The Sun.
London, England, 1837-04-03 00:00:00

Af;;OLITION OF CHURCH-RATES.
DEFEAT OF THE TORIES.

(Abridged from the North Cheshire Reformer of Fiday.)
One of the largest public meetings ever assembled in the
town of Macclesfield was held on Monday in the great
roam at the Town Hall, for the purpose of considering the
xpediency of petitioning the Legislature in favour of the
"_"&inisterial measure for the abolition of Church-rates. Not
less than 2,000 persons were present, and many were out-
side the doors, unable to obtain admission.
On the motion of Mr. RATHP.ONE, seconded by Mr.
PICKERING, the Mayor of the borough, WM. BROC KLE-.
HURST, Esq., was unanimously called to the Chair.
The MAYOR opened the proceedings.
Mr. OLDHAM moved the 'first resolution. It has been
urged that to mix up religion with politics .is unseemly.
But suppose I happen aese have been born in a land where
religion and politics ate already mixed up—where I find
that the mixture bele taken place long before my birth. If
then it be wroeig to mix religion and politics, I ask is it
wrong to entl.eavour to unmix them ?—(Cheers.) If an endea-
vour to render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar's,
and to God the things that are God's, be an error,
then I stand before you as as erroneous subject.—(Hear,
hear, hear.) The object of the meeting was to seek re-
lief from an imposition called Church-rates, under which
themselves and their ancestors had long laboured ; and as
at length the voice of reason and justice bad at length pre-
vailed with his Majesty's Ministers, he trusted that the
same voice would prevail amongst his fellow-townsmen.
Uproar and confusion his soul detested ; for if a principle
could not stand upon its own merits, and upon the argu-
ments of its friends, it was unworthy of maintenance, and
it ought to be repudiated. But the meeting would this day
be shewn that the Dissenters of England were standing on
no false ground—that, on the contrary, their principles
were just and true, and for this reason he hoped that all ex-
pressions of indignation or of favour would be suppressed
whilst was discussed a matter of such vital importance to
each individual, and in which the peace of the country at
large was so deeply involved. The Dissenters, then, came
forward not to oppose men but to oppose principles.—
DHear, hear.) In the great struggle for religious liberty,
issenters had formerly to contend with public preju-
dice ; but, thank God, that had disappeared. (Hear,
hear.) Sometimes it had happened both to them and
their ancestors, that they bad to oppose in defence of their
rights the powers and authorities then in existence. But
now they had not to contend with public Prejudice : and
this very day they n ere assembled for the purpose of support-
ing their cause, which had actually been proposed in the
,Legislative by his Majesty's advisers, by no less an autho-
rity than the Government of the country.—( Hear, hear.)
That Church-rates had hitherto been a fruitful source of
disunion and dissension must be apparent to the most ca-
sual observer. The inhabitants of Macclesfield had seen
this to be the case—nay, they bad felt it to be the case, and
surely, therefore, Dissenters were entitled to a patient and
candid hearing when they pleaded for a redress of their
grievances before an enlightened public, and before the li-
beral Members of the Church of England.—(Hear.) As
Christians, the Dissenters wished to live in peace and
unity with all men ; butgso long as the system of exacting
Church-rates from them was execrated by the public voice,
general good would be impossible. It had been argued as
an argument in favour of perpetuating Church-rates, that
the impost was very slight, not worth consideration. The
Dissenters bad from time to time answered that the ques-
tion with them was not one of degree, but one of princi-
ple. ILthe principle were once established, the degree fol-
lowed as a matter of course, to be determined either by
popular assembly, or by individuals in the vestry. The Dis-
senters thought they had been very forbearing in their views
and feelings upon this question ; they had not agitated the
public mind by meetings, but wished the subject to stand upon
Its own merits; he had no hesitation in declaring his convict on
that in this enlightened age the exaction of Church-rates
could not be much longer continued.—(Cheers.) There-
fore he would with good temper, with charity, and without
the slightest tell the Bishops of Englind that in
spite of their combination—(linmense cheering)—to defeat
the measure of his Majesty's Ministers—that in spite of the
denunciations they had already uttered against it—that in
spite of all thbir powers and means of opposition, the mea
sure must become the law of the land—(Vehement ap-
plause)—Church-rates had been condemned by the voice
of the country. No prudent Goverament would venture
to go against the tide of public opinion. We have been
accused of leaguing with certain parties against the Church,
and making common interest with certain individuals
hearing names which I shell not mention. If this be so,
I am afraid the Church has bound us together, and we ask
to be released—(Hear, bear)—and we Call upon you to
pray for that release ; and we tell the Churchmen that we
will have no rest for the soles of our feet till they have re-
leased us.—(Cheers.) We must be free, and we desire
them to he free too.—(Hear, hear.) Mr. Oldham con-
cluded by moving the first resolution, which declared the
cordial approbation of the meeting of the plan recommended
to Parliament by his Majesty's- Ministers for the abolition
if Church-rates--a plan " at once just and conciliatory,
inasmuch as it ,Jill tend to strengthen the Established
Church, to relieve the Dissenters, and at the same time to
promote the peace of the country and the extension of re-
iigious freedom."
The Rev. SAM UE L BowEN said, I rise with much plea-
sure to second the resolution. Gentlemen may argue that
the system is the best that the wisdom of our ancestors could
invent, or the wit of man contrive. It may be urged too
that no man has a right ,to oppose it—that it has worked
well, and that it does work we. But,,after all, the fact. re-
meins unaltered, and, I will venture to say, unalterable ;
the system does not, and it never will, work well in Eng-
land.—( Hear, hear.) It is not likely that after the present
time many vestries or, parishes will pass the rate at all, and
in the few parishes in which it may be granted it will be
collected with great difficulty, and cause much unseemly
contention. Were I a friend to strife and contention
amongst neighbours, could I rejoice at the iron entering the
very soul of the oppressed, did I wish to hold up the epis-
copal Church to scorn and hatred, or did I wish to hold up
even religipn herself as a thing weak and odious and tyran-
nical, then I would say, continue the Church-rate system ;
then would I petition the Legislature for a continuance of
the heartless impost, and against the present measure. But
Ido not wish to cherish any such feelings. On the con-
trary, I wish to put them down ; and I cannot with all the
temptations that are held out, consent to sign such a petition.
I dare not. I say there are considerable temptations held
out to sign Church-rate petitions. When the petition from
Puddleton was presented in the House of Lords, some Lord
got up and said it was signed by all the respectable inha-
bitants of that place, and I should not be surprised if another
Lord were to get up and say that all who signed such peti-
tions are respectable.—(Laughter.) Now, we might be
tempted by such flattery as this into signing Church-rate
petitions ; but although to be considered respectable is very
desirable, yet it is still more desirable to be the friends and
makers of peace.—(Hear, hear.) I have, then, no doubt
that this meeting will unanimously sign the petition which
will be sent from this town, to encourage the measure of
peace and the men 'of peace.—(Cheers.) Inasmuch as
every one must judge for himself, no one can say Church-
rates are imposed for the support of true religion. If this
be the case, divine truth ought to be the same all the world
over ; but the fact is, that it is not the same in any two
different degrees oflatitude or longitude. We can neither
read nor travel, without finding that what is true here is
considered false there. If we cross the Tweed, we find
that what is right in England is wrong in Scotland ; and
going further, that what is right in Scotland is wrong in
in Ireland.—( Hear, hear.) Therefore, I say, that because
the majority have the might to impose Church-rates, they
cannot have the right. I am very happy to see this meet-
ing so large and so respectable. Perhaps it is the largest
and most respectable ever held in the borough of Maccles-
field, and I rejoice it is assembled to pray the Government
that heavily taxed Englishmen be lighter taxed—that it is
not assembled to oppose our fellow-citizens, men as honour-
able as ourselves, but to advocate an honest and upright
measure.—(Cheers.) I have read in the newspapers that,
persons of my calling have apologised for appearing at meet-
ings of this description. I have no apology to offer for ap-
pearing this day, and were the meeting of a-character purely
political, I should still have to offer no apology. Were it
purely political I conceive that I have as much undoubted right
to appear here for myself, for my children, for posterity, for
my country, as any other man.—(Hear, hear.) Let there
not be a political Church in the nation, and I would give
ten thousand sovereigns if you found one political dis-
senter.—(Cheers.) I have read long accounts of the dif-
ferences between- various sects, between the Independents,
the Baptists; the Presbyterians and others—they may
have been acrimonious, but they never became political.—
(Hear, bear.) But the moment these Dissenters came in
contact with a certain Church, from that instant they be-
came political. And the reason is obvious. Do away
with the cause and you remove the effect at once—then
there will no longer be " political Dissenters." Every man
in the kingdom may then be a politician, but not one will
be a political Dissenter.—(Hear, hear.) I therefore sup-
port the Ministerial measure, but we must remember that
to bring this power down to its present comparatively mild
form, cost our ancestors more than we can imagine—that it
has caused torrents of the most precious blood in Europe,
and in the other three quarters of the world to flow—and
shall we then shrink from completing the destruction of so
unholy a principle ?—(Loud cheers, and cries of " Never,
never.") No, never ! If We do we shall richly deserve to
he held up to the scorn of the world ;—in the language of
the immortal Milton " if we forget at noon after their early
plan, let us fear lest the sun should hide himself for ever, and
turn his orient steps from our ungrateful horizon justly con-
demned to be eternally benighted."—(Loud cheers.) As
in the world so in Macclesfield, the progress of truth is

slow, but as in the world so in Macclesfield, the progress
of truth is sure ; therefore we shall leave nothing of these
things to our pfasterity, but simply to read of them in books,
wondering whelher they are reading tragical fiction or still
more tragical facts.—(Loud cheers.) This healing mea-
sure has made a handle of by a certain party to work upon
the fears and upon the bigotry or ignorance of the coun-
try, and to raise a senseless unmeaning clamour against the
honest men who have dared to bring it forward.—(Hear,
hear.) My Lord Melbourne, at the head of his Majesty's
Administration, is a man of property, and a man of charac-
ter. The most dear of all things to him, like as it is to
every honourable man, is his character, yet this has been
shot at by men of desperate fortunes.—( Hear, hear.) But
the shield of truth and fair play is proof against them all,
and is more dreadful to such men than the iEgis of Minerva
herself. In Lord Melbourne and his colleagues I place en-
tire confidence. Do not from this understand that I ap-
prove of every measure they bring forward. I differ as
widely from them on some measures as any man—we are
on these at perfect antipodes, but although I cannot ap-
prove of all their measures, I believe them to be honest
men, and therefore I repose confidence in them.—(Cheers.)
After several other speeches bad been made, and an
amendment had been moved by Mr. Dickenson, which
caused much confusion,
The MAYOR. put the question, and announced that the
original motion had been carried by a decided majority.
Great cheering succeeded this announcement.
On the motion of Mr. POTTS, it was resolved that John
Broeklehurst, Esq., M.P., be requested to present the peti-
tion to the House of Commons, and Lord Melbourne that
to the Lords. The Mayor then vacated the Chair, and the
thanks of the meeting were voted to him, on the motion of
Mr. Pickering, seconded by Mr. Joseph Wild, amidst the
greatest applause. The proceedings then terminated.