The Express.
London, England, 1850-12-12 00:00:00

PAPAL ENCROACHMENTS.

MEETING IN BIRMINGHAM.
BIRMINGHAM, WIDNZSDAT EVIIUNO.
To-day a public mooting has been held in the
Town Hall, in eouequaas of • requisition presented to
William Lucy, Ilaq., the Mayor, requesting that • meeting
of the inhabitants might be called to express, by en address
to the wows, the man entertained by tie people of this
town on the subject of the moot aggression' by the Pope of
Rome.
Long before the hoar appointed for commencing the
mode' (11 o'clock) the Town Hall wee surrounded, and
every avenue leading to it was thronged : by half-put 10
o'olook the,. wield net have been lass than 8,000 persons in
the Hall, and thousands went away in despair.. Tile public
mind bad bees greatly excited on the subject by Mamma-
tory pulpit and platform ad :reams by reverend orator., who
have poured forth streams of most vapid oratory on the subject
dories, the last fortnight, and have beat most soundly the
pulpit dram of alarm agunst the Pope's rogreseion. On be
other side, the following addran, bearing the signature of
"Joseph Stay," had tended to produce something of a re-
sident
" Though strongly opposed on principle to both the con-
tending hierarchies I have been so much surprised and
grieved at observing some of you uniting in the clamour
which has, been created in consequenee of an &limed agues-
lien by the Pope, that I venture to oak whether you have
not far more noon to condemn the state church which has
raised the storm ? A church which, while • large proportion
el its clergy profess similar doctrines to those which are de-
neeneed, appropriates vest public revenues to the support of
Ile embeinetteal establishment, and even employs the powers
of deeds% to tax the sambas of other religious commuoi-
' ties Ise the same purpose. As • town's meeting has been
called cm the subject for the 11th inst., allow me to orbs%
that it hipper duty to attend and negative proceedings which
are dangerous to religious freedom."
The MAYOR took the chair shortly before eleven o'clock,
and, In opening the meeting, briefly explained that he had
salted the meeting in coasequenee of • ruled/boa presented
to bins signed by upwards of 400 of the most influential
inhabitants, men entertaining every shade of political and
religions feeling.
JAMES TAYLOR, Bm., of Morley Hall, moved the
=tics of thye tolls
woowridnf,mailives tosttehQ.nueentieentuamsteletetl
=throughout. He said that every passage in the
had been well considered, and he strongly urged its
adoption by the meeting. Aa Mr. Taylor rad there were
many marks of diaapprobation from the auditory: these are
nodded at the proper pumps. The folio wing is a copy :
" To the Queen's Meet Excellent Majesty, the humble
and debut address of the inhabitants of the borough
of Birmingham, in public meeting usembled.
Kay it please your Majesty —We, your Majesty's faithful
subjews, inhebitants of the borough of Birmingham, beg
permission to assure your Majesty of out dutiful and Loyal
attachment to your throne and person. (Immense cheering.)
We have heard with feelings of indignation—(a tremendous
shout of "No," and great oproar)—of the Bull recently
promulgated by the Pope of Rome in which he arrogantly
ammo the power to parcel out this, your Mejeety's king-
dom of England, into several dioct ses, under the goon-
ment of a Roman catholic archbishop end Roman catholic
bishops. with territorial jurisdiction ; and we humbly submit
our opinion that the Roman pontiff his been greatly in-
fluenced in his policy towards this country by the informa-
tion which must have reached him concerning the existence
in the church of England of • certain section of the clergy
whose teething end practices approximate to the ehureh of
Rome. (Uproar.) We regard the proceeding of the Pope
as an insuk to your Majesty—(shouts of "No")—as a stole-
tion of the spirit of the constitution under which we live,
and as an audacious attack on our civil and religious liberty.
(Groans, • slight cheer, hisses, and other marks of disappro-
bation.) We protest against the recognition of the authority
in this realm of any foreign potentate, as subversive of
order, good government, and freedom; and we earnestly
pray your Majesty to take immediate step' to vindicate the
prerogatives of the crown—(uproar, and shouts "It's the
prerogative of the church" )—and to maintain the liberties
of your Majesty's subjects."
Dr. MELSON ( Wesleyan) seconded the address • but the
hissing and hooting was so great throughout, that scarcely •
word could be heard.
Mr. JOSEPH STURGE, who was received with im-
mense enthusimes, next came forward and moved the fol-
lowing amendment, in the substenos of which, he said, he
cordially °incurred:
"To the Queen's most excellent Majesty, the humble
address of the inhabituts of Birmingham, in town's-
mode; assembled. May it please your Majesty,—We,
year Majesty's loyal subjects of the borough of Birming-
ham) in town's meeting mumbled for the purpose of ex-
pressing our sense of the recent appointment of • Roman
Catholic hierarchy in this country, beg respectfully to repre-
sent to your Majesty that in our opinion such appointment
does not require any legislative interference. (Partial
bouts of disapprobation.) We respectfully, yet earnestly,
deprecate all restrictions upon the fro enjoyment by every
religious body, within your Majesty's dominions, of its
spiritual order and discipline. We therefore entreat your
Majesty to unction such immures as may be proposed for
Miring the maintenance and extension of civil and religious
liberty." (Cheers)
He then condemned the use which bad been made of the
pulpits es a means of exciting the people ; some of
the fruits were seen in the disgusting placards which had
recently 'Neared on the wells. Chrbtlaos were (he said)
to be found amongst members of every. denomination, and
he implored his fellow-townsmen not to judge harshly of any
system of religion, which was more or lea the work of
human invention ; and especially he implored them not
to lend their aid to the correction of error by coercion.
(Cheery.)
Mr. GEORGE EDMONDS, the clerk of the peso, nut
stood forward to second the amendment, but the booting
anftelling was so great that be wu unable to proceed;
and for upwards of a quarter of en hour he braved the
storm of diaapprohation ; at length the Mayor interfered,
and then Mr. Edmonds obtained a hearing. He said unless
you, the people, have the good sense to hear, you don't
deserve the liberty you have. In his opinion the ball that
had been so much talked about was no bull at all, although
it had made some people very mad ; at least it was nothing
but en Irish bull. (Laughter.) The address which had
been moved by Mr. Taylor wee such that it was a most
suicidal thing for dissenters to support it. (Dr. Mel-
son called out " No.") It /seemed then that Mr.
Taylor and Dr. Melsora were not agreed about standing ep
for the church of England. (Dr. Melsom again rose, but
Mr. Spooner, M.P., pulled him down again; and the Rev.
J. C. Miller, in a highly excited slate, attempted to speck,
bat not a word was head.) Mr. Edmondsnext commented
on passages in Mr. Taylor's added', especially that part of it
referring to certain practices in the boob which approxi.
meted to Rome.
[lt was now one o'clock Is the day, and it'lresh tette:, many
thousands of the workmen, now arrived, end besieged the
hall on every side; hundres of them poured is ea to the
already overcrowded floor—the speaker wee interrupted for
some time—and alarming eonsequenees were apprehended,
not from any disposition to create tumult, but from the in-
loses feeling manifested to ger into the Hall ; ultimately the
precincts of the hall were partially cleared, and order was
restored within.]
Mr. Edmonds went on to reply to the arguments of the
reseeding speakers, but soareely a sentence was heard, such
was the excitement end the uproar, and ultimately, after
baying been on his legs an hour, he gave up the attempt
despair.
The Roy. J. A. JAMES ant stood forward, sod was re-
mired with biases, groans, and increasing manitestations of
tumult. He supported the adders m moved by Mr. Taylor,
Mt deprecated the violence with which the Pope's bull had
been assailed. The etsw.ce of Romanians was spiritual
iseendency and temporal authority. He conceded the
tight of the Ranm c.koolies to appoint bishops, bat
they had no right to attach names to them—(derisive
lesghter)—bat the real gumbos was, whether this country
we. to he handed over as an appendage to the papal see.
(Hear, hear.) The Pope's bull as good as mid that Eng-
kmd was a planet which had fallen from the solar system of
Ms papal see, and was now to be restored to revolve in the
system and under the attreetion of its celestial laminary—
the Pope. (Chan and biases.) The bull asserted all this,
and it claimed the submission of Ragland to Rome and to
catholic unity. (Hear, hear.) This was an insult to the
nationality of Ragland. Ia eosichaske, he galled on the
people to form one mighty phalanx round the Queen, in sup-
port of her prerogative and of their own civil and re-
ligious rights. He abhorred the practices of Rome, end
would himself aid the reverberation of the loudest thseder
which carried into the most obscure nook and corner of Ste
land:the cry if "No popery."
Mr. GEORGE DAWSON, ILL., next stood forward,
and was received with immure shouting and waving of bats,
"Mei lasted at least tan abates. When the moire of
had terminated there arose • counteroureat =4.°:nd the Mayor was compelled to interfere. Mr.
Dialeanessamenced by asking hie interrupters in the body
of Me hall if, after such wanton exhibition and outrage of
the principles of civil and religious liberty, they could ley
any claim to the extension of the suffrage ? Another hoot-
ing and bellowing ensued ; so the Mayor took a show of
hands, end about eaves-eighths et the meeting held up in
favour of Mr. Dawson being heard : still the storm raged ;
the mighty mass is the body swayed in all directioneivha:de
the excitement of the meeting lammed prodigiously.
Mr. Dawson at length Dar
• modal hearing, he said that
he was opposed to the Pope as mash many man, and
Would not surrender his liberty for • minute •; bat he would
believe s Roman catholic ea loon es any man la the hall,
and they might bawl their protestsatiem to eternity. He
denied that protestant, were presteated La Romps. (16.
Dawson sat down amidst kanteass spOtroL)
theMorrigSLOOaNdErsisit, ,
but hipookswastsfaoshelfusweenehr inewalsvoar of
fara
moment
The Rev. BREWIN GRANT, • baptist, supported Kr. ,
ikarges amendment, and agreed, he said, with the Arab-
Whops of Centerbury sad York that this agitation hod
MOON be reprised than otherwise ; sad so far free being
Skald of the Pope's ball, he was paroled to take It y the
halms, great gaieties for them wee sot theology, hat
was all very well ceps, Olasie
Mmq.
Meet ist Arm be Awl by a theolog•md coy, sow bell!
the real matter at lame lies ens of liberty elem. (Hear.)
Mr. GUTTERIDGE, the defendant in the Itrometailea el,
the Gases for Ilbel co the of Miniboom:, neat me-
&meowed to obtain • bearing ; the mods( refused Is
anew him to do so, and Gelled imi4llMl.--
eiBTOILBM, a Ream easholik wk. -we du oily
that obseined immediaM bevies. ezbin he. op
thai they would least grant that eetholice
hearts is their bosoms sad bream in their loads, sact