The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1868-11-03 00:00:00

" The cause that needs assistance ;
The wrong that needs resistance ;
The future in the distance;
And such good as 1 can do."

—flood &seeing). -
On the motion of Mr. CIABICILL, aeoendsd by Yr.
Dyge, a resolution was passed approving of Mr. Powell
es • Pf• Per Persou to represent Weymouth in Perlis.
mint.
The lion. EVILTII AVIIXT, who wu cordially greeted,
said many a miekle lathes a ninth's" was a Scotch
proverb which had brought him before them. His
would bu the "ullekle," but be hoped it would add to
the "weak." which would return his friend Mr.
Powell member for the borough of Weymouth and
Melsombe Regis—(•Pldeder). lilt bad boon his good
fortune and privilege to have been here • fortnight ago,
when lint Mr. Powell kindly asked him to some, and
when he intended to come, he should have enlarged at
the time, as Mr. Powell was then a serene., emonio
them, upon the high estimation in which Mr. Powell is
held by those who know him in his prolusion and hi

polities—(anniness). It was his (Mr. Ashley's)
rivue"
, sod Pleasure to be a member of the same circuit as Mr.
Powell, and he could tell them that the honesty of Ms
(Mr. Powell's) character, him great ability, his peculiar
candour, hid uprightness, and his genial conduct, Ism
given him • name on the circuit which had never been
=1::: aa (cheers). Further than that, he win •
dto bear testimony to Mr. Powell's conduct In
polities, hems.. he (Mr. Ashley) was private secretary
to the Prime Minister and Leader of Home of Commons
at the time Lord Palmerston was in power, and when
Mr. Powell was member for Gloucester; and he knew
that than Mr. Powell bad the reputation of being a
sound, consistent, and honourable Liberal
(applause). He would not enlarge further than he had
done now on Mr. Powell'. personal character, as he
should have done had he come to Weymouth ember,
for if they had the perspicacity he (Mr. Ashler) gave
them credit lor, they had by this time found out Mr.
Powell's nterits-(appLuise). Then came the question
What were the politieal tenets of Mr. Powell to-day?
was he sound on the great question of the
day the Irish Church ? He (Mr. Ashley)
believed that he was sound—cheer,), The hon.
gentleman then urged the importance at this election
of Liberals not only voting but working to secure the
return of Liberals to Parliament, for, be said, it was no
exaggeration to my this was the turning point in the
history of this oountry • (applause). After all, what
did it come to?—(a Voice, " snuff 1" and laughter).
No, it did not °ems to " snuff ;" snuff came from Scot-
land, and this was an Irish question—(laughter and
cheers)--and if they were convinced, as be was, eller
mush thought, that the increase of strength to this
country by the removal of Irish disaffection would
be worth • fleet of ironclad' and twenty revelments of
Guards—if they agreed with him that the present was a
crisis demanding the utmost attention—the question
was this: would they support Mr. Gladstone in taking
what be had told them—end they were bound to give
the right hon. gentleman credit for far-seeing judgment
and the utmost sincerity—was the first step towards
imbuing the Irish people with the conviction that for
the future we intended treating them as fellow citisens
with ourselves—(eh): It it were asked, do you
suppose you are going to content Ireland by disestab-
lishmg the Irish Church? heat once said no ; but, as
Mr. Powell had just put it, that was the first step
without which all others were useleas—(applause). He
wield cot walk to the end of that room with one step,
but unless he took the 0110 anit step it WY 110 use his
talking about the others—(applause). He observed that
If they looked around England at the present time they
WOUi4 find that • unuiniteteable majority was going to
declare for Mr. Gladstone, and he said that those who
liked to be on the winning side would do well to note the
feet To the electors present he said If they believed
that Mr. Gledstone's policy was the right policy, let
them use their best exertions to give him the support
of two Liberal members from Weymouth—(cheers)—
bemuse it was one thing to have a majoritysind another
to have • working majority—Omar, hear). Mr.
Gladstone had • great task before him—he had to deal
with • matter complicated by prejudices and vested
interests as many as their are sands en the sea shore,
and to pass • measure which shall effect the purpose
designed, and last!our generation, it was neocunry that
Mr. Gladstone should have such a majority as would
overcome all opposition —(applause). lie stood before
them, advocating the disestablishment of the Irish
church, as an ardent Protestant. Ile had been brought
spin the strictest sect of the.Protertanta. His edusatiin
and his mature convictions had completely grounded
him in the belief that Protestantism was the
only religion for a free country —(applause)—and
the only religion by 'which we may fulfil those
purposes which increasing civilisation demands of us—
(applause). Being so convinced, he bald that the
interesta of Protestantism required the disestablish.
ment of the Irish church. He then pointed out that
the Irish church had not increased Protestantism in
Ireland, that it la regarded by the Melt as
the badge of • conquered race, and that Roman
Catholicism is amociated in their minds with
patriotism, and that professors of the faith of
the church forced upon that country are deemed
renegades and traitors to the Irish nation. He then
referred to the objection that the disestablishing of the
Irish church would injure the church of England. He
did not believe it would, but he thought it was
unworthy of Englishmen, having • sense of their
responsibility to God and their country, to put forward
much • plea. Was it not the curse of Ireland, the
reason why they had rebelled in former years, and were
disaffected now, that they believed we had governed
Ireland with reference to our own interests in England,
and not far their own benefit ?—(applause). To say we
would not remove • great injustice the Irish were
suffering because it would injure us in England. was •
had argument; but, if it were • good one, no one who
valued his country or the good feeling of Ireland would
pot it forward. But, be held it was a bad argument.
What would they say if a man who had got • bad arus
which it was neoesstry to amputate, were to say, " Oh
no,l shan'tletyou do that ; you'll perhaps get into the habit
of cutting, and take off my other aria ?—(laughter
and applause). If he lid that the man might very
sooa be dead altogether Worn the effects of the arm
which ought to have been taken off. And how could it
injure the Church of England to cut off her rotten arm
—the Irish branch of the Established church ?

(ap-Pfau;se-): lle further argued that the principle of
-
established churches could not be injured by abolishing
the Irish church, for it has always been • slur on that
principle. He believed its removal would strengthen
the church of England and also the system of eetablish.
runts. But then the Tories said, Yes, but if we agree
to this, the Irish people will want something else. Of
course they would. The Tories seemed not to under.
stand that a state of health was a state of progreu ; if
• oommunity was in • healthy condition. it was oon-
stantly growing, and the constitution must be adopted
to its growth. Imagine • father saying to his wife—
My dear Belay, There must be somethina done with that
boy of ours; I no sooner take him to • tailor, and
provide him with • suit of clothes to fit him, than the
provoking little beggar begin, to fries., and, as if to
spite me, be goes on growing, until at the end of a
year and • half, I find all his clothes too small for him!
—(laughter). They would think such • man • great
fool and • wrong-feeling fellow. It was the boy's
nature to grow, and he ought to have suits adapted to
his growth, and that was the position in regard to the
Irish church. The Roman Cat!iolio Emancipation Act,
of 30 years ago, had, he contended, effected great good :
the people had grown in influence, knowledge. and
loyalty. That conciliated the upper clareies, and the
diesetahlishment of the Irish church would win the
lower orders—(hear, hear). Ile oonsidi.red it quite
right that the Irish ahould feel the establishment of
that church in the sister isle to be • grievance.
Turning to the broad question at this election
whether they should send up two members to support
Mr. Gladstone, or to support Mr. Disraeli, he said that
the other day • junior member of the Government wan
asked what was Ole policy of the preterit Ministry 1 and
be replied "We have DO policy: Our policy is to oppose
Mr. Gladstone I"—(laughter). He condemned such •
state of things as redwing the Government of this great
emotry to • foot-ball match or • single wicket match.
He agaiin urged the return from Weymouth of two
supporters of Mr. Gladstone. Addressing the electors
on their own conduct, he asked them how they could
think the man .who offered them a bribe could be a
fitting member of Parliament ? Ifs thought there could
be but three motives which led meet to desire seats in
Parliament: that they might write M.P. after their
names. be asked to count, and cat a "dash "; 2, to
promote financial and pecuniary miliaria', turning their
seats in Parliament to their individual advantage; and
3, the desires to serve our country, to improve
the laws under which he and his fellow subjects live,
and to ameliorate the condition ef his fellow men
(applause). He placed Mr. Powell in the latter category.
again spoke in eulogistic terms of his character and
abilities, and concluded by ezpressing • hope that the
electors of Weymouth would do what they could for
Ireland, and send Iwo members to Parliament who would
support Mr. Gladstone's policy.

-
The meeting aimed with a vote of thanks to the
Chairmno, end cheering for Mr. Powell.