The Sun.
London, England, 1840-05-28 00:00:00

at the latter, because there was always suffici-
ent of good to be performed and evil prevented.
He bailed with sincere satisfaction the letter from
his Holiness the Pope, as it would cause the Catholic
clergy to exert themselves in upholding an Institution
which was so highly sanctioned, and was calculated to do
so much good. It would be presumptuous in him to oc-
cupy more of the time of the meeting—there was vet
much business to be done, and many speakers to address
them, and among them that liberal-minded man who was
to be found connected with every society that had truth
and justice for its object, and the weak for its protection.
—(Great cheering. )—The Noble Lord concluded by
moving the resolution.
The Hon. CHARLES CLIFFORD seconded the resolution.
The very able manner in which the Report had been laid
1 before the meeting by the Noble Lord left him but very
little to do. On the present occasion he had received his
instructions to address the meeting since he had entered
that room, and seeing himself surrounded by so many
Noble Peers and those more calculated than himself to
do justice to the cause, he felt it was almost presump-
tion on his part to address the meeting. Ho felt that pre-
sumption increased in consequence of the presence of one
who, through evil and good report, had ever shown him-
self one of the greatest and proudest champions of the
religion he professed—( Cheers)—and who in the hour of
trial stood forth as her champion, amid the scorn of all.
--(Cheers.) He (Mr. Clifford) had the most earnest
wish for the prosperity of the Institute, and he stood there
to deny the assertion that had been made by a Noble
Peer in Exeter Hall with respect to that religion.—
( Cheers.) He stood there to meet that Noble Lord with
the only argument which his religion afforded, namely,
the argument of feeling and of charity.—( Cheers.) He
stood there, a member of the present Institute, prepared
to meet vituperation by sound religion and charity, and he
was prepared to show that the religion he professed, and
to which he was devoted, was not that abomination which
it had been represented.—( Cheers.) But to come to the
good which the present Institute had done in his own
country; since he had known that country his own chap
lain had had 32 miles to ride to a brother priest; but
what was the case now ? Why, he could collect round him
dosens of his reverend brethren.—(Cheers.) He would
intreat the Society to go on in the good work they had
begun, for be would tell them in the face of Exeter Hall,
and in the presence of the champions of his faith, that the
more they poured the oil of Catholic charity into the gob-
let.—the more easily they could circulate Catholic tracts,
for they would then be the more certain to baffie
every attempt made against them by those who were
anxious to uproot their religion.—(Cheers.) They had
lately seen an awful visitation inflicted upon one who per-
haps was misguided. He alluded to what had taken
place at Exeter Hall, where an individual was called to
the presence of his God while he was assailing the creed
which they professed. Such a circumstance created a
feeling of awe. He was glad that the Society distri-
buted tracts, for he was sure their distribution would
do great good. He had seen in the country in
which he resided a honest yeoman, who knew as much
about tho Catholics as a dancing master did of a sack of
wheat, calling out against his creed, and then afterwards
telling him that having read such and such a pamphlet,
he was undeceived.—( Cheers.) The faith of the Catholic
might be compared to the adamantine rock—amid all times
it remained unchanged and unchangeable.—( Cheers.)
They had among them that day a Right Reverend Prelate
from Nen York, and he trusted that in such a presence he
had not allowed a single word to escape him unworthy a
Christian, or which would militate against the spirit
which united the Catholics,—( Cheers.) He should be
unworthy of the property he held, were he not the ad-
vocate of the religion of his ancestors, all of whom had
lived, and died, and suffered in that faith.—(Cheers.) He
was in perfect unison with the ebject of the present Insti-
tute, and though in the present day great good had boon,
and would continue to be done, still they would leave those
behind them who would see more effectually than they
would the great works that would result from the Ca-
tholic Institute. The Hon. Gentleman concluded by
seconding the resolution.
The CHAIRMAN then put the resolution to the meeting,
and declared it to be carried unanimously.
The Rev. Mr. Sem moved the next resolution. He
bad had placed in his hands a resolution, which, judging
from what he had heard that day in favour of the successors
of St. Peter, would be responded to with most heartfelt
gratitude. The resolution he had to propose was—
" That with feelings of the deepest interest and most
lively gratitude and attachment to the Holy See, the In-
stitute humbly beg to offer to our Holy Father, Pope
Gregory the Sixteenth, their most dutiful and respectful
acknowledgments for the letter which his Holiness has
been pleased to address to the Right Hon. the Earl of
Shrewsbury, the President of the Institute, approving of
the same, and imparting his Apostolical benediction to its
members, and that an Address to the Holy Father, in
accordance with this resolution, be prepared by the Com-
mittee, and presented to his Holiness by the President."
He felt it to be a high honour in an assembly like the pre-
sent, and upon an occasion like the one they were now
met to celebrate, to have placed in his hands such a reso-
lution. The name of Gregory was auspicious to them ;
it was derived from a Greek word signifying vigilance ;
and certainly Pope Gregory had shown himself most vigi-
lant and thoughtful of his distant children.—(Cheers.)
He had said that the name of Gregory was auspicious ; it
was so 1100 years ago. The Rev. Gentleman then pro-
ceeded to take a review of the state of the Catholic
Church from the olden times, and quoted from the works of
Bale, Matthew of Westminster, and others, to show that
the Roman Catholic religion, instead of being what had
been represented, was a religion of love and charity, and
one that was universally adopted both by high and low
until later times. The Rev. Gentleman then proceeded
to remark upon the great works accomplished by succeed-
, ing Popes, especially Gregory XIII., who bad not only
, established English Colleges for instruction, but also
Scotch and Irish, and who had also been remarkable for
altering the Calendar. It was a disgrace to this country
to have allowed 150 years to have passed before it adopted
that alteration, simply because the suggestion came from
a Pope. As he bad risen for the purpose of moving a
reply to the Pope, he thought it was but right that he
should put the meeting in possession of the admirable
letter which his Holiness had written. It was written to
the Esrl of Shrewsbury, the President of the Institute,
and was to the folloiing effect :
" To our beloved son, John, Earl of Shrewsbury, Piesi.