The Press.
London, England, 1858-05-15 00:00:00

U

did not anticipate that the hints thrown out by

the Earl of DERBY would be so readily taken up ;
and a great step has been gained in the Roman
Catholics changing their tone, and showing a dis-
position to come to some arrangement. Here-
tofore, the tone taken on Mr. SPOONER'S motion
by the Roman Catholics was to insist upon May-
nooth as an Imperial Institution resulting from
the Union with Ireland. They argued that it
was erected in order to influence the minds of the
Roman Catholics of Ireland towards the question
of a Union, and they talked of "breach of faith ;"
and many Protestants, it cannot be denied, were
influenced by that line of argument. But they
omitted the important fact that the policy of the
Roman Catholic Church had entirely changed
since the time when the Romanists of Ireland
were suppliants for admission within the Consti-
tution. Before the Union, and for many years
subsequently, the Bishops of the Irish Roman
Catholic Church were ready to allow the Crown to

have a voice in their nomination. But they
receded from that Liberal ground ; they obtained
" Unqualified Emancipation" without any se-
curities ; they entered on an Ultramontane
➢olisy, and Cardinal WISEMAN made his ag-
11Pailbo. It was no wonder that the Protestant
`fbeling rose to flood-height under such extraor-
dinary circumstances, for " the breach of faith "
in this case was clearly not on the part of England,
• but of Rome !

In the meantime, Mr. SPOONER'S motion has
been, year after year, supported by large num-
bers; on one occasion it was carried. And the

policy of Sir ROBERT PEEL has proved to be a

failure, because the endowing of Maynooth has
not prevented the question from being brought

onward again and again. It cannot, therefore,
be a wonder that the Romanists now wish to come
to terms, and are ready to treat. They see that
their Church derives increased odium from these
repeated annual discussions, and they think, for
the sake of peace and quietness, that a sum of
money paid down would be better for them than
this annual grant, with its privilege of becoming
(pro tanto) an institution of the State. The
Tablet of last week thinks "it would be best if
" Maynooth were oommuted for a fixed sum—
' say 800,0001." It is a great point in the settle-
ment of this question to have obtained this ad-
mission. The amount of the commutation is
mere matter of business detail ; and we do not
forget that it is not a subject of money, but ram-
CIPLE. The Tablet says that 200,0001. for each of
the four provinces of Ireland would enable the
Roman Catholic Episcopate to provide for the
education of the priesthood of the Irish Roman
Catholic persuasion. The circumstance of the
Tablet having panned to consider the proposal of
commutation, and then pronounced in its favour,
is of additional significance.

It is most remarkable that, by the plan of a
pecuniary commutation, all parties would be
gainers. In a religious and national point of
view, the State would be immensely a gainer if it
could get rid of the enormous responsibility of
teaching doctrines diametrically opposed to scrip-
tural religion, and of maintaining a nursery for
missionaries against the Established Church.
Supposing that the grant were to be continued,
in that event it is clear that, on mere economical
grounds, the State could not lose by a commuta-
tion, if fairly and equitably assessed. And the
Irish Roman Catholics would, also, be social
gainers by the cessation of what is called the
Maynooth Question."
The flippant remarks of the Dublin corre-
spondent of the (imps about " the wild crusade
of Mr. SPOONT.R" are scarcely worthy of
notice. That is no " wild crusade" which has
gained votes year after year since 1829—first by

THE PRESS, MAY 15, 1858.

units, then by tens, next by scores, and at last by
hundreds. 'the " Maynooth Question" has ad-
vanced year after year, and always pari passe
with the steadily rising Intramontanism of the
Church of Rome. Lord DERBY was in the Ca-
binet when Sir R. PEEL increased the endow-
ment, but Sir R. Plum died before Cardinal
WISEMAN threw off the mask, and the tone of
Lord DERBY 18 very different from what it was
at the period of the " endowment." It was then
brought forward as a "message of peace." Did
it put down "Conciliation-hall," or " Young
Ireland," or " The Treason Clubs"? No, it was
the law of the land, tardily executed, that at last
put them down. There never can be political
"peace" or religious comfort on this subject
until the State is freed from the extraordinary
incongruity of a Roman Catholic college placed
by the side of the Established Church.
We rejoice, therefore, that there is progress
makingon the question. The Roman Catholics no
longer take a fixed stand upon prescription, but
appear inclined for a commutation. In England
there are niany who are favourable to paying a
fixed sum to get rid of Maynooth at once and for
ever, even while they think that there is no strict
legal ground of right to enforce any claim tbr
commutation. There is a precedent on this
subject worthy of notice. The British people
never established slavery, and they were not
bound to pay the West India proprietors ; yet
the nation acceded to the proposal for giving
twenty millions of money to them in 1833.
Numbers subscribe large sums for the conversion
of the heathen and the propagation of the Gospel
in distant regions; and we believe that there are
amongst them several who would have no objec-
tion to a grant of money being given for the
purpose of dissociating the State from Maynooth.
nProtestant quarters, and amongst those con-
sistently interested in this great question, the
idea of buying up the interest of the Roman
Catholics in the grant is certainly making way
and attracting much notice ; and upon an early
occasion we shall illustrate other phases of this
most important subject.

" churches are the equal inheritance of all the pa.
" rishioners." Now, in London we frequently find
one parish of 12,000 people immediately adjoining
another parish of 20,000. And if it happens that
the Incumbent of the 12,000 is young and
vigorous and an effective preacher, while his
neighbour is aged and only heard with difficulty,
it is certain that many of the parishioners of the
latter will stray into the church of the former;
and no parish officer can pretend to any personal
acquaintance with 32,000 people. The argument,
therefore, which rests upon the right of "the
parishioners" to seats in their own church, breaks
down. The people who will come and take seats
may belong to three or four adjoining parishes.
and their supposed " rights " may be non-
existent.

Having thus pointed out two or three points in
which the Committee's theory cannot be applied,
let us now indicate our own views on the question.
And first of all, we say that we are opposed to all
systematic
buttic w edistinctionsarenot between:pposed to a
theriedihstainndetitohne
poor
between the congregation and strangers.
In every parish-church in London and the
large towns there will always be found some who
are more or less strangers. Some of these will be
absolutely unknown—they are stragglers who
have wandered in accidentally. Others, who may
be known, may still be non-parishioners, and
probably non-communicants also. Now, none of
these should be shut out ; but we cannot admit
their " right to take any place that may be
vacant." Provision ought to be made for them,
in such a way as not to encroach on the rights of
the proper congregation of the place.
We were much pleased with the arrangement
which we found in use, a few years ago, at the
noble church of Boston in Lincolnshire. The
whole " middle aisle," as it is absurdly called,
was free; the side aisles were appropriated to the
families of the town. All the seats—or pews
without doors—were alike : there was no supe-
riority of one over another, and the seats in the
" middle aisle" were, in their position, obviously
preferable to those in the sides. Hence it was
easy to make this arrangement :—" The seats in
the middle aisle may be taken by all comers,
and the earlier the attendance, the better choice
of a good seat. The seats in the side aisles are
appropriated to families, who are thus freed
from the necessity of a scramble for seats, and
can enter quietly, at five minutes before eleven
o'clock, and take their accustomed places."
Some such arrangement as this we should like
to see everywhere adopted. In London, almost
every church has its gallery; and as we cannot
afford to give up 30,000 or 40,000 gallery-sittings,
we must keep them still in use. But we should
like to appropriate the galleries, everywhere, to
strangers, and to reseat the whole floor with com-
ftrrtable open seats, admitting to that part of the
church only the known congregation. The par-
ticular seats used by this or that family might
then be arranged among themselves, without 20P
test or legal claim. The poor as well as the rich
members should be provided fir; but it would
be found that the former would not wish to be
brought into the foreground.

Such a reform as this might be accomplished
in many London churches by an expenditure of
1,0001. And we believe that when it had been
effected in one or two instances, the happy effect
would strike Churchmen generally, and similar
changes would everywhere take place.

We feel so deep an interest in this matter, that
we regard it as vastly more important than the
" special services" which are now so popular, and
command so much attention. We earnestly wish
that the " General Committee" would turn its
attention to the raising a sum—say of 1,0001. or
2,oool.—and to the reform of some existing
church in a prominent position; so that example
might be taken from it, and an extensive improve-
ment take place.
We feel certain that this, the most needed of
all " Church Reforms," has only to be com-
menced in earnest, and on a good system,
to command universal assent. But it must be
commenced by money, and actual work. Me !'e
talk, and discussion, and pamphleteering, !ill
not much advance it. Let those who feel in-
terested in it apply themselves to raise funds, and
to give a fair exemplification of their views, and
we feel no doubt of their rapid success.