The Sun.
London, England, 1834-05-13 00:00:00

tinuing the greatest of all the abuses in the
administration of the poor laws, namely, the
payment of wages out of the rate. We would
willingly, however, enter into a compromise on this
, head, by providing that every parish which shall
undertake to put down, within twelve months,
the payment of wages, rent, or taxes, or any
allowance out of the rate, shall be exempted
from the powers of the Central Board, and be
sii);c:q; only to the condition of making annual
reports of their proceedings in all that relates to
the poor to the Central Board. Whatever
the powers may be that shall be granted to the
Central Board, certainly no parish can complain
if it be put in its own power not to become sub-
ject to them. But wlit is the meaning of all
this clamour ? Does any one deny the existing
abuses ? Are these abuses not to be corrected ?
Has not the bill that has been read a first time
been brought in for this special purpose ? Is
it not then in the committee upon the bill that
the corrections and amendments which it may
require, are to be made ? Let every clause be
separately considered and discussed. It is thus
and thus only that the merits or demerits o
the bill can be rightly understood. Is it the
meaning of the clamour that has been raised, of
of those who have raised it, that the abuses are
to continue, and that we are to have no remedy
at all? If it be said a remedy is required, but
we do not like this remedy, then is it not in-
cumbent on those who admit the grievance, but
quarrel with the proposed remedy, to suggest
some other ? We shall be very glad to deal
with any persons whatever in this way ; but we
find ourselves altogether at a loss how to deal
with the clamour that has been raised. It is
clamour, and nothing else, and we cannot see
that any good will be done by opposing cla-
mour to clamour. We do not believe that the
main object of putting an end to the payment
of labour out of the rate can be accomplished,
or that one uniform system, which shall not be
liable to abuse, can be established throughout
England without a Central Board ; but we
shall be very happy if those who have been so
clamorous against the bill can make it appear
hat we are wrong in this respect.

Mr. LITTLETON, last night, brought in a
Bill to repeal certain provisions of the Irish
Stamp Act, relating to the issue of stamps to
the publishers of newspapers ; also a Bill to
amend the Irish Valuation of Counties Acts,
and to provide for the more effectual levy of the
grand jury cess.

We understand there were about four hun-
dred gentlemen, from town and country, at the
Meeting of the Dissenting Deputies and Dele-
gates on Thursday. Now, if the former, and
those friends they introduced numbered 150, it
gives 250 from the country.
The summonses or invitations issued by the
Deputies were either addressed to all the Dis-
senting Churches, or only to some of them.
If the latter, then the resolutions can only be
considered as those of a portion of the body,
and the Churches not summoned will have a
right to complain if they have not been invited
to take part in deliberations by which their in-
terests may, and undoubtedly will, be deeply
affected.

But if the invitation was general, and only
250 churches sent a representative, where were
the remainder of the eight thousand congrega-
tions which some Dissenters have spoken of, or
even the four thousand, or three thousand, men-

tioned by others as unanimous in their deter
mination to sever the Church from the State,
and their reprobation of the measures proposed
by his Majesty's Government.
The truth is, that the meeting on Thursday
was a highly respectable one, and there were
many very distinguished persons present who
took part in its proceedings ; but it cannot be
taken as a representation of the principles,
views, and feelings of the whole body of Dis-
senters. And nothing in the way of meeting
can be so considered but county or district
meetings, open to all, and to which all the
churches of all denominations shall be invited
to send delegates, and from them a meeting
convened in the metropolis.
Before such meetings are summoned, we
strongly recommend the London Deputies to
consider what they themselves mean by a se-
paration of Church and State, and how they
propose to effect it. When the Independents
and Presbyterians were at the head of
the government of the country, they . pre-
served the churches and the colleges, and filled
them with the most pious and learned men they
could find, and the dissenters complain that
2,000 of them were in one day expelled by the
act of uniformity. But the dissenting ministers
now declare that they will not accept of office
in the church or emolument from 1 the state
revenues heretofore appropriated to religious
purposes. That may be, and doubtless is, a
very wise determination ; but it is one thing to
adopt a principle and act upon it for oneself,
and another to decide for our neighbours ; one
thing to adopt and act on a good principle, and
another to attempt to force others to think or
act, according to our own views and feelings.
It is vain to ask the government to do that
which it finds impracticable ; and a separation of
church and state can only be made practicable by
such a clear and distinct exposition of the views
and designs which the parties entertain, as will
satisfy a majority of the people—of the reflect-
ing and influential people of England—that the
measures intended will promote their true and
final interests. Now, here is work for the Pro-
testant dissenting ministers and laymen. It
must be done before any effectual progress can
be made in the attainment of the object they avow
that they have at heart. Let them not forget the
remark of their late enlightened friend, ROBERT
HALL. "Itis no use to attempt to push men
beyond their light, and if it were possible, it
would not be lawful. We must increase their
light, and they will follow of their own accord?'
Private meetings, or meetings to be reported
only by a privileged paper or two, may serve the
purpose of individuals, but they are by no means
calculated to inform or enlighten the public mind.