The Express.
London, England, 1868-04-15 00:00:00

THE LEEDS COBDEN CLUB.

LEEDS, TrIBDAY
The Leeds Cobden Club held their lint banquet
hers teenight. Mr. W. E. Forster, M.P., was present, and
nine other members of parliament. Mr. Forster, in his
speech, alluded to the recent division in the Hones of
Commons, and said there was, for the first time far many
years, hope for Ireland. They would be well
aware that all parliament had dons had been to go into
committee on the state of Ireland, or rather into the con-
sideration of those acts by which the Irish church is main-
tained by law. That committee would be gone into in a
watt or two, and he could not for • moment believe that
the liberal members of the House of Commons who had
voted in so large a majority for going into commit%
would insult Ireland by doing nothing when they
want them He had no fear of this. He had very little
doubs, ha might say he had no doubt, that the resolutions
which Mr. Gladstone had proposed would be carried by
very nearly if not quite the same majority as carried his
motion for going into committee. He trusted that there
would be no compromise on the matter, because that was
where the danger lay. As to the English church being
in danger, the sole foundation of the state church in
England was the wish of the state—that was to say,
of the large majority of the people who composed that
atate—that there should be a state church. That was the
sole partible foundation for it, and when that foundation,
if it ever be the case, were sapped away, then the state
(thumb must fall, because there would be nothing to keep
it up. It was upon this feeling that it rested ; end why
the advocates of a state church in England—and he
honestly confessed that he was not one of those who
were opponents of • state church—why its advocates could
not see that they would be in • much safer position if
thew principles were applied throughout the whole of the
three islands than if different principles were allowed to
extend to Ireland, he could not for a moment understand.
With regard to the "no popery " cry, that also had sot
succeeded. Indeed it would not have said much for
the summon sense of the protestanta of England, the
hearty sincere true protestants, if it had succeeded. Al-
though the result would be that for the next few
months we shonld have a ministry in • minority,
he was not disposed to And too much fault with
what undoubtedly was best in accordance with the
principles of constitutional government. Hitherto Mr.
Disraeli had done the work of the liberal party and the
work of the radicals far better than they could have done
it themselves, and Ise thought Mr. Disraeli was entitled to
their highest gratitude for doing it. (Hear, hear.) Bat
be doubted whether the right hon. gentleman could pursue
such a oestrus in the future. He doubted whether Mr.
Disraeli and his friends would if they could, and he
doubted whether they could if they would.
)14 BAINES, M.P., in replying to one of the toasts, said
that be for one, having observed Mr. Bright most closely
for many years, in and out of parliament, had come to the
conviction that if be could in one respect presume to differ
from Mr. Cobden, who had refused to take offloa under
Lard Palmerston's government, if he should be called by
his Sovereign and by his country to take office, Le believed
he would do honour to it. (Cheers.) He for one would
give his hearty support to an administration in whieb the
names of Gladstone and Bright were associated. (Cheers.)
Both men had been alike in their attachment to free trade,
to seccomy, to peace, to religious liberty, and to the use of
jostles to Ireland, and therefore he thought they might
most properly be associated together in the same cabinet.
Mr. I. HOLDIE4, M.P., also spoke, and several speeches
fs'ed enjoining upon the liberal party unity of action
active preparations for the next ideation.