The Sun.
London, England, 1841-04-10 00:00:00

MORN ING EDITION

THE PUSEYITE_CONTROVERSY.

friends, once more, from my heart I thank y
(Loud applause.)
The Bishop then implored the Divine benediction,
and the meeting broke up a little betore nine o'clock.

(Abridged from the Leeds Intelligencer, a Tory Journal.)
[The following account appears rather late in our
pages, but it is so necessary to complete the picture and
the history of the controversy now raging on the
Church, and it exhibits the party spirit of the priest-
hood in such a clear light, that we shall gratify our
readers by inserting it. Dr. Hook, our readers will
be aware, is a Puseyite, and they will admire the de-
cency of the clergy in thanking him after the Bishop
had been obliged to call him to order.]
On Wednesday evening the Anniversary Meeting of
the Leeds District Society for the Promotion of Chris-
trian Knowledge, was, held in the Music-hall, Albion-
street, Leeds, and was very numerously attended.
The Lord Bishop of Ripon presided ; and amongst
the clergy and laity present were the Venerable and
Reverend J. R. Wilberforce, Archdeacon of the East
Riding ; the Rev. Dr. Hook, Vicar of Leeds ; the
Rev. Dr. Holmes, Master of the Free Grammar
School ; and a great number of other clergymen and
gentlemen.

IMPORTANT STATE PAPER.
DESPATCH FROM PRINCE METTERNICH TO
COUNT DE BOMBELLES, AT BERNE.
b e n Vc
ol INv Ne
nAe' dFaEtS.B2cr7n,
Berne
and,l .—An extraordinarynur
opinion,
the Dietqnhe
sa
tion upon which it has to decide is the most important of
any which the Diets of the Confederacy have had to treat
on since the regeneration of Switzerland in the year 1815,
for it will depend upon the decisions of this meeting
whether the compact which forms the bond of union be-
tween the Swiss cantons from that date is to be looked
upon as still subsisting, or as extinct.
" Such, in fact, and no other, is the position of the
question. One of the members of the League has been
culpable in a notorious material violation of it. Some of
the cantons who entered into the covenant in common with
Argovia complain of its having been transgressed by the
Ist er canton, and call upon the collected body of the
confederacy to enforce the fulfilment of the dispositions of
the cover-man since, at the same time that it imposes cer-
tain duties upon all Cie confederates, it certainly gives
each reciprocally an equal right to require that the
obligations entered into by all parties should be acted up
to. From the moment that the central force of Switzer_
land, thus invoked, Las either no desire or no power to in-
sure respect to that bond upon which the rights and the
duties of the cantons and their own existence are based—
from that moment the national compact would be nothing
but a dead letter, and would certainly not be obligatory
on any of the original participators in it, any further than
each petty might deem agreeable to its interests and wishes
for the momene
" This position of things is a very serious one; and it
awakens in every great degree the solicitude of his gracious
Majesty the Emperor. I will not mention to your Excel-
lency here the painful feelings excited in his Majesty's
mind by the total overthrow of the religious establishrrente
which have received their existence, or in part their for-
tune, from the illustrious ancestors of the Emperor. I
have already expressed my opinions upon this subject iu
a late communication to your Excellency, and I have no-
thing to add to what I there said. Nor will I lay before
your Excellency the judgment formed by the Emperor as
a Catholic Sovereign and a friend of right respecting ac-
tions which inflict a deep woued upon all religious senti-
ment, and which will for ever remain a melancholy memo-
rial of the erroneous path into which violent party spirit
and a contempt for principle may lead men. History
will bestow upon these deeds the mend of jusice, while
at the same time all impartial witnesses of them—Protes-
tant as well as Catholic, already condemn them. Swit-
zerland, however, is an independent State, and we do Oct
arrogate to ourselves the right to press our opinions upon
her with regard to whatever, either good or bad, may be
done upon her territory.
" The question, however, which at present lies before
the Diet for decision has unquestionably one side, which
has to do with the general political position of Switzerland,
and it is in this respect that the Emperor has commissioned
me to lay a few considerations before your Excellency,
which your Excellency will urge iu the a at t spirit
with which they were dictated—namely, in th t of kindly
disposed friendship, a feeling of which most cer-
tainly Austria has given too numerous and too
convincing proofs for its sincerity to be doubted by any
one. When the events of the year 1814 annihilated the
act of meiistion forced upon Switzerlaud, the Four Courts
of Vienna, Berlin, London, and St. Petersburgh, actuated
by the principle of regard for the independence of ell
States, confined their influence and operation upon
the internal concerns of Switzerland to placing
at the disposition of cantons their friendly counsel
and well-intentioned intervention, for the purposes
of reconstructing for them one common mother country.
The work was completed in a spirit of impartiality
and wisdom. Newly-established rights the very
existence of the canton of Argovia is a litir g instance
of the fact—found favour and protection by the side of
the old right, as far as the latter was still possible to
be maintained ; a national bond embraced within it
the several cantons, without in any way injuring their
sovereignty in any of its essential attributes. Justice,
and an equality of rights and duties, formed, in a word,
the basis of the new bond between the sovereign can-
tons ; and it would be natural, consequently. that the
ecclesiastical establishments of the Catnolic Members of
the League should be taken into consideration under the
full impression of this feeling, nod that, considering their
value to the people, and the fact of their having fallen in
part under the rule of authorites of another faith, they
should be placed under the protection of the common co-
venant of the c mfederacy.
" The Imperial Court preserves in its archives the de-
clarations of the representatives of the Swiss nation as to
their satisfaction at the restoration of their mother country,
and their gratitude for the part Austria has taken in the
good work.
" And, although at the time when Europe was
assembled a: the Congress of Vienna the last stroke
had not been given to the newly formed Swiss con-
stitution, tee Powers were sufficiently acquainted
with the ground plan upon which it was to be con-
structed to be assured that a political body, based upon
just and wise foundations, which on that account offered
every guarantee for the peaceful coutinuat on of its ex-
istencs, would take up its place in the greet union of all
the European States ; and it was in consequence of this
conviction that Europe, in its final decisions, presented to
Switzerland a number of advantages which might well de-
serve the eternal gratitude of the Swiss people. The fun-
damental convention then concluded—a convention
which the representatives of the country have yearly cor-
roborated by solemn oath—it is now the purpose of a party
in the country to destroy; and as it conceives itself un-
able, on account of the opposition it meets with, to obtain
its ends by the regular and legal means, it strives to effect
them by depriving the pact of its efficacy, and thus allow-
ing it, as it were, to fall into oblivion and decay. The dee
ciaions come to in Aarau upon the 13th January are a
very decisive advance in pursuance of this system.
" It is precisely now the being deprived, after this
fashion, of the bond of its political unity, which, in our
opinion, would be the greatest misfortune which
could befal the Swiss nation, for no other bond
would take the place of this, but only that hatred
and those bitter feelings which are natural when a
covenant is made between several `parties, and one or
other of them breaks it with violence, without its
being possible for redress to be obtained. It has
been said, and repeated again and again, that the
European Powers were not the guarantees of the Swiss
compact of 1815, and that they consequently had just as
little right to trouble themselves about its maintenance as
they would be authorised to prescribe laws to any other in-
dependent State with respect to its internal constitution
One point, however, is forgotten in this line of reason-
ing ; and that is, that in a State compact of this kind, the
document of alliance between these States in their posi-
tion with regard to other countries boars not only the
character of a constitutional, but also of a political
act, the continued existence or non-existence of
which is of interest to all foreign States, generally
hicwhithstatnhed
isnp e ankeianrge,r butand mmoerree especially e
t oc
otnhnoeseet i own
United States in question. Let us admit that Europe
has no right to compel Switzerland to maintain its compact
of 1815 ; but uo one can ever contest the right to ask,
what is Switzerland ? Where is that bond by which 22
sovereign cantons were bound together in political unity ?
Where is that central power which, legally established by
the combined body of the Swiss cantons, represented the
nation in its relation with regard to foreign States ?
" As yet these questions were all answered by the coin-
vention of 1815. But from the very day upon which this
act shall have ceased in fact to be of legal validity, and
upon which, instead of being a bond of union between the
Swiss, it becomes an apple of discord,—from that day, we
cannot say of a truth where the foreign Powers are to
look for a basis for their relations with the body of the
Swiss State. We, as good and well intentioned neigh-
bours of Switzerland, are desirous, out of our most inti-
mate conviction, that the deputi is of the twenty-two can-
tons, shortly about to be assembled at Berne, should take
there reflections into serious consideration before coming
to decisions which, at all events, comprise the future des-
tinies of Switzerland. In our opinion they have only the
choice between two paths—either to maintain the cove-
nant by act and deed, as it exists by right,
with the re-
servation that, if necessary, it should be revised in a legal
and regular manner, without the violation of any right,
or to let it go, leave it to annihilation, and
.thuagGiveenetrrea?
course to every attempt
andl
etivoenryofpitirejoAlvviss Coefe-
anarchy and the complete
whatever be his political or
Can any true Swiss patriot,lldoubt, under such a position of
religious creed, at
of
path to be pursued ?
choice the
deracy would, we fear, bdeistohed termination of this path.
things, as to the
h principles which it has
recede from the basismayliiippoefn,choosweever. Austria will never
Fully impressed with all respect for the
of other States, Austria has by no means the
independence
r interfering in the internal concerns cf Svtitzer
les elation co
tam© this Power • -
But at the same assumes to itself
lewd.
fjudging from the point of view of its own in-
eight 0
always "W'hpartoefveesrsed.
which the further
development of
these matters may exercise upon the relations subsisting
the teen States. Should the unity of Switzer-
-1 tetween
d for instance, be torn asunder, or placed its doubt by
1. en
destruction of the compact, Austria would consider
ths e banner ens elf bound to look upon the of the cue or the other
in-
ter eats the influence
pat tof the disunited bond, by preference, as that of the
swiss nationality , or should it be, what God forbid, that
a civil war should break out in Switzerland, or that the
o poressions exercised towards the Catholics in Argovia
seeould lead to religious disturbance, his Majesty would
ka. 3W how to take such measures as, in spite of all
hiss respect for the just relations between States, his Ma-
jcs ty'a solicitude for the security of his own states
would
re, ider it incumbent upon him to take. Your Excellency,
th en, will express his Opinions in the sense of these obser-
ve tions as often as you may have an opportunity of indi-
ting the opinion of the Imperial Court, and the attitude
esi suited by it under time circumstances of the present crisis
int Switzerland. Your Excellency is commissioned, at tho
ra.x sc time, and most especially,
to communicate the presente,es patch to the President of the Vorort, in order that he
r. if
ate y himself be impressed with the conviction, and may;
with
circurmst
t se .Austrian Court, under the complicated which is rn
tancfee
o f tee moment, entertains no sentimentand in conformityoca
:ne please, inspire his eonstituents the same, that
the strictest righ —noseiniment which
nith all the rules of
moment to profess aloud before the
in could hesitate for a
ft inn dly nature towards Switzerland,t
as: ,ambled Swiss confederacy, as before all Europe."

The accustomed prayers having been offered by the
Rev. Dr. Hook,
The Lord Bishop opened the meeting by a speech.
The Lord Bishop announced that the second reso-
lution would be moved by the Rev. Dr. Hook, the
Vicar of the parish.
The Rev. Dr. HOOK immediately rose, and was re-
ceived with the most cordial cheering, which lasted for
some time. When the applause had subsided, he said,
My Christian friends, I thank you for that loud and
long applause.—(Renewed cheers.) It tells me that
whatever others may say of me, I am still secure of
your support.--(Applause.) It tells me that in what-
ever Protestant pulpit Popery may be preached, in my
Catholic pulpit you only hear those doctrines of the
Church of England by which Popery can be success.
fully refuted.--Renewed plaudits.) My Christian
friends, we can no longer shut our eyes, after
what we have heard in various parts of the country,
to the lamentable fact that the Church of Eng-
land is now divided into two parties. It is a la-
mentable fact, and I should very much have wished that
it had been otherwise. In my own humble sphere I
have endeavoured even to avoid the appearance of form-
ing a party, the appearance even of " lording it over
God's heritage," and God Almighty knows that it never
was my wish.—(Applause.) Both parties now are
formed. A party has been found acting in a party
spirit, and on party tactics, in various parts of the cone-
try, and in self-defence a party now must be formed
to meet it.—(Cheers.) We can no longer halt between
two opinions ; we cannot attempt to hunt with the
hounds and to run with the bare ; we must take our
part ; and as far as I am concerned I will nail my co-
lours to the mast of high principle, and blow high or
blow low, come sunshine or come storm, through the
grace of God, I will adhere to them.—(Loud ap-
plause.) Now, my Christian friends, I will tell you
what I mean by our taking a decided part. It is often
said, I have heard it frequently said by laymen, "What
are we poor laymen to do ? Laymen who arc but per-
fectly determined to take their own course—but "What
are we to do when we find that on some particular
points the clergy are themselves divided ?" I will tell
you the safe course, which is this—to discover what
party act upon those general principles which we in
general approve, and to that party to give our support,
notwithstanding the occasional extravagancies to which
individuals of that party may be led by their enthusiasm
for all that is high, elevating, and holy, for the demon-
stration of their principles, for the edification of the
Church, or the glory of God.—(Applause.) Now the
two parties lobo—
The Bishop of RlPON—Perhaps my Rev. Friend
will allow me to observe that this is scarcely consistent
with—(The renewed plaudits of the assembly pre-
vented the rest of the sentence from being heard, it ut-
tered.) My Christian friends, we are come here to
promote the cause of Christian knee ledge, and I do
earnestly—(A repetition of cheers prevented his Lord-
ship proceeding.) Hear me, while I, in Christian
kindness beg my Christian friend to consider whether
he may not confine himself to the subject we are met
to promote.----(Great excitement prevailed.)
The RCN': W. WILLIAMSON, in a stentorian voice,
exclaimed, from the upper part of the orchestra.—
" Hear the Bishop, hear the Bishop, hear the Bishop."
The BISHOP rejoined—" I have been heard—l have
spoken," and then resumed his seat.
Dr. Howe (after a burst of applause)—lf I had
been allowed, 1 should have shown how the subject on
which I have been speaking may be made to bear upon
the object of our present meeting ; but after what our
respected Diocesan has said, I shall content myself with
saying nothing more than requesting you to adopt the
resolution that I proceed to read to you—" That this
meeting is deeply impressed with the liberality which the
Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge has shown,
both by the grants of various purposes to this town and
neighbourhood, and by the reduction which has
been made in the prices of Bibles and Testaments."
On this point it will be unnecessary for me to detain
3ou any great length of time. You all know how libe-
rally the grants have been made by this Society. You
are all well aware of that, and therefore I feel quite cer-
tain that you will gladly and cordially adopt the resolu-
tion which I now submit to you.—(Loud and long-
eentinued cheers marked the conclusion of the Rev.
Vicar's address.)
The Rev. R. NEWLOVE said he should only antici-
pate, by his own personal expression of love and vene-
ration for the Right Rev. Diocesan, the burst of good
feeling that would greet the resolution that he had the
honour to move :—" That the cordial thanks of this
meeting be given to the Right Rev, the Lord Bishop
of Ripon for his continued patronage, and for his kind-
ness in taking the chair oa the present occasion."—
(Cheers.)
Mr. WAirinousE, solicitor, bad much pleasure in
seconding the resolution.
The VICAR rose to put the motion, whereupon
,the
cheering was renewed. When it had subsided, be said
he felt sure that he need do nothing more than read to
them the resolution.
The vote of thanks was adopted amidst applause.
The LORD BISHOP, who was cheered on rising, re-
turned thanks.
Mr. H. SKELTON then presented himself, and said,
that with the kind permission of the Bishop, he rose to
propose a resolution which was not on the pa per of
business to be transacted, yet he felt persuaden' that
there was not any resolution which had been passed
that night that would be received with more ,'or-
dial approbation than the one he was going to propose.
Mr. Skelton then, in highly eulogistic terms, enlarged
on the extraordinary exertions made by the Rev. Vicar
in the cause of this Society and the Church generally,
in which exertions he had been zealously supported by
his clergy, and concluded by proposing a vote of thanks
to the Rev. Gentleman for his kindness in presiding
over the Leeds District Society for the Protection of
Christian Knowledge, and for that, as well as many
other acts of kindness and good-will which be Ives at
all times ready to exercise, even towards the humblest
parishioner, he thought he need not doubt ,their
acquiescence in the resolution.—(Loud applause.)
He was confident that he spoke the feeling& of
the Vicar when ho said that, deeply as he re-
garded the sympathy of his parishioners, warmly
as his heart responded to their thanks, yet he looked
not to human approbation merely, but he looked
for the approbation and approval of his Maker and the
Judge of all.—(Cheers.) If, amidst the trials he bad
to encounter since he came into the parish, he bad
proved that he was not only a mortal, but a fallible re an,
where was the person who dare take a stone and the ow
it at him ?—( Loud applause.)
The Venerable Archdeacon WILBERFORCE hoped
his Lordship would allow him to second this sort of
extemporaneous motion, which he had allowed Mr.
Skelton to make. He was sure that it must give his
Lordship great satisfaction to see the attachment that
was felt towards one of his Lordship's clergy.—(Hear.)
This sympathetic feeling towards one who had spent his
life in labouring for the good of his parishioners must be
taken as a sort of pulse-beating of the Church of Eng-
land. For his own part, he had long been bound to
the Reverend Vicar of the parish by ties of private affec-
tion, he was therefore glad to see the feeling expressed
on his behalf, and, being a member of the same great
party of Christ's Church upon earth, he felt thankful
that his labours were in this parish not ineffectual. He
begged leave to second the motion.—(Cheers.)
The Bishop of RIPON—My Christian friends, the re-
solution which has been proposed and seconded has al-
ready been responded to so fully, that it can scarcely be
necessary to put it to you formally. Many hands have
been lifted up in acclamation and in praise of your Vicar,
but I am persuaded there are also many warm hearts
who respond to those zealous labours and those devoted
toils which be bestows.—(Cheers.)
The Rev. Dr. HOOK, with the permission of his
Lordship, stood forth to express his acknowledgment.
He was greeted with the most animated
Christian friends, I should not
swi(hieicdh, foralbasetesdaid— mlo time, and when they
yng hadplausdultbs-:
have the heart of a man if I did not feel most deeply
affection and
dueend
rger
ga
at er
df u. for
tt ht
zee kindsame
tei xmper e sfi
eoenl s
that o f yaonu
apology
p o lo
toI
unintentionally
my Lo rd the
di s
tßuirsbheodp and , aor
netaorlyyouo h
done
er
so, the the very
unintentionally disturbed, or nearly done so, the hi..
of the meeting when I addressed you on a former
occasion.--(Hear, hear.) Perhaps I did too much re-
joice when I found that I retained your affectionsei of
littlen
spite of all that has of deprivelatebeendotnsectsorrymea
m
them, and I allowed my feelings
way.—(Cheers.) But I am confident his Lordship
will permit me to assure him, and to assure this meet-
log, that if I had continued my address, my object Mn. T. DIBDIN.—A paragraph has appeared
would have been to promote peace ; to have shown is the Standard, British Queen, and some other papers,
where parties may differ, to have shown how they may ting that her Majesty bad been graciously pleased to
differ, and be all the while in perfect love and peace co „fer a pension on the son of the famous Dibdin. We
with one another, and how we might attend such meet-
ge ;rot to say there is no truth in the statement. The pre-
ings as this, where all parties are joined together, aro ,re leave of the report, however, shows the public feeling,
united under our beloved Diocesan.—(Cheers.) I an fi Lord Melbourne would do himself credit by paying
take the liberty just to say these few words, lest hay- som e regard to le
ing been interrupted before I had entered into my ar-
DUKEii
ds OF BEAUFORT.—We are happy
gument, I might be misunderstood. I am sure the
L„Gntr,acaendhawiabquaibteleretocogroeroeudtfwroitmh
histhe
hounds
t
bishop will excuse my having done so ; and now, ID) it ofo his
week.