The Express.
London, England, 1868-04-22 00:00:00

GREAT MEETING AT BIRMINGHAM.

BIRMINGHAM, TUESDAY Byrom, 10.30 p.n.
A meeting, convened by the Mayor, has
held in the Town-hall here to-night, to
the propriety of. petitioning parliament in favour
of Mr. Gladatone's resolutions.
Mr. J. Jarkat, J.P., moved the following
resolution :—" That this meeting, believing that
the maintenance ad the Irish church as an estab-
lishment is unjust to the Irish people, a sodroe bf
disaffection, and therefore an obstacle to the 4-
vancement of the protestant religion, heerto
approves of the resAutions submitted to the Masa
of Commons by Mr. Gladstone for its disestablish-
meat." _
_ _ .

Mr. °Rotas Dswsot seconded the reeolulltn.
Mr. SAMPSON LLOYD then came forward, RAP was
received with deafening uproar. His adcsiren.
in the body of the hall and the galleries did their
best, and the mayor appealed to the gait 6f
fairness of the assembly, but not a word this gen-
tleman said was heard beyond the re
though he spoke fully twenty minutes. Ilep=l:als
the following amendment : ' That while anxious
to carry out any reform calculated to increase the
efficiency of the protestant church in Ireland, this
Testing is opposed to its disestablishment or diaen-

dowment."
Mr. SEBASTIAN EVANS, M.A., seconded the
amendment. All the while he, too, was speaking,
the groans weredeafening, and loudly intermingled
with Kentish fire. At ten minutes before ten
o'clock, when Mr. Evans sat down, the excitement
in the hall had very greatly increased. There
were several other speakers down to address the
meeting, but these were " retired," and the mayor
rose to put the amendment. A very large number
of hands were held up in favour of it, but on a
show being taken the other way, the result was un-
mistakeable. The resolution approving Mr. Glad-
stone's propositon was carried by a very, great
majority—certainly not leas than 3to 1. On this
result the cheering was tremendous, it was unsub-
dued for many minutes.
A petition to parliament, embodying the spirit
of the resolution, was adopted.
Amongst the clergy on the platform against the
disestablishment were the Hon. and Rev. G.
F. Yorke, M.A., Rural Dean; the Rev. Dr. Wil-
kinson, the Rector ; and the Rev. Dr. Burgess.
The Venerable Archdeacon Sandford was with the
supporters of Mr. Gladstone's resolutions.

BELFAST, Tea:spar NIGHT:

A very influential meeting of representative in-
habitants of Belfast and the north of Ireland
was held in the Athens um Club Room this even-
ing, at which some of the principal Presbyterian
and Wesleyan ministers and laymen were present.
Mr. John M. Calder was in the chair. The Rev.
John Dodd, Presbyterian minister, of Newry, pro
posed, and the Rev. John Macnaughton, of Bel-
fast,feeconded the first resolution—

That we are rejoiced to find that the leading statesmen
of the day' have expressed the ouinion that the religious
question in Ireland should be deem with on tne principle
of religious equality, being convinced that thereby the
welfare and peace of Ireland would be promoted.

. _
The Rev. M. D. Leitch, of Armagh, moved, and
the Rev. Mr. Chanoellor, covenanting minister
of Belfast, seconded the second resolution—
That, in accordance with this principle, we cordially
approve of the resolutions proposed by Mr. Gladstone and
sustained by the House of Commons, for the disestablish•
went of the episcopal church in Ireland., _ _ .

The Rev. Robert Workman. Presbyterian
minister, of Belfast, moved, and Mr. William
Mitchell seconded, the third resolution—

That, in the present circumstances of Ireland, we are
persuaded that the great principle of religious equality oan
be better carried out by the withdrawal of all religions
endowments, than by any system of indiscriminate endow-
ments, and is the only satisfactory mode at settling the
ecclesiastical question in Ireland.

The Rev. A. Robinson, Presbyterian minister of
Broughshane, county Antrim, moved, and Mr.
Daniel Cunninghame, merchant, of Belfast, se-
conded the fourth resolution—
That we protest against the statements made in parlia-
ment by members from Ulster, that protestants,other than
adherents of the episcopal church, are as much in favour
of maintaining the Irish establishment as the num of the
episcopalians sze, and we characterise such statements as
incorrect in themselves, and as misrepresentations of the
real opinions of protestant dissenters.
_ _ _

On the motion of Mr. Charles Duffin, J.P.,
seconded by Mr. Charles Brett, solicitor, it was
resolved—

That a petition be preseutul to the House of Commons
in support of the foregoing resolutions.

The tone of the speeches was moderate, but very
firm.