The Sun.
London, England, 1860-01-02 00:00:00

senting ministers and laymen of all denominations
and all parties in the Church entertained the same
opinion. (Cheers.) He regretted to have been
obliged to drag the discussion of religion into a
political contest, but they knew that it had been
forced upon him by the conduct of a few on
the other side. (Hear, hear, and cheers.) The
worthy baronet then proceeded to argue upon the
serious part of the question, and here remarked
on the complaint which he had made of the absurd
attempt to revive against him, on account of
his conscientious adherence to the faith in which
he was born and bred, an obsolete prejudice. He
would suggest for the future use a better form
for expressing this remarkable idea. (Laugh-
ter.) The great Spanish novelist, Cervantes, puts
into the mouth of his comic hero, Sancho Panza,
the following justification of his moral and
religious character :—" I am a good man," he says,
" and a good Christian. My fathers were Christians
before me. I hate Jews mortally. What more is ne-
cessary in order to deserve eternal happiness ?"
(Loud laughter and cheers.) But this objection, in
truth, was not a religious objection, but a political
one, and was made by those who should be called
the old Tory party, as Conservatives was too re-
spectable a name for them. (Hear and cheers.)
The attempt to disguise the really political nature
of the cry breaks down and fails. (Cheers.) In
fact the whole of this opposition on the subject of
faith was merely an attempt to throw over Tory.
ism the bright mantle of religion ; but in this
attempt they soiled and tore the sacred garment
and the ugly old Tory coat peeped through every
rent. (Loud cheers and laughter.) He feared he
had detained them too long—cries of " No, no,")—
and would only now make a few other remarks.
Among those who were the champions of this
holy Conservative cause—(laughter)—he was
told there was a gentleman who devoted much
of his time to horse-racing—a game not
generally reckoned as a sacred pastime.
(Laughter and cheers.) He would adopt language
familiar to that gentleman's ear, and state that al-
though it now appeared that he (Sir F. Goldsmid)
would not have, as was anticipated when he last
addressed them, a quiet walk over, he had only to
keep himself in good training in order to win by
several lengths in the commonest of canters. (Loud
laughter.) The grounds on which the opposition to
him was raised had given to that certain success
additional importance. It was a matter of conse-
quence that the Liberal party should not lose a seat,
nor the borough of Reading its reputation for its
consistent attachment to Liberal principles, but it
became of greater importance still when an attempt
was made to mislead the borough into returning a
Tory member by this wretched endeavour to repre-
sent as an abandonment of Christianity an act which
had been approved by many most pious Chlistians
as a fitting homage to the principles of religious
freedom. (Loud cheers.)
After several able speeches from Mr. Boorne, the
Rev. W. Legg, Mr. Roger, and Mr. C. Barber.
A vote of thanks to the Chairman was proposed
by Sir F. Goldsmid, and carried unanimously.
The meeting then separated.