The Sun.
London, England, 1835-04-13 00:00:00

IRISH CHURCH—SU .RPLUS REVENUE.
On Thursday last a very numerous and crowded meeting
of the inhabitants, called by requisition, was held in the
large Waterloo-room, for the purpose of addressing his
Majesty, expressive of their approbation of the recent
reaction of the House of Commons, as to the appropriation
of the surplus revenues of the Irish Church, and their
anxious hope that his Majesty will call to his Councils
Ministers friendly to that and other liberal measures ; and
also of presenting a petition to the House of Commons
approving of their decision on the above question. Upon
the platform we observed the Hon. Lieutenant-Colonel
James Sinclair, Sir T. D. Lauder, Bart., Sir J. Gibson
Craig, Bart., W. D. Gillon, Esq., of Wallhouse, M.P.,
Mr. Forrest, of Comiston ; Dr. Maclagan, Colonel Mayne,
Bailies Macfarlan and Donaldson ; Messrs. R. Bell,
J. Cunningham, T. Maitland, R. Thomson, J. Ivory, R.
Hunter, Graham Speirs, J. W. Hay, J. rawford, J. J.
Reid, R. Baxter of Idvies, A. Currie, Fletcher, and For-
dyce, advocates ; Councillors Jameson, Crooks, Duncan,
Gifford, and Alexander ; Mr. W. Bell of Hunthill, W. S.,
Mr. Andrew Millar, Mr. G. Combe, W.S. &c. &c.
Mr. IvoRY, advocate, referred to statistical returns, to
show the disparity between the Protestants and the Catho-
lics in Ireland, and proceeded to ask if, after this unequivo-
val evidence, it was necessary to keep up this useless, extra-
vagant, and pampered establislnnent,—an establishment of
parsons not devoting their services to the cause of religion,
but a mere supplement to the half-pay list ?—(Laughter
and cheers)—for there were many half-pay officers on the
Irish Establishment, and there were also many fox-hunting
and political parsons, like Harcourt Lees ; and then, last of
all, many such men as the authors of Rathcormac and the
other affrays.—(Loud cheers.) In conclusion, the Learned
Gentleman alluded to the disunion in the Cabinet, and said
that had not this existed, he had no doubt that the country
would have got this measure at their hands, as they had got
Catholic Emancipation, the abolition of the Test and Cor-
poration Acts, the extension of the system of education, and
the new Tithe Bill in Ireland. He repeated, they would
have got this measure ; but it was by the pampered mem-
bers of the Church that they, the present Ministry, were
settled where they were.—(Loud and continued cheering.)
And they knew full well that when that dunghill of corrup-
tion, on which they felt their palaces were founded, was re-
moved, not all the genii they had read of in Alladin, and
the other fabled tales of the East, could rebuild them.—
(Great cheering.) The Learned Gentle:liz,n concluded
with reading the resolution.
Counseller GIFFORD seconded the motion.
Dr. MACLAGAN rose to move the second resolution. He
said, can it be that by the forced appliance of an Establish-
ment—by planting an empty church and a sinecure clergy-
man among the Catholics, and at their expense, that we
are to promote true religion ?—(Cheers.) I regard it as a
solemn mockery. I view it in the light of the Popery of
Protestantism, without its spirit and without its power.--
(Great cheering.) I will not detain you further, than by
expressing my hope that the motion of Lord John Russell
will be the harbinger of peace to Ireland ; and that it will
conciliate the Catholics, by diffusing truth apart from the
dogmas of any Church, and by spreading the blessings of
education throughout the Catholic community.
GRAHAM SPEIRS, ESQ.—I must honestly declare, that
I cannot see that the resolution proposed by Lord John
Russell is pregnant with danger to the Church—it is preg-
nant with danger only to the stability of the Tory Govern-
ment.—(Laughter and cheers.) On these grounds, I
consider it becomes us as Scotchmen on this occasion to
strengthen the hands of the Members of Parliament who
are engaged in supporting an act which is fraught with jus-
tice to Ireland ; and, above all, to express our feelings of
sympathy with the inhabitants of Ireland, in obtaining re-
lief from that Church which our forefathers felt as a griev-
ance, and struggled to establish their own.—(Cheers.)
With the example of Scotland before them it is strange to
me that this act of justice—of simple justice—has been so
long delayed to Ireland. There might be reasons at the
time of the Revolution why this boon was not granted to
Ireland, because it was then torn by intestine comrnotions ;
but if the treaty of Union- had been carried into effect by
Statesmen who regarded the rights of the many more than
the interests of the few—(Cheers)—the Act of Union would
not heave been passed without relieving the Catholics of Ire-
land from the burden of an Establishment which they could
not recognise. The Learned Gentleman then seconded
the motion, and sat down amidst loud cheers.
Mr. JAMES CRAWFORD, Advocate, moved that the ad-
dress be presented to his Majesty by the Earl of Rosebery,
and the petition to the House of Commons by Sir John
Campbell.

Colonel MAYNE begged to second the motion, which,
with the others, was carried by acclamation.
The Address to his Majesty was then read by Sir Thos.
Dick Lauder, and the petition to the House of Commons,
by Sir James Gibson Craig, after which the Chairman stated
that copies were lying in the side rooms for signature, and
that they must be sent off on Saturday morning.
Mr. CUNNINGHAME proposed the thanks of the meeting
to Bailie Macfarlan, for his conduct in the chair, after
which the meeting adjourned.