The Sun.
London, England, 1840-03-20 00:00:00

lo the ground.—(Cheers.) They surely must be joking— f
they could not be in earnest in thus maligning their own
members. The fact was, they knew the system to
be bad, and that the good members of their own body
wou:cl not support it unless compelled by Act of Perlis-
ment.—(Circers. ) Religion had nothing to do with the
question. What man was ever made religious by Act of
Parliament ? The fact was, it was purely a financial
question : they were told of the enlargement of the views
and faculties of man, but the Church attempted to prevent
that enlargement, and to crush those faculties. The Irish
had been relieved from vestry cess. The Scotch had
been relieved from ecclesiastical oppression. In Canada
the clergy reserves were to be divided equally among
men of all parties, and was England alone of all those
countries over which Victoria wielded her generous sceptre,
to be told that she had got to the full measure of her
stature—that she was never to extend her faculties far-
ther—that the Church would stop her onward progress;
and that as her resources extended her ecclesiastical
chains must extend with them.—(Cheers.) Some had
said they stood forsvard as Churchmen, others as Dissen-
ters ; he stood forward as a Briton, and as a Briton he
would not submit to this. In support of these principles
he was prepared to die; not wielding carnal weapons, but
spiritual ones, mighty for good ; not wielding the sword
of persecution, but rather falling before it ; never succumb-
ing to injustice, and if ne voice were raised against it, still
he would raise his voice, but it should be the voice of
charity ; if no hand were held up against these proposals,
still lie would hold up his hand, but it should be the hand
of protest.—(Loud cheers.) This proposition of the
Hon. Baronet would tend to evil, that zeal to which he
feared to trust, into indifference, because he would not
trust it, and those who on the voluntary principle would
be the first to come forward in support of the cause
of the extension of religion, would stand aloof. If
the Chancellor of the Exchequer were called on to
bring forward the religious with the Army and Navy
Estimates, the country would be up and doing in this
question. Theirmeeting wouid give a tone to the expres-
sion of opinion from East and from West, from North and
from South, and would unite the energies of all the
kingdom in opposition to this grant, with the exception
of the Dissenting few who attached themselves to the
financial Church.--(Loud cheers,)
The resolutions were then put and carried unanimously.
Mr. DAVENPORT, in rising to propose that a petition
founded on those resolutions be presented to the House of
Commons, said that these claims of the ultra-Church party
tended to make all property insecure, and that if acceded
to they would not stop until they had a Church and a
parsonage house at every mile-stone, with a constable at-
tached to the same to enforce the attendance of a con.
gregation.—( Cheers and laughter.)
Mr. C. G. METCALFE seconded the resolution, which
was put and carried unanimously.
Mr. RUNDLE, M.P., in a short speech, proposed that
the thanks of the meeting be given to his Royal Highness
the Duke of Sussex, for his kindness in taking the Cnair,
and for the manner in which he had conducted the pro-
ceedings of the meeting.
Mr. C. E. SMITII, in seconding the resoluticn, stated
his happiness in being able to bear testimony to the Chris-
tian and mild manner in which this question had been dis-
cussed by Mr. 111'Neile, at the Hanover-square Rooms.
The thanks of the meeting were then voted to his Royal
Highness, by acclamation.
The Duke of SUSSEX, in returning thanks for the com-
pliment which had been just paid him, could not retire
without taking a cursory view of what had passed during
the day. In the first place, theet had heard a variety of
i opri ions from a variety of persons, every one of whom had
spoken fully and forcibly his sentiments as a member of the
Catholic Church. He used this term Catholic in its
Greek sense, the meaning of which was universal. Those
who had spoken their opinions on this subject had put for-
ward those arguments which struck themselves most for-
cibly, and those arguments had been applauded by othe.s
who thought them the most effective. This was all proper,
and when from these different arguments they all came to
the same conclusion—when putting all their votes together
they found that, with one exception, they were all of the
same opinion—tie could not but think that the work was
well done. He was happy to have heard what the Hon.
Baronet had thought it right to say relative to the tone of
the lectures at the Hanover-square Rooms, because, having
read many effusions of that Rev. Gentleman on a variety
of occasions, he did lament to see them all characterized
by that bitterness and that spirit of persecution which must
be painful to every religious and moral mind which was
desirous of cultivating the love of God, peace and good-
will toxards mankind.—(Cheers.) He was glad that an
opportunity bad been afforded that Rev. Gentleman to prove
that he could contain himself within the bounds of rea-
son and argument—of calmness and of charity, and he
trusted that experience having taught him that the man-
ner in which he had hitherto conducted himself was not
one delcule.ted to secure him a favourable reception in this
metropolis—lie trusted he would not, when he went into
the country, lose caste by preaching such doctrines and in
such a manner as he felt he could not do before the inha-
bitauts of London. He had no enmity to that Reverend
Gentleman—he respected the religious opinions of every
man, because he would allow no man to interfere with his
own—but he could not bear to see, under the garb of reli-
gion, opinions promulgated, suited only to the darkest ages,
and brought forward solely for political purposes—conduct
such as this was producing a curse to the world, and
misfortune to the country.—(Cheers ) Ile felt deeply
on this subject. He did not wish to enter into any theo.
logical disputations, but he felt convinced that a little
common-sense and common justice would sec through the
gross deceptions which were attempted to be practised on
this subject. There. was the question of Socialism, for
instance—that was a question that ought not to be enter-
tained by the House of Peas.—( Loud cheers.) What
was a Government? A Government was an association to
which the people gave up certain of their liberties in or-
der to be protected. In the free exercise of certain ether
liberties it was the duty of the Government to protect the
people, and to preserve the public peace either by mea-
sures of prevention, or, if a disturbance of that
peace had commenced, by putting a stop to it.
Thank God, we had now a liberal Government—(Loud
cheers), and when they took power, what did they pro-
fess? They stated that the laws they had were amply suffi-
cient, if properly executed ; and that they should never
apply for any extension of their powers, unless something
unforeseen—something that could never have beer, calcu.
lewd upon, should rease—( Cheers.) Now, look at the
question of Socialism. Did not the laws, as they stood,
put a cheek upon it. • One of the accusations against So-
cialism was, that it encouraged promiscuous intercourse.
Now, what was the law upon that subject? Why, that
illegitimate children, although they might possess personal
property, could not have any real property granted to
them. On this point, therefore, there was a ready check
in the law. What would a moral man say on this point?
There were various opinions on the subject of
religion. He considered religion to be the highest pos-
sible degree of morality with the additional sanction of
Divine authority.—( Loud cheers.) Any honest and up.
right man who lived happily with his wife, would avoid
persons living in the manner of the Socialists; they would,
in fact, be scouted from society. Thus the law afforded a
check, and the moral condition of society afforded a check.
However, it had been attempted to work upon their m'mds,
that there existed some necessity for legislative measures.
He was one of those who deemed that motion most
officious, and most ill-timed.—(Loud cheers.) If it
sought to produce under that sort of pretence an itiquis:-
torial operation, that was the real object of it. If the
question had been left to itself, the Magistrate might
have taken order for it, and the public be none
the wiser. He had not mixed much in public of
late, but he heard a great deal of what was going on.
Now, what had been the effect of this debate in the House
of Lords? Why, one publisher of a Socialist paper, who
stated that, before that debate, he did not sell more than
twenty-five or thirty copies of the paper, now sold from
thirteen to fourteen hundred. This statement would show
how these things worked.—(Cheers.) With regard to
the Education Question last year, he had fully intended to
take an active part in it. Reasons, which he could not
now explain, had induced him to alter his determination.
He was glad to observe the dignity of language and de-
corousness of demeanour which had been observed through.
out that debate ; and as the weapons which he
must have used, had he taken part in it,
could have been those of ridicule and satire,
he did not so much regret his having been prevented from
attending. If the question should come on this Session,
and the state of his health would allow, he should un-
doubtedly take a share in the discussion.—(Loud cheers.)
The time the motion was made, the pang which had been
given him in consequence, he had never since ceased to
feel. The speeches, to which he had listened with delight,
were calculated to furnish matter of reflection to all ; and
the sentiments embodied in the petition must work an
effect in producing that which they all so ardently desired,
" Glory to God in the highe t, peace upon earth, and
good will to mankind." He should not consider the
hours which he had spent at that meeting as ill-
spent time ; and he trusted they would depart in good
feeling and kind disposition, one towards the other, and
notwithstanding any little shades of difference, he trusted
they would never lose sight of the great question. He
was anxious that his opinion, with respect to religious
establishments, should be fully understood by the meeting,
because he believed he expressed that opinion rather dif-
ferently from other people. With regard to religious
establishments, he considered a Church to be a religious
congregation who bind themselves together in one common
feeling with retard to certain opinions—who agree with
each other as to certain facts, and who agree to be go-
verned by certain rules. So long as any one agrees in
the generally received opinions of the congregation,
he acts up to them, and continues a member of it—
as soon as he differs from them, he respectfully
makes known to them that difference, and if the congrega-
tion say he is in error he retires; if on the other hand any
member acts contumaciously, and breaks the peace of the
Society, he would be read out—that was his opinion with
regard to religious congregations. He believed there were
no Quakers present—he did not wish to speak disrespect-
fully of any member of that Society, but they all knew
what was meant by a Wet Quaker—one who did not con-
form r,gidly to the rules and discipline of the Society.
In another Society he m'ght be a very worthy
man, and it did not follow that because lie ceased
to be a member of the congregation that lie
ofosocicty
should therefore cease to be a
therefore let them keep their little •
them-
selves, to be explained
great occasions, let
usefuld'mffeermeibiceers
meeting houses ; but when theyhnaidet on
when in their own chapels and
said, that they were
them recollect, as Mr. Burnett.
and, as Christians end
Britons, that they were Christians
them l His
the 1 -
the platform amidst entoi-
Royal Highness then left .
eeting,which continued unabated
Britons, they would carry the wo'rlad before•
siastie applause of the m
during
his way to his carriage he was greeted with repeated
the time of his progress through the Hall, and on
bursts of applause from the bystanders.
Themeeting separated -
at half spast four o'clock. The
table in the anteroom, on which the petition was laid,
was surrounded by a crowd of persons waiting to sign it.
A collection was made at the doors in furtherance of the
objects of the meeti. g.

The Earl and conntera of Essex will return to
Cashiubury twit week, untill after Easter.