The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1842-12-20 00:00:00

I am, Sir, your obedient servant,

AMBROSE LACE.
To Mr. Robert Cottier, Chairman pro tern.
After strongly urging that there was no real inconsistency
between Mr. Lace's vote and his speech in October, Mr.
Inman moved the amendment as follows ,—Resolved,—That
this meeting deeply regrets the view taken of the Education
question by our respected representative Ambrose Lace,
Esq. ; but as his vote upon that question compromises no
principle, or is at all opposed to the sentiments expressed
by him to the electors previous to the late election,
we take leave to express our unabated confidence in
him, feeling fully persuaded he will advocate no mea-
sure which is at all opposed to the true interests of
Protestantism." Mr. George Thistleton seconded the
amendment; after which the meeting was addressed by
Mr. Richard Harbord, Mr. King, and Mr. Robert Maclay,
in opposition to the amendment. The chairman then put
the question. Four hands only were held up for the amend-
ment ; the original motion was consequently carried by a
great majority. Some discussion followed upon the mode
of communicating the wishes of the meeting to Mr. Lace, as
the chairman declined to forward the resolution himself. It
was eventually resolved that the resolution should be for-
warded by Mr. Robert Cottier. Mr. Trotman was thanked
for his conduct in the chair, and the meeting separated.

A FEW THOUGHTS ON WEDNESDAY'S

COUNCIL,

FROM A CORRESPONDENT.
We congratulate the town, in the first place, on the average
of the council being improved by the last election, for al-
though three rads out of the sixteen wards were returned,
yet on the whole the quality was better, and would have been
matter of further gratulation, but for the introduction of that
vain person, known by the cognomen of "Jesuits bark."
We propose to offer strictures on Wednesday's adjourned
council, and shall do so in a spirit of fairness and candour.
Mr. Bushell opened the ball, and we regret to say, did not
add to his former well-earned laurels; we were particularly
puzzled to reconcile former declarations with one made on
this occasion, that " the Roman Catholics were as much ex-
cluded from the schools, as if they had been thrust out !"
We were less pleased with Mr. Bushell on this than on any
former occasion. Thanks, however, his vote stands recorded
on the right side.

- We have the honour, and feel proud to usher in our
columns, and introduce to our readers the new member for
Exchange Ward—John North. This gentleman made on
the occasion his maiden speech, and a more uncompromising,
manly statement, or clothed in purer language, it has rarely
been our lot to listen to. It was delivered in the mildest
and most unassuming manner, yet it was a two-edged sword.
Its withering effects were but too apparent on Mr. G. H.
Lawrence and Mr. Turner, both of whom, stung to the quick,
sprang up from their seats to justify themselves from the
outpourings of Mr. North on their devoted heads. It was
well hit off.

" Oh ! what a tangled web we weave,
When first we practice to deceive !"
Mr. Alderman Evans followed Mr. North, but he was evi-
dently labouring under the withering influence of the last
speaker ; the worthy alderman did not at all come up to his
usual standard ; his remarks were pointless, and fell to the
ground like " molten lead." We are willing to allow to him
a degree of talent, but on this occasion, it was like calling the
" mighty spirits from the vasty deep''—they could not be
conjured up.

Next followed Mr. Blackburn, and a more complete failure
we never witnessed • the impatience of the council was re-
peatedly manifested his wearisome and laboured ad-
dress, repeating, as he did, several portions of it five or six
times over ; our readers will believe we do not exaggerate in
stating this, when we inform them,he spoke for an hour and
three quarters, and the general opinion entertained was, that
the object of this address, or more properly rigmarole oration,
was spun out to an inordinate length purposely to deprive
several Conservative members of the opportunity of address-
ing the council. A more presumptuous and anti-religious
speech we never heard ; and our heart yearned with pity for
a man, who with such lofty pretensions to rank amongst the
holiest of holies, could quote and wrest the scriptures to his
own probable destruction. Such holy horror of the Roman
Catholic religion, and in the same breath to laud, extol, and
exalt the advantages of secular education ! And as to per-
sonalities, there was nothing he abhorred so much—nothing
so sure and certain a test of a low vulgar mind ! Yet, before
the echo of these fine sentiments has died away, he makes a
loathsome personal attack upon Mr. D. Hodgson, a man, as
incomparably Mr. Blackburn's superior in gentlemanly bear-
ing, as the monkey is to the sloth in activity and cunning.
Well was he brought to his bearings, after so much sickly
sentimentality about personalities, by Mr. Samuel Holme,
who read extracts from some published letters of Mr. Black-
burn's, containing some of the most scurrilous remarks upon
several members of the Town Council, who happen to see
things through a different and clearer focus than himself ; in
the same letters he speaks thus of our revered church, which
is the shield and protector of all honest and religious dis-
senters.

" From time immemorial the drunken, the profligate, the
profane, have always been the main bulwarks and buttresses
of that worldly corporation of priests which glorifieth itself
in all christian lands (except America) under the name, style,
and title of THE CHURCH.'

Why does not Mr. Blackburn go to America, where he will
be free from the oppression of the church ?
We detest your political dissenters, who make religion a
cloak to further their own dark and selfish ends. Not a trait
of the meek and lowly Saviour can you trace beyond the
words which fall from their lips and blister their tongues.
Mr. Blackburn's speech was nothing more than a rehearsal
of his published letters above referred to, without a single
original idea.

Here we leave him for the present.
Mr. Samuel Holme followed, and closed the debate. Mr.
Holme has long been before the public as a sound, healthy
conservative, and it would be quite a work of supererogation
on our part to say one word in praise of his admirable and
manly speech on this occasion. It is replete with sound,
wholesome argument, urged with good temper and good taste,
and will repay such of our readers well to peruse it who have
not already had this pleasure.
We like the joke of the Chronicle that all the talent and
moral influence on the conservative side voted for Mr. Law-
rence's amendment in favour of secular education !
Rejoice in the truth, say we, and maintain it.
" Hypocritical piety is double iniquity."