The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1848-10-17 00:00:00

aame way,

no app
water.

ain either by, the

The evening passed in the enjoyment of the utmost
conviviality and good fellowship. A party of those pre-
sent at the dinner went down on the following morning
by water, with the Commodore to Hilbre Island

where

they enjoyed a delightful day ; those of them who were
strangers to that romantic and sight-commanding spot
being especially gratified. The several courses to be pur-
.

een from

yachts at futur

regattas may

he island, and no dot

A was

the rcquiled depth of water. The party au returneu to
l'arkgate in. the evening, highly pleased with their excur-

ti:itrirt 4-ich)s,

stcne of a new g

aol was laid at lianches

George James, BLit., or tirasenose college, Uxtorg, In-
cumbent of Habergham Eaves, in this county, to the
Vicarage of Bridgewater, with the Rectory of Chilton, in
the county of Somerset.
The Rev. Mr. Hearne, late Roman Catholic incumbent
of Manchester, having been dangerously stabbed two
months ago for being supposed friendly to the Jesuits,
and the miscreant being now in the hands of justice, this
Irish clergyman has found it necessary to abscond from
Rome, and lurk in the mountains about Frascati, so many
attempts have been made to endanger his life, and thus
deter him from prosecuting to condign punishment the
hero of the stiletto.

Row AT CROSBY.—A kw days ago a party of Irish
labourers at Great Crosby, who had been employed in
getting potatoes, turned out for an advance of wages, but
not being able to obtain their demand in a peaceable way
they got drunk, and created a regular Irish row, using
their pitchforks against the police and the neighbours who
attempted to take them into custody. This was not efiected
without a fearful conflict, in the course of which the police
and one or two parties were severely injured.
AWFULLY SUDDEN.—On Thursday morning the village
of Bolton-by-Bolland was thrown into the deepest gloom
and distress, by the awfully sudden death of the much-
esteemed, respected, and highly talented Rev. Ambrose
Dawson, 13. D., and Senior Fellow of Brasennose College.

The rev. gentleman w

Oct. 17. 184 g.

but at seven he Was no mor

veil at half-past six o'clock, a.m.,
e. Preston Pilot. [The
nembered affectionately by
in faithful incumbent of St.

reverend gentleman will be rei
as t'

many of our rea,
Michael's Church

THE REV. DR. M`NEILE ON THE PROPOSAL
TO PAY THE ROMAN CATHOLIC PRIEST-
HOOD BY THE STATE.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE LIVERPOOL

A friend has called my attention to a paragraph
in your last paper, which seems to call for a few observa-
tions from me; and I have, therefore, to beg the favour
of the insertion of this letter in your next. To avoid
misrepresentation, however unintentional, you will oblige
me by reprinting ehe paragraph here. I have cut it out
of the paper and enclose it for the purpose.
" It is currently reported in circles usually well-informed,
that the Rev. Dr. M'Neile has had the candour to admit the
overwhelming necessity for greatly modifying his objections to
a state provision for the Roman Catholic clergy of Ireland.
Indeed there are many converts to the conviction, that there
will he no lasting peace in that unhappy land for either pro-
testant or papist, until the Irish priesthood are relieved from
the worst form of the evils of "voluntaryism," that is, abject
dependence on the demagogue of the day and his seven millions
of deluded dupes—the excitable peasantry—w hose "pence"
now form their precarious stipends. At all events, it is confi-
dently stated that Dr. M'Neile has been in correspondence
with Sir Robert Inglis on this vexed subject, and that the latter
at least is willing to advocate, or to acquiesce in, the state pay-
P'eh^"^ -1--- ----DED, the law will at
nan Catholic as well
eges as

SIR,-.

the same tie confer on the Irish i

the members Of the Anglican Church
namely, the privilege of demanding Ch

inn of women, and burial, as una

this country enjoy;
- ism, church-
s. We give
give it, un-
likely

this latest on dit as we receive it. We should ut
less we had received it from a trustworthy quarts

to communicate it to us, unless it had some ?oundidion:''
This is calculated to mislead, and, therefore, demands
explanation. In the first place, then, as the opinions of
my kind friend. Sir Robert Inglis, are of vastly more con-
sequence to the public than mine, I beg to assure you
that there is not the slightest foundation for the above
report, so far as he is concerned. I have never had the
honour of any correspondence with him upon the subject
referred to, nor do I know whether his view of it has
undergone any recent modification. I think it extremely
unlikely.

For myself T can answer. My opinions upon the sub-
ject are grounded upon a carefully acquired knowledge of
the system of Romanism, and an anxiously conscientious

were not hastily formed, and
read anything which a

1 of God. They
,een, or heard, or
any alteration of

o requi:

In reply to the multuns vexatuns questionem of what is
to be done for Ireland ? the design, now very generally
attributed to her Majesty's ministers of making some
national provision for the maintenance of the Roman
Catholic priests, is, of course, largely and freely debated.
It forms the subject not only of public writing and speak-
ing. but of innumerable private conversations. The
amount of foundation that exists for the report, as above
stated, concerning me, must be traced to ore or two such
conversations which have lately taken place, and the
general drift of which appears to have been misappre-
hended.- There is, indeed, always some risk of misappre-
hension, (especially where a strong Irish exists on one
side,) when even, for argument's sake, the main question
is set aside, and some secondary or subsidiary topic ele-
vated into• chief discussion. That you and your readers
may perceive how this has happened in this case, I have
written a fair specimen of the conversations referred to,
held in a passing way, dans pede in uno, in a newsroom
or counting-house. I can, indeed, recall only two such
occasions : I do not pretend to transcribe the very words
which passed on either; but if you will allow A, in the
following dialogue, to represent your informant, and B to
represent Dr. M`Ncile, you will have substantially the
facts of the case.

A.—Well, what say you to this project of paying the
Roman Catholic Priests in Ireland ?

B.—What can be said in favour of such a project ?
A.—Why, don't you think that if the priests were made
independent of the fees, dues, and other exactions from
their people, on which they now live, their people would
become more independent of them ? Surely, if the people
knew, as they would, of course, soon know, that the
priests were salaried by the state, they would feel them-
selves at liberty to withhold many of those payments
which they now give as matter of necessary support to
their clergy. And is it not human nature that the priests
themselves, or many of them, if independent of their peo-
ple, would be less sedulous in their attentions, and there-
fore less influential ? Tn this point of view, as tending to
diminish the absolute control now exercised by the priests,
do you not think that their endowment would be a politic
measure ?

B.—You could not attain, or even approximate to the
effect you anticipate, unless you combined the endowment
of the priesthood with an act of parliament giving the
laity a legal right to the sacraments and other ordinances
of what they consider the true church, and prompt and
efficient -

legal redress against any priest who refused those
sacraments or ordinances.. You are aware that, whatever
may be the professed rules of the system, it is practically
in the option of the Roman Catholic priesthood, whether
to give cr withhold "the -rites of the church" in any indi-
vidual instance ; and that an " interdict" horn these rights

is used as an engine of coercion in political and other tem-
poral matters. To any man in whom he perceives symp-
toms of political independence, the priest may say, (or
what is much more con:mon, he may very clearly and
practically convey, without committing himself by say-
ing) "your child shall not be baptized, nor your wife
churched, unless you vote for the friend of your church
and your country, (alias t'te nominee of the priest) at the
- -

uperstitions.
ispensable to

urch are it

pis work

Le next

the atl7