The Sun.
London, England, 1837-02-02 00:00:00

CHURCH RATES.

GREAT MEETING AT THE CITY OF LONDON
TAVERN.—(THIS DAY.)
A Very numerous and most respectable meeting assem-
bled this day, in the Great Room of the City of London
Tavern, for the purpose of !meting about 400 delegates,
who • are now in town from all parts of England, Scotland,
and Ireland, in order to procure, if possible, the total and
unqualified abolition of Church-rates.
Amongst the gentlemen on the platform we noticed
Mr. Hume, M.P. ; Mr. Ward, M. ; Mr. G;1lon, M.P. ;
Mr. Hall, M.P. ; W. Craufurd, M.P. ; John M.P. ;
Edward Baines, M.P. ; Dr. Bowrir.g, M.P. ; B. Hawes,
M.P. ; Mr. H. Weymouth, Sir C. E. Smyth, C. Hindlev,
M.P. ; Thomas Duncomhe, M.P. ; Sharman Crawfbrd,
Esq., M.P. ; and Mr. D. W. Harvey, M.P.
At hall-past I I CHARLES LUSIIINGTON, Esq., took the
Chair amidst loud cheers. He addressed the meeting as
follows :—Gentlemen—Allow me to express the high gra-
tification which I feel that the counsel and invitation of the
Committee of the Church-rate Abolition Society has pro-
duced the attendance in this metropolis of so large,
so respectable, and so influential a body of delegates, as
now swell the foremost ranks of this most numerous com-
pany. In vain have the enemies of civil and religious
liberty endeavoured to cast contempt on the impor-
tant meeting, which has roused You and the country
generally to the, importance of our object by saying it was
held in some obscure tavern, and attended only by infidels,
atheists, and blasphemers.—(Laughter.) The ardour of
that meeting, the just indignation there expressed, has pe-
netrated to the remotest corners of the Lind—a spirit Las
been roused which will enable you to defy your opponents.
—(Loud cheers.) Had that meeting been so base and in-
significant as alleged, the Society, which was its offspring,
would have fallen dead-born, unfostered by a single cheer
of the public sympathy. Instead, of that, however, it has cre-
ated a stability in our cause by which many of the large towns,
not to mention many of the small ones, have refused
Church-rates—(Cheers)—and has called together the im-
mense assemblage of delegates around me, who are pre-
pared to demand and assert their claim to justice. With
regard to Church-rates, it has called forth the consenta-,
neous appearance of all who valued religious freedom.—
(Cheers.) The resentment of long-endurance has at last
touched the nerve of exquisite sympathy—(The remainder
of the sentence was lost amid loud cheering.) England has
sent delegates congregated from her far-distant counties.
Wales, that dark and dreary abode, destitute of all reli-
gious instruction, is much indebted to the Dissenters—
( Hear)—Wales, whose Bishops the House of Peers
would exempt from all knowledge of the language of the
country in which they are to teach—an exemption
from the only means by which they could communicate with
their flocks—(Loud cheers)—Wales has sent her Repre-
sentatives. Scotland, though not immediately paying
Church-rates, yet warily apprehensive of some insidious
plan of commutation—(Cheers)—and warmed with a
• friendly feeling towards their dissenting brethren in Eng-
land, have joined their associated strength—(Cheers)—they
have come to join this strenuous " league and covenant"
--(lmmense cheering)—in defence of our religious
liberties. Among the Scotch deputies are some
from Glasgow—(Loud cheers)—taintless from the
fallacies of recent sophistry, and • undefiled by the
brilliant kodations of hereditary and responsible power—
(Loud cheers)—where was seen the harmonious dove-tail-
ing of Presbyterianism and Episcopacy.—(Loud cheers and
much laughter.) NV,-.lcome then to our friends in this vast
city, and be assured of their decided support and zealous
co-operation. I find, gent ;'men, that no less than 400 de.
legates are now in this city r..'oresenting 600 large towns,
- and are now assembled here. if find also that ISA aux-
iliary societies have been formed, azid when I look around
me I perceive groups of liberal Members of Parliament—
(Loud cheers)—prepared to countenance and abet you in
the struggle. Under such propitious circumstances, well
may your friends smile and promise victory.--(Cheers.)
To persons so well acquainted with the practices and in-
flictions of Church-rates as you are, I need not descant on
the history of their exaction, or attempt to trace their
lineal apostolical succession.—(Loud cheers.) I need not
trace them from the days of King Canute, when I supposs
Dissenters were obliged to pay Church-rates, up to the atro-
cities of Bungay.—(Loud cheers.) But I may be per-
mitted to make an observation on the hypocrisy of certain
opponents, who affect to deplore the backsliding of the Dis-
senters in standing forth to vindicate their rights, and in
not submitting unqualifiedly—in not following unqualifiedly
—the maxims of primitive obedience—in submitting.
nnreservedly to insult, mal-treatment, and unmerited de-
gradation. (Cheers.) These pharisees—(Laughter)—anoint-
ing their faces with the oil of plural complacency, call
upon the Dissenters to cease to be political, and express
their sanctimonious astonishment that professors of the Gos-
pel should refuse to contribute to the furniture and-surpluses
of the'Established Church, the only true Church in Chris-
tendom.—( Much laughter.)
The SECRETARY here rose and said that he had been in-
structed to inform the delegates that Lord Melbourne and
Lord John Russell had appointed two o'clock to-morrow
afternoon to receive them. They would therefore meet at
the Crown and Anchor Tavern at 12 o'clock to-morrow to
receive further instructions.
The CHAIRMAN resumed. I would ask, is pleading for
claims and rights confined to the Dissenters If lam not
mistaken, great was the company of Archdeacons the other
day—(Much laughter)—l conclude they had no political
views.—(Renewed laughter.) Their object simply was to
clutch patronage and preferment. We also hear that the
Canons Residentiary of St. Paul's are not at all political.
So much so that they absolutely exclaim against the Bishops
for combining the sweets of rapine with the odour of scan-
tity.—(Great laughter.) I saw also that the briefs of the
Deans and Chapters against the Bishops comprised one
hundred and twenty folios—no less than forty yards
of dignified grievances.—(Hear, hear, hear.) About the
year 1583, the Government of Queen Elizabeth beirer
anxious to conciliate the non-conformists to the Established
Church, offered to give up the ceremony of kneeling at the
communion, the sign of the cross, baptism, and the use of
the surplice ; but our ancestors were unwilling that the
slightest semblance of Popery should remain, and their
answer to Secretary Walsingham was, Ne ungulam quidein
esse relinquendam.—( Hear, hear.) And if in the iron
reign of Queen Elizabeth they would not relinquish 'the
proper form of proceeding in religious matters, much less
will they do so now, when the number of their friends is
increasing, and their power is increased, and when instead
of supplicating they may dictate. (Loud cheering.)
Gentlemen, you are perfectly well aware, I be-
lieve, and it should be distinctly understood, that the
purpose of this meeting is strictly confined to Church-
rates.—( Hear, hear.) However if you will allow me I
shall make one observation which I think is entitled to
some consideration. I have very little doubt that the
Ministry will bring forward a satisfactory ni;.-ttion—( Loud
cries of " Hear")—and I have the greatest. hops that a
House of Commons will not disregard the great demonstra-
tion of feeling which has been made throughout the country.
But I need scarcely remind you that you have other causes
for complaint besides the Church-rates. You have with re-
spect to your marriages a very humiliating clause which re-
quires you to give notice to the guardians of the poor
of your intention. Your ministers are not allowed at
present to perform burial rights in your parish church-
yard, even though you have a right to be buried there by
the proprietary possession of a- vote ; and you are also at
present denied full admission to the National University.
In addition to these, there are some other disabilities of
which you should demand the extinction. Tile machinery
then of this Society should remain in force under another
name, and the agitation—(Cheers)—which has been so suc-
cessfully employed in advancing the immediate object, the
abolition of Church-rates, may be beneficially extended
to the removal of your other grievances.—(Cheers.)—
Let, me therefore counsel you to continue in your present
attitude of union and organization.—(Loud cheers.) Be-
fore I sit down, therefore, gentlemen, let me repeat the ex-
hortation to you. Let England remain in her present
position of steady and determined assertion of the rights of
the people—(Loud cheers),—especially when they touch
upon the privileges of the Dissenters.—(Renewed cheers.)
Let the Welsh delegates take back the spirit of this meeting
to their native mountains—(Tremendous cheering) ; and
as for Scotland, I will only say, " Speed forth the signal,
malice, speed."—(Great cheering.) Convey the fiery
cross of this day's gathering to your learned cities, your
manufacturing emporiums, and around your beautiful lakes.
—(Tremendous cheering.) And if you all require one cen-
tralising watchword, and one common motto to animate and
constringe your determination to efface every blot of con.
tuntelious disparagement, it will be supplied by your firm
and pious ancestors, who, in despite of tyranny, deprivation,
torture, and death, cried still Are unyulam quidem esse re-
linviendum.—(Tremendous cheering.)
Mr. WARD, M.P.; rose to propose the first resolution.
and was received with loud and repeated cheers. He
said he could assure them that he felt it a proud and gra-
tifying distinction to be charged with the honour, for such
he esteemed it, of proposing the first resolution on the pre-
sent occasion.--(Cheers.) He said he regarded it as a
high and gratifying distinction, both with reference to the
reuse in which they were all engaged, and the singu-
lar and striking proof which the present stateof
the room afforded of the earnest and patient, but perse-
vering zeal in the cause, as he conceived it to be, of civil
and religious liberty.--(Loud cheers.) When he looked at
the number of individuals then present—when he recollected
that undoubtedly they were, many of them, men of high
character and intellectual abilities ; and when he looked at
therm, not in theirindividual capacity, but, as their Chair-
man had told them, as the representatives of hundreds of
thousands of other men whose hearts and wishes were with
them, and whose prayers would accompany them, lie could

.mot entertain the slightest doubt as to the result of their
proceedings. He looked upon such a union, supported by
;uch sympathies, as irresistible.—(Loud cheers.) The re-
-40Iution which he had to propose was this—.• That the
exaction of Church-rates for the support of the fabrics of
worship of the Church of England from those who cernsci-
-ntiously dissented from her communion, was unjust, be-
,:ause it compelled men to pay for an institution from which
they derived no benefit.—(Cheers.) It 'was disho-
nourable to the Establishment itself, because it implied
that the sympathies of the people were not with them. It
was unnecessary. because the Church possessed property
.vilich was originally granted for the purpose, and was
imply sufficient to maintain the building of the Establish-
ment. It was injurious to the interests of true religion ;
and it was unscriptural, as it was opposed to the voluntary
spirit of support as recognized by the New Testament., and
followed by the primitive Church ; and because the impo-
sition of Church-rates created divisions and animosities in
every parish in England.—(Cheers.) Before he entered
on the resolution, allow him to say that there was one por-
tion of it in which he could not entirely and absolutely
concur. He would at once say that he never could make
a speech ad captandum ; he would never claim credit for
professions which were not perfectly sincere ; therefore
as a member of the Church of England, he could not re-
gard a National Establishment as unscriptural, provided it
rested on the will of the majority of the people. He saw
nothing unscriptural in the majority asserting their right to
form an Establishment, though he admitted, that when the
feelings of the majority changed, they should also change
the nature of that Establishment. That was the only
sentiment to which he did not at once subscribe. He ad-
mitted that the Church-rates were unjust—that they were
dishonourable to the Church itself—that they were unne-
cessary—and that they were injurious to the interests of
true religion. In all these he most cordially concurred.
It was his belief (and he spoke individually) that the Bill
which the Government was about to introduce would be a
good Bill, and would be calculated to give them all full
satisfaction—still they must continue their exertions in
order to obtain security. It was in the continuance of
those exertions that they had a guarantee, in the first place,
that the Bill of the Government would not disappoint their
just expectations. If the Bill was, what he confidently ex-
pected, it was through these means that the Government
must be enabled to carry it.—(Cheers.) Let them recollect
the peculiar position of that Government—let them re-
collect that it rested not on the basis on which Go-
vernments have hitherto rested—let them recollect, that
it had neither the support of the Church, of the Aristo-
cracy, or of the Court, and that it rested alone on. the
confidence and affections of the people.—(Loud cheers.)
Let them recollect this, and they would not want the

exhortation of their Chairman to continue their present or-
ganization, until they had security that all their just de-
mands world be granted.—(Great cheering.) When he
said he believed that the Bill of the Government would
be a good Bill, this sufficiently implied that the prin-
ciples on which the former Bill was founded would
be entirely abandoned.—(Hear, hear, and loud cheers.)
that not one-half of the Church-rates, dor one-twentieth of
the Church-rates, nor any part of the Church-rates, should
be charged on the Consolidated Fund.—{Cheers.) He looked
upon that as the only position on which a good Bill could
be founded, and whatever his feelings might be towards the
present Government, if the Billannounced by Lord J. Russell
to be introduced on the 20th of the present month, placed one
single fraction of charge on that fund, he should feel
himself, however reluctantly, compelled to oppose it.—
(Tremendous cheering.) He should oppose it, because
he was convinced, that upon no other principle than that,
could any Bill be introduced that would not be useless.
It would be wrong morally and politically, and it would
have the effect of breaking up a political party.—
(Here Mr. Harvey and Mr. Sharman Crawford en-
tered the room, and were received with great cheering.)
When silence had been restored, Mr. Ward proceedd.
He had stated that on any other principles the introduction
of such a measure would be unjust, as well as useless.—
(Cheers.) It would place the Dissenters, as regarded
Church-rates, in a worse situation than they were in at
present ; for any transfer of the Church-rate to the Con-
solidated Fund would deprive them of that controul which
they now had over it. For instance, they had now the
power to grant the Church-rate or not, according as the
majority of their numbers went.—(Cheers.) It would be
unjust and impolitic to take that power out of the hands of
the majority, and make Church-rates similar to tithes. The
distinction between Church-rates and Tithes was this, that,
over one there was control, and over the other there was
not.—(Cheers.) He had a letter that had been published
by a gentleman of high standing in the Church (Arch-
deacon Bathurst), in which he took a most erroneous view
of the subject, for he said that Church-rate, like Tithes,
had been immemorially upon property. He (Mr. Ward)
was of a very different opinion; the property of the
Church, the Tithe fund for instance, was to be appropriated
to the support of the National Establishment ; but such was
not the case with Church-rates. The arguments which had
been used by Archdeacon Bathurst, were those that were
put forward by the opponents to the extinction of Church-
rates, and they must be prepared to meet those arguments
and beat them also—(Cheers)—and he felt no doubt that
they would be both met and beat, if such meetings as the
present were continually taking place.—(Great cheering.)
There were one or two arguments of this description in a
publication of the " Quarterly Review," of so singular a
character that in his opinion they were totally unjustified.
One was that the Dissenters had a full equivalent for
Church Rates, in having better men to deal with—(lm-
mense cheering, and great laughter)—by which the moral
atmosphere we; purified, which was worth more than any
rates they might p ( Great laughter.) He did not
regard with any light or trivial tneir;:r the purification of the
,
moral atmosphere ; but he would asf:ivhet:ar in thousands
of places the Dissenters had not been the instrum.l'Pts of
purifying the moral atmosphere, without the least assistance
whatever from the National Church.(Great cheering.)
He would ask any one who admitted the power of the Dis-
senters as a body, whether that power had not been exer-
cised for the best of purposes ; and whether the National
Church itself was not deeply indebted to them ?—(Great
cheering.) Then the " Quarterly" said that every Dis-
senter would be, or had been, a member of tile Church of
England—if he had not himself, that his descendants
would.—( Hear, hear.) This was certainly a most excel-
lent reason for compelling the Dissenters to return to the
bosom of the Church ; but still, before they compelled
them to pay Church-rates, in his (Mr. Ward's) opinion,
they should at least allow them to return to the Church.
Another argument to which he could refer with no other
feeling than that of disgust was the threat which was held
out of exclusive dealing.—(Hear, hear.) As a member
of the Established Church, he regretted that such an argu-
ment should be used by those who called themselves its
friends. Such an argument was in point of fact nothing
else than an attempt to huxter away the rights of conscience.
—(Hear, and cheers.) To make men slaves to an impost
which they firmly believed to be unjust in principle and
grievous in its operation, by the threat of oppression
in case of refusal—he believed in most of the country
towns the interests of Dissenting tradesmen have suffered
by the system to which he alluded.—( Hear.) He could
not conceal the shame with which he adverted to this fact,
as an argument used by the members of the Established
Church, and he believed, if extensively put in operation,
there was nothing more calculated to ensure its speedy and
certain downfal.—(Cheers.) One other plan to which he
should advert as a reason in favour of Church-rates was,

that it was an established system--(Hear, and laughter)—
that it worked well. The proof of its working well was
to be found in that large and influential meeting—( Cheers)
in the anxiety which brought together over 400 delegates
from the remotest parts of the country to- oppose anti-ptit it'
down—(Cheers)—and yet they would he told that it
worked well.—(Cheers.) That was the old plea for every
abuse. For the last 300 years it was never proposed to
do away with any grievance, but they were told that the
system worked well. They were assured that the rotten
boroughs worked well.—(Cheers.) That the Test Acts
worked well.—(Continued cheers..) They were now
assured that the monstrous evils of the Irish Church
worked well.—(Tremendous cheering). That the refusal
of justice to the people of Ireland in reforming their cor-
porate institutions worked well—(cheers)--and whenever
the public loudly complained of any evil, they were certain
of being met by the cry that the system worked
well. But there was only required a determination
to put down the compulsory assessment, and the law should
quickly be altered. The, enlightened portion of the com-
munity had already declared in favour of justice, and per-
severance was only necessary to complete the final over-
throw of Church-rates. He had great hopes of success
when he saw around him such an assemblage of men of in-
telligence, of integrity, of great influence, and of standing
in society, who had forsaken their occupations and their
homes to declare their opposition to the system now sanc-
tioned by the law.—(Cheers.) He could not admit it to
be essential to the maintenance of the Established Church
that Church-rates should continue. As a member of the
Established Church, he protested against it—(Hear)--it
had caused an excitement in every part of this kingdom,
which required that the question should be promptly and
finally settled.—(Cheers.) Every person connected with
the Church of England, And, believing as he did, in its
doctrines, should call for a speedy settlement of this sub-
ject ; it was essential for its existence, and it was impera-
tively called for by every thinking man in the community...,
(The Hon. Gentleman sat down amid loud cheers.)
Sir CULLING E. Small said it afforded him ;mach plea-
sure to second the resolution proposed by bls Hon. Friend
the Member for St. Alban's, and he entirely concurred in
the sentiments it expressed. He would venture to make
observationsasorveerted t
o b y mor. Ward,nt
Ue
that part of it
trouieghblt it serira
tad beenun already

I '
that they should have Church-rate; -establishedl in this
country ; that Dissenters from the doctrines of the Church
of tngland should be taxed for the support of its worship ;
that they should maintain its fabric ; and that it should
depend for subsistence on the contributions of the Dissen-
ters. On that head his mind was decidedly made up. As
a member of the Established Church, he thought that the.
appointment of the ministers to particular localities should be:
placed in the' hands of a few individuals. He was of opi-
nion that this system ought to be revised. He was doubly
happy in having an opportunity of seconding the resolution,
because, as a Churchman, be was anxious for the welfare of
the Establishment to which he belonged, and he thought it
could not prosper while they continued to exact from those
who joined not in its worship the means of its support.
He believed the Church to be a faithful expositor of the
revealed will of God as far as individual salvation was
concerned ; but it did not therefore follow that about 24
individuals should have the entire nomination of its minis-
ters and pastors. He considered Church-nites to be de-
cidedly injurious to the Established Church, to be opposed to
the good of the people, and their effect was to make all persons
seriously consider whether that form of worship which re-
quired such support could be consonant with the will of
the Divine Being. He should ask how Churchmen acted
when it was desired to put education on a liberal footing
in a parish—who were the oaponents but Churchmen?
Who came forward and said that nothing but the cate-
chism of the Church of England was the only book that
should be taught ? Churchmen. The alteration of the
system of Church-rates would give the members of the
Church of England that influence which they ought to possess
over their congregation. He dissented from' the opinion-
that the substitution of those rates should be made a sub-
ject of Parliamentary legislation, and should lament to see
it matter of law. Let those who used the Church come
forward and show by their using that Church that they
not only approve of her principles, but also that they ap-
prove' of the Ministers; nay, that they admire and reve-
rence them.—(Cheers.) He hoped that the Members
of the Church of England would contribute, and will
have it in their power to have a sufficient security that
their Ministers shall be pure and godly men. He saw from
the crowd around him, and he felt convinced that all Chris..
tians would use their influence in promoting the objects of
the meeting, and that the result would be that they should
pay, or not pay, exactly as they pleased. To the members
of the Church of England lie said that it was far for their
interest that an alteration should be made. The great and
ruling motive with him was the absolute injustice inflicted
upon Dissenters, and upon that principle he never would
be a party to injustice. He would never cease to advo-
cate the question, merely because his individual interest
was concerned. The claim was a paramount one. With
respect to the conduct of the-, archdeacons, he should ex-
plain a fact with which the meeting had not perhaps been
acquainted. How were those archdeacons to be rewarded ?
By the recommendation of the Ecclesiastical Commission.
Those gentlemen were to have an annuity of 2001., and ca-
thedral canonships amounting to 8001. a-year.—(Hear,
hear.) He thought that a most improper application of
the funds which ought to go to the support and spread of
education—( Hear, hear, and loud cheers)—instead of
going to enrich a set of men who had set themselves
in such violent opposition to the people.—(Cheers.) He
was happy to inform them that he had been enabled to get
up a petition in Hertfordshire—(Cheers)—and many gen-
tlemen who had doubted about the matter had signed the
petition on reading the Manifesto of the Archdeacon._
(Loud cheering.)
Mr. HUME was received with loud cheers—He. would
only intrude on the meeting for a very short time ; that
was to congratulate them on the results of the meeting held
in the same place last October.—(Cheers.) The measures
then pointed out to carry into effect their great object bad
been crowned with complete success. It would show those
who had recourse to such futile arguments as had been
alluded to, that they had no chance ; in fact, when heread
the paper alluded to he saw at once the parties had given
up the question—the abolition of tithes—(Laughter)--he was
glad to see that they had more than one cord,- but he
thought it would be better for them to keep to the one
they had now in view, and not to mix up with the question
of the abolition of Church Rates the question of a volun-
tary Church, or any other grievance under which the Dis-
senters laboured. No friend of the abolition of Church
Rates could have written a document so convincing as to
its necessity as the letter of his friend the . Archdeacon
Bathurst, who was as good a creature as ever lived ; but
like all those brought up under a particular. system, he
found it impossible to travel out of the regular track. They
ought to receive it as a proof ,that the most intelligent—
that the highest in the. Church had no better argument to
put forward in support of their claims.—(Hear, hear.)
In fact he (Mr. H.) considered-the principle conceded,
and he believed also, that not one shilling would be placed in
the Consolidated Fund by the Bill now in preparation.
The Members of the Hoose of Commons would not be called
upon, therefore, to oppose- that part of it s but they would
be called upon to give their beit assistance to the Ministry
to carry the question.—(Cheers.) He could not look to the
proceedings of the past year without some suspicion that
the same power which had already strangled many good
and beneficial measures would be brought into action on the
present occasion. He was satisfied that the conduct of the
Ministry could only be strengthened by all friends to the
question being united, and he congratulated the friends of
civil and religious liberty on seeing such a united and strong
body before him. Their exertions in the country during
the past four months must have removed any doubts whicl,
might have lingered on the minds of the Ministry with re-
gt.vd to this question.—(Hear.) It would, however, re-
quire all their assistance to carry this measure through.
Allusion had been made to civil and religious liberty—he
thought them inseparable ; and therefore he called upon
those who were from the country, to use all their endea-
vours to send to Parliament the friends of civil liberty,
for no enemy to civil liberty could be an enemy to religious
liberty.. (Cheers.) They must all, therefore, use their
utmost entleavoZs to strengthen the hands of the Reform
Ministry, by adding to ie ranks of Reformers. If they
were defeated with a Liberal Ministry at the head of
affairs, it would be their own fault; they must use: more
exertions, and send more Reformers to the House of Com-
mons. He hoped that Wales, that dark and dismal hole,
would send at least fifteen good Reformers into the
next House.—(Great cheering.) In that country, where
its Bishops knew nothing of the language of the people,
That district had vast revenues, but they all knew how they
were applied.—(Hear.) He would call upon those dele-
gates who had come to London from Wales to send them
on their return some dozen of good Reformers to the
House of Commons—(Cheers)—and that would contribute
very materia ly to promote the objects for which they were
assembled. In short, so far as regarded the Government,
the battle of Church-rates had been fought; but a duty still
devolved upon them—to exert themselves tot only now, but
when they returned home, to afford every assistance to the
Government to enable them to carry their intentions into ef-
fect. He was quite satisfied] that that was the proper point
to which their exertions should now be directed ; the tactics of
of their opponents were not a whit changed, and let them
believe, that after the declaration that had, been lately
made in the South
,of Scotland, that the Established
Church should be supported' in 'all its pristine vigour—let
them not believe, he would repeat, that there was no mean-
ing in these words. On thessmtrary, let them rest assured
that the determination of their adversaries was to oppose
all civil or religious Reform. it was necessary for them,
therefore, to redouble their exertions—of their success, of
their ultimate victory, there was no doubt. It might be
delayed, but the moral and physical energies of the country
being once roused, there was little doubt of their final suc-
cess.—(Loud cheers.) One thing lie would call to the at-.
tentioni of. those who .were refusing all measures of national
reform, that they were organising a band of men who
would make use of their power to demand further and
greater concessions.--(Great cheering.) The Dissenters,
however, would be acting wisely if they did not attempt
to force on these questions which would perhaps only end in
defeat—let them proceed gradually step by step, and there
was no doubt of their cause being carried to a successful
issue.—(Vehement applause.) What was it they asked ?
Justice.—(Renewed cheering.) They had heard much,
and very properly, of " Justice to Ireland."--( Hear, hear.)
Why, the struggle going on in Ireland was similar to that
which was going on in England—it was a resistance to the
few who had been long oppressing the many—it was the
same in principle in Ireland, in Scotland and in England.—
(Tremendous cheering.) He had only to assure that
meeting, that from what had taken place since they had last
assembled in that room, great encouragement was held
out to every man to preserve to the best of his
exertions. He would only, add that, as an humble indivi-
dual in the House of Commons.. or elsewhere, he should be
most happy to continue his steady support of their claims,
until all the evils they complained of were, one by one,
rooted out.—(Loud cheers.) He hoped the day would
shortly arrive when they would see the Dissenters standing
up before God, withoutiany intolerant remnant of ancient
days, which had placed a ;Ump of inferiority on them re-
maining. He trusted that their efforts that day, and. their
exertions in the House of Commons, would advanoe them
rapidly to the great object they had in view. Of this
much he was certain, that no man deserved to be free who
would not exert himself for that object. (The Hon. Gen-
tleman sat down amidst the most vehement applause.)
The CHAIRMAN then put the 'resolution, which was
carried unanimously.
Mr. C. HINDLEY, M.P., read the next resolution, which
hadabeeP Pqr;.;qed to him. He confessed he had come there
rather to hear than to speak, and 'he had hoped to
have heard the opinions Of the r-finperons delegates who
were assembled there from ditferenP part, pf the
country, and whose sentiments would have guided him
the better in supporting the Pill which his Majesty's

Ministers were about to introduce. But as Members of. Pa-
rliament had been selected to move and second the different
resolutions, he had willingly taken charge .of the present
one, .and he believed that he bad been selected, not because
.he was the Member for Ashton, but because he was a
Member of the Dissenters' Committee of Manchester.
He need not tell them of the
.spirit of the Dissenters of
Mancliester.-L-(Cheers.) He need not say that though
none of that body was able to be present in consequence
of illness, yet they were there in spirit.—(Cheers.) They
were determined to fight the battle, and they would not
take any thing less than total abolition.—(Cheers.) If
they wished for any further proof of the spirit of Man-
chester, he had the pleasure to tell them that there had ar-
rived in this city this week a petition from Manchester,
signed by upwards of 35,000 people.—(Tremendous cheer-
ing.) He felt deeply interested in this question. They
were told " why make such a fuss about it ; the tax is of
small amount ; nobody feels it ?" Why not, we reply, if
it is so light and trivial, why not bear it yourselves ?
—(Cheers and laughter.) He could give them an in-
stance of the weight of the tax from his own district of
the county in which he resided. He lived in the township
of Duttonfield, which contained about 20,000 people, all of
whom were supplied with spiritual food from pastors of
their own appointment—(Loud cheers)—and who were
paid by themselves.—(Cheers,)- They lived seven miles
from the parish church of Stockport. Even its bells they
had never heard. The minister not one of the people of
the township had ever seen, except when they were about
to be united in the bonds of holy matrimony.—( Laughter.)
Yet in 1812—he did not know whether his Hon. Friend
the Member for Middlesex was then in the House—they came
from Stockport, and obtained a Bill from Parliament to build
a Church in Stockport, or rather to pull down the old
Church and rebuild, and they obtained twelve thousand
pounds for this purpose. This was not enough in these
palmy days of Toryism, when the churchwardens met over
their wine and discussed the interests of the National
Church.—(Great laughter.) A few years afterwards they
obtained another Bill, for 12,0001. more ; but this was not
enough—(Great laughter)—and they paid, and continued
to pay, and they were found so willing to pay, that ac-
tually, without an Act of Parliament, they came for
9,0001. more.—(Laughter.) Still their spirit was not
roused, and they paid the money. Bat in the first Re-
form Parliament they again came forward to obtain a Bill
for 7,0001. additional, and then they were determined not
to pay—(Loud cheers)—and, to the honour of the Re-
formed Parliament, the Bill could not be obtained.—(Great
cheering.) Their opponents withdrew, and they took some
legal opinions upon the clauses in the former Bill, which al-
lowed them interest, and so forth, and they sought to levy
the 7,0001. They had a meeting, and determined to resist,
but ultimately they settled the matter by paying ten shil-
lings in the pound sterling ; giving 3,5001. to let them
know that they were more careful of their money. All this
was paid by Stockport, and the township of Duttonfield had
never derived benefit from the National Church. They hadll
however, paid several thousands of pounds, and yet this
was what was called a small impost.—(Cheers.) It was on
the grounds of justice that they sought to be relieved from
this impost. He confessed that if Government introduced,
and he had every assurance that they would not introduce,
any Bill which should saddle the people at large with any
portion of Church-rates, it should have his most deter-
mined opposition. He confessed he thought that the Dis-
senters had been too cool, too quiet.—( Hear.) They had
not united the terms of citizen and Christian as they ought
to have done.—(Hear.) What said the great Apostle of
the Gentiles ? " I am a Roman citizen," and were not the
Dissenters citizens of their country ?—(Loud cheering.)
As citizens they had a right to notice politics ; and the
more Christianity was infused into politics the better.
He was amused by the attempts made to guard the Church
of England from unholy interference.—(A laugh.) Abun-
dant care was taken that the temporalities of the Church
should only be administered by bona fide members of the
Church. He had asked Lord J. Russell three times in
the House of Commons, and Lord Melbourne in pri-
vate conversation, what constituted a bona fide member
of the Church. They were all members of the Church,
and bona fide members of ;the Church—except those who
lived in Scotland. What constituted a bona fide member
of the Church ? Was it baptism ? Why, one of their
Bishops had been baptized amongst the Dissenters, and had
never been rebaptized.—(Cheers.) Was it then the
Sacrament ? He challenged, as to members, who were the
majority ?—(Great cheering.) Oh no, it was not this, but
those who went no where went to church.—(Loud cheers.)
And it was this omnium gatherum kind of argument that
was enlisted on the side of the Church to show that they
had the majority. The only proof of a bona fide member
of the Church was the payment.—( Hear, bear.) And the
Church took care to see that they were all bone fide mem-
bers.—(Cheers, and a laugh.) They were determined to
make the people pray. For his own part he confessed that
he could not help looking at the intimate connec-
tion of secular and church affairs as a great injury
to Christianity ; and as a friend he was rejoiced to see that
the time had arrived when the voluntary system was be-
ginning to work in the Church itself—he was rejoiced when
he saw their subscriptions for churches in London, Man-
chester and Leeds. He knew that the Church would
always be strong which rested on the affections of the
people.
The CAAIRaIAN here stated to the meeting that a
petition against Church-rates had arrived in London, bear-
ing the signatiires of 38,700 individuals
ROWLAND ALSTON, Esq., M.P. for "Hertfordshire, felt
the greatest possible satisfaction in seconding the resolu-
tion which had just been proposed, because in his opinion
it contained the sum and substance of that which the Dis-
senters were themselves asking as an act of justice, and
which, therefore, they were fully entitled to. He assumed
they were asking (and if he was wrong in that assumption
he had no business there) for an entire abolition of Church-
rates.—(Hear, hear.) Unless these were the principles of
those then assembled, and unless those were their objects,
he was not with them. But he would then declare
that as a private and as a public man he would do 'all in
his power to obtain this for the Disseaters of England, who
were among the most respectable and influential, and he
was delighted to say they formed a very considerable part
of the people of England.—(Hear, hear.) He lived in a
very large parish in the county of Hertford, and without
presumption he might state he was the chief proprietor.
He thought he had some influence there also, because he
was considered an honest man ; but with all that influence,
and with all that attachment which he knew the parish-
ioners felt towards him, he was quite confident that if lie

were to call upon them to create a Church-rate in vestry,
he should have no success whatever.—(Hear, hear.) He
was satisfied they had too much honest independence,
and were too ohicious to do justice to others, to support
him in such a proposition.—(Hear, hoar.) Ho also felt
pleasure in seconding the resolution, because it contained
a prayer that that which had already been laid on the
people should not, for the sake of relieving the Dissenters,
be laid on the Land Tax or the Consolidated Fund. Were
it to be laid on those Funds they would still have to pay it.
—(Hear, hear.) Where was the justice of a body paying
for that in which, inthe first instance, they had no interest
whatever, with w1:414 they held no -communion, and from
which they received no spiritual comfort. (Loud cries of
Hear, hear, hear.) If any stranger were to go through
the county of Hertford, he would find there was not a town in

which there was not a building appropriated to those who
dissented from the Church of England. Who supported
that? Why those who used it as their house of prayer.—
(Cheers.) The members of the Church of England could
not give a better proof of their sincerity in the religion they
professed than by saying that no one should contribute to
the support of their edifice but those who used it.—
(Cheers.) He had always declared himself to be a
humble hut zealous member of the Established Church,
and Ile Was prepared, to the fullest extent in his power,
to support that fabric which he used for his devotions.
He had great rights in the parish church of Sawbridge-
worth ; he had several " faculty pews," and he would wil-
lingly resign them.—( Hear, hear.) Let those who used
pay. In that parish they had a clergyman, not one who
thought with him unfortunately—(Laughter)—but a very
respectable and well-meaning man. That gentleman wrote
to him a short time ago, stating that that fine fabric, the
parish church, was in a state of dilapidation, and asked
whether he should propose a Church-rate ; to which he
(Mr. A.) replied, whether he would like to be defeated ?
(Loud laughter)—that it was for him to propose it
if he pleased, but that he was quite sure success would
not follow ; and that he had every reason to believe that
the Government intended to take up the question very
shortly after the meeting of Parliament. He, of course,
was unaware of what the intentions of Ministers were,
or what was the relief they intended to propose. He
had also given him full liberty to publish his letter, and
send it to every house in the parish ; and had stated
that, ualess the Government proposed the entire aboli-
tion of Church-rates, they would not have his support.
--(Hear, hear.) lie had always hitherto been
willing to give his Majesty's present Government sup-
port, because he thought they were the best friends this
country had ever possessed.—(Loud and long-continued
cheering.) Therefore he should continue to give them all
the support he could ; but if they did not come to the de-
termination to propo3e in the House of Commons—as his
worthy friend, Mr. Hume, had said, it did not follow, if
carried in the Commons, that it would also be carried in
the Lords ; but if they did not bring forward in the House
Commons measures that would give full and entire relief,
his Majesty's Ministers should not have his support.—
(Cheering.) It was with great satisfaction that he saw so
large an assembly met together on so important, a 4444*ciPin,.
in which he held that the /:;stablished Church was as
much interested the Ilisserifers.-4Loud cheer-
ing.) The moo hhergt the stithli§he4 Church was;

the former, it would be engrafted in the good feelings of the
public.—(Cheers.) He would give his warm support to
Ministers on this great question, but they missht depend the
very moment he saw the least attempt made to make a
Church-rate a forcible tax, it should meet with his deter-
mined opposition.—(Cheers.)
Mr. GILLON, the Member for Falkirk, then rose to ad-
dress the meeting. He felt that it would not be necessary
for him to trespass long upon their time to cons ince any
well-constituted mind, which was not blinded by bigotry or
influenced by the desire of individual aggrandiseinetti or
political ascendancy, that the abolition of Church-
rates was essentially necessary.—(Great cheering.) He
had been deputed, as a member from Scotland, to address
the meeting on business ; but before he did so, he could not
help expressing the feelings he entertained towards that
meeting of Dissenters generally, in connection with the
resolution that had been proposed and seconded, in which
the meeting expressed itself firmly resolved to get rid by
all means in their power, of the obnoxious impost of
Church-rates, but at the same time they were determined
to do so ; they would not consent to shift the burthcn from
their own shoulders to throw it upon the people of Scot-
land and Ireland, by making it a charge upon the Consoli-
dated Fund. In 1824 a Church Bill was introduced by Earl
Grey, and he felt it his duty to oppose that Bill, because
it sought to place the charge of Church-rates upon the
Consolidated Fund; and he should purs're the same course
agaim, however much he was disposed to support the pre-
sent Ministry, if they did
not bring forward a just and
equitable measure.--(Cheers.) Much as lie was disposed
to support Ministers, he would sacrifice them, or the exist-
ence of any other Government. in opposing a principle so
unjust as that which charged Church-rates on the consoli-
dated fund.—(Great cheering.) Ile had been deputed
by a portion of his countrymen to detail to the meet-
ing sonic of the grievances under which they laboured, and
to demand their sympathy and co-operation. Though they
had not in Scotland a Church-rate in name, they had one
substance ; they were called upon as the people of England
were, to pay for the erection and support of churches and
glebe-houses, or manses as they were called in Scotland,
which was paid for by an assessment on the different
parishes. Two years ago, when the Peel-Welling.:
ton administration came into power, they brought for-
ward a proposition to vote a sum out of public funds
for the support of the Church of Scotland ; against
this he felt himself bound to object, in order to
support the great principle which they were called upon to
uphold to-day.—(Cheers.) He had been deputed also on
the behalf of the inhabitants of Edinburgh, to bring under
the attention of the meeting the severe-impositions that ex-
isted in the Church of that city.—(Hear, and cheers.)
6i per cent. was levied on all the houses of Edinburgh, from
which, however, the local aristocracy alone were exempt,
viz., the Judges and lawyers. That per tentage was in
force on all the houses of the other citizens whether they
attended the Church or not. What was the consequence?
Why that scenes had taken place there very nearly resetnb-
ling those that had occurred in Ireland—passive resistance
had sprung up.—(Hear, hear.)—He was called on in
April last to preside at a meeting which took place in Edin-
burgh, in consequence of some severe measures which had
been adopted at that time by the members of the Estab-
lished Church. On that occasion they not only seized the
goods of the citizens, but made some of its most virtuous
inhabitants inmates of the common gaols.--(Cries of
" Shame, shame.") Was this the doctrine of the Chris-
tian church ? Was this conduct worthy of the fishermen
of Gallilee, and of the disciples of a humble and lowly
Master ?—(Hear, hear.) At that time he took the li-
berty of telling the citizens of Edinburgh that which he
repeated in the House of Commons, and which he would
reiterate now (because nowhere would he shrink from de-
claring his conscientious conviction)—that the inhabitants
of Edinburgh were right in opposing to ,so unjust a tax
the strong arm of passive resistance—(Cheers)—for he had
ever observed that it was not till some such opposition
had been raised that the people had any prospect
of obtaining relief.—( Hear, hear.) At least, the ancestors
of the Scotch knew something of the Established Episcopal
Church—(Hear, hear,)—against whose exactions the
meeting was now called upon to prevail.—(Cheers.) And
were he to advert to any thing more likely than another eal-
culated to incite to exertion, he would allude to the struggles
of the ancestors of the Scotch against that Church.—
(Great cheering.) Suffice it to say, it was only by their
ancestors turning out on the hill-tops, by their undaunted
courage, by the effusion of the precious blood of those mar-
tyrs, that religious liberty had been established in that
country.—(Reiterated cheers.) They knew indeed something
of the Episcopal Established Church. They had endured
the heavy hand and felt the iron rod of Episcopacy—
(Hear, hear)—therefore the people of Scotland warmly
sympathised with the Dissenters of England, who now pro-
tested against sonic of the exactions of that Church.--
(Cheers.) And what they had deputed him to do, he now
cheerfully complied with ; that was to say, he called on
English Dissenters to sympathise with the Scotch in their
grievances.—(Hear, hear.) That while they demanded
for themselves the abolition of Church-rates, they would,
either in the Bill now about to be brought forward,
or by some subsequent measure, take care that the Scotch
should also be relieved from the hurtliens which they en-
dured.—(Cheers.) Ho had the greatest pleasure in coats
munieating to the Meeting the warmest sympathies of the
Scotch.--(Hear, hear.) Large meetings had been held
throughout Scotland—even in Glasgow—(Hear, hear, and
laughter)—as the Hon. Chairman had stated, on the sub-
ject ; and the'Dissenters of that country, he believed, to a
man, were determined to congregate together, and to bring
forward their full and powerful force in favour of the abo-
lition of Churchsrates.—( Hear, hear, and cheers.) He
was ignorant of course of the nature of the Bill
about to be brought forward by his Majesty's Ministers,
but he might find it expedient to move the insertion of a
clause to exempt his countrymen from the burden ; yet ha
should not do that without first consulting with those in
whom lie had confidence, that he might be quite certain
that he did nothing with a view to benefit even his own
countrymen, which might put in peril the success of the
great and main object of the English Dissenters.—(Great
cheering, and cries of " Bravo, bravo".) All he would ask,
and with that he should conclude, was, that either upon
the bringing forward of the measure that was now
about to be brought forward, or at some future period,
when the claims of the Scotch should be brought forward
that those present at this meeting, and the Dissenters in
.
England generally, would come forward support of those
claims.—( Hear, hear, and cries of " We will," " we will.")
The resolution was then put from the Chair, and carried
unanimously.
Mr. B. HALL, M.P. for Monmouth, rose to propose
tine next resolution. He said the resolution which has been
put into my hands, and which 1 shall now propose, requires
no argument to enforce it ; and, after the speeches which
you have just heard, it would ill become me to occupy
your time, or draw largely upon your attention, while I ad.
dress you. I shall, therefore, speak only of facts,
and these with reference to my own country,
containing, as it does, so great a mass of
the Dissenting body. The resolution proposes that a
petition, embodying your sentiments, should be prepared,
and signed by the Chairman on your behalf ; that the
petition to the House of Lords shall be presented by
Earl Fitzwilliam, and to the Commons by Mr. Home.
(Cheers.) •It may be said by sonic, and it was a matter of
regret with many of the Gentlemen who have preceded
me, that instead of the delegates, who attend this meet-
ing, getting up and addressing you on the peculiar griev-
ances of which they complain, the platform should be oc-
cupied by Members of Parliament ; but in my judgment
it should be a cause of gratification to think that
there are men in the House of COmmons, who are
ready and willing, no matter at what pecuniary cost
and sacrifice to their own establishments, to advocate
the rights, and ask for a redress of the grievances
of the Dissenting community.--(Cheers.) And it is
culiarly gratifying to me, because being one of those isPito
e
in 1834 first introduced the question of the Abolition of
Church-rates for the consideration of Government,
to at-
tend this meeting, and I was anxious to see the feeling by
which this great assembly would be actuated, and t
as-
sure you that it was not from any want of feeling as to
the importance of the question that I have allowed it to
rest, but I was actuated by a desire that 'while other
great subjects were under discussion, that of Church-rates
should not interfere, well knowing that you would not
sleep on your interests, and that you would use your best
energies to remove an impost exacted in violation of the
rights of conscience and unfounded upon any principle
of justice.--( Hear, and loud cheers.) It will be recol-
lected that when my lion. Friend the Member for Exeter
introduced this subject during the last session, We were in-
duced to withdraw it on the assurance of the disposition of
Government to bring forward a measure of relief to the
Dissenters. This was but an act of courtesy to the Noble
Lord, who gave us the promise—to the House of Coats
mons, wino were to consider it ; and it was our duty to you
whose interests were at stake, to see what the Government
measure would be. He thought that that course was not only
right, hut he thought it would be better to hear the Governs
went proposition. Great was the disappointtnentof him and his
friends, when, instead of the total abolition of Church-rates,
the Government were only prepared to make that which
was a direct tax an indirect one, by charging the full amount
upon the land-tax, whereby not only the Catholics pf Ira.
land, who only the year before had beep rtl;eved from the
vestry cess, but also the Scotch Presbyterian, who was, pb-
liged to maintain his own Church, sessvlima hi,
required to pay
towards the maintenance of that of England. He was
one
of these Flu;{, h, one sense, hated the very word toleration.
—(Ore4 cliepring.) He Wished to see that word, as ap-
plied'to religion, expunged. frogs our Dictionaries ; for by
adding only or syllabic, st at ogee showed these must be a
ap.ll!iy~llt arty, add a ?ersecuted one i hl.4toct 44 tic would

insert equality. He wished -to see the Dissenter and the
Churchman meet with open heart and hand, and live in the
same free country, enjoying equal rights and privileges.
With regard to that country with which he was connected,
and which was so dear to him, he would state a few statisti-
cal facts. In the county of Monmouth, out of a popula-
tion of 98,000, 46,000 or 48,000 were Dissenters ; and in
the two parishes with which lie was more immediately con-
nected, which contained 16,600 inhabitants, he might safely
'say that only 140 belonged to the Church. It he'd bee n
Isis pride and gratification to say, that whenever the D'se
senters came to hill' as a landlord, he had given them evei y
assistance in his power, not only by giving grants of land
for plaCes of worship, but by affording them pecuniary
assistance as well.—(Great cheering.) He was proud
to state that, in the west of Monmouth, every Dissenter had
the means of worshipping their God according to their own
creed ; and the poor inhabitant had the consolation and gratifi-
cation of receiving his religious solace in that language'.Which
he revered. He was one who did not object to. the voluntary
principle. He did not state that as a matter of theory, but as.
a matter of fact. LTpon his own property, at one time, he
had every order of Dissenters ; for, in the hilly part of Mon-
mouth, where manufactures were alive, people flocked from
all parts of England. He took pride for Monmouth that, at.
almost every meeting which had been held there, the question
of regime donum had been discussed. The Dissenters had
been charged with acting from pecuniary motives—that while
they wished to get rid of Church-rates, they were au sous to
keep the rrgium donum.—( Loud cries of" No, no.") Ile did
not agree in the sentiment ; he was only desirous to state, that
in many petitions which he would have the honour to present
from that part of the country, it was prayed that regium donuns
should cease.—(L cud cheers.) It was not his intention to
detain the meeting any longer. Ile would only assure them,
that whether he retained -his seat for 'Monmouth, or retired
into private life, whether in public or private he would lend his best assistance towards obtaining the removal of this odious
impost from the Statute Book.—( Loud cheers.)
Mr. Hewes seconded the motion. He said he wP.S anxious
also to state, like his Hon. Friend who had preceded him,
that he would give his entire and cordial suppert not only to
the petition itself, but to the spirit which lied originated it.
He would not feel satisfied until we had entire religious liberty
established amongst us—that no man by his creed should gain
any political advantage, and he would also contend for that
real impartial law which knows no distinction in political right.
That would be the time when effect would be given to what
had been called a tyrannical majority—( Cheers, and cries of
" Hear, hear'')—and he hoped to live to see the day when
all laws would be made by it—by the will of such a majority
constitutionally expressed. It had been imputed to the Dis-
senters that they acted only from sordid motives, and that they
cared nothing for the principle. In looking over a celebrated
journal yesterday, he saw a manifesto from the Archdeaconry
of Lincoln, protesting against any farther interference iii
Church property by the Ecclesiastical Commissioners. By
referring to a few facts, they would see bow this in-
terested the gentlemen who had signed that document,
and how very disinterested they were on the occasion.
He found that the Dean of Lincoln, the Rev. Dr. G. Gordn,
an.l he must observe that he knew nothing of these gentlemeo n
hat what he saw in black and white, enjoyed for the deanery
3,885/.--(" Oh 1") Not satisfied with that, he had another
valuable piece of preferment; be held also the Rectory of
Sedgbrook, which was worth 6381. per annum, with the Vi-
carage of Horblein, worth 2711., making in all 4,79.14, cur-
t'ain a sum sufficient to make any man an anti-Reformer 1.--
(Hear, and cheers.) He found another gentleman, the Rev.
T. M. Sutton, who held a Sub-deanery and Canon Resideote
iaryship worth 1,6654, the Great Chart Rectory in Rent,
6681., and that of Tunstall, 4794, making in all 812/.
per annum --(Hear, hear.) The next name . wa-s ono
exceedingly well known in the annals of the Church—the
Rev. Richard Prettyman—( Much laughter)—who enjoyed
from cur Church preferment 1,6651,, and then a little sine-
cure prebend of 181., besides Middleton Stony Rectory, va-
lued (rather doubtfully) at nothing.—(Hear.) There was
also the Rev, J. G. Prettyman (and really these gentlemen
were very pretty men in their generation), who held the
Chancellorship of Stoke (6660, another valued at 441., a
preferment in the Cathedral Church of Winchester, and a
curacy in Herefordshire—in all, extending over four counties,
a sum of 3,312/. ; so that the total among this Dean and his
throe Canons was 12,6111, per annum.—(Great cheering.)
And yet the Church says that the Dissenters are tainted
with sordid motives. They all knew that there were no re-
turns of the real amount of the Church property. There
Ives, Ile statement of the amount paid for Enes, which was very
Considerable ; foe the Doan of Lincoln received last year no
less than 14,N04. In fines.—(Hear.) He would say, then,
that it the Church-rates were abolished, there were two
seoreea open to them—Church property and Churchmen-_look....(lleedar)—but in his opinion Church property ought to be
to fixst,—( Hear, at cheers ) He wished before
he sat dawn to say a few words upon another subject.—( Hear,
hear.) In abolishing Church-rates he presumed it was distinctly
understood, and he spoke for a large body of his constituents,
that the rates imposed by local Acts of Parliament, under
which new churches were built, would be included in the abo-
lition._.,.( Hear, and cheers.) He was bound to say, that the
greatest possible practical injustice had been committed under
these Acts. In his (Mr. Hawes's) borough there were three
parishes, Kennington, Camberwell, and Lambeth—m-
beth, which had a population of 90,000; had been diLviaded
into five parts, and Dr. D' Oxley, of whom he wished to speak with
the greatest respect, for he was the most humane, benevolent,
and charitable man—he had had four parishes added to his
own, and was enjoying a large income, while the curates had
scarcely so much as supported them in decency._( Loud cries
of " Hear, hear.") He believed he was within the mark
when he stated that the Rector of Lambeth enjoyed an in-
come of 2,0001. per annum. lie therefore hoped that, as
many of his constituents were suffering under the pres-
sure of rates imposed by local Acts of Parliament,
that it would be distinctly understood that for them and
the public generally lie claimed the entire abolition of
these ratos.---(Hear, hear.) He would not longer occupy their
time, but he hoped and trusted that in that great cause they
would all act with perfect union—with eneegy—and there was
no doubt of their ultimate success. Of this he was perfectly
certain, that as the Opposition now opposed to the progress
of Reform was most powerful, without entire unanimity
they could not possibly make head against Cheers.)
Although he was delighted to hear from his Hon. Friend the
Member for Middlesex, who, he presumed, spoke upon
authority, that the Church-rate Bill was one founded on sa-
tisfactory principles, he ( Mr. li) was not sanguine enough
to hope that it would pass through the House of Commons
without great opposition ; and this he was certain of, that it
would net pass through the. House of Lords. With regard to
what had fallen in the course of his observations from their
Chairman in. his singularly eloquent and appropriate address,
he must be permitted to say, since the doctrine of finality had
been introduced by certain great Statesmen, and great mea-
suees of reform were proposed, that he (Mr. H.) for one con-
sidered the present but one step, and let it be understood that
no party acknowledged it to be a final measure.—(Loud
cheers.) There were yet several great questions between the
Dissenters and the Church ; and he, for one, so long as he re-
presented any body of his fellow-countrymen in Parliament,
would never cease to advocate the entire abolition of' all civil
privileges by any class.—( Loud and long-continued cheering.)
Mr. S. CaawFoao, M.P., then came forward, and was
loudly cheered. The Committee had done him the honour to
call upon him to address them on that occasion, unexpectedly
on his part; but, however unprepared he might be, be should
never shrink from giving his adhesion to the principles he had
heard advocated. —( Great applause.) As an Irishman,
ho came before them under some disadvantages.—( Hear.)
Ile considered himself connected with that class, and with that
religious persuasion which had been the oppression of his
country—(heer, hear)—and the destroyers of civil and reli-
gious liberty among a certain class of his countrymen ; but he
trusted that he was free from the pollution of any stain.--
( Hear, hear, hear.) It had been his object in life to endea-
vour to relieve his own religion from being the source of op-
pression to his country, and it had been the object of his
life also to aid his Catholic and Dissenting brethren in
establishing for themselves rriigious freedom.—(Cheers.)
If he understood correctly the object of the meeting to-day,
it was to obtain one great instalment of religious liberty.
That instalment had already been obtained by Irishmen, by
perseverance and determination. (Hear, hear.) He did not
object to the principle of instalment—pure and unadulterated.
But let it not be said that lie was an enemy to instalments ; he
was only an enemy to a treaty which was a sacrifice of the
great principle. Those were the principles he had en-
deavoured to advocate through life. Ireland had been
a step in advance before England. (Hear, hear, hear.)
And she had come now to the point of the second instalment,
They wanted freedom from that tax upon the majority for the
use of the minority, which was known under the denomination
of the tithe assessment in Ireland—( Hear, hear)—and he
wished to get the second insailment—pure and unadulterated.
He was unwilling for the consideration of a paltry instalment
of a few farthings in the pound, to give up the great cause
of religious freedom. He was not willing that great
cause should be tainted with any mean consideration about
the remission of a money assessment. an
hear.)
agreed with the principle which had been advocated
that nothing but the full enjoyment of religious freedom was
what they claimed, and they would not let their brethren, for
the purpose of their own relief, be saddled with an assessment
contrary to the principles of religious liberty. They
were as-
sembled there to promote the great principles he had the honour
of proposing in the National Association of Ireland ; that it was
contrary: to the principles :of religious liberty, that any man
should be compelled to pay for the ordinances of a Church
with which he was riot joined in communion.—( Cheers.) This
was the great principle ho desired to see advocated, and car-
ried into operation,—.( Hear, hear) The reason he objected
to the Tithe Bill proposed for Isis own country was, that under the pretext of obtaining religious liberty, the source of oppres-
sion was transferred from the Church to the landlord. There
was no real relief to the people. Ile regretted on this point he
differed from the great Leader of the Irish. Many of his
Hon. Friends present had supported that measure, because-
that great Leader said it would be satisfactory, He meant to
cast no imputation, but he honestly (tasted from them, and
he had honestly expressed ;,is reasons for so ditlerine. He
was certain those Members who had taken a different
course from 14in, had done so from the purest principles, and
with e desire to serve their country.
The CHAIRMAN begged the Hon. Gentleman's pardon for
interrupting him, but he scarcely believed the observations the
Hen, Gentleman was now making, were sufficiently connected
with the subject before the meeting,
Mr. S. CRAWFORD said he would instantly bow to the de-
cision of the Chair. lie had been only desirous to make the
cause of England and Ireland a common cause.—( Cheers. )
Mr. C. CONWAY, a delegate from Monmouth, said, that as
several allusions bad been made to the delegations from

coerced. They must call upon them, and petition them, and move
the people to petition them. The House of Lords would not
undertake the Herculean task of fighting both the House of
Commons and the country.—(Loud cheers.) He wishei..l to
speak very respectfully of the British Constitution—it was by
that Constitution that they must secure their triumph.—( Loud
cheers.) They could not afford that the Constitution should
be materially injured in any part ; they could not afford to lose
a tingle 'vat of its pulse. nor to interrupt the flow of its blood
for a j'inglo moment. He would touch no artery or vein that
might be found in the Constitution, nor would he touch its
power or its vigour so as to produce the least paralysis, even
for a single moment ; but if he saw any part of it diseased, he
would cry out till he had satisfied it that it was in a condition of
malady, and saw that it began to recover. It was only in this
way that he would direct their attention to the mode of deal-
ing with their Lordships in the Upper House. Let the
Society then endeavour to send to the House of Commons
those men who would work out the objects the Society had in.
view. Thanks would never come alone except in one case,
and that was after a triumph.--(Cheers arid laughter.) They
wanted no further help when the victory was over, and would
be then satisfied with thanks. But the Church-rate Abolition
Society had not obtained its victory. It had just entered the
field ; and, upon the first day that it came before the public, it
was laughed at.—( Hear.) All recruits were.—( Laughter.)
The cry was, what an awkward squad.—(Great 'laughter.)
and that squad had been already laughed at, therefore they
need not be at all surprised at the Church-rate Abolition So-
ciety being laughed at in the outset. But now, that men had
come up from all parts of England—now, that they had seen
the men of England, the men of Ireland, and of Scotland
united, would they laugh now 1—( Cheers.) Now, that they
found even his Majesty's Ministers intimating that something
was to be done even this very month, would they laugh now ?
When, Wellington •marsbflled his raw recruits, at first, no
doubt, he understood what they could do, and therefore did not
laugh at them; but others, who did not, might be disposed to
laugh at them.—( Hear, hear.) But Napoleon did not laugh
at them, when they were mustered in the field.—((sheers.)
He would just say--" You, the Church Rate Abolition So-
ciety, look back to your past doings, and I think you
will see that for a child so young it has done admirably."
If their claims were not conceded during the present
session, he would advise them to increase in num-
bers, as they certainly would in strength, during the
recess, to disseminate their opinions, and fo come back
again with the fresh summer air invigorated and determined
to ask for further concessions.—(Cheers.) They would thus
get two or three of Mr. Crawford's instalments. Had they
grounds to do this ? Could they meet the ridicule and the
sneers of their enemies? Ought they not to abstain from
politics; being of a religious society ? Ought they not
disclaim agitation while they declared themselves men:of peace?
Why not pay homage to the King as head of the Church—
( A laugh)—inasmuch as they professed themselves loyal sub.
jests—why not put up with a tyrant majority, or why seek to
obtain possession of the majority themselves? They should,
he should say, get upon the back of the animal majority, in-
stead of remaining any longer beneath his feet, where they had
already received so much injury. They should tame him
so that a child could play with him. He did not think a mi-
nority had any right to tax a majority of the nation for reli-
gious purposes. He did not relish the idea of establishing a
religion by proclamation.—He concluded an able speech by
trusting than the meeting would not only by their voice, but
bytheir pockets, assist the laudable object they were met upon.
The Rev. Wu. MIJRCELL proposed a vote of thanks to the
Chairman, which was seconded by
Mr. CHILDS, of Bungay, who deprecated in a spirited
speech, for which we regret we have not time or space, the
course that had been pursued towards him at Bungay, during
which he drew forth the most enthusiastic cheering fromthe
meeting.

Wsles, he could say that he came from the mountains of
Wales, sent there by a constituency that could not be calculated
-•nt less than 5,000 men, not to speak certainly, but to act.
' Still, as his friend Mr. Hall had requested him to give some
information respecting the cause of dissent, he bad in his hand
- ,a paper, the contents of which were of some interest to the
Meeting. He had been sent up to the meeting of delegates
by 27 congregations. Before he left home, he addressed cir-
cUlars requesting information with regard to the voluntary
principle. Unfortunately he had got returns but from 17, but
these 17 would afford r. fair, specimen of the remainder. 01
these 17, but five existed pie‘ious to the present century.
Since that time eight of themwerc built, and two had been rebuilt
twice, at an expense of 12,000/. There were in the same neigh-
- bourhood other Dissenters, not connected with the deputation,
L, who bad erected chapels at an expense of 4,0001.; and the
, Established Church, in the voluntary way, had erected school-
s-Lars swine at the expense of 3,5001., making altogether 20,000/.
-liner hey had collected for their annual expenses, 1,470/., and for
deideotber expenses the stun of 3,000/. He could only say Chat
aletethe mountains of Wales, though bleak and barren and ext..o-ied
e to the cold blast, yet had a warm heart, and would join heartily
e,' in their efforts. Their cry for justice the mountains of Wales
• should echo back to the rallies of England, and he would only
• add that they would go on ; they had_ put their hands to the
plough, and they did not intend to look back until they had
driven to the head of the furrow.—( Loud cheers.)
The resolution was then put and carried.
Mr. M. NILLIPPS begged to intimate to that highly re-
spectable and numerous meeting, that it was not till 11 o'clock
that morning—but a few minutes before his Hon. Friend took
tie chair—that he was made aware that the meeting was
fixed for this day, and in this place. He knew not why, but
it mast have been owing to some irregularity in his constitu-
ents, that he was not sooner made aware ; but he begged to
assure them that though he appeared sin this occasion
totally unprepared to address them, yet he was prepared
with a piece of information that was infinitely more valuable
and more powerful, viz., that lie had received a petition from
:38,700 individuals in favour of the object of the meeting.—
(Loud cheers.) He bad received a petitiorr to the House of
Commons for the total abolition of Church-rates; and he
assured them that to the great principle contained in it he was
warmly attached. The Dissenters were charged by a portion of
the public press, with the desire in seeking for their rights, to
put forth their hostility to the Established Church. They
were told that in their present endeavours they gave a sample
oce infidelity. He believed he spoke in the presence of those
, ,
,who attended that meeting as delegates from one million of
• .sthe inhabitants of England ; and if that were so, how, he
.asked, could it be said that they wished to give a specimen of
infidelity ? or why should they be charged with the intention
of overthrowing the Established Church, while they only
sought the attainment of their just rights. A million of Eng-
. lishmen was rather a strange specimen of infidelity.—
(Hear, hear, hear.) He hoped they were actuated by no
such sentiments, and he saw in the disposition to
misrepresent their motives, and to call names the best proof
of a bad cause, and of the absence of all argument. He was
convinced that justice would prevail, and that truth would
conquer.—(Cheers.) He was sure that to their success una-
nimity among themselves was essentially necessary, and he
hoped gentlemen would be ready to sacrifice minor differences
in order to secure the triumph of what all so much desired.—
(Hear.) The resolution which he should propose was to the
effect that the thanks of the meeting should be given to the
• Committee of the Church-rate Abolition Society, for their
_ zeal and efficiency in discharging the duties com-
s snitted to their care.—(Cheere,) He was aware of the
services of these gentlemen, beeauCe they arranged many
• matters of detail into which a public meeting could not enter,
and to their effective co-operation should be attributed the ex-
cellence of their arrangements that day. He would not tres-
pass further upon their time than to assure them of the anxiety
. of the numerous constituency, whom, however humbly he had
the honour to represent, to aid their fellow-countrymen in the
effort to put down the grievance so much complained of, and
to procure for all classes of the community a full measure
of-religious equality and justice.—( Hear, hear, and cheers.)
The Rev, Jonas Ilueeev, a delegate from Edinburgh and
Glasgow, rose, timid great cheering, to second the resolution.
It gave him much pleasure, when he reflected on the approba-
tion which the exertioes of the Committee of the Church-rate
Abolition Society had obtained in Scotland. He visited, only
. • a few days ago, Edinburgh, and Perth, and Glasgow.--
(Laughter.) In these three places, very-large and very ef-
fective meetings had been very lately held ; and from two
out of three of these meetings he had been requested to present
their sentiments to the Churcherete Abolition Society in
England, and to induce that Society, as far as their approba-
tion could be any indueement, to go on in the career they had
so gloriously begun. If only one thing was to be touched on
at once, then he had to say that one thing was touched upon
there, which was, that they were veady to go along
with the Anti-Church-rate Society until Its labours -were
brought to a close.—( Cheers.) It was most satisfactory to
him to have heard so many Members of Parliameht address
the meeting to-day. He was glad that he had waited to
hear all of them indeed, he could have waited till every
Member of both Houses had addressed the same sentiments
to them.--( Cheers.) He was not afraid that the people
of the House of Parliament would refuse to do them justice.
(Hear.) He was glad to hear not only men from Scotland
and England representing the Rose and the Thistle uniting
their sentiments together on this great question, but he had
been glad also to hear a friend from the land of the Shamrock
offering his hearty concurrence in the principles stated. If he
was rather in too great a hurry—if Ile had made that blunder,
it was one on the right side.—(Cheers.) If the Anti-Church
Rate Society could terminate its labours without the assistance
of Parliament, but as it could not, that assistance must be re-
sorted to, and he had no doubt that it would be received.
He would say that this Society must be sustained in its
• labours; and the encouragement now given to it must sustain
it, in the meeting of so many from various parts of the king-
dom, to tell how cordially and how readily they harmonised
with it in its movements. But it might be asked, what had
the Society done to deserve thanks ? It had collected this
• raeeting.—( Hear, hear) ;—it had sent out, not its mandate,
not its despotic decree, but its advice, and that advice
had been responded to by the properly thinking —the man-
hood—the enthusiasm of this meeting.—(Much cheering.)
But the Church Rate Society had done more than assemble
this meeting ; it had assembled the Members of the House
of Commons right and left of him to address the meeting—
(Loud cheers)—and of placing the Honourable Chairman
where he was, so as to have afforded him the opportunity of
so Appropriately addressing the assembly.—( Hear, hear.) The
• last field-day in this very room had been occasioned by this
society, and so had the present, therefore he had no delicacy,
especially-as he was not a member of the committee, in giving
his cordial expression of thanks to that committee.—( Cheers. )
I have perceived (continued the Rev. Gentleman)—l do not
know why it was—perhaps I might guess the reason, that
when anything was said about Church-rates connected
with Glasgow, there appeared to be a smile on the faces of
all present—(Laughter)—there seemed to be a general feel-
ing that there was something about Glasgow that made the
connection between Church-rates and Glasgow a sort of odd
match.—(Hear, hear, and laughter.) Now, I cannot think
why Glasgow should be thus treated. It does not appear to
me that Glasgow has sunk itself, or that it ever sunk itself;
nor do I think it will ever sink itself.—( Hear, hear.) There
were days.of the olden times of the Covenant when Glasgow
and its vicinity stood high as a bulwark against ecclesiastical
.91spression.—( Cheering.) Glasgow has never sunk since, and
,to .the present moment it stands foremost in Scotland, or at
least amongst the foremost, to resist oppression. A few days
ago, when I was. in Glasgow, a petition on the subject of
tWhich this meeting has met, was put in circulation. It had
°Vgri in circulation •for two or three days ; it was still
:going its rounds, and there had been added to it fifteen
thousand names.—(" Hear, hear," and much cheering. )
15,000 names had been added to it—fcr what ?—to tell the
.;British House of Commons not to oppress their brethren in
-England, by an exaction of Church-rates. A gentleman who
bad Paid a visit, had an address presented to him with 3,000
names, which he said he intended to hand down to his family
As an leir-loom, to be kept by them to the end of time.
Compared with that, what are we to say of the petition having
received 15,000 signatures in so short a space of time? Then
what was to be done with this petition with 15,000 names—per-
haps the number might be doubled or more ? He saw a smile
upon their countenances when be spoke of this petition. If he
translated right, that smile was caused by the failure of the
attempt to Torify that city—(Loud cheers)—in order to pre-
, vent it ever thinking of Church-rates at all except to pay
them. That petition was got up, and ran to the extent he
ad stated—it-had received that number of signatures even
before the Peel box was taken down.—(Great laughter.)
The Pavilion still stood as a triumph of Toryism, yet the
petitions had circulated round it, and gathered in a •
few days no less than 15,000 signatures. It had been stated
in Glasgow in order
that the national religion is necessary
that the nation might have an opportunity of paying homage
to Christianity—then Church-rates are to be considered as an
homage to Christianity ; so said the man who once was in
Pirer--(lmmense cheering. If he were to ask the Hon.
ember for Dundalk what he thought of the homage presented to
Christianity by the coercive system in Ireland, the mind of the
* lit
"on' Gentleman would immediately revert to the mur-
•of
the Ryans. Was that an homage to Christianity ?
Were the distress warrants, and the execution of them—were
the scrits of rebellion—homage paid to Christianity ? Would
the Ae thor of Christianity, looking down from his throne of
glory and newer—what would he think of such homage, paid
to Christianity? It was such homage as was practised in
iruidical worship, when tapers were lighted to do homage to
the noonday sun ; but still there was a difference, for there
teas some analogy in that homage, but in this there was none,
ts
irii% in direct opposition to Christianity, They might make
a breed:. but would it be practicable? Let them examine it
till
they
.besi reason to hope so. When they looked at the
House of Conmons they might say that they were sure of
,t_majority.—(Louti cheers.) If they got a majority of the
uernmons, they had ii hope which lie was sure would not
rove a forlorn hope.—(Much cheering.) But they must
k beyond; and, Ise would ask, who ever turned away from
e'lllB_ Work because the heaviest end was to come ?=( Loud
eers.) They must expect this question to be discussed,
and he -hoped it would be passed by the House of Commons
oil then it would find its way to the other House.—(Cheers,
and laughter.) That House was made to keep the people in
order; it was made to cure the other House of its folly—
(Lau ht
dish (Laughter)_—and to take care that they should nourieb and
wisdom ; and he was very willing to allow, that
4'4,111 many occasions, that House had acted well its part,
e had reason to hope that oa the present occasion
tiattietyL nowould act well their part.—(Reisesaed cheering.)
ge.thes vr were they to make them do so? They Pause' or
that day, not for the pUrpose of coercion,
but to pro-
test
la against coercion.—.(Loud cheers.) He saki !hat the
Al
se o Lords should not coerce them, and it wag very natu-
that the House of Lords should say that they would not be I

The CHAIRMAN shortly returned thanks, after which the
mmense multitude quietly separated about four o'clock.

Resolution moved by Mr. WARD.
" That the exaction of a Church-rate for the support of the fa-
brics and worship of the Church of England from those who con-
scientiously dissent from its communion, is unjust, because it com-
pels them to pay for an institution from which they derive no be-
nefit ; is dishonourable to the Establishment, since it implies
a suspicion of the zeal and attachment of its members ; is unneces-
sary, because the Church possesses property originally granted for the
purpose, and now amply sufficient to maintain its buildings and its
worship. It is injurious to the interests of true religion—as it
blends worldly power with the maintenance of Christianity ; and is
unscriptural—since it is opposed to the voluntary support which is
recognised by the doctrines and principles of the New Testament,
and sanctioned by the practice of the primitive Churches. That
the imposition and exaction of Church-rates create divisions and
animosities in nearly all the parishes in the kingdom."
Second Resolution, moved by Mr. IIINOLET.
" That this meeting conceive it to be a duty devolving on them,
as citizens and Christians, to employ all lawful and constitutional
means to effect the total abolition of Church-rates. That they
would most seriously deprecate the imposition of the expenses,
hitherto defrayed by Church-rates, upon the Land Tax, the Con-
solidated Fund, or any other branch of the national revenue, be-
cause, by such a transfer, the magnitude of the evil of which they
complain would be greatly increased, as the opponents of Church-
rates would be deprived of the power they now possess--the resist-
ing the making of ,a Rate ; because the application of any portion
of the national revenue to ecclesiastical purposes would tend greatly
to embarrass the collection of the general taxation, and because it
would subject the inhabitants of Scotland and Ireland to the sup-
port of the Episcopal Church of England."

LLOYD'S SHIPPING.-(THIS DAY.

DEAL, Fan. I.—Wind S. E., light airs, and hazy.—Arrived
the Martha, Martin, from Rio Janeiro ; Columbia, Pilcher,
from the River Gambia ; Abbotsford, Baxter, from Jersey ;
Mary, Cummings, from Newport. Sailed the British Tar, for
Sierra Leone ; Nymph, for Rio Grande ; Enterprise, for To-
bago ; Socrates, for Jamaica.
PORTSMOUTH, FEB. I.—Wind S. S. W.—Arrived the Jessy,
Graham, from Sunderland; Mischief (yacht), from Marseilles
in twenty-one days. Reports that his Majesty's ships Tyne
and Orestes were on shore at Malaga, the former a total wreck.
Sailed the Turk, Penton, for Terceira.

COWES, Fan. I.—Arrived the Stratheden, Cheape, from
Calcutta—sailed Sept. 14 ; Cape, Nov. 24 ; St. Helena,
Dec. 5. Off port, the Stentor, from Valparaiso ; Grog, Alex.
ander, from Santander.

GUERNSEY, JAN. 30.—Arrived the John Jones, from St.
Michaels.

LIVERPOOL, JAN. 31.—Wind 5.5.. E., moderate.—Arrived
the Chieftain, from Paraiba; Brechin Castle, from La
Gu) ra ; and Roscoe, from New York.
HOLYHEAD, JAN. 31.—Arrived the Jesse Maria, Dunne,
from Halifax; Packet from the Mediterranean; Catherine,
Todridge, from Alicante ; and Madrid, Manners, from
Corunna.

WATERFORD, JAN. 31.—Arrived tho Wakefield, Pritcham,
'rom Charleston.

KINSALE, JAN. 30.—Arrived the Isadore, Pitt, from St.
John's, New Brunswick. .

GLOSTER, FEB. 1. —Arris ed the Hebe, Partridge, from Cadiz.
DOVER, FEB. I.—Arrived tho Troughton, Thompson, from
Honduras.

DARTMOUTH, JAN. 31.—Arrived the Dartmouth, Hamlin,
'rom Waterford, in a leaky state, having been assisted off
.he rocks.

FALMOUTH, JAN. 31.—Arrived the Manchester steamer,
from Malaga, left 17th ult. ; Gibraltar, 18 ; Cadiz, 20th ;
Lisbon, 26th, and off Oporto, 27th ; and John, Way, from
Gergenti.

CADlZ.—Arrived the Swift, Cocks, from London, bound to
Smyrna, towed in dismasted.

GRIMSBY, FEB. I.—The Marianne, from Hamburg to Rio
Janeiro, was towed into this port yesterday, having carried
away her fore-topmast, and being lightly ballasted in her
bottom, the cargo having rendered the vessel unmanageable,
she will have to discharge, by taking in more ballast.
• LOWESTOFT, FEB. I.—The Astrea; Richardson, was got off
the beach last night, and brought into harbour this morning.
A very large bowsprit, with gammon-knee attached, painted
green at the hull and white at the end, has been picked up.

The Mexico, from Liverpool to New York, is wrecked near
the latter port.
The Tarnaric, from Liverpool to New York, was on shore
near Fire Island.
The Rieto, from Hamburg to Boston, was on shore near
Highlands Ist ult.

. ,
' '• e":.J 1.1
'THE sun, LONDO-N-T-`"IIIITR;SDAI% FEBRUARY 2., 1837
'° • "

. .
clamour§ 'and attacs,of. Sir GEORGE and his party,
for prejudging the question. We believe the Govern-
'meat have come. to no resolution on the subject ; and it
is'not unlikely that when they bring their plan forward,
it will have the same fate as the appointment of the
Commissioners—it will give entire satisfaction to
neither party, and be therefore, as Lord IMELBourtNE
said on that occasion, a good plan.

The Paris Papers of Tuesday contain no intelli•
gence of any interest. The Charte of Monday night
has the following unimportant despatch as the latest
news received by the Government front Spain
The Government yesterday received the following tele-
graphic despatch, dated Narbonne, Jan. 28 :
" On the 20th, the municipality of Barcelona was replaced
by the preceding Corporation.
,General Serrano has approved
of the measures adoptel by General Parreno for the restora-
tion of order. Barcelona was quiet on the 24th, but the public
mind was not at rest. Cabrera on the 16th approached Va,
lencia with seven battalions. The rebel bands are becoming
formidable in this kingdom. The relaxed discipline of the
Queen's troops prevents them from acting. Valencia remained
undisturbed up to the 20th, thanks to the firmness of Scguesa,
the Governor. Three of the gates have been kept shut since
the 17th.' "

Letters from Bilboa of the 22d ult. state that
rumours were in circulation that Don CARLOS was
resolved to withdraw for a time out of Spain. We
attach no credit to such reports. Don CA RLOS will
leave Spain when he is driven out of it, or when the
prolongation of the contest seems to him utterly hope-
less; but no sooner. The factious could not hold out
an hour were he to quit the kingdom, now that the
Spanish Cabinet would have an opportunity of cor-
recting the mistaken notions of the peasantry respect-
ing their fueros.

The project of law proposed by Ministers, for ex-
tending the jurisdiction of Courts Martial to the trial
of conspirators for crimes against the State, is violently
.opposed in the Committees by the most influential Mem-
bers ofthe Chamber of Deputies. It has increased the
unpopularity of the KING with the Army, and if passed,
may lead to fatal consequences. Everything at pre-
sent passing in Paris would incline us to anticipate
the approach of a crisis.

PARtS, JAN. 31.—Rear-Admiral .11assieu de Clerval takes
the functions of Major-General of the Marine. It was thought
at first that he would confine himself to the command of all the
vessels employed as transports on the coast of Africa, but this
Is reserved for Admiral Hugon. A squadron of observation is
talked of, as some say, at the Balearic islands ; or, as others
believe,-on the coast of Sicily; the command of which would be
taken by M. de Clerval.

The hare, of Bayonne, announces that the telegraph has
transmitted orders to that city for the supply of clothing to the
Foreign Legion, the expense of which the French Government
takes upon itself, in consideration of the financial embarrass-
ments of the Government at Madrid.

The desertions from the ranks of the Carlists, which dimi-
nished during the siege of Bilboa, becomes more frequent
since the deliverance of that city, it is chiefly among the de.
serters from the Foreign Legion, of which the Pretender has
formed a separate corps. Five of them arrived at Bayonne
on the 25th, escorted by gendarmes.
There is a repot% of another affray on the 22d at Pampe-
lune, between the soldiers of different regiments.
On the 23d of January there was a report, but rather vague,
of a protocol relative to the affairs of Spain, which Lord Pal-
merston was said to have communicated to the French Cabinet.
It is needless to say that the letters from Madrid continue
to speak of an approaching modification of the Ministry. It is
not likely that a change so often announced will not take
place. These letters express some uneasiness respecting the
situation of Valencia and Cadiz.
The Countess Le Homo, wife of 'the Belgian Minister, pur-
chased for 371,000 francs the Hotel Roederer, in the Rue
Faubourg St. Honore, which was hired by Count Pozzo di
Borgo before lie purchased the Hotel de Blacas.--Journal du
Commerce, Jan. 31.

FRENCH kUNDS—Psnis, J. 31.
Five per Cents., 1091. lac. ICc.
fhree per Cents., 79f. 75e.
Bank Actions, 203, I. 2,4421 50c.
Rente de Naples, 9Sf. 40c. s'.c 59e.
Roman Five per Cents., 102.
Spanish Actives, 2.-pVi'2%l4.
Spanish Passives, t 1•%%.
Belgian' Loan, rive per Cents, tO3
.I"ortuguese Loan, Three per Cents, 31 30%.
EXCHANGE ON LONDON.
One month,: paper, 25c. 3nc ; money, 251.30 c.
Three mouths, paper, 25f. ; money, 251. 12%e.
—Conn if uthentiguc.

LAST PRICES.
Five per Cents.. 109 f. 15c.
Three per Cents. 79f. 70c.
Rank Actions, 2,142 f. 50c.
Rente de Naples, 9Sf, 6.5 c.
Roman Five per Vents., 10-2„
Belgian Loan,•to3.
Belgian SoCiety, 1,562 f. 50c.
Portuguese Three per Cents., :30%.
Spanish Actives, 2514.
Spanish Passives, tts,
Miguelites, I

Brussels and German Papers have been received.
The latter bring advices from Constantinople to the sth
ult. inclusive, the object of which is clearly to induce
our Government to accelerate the removal of Lord
PONSONBY from the Turkish capital. The Brussels
Papers are barren of intelligence.

!SELMAN FUNDS—BRUSSELS, JAN, 30.
Actual Debt, 2% per Cent.
Rothschild's Loan, 5 per Cent............„
Loan of Thirty Millions..... 92N
Loan 01 city, 1832. 4 per Cent lOll4
Society of Commerce, 454 per Cent 132
Bank of Belgium, S per Cent l3O
—Brussels Papers, Jan. 31.
DUTCH FUNDS.—A)uvrEanau, JAN. 30.
Actual Debt, 2 1..2 per Cent.
Do do. 5 pyr tent. ...., .... 10114
Amort Syndic C..; pet Cent.,
Do. • do. 3% per Cent.
Commercial Company, 4% per Cent 179%
New ditto.
102%
—Journal du Commerce &Anvers, Jan. 31.
AUSTRIAN FUNDS.—VIENNA, 'JAN. 23.
Five per Cents. bletalliques
Four per Cents.
99
Three per Cents.
Balk Shares 754
1`..64;,i
—4llgemeinc Zeitung, Jan. 2°.

The Manchester steamer, M'LEOD, arrived at Fal-
mouth on Tuesday last, from the Tagus, whence she
sailed on the 26th ult. We' have thus been put in
possession of intelligence from Lisbon up to the mo-
ment of her departure. The QUEEN, contrary to re-
ports previously conveyed to this country, was to open
the Cortes in person on the 27th. The rumours of a
counter-revolution had then died away, it having been
ascertained that Ministers were likely to be supported
by an overwhelming majority. Only five of the old
Nobility have been returned by the Electors---4
sufficient proof that all that has been reported here of
their amazing popularity was a_ pure invention of the
Royalists. Portugal plainly ' intimates that she sets
but a low value on lordly wisdoin; when out of
upWatds, of two liundre,cl, of • her ,old hereditary Peers
she chooses but .five,, as:worthy:to represent her in the
constitutional Conned's 'Qf :the-nation. - The five ex-
cepted Lords from the general rule of exclusion are—
FnoNTEIRA, LOULE, LUMIAJIES, TAIPA, and
FONTE ARCADA.

The QUEEN'S pregnancy is no longer considered
doubtful. The birth of an heir to the Portuguese
throne would put an end to the intrigues which cer-
tain designing courtiers are actively carrying on in
every corner of the kingdom. It would also tend to
terminate scenes in the Palace which cannot be sup-
posed to contribute to the happiness of the most dis-
tinguished members of the Royal Family.
There were rumours in circulation in Lisbon of an
entire change being likely to take place in the diplo-
matic corps, but we cannot vouch for their correctness,
neither are we acquainted with the source whence they
emanated. We shall therefore take no further notice of
reports, which,
if true, are not, politically speaking, of
much importance; but which, whether or no, may turn
out to have no foundation in fact.
A Royal Decree for the organization of the Army
has been issued. The entire military force is to con-
sist of thirty battalions of infantry, and six regiments
of cavalry. The infantry will comprise a force of
24,000 strong, and the cavalry a body of between 6,000
and 7,000. The difficulty of maintaining such a force
in the present paralysed state of the national resources
cannot be overcome but by the greatest exertions of
the Cortes. In our opinion so great an army is dispro-
portioned to the wants of the country. Five thousand
cavalry and fifteen thousand infantry, well disciplined
and appointed, ought to be more than a sufficient force
to preserve the internal tranquillity of Portn2al, 4rici to
check every movement e,c I..ciender MIGUEL.
Mcqe wcre six En,lish and two French ships of
war in the Tagus when the steamer sailed on the 2t4th
ult.—Lisbon wastraquil, anA appearo to