The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1844-07-23 00:00:00

another proposed line, offering greater advantage of
cheapness or accommodation to the public. Let
such established lines voluntarily submit themselves
to the regulations of the Board of Trade, provide
good accommodation at reasonable fares, and, above
all, establish third class trains for the use of poor
travellers, and we should then admit them to possess
a full locus standi as petitioners against any new and
rival project which, in the absence of overpowering
necessity, interfered with their profitable working;
hut, until this course is taken, we would have little
heed given by the legislature to any arguments of-
fered by them against competing lines, and every en-
couragement afforded, by the relaxing of those for-
mal sort of difficulties which are created by the
standing orders of both houses, to undertakings
which promise convenience to the public at fair
rates.

It is urged, however, by some companies, in ob-
jection to the establishment of third-class trains and
the providing of increased accommodation for se-
cond-class passengers, that " the shabby rich"
would thenceforth avail themselves of facilities pro-
vided for their humbler fellow-countrymen. Be it
so. The shabby rich, as it is, do sometimes perpe-
trate very mean things—drive very wretched cattle
in still more wretched drags; but the deserving and
industrious poor should scarcely be punished for
their meannesses. Because gentlemen drive white-
chapels, we are not to be told to put down butchers'
carts. Because noblemen and millionaires occa-
sionally descend to encase themselves with fustian,
and sport gossamers instead of beavers, we are not
to be asked to place a ban upon the " barragan"
jacket and the " four-and-nine" of the honest me-
chanic. This plea of " the shabby rich" will not do.
Depend upon it, Gentlemen of Railway Direc-
tions, since John Bull has consented to see the face
of England converted into a sort of gridiron, he will
insist (in exchange for the sacrifice of the free-and-
easy style of old-fashioned travelling, by the old-
fashioned Tally-hos and Highflyers) upon the cheap-
ness of the substitute. We would not, moreover,
have you imagine that he will find much difficulty
in carrying his point, if you once tempt him to set
about it in earnest.

We have thought ourselves justified, on several
occasions during the present session of parliament,
in remarking upon the anti-protestant spirit in
which the measures of Sir Robert Peel's govern
ment, as affecting both England and Ireland, appear
to have been conceived; but it has been reserved for
the close of the session to see that spirit openly and
boastfully paraded, and the intimation given, at the
same time, of further measures, similarly dictated,
with which we are to be visited next year. Our
readers will perhaps pardon us if, as a supplement
to what we have said upon the subject of the past
legislation of our Conservative (1) government, we
endeavour to convey to them the future blessings
which are in store for them, as disclosed in the pro-
ceedings of the House of Commons on Friday last.

In the first place, it is sufficiently certain that we
may prepare ourselves for the erection and mainte-
nance, at the national cost, of a new Popish Univer-
sity in Ireland; if not also for the destruction of the
Protestant character of the present University of
Trinity College, Dublin, by the admission therein of
Roman Catholics to scholarships and fellowships,
or the foundation of new ones, (where the existing
charters forbid such appropriation,) for the benefit
of Roman Catholics. Upon this subject, in reply
to a proposition thrown out by Mr. Wyse, on Fri-
day night, Sir Robert Peel volunteered the follow-
ing (to Popery) highly satisfactory assurance :
"with respect to that other and equal:y important
subject to which the honourable gentleman has called
our attention, I have the satisfaction of assuring him
that it is a subject which has occupied the serious
consideration of her Majesty's government." Good !
We are to have it at all events—Popish M. A.'s,
B. A.'s, Popish scholarships and fellowships, estab-
liehed at the cost of this Protestant country! But,
with respect to the particular scheme—" the honour-
able gentleman must excuse me if, on this occasion, I
purposely forbear entering into detail. It is not be-
cause I am nct prepared to express an opinion on the
subject" (of course !)—" it is not because I am not
prepared to enter into detail ; but it being impossible
in the course of the present session to submit any
practical measure on the subject, it is infinitely better
that 1 should avoid altogether entering into details
which must be stated, if stated now, many months
before any practical measure can be introduced;"
and which details would interfere with the present
favorite " thunderclap" mode of introducing mea-
sures, to be hurried into laws, before either parlia-
ment or the country have time to estimate fully
their enormity. So much, then, for the certainty
of a new Popish University !
With respect, however, to the principle on which
the general education of the people of Ireland is in
future to be conducted, Sir Robert is still more ex-
plicit. Having already raised the sum contributed
for the maintenance of the present national, or
Bible-excluding system of education in that country,
from fifty thousand to seventy-five thousand a year,
he remarks, in objection to any grant in support of
the schools of the Church Education Society, that
"her Majesty's government had not been inclined to
propose a vote of money to the Established Church
system in Ireland, because they found that by so doing
they would be practically creating three dfferent sys-
tems of education in one country—A ROMAN CATHO-
LIC SYSTEM, a system in connexion with the Estab-
lished Church, and, no doubt, a Presbyterian system,
which would alsa be demanded." We like the ad-
mission here made that the "national" system of
education, at present existing in Ireland, and sup-
ported by a grant of £75,000 a year, is " A ROMAN
CATHOLIC SYSTEM." Coming from such high
authority, the appropriateness of the term can never
be disputed!

But the objection of Sir Robert to the principle
of supporting three different systems of education,
is exquisitely significant of ministerial intentions.
" The eject of this would be that the youth of Ireland
would be brought up under different systems, and
that that union which it was so desireable to promote
amongst the subjects of her Majesty in that country,
would not be promoted." Surely a consistent carry-
ing out of this principle, (that, to insure this "desir-
able union," there should be but one system of
education, and that a "ROMAN CATHOLIC SYS-
TEM") would fully justify the speedy destruction of
what Sir Robert Peel, already well indoctrinated
with the opinions of liberalism and of Popery, is
perhaps now prepared to designate as a " nuisance,"
the Established Protestant Church of England in Ire-
land ! Why tolerate longer such a church, when
we are so sedulously educating the youth of Ireland,
its future members, under an alien—a "ROMAN
CATHOLIC SYSTEM ?"

From one portion of Sir Robert Peel's remarks
on Friday, we might possibly gather some en-
couragement, were we not aware of the character
of the man; and had we not, from some other
portions of that speech, a somewhat unfavourable
notion of his intentions towards us. Sir Robert
Peel is dissatisfied with the state of Maynooth. The
government feels that " it is not now in a satisfactory
state." So are we. It is now a nest of uncleanness;
but we fear that it is not that circumstance with
which Sir Robert is dissatisfied.