The Liverpool Standard, and General Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1854-09-26 00:00:00

Etberpool AYtanbarb,

TUESDAY MORNING, SEPT. 26, 1854.

THE PROPAGATION OF THE GOSPEL.

THE annual meeting of the venerable Society for
the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts
was held last night, at the Collegiate Institution,
under the presidency of the Lord BISHOP of the
diocese, and attracted, as might have been antici-
pated, a very large assemblage. A report of the
proceedings will be found in another
.part of our
paper, and perhaps we need do no more than call
attention to the excellent speeches of the Marco
of NEW ZEALAND, who offered his valuable testi-
mony to the practical operations of the'society, of
the ARCHBISHOP of DUBLIN, the EARL of Hen-
110WBY, and the Right Rev. Chairman. We may,
however, remark that, notwithstanding the im-
mense amount of good, in the extension of Chris-
tianity, which this society has been the direct
means of effecting, it has not received that propor-
tion of substantial support in contributions to its
funds to which it is so well entitled. It is now

some years since its resources were recruited by a
annual grant from Parliament, and so secure was
this deemed, that many engagements were entered
into from confidence in the good faith of the Im-
perial Legislature. In an evil hour the Whigs were
entrusted with the custody of the Exchequer, and
almost one of their fix st acts of miserable economy
was to withdraw the annual grant to the society, a
petty saving, something akin to their selling naval
stores in order to prop up a falling revenue. The
first consequence of this unchristian act was, that

the society was compelled to withdraw many, if
not most of the grants upon which the Colonial
clergy depended for their subsistence ; much dis-
tress was thereby occasioned, many were compelled
to retire from the scene of their useful labours, and
the result which speedily followed was the greater
part of the important Colony of Canada in a state
of rebellion, which there is every reason to believe
might never have taken place, but for the compul-
sory contraction of the operations of this society.
If England would preserve her colonies, which it
has been shown are her best customers, it can only
be done by nmointaining in them a Christian Church
in vitality and usefulness ; and for this end we have
no better means than the Society for the Propaga-
tion of the Gospel in Foreign Parts. It is, there-
fore, not only the duty of every man to lend his aid,
as far as lies in his power, but it is a privilege
which many would not willingly forego ; and those
who can appreciate the luxury of doing good
should gladly seize the opportunity afforded by this
excellent society, and by their contributions to its
funds enable it to extend its sphere of usefulness.

THE USE OF ST. GEORGE'S HALL

IN the brief address with which the Worshipful
the MAYOR OF LIVERPOOL declared St. George's
Hall to be opened, he stated that the magnificent
apartment which was then filled with the beauty
and fashion of the commercial capital would in
future be used for meetings to be called by the
MAYOR. The inhabitants need not wait long for
this promise to be performed, as an opportunity
now presents itself of which advantage should be
taken without delay. The country is bearing the
pressure of a double Income-tax, a largely in-
creased Malt-duty, and expected remissions of tax-
ation indefinitely postponed ; and these burdens
have been cheerfully borne, because the people of
England, although " they love golden store, yet,
they love honour and virtue more." The cause of
truth and justice was hazarded in the aggressions
committed by the insatiable ambition of Russia,
and no sacrifice would have been deemed too great
to justify the character of Great Britain as the
arbiter of national quarrels ; but the miserable ter-
mination of the cruise in the Baltic, the long delay
in effecting any operation of magnitude, and the
evident leaning towards a settlement by negocia-
tion without obtaining the substantial advantages
for which the war was undertaken, have created
more than a suspicion that the English Ministers
have not acted in good faith, and that, while pro-
fessing to carry out the intentions which public
opinion has so clearly expressed, they have, in
reality, been scheming to screen the old friend of
the PREMIER from the retributive justice which
he so wantonly provoked. The only course under
present circumstances, while the voice of Parlia-
ment is silent, is for the voice of the people to
make itself heard in addresses: to HER MAJESTY,
expressing dissatisfaction at the manner in which
the war has been conducted, and praying HER MA-
JESTY, without raising the question of party
politics, to call such men to her councils as possess
the confidence and will use the means so amply
confided to them by Parliament to justify the
honour of the nation, and obtain substantial satis-
faction from the oppressor. In such a movement
Liverpool, which has so large an interest at stake,
not only in contributions to the revenue, but in
her widely extended commercial operations, should
take a prominent lead, and the inhabitants of all
classes, for all are concerned, should sign a requi-
sition to the MAYOR to call a public meeting in
St. George's Hall for the purpose. This would be
an inauguration of the Hall for practical business.