The Express.
London, England, 1851-03-25 00:00:00

thank the noble lord (Lord Johii

the name he was , Ito
Russell) for having appointed to the office a clergyman who
so much honoured his calling—well did Dr. Elliott say at a
large meeting at Bristol, where the laity and clergy of all
denominations were mingled, that it was the duty of the
laity to stand firm, and see that clergymen did their duty,
adding the memorable ezpression—memorable as falling
from the lips of a beneficed clergyman: " Let the clergy of
all denominations understand that they are nut the lords of
God's heritage." (Hear.) This was not a time for false de-
licacy, and he must declare his belief that in this matter the
Bishop of Bristol and Gloucester was sum saspieione expeis,
and the Bishop of London rum omni saspirione major. The
Bishop of London had stated that while the rubric was in
its present state, he could not keep his clergy from error.
This was a time, therefore, when the noble lord should act
up to the spirit of his letter and give the country a salutary
reform. In conclusion, he would observe that over
the Speaker's chair he mile emblazoned on the arms of
England a golden legend, to which they would do well to
pay attention, " Dieu et sites droll," and he must say that
that was a moment when it became them to respond to the
appeal, to stand by the Queen in the name of God :red her
right. (Hear, hear.)
Sir J. YOUNG could not hut look upon this measure as
one which would have the effect of irritation. Even in its un-
mutilated state it would scarcely have been an addition to the
existing safeguards. It would open a breach instead of
proving a pillar of strength, and lead to fresh and still more
irritating legislation in exhaustless succession. It was
not by measures of restriction, or by penal laws, but
by the cultivation of those arts and the strengthening of
those institutions which had been favourable to the rights
of conscience, that they should endeavour to meet papal
aggression. Protestantism was based upon free discussion,
and with that the reformed religion would be safe. The
other night the noble lord (Lord J. Russell) passed a high
encomium on Sir James Mackintosh, an author with whom
as an historian he (Sir J. Young) did not happen to be ac-
quainted, though he had some knowledge of his other works.
Sir James Mackintosh said that the (cars of revolution be-
coming universal, the catholic monarchs saw that an alli-
ance was necessary, and believed that two religions in a
state were as incompatible as two governments. They saw
that recent attempts to overthrow the domination of priests
might end in the overthrow of kings. But surely that fal-
lacy had been long exploded ; and it had been found that
two religions might flourish side by side with the most per-
fect safety to the state. (Hear, hear.) He (Sir J. Young)
had no fear that those who were attached by principle and
education to the protestant church would be converted by
any insidious attempts at proselytism. Many gentlemen
had referred to the state of foreign countries as a reason for
passing this bill ; but, if they wanted to draw
. .
- should back to the state of those

fair'analogy, they go
countries at the period of the reformation. In Spain
before Philip could tread out the last embers of the refor-
mation, he was obliged to take the charters from the cor-
porated towns. In Italy also, in the republics, a great la-
titude of religious opinions prevailed. In Holland, with
free institutions, the liberty of conscience was complete. In
England the reformation was established, but not perfect
toleration. What was the lesson to be drawn from this?
Surely, that wherever there were free institutions, the
rights of conscience were respected, and there the reforma-
tion had least to fear. Laws like that proposed by the noble
lord were perfect libels on free institutions. It was on
these grounds he rested his opposition. Ile believed that
the state, in taking this measure in hand, was going be-
yond its province, and that all the state could properly do
for religion was to maintain, in dignity and respect, as
established church, giving to all dissenters the most full
and complete toleration. He believed that ouch a COllOlll
was essential to the safety of the established church, and
was also the one most in accordance with its doctrine.
(Hear, hear.) At an early period in the debate the noble
lord had said that if the party Against whom he legislated
did not recede, we were only at the commencement
of a long and arduous struggle. Ile (Sir John
Young) did not know whether the modifications
which the bill had undergone would induce them to do so,
he hoped it would, because he believed that nothing could
be more dangerous to the country than the continuance of
the present agitation. But this he would say, to those upon
whom the chief weight of this struggle would fall, let them
weigh well the consequences. He maintained that the heat
of the struggle would fall on the protestants of Ireland.
(Hear, hear.) In England, where the vast majority were
protestants, the struggle might be light; but in Ireland the
case was different ; and let the protestant, there, from their
experience of the past, reckon uo what might be the conse-
quences in future. Let them remember the struggle
which they had maintained for a century and a half
against the Roman catholics of Ireland, in which ever
power of the state was put in motion, and the result was
patent to the world. It was true that a few great families,
with their sycophants and adherents, divided the plunder
of the land, but the middle and lower classes of protestant,
were neglecter), and their manufactures were annihilated.
(Hear.) The venal and sectarian parliament of Ireland,
while keeping up a party cry, connived at measures which
in the end ruined the country. How had the protestant church
itself fared in Ireland? When protestant intendancy was
at its height, when bishops were amassing fortunes, and
rectors were living pleasantly at English watering plac'es,
it was thought such things might last for ever; but since
that time the protestant church had passed through a period
of great suffering. If the church had been then as spiritual
mad energetic as now, the result might have been different,
bat in that struggle the protestants came out at the end less
is numbers than at the commencement ; their church was
despoiled of half its property, and the injury was com-
=by the destruction of ten bishoprics. Such having
the result of one struggle, he warued the protestants
of Ireland to pause before they entered into another. (Hear,
hear.) Let them not be misled by any notion of temporary
triumph, or depend on allies who had repeatedly deserted
I them. He believed the measure before the house to have
bees proposed in perfect good faith and sincerity, but he
opposed it as a violence done to that perfect toleration,
which in his conscience he believed would do more for the
cause of real religion and the spread of spiritual truth than
all the defences that alarm could suggest, or all the safe-
guards which a strong, but unguided, enthusiasm could ori-
ginate. (Cheers.)
Mr. H. GRATTAN said that the agitation which was
just commencing was not a struggle, as it had been called
by the hon. member for Cavan, but • war in disguise.