The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser. — 1847-04-27 (Liverpool, Merseyside, England)

NATIONAL SIN THE CAUSE OF NATIONAL JUDGEMENT. —The Rev. W. Gillmor, perpetual curate of Illingworth, near Halifax, has just published an admirable sermon with this title ;it was preached on the fast day. It ought to be extensively circulated, for the observations are no less true than seasonable. There is much that we should like to reprint, but the following remarks are too pointed to be omitted. "In the year 1829, the passing of that suicidal act, the Popish Relief Bill took place. And what were the consequences of this heavy blow against the Church of Christ in the British isles ? Was the introduction of an idolatrous religion to occupy a position in_the temple of the state, side by side with that of the true Catholic faith, punished as heretofore as a national crime ? Yes, beloved. There was an immediate withdrawal of the bounties of Providence. From that hapless period, when idolaters were admitted into both houses of parliament, until the year 1834, the United Kingdom underwent a succession of unfavourable harvests. Agricultural distress extensively prevailed. Commercial transactions, .during the same interval, were in a most depressed condition. Conflagrations in the rural districts were of almost nightly occurrence. Serious riots took place in several populous places. In short, violence and tumult and popular excitement prevailed in the following year to so alarming an extent throughout our land, that, by the advice of the cabinet of the day, really believing that mischief and bloodshed might, in consequence, ensue, the King's visit to a London festival was obliged to be postponed • and one of our principal cities was well nigh destroyed. 'And, at length, that fearful, mysterious and most appalling pestilence, Cholera, whose advances no barrier could impede, was sent upon us, sweeping away, in its devastating course, whole masses of the population in every quarter which it visited. Persons, as I have known, were frequently seized with this dreadful complaint in the streets, and died, and were buried, in the course of a few hours. And so wide was its range, that the cry of death was heard in almost every parish throughout our land ; and, in. some quarters, hundreds upon hundreds were, within the space of six or. eight weeks, consigned to one common grave." On Monday, a general conference of delegates from the various metropolitan parishes, Brighton, and other provincial towns, took place at the Court House Marylebone, with reference to the Health of Towns Bill, the Rector of Marylebone, (Dr. Spry,) in the chair. The meeting having been addressed by the chairman, Mr. Daniel, of Marylebone, Mr. Davis, of St. Leonard's, Shoreditch, Mr. Dempstor, of Brighton, and others, resolutions were adopted, condemning the government scheme as a political bill, under pretence of being a sanatory enactment, and as a scheme utterly destructive of the functions of local boards. It was then resolved forthwith to send copies of the resolutions to every parish and paving and cleaning district in the metropolis, as also to provincial cities and towns, with a view to obtain their opinion upon them; and a vote of thanks having been awarded to the reverend chairman, the conference separated.