The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1842-07-22 00:00:00

purchase might be expensive. From the recent strong mani-
festation of the powers that ruled, he might fairly say that
before six months were over the Irish extracts would be again
in use in the corporation schools. (Ironical laughter.)
Mr. PARKER thought it quite right that the books sought
for should be taken special care of—that they should be put
in chests cased with iron—that they should be put in the
lowest vaults of the Town-hall, and left there ad infinitum.
(Hear, hear, and laughter.) He would be a party to the
giving of the worthy alderman, not merely his globes, but
also everything he had given as a gift; and he would deposit
the books now applied for safely and in proper keeping, and
send the memorial where it ought to be sent. He moved.
that it should lie on. the table, because, in a legal point of
view, they were not authorised, as a Protestant community,
to give away what they conceived to be Popish evils. (Hear.)
They had beard lately that Sir Robert Peel and others were
in favour of a liberal system of education, and that in the
course of six months this system was to come into operation
in the corporation schools ; but those great men who had
been quoted referred to the system as applied to poor, be-
nighted, and Roman Catholic Ireland, and to that country
alone. (Hear, hear.) He held in his hand the decision of
the Chancellor in the case of Bury St. Edmunds—a case well
known to every gentleman of the council.
Mr. BOLTON rose to order, the case having, as he said,
been brought before the council on a former occasion.
Mr. PARKER said he would not he called to order by Mr.
Bolton, or any person else except the mayor. He thought
it right that the public mind should be set right upon the
law of the land as regarded the appropriation of books of the
kind to Roman Catholic schools. He maintained that, as
Protestants in a Protestant country, they were not autho-
rised to give any Roman Catholic books for the dissemina-
tion of error, and that the appropriation of the corporate
revenue for such purpose, during the sway of the late corpo-
ration, amounted to an absolute misapplication of the public
money. (Hear, hear.) He trusted the present system of
education would last for ever, based as it was on the " rock
of ages"—on the same foundation as the constitution itself—
and on the great and enduring principles of Protestantism ;
and that it might safely bid defiance to all the assaults made
against it by the enemy. (Cheers.) He concluded by mo-
ving as an amendment that the memorial do lie upon the
table.

Mr. MOLINEUX seconded the amendment. If Mr. Earle
made his application:to the committee, and identified the
property. he (Mr. M.) would say that it should be returned.
Mr.. EARLS.—What identification do you want ? Do you
want me to swear to ray proprerty ? (A laugh.)
Mr. ArKIN hoped the Council would not adopt the amend-
ment. The letter had emanated -from a respectable indivi-
dual ; it was respectably worded; and sought for a simple
act of justice. Re trusted they would not deal with it so
unceremoniously as to let it lie on the table.

Mr. G. H. LAWRENCE said he had always opposed the
late sysytem of education ; but he was satisfied that Sir
Robert Peel and the other members of the government,
however they might approve of it in Ireland, never could
approve of its application to England.

Mr. EARLE said that Liverpool ;:as a catholic town, and
that the number of that persuasion resident here amounted
to 50,000.

Mr. BRAMLEY-14100RE said he should like to see the me-
morial referred, as he had perfect confidence in the Educa-
tion Committee.

Nicor, was_also in favour of having it referred

Mr. LLOYD said that though it had been signed by Mr.
Mulleneux, the body of it was in Mr. Rathbone's hand-
writing.

•
Mr. Hannon') characterised the prayer of the memorial
as a mere trap. If it was wrong to circulate books of the
kind among one class of the community, the circulation of
the same books among another class must be prejudicial.
Mr. FL LAWRENCE had an objection to have their Pro-
testant children educated in extracts, but he did not see any
harm in giving them to those of a contrary faith. There
could be no impropriety in having the matter referred to the
committee.

Mr. SANDS said he was not quite sure that they had the
power, ever► if inclined, to give away property without notice.
Mr. A. SMITH thought that where a memorial came from
a respectable individual and was respectfully worded, it ought
to he referred.

Mr. HODGSON dissented from this opinion in the present
instance. He admitted that the prayer was respectful, but
he thought it would be a pity to prolong unnecessary discus-
sion on a question when they had a principle in operation
upon which they had made up their minds. Either they
were prepared to give sound instruction, or they were not.
He could not adopt the principle that while they thought it
necessary that a Protestant should be taught the truth, they
were willing to teach any other part of the community error.
If the question were one of political expediency merely, he
could enter into the sentiment; or, if it were, that there was
no religion worth anything, then he could understand how
they could adopt anything; but, he was sorry to see that
they could pander on such a question for a moment. It was
a question of principle, upon which they had made up their
minds, and upon which they ought not to throw down the
gauntlet for further discussion. If the books in question
were, indeed, proper to be used in the corporation schools,
and if they did not anxiously desire to inculcate all the
scriptures on all the children, then were they enforcing a
political religion, and not the revealed religion. (Hear,
hear.) He was, therefore, in favour of Mr. Parker's
amendment. He believed the gentlemen on the other side
were acting under a delusion; but he hoped there would be
nothing equivocal in the minds of the conservatives—that
they would firmly maintain principle and support the truth
at all times. (Cheers.)
Mr. BIRKETT said he had been unwilling in the first in.
stance to have the memorial referred, but the speech of
Mr. Henry Lawrence had changed his opinion. (Hear,
hear.) He should now vote for Mr. Parker s amendment.
Mr. JORDAN said that Mr. Hodgson seemed to forget that
nine-tenths of the children in the Pleasant-street school
were (Roman) Catholics.