The Express.
London, England, 1868-04-23 00:00:00

AT THE KETROPOLITAN

GREAT MEETING

TABERNACLE.
Lest night a meeting, describod by Mr. Bright,
M.P., its chairman, as beyond comparison the grandest
public end political gathering be had ever attended in any
building, was held in the Metropolitan Tabernacle, lent by
Mr. Spurgeon for the purpose. Long before the commence-
ment of the proceedings the vast area, the galleries, the
passage, and the platform were filled, and by the time
the chairman made his way to the rostrum there was no
standing room. 'lt was calculated that there were nearly
7,000 present, and at least 1,000, unable to wedge them-
selves in, congregated outside for nearly an hour.
The meeting was one of the series being pro-
moted by the National Reform Union, and
its ostensible purpose was a lecture by Mr. Mason Jones.
The proceviinge, however, took the actual form of an
ordinary public meeting, and beyond • few unmeaning in-
terruptions by one person who sat near the platform, were
empheically unanimous. Admission was by ticket, but
the tickets were issue! to all respectable applicants with-
out any restriction. The scene presented by the beautiful
building, with its clusters of lampligbts, and its bold
sweeping floors and galleries occupied with enthusiastic
hearers, was singularly impressive, especially when the
entire audience rose and made the roof ring again with
their welcome to the distinguished chairman.
Kr. BRIGHT whose rising was the signal for another
outburst of cheering, and then a sudden silence, said, in
the course of his address—When the Irish episco-
palian church is free, when they have held their
convention and organised themselves as a flee
church, those who live will find within the next
twenty years that they will do things which neither they
nor their fathers have dreamt of, and 20 years hence I
believe there will not be found one man in a hundred in
omusexioa with the episcopal church in Ireland who would
wish again to bring it under the bondage of the state.
(Cheers.) I know not bow many thousands of persons
may be aasembled in this wonderful building, but I believe
we are a Gel: representation of the opinions f the two or
three millions of persons of this metropolis, and that we
arc a fair represenmtion, too, of the vast majority of our
countrymen throughout the United Kingdom. We have
come to the conclusion at last, that we will settle a ques-
tion which, during all our time, and for a long period
before, bas been the great disgrace of English statesman-
ship, and not only of English statesmanship, but of our
national character, for it would be impossible to discuss
Englieli home politics withenlightaned men in any civilised
and Christian county in the world where an English-
man would not be put on his defence if the
question of the Irish church was raised in that discussion.
I said that the establishment in Ireland had had the effect
of enfeebling the nation, and it has had to a certain extent
exactly the same induence that wouldhave been produced if
we Lad had perpetually a civil war within the kingdom,
and there is no doubt that for a long time past (I am not
sure that it has not been for 500 years) in case of any
struggle between this nation and any European or Amen-
can power, we should have found the sympathies of •
very large portion of the people of Ireland rather with
that foreign power than with their own government.
Let us then to-night, following the example of many
other great assemblies of the people, and ourselves giving
an example to other great assemblies which shall be held,
swell the general cry which is now being raised in every
part of the country. Let us help once for all to establish
sound and just principles in the government of the Irish
nation ; let us ask them to juin with us, and let us join
heartily with them, in a policy which they shall feel and
acknowledge to be just. We shall by that means relieve
our country from a peat reproach, and I think we shall
do something to add fresh lustre to the reign of the Qum ;
and possibly, if we are not very tender in our proceedings,
and careful what we are doing, we may find ourselves
helping speedily to overthrow what I believe will turn
oat to be the most inglorious administration—(vociferous
cheering)-1 may what may turn out to be, I fear,
the mast inglorious administration in the modern annals of
our country. tßenewed cheers.) I need not tell this
audience that in my parliamentary life I have not been
much actuated by what are called party feelings, nor have
I striven for what are called party triumphs. I have had
before my eye always some great measure which seemed
to me attainable, and for that measure I have laboured.
(Metre.) But when I see an administration like the
present, which denies that it hes any great duty towards
Ireland—which has no majority in the House of Commons,
and still less anything approaching • majority in the
country—(cheers) —which admits that it has no policy upon
that which Lord Stanley declares to be the great question
of the hour—(faughter)— then I say, it is the duty of
every great assembly like this, of a wise majority in par-
liament, and of every honest representative of the people,
as soon as be can, to put an end to that administration.
(Loud and prolonged cheering.)
A letter from Mr. Spurgeon was read by his brother, the
Rev. J. A. Spurgeon, apolocrieing for his absence in conse-
quence of • sharp attack of rheumatic gout, acd expressing
his sorrow thereat, because he would have advocated the
disestablishment and disendowinent of the Irish church.

An address was then delivered by Mr. Meson Jonas, and
a motion was submitted in support of Mr. Gladstlse's
resolutions, and adopting a petition, to be signed by the
chairman, and presented by him to parlisnent. Mr.
Fawcett, M.P., the inv. J. A. Spurgeon, and Mr. T. B.
Potter, ILP., were amongst the subsequent speakers. In
reply to a vote of thanks,
Mr. BRIGHT said--If I felt any reluctance when I was
asked to come to this meeting I may freely say that
I am a thousand times over repaid for any
mall sacrifice of time or labour or convenienoe
that it has entailed upon me. There is one thing
I could wish, though I am like many other persons
wishing for that which is impossible. If the people of
Ireland, who are looking to the imperial parliament for any
measure of justice, and who are anxious to retain their
connection with the imperial government, by any poem.
Misty could have been permitted to look n upon this
assembly, to listen to the speeches that have been deli-
vered here, to have witnessed your enthusiasm, sad to
have sees how you received with hearty accept- I
sate every proposition to do Justin to their
country, then the mind of that people would have I
been at ease prepared for the great ohmage which we are
endeavouring to being about by discussions like this to-
night, and by deliberations and votes in the House of
Common. But they cannot see this audience, although
they may read some report of what has been done here.
I hops I nal on the part of this megni6 cent assembly
tender the right hand of kindness sad fellowship and
generosity sad justice to the whole Irish people, sad in
the name of all lovers of justice who at this moment are
inhabitants of Great Britain. (Loud aliens) I **A yea
heartily for oury kind reception, and I mu* adult lira
this is beyond comparison the grandest publicsed poiMised
meeting that I have ever attended and spoken as Is Alm
building in this country. Whom)
The meeting the terminated.

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....La
alm., ia support of Mr. Grles • is
the Irish church, was UM IA Tuesday *ln . me,_.__
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