The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1842-12-27 00:00:00

POPERY AT NEWCASTLE-UPON-TYNE

(E.rorn the Journal.)
It is usual, as our readers are aware, for the individual in-
vested with the honour and responsibility of the chief
magistracy in our ancient corporate town to celebrate his
accession to, that high and dignified office b‘, - his

uy inviting
friend's to a public entertainment, now and for long known
as "The Mayor's Dinner." This event in the mayoralty
of Mr. Thomas Dunn has been signalised by circumstances
which, however inclined we may be to deal leniently with the
failings, or even with the religious principles and feelings of
that gentleman, as conscientiously entertained by him, though
opposed, as we conscientiously believe they are, in truth, to
the doctrines of Christianity, and incompatible with the hap-
piness of the people and the security of the state, we consider
we ought not to pass over without especial notice. These
circumstances we shall develope in due course and order, re-
serving our observations thereon till the facts themselves are
in the possession of the reader.
The annual entertainment to which we refer was given, on
Tuesday evening last, at the Assembly Rooms, in this town,
and the guests numbered between ninety and a hundred.
The worshipful the mayor. Thomas Dunn, Esq. presided, of
course, and the vice-chairs were occupied by the sheriff,
Joseph Hawks, Esq., and Sir John Fife.
After the company had become seated, Mr. Riddell, the
popish minister, who had been honoured with one of the
chief seats at table, being second from the Worshipful the
Mayor, on the right, was requested by his worship to say
grace, which he did in the presence of two clergymen of the
Church of England, one of whom was the Vicar of New-
castle, the accredited head of the church of this town. The
repast over, it was thought by many that the worthy vicar,
whose feelings had been so insultingly disregarded in the first
instance, would be, at least, called upon by his worship to
return thanks ; but this part of the ceremony appears to have
been studiously avoided, for reasons not difficult to discover,
since the sentiments of the company in respect to the former
part of this exhibition could hardly have been mistaken or
misconstrued.
Then followed the toasts, as according to list prepared and
approved no doubt by the spiritual advisers of the popish dig-
nitary, who thus dispensed the hospitality and munificence of
the town, and it is understood that not even the vice-chair-
men were made acquainted with their order. "The Queen"
was the first toast given, and was responded to with enthu-
siastic acclamatious ; but, it is said, that the pre-determined
order of the toasts was not strictly observed in this respect,
as in others, for that " His Holiness the Pope" stood to be
given in precedence of her Majesty, and immediately after
the ablution of the digits in holy water!
This latter ceremony requires more than a mere notice en
passant; and, therefore, it may be well to state that the am-
brosial liquid was introduced and circulated in the silver ewer
and basin, which, on the motion of the ex-Mayor, Mr. Al-,
derman Hodgson, in the Town-council, on Wednesday week,
were, with other relics of the old corporation. transferred
from the Town-clerk's strong room, where they had been de-
posited ever since the demolition and dispersion of the Man-
sion House regalia, to the custody of the Mayor for the time
being. The introduction of the silver ewer and basin on this
occasion excited considerable attention, from the recollection
of byegone scenes renewed and re-awakened, and, perhaps,
the antiquity of the vessels drew, in some degree, attention
from their contents, which to the uninitiated was repre-
sented as aqua rosa merely, and as such presented before
them. There was something discreet, no doubt, in this, for
had the holy liquid been represented, as it was no doubt in-
tended to be, it would have aroused the feelings of the com-
pany, Protestant for the most part, against such absurdities.
To the health of " The Queen" succeeded that of " Prince
Albert," and then the Chairman gave " The Prince of Wales
and the rest of the Royal Family," avoiding more direct al-
lusion to the other members of that family," distinguished
no less by their virtues and talents than by their devoted at-
tachment to the civil and religious institutions of the coun-
try, with which they are identified by the high position they
alike dignify and adorn. " Her Majesty's Ministers" were
given in fair terms, and then " The Members for the
County," " The Members for the Town," and " The Lord
Lieutenant of the County ;" but not one word was said
about " The Bishop of Durham and the Clergy of the
Diocese," a toast hitherto invariably given on such occa-
sions ; nor was the health of the Vicar proposed individually,
and though, as we have said, the head of the church in this
town, he was permitted to depart without compliment and
without notice. Thus was the measure of popish intolerance
completed. The company, which did not sit down to dinner
till about half-past seven o'clock, rose before ten, and in
less than ten minutes after that hour, contrary to usual cus-
tom, the civic entertainment was completely deserted. In-
deed, it was evident that the extraordinary proceedings to
which we hive referred had a marked effect upon the feelings
of the company, though any expression of those feelings was
prevented by various considerations, by the irregular order
of the toasts, and by the early retirement of the Reverend
the Vicar.

Such is a brief narrative of the extraordinary circumstances
attending the first civic entertainment of the first Popish
Mayor of Newcastle, since the passing of the Municipal
Reform Bill, and, we venture to prophecy, the last for
many years to come. It must be admitted that a more pre-
meditated and marked insult to the vicar, to the clergy, and
the inhabitants of Newcastle, could not have been offered
than was done on this occasion by Mr. Thos. Dunn. That
he did not propose the health of the Pope and Mr. Riddell
is true, because had he done so, there was spirit and inde-
pendence enough, we opine, in the company to have at once
resented the insult ; but he did call on the representative of
the Pope to perform the mutilated religious ceremonies of
the occasion, and he studiously withheld that due respect to
the constituted authorities in religious matters which, as
representing the feelings of the majority of the inhabitants
of the town, and of the members of the council in especial,
in his official capacity he was bound to render.
We have spoken of this indecent proceeding as a pre-
meditated and marked insult to the Vicar, to the Clergy,
and the inhabitants of Newcastle, and we have done so ad-
visedly; for the fact is, the Vicar and his friends, who were
as twenty to one on the occasion, were invited, and went to
the civic feast under the impression that, at least, no de-
parture from established custom would be attempted ; and
we have been informed that it was not until within a very
few minutes of dinner being announced that the Vicar was
made aware that he was to be superseded in the discharge of
those duties which have time out mind been performed by
the individual holding the high office he does. It was only
when assembled to partake of the entertainment, to enjoy the
hospitality of the Corporation, that the insulting procedure
wa avowed and enacted.

Now, we have abstaincd-fruurmltrring to some
other scarcely reprehensible circumstances that have tran-
spired since the commencement of the existing mayoralty,
with the view of avoiding suspicion of partiality or prejudice,
whio many would have been but too ready to cast upon us ;
but it is rather hard that our forbearanee, and that of the
inhabitants of Newcastle and their representatives in the
Council, should be abused, and insult offered.

HOME.—We are born at home, we live at home; and we
must die at home : so that the comfort and economy of home
are of more deep, heartfelt, and personal interest to us than
the public affairs of all the nations in the world.
How TO WRITE ABOUT AMERICA.—NOW, to compare
small things with great, when we first heard it breathed that
he was going to America, we thought within ourselves thus:
If we had the admirable talent for observation and descrip-
tion, and the great reputation (to give universal currency to
our " Notes ") of Boz—a man who has amused for several
years a greater number and more various classes of his fellow
creatures than any one we have for some years known, heard,
or read of—and had intended to break up new ground in
America, we should have imitated the aforesaid cat, in all
except her bloody designs and doings. In plain English, we
should have resolved to take—good naturedly brother
Jonathan off his guard; and transmuting Mr. Charles Dickens
into Mr. John Johnson, or Mr. Benjamin Brown, gone away
without allowing a hint of our visit to transpire either at
home or abroad. We should thus have entered America,
and made all our most important observations, under a strict
incognito. A month before quitting it, however, we might,
perhaps, have resumed our character of " Charles Dickens,
Esquire," and presenting the best letters of introduction with
which we had come provided, mixed in the best society in our
own proper person. Thus we should have seen Jonathan
asleep, en dishabile ; and also wide awake, and in his best
clothes, and his best manners.—Blackwood.

BEAUTIES OF THE AMERICAN PRESS.--A " broken-
hearted woman," as she calls herself, Mrs. Laura Hunt, of
Broadalbin, Montgomery County, New York, notifies the
public through the Amsterdam Intelligencer, that her dear
husband, Josiah Hunt, has left her bed and board, and
strayed to parts unknown; and she forbids all girls, old
maids, and widows, to meddle with or marry him, under the
penalty of the law. She earnestly entreats all editors
throughout the world," to lay the foregoing information be-
fore their readers. " Mrs. Hunt will please to perceive that
we have complied with her request."—Courier and Inquirer.
" And we (too), two."—New York Transcript. " And
we, three."—Cineinati Mirror. " And we, four."—Stan-
dard. " And we, five."—Western Methodist. " And we,
six."—Zion's Herald. " And we, seven."—Maine Free
Press. " And we, eight."—Mobile Free Press. " And we,
nine."—Woodstock Whig. " Leave her bed and board,
the villain! and we, ten."—National Eagle. " And strayed
to parts unknown, the vagabond ! and we, eleven."—Al-
bang Daily Advertiser. " And we make up the dozen."—
New York Commercial Advertiser. "He left her bed ! 0 !
the vagrum ! Anti we a baker's dozen."—Pittsman States-
man. " And we start him again."—Miner's Journal.
" Keep- him moving. Salt river is too good for him."—
Jackson's Courier. " May he have corns on his toes and
pains in his ribs all the days of his life. Leave a woman's
bed and board, the graceless knave! We'll give him the
sixteenth kick."—Carlisle Republican, " Oh. the vaga-
bond ! he deserves an additional kick, and we will give him
the seventeenth."—Cleveland Herald. " Break a woman's
heart, the fiend ! Take that, too !"—Painsville Telegraph.
" We underwrite the eighteenth endorser."—Courier and
Enquirer. " And we give the scoundrel the nineteenth
shove."—Boston Argus. "Go a-head, and hunt him,
Laura. -And here goes the twentieth."—American Senti-
nel. " And we repeat her wrongs and his shame to our
20,000 readers."—Saturday Courier. " Pass him round ;
start him again, the scoundrel! And here goes the twenty-
first kiek."—Utica Daily News.
THE SATISTICAL SOCIETY.—This useful body met last
week, when Professor Sillyphellow read a very interesting
paper on the " Moral and Physical Condition of Omnibus
Cads," in the appendix to which there were some curious
tables. It would appear from these that 99 cads and nth out
of 104 and 2-16ths, pronounce the word "city" as if it were
spelled " cty," without an " i," which would seem to show
that they are of Welsh extraction, and have probably ob-
taiped the name of cad by descent from the Cad-walladers.
The society has also- prepared some curious statistical records
from a recent survey. In a parish containing 1,500 houses,
there are no less than 700 children in arms giving the enor-
mous average of nearly half a baby to each house ; and in
calculating the number of street door-bells, a still larger result
is arrived at. Of 742 knockers, there are 620'out of the
reach of a child, 89 want fresh painting, 32 are in tolerable
repair, and the remaining 1 has been wrenched off since the
.ociety's last survey. Out of 7 families occupying 9 rooms,
4 had paid their rent, 2 had some idea of doing so, and re-
maining 1 had made a point of always running away with the
goods, in anticipation of any harsh proceeding on the part of
the landlord. Amcng 14,000 children, 11,000 could sing Jim
Crow, 2,986 could whistle it, while the remaining 14 had
heard it, and knew it when played, but could not execute a
note of it. There were 224 blankets to 116 beds ; and giving
an average of three persons to each mattress, there would be
19-16ths of a pillow to every father of a family of 12 children,
leaving the mother the pillow-case. In 16 attics, 24 people
were employed in washing, 8 were occupied in ironing, 3 had
gone out to pawn trifling articles, and 1 was frying sausages.
The same curious deductions have been made from the spread
of Art Unions ; for it would seem, that 762 rooms are orna-
mented with pictures, 640 of them containing portraits of
popular performers, 89 of which were decorated with tinfoil,
and 17 were entirely plain. In a collection of 300 spelling-
books, it was found that 3-4ths of them were Mayor's, the
1-16th were Dilworth's, and the remainder miscellaneous. 1
leaf in 2 were dog's-eared, 3 in 8 were soiled, 00-15ths in
226.334ths were torn, and 108-00ths were without any covers.
Of 250,000 families, there were 249,999 that regularly pur-
chased Punch, and the remaining family regularly borrowed
it. Out of 16 adults, who had all taken degrees at Oxford,
4 were clergymen of the established church, 6 were at the
bar, 3 were gentlemen of independent property, and the re-
maining 1 was lying drunk at the station-house. In a series
of 26 milk-jugs, 1 had no handle, 14 were without spouts, 9
had been riveted, while 2 were perfect. Of 20 pieces of
orange-peal, lying in 1 street, 17 were from 3 oranges pur-
chased at the stall at the corner, 2 were left there by persons
casually passing, and the remaining 1, the society, after se-
veral hours' tediouslnvestigation, found no means of ac-
counting for.—Punch

MESSAGE OF THE PRESIDENT OR THE
UNITED STATES.

The Independence, packet-ship, which sailed from New
York on the 9th instant, arrived at this port on Sunday,
having made the passage in fifteen days and eighteen hours.
She brought papers up to the date of her sailing. Those of
the Bth contain the President's Message, as communicated
to Congress on the previous day. The news (with, the
exception of the statements in the Message) is not of much
importance. It appears, by despatches received in the States,
from Vera Cruz, that the difficulties between that country
and Mexico have been brought to an amicable close. The
papers from Canada, received by this conveyance, reach the
date of the 3d instant. The Kingston Gazette states, that
Sir Charles Begot had received by the Acadia despatches
from the Home Government, approving of his policy in the
recent ministerial changes, and promising him every support
in following it up. We regret to say that his Excellency's
health was still precarious, and that his medical advisers had
suggested a change of climate as necessary to his restoration.
The rate of exchange (in New York) on England was 106 to
100 sterling, and in France 5.,15 to 5.421. The mail steamer
Columbia, which left this port on the 19th ult., arrived at
Boston on the morning of the 6th instant.
The message is, as usual, a lengthy document, but is on
the whole, rather satisfactory, and appears to have given
satisfaction to the American public. The Exchequer plan is
still a favourite with the President. One-fourth of the mes-
sage is occupied with an exposition of his plan, as submitted
to Congress last session, and with reason why it should be
adopted in the present. The condition of the Treasury is
better than could have been anticipated. The revenue during
the past three quarters, from all sources, amounted to
26,616,593 dollars, of which more than fourteen millions were
from customs and about one million from the public lands.
The expenditure had been about the same as the income.
About eight millions had been applied towards the payment
of the public debt; and 600,000 dollars had been divided
amongst the States, under the :oval distribution law.
A considerable portion of the message refers to the relations
between this country and the United States. The President
congratulates his fellow-citizens on the aspect of foreign
affairs since his last message, alludes to the difficulties at-
tending the settlement of the questions between this country
and the states, and proceeds :
The appointment of a special minister by Great Britain to
the United States, with power to negotiate upon most of the
points of difference, indicated a desire on her part amicably
to adjust them, and that minister was met by the executive
in the same spirit which had dictated his mission. The
treaty consequent thereon, having been duly ratified by the
two governments, a copy, together with the correspondence
which accompanied it, is herewith communicated. I trust
that, whilst you may see in it nothing Objectionable, it may
be the means of preserving, for an indefinite period, the ami-
cable relations happily existing between the two goiernments.
The question of peace or war between the United-States and
Great Britain is a question of the deepest interest, not only
to themselves, but to the civilized world, since it is scarcely
possible that a war could exist between them without endan-
gering the peace of Christendom. The immediate effect of
the treaty upon ourselves will be felt in the security afforded
to mercantile enterprise, which, no longer apprehensive of
interruption, adventures its speculations in the most distant
sea ; and, freighted with the diversified productions of every
land, returns to bless our own. There is nothing in the
treaty which, in the slightest degree, compromises the ho-
nour or dignity of either nation.
The President next alluded to the question of our African
slave trade, as pending between the two nations, with par-
ticular reference to the right of search of American ships by
our cruisers • and as he considered that such search (even
after the explanations and correspondence with Lord Aber-
deen on the laws affecting the trade) would involve "detention
on voyages, and interruption to trade," he felt himself bound
in duty distinctly to declare in his annual message (last year)
that no such concession could be made, and that the United
States had both the will and the ability to enforce their own
laws, and to protect their flag from being used for purposes
wholly forbidden by those laws, and obnoxious to the moral
censure of the world.
After allusion to the quadruple treaty, which provides that
each nation shall keep afloat in the African seas a force net
less than eighty guns, to act separately and apart, under in-
structions from their respective governments, and for the
enforcement of their respective laws and obligations, the
President states this provision has been fully complied with
by the United States, and that there is therefore no pretence
for interference with her commerce ; and he adds, " A simi-
lar arrangement by the other great powers could not fail to
sweep from the ocean the slave-trade, without the interpola-
tion of any new principle in the maritime code. We may
be permitted to hope, that the example thus set will be fol-
lowed by some, if not by all of them. We thereby also af-
ford suitable protection to the fair trader in those seas, thus
fulfilling, at the same time, the dictates of a sound policy,
and complying with the claims of justice and humanity."
The President next addresses himself to the settlement of
the right of claim, between this country and the United
States, to what is called the Oregon territory, embracing
the immense districts between the Rocky Mountains and the
Pacific Ocean. On this point he says :—" In advance of the
acquirement of individual rights to these lands, sound policy
dictates that every effort should be resorted to by the two
Governments to settle their respective claims. It became
manifest, at an early hour of the late negotiations, that any
attempt for the time being satisfactorily to determine those
rights would lead to a
.protracted discussion, which might
embrace in its failure other more pressing matters, and the
Executive did not regard it as proper to waive all the advan-
tages of an honourable adjustment of other difficulties of
great magnitude and importance, because this, not so imme-
diately pressing, stood in the way. Although the difficulty
referred to may not for several years involve the peace of the
two countries, yet I shall not delay to urge on Great Britain
the importance of its early settlement. Nor will other mat-

ters of commercial importance to the two countries be over-
looked ; and I have good reason to believe, that it will com-
port with the policy of England, as it does with that of the
United States, to seize upon this moment, when most of the
causes of irritation have passed away, to cement the peace
and unity of the two countries by wisely removing all grounds
of probable future collision.
The next question noticed is the tariff; and the President
strongly recommends a revision of its more stringent clauses,
and also the adoption of the warehousing (or bonding) sys-
tem. The following passage will be read with some interest :
" In revising the existing tariff of duties, should you deem
it proper to do so at your present session, 1 can only repeat
the suggestions and recommendations which, upon severai
occasions. I 1,0 heretofore felt it to I,P my duty to nfrpr to
Congress. The great, primary, and controlling interest or
the American people is union—union not only in the mere
forms of government, forms which may be broken—but
union founded in an attachment of States and individuals for
each other. This union in sentiment and feeling can only
be preserved by the adoption of that course of policy, which,
neither giving exclusive benefits to some, nor imposing un-
necessary burdens upon others, shall consult the interests of
all, by pursuing a course of moderation, and thereby seeking
to harmonize public opinion, and causing the people every
where to feel and to know that the Government is careful
of the interests of all alike. Nor is there any subject in re-
gard to which moderation, connected with a wise discri-
mination, is more necessary than in the imposition of
duties on imports. Whether reference be had to revenue,
the primary object in the imposition of taxes, or to the
incidents which necessarily flow from their imposition, this
is entirely true. Extravagant duties defeat their end and
object, not only by exciting in the public mind a hostility to
the /manufacturing interests, but by inducing a system of
smuggling on an extensive scale, and the practice of every
manner of fraud upon the revenue, which the utmost vigilance
of Government cannot effectually suppress. An opposite
course of policy would be attended by results essentially
different, of which every interest of society, and none more than
those of the manufacturer, would reap important advantages.
Amongst the most striking of its benefits would be that
derived from the general acquiescence of the country in its
support, and the consequent permanency and stability which
would be given to all the operations of industry. It cannot
be too often repeated, that no system of legislation can be
wise which is fluctuating and uncertain. No interest can
thrive under it. The prudent capitalist will never adventure
his capital in manufacturing establishments, or in any other
leading pursuit of life, if there exsists a state of uncertainty
as to whether the Government will repeal to-morrow what it
has enacted to day. Fitful profits, however high, if threat-
ened with a ruinous reduction, by vacillating policy on the
part of Government, will scarcely tempt him to trust the
money he has acquired by life of labour upon the uncertain
adventure. I, therefore, in the spirit of conciliation, and in-
fluenced by no other desire than to rescue the great interests
of the country from the vortex of political contention, and in
the discharge of the high and solemn duties of the place
which I now occupy, recommend moderate duties, imposed
with a wise discrimination ss to their several objects, as
being not only most likely to be durable, but most advante-

geous to every interest of society."
The remainder of the message relates chiefly to the estab-
lishment of the system of Exchequer-bills (to which the
President is favourable), and upon which he debates ; but as
the subject relates solely to American finance we must, in the
pressure of other matter, leave those interested to a perusal
of the document itself—to which, however, we shall probably
revert in our next publication.