The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1843-04-18 00:00:00

TO CORRESPONDENTS

raising for the
at the I

£lO 0 0
1 0 0

our correspondent's question

ALP Eibtrpool &tanDarD.

TUESDAY MORNING, APRIL 18, 1843

worship, there the means of grace—churches and pas
—should be provided. But this is not wha

tors as well

Sir Robert Peel's measure contemplates

It is only intended to endow " additional ministers of

the Church of England in certain populous places."
If it were necessary, we believe that we could point out
what are. these " certain populous places." They ate
undoubtedly such places as Ashton,-Ilyde, Stalybridge,
Dukinfield, &c.--places of Vast population in the ma-
nufacturing districts, and, we may add, of vast wealth
also ; and though in such places we shall gladly re-
ceive the aid of the government, in providing pastors,
we should much prefer receiving its aid in what may
be legitimately called " Church Extension." We have
no doubt as to the good which may be done, even by
the providing of endowments for churches to be built
by voluntary efforts ; but we should much prefer
seeing the broad principle established, which the advo-

rates of Church Extension have in view, by the erec-
ion of churches by government, in which the poor
lave an equal right to worship, and pewholders' sub-

less the object in view

nevance ;

ve must confess we cannot see the

tinence of the case

vhich is just now uniting Co
s well .as Radical in the cause of repe

arvative

'he most re

nt offence against the Trish amor patri&

3 the preference given to a Scotch tradesman of the
ame of Croal over every other competitor for the

pply of mail-coaches for Ireland, the

said Mr. Croal had agreed to execute
e contract for some ten thousand pounds less than

ng that the

his Irish competitors. Against the acceptance, by
government, of this contract, the Irish members hay
protested, in a series of resolutions, signed by Frederick
Shaw, chairman, and G. A. Hamilton, secretary; and
alluding to such an occurrence, the Dublin Evenino
"[fail (the Conservative " Times" of Dublin) says,

describe this occurrence as the beginning of a great
;s it not so? Is not a national union among
the hitherto hostile national masses, represented by
George Hamilton and Mr. Ross, by Colonel Verner
and m Stock, by Mr. Gregory and Sir Thomas.l

and is

We will notice the communication of" W. L." on Friday.
We have received the following sums towards the fund now
of the workmen who lost their tools
innnarv. The amounts have

been handed to the Treasurer.
From the Bowden Iron Company.
~ Mr. Edward Davies, optiL
-respondent states his surprise at observing on Sunday the:
ivies" actively engaged in excavating the clay to form
rtificial pond in Prince's Park, and inquires if we
form him what very urgent necessity so imperatively
compelled th'e proprietors of that undertaking to violate
the holiness of the Sabbath. We are unable to answer

On the 4th of May, Sir Robert Peel will move for
leave to bring in a bill " for the endowment of addi-
tional ministers of religion in certain populous dis-
tricts." We presume that this is the measure of
" Church Extension" which we are to expect from the
present government. At all events, it is an indication
of the mode in which the aid of the state is proposed
to be extended, by government, to the effort for in-
creasing the existing church accommodation for the
people ; and, as such, it is worth while asking how far
it is likely to meet the emergency, in which the cry for
Church Extension has been so loudly raised.
Any aid towards the building of churches, in any
district, it is plain, is not contemplated:, The govern-
ment confines its efforts to the providing of " addi-.
tional ministers of religion." The community suffer-.
ing under destitution of the means of Church worship
must find its own church; the state is asked only to
provide clergymen. We certainly cannot deny that,
to some extent, this is a boon. It is something gained,
at all events. It tends to lessen the evil complained of
—spiritual destitution; but it goes no further. It goes
not to affirm the principle, for which churchmen con-
tend, that it is the bounden duty of the state to care
for the religion, as it cares for the health and good
order, of the community. It proceeds, in fact, upon a
pre-supposition that the voluntary principle is suffi-
ciently active for the providing of churches; and that
all which it is necessary for the state to do is to provide
for members of the clergy to minister in them. In the
abstract it may be good that we should receive such
aid, for we do not except against the Church Pastorai
Aid, or any other society, which thus endeavours to
advance the cause Hof the church. to which we belong.
But we must confess our doubts whether such is the
direction in which a Conservative government should
meet the cry for Church Extension. The destitution
of which we complain is not such, and in such locali-
ties, as will tempt private parties to build churches.
What we want are churches and endowments in locali-
ties where individual efforts are not to be looked for.
What we want is that, wherever there are souls to be
saved, and destitute of the means to provide for public