HILL STAKES of 15 sovs. each, &c
Mr. G. Ongley's Mystery, 2 yrs
Mr. Edwards's Hedgehog, 2 yrs 2
Mr. A. W. Hill's Beaumont, 2 yr 5......
Six ran.
The GREAT ASCOT PRODUCE STAKES Of 100 sovs.
each.
Mr. Osbaldeston's Sister to Martingale....
Colonel Peel's Zencbia
Baron Rothchild's Emerald .. 3
Seven ran. Won by half a length.