The Sun.
London, England, 1835-03-31 00:00:00

SPIRIT OF THE PUBLIC JOURNALS

Owing to the heavy press of. Parliamentary and other
matters, we are able only to give fragments from the lead-
ing articles of our Morning Contemporaries on the debate
of last night. We select, however, the most prominent
passages, and to quote the words of Mr. Cobbett, our
readers must " judge of the sack by the sample." The
ltiorning Post says—
" The threatened attack of the Movement party in the House of
Commons commenced last evening on the Established Church, for
it would be an insult to the understandings of the anxious members
of the Protestant faith who are watching with painful interest the
resolutions now under course of discussion, pledging the House to
appropriate the Church property in Ireland to secular purposes, to
disguise from them our conviction that the factious and dangerous
proceedings of Lord John Russell and his supporters, while they
ostensibly apply to an imaginary surplus revenue of the Irish
Church, are, in point of fact, ultimately intended to destroy the re-
formed religion in England." * 4 t
" We may upon the whole congratulate the country upon the
debate of last night. So far as strength of argument is concerned
a splendid victory was achieved. Heartless declamation and un-
founded assertions were met by impassioned eloquence and irrefu-
table facts; and we are somewhat curious to learn how the discus-
sion will be conducted by the " Tail," after the severe dressing its
leader received at the hands of Sir James Graham and Sir Edward
Knatchbull."

The Times, after a lengthened analysis of the debate
observes--

Lord John Russell said he should move that, his resolution
having been agreed to, an address be presented to the King, in-
treating his Majesty to enable the House to carry the resolution
into effect. The excuse his Lordship made for passing over the
House of Lords was, that the King, having Church patronage in
Ireland, should be asked to waive that patronage before any mea-
sure of the kind was propounded. But if this be necessary, why
not apply to the King in the first instance ? And where will the
House of Commons be if his Majesty should answer, that, so far
as he is concerned, no patronage of his shall stand in the way of
improvement recommended-by_the other two branches of the Legis-
lature, but suggesting to the House of Commons that there are two
independent branches of the Legislature besides himself—namely,
the Lords and Commons, which the Commons seem to have for-
gotten ?"

The Morning Advertiser alluding to the arguments
embraced in Lord John Russell's Speech, says,—

" From the soundness of these propositions even considered ab-
stractedly, no liberal mind—no well-wisher to his country, can pos-

sibly dissent ; but the question is not one of abstract principle—it
is a practical question in every point of view—a great. national ques-
tion indeed—the question of the continued existence of the Legis-
lative Union between this country and Ireland, and of the mainte-
nance of a legally Established Church where no such church is re-
quired, and of a standing army of 30,000 men to prevent the
rebellion of those who deem that where there are no hearers there

ought to be no church, and that those who belong to another and
an unpaid church ought not—especially as they form the majority
—to be made to contribute to the support of that of which they are
not members. This is the naked question at issue, involving at the
same time, we allow, the fate of the present Administration, and,
in consequence of its extreme importance, very justly forming the
test by which it. is to be tried."

The Morning Herald confines itself to a mere recapitu-
lation of the principal topics of the debate.
The ..illorning Chronicle says—
The-Right Hon. Baronet, viho placed himself in front of the
battle last night, observed, that Lord John Russell seemed to have
forgotton that there were Protestants in Ireland as well as Catho-
lics. This really formed the sum and substance of the argument
of Sir Edward, who contrived to steer quite clear of the question
before the House. There are Protestants in Ireland, and as they
form a valuable but small portion of his Majesty's subjects,
they ought not to be forgotten in the arrangements for that
country. But, for the sake of the Protestants themselves,
justice ought also to be done to that large portion of his
Majesty's subjects who have hitherto been overlooked in all

arrangements—the Roman Catholics. It is for the interest of the
Protestants that the Catholics shall be treated with kindness and
proper consideraticn. It is quite impossible that the Catholics can
see, without feelings of discontent, 800,0001. appropriated to the
maintenance of the Church of 750,000 Protestants. The Protes-
tants have only to ask themselves how they would feel if they were
the great majority of the population, and the whole Ecclesiastical
property of the country were assigned to a small Cathol.c minority ?
There is no halting half-way between oppression and equal justice.
From the moment we relaxed in our treatment of the Catholics,
we conceded to them power to force further concessions from us.
'lt, is absurd to suppose, now that they have been taught to feel
their strength, that they will be satisfied with the present irritating
sys'em adopted towards them. 'Ministers cut a wretched figure
last night. Pocr Sir Edward had literally nothing to Fay. Sir
James Graham came, indeed, to their aid, and seemed to repent
the sacrifices to liberality he made when a member of Earl Grey's
Ministry. We wish the present Ministers joy of the aid afforded
them by Sir James."

The publication of THE SUN NEWSPAPER commenced thin day
at 15 minutes past 3 o'clock.