The Sun.
London, England, 1836-05-27 00:00:00

UNITARIAN ASSOCIATION.

The friends of the British and Foreign Unitarian Asso-
ciation dined together on Wednesday at the London Tavern.
The company was of the 'most respectable description, and
so numerous as completely to fill the great room. In the
morning a meeting was held, according to annual custom,
in Essex-street, for the dispatch of business, prior to which
an exceedingly powerful and able address was delivered by
the Rev. Dr. Armstrong.
Mr. M. Philips, M.P., was to have presided as chairman
at the dinner, but it was announced that he was so unwell
as not to be able to attend, in consequence of which the
Rev. Mr. Aspland was voted into the chair.
The cloth having been removed,
The CHAIRMAN, in giving the first toast, remarked that
these were good times, for they were times in which honest
Protestant Dissenters and Reformers could indulge in
loyalty. He felt pleasure in giving as a toast •' The King."
The CHAIRMAN, in giving the next toast, said it was a
sentiment that had been so frequently uttered in that room,
that he feared many considered it as a mere form ; he was
apprehensive that there were many who professed it with-
out understanding anything of its import, and without feel-
ing anything of its spirit.—( Hear, hear.) There were cer-
tainly persons who by their recent conduct had shown, that
though they avowed themselves friendly to the principles of
civil and religious liberty, nevertheless did not understand
the first principles of religious liberty.—(Cheers.) Ile
gave " Civil and religious liberty, and might it be not merely
a text in the mouth, but a rule of action, mid especially
among Protestant Dissenters."—(Cheers.)
The CHAIRMAN then said that they had not met as poli-
ticians, but at the same time they were Englishmen, and
as Englishmen they knew their rights, and were determined
to assert them. They were Protestant Dissenters, and as
Protestant Dissenters bad long endured great wrongs.
They had become alive, however, to a sense of their rights,
and he believed that they were i❑ a fair way of obtaining
them.—(Cheers.) For this improvement in the state of
their affairs they were not a little indebted to the common-
sense of the public. They had received the support in the
first place of the people of England—always excepting cer-
tain classes of Protestant Dissenters.—(Laughter.) In the
second place, be did believe that they were much indebted
to his Majesty's present Ministers, as well as to the great
and noble party by whom they were supported in the midst
of their difficulties. He was proud to confess, for one,
that having watched public affairs with great interest for
many years, he never knew a period when it appeared
to him they were more indebted to an Administration, or
when an Administration was better entitled to their confi-
dence than that which at the present moment had the con-
duct of the public affairs.—(Cries of " Hear.") Ile
knew what they had to contend with, both within and with-
out, and he thought that they ought to make an allowanee for
them, for certainly they were placed in circumstances of un-
precedented trouble. They all knew what the feelings of the
House of Commons were, almost without exception, they
knew the temper and character of the House of Lords,
and they knew also the rabid temper of 'a portion of that
House towards the House of Commons. But with all
their difficulties Ministers were going on—rather too
slowly, perhaps, in some people's estimation—still they were
going on, and for his part, he thought the clamour which
had been raised against them was suggested either by self-
interest or by downright ignorance. (Cheers.) They had
taken under their protection—he should rather say that
they had received the assistance of one man, whose cha-
racter was very differently estimated in the three countries.
But, as was said by his Rev. friend (Dr. Armstrong) this
morning, the great agitator, who was held in so much
horror in this country by a certain party, was growing in
the esteem and confidence of that people, who, heretofore,
were the most suspicious of him and averse to him—
( Hear, hear.) He called on them, then, to pledge his
Majesty's Ministers as a pledge of their adherence to the
cause of liberty—liberty in its best and fullest sense—
liberty not to be nibbled away by legal technicalities—but
liberty, full liberty, equal liberty to all.—(Cheers.) He
would give them then, " His Majesty's Ministers, and might
they not stop in the course of Reform, while a single real
grievance remained to the Protestant Dissenter, to the
Roman Catholic, or to the Jew."—(Cheering.)
The Rev. Dr. ARMSTRONG'S health having been drank,
that gentlemen returned thanks in a long and eloquent
speech, in which he maintained the right of all to act, in
matters of religion', according to the dictates of their con-
. science.

Dr. CARPENTER'S health having been drunk, he stated
that the Town-Council of Bristol had agreed to a petition
in favour of the Jews by a majority of forty-six to four.
Two years ago not a single individual could be induced to
sign such a petition. The Conservatives in this Ton
Council were now four to a majority of Reformers of forty-
six. The Tories, it seemed, not content with the defeat,
brought the question forward a second time, and the
numbers were then fifty in its favour, and five against it.
Several other toasts were given. Amongst the speakers
were Mr. Robinson, the Rev. T. Wood, Mr. R. Phillips, &c.