The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1842-03-15 00:00:00

MEETING OF THE TOWN COUNCIL.

A special meeting of the Town Council was held at twelve
o'clock yesterday i❑ the Town-hall, for the purpose of "con-
sidering and determining whether there be a vacancy in the
office of councillor for St. Anne's ward, to which Mr. William
Slater *as elected, and if there be, of declaring such vacancy ;
and also for the purpose of determining upon a motion by
Mr. Councillor Birkctt, that the clause in the general Im-
provement Bill for the closing of public houses during part
of Sunday shall be struck out of that bill, and in lieu thereof
that as soon as practicable an enactment should be obtained
to the purport of the said clause, but extended to seven miles
from the Town-hall, to be computed by the nearest public
.road by land or water." In the absence of the MAYOR, Mr.
Alderman BARCLAY was appointed to preside over the
Council.

VACANCY FOR ST. ANNE'S WARD.
The TOWN-CLERK reported to the Council that it had
been duly and properly ascertained that Mr. William Slater,
one of the councillors for St. Anne's ward had become hank-

rupt, whereby the Council were required to declare the said
office of councillo► to be vacant. This proceeding was founded
upon the 52nd section of the Municipal Corporations Act,
which he read kr the information of the Council.
BIRKETT enquired whether the Town-clerk had a
copy of the Gazette containing the bankruptcy ?
The CHAIRMAN also asked the Town-clerk what proof
ti

re was of it ?-
The TOWN-CLERK, in reply, said the proof was that the
Town-clerk pledged himself to the fact, and made a report of
it to the Council. It would be analagous to the course pur-
sued under such circumstances in the House of Commons,

if some memb,T for the sai;le- I;rd as Mr. Slater were to
move that the office was void.
Mr. PARKER then moved that a vacancy be declared in the
office of councillor for St. Anne-street ward.
Mr. JONES seconded the motion.
. _

Mr. AIKIN said the word " thereupon" occurred in the
section. and he asked the Town-clerk what it embraced ? _ _

The Tow N-CLERK replied that it meant the council should
proceed immediately upon the declaration of the bank-

ruptcy

Air. Atxt-s also observed that just previously to the word
" thereupon" there was something said about penalties.
The TOWN-CLERK said there was, but he did not think it
was applicable to the case before the council. The penalty
applied only to voluntary absence, but he would read the
words. Having done so, he proceeded to say, that if the
mayor, aldermen, or councillor chose voluntarily to absent
himself for the period mentioned in the section, [six months]
by that voluntary. ace he was liable to a fine ; but those
words did not apply to the present case.
Mr. COOPER wished to ask the Town-clerk whether it was
absolutely requisite that the vacancy which had just been re-
ported should be filled up—whether indeed the election could
not be postponed till next November ?
The TOWN-CLERK said, in answer to that question, he
ought to state, that if the council did not proceed to declare

the vacancy, they would be liable to a mandamus front the
Court of Queen's Bench. The mandamus could only issue
upon the ground that it was the deity of the council to de-
clare the vacancy, and to proceed to--a new election. Couse-

quently their duty was to declaiea vacancy.
Mr. BIRKKTT observed, that even if that were not the
case, it would not be fair towards the ward to leave it with-
out its proper representatives.
The TOWN-CLERK said the observation of the last coun-
cillor was correct and just, for it was the duty of the council
to see,.that every ward was properly represented. Any sub-

. . .
ject of the realtil might have recourse to the process of man-
damus, and the court would grant it on the ground that it was
the duty of the council to declare the vacancy ; and the

mandamus would compel the council to discharge that duty.
Mr. PLATT added that it was also imperative upon the
council to proceed to another election within a certain time.
The TOWN-CLERK said the duty of the council was imme-
diately to proceed to a new election ; and one of the sec-
tions in the act, as referred to by Mr. Platt, prescribed that
that duty should take place within ten days. These words
were considered as only declaratory, but at the same time it.
was the duty of the council to proceed to a new election.
Mr. JOHN SMITH thought this discussion was taking up
a great deal of time unnecessarily.
The CHAIRMAN then put Mr. Parker's motion, and it was
unanimously carried.
THE PUBLICANS' CLAUSE IN THE IMPROVEMENT BILL.
Mr. BIRKETT, in accordance with the notice he had given
at the last council meeting, now rose to bring forward an
amendment upon that which the council were then pleased,
by a large majority, to direct to be done, namely, that a clause
should be inserted in the Improvement Bill to compel
publicans to close their houses till one o'clock upon the
Sabbath day. He did not wish to take up the time of the
council unnecessarily, after what had been done, but not
having had an opportunity of then expressing his sentiments,
he now wished to state the reasons why he thought this a
question which this council ought not to meddle with, at all
events at present. He considered it the duty of government
to take up this matter if they thought it was one affecting the
morals of the people ; but at the same time he should be glad
to sec an enactment like that proposed. not only for Liver-
pool but all England. It was, however, carried out to a very
great extent by many of the most respectable publicans of
this town. The late government if they had been pressed,
would have given their attention to the subject ; and the pre-
sent government said they had so much upon their hands,
and that they had no intention of taking it up this session.
The council would have to consider whether it was their duty
to take it up, and for his part he thought the clause which
they had already agreed to should be modified so as to ex-
tend to seven miles. They professed to agree to the
clause as it stood in consideration of the morals of
the people, and he objected to it because it would not
have the effect that they thought it would, and that if it had,
it was not doing it in a fair way. There were two parties to
be considered in this matter ; one was the morals of the
people
thing ought to give way, and the
other lto which every
the branches of trade affected by it. With regard to
the first he contended that the existing clause would not
put a stop to immorality, and if it would not be takiugup too
much time, he could convince the council of it. They would
only remove the nuisance to the edge of the borough and over
the water ; and the effect of the clause would be to encourage
low beer houses to be erected just at the outskirts, and par-
ties who wished to avail themselves of it would go there.
He could not look upon this clause in any other light
but as calculated to transfer what was a nuisance from
one portion of the town to another without putting a stop to
it. There were four, or rather he
might class them as two,
arguments against his proposition—one which coin erned the
morals of the people, which was brought forward by Mr.
Evans and Mr. Aikin, and he should not have alluded to this
if it had not been that what he thought a most unwarrant-
able plan had been taken by Mr. Evans and Mr. Aikin, by
alluding to party motives ; because if they were- &pail-every
occasion of difference in opinion to charge one another with
being actuated by improper motives, the effect and end would
be, that they must come into personal collision and violence.
It could not lead to any thing else. With regard, however,
to what had been said by Mr. Aikin and Mr. Evans, he
thought they had got such a quilting from Mr. Aspinall upon
that occasion, that there was no necessity for him to pursue
the subject further.
The CHAIRMAN thought if Mr. Birkett would confine
'himself to the merits of the question, the council would get
through the business before them much better.
Mr. Braxerr said he would bow to the decision of the
chair, if the chairman thought lie was out of order.
Mr. Alderman EVANS : No, no; go on.
Mr. BIRKETT repeated that he would bow to the chair.
Mr. Smith, at the last meeting, bad made a very start-
ling statement, and one that was really very horrifying;
and from what he said it might be supposed that those
who took the line he (Mr. Birkett) did, were the par-
ties to agree to continue such conduct. God forbid that
he (Mr. Birkett) should ever be a party to stand up for
murder or for drunkenness ! He had been a manufacturer
for some years, and had a considerable number of men under
his charge, and he had never in bis own case set them the
example of a single case of drunkenness, and he never
would. Then Mr. Robinson, the member for Great George's
Ward, said this was a case with which the council had noth-
ing to do, and that they ought not to go out of the borough
to legislate ; but if this was his view, he must say that Mr.
Robinson took a very superficial view of the subject. He
(Mr. Birkett) was for legislating for the borough ; but at the
same time, as the municipal act said that persons were eligi-
le to sit in that council who lived within seven miles,

he thought that seven miles ought to be the boundary of this
clause. He thought that if its operation were extended to
seven miles, it would very nearly, if not altogether, put a stop
to the evil. Those who wished to get drink could not go
seven miles, and be back by one o'clock ; and another point
was, that these who lived upon the edge of the borough would
not be infested by the influx of bad characters. He dwelt
tpon this the more because his plan was the best to put a
stop to immorality ; and it was not liable to the other objec-
tion of injuring trade. Mr. Birkett then concluded by
moving a resolution to the effect that the clause as agreed
upon at the last council be rescinded, and be amended by
extending its operations to seven miles beyond the borough.
Mr. COOPER had great pleasure in seconding the motion,

from a conviction that if the clause was good which the
Council had already agreed upon, the one which he supported
was much better. As it did not interfere with the principle
of the bill which he had voted for upon a former occasion,
but rather extended it, he considered that he was not deviat-
ing from his former vote. The publicans of Liverpool felt
considerable alarm at this bill, and they had reason to be so,
for it threw them quitein to the police's hands. Now all who
had anything to do with the pollee must know that they were
not parties to be trusted a great deal. He had bad sufficient
experience of these men, who were notorious drunkards
themselves—(Cries of " Order, order.")
Mr. JottnAN protested against Mr. Cooper thus attacking
men who were not present to defend themselves.
Mr. COOPER, in continuation, said that if Mr. Jordan
would take the trouble to look at the police books, he would
find charges of drunkenness brought against many of the
police, and he would say that he (Mr. C.) was not far off the
mark. There was another clause in the Improvement Act
to which he objected, namely, that which prohibited publicans
from selling spirits to persons under sixteen years of age.
The Tows-CLERK said that clause was another part of
the bill, which did not come within the present motion.
Mr. JOHN SMITH.—Let us confine ourselves to that which
is the business of the meeting.
The CHAIRMAN wished the Council would do so. lie
should be glad if gentlemen would confine themselves to the
immediate subject.
Mr. COOPER apprehended that he had a right to comment
upon these clauses in the Improvement Bill.
Mr. THORNHILL said Mr. Cooper had hut, as the Council
were now discussing a particular clause.
Mr. COOPER said, he was only showing, from the nature '
of these clauses, that the publicans had reason to be alarmed.
The TOWN-CLERK said that Mr. Councillor Cooper must
see that the clause on which the motion had been made was
different to that on which he was speaking, and that he should
confine himself to the motion, as he had seconded it.
Mr. COOPER would confine himself to the motion. Ile
was satisfied that if the clause was extended to seven miles it
would do away with the opposition of the publicans. Every
respectable publican had a great wish that the bill should be
carried ; but they did not think it right that they should
be made liable to its penalties, whilst others just beyond
the boundaries of the borough were not.
Mr. Alderman Nicol. asked the Town-clerk whether Mr.
Birkett's motion, ifit were now carried, would be compati-
ble with the notices given of the Improvement Bill ?
The TowN-CLERK must certainly state that it was not
compatible with the notices of the present bill to entertain
the present motion. It would be dangerous to every part of
that bill if the council were to entertain it. In the next
place the motion was, that " as soon as practicable an
enactment should be obtained to the purport of the said
clause, but extended to seven miles from the Town-Hall, to
be computed by the nearest public road by land or water."
If the council were to entertain this proposition for one
moment, the great risk would be, lest, having infringed the
standing order of the House of Commons and the House of
Lords also, they became subject to the penalty of having
their whole bill turned out of the house. At the same time
he must point out to the council that the words " as soon
as practicable" had reference not only to this bill but to any
Other proceeding.
Mr. BIRKETT asked, if the motion were carried, whether
it would have the effect of rescinding the previous decision of
the council ?
The TOWN-CLERK said certainly. As far as the power of
the council went, it would go to the extent of rescinding the
previous determination of the council ; for he conceived that
the whole bill was before the council for amendment, until it
went before the committee of the House of Commons.
BIRKETT wished to ask the Town-clerk whether or
not it was in the power of the committee to introduce any
clause they might think fit during the progress of the bill in
committee ? As he had stated at the last meeting, he thought
the council had a far better chance of carrying the clause
which he now proposed than their own. Both the members

for the borough thought it was right the clause which he pro-
posed should be inserted, and that it would not endanger the
bill.

The TOWN-CLERK certainly thought that if a committee,
by which he understood the committee of the House of Corn.
moos—[Mr. BlRKlTT:—Yes]—should be pleased to intro-
duce a clause of this kind, they could do so without peril to
the bill ; but if the council connived at any such clause being
introduced, they might be subject to the penalty which was
sometimes applied to parties before the house, of having the
bill thrown out. He recollected a case in point—the memo-
rable case of the dock bill of 1836, which was thrown out of
the House of Commons because the parties had introduced a
clause, contrary to the standing orders, seeking exemption
for Runcorn. The council might be subject to the same
penalty if they agreed to\ his proposition ; but, ❑o doubt, it
would be in the power of any committee of the House of
Commons to take the liberty, if they thought proper, of in-
terfering with the standing orders, and force such a clause
upon the bill. There would then be no grounds for the coun-
cil being visited with the penalty ; but he should say that the
council was the last place to originate such a proposition.
Mr. Alderman Nicol. said his reason for asking the ques-
tion was to prevent the time of the Council from being occu-
pied with discussing the merits of this question, when they
had already decided upon it. If it were impracticable for
the Council to introduce the proposed clause, it was unne-
cessary to proceed with the discussion. The Town-clerk
would bear him out when he stated that it would be an un-
usual thing to introduce a clause into any bill, of which no-
tice had not been previously given. It would be interfering
with the interests of parties who had•had no notice ; and he
believed they must have had notice of it before it could be
introduced into the bill.

The Tow\•CLERK said he must admit the force of Mr.
Nicol's observations. There was nothing in which the
Speaker of the House of Commons so guardedly protected
the House against as any attempt to legislate for parties
without notice, and that for very good reasons. He had
good reason for recollecting—and there was an alderman
now in the Council who had also good reason for recollecting
—the very terms which the Speaker of tl e House of Com-
mons used on the Runcorn clause in the Dock Bill of 1836.
He explained that the standing orders were enacted for the
protection of all the subjects of the realm against legislation
without notice. The Speaker was very strong on that point,
and he carried the whole house with him.

Mr. THORNHILL said that Mr. Cooper had brought a
serious charge against the police, which he was hardly justi-
fied in making. He had said that a great many of the police
were notorious drupkards, and that he would not trust them.
Mr. Cooper had been a member of the Watch Committee,
and he should have hesitated before he used such language
unless he had good grounds for it. The Liverpool police
were allowed to be the best in the kingdom, and he hoped
that Mr. Cooper's observations were more the result of in-
advertence than from any serious opinions, for he was sure
they were not open to any such remarks. As a body of men
they were as respectable and as trustworthy as any men in
the town ; and as to drunkenness, out of a force of 600 men,
was not to be supposed that every man was sober. but
whenever cases of drunkenness occurred, the offenders were
punished.
Mr. COOPER said he had merely referred to drunkenness ;
he had said nothing else with regard to the police.
Mr. THORNHILL insisted that Mr. Cooper had declared
he would not trust them.
Mr. COOPER said be had not. (Cries of " Question." )
Mr. BOL7 or: considered that there was no occasion for fur-
ther discussion after the explanation of the town-clerk.
The title of the bill was "a bill for the improvement and re-
gulation of the borough of Liverpool," but Mr. Birkett's
motion went to extend the powers of the bill beyond the bo-
rough. He might just as well have brought in a bill for the
improvement and regulation of the churchwardens of Liver-
pool. He trusted, therefore, that the mover would have the
good sense to withdraw the motion, as it was at variance
with the preamble of the bill.
Mr. BfaxerT said he should do no such thing as with-
draw the motion.
Mr. PROCTER submitted that the motion was perfectly re-
gular. If it were not, Mr. Aspinall's certainly was not.
The motion was that the clause objected to be struck out of
the bill, and that in lieu of it, as soon as practicable, an
enactment be obtained to the same purport, but extended to
seven miles. It did not follow that Mr. Birkett's clause
should be inserted in the bill. .

The TOWN-CLERK said there could be no doubt that the
motion was regular to the extent that the existing clause be
struck out, and that it was regular so far as it applied to the
introduction of another clause as soon as practicable.
Mr. PROCTER.—Yes ; you may go for it next year.
The TOWN-CLERK had already given his opinion, that the
clause extending to seven miles could not, upon the motion
of that council, be properly introduced into the bill without
risk of the penalty for infringing the standing orders—danger
to the whole bill. There was no doubt the council might, if
they thought proper, withdraw the existing clause from the
bill, and pass a resolution that as soon as practicable they
would introduce a clause into a public act, or some other
bill, as proposed by Mr. Birkett ; but he was bound, in duty,
to tell the council that they were not to be parties to an at-
tempt to introduce such a clause into this bill.
Mr. Joust SMITH thought that after this
.Mr. Birkett
would-withdraw his motion.
Mr. BIRKE'TT declined.
Mr. BRIGHT opposed the motion at considerable length ;
and, after a few words from Mr. THORNHILL, Mr. COOPER
withdrew his charges against the police.
Mr. MELLOR contended that the motion of Mr. Aspinall,
and that of Mr. Birkett, were substantially the same, the
effect of both being to throw out the existing clause. The
council having already decided upon Mr. Aspinalt's motion,
he considered that they could not entertain Mr. Birkett's.
Mr. ATKIN also argued that the present motion was sub-
stantially that which was repudiated and rejected upon the
motion of Mr. Aspinall. If the Council had known that
Mr. Birkett's motion would virtually have become Mr. As-
pinall's, he (Mr. Aikin) was sure that not one member would
have agreed to have met again to have considered a matter
which had already been decided upon by large majorities.
Mr. Aikin then proceeded to contend that those who sup-
ported the present motion, and voted against youth going to
the Northern Mechanics' Institution, where they might gain
useful knowledge, were guilty of gross inconsistency. 11-Ir.
Birkett had chosen to read the Council a lecture which was
appropriate to him, seeing that it was unintelligible to every
one else, in which he had talked something about quilting—
Mr. BIRKETT.—I used a term which I heard upon 'Change.
Mr. Alderman EARLE.—What was it?
Mr. AlKlN.—Quilting ! Pray what does it mean?
Mr. Alderman EARLE.—Tossing in a blanket, I suppose.
'Mr. Alms/ proceeded with his remarks, and said be would
advise Mr. Birkett, when he was commenting upon the con-
duct of others, to be a little more guarded in the phrases
which he used. He was not warranted in using the
-word

"n1;;;;Jal;le," in speaking of the opposition of Mr.
Evans and himself to Mr. Aspinall's motion. The majority
of the Council had decided that it was altogether " unwar-
rantable," and he (Mr. Aikin) would add that it was unjus-
tifiable in Mr. Birkett to have used such a word. In con-
clusion, Mr. Aikin, at considerable length, defended the
existing clause, on the ground that it would tend to promote
morality by preventing drunkenness.
Mr. PARKER warmly contended that those who had voted
against the Northern Mechanics' Institution and supported

the present motion, were quite as consistent as Mi.‘Aikin
and his friends. Ile (Mr. Parker) was discharging what he
conceived to be his conscientious duty to his constituents in
supporting the present motion ; and whenever they found
fault with him for be part he took, he should be ready at
that moment to deliver up his trust. That council were sit-
ting to do justice between man and man ; and because there
were some among them who supported Mr. Birkett's mo-
tion, were they to be called inconsistent men, drunkards,
and the promoters of drunkenness? Coald not one member
differ from another without having his trade referred to in

this way, " that man isaspirit merchant, and that man a
brewer., ' Now, although he (Mr. Parker) was connected
with that branch of trade, be went upon no such bias. He
should do his duty to his constituents in whatever situation
he was placed, and he trusted that in doing so he should have

protection of the chair.
AlKIN.—Did you vote against the Northern Mechan-
ics' Institution being open on Saturdays, and in favour of
the other ? (Mr. Aspinall's motion.)
Mr. PARKER had voted against the Northern Mechanics'
Institution being open upon Saturday nights for the exhibi-
tions that were there made, and, therefore, Mr. Aiken said
he voted for the public-houses being open all Sunday—in
short, that he voted for the continuance of drunkenness ?
Now he thought if the magistrates would but do their duty
the evil would be cured. You could never legislate to cure

drunkenness, but the magistrates might punish it, and he
called upon Mr. Aikin, as a magistrate, to see that the laws
as to the puuishment for drunkenness were put into execu-
tion. Those laws were sufficient to check the evil, but they
were not carried out by the magistrates, and that was the
cause of the greatness of the evil.
Mr. AIKIN said the inconsistency was still unexplained.

The TOWN-CLERK here repeated his view of the question,
was to the same effect as his explanations given above.

Mr. Alderman EVANS said the gentleman who had made
his motion commenced by a declaration that he did not in-

tend to go into the discussion, but so far from abstaining
from it, he run over the whole of the former debate, and
criticized the speakers after his own manner. Ir there were
any additional reasons wanting to induce the council to per-
severe in their bill Mr. Birkett had furnished them himself.
He had said that the government when applied to declared
that they were too much occupied with other things to un-
dertake this, and that they could not touch it this session.

He believed from our experience of the occupations of the
government of this country, it was to be supposed that
many years might go by before they would have either time
or inclination to do anything of this sort. But after a reply
of that sort., and being convinced of the utility of what they
desired, ought the council to lose one moment in endeavour-
ing to do that which they had now an opportunity of doing ?
Was it not highly desirable that Liverpool should skew the
way to the whole empire in this matter: Why should they
not to go in advance of the government instead of tailing be-
hind them ? After entering upon the question of morality at
some length, and urging that it was not the province of the
council to legislate for the whole country, he proceeded to
say that he really was not aware that either his friend Mr.
Aikin or himself had sustained the chastisement which had
been so elegantly characterised by the word " quilting ;" but
he gave his friend upon his right (Mr. Aspinall) credit for
not having very ferocious intentions with regard to either of
them. If he had a giant's grasp, he would not use it in a
giants way. (Laughter.) The question had been so com-
pletely decided already in the minds of the council, that he
should hope there would not be even a division.
Mr. Alderman TURNER. then moved, and Mr. Alderman
Nicol seconded, an amendment, that the propositions of
Mr. Birkett be taken into consideration that day six mouths.
After a few words from Mr. FitEME,
Mr. BtaxaTT replied. The town-clerk had given a law-
yer's opinion when he stated that the effect of this seven
miles clause would be to endanger the whole bill. He thought
that was a sound opinion ; but when he (Mr. Birkett) was in
London, he took a great deal of trouble in this matter, mid
he thought he had paved the way for the introduction of the
clause.
Mr. MELLon..—By whose authority did you do so ?
Mr. BIRKETT replied that he had done so upon his own
authority, as a burgess, and not as a member of the council.
He had stated to the mayor and the town-clerk that the
course he had adopted was not as a member of the council,
but as a private individual.
Mr. Alderman EvANs said it now appeared they had pri-
vate parties seeking upon their own authority. Mr. Birkett's
principle, with regard to the council, appeared to be that of
" Ego et ineus res."
After a desultory conversation, Mr. BIRKETT consented
to withdraw his motion. The amendment was also with-
drawn, and the business being over, the council separated at
half-past one.

LAUGHABLE INCIDENT IN THE HOUSE OF COMMONS.
—During the discussion which followed Sir Robert Peel's
financial expose, on Friday night, Colonel Sibthorp recom-
mended to the consideration of the government the propri-
ety of imposing an absentee-tax. He thought such a mea-
sure would operate beneficially, especially in Ireland ;
although, if they adopted it, they might be charged with in-
fringing the liberty of the subject. (Laughter.) Mr. O'Con-
nel said he was sorry to hear the hon. and gallant member
declaim against an Irishman, for he (Mr. O'Connell) could
prove him to be one in point of law. (" Hear, hear!" from
Colonel Sibthorp.) There was a law passed in the 16th year
the reignar
h a rof o
11 Henryhi
s
lrl.'which provided
upper lip without in-
curring the penalty of being considered an Irishman. (Loud
(ve
that understood)
no man shouolfd
laughter.) Great laughter was afterwards occasioned in the
house by Mr. O'Connell walking across the floor with the
statute-book open in his hand, and presenting it to Colonel
Sibthorp, pointing to the clause of the statute of Henry VI.
to which he had alluded, and which the hon. and gallant
mamba, raising his hat, commenced perusing.

MEETING OF THE PRAYER-BOOK AND HOMILY
SOCIETY.

Yesterday evening the annual meeting of this society was
hell in the Music-hall. The attendance was numerous, the
room being nearly tilled. On the platform were many of
the clergy of the town and neighbourhood, and a large body
of the friends of the society.

The very Rev. Chancellor Raikes, Chancellor of the Dio-
cese, was called to the chair, and at his request the Rev.
Mr. Maynard opened the proceedings by a short and im-
pressive prayer. . . _

.
The CHAIRMAN said that the first communication he had
to make was, he regretted to say, of a painful nature. It was
a letter from their esteemed and respected triiend, the Rev.
Hugh M`Neile. The language of hi, note, and the request
which it conveyed, would, he felt assured, meet with the ut-
most attention. Mr. M`Neile stated, in allusion to a late do-
mestic calamity, that in the present state of his feelings he
must apologise for not attending the, meeting, as he felt that
lie could not expose himself to the gush of sympathy that
would, doubtless, be evinced towards him by the numerous
warm friends who would be present ; but that the society had
hi 3 prayers for its success, and when occasion offered he should
do everything in his power in its behalf. lie (the Chancellor)
said, that however much they lamented the absence of his
rev. friend and some others, the cause was one whicbt
stood on its own merits, independently of mortal aid. That
cause was one which God himself would prosper, for its ob-
ject was the dissemination of formularies founded on his
holy word. The simplicity of the object of the society, had
not obtained for it that popularity which other religious soci-
eties enjoyed, for it (lid not so strongly as some others
appeal to those feelings and associations which were more
immediately interesting to the community. But it could
not be denied that there was a great and growing necessity
for the dissemination of the doctrines and formularies of the
Church of England, which was the object of the society.
If any one thought that the homilies were written for
the peculiar age in which this had first appeared,
and were not suited for the present, they had but to
look around, and mark the different forms of error that
had lately risen up, to he convinced that the formularies
and articles of the Church of England were still the great
standards of a pure Christian faith. It had been well said by
physicians, that we should not leave off our great coats too
soon in the spring, on the supposition that because we had a
few genial and mild days, we had fairly got into the summer,
and might with impunity take to lighter garments—trusting
unwisely to a treacherous climate. In like manner, in mat-
ters of religion, we should not throw aside those stcarities
that protected it in its early propagation, and were still re-
quired to shield it from error and innovation. The doctrines
and formularies of the church were founded on the scrip-
tures; and they were drawn from the fountain of truth, and
the homilies, in particular, were the grand standard by which
they ought to abide.

Mr. 'MAYN ARD, the secretary, then read the report, from
which it appeared that great numbers of the prayer book
and homilies had been distributed, many families and ships
visited, and much good done. Within the ten years ending
1811, the loss in the distribution and sale of books, and the
expenseofagencies &c., had been so much beyond the income
in subscriptions, that the society had incurred a deficit of
£275 to the Parent Society. The committee urged the com-
munity to increased efforts in behalf of the society. The
secretary related several atlectiug anecdotes relative to the
beneficial effects of the society. . _ _

The Rev. J. H. STEWAItT moved the first resolution—the
printing of the report—in a very forcible address, in which he
related many instances of its beneficial effects both on shore
and at sea. lie lamented that, in a town containing 10,000
sailors, so small a sum had, for the last few years, been col.
lected to promote the desirable objects in view.
Mr. T. SEWARD ably seconded the resolution, also sup-
porting the objects of Ihe society as admirably suited to
arrest the progress of socialism, popery, and infidelity. He
stated the remarkable fact, that the first homily the society
had printed in Hebrew was seen by the present bishop of
Jerusalem—a converted Jew—who inquired how it was to be
disseminated ; and, strange to say, he was shortly afterwards
consecrated, and became himself the bearer of it to that
city.

The resolution was unanimously carried.
The Rev. Mr. JAMES moved the second resolution, in an
admirable and most argumentative address, in the course of
which he noticed, with great effect, the conduct of those ene-
mies of the Church who had recently impugned her doctrines
in the Oxford Tracts. lie pronounced a warm appeal in be-
half of the prayer book and other formularies, as suited for
every class and every circumstance in life, and concluded by
reading some extracts from a recent Catholic book, in which
the Virgin Mary was held to be the principal mediator.
The Rev. Mr. Wfttl•NE seconded the resolution, for which
see the advertisement.

The Rev. Dr. TATTERSD ALL moved the next resolution,
which was seconded by the Rev. Mr. PARKER, and carried.
Mr. HOWARD moved the thanks of the meeting to the
chairman, after some cogent remarks, on the peculiar
privileges of the laity of the. Church of England. The mo-
tion was seconded by Mr. CARPENTER, and carried by ac-
clamation.

The CumuliAs returned thanks, and spoke at some
length, and with great eloquence, on the peculiar advantages
and adaptation of the Litany, the Prayer-Book, and the Ho-
milies, concluding by a warm appeal to the audience for
additional support to the society.
" Praise God, from whom all blessings flow." was then
sung, and the meeting dispersed. A collection was made in
the room, which amounted to about £7.

CORRESPONDENCE.

PHILO JUSTITIA AND ADMIRATOR

TO THE EDITOR OF THE LIVERPOOL STANDARD,

" Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them." Matt. vii., 20.
SIR,--I am aware of the great demand for space in your
valuable columns at the present time, but, as some " would.
be wit" or Romanist priest has, after a lapse of near two
months, attempted to throw ridicule on the hypothesis, on
which my argument against the popish system of education
was founded contained in a former letter, 1 crave as a parti-
cular favour the insertion of a few lines in reply to the ques-
tions " Admirator" has addressed me. I beg to inform him
that my knowledge of the devil is founded on his character '
as revealed in the written Word of God. Thus, I find the
devil was a liar from the beginning, and his children are
known by their fruits : for instance—the Word of God gives
me a second commandment against idolatry ; popery tells me
it is of no use ; therefore I know popery to be a lying system.
The Word of "God tells me that the body of Christ shall not
see corruption ; popery tells me that, after the priest has said
" Hoc eat corpus ineum" over a bit of paste, it becomes the
body, blood, soul, and divinity of Christ, and yet it sees
corruption; therefore I again know popery to be a lying
system. The Word of God tells me not " to trust in man
whose breath is in his nostrils " ; popery places man's salva-
tion on the intention of a wretched, miserable priest ; and I
main know it to be a lying system. Being obliged to be brief,
r'eannot now go on multiplying instances ; but I cannot find
it in my heart to leave off without calling " Admirator's"
attention to the brazen effrontery of popery in asserting that
the Douay version of the Bible, after having been translated
from two languages, gives as true a version of the minds of
the sacred writers as our authorised version translated from
tite original Greek. Does not common sense prooounee
' this a glaring, barefaced, detestable lie! To conclude, does
not the " written Word " and history call to our notice three
important facts ?-Ist. That when the devil could not con-
tend against the growing power of Christianity, he became
one in order to corrupt it, and the man of sin became re-
vealed in the Pope of Rome.-2nd. When he could not
contend against the demand for reform in his own peculiar
church, he turned reformer, and in the creed of Pope Pius
IV. is to be found his " brutron fulmen" of all that be
thought requisite to ensure for his followers what it is so re-
plete with, viz., curses.—Lastly. When he could not control
Christian exertions for education, he turned schoolmaster ;
and to show that he was the same as of old, he piously (he is
a much-maligned old gentleman, after all) preferred Scrip-
ture extracts, that he could pervert, to the whole Bible, that
he could not resist.—Your obedient servant,
PHILO JUSTITIA.