The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1845-06-10 00:00:00

TO CORI 3 ESPONDERTS.

The extract furnished-br Mentor" was too late to be available
for this week.
We are compelled to postpone the insertion of an article on
the Parish affairs until next week.
Several poetical contributions have been received, but we fear
to the present crowded state of our columns, we cannot pro-
mise insertion to any of them.

Ebt Eiberpool &tanliarti.

TUESDAY MORNING, JUNE 10, 18 4 5

We do not feel ourselves competent to express an
authoritative opinion, one way or the other, upon
the very important suggestions brought before the
Dock Committee, at its last meeting, by the Ship-
owners' Association, with a view to the better work-
ing of the docks of Liverpool. The suggestions in
question, however, are those of practical men, who
are supposed to know their own business, and when
.and how they are aggrieved. Such men are enti-
tled to have their opinions attentively and impar-
tially weighed by the Dock Committee ; and every
remedy which•appears to be at all feasible, for the
inconveniences of which they complain, at least sub-
mitted to a fair trial.

That such is the feeling of the majority of the
Dock Committee we fully believe. At the same time
we much suspect that, on the part of a portion of
that body there is a disposition to assume for them-
selves something like infallibility in dock manage-
ment, and to negative, unheard and untried, any
proposition which comes from parties who have not
shewn themselves wedded to certain pet theories and
projects. As the index of this latter feeling we take
the following very uncalled for and presumptuous
observations of Mr. Eyre Evans. We particularly
direct attention to the passages given in italics.

He (Mr. Evans) did not know that the committee were
at all chargeable with being negligent in carrying out
plans to improve the port, except in one fatal instance—
he meant as regarded the dock warehouses. He quite
agreed with Mr.Horsfall that the tendency of all improve-
ments should be the reduction of the rates and charges of
the port of Liverpool ; and, by way of parenthesis, he
might be allowed to say that, by the construction of
warehouses round :he docks, the shipping would have
been exempted from all charges whatever--which the
gain on the warehouses would alone have ejected. And
here he would express his regret that a body in every way
so respectable as the Shipowners' Association should con-
stantly be directing their efforts to the attaining of small
and comparatively trifling objects, while they entirely
overlooked the great point of all—dock warehouses. For
this reason, he always laid little weight on the opinions of
that body ; because, also, be believed them frequently to
have allowed themselves to be influenced by interested
parties. To suppose that a body of shipowners, whose
object was despatch, and to whom dock warehouses were
most important, should, of all others, come forward the
most strenuously to oppose measures the best calculated
to meet their wants, was to him, indeed, amazing, if he
was not right in that conjecture. It was plain that, in-
troducing to the notice of the committee suggestions
arising from motives worthy of the Association of Ship-
owners, all deference would be paid to them, and their
wishes meet with proper consideration ; but when that
was not the case. no cons,rguence whatever, in his opinion,
should be attached to them. He had now, however, not
the slightest objection to go into the subjects of the let-
ter, and to have them properly investigated. At the same
time, he thought that there very suygestions came with a
bad grace from the Shipowners' Association.

With respect to the first passage, which we have
marked, we must really say that the assertion which
it contains is to us an astounding one. It is, more-
over, illogical and, if we mays pardoned in using
the word, it is absurd. If the profits of warehouses
round the dock quays would be sufficient to enable
the trustees to exempt the shipping of the port from
" all charges"—(dock dues, we presume)—then we
say, existing interests being provided for, let us
have more dock warehouses by all means. But
Mr. Evans' assertion is only an assertion. We hope
it is a correct one, but we should rather see it
proved than take it on trust; and it would perhaps
have saved him some future confessions of miscal-
culation if the speaker bad deferred its expression
until the Albert Warehouses had been one year in
operation. And if even it should prove to he the
case that the profits of the warehouses are to he so
amazing that they will render dock dues unneces-
sary, and this with the competition of some mil-
lions of existing warehouse property, there must be
something far more attractive about dock ware-
houses than the public are aware of to enable the
trustees to levy rates sufficiently high to bring about
such a consummation. Such great profit is quite
inconsistent with increased cheapness.
The other passages marked we might with truth
characterize as most insolent towards the important
body to whom they are addressed. As the Ex-
Alderman, however, is rather a touchy personage,
we shall only say that they are most uncalled for
and improper. Because the shipowners of Liver-
pool are not enamoured of Mr. Evans' favourite
schemes—because they do not think that all the
wisdom of the community centres in himself and his
party, and that dock warehouses are the infallible
specifics for ensuring the prosperity of the port—is
no consequence to be attached to their opinions or
their suggestions ? Are men to he precluded from
the right of private judgment upon matters affecting
vitally their own interests and the convenience of
their own daily avocations, because upon some theo-
retical crotchet they differ from Mr. Evans ? Above
all, is a wholesale imputation of "unworthy motives"
to be t''rown in their faces merely because they are
guilty of the presumption of so differing from him ?
Really the Ex-Alderman carries himself, when on
his throne or his hobby in the Dock Committee,
with somewhat too high a hand, when he thus ven-
tures to deal out his sneers and imputations against
gentlemen whom the public at large regard with
quite as much estimation as they regard himself,
and who are quite as capably of forming an opinion
upon dock or other matters as he is. We should
respectfully suggest to him, that if a spice of mo-
desty could be infused into his composition and his
conduct as a public man, its " average" quality
would be not at all deteriorated, but, on the con-
trary, materially improved.

In directing attention to the announcement of
a public meeting to be held on Friday evening next,
for the purpose of forwarding the subscription for
the erection of a new church in the district of St.
Simon's, we cannot resist the opportunity of appeal-
ing once more to our readers in behalf of so praise-
worthy an object. These are surely not times, nor
is wealthy and Protestant Liverpool the place, in
which the important boon of increased Church ac-
commodation should be held hack from those who
seek it. In no town within the British realm would
we willingly he condemned to witness the spiritual
destitution which prevails in St. Simon's. With a
population of 7600 persons, there is only at present
church accommodation for 700 ; and when it is re-
collected that this very district contains perhaps
more vice and immorality than any other locality in
the town, and that it is far from being a wealthy
district, we are sure that our fellow-townsmen will
not hesitate to lend a hand to aid the effort now
making by its inhabitants.
'lle total amount required to erect a church,
which will have the entire of the body free, and thus
furnish 700 sittings for the use of the poor, is
£3OOO. A. minister will be provided for it imme-
diately on its erection, under Sir Robert Peel's Act.
Already the sum of £l5OO has been collected towards
the object, of which f 442 have been contributed by
the comparatively poor congregation of St. Simon's.
This amount, however, cannot be demanded 'unless
the whole sum of £3OOO is first subscribed for; and
we would respectfully urge upon the friends of the
Church, and the friends of religion and morality, to
whatever sect or party they belong, to come forward
with their mite at once. It will be a consolation to
them in their hours of reflection, to think that by
eo small an outlay as would be required from them
individually they may have been instrumental in
bringing the Gospel home to some benighted soul,
.and to have brought light and peace where, but for
the preaching of the Word, there would have been
darkness and misery.
There cart be no difficulty in raising the remain-
-der of the funds, if the friends of religion and of the
poor would set about the task, which ought to be a
pleasing one. Let none, however humble, think
himself or herself too weak an instrument to be of
service in so good a work. If they cannot give libe-
rally, they can work cheerfully, and find friends who
are more able. Let ten or twenty canvassers set
about the work. earnestly, and it will be accom-
plished at once.

RAILWAY PROJECTS BEFORE TUE 110174 E OF COM-
monis.—From a statement made by Mr. Labonchere on
Thursday night, it appears that the number of railway
projects and bills before the house was 243 ; 140 of these
were before committees, which committees were divided
into 24 groups ; and these committees were likely to con-
tinue sitting for some time : and, certainly, not less than
a delay of three weeks bad been occasioned by the reports
of the Board of Trade. The expense of these delays was
quite enormous. On the York and London line the daily
expenditure amounted to £3,000.

TOXTETH-PARK PROTESTANT OPERATIVE
SOCIETY.

The annual meeting of the members and friends of the
Toxteth-Park Protestant Operative Society was-held last
night, in the Music-hall. There was a highly-respectable
and numerous attendance. On the platform we noticed
the Rev. H. M`Neile, the Rev. T. Nolan, the Rev. F.
Parry, the Rev. H. Hampton, the Rev. C. Marshall, the
Rev. W. R. Hunt, the Rev. W. Butler, Mr. C. H.
Horsfall, Mr. W. L. Alexander, and a large body of other
active supporters of the objects of the association.
The chair was taken by the Rev. HUGH MINEILE, as
patron of the society ; and the proceedings having been
opened with prayer from the Rev. C. MARSHALL,
The CHAIRMAN rose, and addressed the meeting
as follows :—As patron of your association, I have much
pleasure in again meeting you in public assembly. Our
present position demands our serious attention. In the
matter of Romanism, and its direct recognition and en-
dowment by the state, the parliament and the people of
this country are divided. Large majorities in both houses
of parliament have decided in favour of an incipient esta-
blishment of Popery by the state. In coming to this
conclusion, they appear to have been actuated entirely by
political considerations ' • entertaining, as it would seem,
a strong conviction, that neither the establishment nor
non-establishment of religion by the state—neither the
truth nor the falsehood of the religion established—has
any connexion, or can operate in any way to interfere,
with the political interests or temporal prosperity of the
country. In the measure which they have adopted, they
see, or think they see, a step towards satisfying and con-
ciliating a large portion of the Roman Catholic population
of Ireland—not the agitators, but a large portion of the
population whom they expect to separate from the agita-
tors of the O'Connell and Higgins school, and thus, by
separating the Romanists from one another, to render
them, upon the whole, of easier management by the go-
vernment, and so to promote, for the present at least,
the peace of the kingdom. This seems to our par-
liamentary majorities to be a good reason in favour
of the measure; and that it involves a public sanc-
tion of what the Word of God condemns, does not
appear to them to he a good reason against it. The
people of the country, on the other hand, looking more
to religions principle than to government convenience,
are opposed to the measure, and have expressed their op-
position to an unparalleled extent, and with an unparalleled
unanimity. (Hear, hear.) That the measure involves a
national sanction of wbat the Word of God condemns
appears to them a good and sufficient reason against it,
while the prospect it holds out of government convenience
in the management of Ireland does not seem a sufficient
reason in favour of it. (Hear.) Thus, on the one side,
we have state convenience held to be paramount, even to
the practical disregard of the Word of God ; and, on
the other side, we hare the Word of God held to be pa-
ramount even to the practical disregard of state conve-
nience. (Hear, hear.) We have no hesitation which
aide to take. If these two things, state concession, and
Holy Scripture, were really as much opposed to one
another, as, some persons seem to think they are, if
the measure proposed could be proved to be truly
and permanently a state convenience, and not a state
deception ; still, its opposition to the word of God
would leave us no choice. (Hear, hear.) In this matter
we agree with the Bishop of London, who said in the late
debate, that he confessed himself ignorant of the mode in
which Ireland should be governed, that is as to the de-
tails, but he had no hesitation in declaring what was the
right principle upon which it should be governed. "In
governing that or any other country,"sail the Right Rev.
Prelate, " in governing that or any other country, never
fear on any consideration to do right—never to do what
is clearly wrong in principle. Do your best to discover
what is right, to follow it out honestly and fearlessly, and
trust for the issue to the Supreme Disposer of events,
who (and he had the authority of His own holy word for
saying so) would deal favourably with that nation which.
would uphold His truth, and do nothing to impede its
progress." (Hear, bear.) But we are convinced that
the measure in question, instead of proving permanently
a state convenience, will speedily tend to aggravate, be-
yond calculation, the state embarrassment. We are con-
vinced that the prosperity of the country—its tem-
poral prosperity, its civil liberty, as it is still our
privilege to enjoy it—is absolutely inseparable from
practical Protestant ascendancy. (Hear and cheers.)
lam not afraid of that phrase. (Loud cheers.) From
the nature of the Romish system, as well as from the his-
tory of Christendom, we are persuaded that political and •
religious equality, between Protestants and Romanists in
any state, must ever be utterly impossible. The Romish
system claims to be the one government in the world, of
the king of kings ; as well as the one church in the world,
of the bishop of bishops. Its bi-hops claim to be princes,
and call the peop'e their subjects: they claim also to be
vicegerents for the Bishop of Rome, who claims to be the
vicar of Christ. If such a system be not kept down be-
cause of its falsehood, it will put any other system down
because of its ambition. (Cheers. Protestantism, upon
the contrary, makes no such preposterous and anti-scrip-
tural claims. (Cheers.) It admits, nay invites, personal
liberty and the exercise of private judgment, and therefore
considered as a national system if Protestantism be not
upheld because of its truth, it will be prostrated and
crushed because of its modesty. (Cheers.) Then all its
lovely train of liberties, civil and religious, will disappear,
leaving behind despotism and intolerance. I say not that
the Christian church will he crushed. No, that is beyond
the power of man to accomplish. Nero may burn, and
Domitian may banish ; the members of Christ may be
thrown to the lions, or tied to the stake, or tortured in
the Inquisition ; but still es they disappear fresh aspirants
to honour, fresh confessors of the truth, will seize and
elevate the standard. (Loud cheers.) There never shall
be wanting men to acknowledge Christ before men.
(Hear.) To these I thay apply the language of one of our
native poets, describing a battle in which the great Duke
acquitted himself much better than he did in the debates
last week. (Hear, hear.) The poet says : e,
•' And now on each uncovered flank,
, Cannon and mortar swept the rank,
And many a generous Briton sank,
Beneath that dreadful blaze.
Yet ever as their numbers thin,
Fresh spirits to. the posts rush in,
Of peril and of praise."
(Loud cheers.) Yes, as martyrs died fresh confessors
will seize and elevate the sacred standard, and the Church
of Christ can never, never be put down! The gates of
hell cannot prevail aeainst her who is chosen in the Lamb,
Jesus Christ our
,Lord and Saviour ! (Hear, hear.)
But though the Church of Christ cannot perish, the liber-
ties and social privileges of our beloved country may
perish. (Hear.) We held them all as I have said to be
inseparably linked with Protestantism, and Protestantism
too maintained in political ascendancy. (Loud cheers.)
And therefore now in the month of Jnne, 1845, without
one unkind feeling towards any human being, without
wishing evil to any Roman Catholic in existence, without
one transient feeling of animosty against her Majesty's
ministers or any of their supparters—now, its this month,
the month of June, '4.5, we advisedly adopt the motto,
and we advisedly unfurl the banner, which was floating
on the breeze, and was carried down the channel to Tor-
bay in the month of November, 168 S. (Immense
cheering.) I need scarcely tell you what was upon that
banner—" The Protestant religion and the liberties
of England !" (Renewed and most enthusiastic cheers.)
What caused that cry to be raised then? The authorities
of England, Romanizing in their measures and in their
speeches in opposition to the people of England. (Hear,
and cheers.) And what causes the cry to be revived now?
I repeat the answer. The authorities of England, Ro-
manizing in their speeches and measures in opposition to
the people of England. (Great applause.) If these be
contention in it, if there be agitation in it, upon their
heads be the blame who have compelled us to raise this
flag. (Very loud cheers.) My Christian friends and
brethren, there is one point in which I am truly thankful
to say the parallel does not hold good. The weapons of
our warfare are not carnal,—they never can be. Only let
us be true and firm, and let all the Protestants of the
United Kingdom, now roused into feeling by this aggres-
sion on their principles, be true and firm in the exercise
of their civil privileges. Prepare steadily for the next
general election. Be not cajoled into indifference or for-
getfulness, though no ill censequences of this measure
should immediately appear. Other similar measures are
in contemplation, and will be announced if you be quies-
cent. Be steady, then; organize yourselves in bands
for registration as electors ; be quiet, be determined,
be persevering, be sober ; let no man among you en-
ter a public house, to sit down to drink, any more
than he would enter a mass house to kneel d -iwn to an
image ; give your employers satisfaction by diligence and
honesty ie your business ; give tire police nothing what-
ever to do ; let their office, so far as you are concerned,
be a perfect sinecure ' • look to your faithful pastors, who
are endeavouring to fulfil their solemn vows, that they
would give all diligence to banish and drive away all er-
roneous and false doctrines contrary to God's word, and
take their advice. Exercise, under a sense of Christian
responsibility, the only portion of direct political privilege
entrusted to your charge ; let the registration courts be
the muster rolls of our great Protestant array for the next
year, and then, when the day of trial comes, the triumph-
ant polling booths will be to us and to oar country, the
green banks of the Boyne water. (Loud cheers.) A f •ve
words more. Au important branch of practical wisdom
among men is to look forward with sagacity, anticipating
probable events, and preparing for them. When the
events are very probable, and when the preparation re-
quired can do no harm at any rate, it becomes a duty to
make it. It is in the exercise of such forethought, and
to organise such preparation, that I have now a proposal
to make to you. I anticipate that we shall, in due time,
have a considerable increase of Roman Catholic pros-
elytisers, at work in this town, and in thi, country,
men trained at Maynooth in all the plausihilities of
the controversy, and all the reckless assertions, in
defiance of facts by which so many ignorant and un-
wary Protestants are deceived. (Hear.) It becomes
a matter of duty to make such preparations for this
as are in our power, and I confess 1 see nothing tor
it, but to meet them at all points, training rip a num-
ber of Protestants in a competent knowledge of Christian
doctrine and historical facts, and employing them to pre.
occupy the minds of the people with truth both in reli-
gion and history, that they will not readily receive the
falsehood, but he ready to detect the masked batteries of
the sly insinuating emissaries from Maynooth, and to
answer at the outset, " No, no, none of your false charity
for us, pretending to deny what we know you are sworn
to ; none of your saint worship under pretence of helping
us in our prayers none of your divided allegiance under
the fictitious distinction between secular and spiritual ;
we know better than to be taken in by such means ; we are
set for the Protestant religion and the liberties !of En-
gland." (Groat and continued cheering.) What say you
then, to adult classes for learning Protestant Catechism ?
(Hear, and applause.) Do you think it worth while to
take a little trouble in this cause ? (Cries of " Yes, yes.")