The Express.
London, England, 1853-12-08 00:00:00

THE EXPRESS, THURSDAY EVENING, DECEMBER 8, 1853

THE RIGHT OF DISTRIBUTING RELI-
GIOUS HANDBILLS.

DEPUTATION TO LORD PALMERSTON.
On Tuesday last, a deputation from the committee
of the Society for Irish Church Missions to the Konen
Catholics, waited by appointment upon the Right It-n.
Viscount Palmerston, her Mujesty's Secretary of State for
the Home Department, for the purpo•e of making certain
representations respecting a recent decision of a Dublin
mafistrate.
The members of the deputation were Viscount Lifford,
General Sir Peregrine Maitland, 0.C.8., Hon. A. Kin-
mint, M.P., Admiral Hope, C. 8., Colonel Alexander, John
Hackett, Esq., Rev. R. Ilickersteelt, Rev. E. Auriol, Rev.
H. H. Beamed*, Jobs Bridges, Esq., Rev. C. J. Goodhue,
Captain Kelly, Rev. Dr. Armstrong, Rey. Thomas Nolan,
Rev. M. M. Preston, Rev. A. J. Item, and Rev. W.
Mumble.
The memorial was signed by the Duke of Manchester,
president of the society, and tortytfive of the vice-presidents
and members of committee.
The Hon. A. Kfturtatno, M.P., having introduced the de-
putation to his lordship,
' The Rev. R. ISICXERSTETII etated the object of the depu-
tation, and read the following : " Your memorialists humbly
pray that your lordship will institute an ioquirr into the
circumstances which have lately taken place in Dublin in
reference to the decision of Hugh O'Callaghan, EA., the
police magistrate, in the ease of William Smith, for a coo-
struetise assault; arid also into the instructions given by
Colonel Brown, commanding the Metropolitan Police of
Dub:ln, to his inspectors, in the matter of the placards
recently exhibited in front of the office of the Society for
Irish Church Missions to the Roman Catholic., in Rutland-
equate." My lord (Mr. Bickersteth proceeded) William
i Smith is an agent of this society whom we employ in
I Dublin, for the purpose of carrying about haudbills and
placards in the course of the proceedinas which the society
has taken for the reformation of the Roman catholics in
Dublin. He was pursuing his employment as usual, on
the evening of Thursday, the 14th of October list, and in
passing up Sackville-atreet, having delivered copies of this
handbill to some four of five hunured persons, be offered a
bill to a lady who was walking down the street with a gen-
tleman. Nothing was said at the time the handbill was
taken, and no remark was made ; hut about five minutes
afterwards the gentleman with whom she was walking ran
attar Smith, collared him, charged him with haying insulted
him, and said he should take him to the police station. The
men at once said there was no necessity to resort to vio-
lence, and he was perfectly ready to go. He was accord.
ingly taken to the police studios, the charge was made
against him of haying insulted the gentleman (Mr. O'Bren-
imp), and Smith was held to bail to appear on the following
morning before the magistrate. He appeared accordingly,
and the magistrate before whom the case was heard was
Mr. O'Callaghan. Mr. O'Brennan stated the charge,
that Smith had insulted him, and thrust a handbill into
his hand ; and when the case had been heard so far, the
magietrete asked Smith if he had any witnesses to call.
Smith said that he had not, but wished to be heard in
his own defence. Mr. O'Callaghan declined hearing him
say anything in his defence, and required him imme-
diately to enter into recognisencee for his good behaviour
for the time to come, or otherwise he would commit him
for a fortnight. Smith was discharged on paying half-a-
crawn, which was the cost of the whole proceeding. Now,
my lord, we complain of that procedure, because, as it
appears to us, the man was guilty of no crime whatever.
liters was no charge substantiated against hint, at.d yet
he was subjected to punishment, as we think, unjustly.
The bill was perfectly inoffensive. Smith has been em-
ployed in a similar =HUM for three or four years
past, without giving offence to any one, or being
accused of insulting any one, and he declares that
his couduct was perfectly inoffensive; that he merely
offered the handbtil, and that nothing was said calculated
to give offence. With respect to the other case alluded to
in the memorial, namely, the order given by Colonel Brown
to the police to take down our placards, I would simply ob-
serve that we have been in the habit, for several years past,
of exhibiting placards outside the walls of our office, and
that they have never upon any one occasion whatsoever led
to any assembly, or any breach of the peace, or any tett or
kind of tamale ; and we now feel ourselves obstructed in
carrying forward our work through the means of a most
important instrumentality—these handbills and placards—
first, en account at the decision come to in the cam of Wil-
liam Smith ; and. secondly, on account of the order of
Colonel Brown. It is under these circumstances that the
Committee of the Society earnestly entreat your lordship
to inquire into the circumstances connected with thee, two
charges.
Viscount PALMSURTON—What were these placards and
handbills—the announce of them?
The Rev. R. Illeasnexern—They contain questions re-
latiag to poiats in dispute between the Roman Catholics
and the Protestants. I have here an exact copy. This is
one of the handbills. It is an advertisement of a sermon to
be preached in Dublin. This is the part complained of.
(The rev. gentleman here banded a bill to his Lordship ;
it was on .‘ The Supremacy of St. Pater," with qui stions
appended, and quotations from the Roman Catholics'
bible.)
It was not this identical handbill, but it was one precisely
similar.
Viscount PALMERBTON—The question is, whether there
was anything in it that was needlessly offensive ?
The Rev. R. BICKLUSTETII—In ell the proceedings of
this society it is a fundamental rule with us to abstain from
all intemperate hinging., and any kind of conduct that
could be justly regarded as offensive to the Roman esthetics.
Viscount LIFFORD—I can only state that, acting as a
magistrate in Warwickshire, if English magistrates were to
act on the same principles, there would be very great dis-
turbances and complaints, very often placards and
papers are circulated respecting church rates and other
matters, which are a great deal more offensive than any of
these.
The Rev. R. Blcxsassyrn—l think we have distributed
about 44,000 of these handbills monthly, fur two or three
months past, and this is the very first instance in which any
complaint has St4Fel3 in consequence of our so doing. The
man simply offered the handbill to the lady as she was
passing by. He was on the side next her. And it was not
until five minutes afterwards that Mr. o'B:ennui ran after
him.
--
-- - - -

The Hon. A. Kifizstan—lt is what happens every day
in London, as we are walking along the streets.
Vanua% Lizroan—You u can tell what is put into
your hands until afterwards.
Viscount PALMERSTON—Yes, but in London the hand-
bills offer you cheap goods, instead of a creed.
The Hoe. A. KINNAIILD—Bat the principle brought
forward by Lord Lifford, aa to the church-rate, is perfectly
analogina
Viscount Panama/mat—Yes.
The Rev. R. BICIIIIISTZTR-4 should =SWIMS also that
the Roman catholic, are in the habit of doing the same
thiny in Dublin, and the protestants make no complaint.
Viscount PILLMIRSTON-1 think it is absurd to my that
a man distributing things of that son is committing or
likely to commit a breach of the peace. The breach of the
peace is committed by those who may be made angry by it,
and who cannot keep their temper.
Viscount Lirruna—Without driving things to extremity,
it would be a great thing to have such an expression of
opinion as would deter magistrates from talking such an
arbitrary line as we are deterred from taking in England.
I think it would be a great thing to have something of that
as z to give security to the protestants.
VRISNInt PALIIIRSTON—What were the placards that
inn tan down by order of Colonel Brown ?
TM Rev. W. Mennanut.—This is the one in reference
In which Dr. Nugent complained, sad swore that it was
alleasive to him. (A copy of the placard was then handed
to his lordship.) Generally the placards are similar to the
handbills announciat sermons to be preached, and asking
• few questions from the Douai version of the Scriptures.
Viscount LIP7ORD—I think it was an error in judgment
in Mr. O'Brennaa to suppose that such measures can be
taken because bills are offensive to him. We all see bills
which are offensive to us, each, for instance, as those an-
nouncing socialist meetings and aormous.
Viscount PSIAIRRSTOR—Yes.
The lion. A. KINNAIIID—Bat the most important fact
is, that there has
is Dublin in coasequerce of these placards.
The Rev. R. BICKIRSISTR—SimiIar placards have been
affixed to the walls for three yearn past. They n have
led to large assemblies of persons ; there never has bean
the slightest tumult or breach of the peace in any way
whatever. At the same time we think :he circulation of
these handbills and placards has been a most important in-
strumentality in leading to the very great success which
the society has met with amongst the Roman catnoliee
Ireland.
The Rev. W. M/lIIRARLE—And the late government
sanctioned the exhibition of them.
Viscount PALMERSTON (to Mr. Bickentetb)—ln wind
way ? These things may not convince people much by
reading them, but I suppose they are calculated to draw or
nation.
The Rev. R. Broccitsvarn—People passing along the
'met cannot help observing them; and the result is that
they are led to inquire, and are induced to come to the
controversial cleans (of which we have six or seven in Dub-
lin), which are encouraged by the Archbishop of Dublin,
and in which discussions are carried on in a friendly spirit
between protestants and Romanis s.
Viscount PA LVERSTON—I have the memorial.
The Hon. A. KINNAIRD—Yes, the same as that which
has been alien, forwarded to your lordship by the Earl of
Shaftesbury.
Viscount P
Vitcount Unman—The subject is a very important one.
Viscount PALMERSTON was understood to say that he
would inquire iu o it.
The deputation then withdrew, thlnking his 1 .rdship for
the mane., in which he had received them.

Nee.

Fetet Fot. ACCIDENT.-11n msturdity night last
Mr. WeartJar, a respectable former, residing at Sandell,
two miles from D neaster, lest his life in consequence of
the dense tog which prevailed He had returned in I gig
from Donerter market quite sober, sad woe proceeding on
foot to the Sandell lock-house to ascertain that all was
sighs, as be forms the river toil. at this paint, when he
appears to nave missed his way, notwiihstadding he had a
lantern with him, end to have stumbled into the Den and
perished.
BELGA IN DARKNIM.—On Monday evening,
front .T.llllr triet;!!sin. d cause, the whole of this diets Ct wee
suddenly in..nerted in darkness, uwiug to the extinguishing
of the atrret gas lamps.
Tug COAST DEPENCES.—A detachment of Artil-
lery passed 'brooch S •uthanatiton, on their way to Hurst
Caste, at the mlath of the Solent, to increase the Artillery
force there. Scone: Poiat, opposite Hurst Castle, is also to
be strongly fortified.