The Sun.
London, England, 1836-10-19 00:00:00

to urge them on in that career which would be for tflre
benefit of the people, and which it was most necessary the
them to pursue, in order that they should remain at
head of the Government. He, and those who like hi m
had a peep behind the scenes, and knew how the actor!
worked, were aware of the great difficulties by which their
cause was surrounded ; and it was their duty to inform an
instruct the people that it was upon themselves they trat4
rely. All would remember that the first proposition that;
was put forth was by Lord Althorp, for the purpose
of commuting the Church-rates, and placing _them 1111°n
the Consolidated Fund ; in fact, taking them from the con-
trol of the people and placing them upon a fund over
which they had no control whatever. That was worse,
and he and a few friends to the cause then had given
it their most strenuous opposition, which then prevailed ;
and happy he was that it was so, for he always had been
of opinion that no man should be called upon to pal for
the teacher of another.—(Loud cheers.) The Dissenters
had waited with most exemplary patience, giving Ministers
credit for good intentions, and fully believing that last ses-
sion they would bring forward good measures for their re-
lief. He (Mr. H.) had been one of those who upon a
former occasion had advised them to wait ; and on the open,"
ing of last session, when the measures of the session were
announced, and when he found that the Dissenters were•
neglected, he not only loudly, but often urged the necessity
of their still bringing forward measures for the relief of the
Dissenters. He would take that opportunity of stating that
his decided opinion was, that no distribution of the revenues
of the Church should have been made, until the Dis-
senters had been relieved—(Loud cheering)—and that
was the ground upon which he had opposed all the four
Church Bills of last Session, and that was the ground ea
which he would persevere in his opposition to the
last. Being overruled by better advice, he and his friends
had contented themselves by entering their protest ae•ainst-
the measure, by forcing on a division. He trusted° that
Ministers would be prepared, by the beginning of the ensu-
ing Session, to propose such measures as would give prac-
tical relief to the Dissenters. He did not, however, think
that Ministers were able to do so, unless the opinion of
the country was clearly demonstrated to be in their favour.
Many of the most valuable members of the Established
Church were in favour of the Dissenters, and most anxious
to have their grievances redressed. And why should they
not ? Was it possible to look to Ireland, the' most ne-
glected portion of the empire, and yet Ireland had been
relieved from the pressure of Church-rates.—(Cheers.)
How had that been accomplished? Not by sitting down
quietly and peaceably, but by agitation, and thus in spite
of Parliament and the House of Lords, that stop to all
improvement—(Much laughter)—lreland had been re-
lieved. If, therefore, the Irish had obtained that relief,
what reason was there why the English Dissenters should
be still oppressed. If Scotland also was in a great measu re
relieved of that burden (for there were only two town's'
Edinburgh and Montrose, in which Church-rates were
levied) why should not their brethren in England
be relieved from this most unjust impost.—(Cheers.) 11°
(Mr. Hume) was one who believed that it never was
tended that the Dissenters should be compelled to support
the Established Church when the property which the
Church now held was first bestowed upon it. Let the Es-
tablishment fall back upon its resources and he (Mr. Hume)
would be bound that that property which had been stated
by their Chairman at three millions, but which he believed
would be found to come near to five millions, would be
found amply sufficient for the repair and decoration of
their edifices.—(Cheers.) He would venture to say that
if they went back to the history of the great accumula-
tion of Church property, it would be found that it never
was contemplated that these repairs should come out of any
other fund than the tithes.—(Hear.) The fact was, they
had grown into their present condition, and it was their
duty to use their most strenuous, and, at the same time,
constitutional efforts to relieve themselves.—(Hear, hear.)
The Reform Bill had conferred many advantages upon the
people, and it was because he (Mr. Hume) felt that his
Majesty's present Ministers were the greatest obstacle to
any change in the principle of that measure, that he gave
them his support. They would be shocked perhaps to
learn the sentiments uttered by their opponents, and that,
he regretted to say, without comment, in the presence of a
dignitary of the Establishment, the Archbishop of Canter-
bury. In speaking of the relief of the Dissenters, a Rev..
Gentleman, a Mr. Hornbuckle, stated at Maidstone that'
they were leagued with heretics, Papists, and revolutionists,
to overturn the Church,—(Laughter and cheers.) He
(Mr. Hume) was so shocked, that he wrote to the Editor
of the paper at Maidstone. to obtain the most correct ac-
count of What had been really said, and he found the report
was but too correct. It was evident that there were many
clergymen like Mr. Hornbuckle, with more zeal than judg-
ment, and who could very eloquently expatiate upon the great
advantages derived to the Church from the introduction of
wealthy families. In this instance it appeared that they
had let out the cloven foot, and although they had religion
eternally in their mouths, it was from documents like the
present that their true character could be known,..—(Hean
hear.) He called upon every Dissenter in the community
who had the spirit of an Englishman no longer to submit t°
this most odious impost, but to resist it by every means in
their power, and thus at length compel his Majesty to bring
the question forward. He would not say that Ministers
would be able to carry a Bill for the relief of Dissenters!
but they would thus put the matter to the test, and sbos
who really were and who were not the representatives of
the people. He (Mr. Hume) had told Lord John Russell
in his place that he had not acted prudently in disappoint-
ing the hopes of the Dissenters, and the answer he re-
ceived was that he (Mr. Hume) appeared to feel more
strongly upon the subject than the Dissenters them-
selves.—(Hear, hear.) His (Mr. Hume's) reply was, that
Lord John Russell would find himself very much mista-
ken—that the Dissenters had given him credit for an an-
xiety to relieve them, but they now found that he was net
prepared to alter the plan which Lord Althorp had intend-
ed to submit on the subject. The present meeting be
(Mr. Hume) took to be the beginning of the test, and 110
considered it the school to teach Ministers, not what the
Dissenters of London, but of all England, expected from
them.—(Hear, hear.) They required no such language or
conduct as that pursued by their opponents. They would
obtain their ends by moderation and good temper. Front
Mr. Hornbuckle's statement it appeared that "
fidels, Papists, Dissenters, and Destructionalista;
were seeking the destruction of the Establisher;
Church, in order more easily to subvert all the institutions ol
the State."—(Laughter.) He (Mr. Hume) proclainll
that to be a libel on the Dissenters—(Hear, heart
such was the language used in the year 1793. it t"'"
then said, " Touch not a stone ; meddle not with this or
with with that, for the taking away of one particle Wet",
throw us all into confusion." He (Mr. H. admitten
that he was one of those troublesome persons who were
not satisfied—it was his duty, and it was the duty .°f
every man who took part in public life, to endeavour DoY,
every means in his power to relieve his fellow citizens ;
the burthens by which they were oppressed. One of the
greatest aduantages of the Reform Bill was, that it tnan_.,
every man reflect upon what was good and what Wr;
bad, and to endeavour by every means in his P°,
to conduce to the happiness of society. UnfortunaLei;Jo,
many would recollect the case of the tradesman Svc
having ventured to give an opinion of a liberal tendon o
7
was told to attend to his shop and leave those mattersre
his betters. He would now call upon all those who 11,0
present to come forward in support of the great prinel jt
for which they were contending, and make religion whab_„a
was intended to be, instead of a continual source of turf
and dissension. He maintained that Englishmen had _,
much right to be relieved from this impost as Scotsoll:f
or Irishmen. There were ample means at the disP?sa di..
the Established Church to repair and decorate their eat
fices—it was not for him or for that meeting to poilltif it
et
the sources from which this money should come—but, the
was left to him (Mr. Hume), he would speedily
means—(Laughter). Whether the House of Lords nu,
If the
sented to such a measure was nothing to them.
itioa
House of Commons did its duty, and that any opPo'h for
was thrown in its way, it would be then time enong • )
(Cheerreb•
them to enforce what was just and right.---% ees to
All they demanded was a relief from those grievance
which they had no right to sustain. There was. be one
tempt at spoliation which he (Mr. Hume) would not o
contelld
of the first to protest against ; and he would A.ers to
toat it was most iniquitous to compel the Dissent' oe
support an institution to which they did not belong• offer
would entreat of the Dissenters to reject everyaot at
at commutation—let the relief be unconditional, or ort its
all.—(Cheers.) Let the Established Church suPPtisfied,
own institutions, and the Dissenters would, he vvalstt 000.
take care of their own.—(Continued cheers.) lne
Gentleman then moved the resolution. 401 to
The Rev. JOHN BURNETT had been reque,er for
second the resolution of the Honourable Memo' when
Middlesex. That Hon. Gentleman was not awatro 001'
stating the views of some individuals opposed
taken the
that the Times newspaper of that morning had ,„do of
very same view of their proceedings, and then,
ellyor"ded--•
prophecy—for they prophecied as well r the
(Laughter)—that such was to be the characterto
supper.,
meeting to-day. Those who had a bad causef
rt
tiler(' if
did not inquire into facts—it was sufficient
do therefore,
they could support the views of their party ;an of toi
taking time beforehand, they state that thenletcloui%bine
day was to be composed of radicals and infidels,men„ from a
to pull down the Church. Such was the state L,
i tne
correspondent of the
dicals being determined to allow the land no re
.3---Le "'was o
ter)—lt appeared from this, that no resting Tinges, who commenced=se sugto
"Hear, le ot
earnest that something must be done—, _ens
be had until good was done, and this, therefore7giao%.f, Lr'e,
pnorommsottairntginaggtithaetiosnubjandcdt oefuCithinagrehdiscßoantteesata!, a
1v
promoting tbas