The Sun.
London, England, 1839-05-13 00:00:00

tion :

"That for this purpose the sum of 2,0001. is necessary,
to raise which a subscription be forthwith entered upon, to
carry out the intentions of this meeting in the permanent
establishment of the Institution ; and that the assistance of
the inhabitants of the neighbourhood, be respectfully
soliAted in furtherance of this object."
That in fact was the object for which they were

mainly assembled. He had little doubt of the success
of the Institution, but in order to place it beyond a
doubt, it was necessary they should have a more com-
modious building. The proposed size was absolutely
necessary to accomplish this, and the estimate was
founded upon calculations in which every regard had
been had to economy. When the building should be
erected he had no doubt but the Institution would be
enabled to maintain itself on self-supporting principles.
Every object of the promoters of the Institution had
been fully realized, and the applause with which a lec-
ture on property had been received, showed how false I
were all the alarms that had been excited on account of
the effects likely to result from the diffusion of know-
ledge.
Mr. CARTER WOOD, in seconding the resolution
said, he conceived the best way to improve Westminster
would be to improve the dwellers before improving the
dwellings. The brain, like the other organs might lose
its functions for want of exercise ; and he considered
that a proper exercise of the mind was as essential to
health as exercise of the body.
The Resolution was then put and carried unani-
mously.

The following list of donations was then read :—Mr.
W. B. Gurney, 101. 10s., Mr. E. Lucas, 101., Mr. G.
Woodfall, 101., Sir R. Ainslie, 10/., Mr. J. Bellamy,
101., Mr. J. Watts, 10/., Mr. J. L. Elliott, 10/.,
Mr. W. Freeman 101., Mr. J. Freeman 10/., Mr. G.
Webster 10/., Mr. A. Burges, 51. 55., Mr. W. Cooke
10/., Mr. J. Y. Nicholls 10/., Rev. J. Jenr.inls 101,
Mr. Whateley 101., the Right Hon. J. Abercrombie,
Speaker of the House of Commons, 251., Mr. I'.
Hurst .5/., Mr. Justice Coltman 10/. 10s , Mr. W. P.
Wood 101., Mr. J. Bucknell, 101., Rev. H. H. Mill-
man 101.
On the motion of the Rev. H. H. MILMAN, se-
conded by Mr. Justice COLTMAN, a vote of thanks was
passed to the Speaker, who, returning thanks, said that
he had considered it his duty, in consequence of his
official connection with the city of Westminster,
to support this Institution, for the welfare and prospe-
rity of which he was most anxious, and he trusted his
example would not be lost on his successor, whoever he
might be, but that he would be a more powerful sup-
porter of the Institution : a more zealous or a more sin-
cere one he could not be.
The meeting then separated.

ECCLESIASTICAL OPPRESSION.

TO MR. JOHN THOROGOOD,

A Prisoner since the 10th of January last in Chelms-
ford Gaol, for contempt of the Ecclesiastical Court,
in a matter of subtraction of Church-rate.
BIINIIAY, MAY 10, 1899.
DE AR SIR,—My recent visit to your prison impressed
upon me a deep sense of the degradation which the
Dissenters are suffering in your person, and of the in-

dignities to which they are subject, when a man of high
character, morally and religiously, is consigned to im-
prisonment for life, unless he will comply witlt the un-
scriptural demands of a State Church.
Pondering the scene in my mind, and asking how it
is that we are still denied justice, still the victims of un-
equal laws, still required to sustain a sectarian hier-
archy, I was led to a deeper conviction of the fact that
our present position has been arrived at through our
own inactivity, and the false confidence which has in-
trusted to others the work which could be effectually

done only by ourselves.
The Dissenters have among themselves all the de-
ments of political influence—numbers, activity, sound
principle, and a strong hold on the feelinge of the
middle classes ; but these advantages have been coun-

tervailed by an unfortunate want of self-dependence,
which has amounted practically to a distrust of their

own principles, and has emboldened their opponents to
treat them as insincere, and therefore powerless.
The modes in which we are aggrieved may vary. We
are visited in numerous forms of injustice, but the great
substantial evil, the source of all our grievances is the
existence of an Ecclesiastical Establishment, against
which our protest should be-continually raised, and our
exertions consistently directed.

In support of' the State Church are arrayed the
classes for whose benefit it has been established, with.
their connexions and dependents, and these include the
Aristocracy, who justly regard her revenues as the pa-
trimony of their estates, and the unreasoning lower
classes who know no will but that of their taskmasters.
The vehemence with which the injustice is defended
its
adherents naturally proportioned to the gains derivable by
adherents ; and on a question which involves the appli-
cation of revenues so enormous, it is the part of candour
run mad to expect that argument will have its legiti-
mate effect, or conviction result in the abandonment of

law-protected emoluments.
The duty first incumbent on us in the conflict with
such antagonists is to demonstrate that we understand
our rights, and are in earnest to obtain them. And
this duty, I fear, we have not ostensibly performed.
For above thirty years a Society has existed fur the
protection of religious freedom, under the management
of a Secretary, well known as a man of energy and tact.
But what substantial benefits have the Dissenters gained
from its operations ? Literally none ; and the reason is
obvious. The Aristocratic spirit is the plague spot of
English society ; and it would be folly to deny that large
numbers of the Dissenters are deeply tainted with
the disease. Hence the leaders and getters up of
the annual meetings of this very Society seek Lords—
men who arc identified with Church and State—to pre-
side over them when they meet to sanctify the principle
of religious liberty and equal laws. Just look at the
proceedings of this Society for the last few years. This
is the fourth anniversary of the day on which I was ar-
rested by a Sheriff's officer, and taken to Ipswich gaol,
where I was confined when this Society held its annual
meeting in 1835. On that occasion Lord Brougham,
for whose public character few persons entertain more
respect than I do, was brought by Dissenters to head a
meeting opposed to that Church of which he is a mem-
ber, and to whose hierarchy he yielded the immense pa-
tronage which, as Lord Chancellor, for a time belonged
to him. On that occasion I served as a text for the
day, as you will this year. A few things were said which
sounded well, and led, as most generous sentiments do,
when Englishmen meet, to cheers—but nothing was
done. Afterwards there was some talk on the subject.
in the House of Commons, where, of course, I was
much abused by one party and supported by the other--
the \Vhig Ministers said a few words promising relief from
Church-rates, which from their tone and character I was
convinced they did not intend to grant, and there that
matter ended.
At the following meetin:,, Lord Ebrington presided,
and he, selected by the leaders of the Dissenters for the
purpose of embodying and giving effect to their princi-
ples, on behalf of which they had assembled, fairly stood
forth to tell the meeting he was opposed to it in senti-
ment—that he was a Churchman, unfavourable to its
object, and determined to maintain the unholy connec-
tion between the Church and State.
This year, I understand that excellent Prince, the
Duke of Sussex, is expected to be Chairman, over
whose political course every friend of civil rights must
rcjoice,. but on the questions at issue between the
Church and Non-Conformists, there can scarcely be a
question as to his Royal Highness's opinions and feel-
ings, since he is on principle, a Member of the
Church of England. I cannot refrain from stating that
Archdeacon Glover, the perpetual Curate of this pa-
rish of Bungay St. Mary, who was an assenting party
to the proceedings taken against me by the church-
warden of his own appointment, has the honour to be
Chaplain to the Duke of Sussex, and dated from Ken-
sington Palace a letter to a public newspaper in de-
fence of his conduct as Chairman of the Vestry which
decided on my imprisonment. I therefore infer that
the Duke of Sussex will consistently and honestly de-
clare himself in favour of a State Church, and I would
seriously ask Dissenters if it is by means like these
they ever hope to succeed ? And I would Is ith all hu-
mility remind them, that it is one thing to proclaim their
principles, but that to c wry them into effect requires
men of dacrently constituted minds fre m those wha
call Churchmen to preside over their deliberations. The
same course of proceeding is adopted in other of our
affairs.

The same parties who got up the Church-
rate Abolition Society (a Society which you
and I well understood before it expired) have advertized
a meeting to attempt another Society, for the avowed
purposes of promoting religious freedom, and they, too,
have announced a Churchman, Mr. C. Lushington, as
their leader—an estimable man, but a member of an
Established Church. We never see Churchmen g uilty
of suicidal conduct like this. They never call a Di,_
senter to preside over their meetings. and for the honour
of Dissenters, I cannot but express the hope that a pro-
ject thus commencing in false candour will end in
failure.
I warn my fellow-Dissenter., by all the injustice
which is inflicted on them, and the oppression they
suffer, that they must do something more than to sub.
scribe their money, more than to invoke the aid of their
professing friends ; they must take their own affairs
into their own management, and show their neighbours
of the State Church that they will no longer endure the
galling chain of sectarian oppression, imprisonment,
and probable death, because they entertain conscien-
tious objections to forms and ceremonies for which they
believe there is no warrant in the word of God. I con-
' elude in the words of Dr. Wardlaw's finishing sentence
in his last lecture, " Profession is worth little without
practice. Were I a Churchman, I would be a high
Churchman ; and as I am a Dissenter, I will be a high
Dissenter."

I am, dear Sir, sincerely yours,
JOHN CHILDS.

A PLURALIST.—As a proof of the diligence
with which the Chapter observe and keep the ancir nt
tutes, we may state that Dr. Btlll the pluralist, enterta:ned
the lay vicars at his table, on Wednesday last, with a sump-
tuous dinner, as a commutation for corn and oil, with which,
by the ancient statutes, the Canons residentiary were
bound to provide the lay vicars. We unierstand that this
commutation is forced on the lay vicars, who would Blue'
rather be cornet and oiled the whole year through, tbau
me, cly regaled with a princely dinner once or twice a
quarter._ Western Times.