The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser. — 1854-06-20 (Liverpool, Merseyside, England)

PROTESTANT PARLIAMENT.  AMIDST the many disappointments resulting from the last general election, in the accession to office of a Ministry comprising every phase of politics but Conservative, it is some satisfaction to observe that all the exertions which were made to secure a majority in the House of Commons,in defence of the Protestant Faith; utte not been throw'n. away. It will be remembered that, in every division which took place on the motion for inquiry into the practices in Nunneries and other Conventual Institutions, the majority was always on the right aide, notwithstanding the oppositionof our Romanistfavouring Ministers ; and the measure was only defeated through the designs of a factious minority being favoured by the peculiar forms of Parliament, Obstructive policy is, however, far more efficient in the ,hands of a majority ; and this was demonstrated last week in the effectual resistance to the treasonable _designs of Lord PA.LMERSTON to pay for Romish Chaplains to gaols. We say treasonable, for the Constitution expressly declares the Romish faith to be a damnable heresy, and, therefore, to devote the money of the State to its propagation is a direct violation of the Constitution. We may pass over the maudlin sentimentality and mock philanthropy with which the vote was defended on the ground that those who profess the Romish faith should, in prison, receive consolation from the ministers of their own religion. It is a surrender of the question at issue. Just as reasonable would it be if a criminal professed open and undisguised infidelity, which, no doubt, many of them do, to provide him with a teacher of infidelity in order that he might receive the consolation that suffering is confined to this life, and that, at the worst extremity, death by his own hand, or that of others, - would resolve him into nothing. Such a doctrine is monstrous, and yet not more really baleful than the teaching of Rome, of which an instance was afforded at a recent execution in Ireland where the Romanist crowd enjoyed the edifying. spectacle of two men hurried into eternity on the scaffold, and, under the tuition of Romish priests, expressing their confident hope in a blessed resurrection for having murdered a Protestant. There is, however, another view of the question : the advocates of Rome, amongst which we include our present Ministers, who proposed the vote, contend that it is only common fairness to provide spiritual instruction for prisoners upon the principle of Religious Liberty. If this point be conceded, the vote should not have been for so small an amount, but Romish priests should constitute the majority of our gaol chaplains, as it will not be disputed that their flocks constitute the majority of the inmates of our gaols. Tho position, however, is  altogether untenable that error should form a ground for its perpetuation, and the House of Commons wisely vindicated its character for consistency by rejecting the vote, and leaving Lord PALMERSTON and his colleagues to carry out their Romanist predilections by other_ means than that of the public purse.  While upon this subject, we may remark, that the Protestants, as a powerful party, animated by the best intentions, and sincerely anxious to purify the land from the foul incubus which presses upon it, do not justice to themselves nor to their supporters. It is by all admitted that the Press is by far the most powerful engine by which to influence popular opinion ; and yet, instead of giving a hearty support to those Conservative papers which have ever been the warmest and most consistent advocates of Protestant principles against all phases of antagonism, there are too many professing Protestants who, in every form of patronage, favour the organs of their bitterest opponents, and leave their own tried champions to fight the battles unassisted, or cheered only by the reflection that " virtue is its own reward." This is not as it should be. If the cause is to be triumphant, nn human means should be left untried to accomplish its success ; and not the least important of these is by patronage, in every shape, to assist those Conservative papers by whose exertions, throughout the length and breadth of the land, against every disadvantage,so much has already been achieved. Radicalism and Romanism have ever been found acting in, union, while the cause of Conservatism has ever been identified with that of the pure faith of our Reformed Church.