The Express.
London, England, 1868-04-09 00:00:00

:4

- LORD DUFFERIN
THE ON THE
CHURCH. DISESTABLISH-
NENT OF IBBIRE

• The Northern Whig 01 yesterday publishes the
following letter, which has just been addressed by
Lord Dufferin to his agent :
8, Groswener-equars, London, April 6,1868.
My dear Mr. Thomson,—lt is very evident from the
division on Friday night. that the future legislation of
parliament will lead to the diasetabliehment of t►e epis-
copal church in Ireland, as well as to large modifie•-
tions in the character and in the amount of all existing
soclesiastical endowuients, and public grants to religious
►odies, in that country. Such • prospect will,
undoubtedly, Mlle great distress to many good,
wise, and honourable men in the North of
Ireland, who conscientiously believe tint the
welfare of our protestant Church is essentially dependent
on its connexion with the State. To such as these we can
lolly hope that the ovent may being a welcome oonvietion
that their present forebodings are ill-founded. For my
own part, I am persuaded that this contemplated act of
. justice to our Roman catholic fellow-ouuntrymen, apart
from its political consequence., will do more to awaken
the 'sal of churchmen, and to edemas the interests of the
reformed faith in Ireland, than anything that has been
done there during the last 300 years. But there are
others who, regarding t! e future from a practical
point of view, regret the burden which each changes,
no matter how gently introduced, will ultimately
entail on the industrious protestant population of the
country. To these we might reply, that the calla to
be hereafter made upon our co-religionists, will only
he similar to those to which more than 4,000,008 catholic,
have never ceased to be subject. Bat inasmuch as such
considerations, however opportune, seldom have any effect
on the human understanding, it is right for all those who

ae bound to exert themseiVes in atieli a crisis to come
forward at once, and do their best to dispel the anxiety
• of their fellow protestants with regard to the future.
As %brunt all the persons resident upon my estates and
in my neighbourhood belmg to the presbyterian body,
and as it is upon the agricultural presbyterian congre-
gations, among whom no very wealthy members are to
be found, that the withdrawal of State assistance would
tell with the great rat ity, I shall be obliged by your
, putting yourself at once into communication with the
several presbyterian ministers on my property, and giving
them an assurance from me that it is my intention, as soon
as circumstances shall require it, to guarantee to every con-

✓ef:Mien on the ratan a permanent subscription (unfet-
tered by any conditions roc mt such as may be suggested
by the General Assembly), to en amount equivalent to
whatever proportion a the prevent Region Bonnet they
may be deprived of under the impending settlement.
Although I should be unions to make en analogous
announcement to the several episcopal clergymen in
whose parishes my estates are situated, it would be pre-
vesture to enter upon any spmific arrangements until I
shall have had an opportunity of consulting the wishes
sad views of the other landed proprietors in the districts
referred to. But lam convinced th►t, both in the inte-
rests of the Anglican and of the Presbyterian churches in
Ireland, we cannot commence too soon to prepare for the
inesitablo change which i. at hand.—Believe me, yours
sincerely, Drpruda.
P.S.— You bad better send a copy of this letter to the
gentle:lieu I have tamed to.