The Express.
London, England, 1860-05-03 00:00:00

(Stamped ld. Additional.)

SOCIETY FOR THE LIBERATION OP RELIGION
PROM STATE PATRONAGE AND CONTROL.

The annual meeting of this society, held yester-
day, was commenced with a conference at Radley's Hotel,
et one o'clock.
The chair was taken by W. B. EDIVLIIDS, Esq., the trea-
surer of the society.
The Trumetnum presented his account, which showed
that the subscriptions and donations amounted to
3611. 14e. 9d., the total on that side being 3,7894 75. 2d.
payments amounted to 3,4561. 15e. 6d., and the balance
in hand to 3311. lle. Ild.
The Rev. J. H. RTLAND, of Bradford, moved, and Mr.
COLMAN, of Norwich, seconded the adoption of the report,
the latter speaker expressing his regret that the member
for East Norfolk, after the pledge he had given to support
Sir J. Trelawny's bill, was not in his place at the last
division.

Hr. C. Bern supported the resolution.
& Morley, Dr. Foster, and Hr. Deputy Poetises
Mr. F. &
Mir. H
eBINSON, of Bristol, moved—" That the combed
empresses its admiration of the energy and promptitude dis-
played by_an unprecedented body of petitioners in support.
of the bill for the entire abolition of church rates; sod it
also appreciates the firmer and tact displayed by air
John Tr4s,wny, Bart., M.P., rn peeling the measure
once more through the House of Commons. That
the council, while it deeply repots the absence,
ori the reeding of Os WM, of sixty membe=d'it e
he p'4lll .41166."--44.11-1111Velriliper r
4 time

I-Pd--- ...esseptlio la-
ctourie
second , it, deekrei its deb., _Attica
wither the eoisprostios -dined •by a committee If ''.lS" •
lerdthipe' boon, nor any other whereby fresh ranction will
be given to the employment &coercion for the maietenence
of religion."
The Rev. L Dom seconded the resolution.
Mr. WEITINtItaT trusted that there would be more than
ever correspondence between constituencies and their mem-
ber y so as to prevent a deeertion on a future occesion.
Mr. liti.xx said he bad been extremely gratified and sup-
ritdby the tom of the council on what some considered
the recent disaster but which be considered to be no
disaster whatever. (Hear, hear.) Although he would
have preferred to have had the bill read a third time by a
majority of 73, and should have needed the event in in.
dicative of the pinyon and the power of the Libeeetion.
Society, be could say that the unexpected diminetiOn el
that majority had done nothing to dishearten or to dinner
his own mind upon the subject. They had taken up Ilis
subject of church rates, not on amount of its intrimie be.
portauce, but simply as an instrument for the furtherance
of that great object- which they all professed to have in view]
when they instituted that amociation. (Hear.) There could be
no question that, had they carried, triumphantly, the &bolt--
non of the rate, they wotid have been placed for some.time
to oome in • position of considerable embarrassment
as to the beat mode in which they could carry on
their movement. (Hear, hear.) With regard to the aboli-
tion of church rates, it was extremely desirable; simply be-
cause it would take the discussion of a greet question out of
the atmosphere of personal and social animosity, and put
it into a higher sphere, where it might be mdmlrdebated:
Bat, inasmuch as the clergy of the eetablishmeetpreferred
to diocese the principle at • Mate-church upon-the narrow
basis of church Way they could have no possible objettion
to such a decision. (Hear, hear.) From the first they had
always felt that it bad given to them a very strong ground
with those who could not be brought to take an interest, in
the abstract question, and it would be difficult to select i
question upon which more adVlDtolooll2ly to reason out
their principles. The recent decision would prove' to, be
a great advantage if it • sent them back to a mon
searching, studious,' religions, and prayerful
•of, and confidence in their first. prineiplee (CheeraTt
they had one reason more paramount and peening than
another for their action, it was this, that they belieVid;
fron.itheir knowledge and appreciation of the spirit, aims end
genius of Chri, that the introduction of the element
of civil sid4 ebanityricel kws into the maaagernent of the Wiwi
cif the rif Christ, is greatly detrimental to the in-
tweets and, eansequendy, in a large degree
dew illehnkvis en us, or both, to the souls al men.
En me every reason or anticipating advantage rather than
Wiry to their cause from having the subject debated before
the esetnity an its breaded grounds. (Hear, hear.) He
felt quite sure that their cause, if not immediately
triumphant, would be, like the path of the just, shining
same and more unto the perfect day. (Cheers.)
1 • The resolution was unanimously ado, as were after-
wards others on Mr. Dillwyn's School on the Bible
mcsopoly, and on the bid, taking the el ltin; •
The Ceuference then rned.

The annual *oink of this society was held last evening at
the Whittington Club. Mr. W. E. Balm, M.P., preeided ;
and on the platform were Messrs. A. Pellatt, Misll, Ed-
wards, W. gains (Leicester), E. B. Robinson (Bristol),
Cripps (Leicester), Brown (Houghton), Goddard (Ipswich),
. . .

011IVILL Wl:Limns the secretary) then proceeded
to report the proceedings of the executive during the past
Mr. Mr. COLIDIAN, of Norwich, moved a resolution—" That
this rafting re)oioee at the evidence afforded during the
part year of the extent to which public opinion has been
influenced by the exertions of the society, and of the grow-
ing confidence reposed in it by the friends of voluntaryi.in
throughout the connta7 ; while it congratulates the execu-
tive committee en the unabated vigour of their operations,
notwithstanding the unprecedented opposition they have
had to encounter." .

The Rev. H. HINTON, in supporting the resolution, said
he did not care a straw for the diminished majority on the
third reading of the Anti-Church Rate Bill. The matter
reined not with noble lords and hon. members. The battle
of the church rates must be fought in the parishes. It had
been won there partly, and it would be won there entirely
in the end, whether it was won beforehand in the houses of
parliament or not.
The Rev. Me Holm; who also spoke in support of the
resolution, held that the society was religious in its princi-
ple, its object and its bane, and though it was forced into
the region of politics they had taken up the question on
pure.", Christian grounds. It was on those grounds that he
=i• state church. There was a close connexion, he
t, between civil and religions liberty. They wanted to
take nothing from the establishment, but they did not
want that church to take anything from them. What they
contended for was perfect freedom for all sects, and that
those who did not belong to the church establishment
should not be taxed for its support. He trusted that the
clause in the Census Bill which required every person to
make • return of what religion or what religious sect he
or she belonged to would be determinedly opposed, and that
so inquisitorial a proposition would be made emus' .
The CII,IIMILIN stated that the subject of the Census
I clause had been considered by the council of the association
that morning, and a comae of action resolved upon in re-
ference to it. But he could assure the meeting that it had
not been lost eight of by the dissenting and liberal mem-
bers of parliament, and representations bad been made to
the Home Secretary on the subject by a deputation, headed
by Mr. Bright. It was obvious the proposal had emanated
from certain friends of the church, whose object evidently
was to put down in the returns those es members of the
established church who were of no religion at all. The dis-
senting members of the House of Commons were deter-
mined to offer to the clause the most strenuous opposition.
The resolution was then put and carried.
Mr. CONRAN, of Bristol, moved— " That, while en-
couraged by the advanced position of the movement con-
ducted.l.7 the society the meeting has • deep sense of the
i responsibility now cast upon its executive
committee, and of the necessity for affording to them
on all occasions faithful, energetic, and liberal support ?'
and expressed his full confidenee in the speedy success of
the volantary principle in religion generally, which he be-
lieved would be supported ere long by a very large party in
the established church.
Swarez supported the motion, which was put and
carried.
Mr. E Mum., who was loudly and repeatedly cheered,
next addressed the meeting. He called attention to the
different feeling with which the association was looked upon
sowtythe public as compared with that in which they re-
it 18 years ago when it was first established. They
Cirbeen told that measures of religious liberty were not to
be decided upon their own merits in that house in which
Lord Derby sat, if such measures emanated from the
Liberation society. Well, that might be a phase of the con-
test through which they had to pass. They were told they
did not know when they were beaten. That was true, for
vital and true principles could not die. Everything was
working for them. They had heard of the coming ceases ; why
the increase of the population was working for them. It was
obvious that the principles of the state church could not be
extended. What, then, was to become of the increasing
population' They could only be supplied in-
struction by the voluntary. principle. Why that principle
was now in full operation In the church itself, which was
obliged to resort to ft to supply the wants of those large
MAWS of the population which in all our large towns were
congregated in belie just outside the limits of the endowed
parishes. Did they suppose they could confine that pin-
ciple permanently to those belts? He did not reprd the
majority of nine on Sir John Trehiwny's, bill as a falling
off, considering the altered state of partly@ in the present
House of Commoma. Then it should be borne in
mind, that the other side, though brought to
the lobby by the most complete and systansatio
"whip," which the friends of the bill had no
machinery for carrying out, numbered ten less than on the
previous occasion—(hear, bead—sad that, too, when the
I battle was accepted by the conservatives as • question of an
establishment or no establishment. But the friends of
voluntaryism did not attenall look at the ehurch-rate question
as all important. They only cared about it as • part of the
far larger principle of • full and entire separation of church
and stets. It was that for which they contended, and upon
that they would swept no compromise. Church rates, so
far frees .ajuring them MUM, assisted it, and as loug es they

ET WOPENCE.

oontinued tbey would becomes mosteffective meansd operat-
ing upon the largm question. In conclusion, he moved a vote
of thanks to the chairman, whom he highly eulogised for
his conduct in parliament, and generally for his consistent
and steady adherence to liberal principles, both in religion
and politics.
lir. EDWARDS seconded the motion, which having been
carried,

.SO CHlalltAll briefly acknowledged it, and the proceed-
ings were than brought to a eunclusioe.

ROYAL HUMANE SOCIETY,

The eighty-sixth anniversary of the above
valuable inrtitution was celebrated yesterday evening by
dinner at the Freemasons' Tavern, under the presidency of
his grace the Duke of ARGYLL, supported by Sir Benjamin.
Hawes ; Benjamin Hawes, Esq. ; Hawes,
Esq., and J. Walter, Req., M.P. ; J. C. Macdonald, Fie. ;
Major Frazer alth Hussasa), Dr. figammon, Rev. Dr
Irons, T. Page, Esq, C.E. ; J. Wyld, Fag., M.P. ;
11`Cann, Sir Wm. Fraser, Bart. ;
_Dr. Christian, Sir F.
Heygate, Bart. ; Hon. S. Smyth, M.P.he. hc. Amongst
the company were several recipients of the society's medal,
including • midshipman in the Royal Navy (Mr. White.
head), &private in the Irish constabulary (Peter Quigley),
one or two tailors, he.
The CHAIRMAN, kering given the eastmeary toasts with
great felicity, gme " The Home of Omensimr far 'which
Mr. Waxen' returned thanks, satimmosed "The
eandlensai, sad
proceeded to on the otheategss °lnn society. One
of the brightait features of modern dellhatire, he said,
was the abstract regard for henna life talkie* was wholly
unknown to the snments. To an ancient Roman the fife of
a friend or relative might be deer, bat it ties in
modem England that that regard for human life
was formed which induced heroic individuals to plunge
into the most imminent danger to save even the life of a
poor lunatic. His grace here repeated the story which has
appeared in the papers of the poor woman in the Welsh
lunatic asylum internetiag the whole Meiners of a race.
course by her frantic cries for her hothead, whom she re-
=nised.adslz4 • crowd no the opposite side of • river,
pled in in the kme of joining him. An
utter *nudger plunged in, and savedlier amid the cheese
of surrounding thousands. Even shi icicle4oe meal
appalling way in which life could be yod the
mast heroic efforts, and the romance of also—.
which was probably the acme of healthy pluskral tram*
I —afforded Menaces of persons who were ahrsysfounefreetly
to plunge tato the battle with death, in the hope
of raviag-hereran life. His grace then proceeded to cos.
reunions Menem for which means were to be given on
the presenteceinom Moss, • boatman, -had on the 19th
of Deoember,-1868caaved • shipmate off Dungene4; Cap-
tain Moore,
_R.I7:, had on the tith cf Jane saved the life
of.ii min lash lad 'attempted suicide in the Serpentine ;
Captain Stirling had in the East Indies attempted to save a
native, and was libriaelf saved by Lieut. F. Law. On the
30th of,.May, 1869, Private Buckley 24th Regiment, was
saved in the River Don by Ensign R. H. B. Airey. On the
'9th of June, 1869, J. E Gilson, En., lathe= Light In.
&ritzy,. was saved by °Wpm T. W. Woodall, of the same
regiment. At the tattle of the Baran, Feet
Indies,.Major Fyiseer fiend several of his tom.
Juan by Plunging into •• rapid Aver der the fire of
the enemy, and on the 14th Musa. Itiaireanstable Peter
tgidery saved John,Hunt; in Mt ;
cep
17th February,
.1910;10. Henan land the' eff bit bailer, who had
fallen into • reenvoir. • In. On: pliant eat Mr. Hiypte
.wairenctraided by the mange aad presence of mind of
11111.4.- • • •
Weer Prate, Peter Wen, Mr. Whitehead, R.N., a
youth of 17 Mr. Heypte„ and ens or two others, received
theft medals in . person, • and mule appropriate saner.
In the other eases the medal' were delivered
• to. who bed been deputed to receive them. .
. Duke of AMHYLL gave "The health of the treasurer,
Benjamin HAMS,: E 89., a gentleman in his 91st year,
and who an tbe evening attended the 714 anniversary of
the charity." This toast, and the interesting announcement
by which it was Moompanied, was received with the loudest
cming by the company.
Sir BMILIAILIN HAWN returned thanks for the Vice-Pre-
sidents ; and one or two other etude having been given the
party broke up. The subscriptions amounted to 2,0001.
A musket party, under the direction of Mr. Land, end
comprising Mesas Wells, Mews. Lawler, Baxter; and
Cumming, sang a selection of appropriate music during the
evening.
• . v •