The Sun.
London, England, 1854-01-10 00:00:00

THE PROTESTANT ALLIANCE.

A deputation from the Protestant Alliance had an in-
terview with the Earl of Clarendon` at the Foreign -arias
yesterday evening, to present a memorial adopted at the
public meeting lately held upon the subject of the liberty
Qf British Protestants in foreign countries in respect to
the exercise of their religion.
The deputation consisted of the following gentlemen :
—The Earl of Shaftesbury, the Hon. A. Kinnaird, M.P., I
Sir J. Dean Paul, Bart., Mr. T. Chambers, M.P., the
Hon. Captain F. Maude, Admiral Vernon Harcourt,
Captain John Trotter, General M'lnnes, Mr. T. L.
Donaldson, Colonel Alexander, Mr. P. O'Malley, Q.C.,
the Rev. Dr. Cumming, Mr. J. Cook Evans, the Rev.
W. Chalmers, the Rev. Dr. Thomson, Mr. John
Bridges, the Rev. Dr. it;
--nney, Mr. R. B. Seeley, the
Rev. W. H. Rule, Mr. J. Clulow Rigg, the Rev. T.
Nolan, Mr. J. Ballance, Mr. James Spicer, Mr. R. J.
Snape, Mr. J. Macgregor, and Captain Giberne.
The Earl of SHAFTESBURY having introduced the de-
putation, proceeded to read the memoNal, which enun-
ciated the opinions of the association, and called for the
interference of the Government in regard to the perse-
cution of Protestants in Roman Catholic countries.
The Earl of CLARENDON said, the very important me-
morial would receive his best attention, and that he
would communicate with his colleagues respecting it.
The deputation could not expect him at the present
moment to discuss the several particulars therein al-
luded to ; but he would say one word with respect
to Portugal, as he had thought it a matter of justice to
the Government of that country to make inquiries
after what had been stated. When the meeting of the
Protestant Alliance was held lately in Freemasons'-
hall, he (Lord Clarendon) was of course not inat-
tentive to what took place. The answer to his inquiries
was one we all, he thought, should be pleased with—
namely, that although there were severe enactments in
Portugal on the subject of religion, they were not now
put in practice. He referred to a despatch lately received
from Sir Richard Pakenham, in which it was stated
that British Protestants were not in the least inter-
fered with in the freest exercise of their religion,
although it must be confessed that the Roman Ca-
tholic religion being the religion of the State, any dis-
sent from it was regarded with disapproval ; nor could
the people view with friendly eyes any active system
of proselytism. As to Tuscany, what was said in the
memorial was perfectly true and just. He (Lord Claren-
don) did not think we should have any cause to com-
plain again there had been that manifold and earnest
expression of Protestant opinion which could not but
produce the best effects ; on the part of the Govern-
, meat, nothing should be left undone in thoie matters
with respect to which the prevailing and proper, opinion
had been expressed.
The Earl of SHAFTESBURY remarked, that the deputa-
tion could not possibly expect his Lordship to say more.
The Earl of CLARENDON observed, that even in our
own statute books there were laws upon the subject of
religion without doubt severe, but happily quite obso-
lete ; he believed that there were equally severe laws in
the Portuguese code, and, if such were put in practice,
there would at once be good grounds to justify our
remonstrance.

The deputation, having thanked his lordship grate-
fully for his kind reception and attention, then withdrew.