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Northern Star (1837-1852), 30th October 1852, Edition 1 of 2, Page 10

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      arid the odds and ends of what is called the liberal parliamentary party , for the purpose of , among other things , getting for the people something much short of what the people are properly entitled to . Fearful lest so important a proposition should not meet with the respect it deserved , Mr . Collins betook himself to the Parliamentary Directory , and favoured sundry members of Parliament -with slips of his " leader" accompanied by a personal note of introduction . Among the gentlemen so privileged was our old

      friend Joseph Hume . "What the others said to it we know not ; perhaps the Irish members wrote confusing replies as became their own confused position of priest-ridden patriots . Perhaps some snubbed it , perhaps others " begged to acknowledge its receipt ;" possibly the majority handed it in silence to the waste basket . All that is wrapped in the obscurity which befits so solemn a mystery ; but Joseph Hume , wanting a party , took up his pen and indited a long letter to Mr . Collins , who forthwith put it in print so that the world might , have the benefit of the wisdom of the Nestor of economists . On that there hangs a tale , the tale upon which

      • we are now engaged . To misunderstanding that letter , we , in common with the Times ( with which we do not often have anything in common ) , must plead guilty . After stating his opinion in very plain terms about the " liberal party" lamenting their errors and castigating their backslidings—hinting that the Irish members particularly were more characterized by love of profit than patriotism , the veteran pretty plainly intimated that he declined the honour of marching

      through . Coventry with such a crew . Yet somehow there was a hesitation—a sort of faltering—an " I would and I would not " tone about it , which finally resolved itself into this , that if a party could be found—a party that would bear discipline—that would keep its ranks—obey the word of command—follow its leader , and listen to the voice of experience , then , in that case made and provided he was the man for that party , which was just such a one as he wanted . Such a party hewould recommend if formed

      to—Here there is a lapse in our narrative . We understood Mr . Hume to say , " to take one point , say the ballot , and exert themselves to carry it / ' Of course we were wrong , but we can plead strong justification for our mistake . The ballot seemed to be rising in favor , especially in Ireland . Mr . Bright had just spoken out that the ballot was the point . Mr . Cobden was pretty notoriously of the same opinion ; and lastly , the words of Mr . Hume ' s letter certainly did seem to us to bear that meaning . However , it was an error ; Mr . Hume has denied it ; disclaimed any such construction , whatever he said being fastened upon him , and we give up the point . Mr . Hume has had the misfortune to be misunderstood and we the calamity to misunderstand him .

      As we have , said the Times misunderstood him too , and wad very wicked upon the subject . It made merry with Mr * Hume ' s portraiture of the Liberals , the fancy sketch drawn by one of themselves . It held it up to them as confidently as though it had been a daguerotype saying , ** here , gentlemen look here , see what you are like , when one who knows you does you to the life . A rope of sand , inconstant , malcontent , orotchetty , violent , unreasonable * place-hunting—those are a few of' your most prominent features , * ' what a fparty to regenerate a

      nation 1 * ' and then for poor Joseph himself , the Times had that bantering pity , worse than direst insult , which it so well lcnows how to deal out , " Poor old man , the Lear of politics with the Tories for Regan , and the Whigs for Gonerii , and never a Cordelia : servant to both in turn , by both in turn cast off . What an end to an Iliad of forty years of economical action of candle-end retrenching , clerk-docking , and Chancellor of Exchequer worrying . Without ahold on either of the

      parties that are , "without the power to form one that is not . Seduced to hunt for liberty in a ballot box , hoping to light on 'her by chance in his gropings in the dark . " Well , we should not perhaps have liked to have said as much of Joseph Hume , for the sake of old memories , particularly of that special memory , that he was one of those who assisted at the birth of Charter , but when we read that brilliant banter , we thought of a sentence which Mr . Hume probably learned at school , ' it is well to learn wisdom , even of an enemy . "

      Mr . Hume was not the man to put up tamely with a cuff of that sort . If he is a Nestor , his blood ishctyet ; so he took tip his pen again , and this time addressed the Times , -He is not , he says , one of those who lament the scant fruit of their labours . He exults over the accounts , the retrenchments , the altered representation , and free trade . He rejoices in those things as . « ample succeas . " But he desires further parliamentary reform . Mr Hume is for something short of universal

      snffrage now ; but he is for giving the people " that share in the representation to which they are entitled ' ( what then , is that share ?) "And that too , without any improper interference with the just privileges of the House of Lords and the Crown . " What are the just privileges ? Mr ' Hume does not tell us—his explanation renders another explanation still more necessary than the first . He submits that " it is bad policy to be agitating and introducing new reforms in our representative spstem , everv vear . or gvpvv fPW reroi-ms in our representative spstem , every yearor every few

      , ? ears ; " and , therefore , he is for a « comprehensive , efficient reform bill , to prevent for many years any new agitation for parliamentary reform / That reform , he goes on to observe , should , to be effectual , include " a Im-ge extension of the suffrage , " How large , Mr . Hume ? - « a more equal apportionment of representatives to electors , and protection to the voter , and other elements . What other elements , pray « ¦ ' The other elements cf the charter ? If so , wliy not say it , L ' d why not take all the elements of that document , which Mr . Hume used once to defend . As to advocating the ballot singlhe

      y , denies it altogether ; he will support it whenever brought forward ; but he _ svili not belong to any association striving for that alone . He sticks to his " aimual motion for parliamentary Teforrn , as agreed upon by between 70 and 80 reformers in which it was endeavoured to combine all the elements of that change which is requisite to make the House of Commons the real representation of the people . " This is glad news indeed There can be no " Teal represent ation , " without complete sufl frage ; and your SO M . IVs h ave agreed to that No , that cannot be it-we ieel we are agam misunderstanding Mr .

      ilume—he does not mean " a real vfinrOCD ^ f ., tm « n «« A ^ A ¦ tiume—lie does not mean « a real representation , '' or does not meanihaUhe 70 or 80 have agreed to it , Which ? What a pity it is that gwat men do not write as though they had fixed pnneiples , which would not let them be misunderstood . ; tfw l ^ ? ? T ™ - stl < angest things in the tetter , admitting that tbe Mot would not make the Hoiise of

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      Common ? what it ought to be , he asserts that Lord John Russell recognizes those rights , which he ( Mr . Hume ) seeks to promote . What , the 70 or 80 * and Mr . Hume * and Lord John , all in one boat , towing , of course , all Lord John ' s supporters behind % Well , things are in a fair way at last . This is " a party' ' indeed for Mr . Hume to put himself at the head of . But is it so ? Truly we fear that Mr . Hume is misunderstanding Lord John Russell now . If we recollect rightly , his lordship was for the rights of intelligence and wealth , and we had yet to learn his conversion to the ¦ " other elements , " of which Mr . Hume speaks . Beside we think it is not long since Mr , Hume spoke or wrote as follows . " I consider Lord John

      as not sincere , as a reformer , both civil and religious , " •« I wish I could look on his speech at Perth as honest and sincere ^ which I do not * " I would hold both parties cheap in regard to their assistance . " Oh ! Mr . Hume , did you a few short days ago write that , and do you now recognize Lord John as a man fit to be one of your party ? Really there is a sad misunderstanding somewhere ; but we think it does not rest with us this time . What the Times say of Mr . Hume , is in one respect true

      , at present it is impossible to get the steam up for him * '' It is no use to tell us of an Association for Promoting " the Elements" with 290 branches . That cracked boiler from the factory of Walmseley and Co ,, will not get up stea& for any body ; Here is a problem for Mr , Hume . What is the value of 290 branches , to a rotten trunk ? The answer will be the " tottle" of Mi \ Hume ' s hopes from that quarter , and . even if he did get up a party out of such materials , what the Times

      says of their probable future , is only too likely . « Patriots are powerless , and poor . " Joseph rebels ' against the law ; he wishes to form a truly patriot party which shall do something more that protest against iniquity . He wants what he will never get . As soon as his party can do more than protest , it will do more but it will no longer protest with equal fervency . With power will come office , and pay , and there will be an end of the romance of Joseph Hume's party . "

      Mr . Hume , old , experienced and sage as he is , does not appear to have learned this one truth . That a really national party must be capable of including all the nation , for an evidently national object That is the only party the steam can be got up for . Yet the temper of the age , the spirit of , the people , even the one of the Times might teach him it . Such a party is forming will Mr . Hume leave his heresies old and newj come back to the true political faith , which he professed when the Charter was written / and join an agitation for manhood suffrage ? If riotj we must even manage to do without him .

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      cathedral Trusts . " Prove all things : hold fast that which is good . "—Paul . To the Editor-of the Star of'Freedom . Sir ,- —Were St . Paul now alive , and were he to write a book on "Cathedral Trusts and their Fulfilment , ' * and therein to prove Peculation of the grossest kind t 6 be ihe practice of theclergyj some worthy like unto the Bishop of RochesterJwould be found to gag him . I make this remark in consequence of the late decision of that Bishop to reinstate the Rev ; Robert Whiston in his office of schoolmaster of the Cathedral seminary . This judicial decision ( I will not say act of justice ) will come into force ( conditionally , that is ) on the 1 st day of January , 1853 , and that school which as to

      scholars has been nearly innocent since the 19 th of October , 1849 , will again be under the management of , the talented and learned author of "Cathedral Trusts and their Fulfilment , " who has sacrificed so much for truth ' s sake . The clergy of the Episcopalian Church' are iri ho wise different from all other priests ; like the . Pharisees of the time of the Founder ofthe Christian religion , when law is against them , they quote the injunctions of a higher power ; and venture to speak of morality and justice ; while , when law is with them—that is , in its letter—they ignore morality , justice , and equity , as coolly as they who say , Be thou filled , or Be them clothed wi thout ever dreaming

      ^ ot themselves parting with a coat or a cloak , though they may probably possess sufficient garments to start an Episcopalian and orthodox Moses and Son . These priests would fain compel Robert Whiston to " hide his light under a bushel ; " they drive , or attempt to dnve hifri to "bury his talents in ihe earth , " that , when his Master shall call him to account , he may merely return what he had given himj without fructification or increase . But as , in the parable , this was not deemed a wise of a virtuous course , so it is equally odious now . Priests must remember that , while we have a press even nominally free , any printed truths are as indestructible as

      eternity . Against whom did Robert Whiston take up this most uneven warfare on behalf of the uneducated of Rochester ? Answer , the Dean and Chapter . Whom did he accuse of peculation in the administration of the Cathedral funds ? Answer , the Dean and Chapter . Before whom was the investigation carried on as to the truth of his charges ? Answer , before the Dean and Chanter What tribunal ruled his charges were false and libellous .

      Answer , the Dean and Chapter . And the reverend inquisitors accordingly removed him from his . office . He then appealed to a higher court , who referred him—to whom ? To the Bishop of Rochester as Visitor , of the Diocese . I ask you Episcopalians , Who love religious truth , morality , and virtue , Are these men a sample of your spiritual pastors and masters ? -will you tolerate that this semblance , this mockery of justice and outrage upon equity , be passed over unreproved and unexposed ? What says this precious document ?~ " And the Visitor having observed that the charges unjustl y made against the Dean and 25 SL . l ^^^^^ f ;^ 1101 ! ^ P P t > ave been repeated in several editions

      subsequent , published since the first commencement of these proceedings , thinks it right earnestly to caution the appellant against the repetition of these charges in any subsequent publication , as he appellant will not have the same excuse of his having been misled as to the legal right of the Dean and Chapter , which has been , the mam reason why the Visitor has heen induced to mitigate wf Tnt ° , Xe 7 l ' \ &C , Kow > be ifc khown uiitothe w « Lftv fMt ' i an , lh ° P e ifc may be a bWlih-tb the wounded feelings of Mr . Winston , that this . quarrel is now a national one , beyond the power of bishops or convocations to suppress All the documents containing the charges , the defences , the Exposures be ^ ffi 1 ^ < ° Vl * ¥ P ** ^ ^ r . WhistonS ^ uw t r by P rT . ¦ . ^ wer to-morro w , his writings are a Uvmg testimony oi his truth , and all the powers of — Rochester cannot prevail against it . The revela tions are now printed and ^ ma tter can be quite taken off Mr . Whiston ' s handi as far as publication goes and the Dean and Chapter may and wU stiUbe them ^ V f ° r f v ? lf V ^ aVe l , heir ° ™ ^ de law o u tify ; them ) a body of : peculators , who individually would sell hi ^ ww j »^ h , o m Egyptta » & m , m m $ ! m ^ Mm *

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      prefer pottage to honour . What are the facts of th' ^ it is not a solitary instance . Certain benev olent inf ] i " i Case ? and in their generation , leave iftoneys for given and als * i « e poses . I enter not into the question of the wisdom ^ f Wtpriests trustees , but in this case the folly has been co * 1 T > a ^ "e this is not all—these trustees are actuall y reci pients of ^ ^ portion of the funds , as well as trustees for its due 11 a % t -and how have they acted ? let the following fi 2 nrpe ' lnistl ' ation 1542 the dean had £ 100 per annum , , vhile now w 8 Wei : Hi trustee of a cathedral trust nnrltfits nvcr i ? i Ann . } vei ieratr ,. i

      bendaries had each , in 1542 , £ 20 per annum , whileTn ^ absorbed by each of them—a pretty considerable incrp is shewn . But let us glance at the school boys ( far i ? ^ Whiston dared to lift up his voice- ^ that voice the ^ Jlr intends to silence ) , to examine whether the amount devoM ° P l ]^ education has equally progressedj and it stands il « , ^ £ 2 13 s . 4 d . ; at present , £ 2 13 a . 4 d . Surel y scch vnT " l 5 ? . was sufficient to make even a stone speak—wbilc gllr v rasca cognizant of such glaring injustice could hold his ne ^ J " ^ his virtuous indignation . Is such conduct anything ] ftc l , ples s to carry out the intentions of the founders of these institnti ^ yet Mr . Whiston is cautioned to be dumb for the fu , ? H stands the case with the schoolmaster : —In ] 5 do i " ° » £ 13 6 s bd ., and now it is £ 150 . Priests aie ^ JJl' ^ M rf-i . j wo . uu . , auu liw . r u lo ^ wu . x uesis me proverbiiHv

      ' » but is there a dean or prebend from John O'Groat ' s to L i \> ^' hardy enough to assert that a schoolmaster who labours a ^ J devotedly , and conscientiously ( as Whiston did ) in teachu l yi only twenty boys—has not a more arduous and responsible offi ^ is infinitely more useful to , and valued hi . sociotv than , an ( i yet in 1542 the schoolmaster's salary was £ 13 ijs 8 d \ y ^ prebend ' s was but £ 20—the latter being in the receipt " ' biu t the third more , than the former , which probably was in jhe tir ° " designed by the monk ot priost-led founder . But S *^ trustees—dean , prebends , and company-forgetting or llot J . rush for the donor ' s intentions , only give the schoolmaster ?^ * one-ninth as much as they take themselves . This may h 1 Church law—but it is certainly not Christian equ- ' ty If „ k true that Parliament did decree in 1840 that the incomes of cV &c , &c ,, should consiat not only of the ancient allowances but T ' share of the " corporate divisible revenues . " But . farlhment n not decree that they ( the dean , prebends , and canons ) wn « ll

      the only parlies who , doing the least-and that little questionable to its greater utility—were to be the only or nearl y the only Tcchiipnf of the vastly increased revenues , while the scholars and other * w ! but the bare stipend allotted to them in 1542 . Parliament " dreamed either that these revenues would be increased in some cas by the toleration of immorality , had no idea the Christian CaihedrS ot Rochester " receivedsome payment specified in thdr leases in con ^!^!^^ j ^ . a ? d P !! : ' ^ ertrt ! 11 f ?« held in theii immediate The immoralities

      vicinity . and > ciai evils engendered l \ that fair are patent to all . Memorials against it have been numeroJv signed . Still that fair , and all its attendant evils , is carried on I the benefit of the Cathedral funds . The Bishop says Mr . Winston- ' book was false , scandalous , and libellous . In what ? -except truth be false , scandalous , and libellous . Mr . Whiston says the Cathedra funds have not been properly administered . So say the most mi nent of the daily and weekly pre ^ The founder ' 8 intention has been proved to have been , that all officers of the Cathedial should hav

      e a proportionate amount according to his view of what their individual services were worth ; whereas , now , every disbursement is out of all proportion ; while those who aie poorest " and most helo less , are most plundered : as in the case of the five youngest chorister boys , whose emolument at best is only £ 6 a-year , and , till verv lately , they forfeited their first half-year ' s salary to enhance that of the organist . Besides all this , as the worthy Bishop of Rochester is so lontl ot law ^ -that is , its letter—ignoring its spirit—« a relic of the eye for an eye , and the tooth for a tooth school-which the benighted public had thought was a doctrine superseded-how is it the

      very statutes of Rochester are violated and departed from by these men ( whom Bunyan ; were he living , would certainly surname Messrs . Legality , Wordly-wisdom , or By-ends ) . One canon runs thus : — in order that the minor canons and Priests of our Church may diligently attend to the duties in our Church , we grant them the licence to hold one , and only one , ecclesiastical benefice , with their atoresaid services : provided that such benefice is not more than

      twenty-four miles from Rochester . " Now , it does appear so nlain a regulation so' clear and explicit , that he who runs might read it ; and should it have been violated , if Mr . Whiston is visited with three years' suspension for . exposing the secrets of the prison house at Rochester—charges all true , be it remembercd-a culprit violating m the other instance ought at least . to have been compelled to live the rest of his days according to the prescription of Abernethy , which Y " j -4 • ° n tcn P ence a day , and earn it before you live on it . " Andit is fact

      . a that , when Mr . Whiston wrote his pamphlet , no less than three , of the prebendaries did hold livings upwards of one hundred miles from Rochester ; yet Mr . Whiston ' s pamphlet is false and ibellous . He must say : " They are all-all honourable men . " 1 will not upon this occasion encroach further upon your space , but the subject is a most important one , and if Mr . Whiston is to be driven and coerced into silence , it becomes others to take up the question . I will conclude this letter by a quotation from the memorial made

      in 1836 , when the Church feared the State was about to lay violent hands on Church property ; and how far the prayer has been legall y , morally , or spiritually attended to by the Church , I leave your readers to judge : — " We conclude by solemnly adjuring you to dispose of the Church ' s lands for Jew ' s sake , as the donors mtended : let neither friends nor flatterers beguile you to do otherwise j and put a stop to the approaching ruin of the Church , as you expect comfort at the last day . " i : Rubicon .

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      / GUIDE TO THE LECTURE BOOM . Literary Institution , John-street , Fitzroy-square : —Friday evenings [ 8 ] a Dis cussion . —Oct . 31 st [ 7 ] , G . J . Holyoake , " Modern Freethinking . " Hall of Science , City Road . —Oct . 31 st [ 7 ] , Thomas Cooper , " Life and Character of the Duke of Wellington . " National Hall , 242 , High Holborn . —Oct . 3 lts [ 7 ] , P . W . Perfitt will Lecture . ! h South Loridon Hall , Webber-street , Blticljfriars-road .--Oct . 31 st [ 7 ^] Charles Southwell will Lecture .

      Sadler ' s Wells discussion Society , three doors from the Hugh Middleton . — A Discussion , every Thursday evening . White Horse , Hare-street , Bethnal-green . —Every Sunday evening a Lecture or Discussion . Tower Hamlets Literary Institution , Morpeth-street , Bethnal-green . -Oct . 31 st 7 ] Mr . Beale Life and Character of the Dnke of Wellington . " AreopaRus Coffee and Reading Room , 59 , Church-lane , Whitechapel . —Every

      Sunday , Monday , and Wednesday [ 8 ] , a Lecture or Discussion . Progressionist Hall , Cheapside , Leeds . —Oct . 8 Jst [ e |] , a Lecture . Eclectic Institute , 14 , Gartland-street , Glasgow . —Oct . 81 st [ 6 $ a Lecture . Mutual Improvement Society , Five Ways , Dudley . —Oct . 31 st [ 7 ] Mr . S . Cook , " History of the World to the lime of Adam . " Secular Institution , Charles-street , Old Garratt , Manchester . —Oct . 81 st [ 6 p . mO a Lecture . ; . Odd Fellows' Haiti Thoynton-rpad , Bradford . —Oct , 91 st [ 641 Mv » Bwom wil Lecture ,

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      186 rtl STAI i )| iMlltOl . [ October

  • Citation
    • Northern Star (1837-1852), Oct. 30, 1852, page 10, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/ns/issues/vm2-ncseproduct1702/page/10/