The Sun.
London, England, 1848-02-01 00:00:00

MEETING IN SUSSEX BALL.

A public meeting of thejeWs7residintcriLondon
was held last evening in Sussex Hall, Leadenhall-
street, with the view of adopting a petition to Parlia-
ment upon the subject of the disabilities, civil and
religious, under which the Jews of this country still
labour. The hall was crowded with a respectable
audience.

Mr. Mitchell, President of the Jewish Association,
in the absence of Mr. Alderman Salomons, occupied
the chair; and on the platform we noticed, amongst
other friends of religious freedom, Dr. Bowring,
M.P. ; the Rev. Abraham Belais, late treasurer to the
Bey of Tunis ; the Rev. David Meldola, chief rabbi
of Portuguese Jews ; Rev. 1)r. Raphall, Rev. Aaron
Levi, Rev. A. Barnett, Rev. S. Ascher, Rev. B. 11.
Ascher, Rev. D. Barnett, Rev. Lindershall, Rev.
—Dessola, Rev. Pisa, Rev. Ileltzell, Mr. J. 11.
Parry, Mr. D. W. Wire, Colonel Gawlor, the lligh
Bailiff of Southwark, Mr. A. Pellatt,
The CHAIRMAN briefly opened the proceedings of
the meeting, stating its objects as detailed above, and
expressing his regret at the absence of Mr. Alderman
Salomons, who was to have presided.
The Rev. Dr. RAPilAr.r. proposed the first resolu-
tion :—" Resolved, That as the essential principles of
the Jewish faith are founded on a revelation which is
acknowledged by all Christians to be divine ; and as
the practice of that faith is perfectly compatible with
the well-being of society, and with its dearest in-
terests; the continual exclusion of her Majesty's
subjects professing the Jewish faith from a full, fair,
and equal participation in those political rights which
every other denomination of Britons enjoys, is not ,

only unjust in itself, and ia 'absolute contradiction to
the true spirit of the British constitution, but is like-
wise highly oppressive, injurious, and degrading to
her Majesty's Jewish subjects." The first principle
enunciated in that resolution was of too high a cha-
racter to be discussed at a meeting like the present;
but to the second declaration, that the practice of their
faith was perfectly compatible with the well-being of
society and with its dearest interests, he rejoiced to
think that no denial, even by their opponents,
could be given. There was no one who had the
slightest regard for his own character who had
presumed to asperse the character or conduct of
the Jews, or to charge them with any breach of
principle, for which the practice of their faith was
chargeable.—(Cheers.) On the contrary, many of
their opponents had been noble and liberal enough to
admit the blamelessness of their conduct, and that was
a highly important circumstance, for history conveyed
no lessors more wholesome than the great truth that
actions, not opinions, were alone amenable to man's
tribunals. Man was answerable for his conduct to
the society of which he was a member, but for rsligi •
ous faith he was responsible only to his Go I.—(Loud
cheers.) It was, therefore, not less important than
gratifying that they should have from those who did
not support their cause the admission that the British
Jews had rendered themselves liable to no accusation
that could he traced home to their religious faith—a
faith which for centuries had been the target for every
calumny, but which, at the eleventh hour, had
emerged untarnished from the fire, unscathed front
the conflict.—(Cheers.) He would not attempt to
go through all the matters included in the resolution,
but there was one subject on which he must touch,
because whilst he thanked from his soul those Chris-
tian friends who, in and out of Parliament, had ad-
vocated their cause, yet there was one point on which
Jews alone could speak with propriety or with confi-
dence. They were told that they were a nation distinct
and apart—that really and honestly they wished to lay
no claim to the birthright of Britons—that all their
efforts and activity were directed to far different ob-
jects. To that let them answer, that they formed
now a great religious community, teaching one prin-
ciple throughout the world--their duty to their God.
Let them tell them, that the political communion of
the Jews ceased on the plains of Jerusalem—ceased
under the persecuting hand of Adrian—ceased 1,800
years ago, and that now that they formed a religious
community alone, there was no noble aspiration in
which the most patriotic Briton might indulge in
which the Jews did not fully share.—(Great ap-
plause.) Did they doubt the Jewish word ? Let
them remember that the Jew never denied his prin-
ciples—when all that mew. hell dearest, when life
itself was at stake, the Jew disdained to deny his
principles. Let them believe them when they told
them that they were ready to prove their love to their
native land, ready to devote their best energies to the
protection of their Sovereign, and, if necessary, to shed
their best blood in her defence.—(Loud and protracted
cheers.) In conclusion, he called upon them not to
be too sanguine, but to be hopeful. They had with
them the voice of reason, the opinion of an enlightened
public, a good cause, and the protection of a good God.
Mr. S. SAMUELS secunded the resolution, and read
the oath which is proposed to be substituted for the
oath at present in use. It appeared to give general
satisfaction. _

Colonel GAWLOR supported the resolution. lie was
not a speaker but an actor, and, as a Christian, he
was willing to shed the last drop of his blood in pro-
curing the removal of those disabilities and degrada-
tions under which the Jewish people for centuries had
laboured. He looked upon this as a religious ques-
tion, and warned them against identifying it with
politics, when intelligent men of all political views
concurred in desiring the removal of their disabilities.
Dr. BOWRING, M.P., in further supporting the
resolution, said he could not consider this as a Jewish
question alone, but as a national one. It belonged
to the Jews indeed, but to the British community.
also. If the Jews were injured, he also was in-
lured, and he would tell them how. They belonged
to a great commercial community. The electors of
London, of whom he was one, had looked around
for the best and ablest man to represent them, and
they had found him amongst the Jewish people.
Let them re member that it was the Christian
electors who had sent Baron Rothschild to Parlia-
ment; and were they the Christian electors to sit in
silence and see the bigots at the door of the House of
Commons denying entrance to the man of their choice?
—(Loud applause.) He declared that to be an in-
tolerable wrong, and one which could not be endured.
He felt that he owed to the Jews a deep debt of grati-
tude, and not a debt of gratitude alone, but reparation
for a long list of grievances. The Jews had been
tested by adversity, and had everywhere obtained the
respect of their fellow-countrymen. Looking around
the nations of the world, where had the Jews failed
either in their duty to the state or to the country ?
Had they not furnished their contributions to poetry,
to science, to literature, to art, and to every branch
of knowledge.?—(Cheers.) After the great Euro-
pean contest, and the constitution of the United
States was to be settled, when Catholic Belgium had
' nominated twelve Catholics, and Protestant Holland
had nominated her twelve Protestants, and some diffi-
culty occurred in finding a secretary on whom reliance
could be placed, had not both concurred in unani-
mously n )minating Mr. Myers, a distinguished Jew
—(Cheers.) And now that the French people had
sent Jews to the Chamber of Deputies, men who had
reflected credit on the chamber of which they were
members, and on the constituency who had elected
them, he asked why should not the Jews of England
have extended to them all the privileges possessed by
the most enlightened Briton ? —(Cheers.) He had
travelled much, and he had seen Jews engaged in
every occupation of life, discharging in all cases their
duties in en exemplary manner, exercising a wide
expansive benevolence, as merchants excellent, as
friends and fathers inestimable, as citizens in every
respect, worthy of confidence.—(Loud cheers.) In the
land of their fathers he had seen them—in the land in
which they had been subjected to incredible sorrows
he had witnessed their noble anxiety to justify them-
selves from the accusations which bigotry had directed
against them, and he had witnessed the triumphant
manner in which they had met those accusations. In
conclusion, he called upon them to persevere. Let them
be assured that their cause was good, holy, irresistible,
and that another generation would not pass away
without seeing the people of the ancient faith admitted
to every political right. The Honourable Gentleman
was rapturously applauded on resuming his seat.
D. W. Witte, Esq , who was received with loud
cheering, said certainly one of the most extraordinary
scenes of the present age was at that moment exhi-
bited —the citizens of a free state assembled to demand
for men who had been for centuries domiciled amongst
us, and after they had shown their desire to uphold
the institutions of the country, that they should be
admitted to the enjoyment of their civil rights, and
if they were not aware of the tenacity with which
men clung to old prejudices, they might be astonished
that thy were now met to ask that justice should be
done, and that conscience should be free.—(Hear.)
But how was this great object to be effected ? The
meetings which were now being held throughout the
country, the voice of the people at the last election,
all proclaimed that the reign of injustice was at an
end, and that their Jew fellow-subjects should be free
—(Cheers)—free to enjoy every right and to fill every
office which the British constitution gave to any other
class. Their duty was to make that voice be heard and
responded to by the Legislature, and thus place the
rights of conscience beyond the power of the bigot or
oppressor. It was almost a shame to repeat the argu-
ments which had been made use of on this question. It
had been said that if six or seven Jews were admitted
into the House of Commons, Christianity would be
endangered. Why, what an opinion these people
must have of the divinity and power of their religion,
when six or seven Jews could endanger or destroy it.
—(Cheers and laughter.) But not only had that
been said, but also that the Christian character of the
House of Commons would be destroyed.—(Loud
laughter.) Why, who ever heard before of the
Christian character of the House of Commons ?
(Hear, hear.) It was a fiction in law, like that other
fiction they had recently seen exhibited at the election
of Dr. Hampden as bishop.—(Hear, hear.) The law
said, come and make your objection to the election,
.
and when they do so, it was then said, " ° can't
hear you."—(Hear, hear.) So it
was with the
Christian character of the House of Commons, as the
Attorney-General had said with reference to the form
of electing a bishop, it was a sham—a fiction, which
had no foundation in fact, and which ought, therefore,
to be abolished.-..(Cheers.) But suppose it was
Christian in its character, did they believe that Baron
Rothschild would be able to proselytise it—(Hear,
hear)—or that his worthy friend Mr. Salomons,
if
he got there, would circumcise the Members—
(Loud laughter)—or that if 'that best of men, Sir
Moses Montefiore, was sent, he would establish a
Jewish synagogue in St. Stephens ?--(Continued
laughter.) Why, they all knew it was a sham—a
delusion,insulting to the common sense and the jus-
tice of the community, and he repeated, it ought to
be forthwith abandoned.—(Cheers.) The Learned.
Gentleman then, in eloquent terms, referred to ti.te
antiquity of the Jewish nation, which boasts an vAn-
cestry nobler and more ancient than the proudest of
our Norman barons, to the beauty and sublim.tty of
its literature, which existed before Homer sur,g,
De-
mosthenes thundered, Cicero persuaded, We Virgil
wrote. The songs of Moses and Deborah we re before
them, a literature inspired by God, and :which yet
formed the hope and the joy of those Jewish friends
as well as professors, the love and reverence of the
Christian.—(Hear, hear.) If they took men as men,
the heroes and heroines of Jewish history were far
beyond all that Greek or Roman history could show.
But it might be said they bad since degenerated.
Admit the statement for the sake of argument ; he
had yet to know on what grounds those who hadin-
flicted degradation and misery should make it argu-
ment for the continuance of the evil.—(Cheers.) The •

SIG,

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