The Sun.
London, England, 1835-07-08 00:00:00

IRISH CHURCH REFORM.

Major BE AUCLERK held in his hand a petition which he
had been entrusted to present to that House, and of which
he took the liberty yesterday evening of giving notice.
The petition was one of considerable importance. It was from
the borough of Reigate, in the county of Surrey, and out of
160 of 101. voters in that borough, 105 had signed that peti-
tion. The petition prayed that the Corporation Bill then
before the House might be brought to a speedy result ; and,
also, that a Church Reform should :take place in Ireland.
They considered that the large establishment maintained in
that country was an insult to the people of Ireland, and a de-
gradation to the people of England. They considered that
Ireland was the only country on the face of the globe that
was insulted by' a Church Establishment differing from the
general religion of the people. Amongst all our colonies
we had never attempted to impose upon them a religion dif-
fering from the religion of the people. In Canada, indeed,
we had attempted it, but the attempt was not borne with, and
the Church in that' country was now Catholic. At all events
they supported their own Church, but not out of the re-
venues of the State. He was one of those who main-
tained that whilst it was right to pay the Clergy, and he
was himself willing to pay them amply, he would never
agree to insult the Catholics by seeing a handful of Protes-
tants keep up a large establishment which was not at
all in accordance with the religion of the people. This was his
opinion, and unless this principle were carried out, they would
never, and ought never to give satisfaction to that country. The
Government would certainly not give satisfaction ,until the
Protestant Church should cease to be kept up in that country,
to insult the religious feelings of the country. This, he was
sure, was the feeling of the great majority of the people, and
he could tell the Hon. Gentleman (Mr. Freshfield) who
threatened him with being thrown out in the next election,
that that declaration had given great pain in the county of
Surrey—it proved nothing, and only tended to bring on per-
sonalities. He would again state that the petition presented
by his Hon. Colleague ( Mr. Alsager) on a former day against
the Irish Church Bill, had not the support of one-tenth of
the inhabitants of the county which he represented. .He
was convinced that the great body of the people differed
from that petition—the petition which he then held in his
hand proved this, and several other petitions would be
shortly presented from the same county in support of the
measure of Irish Church Reform before the House. He
would give that measure his warmest support.
Lord E A STNO R said if the statements of the Gallant Offi-
cer were founded in fact, it was a matter of regret to him to
differ from a considerable portion of those whom he had the
honour to represent, but he believed that pains had been taken
to create excitement on political subjects in that port
of the county of Surrey latterly. The petitioners ex-
pressed a wish that the Municipal Reform Bill might be
carried through the House as it was originally proposed.
He had not opposed the principle of the Bill, because he
thought it was necessary that it should be established ; but he
could not go the whole length of the Bill—ninny of its clauses,
in his opinion, going too far. He was as anxious as any man
to support the Bill, as far as he believed it was consistent with
good, but he would support it no further. With regard to
the Irish Church Bill—that also, in his opinion, went
too far; he thought, and had always done so, that the
Established Church should be duly maintained, and he would
not support or adopt any measures that would destroy the
sufficiency of that Church in Ireland; but, at the same time,
he was as anxious as any man to adopt improvements that
would be consistent with sustaining that Church. When the
Bill was discussed, he should feel it to be his duty to do
that which he thought would be for the interest of • the
country. With respect to the English Church he was willing
to admit that there were many things that might be altered,
and any alterations for its good he would always be found
ready to support, but in doing so he would always maintain its
efficiency. With regard to what the Gallant Officer had
s!ated as having fallen from the lion. Member for Penryn, he
he did not feel himself called upon to mike-any observation.

Mr. FRE S HFIFiLD• could assure the Han. and Gallant
Member that in any observations he 'had made, he meant no-
thing uncourteous to ¶dm. • Ho had, however, a little
mis-stated what he • had said ; what he had stated
was, that if he continued to advocate the . prin-
ciples he avowed - tbat --night, 'be would only have to
await another election to see - whether his constituents
would sanction it or not. He believed that those
who thought differently from the Gallant Officer were
net worthy of the appellation he had given them, of
wrong-headed persons. The Gallant Officer had been elected
by the Conservatives of the Countrof Surrey—(Hear, hear,
and cries of " No, no," from Major Beauclerk)—they had
thought him the better member of the two reform candidates,
and therefore they had paid him the compliment of electing
him as one of their representatives, a compliment which he
(Mr. Freshfield) believed he big-lily deserved.—( Hear, beer.)
The Honourable and Gallant Officer had said that many of his
ciaistituents had expressed their astonishment at the statements
made by him (Mr. F.), to the effect that if he pursued the
same line of conduct •?..s he was then doing, he would stand
same chance of haviag their Confidence withdrawn. On the other
hand, he (Mr. F.) had received the thanks of a public meeting,
for his conduct in the House. He assured the Gallant Officer
that he did not fincl fault with him in an ill-nature.d manner or
spirit, hut merely meant to give him a • hind caution—
Laughter)—which a constituent might do to his reere-
seatative.

Mr. DENISON .would 'not trouble the House upon the
subject, but having been the representative of the Eastern
Division of Surrey, he must say that he, not having been pre-
sent when the Learned Gentleman made his statements, read
them with a great deal of astonishment; and he would ask the
Hon. and Learned Gentleman what opportunities he had of
learning the sentiments of the constituency ? He was not in
the Commission of the Peace, nor did he attend their meetings,
and he had lived in the county for a very short time, and as he
(Mr. D.) had understood he resided in the Western Division.
He certainly Was much surprised to hear the Learned Gentle-
man say that the Hon. and Gallant Officer was returned by
the Conservatives. He (Mr. D. ) decidedly denied that statement.
He was returned by a strong and influential body in the county,
under the name cf Reformers, which' he trusted would yet
increase. He hoped when the Hon. and Learned Member
returned to his pure and immaculate borough of Penryn—
(Loud cheers and laughter)--he- would meet with as cordial
a reception as the Hon. and Gallant Officer was sure to re-
ceive from his constituents.

Major BE AUCLERK said he had been twice returned
for the Eastern Division of Surrey. The first time he went
into the field in the last week—he spent no money, or almost
none, and ho would ask the Hon. Gentleman opposite how
many thousands were spent on the other side ? And yet lie
was now told he was returned by the Conservatives.—
( Hear.) He had always openly expressed his sentiments
upon the hustings, and he would be very much pleased
if those sentiments had gained him the support of the
Conservatives.—( [lear, hear, hear.) On the hustings he
had stated openly he was a strong advocate for Cnurch
reform—a strong advocate for a thorough reform in the Irish
establishment—( Hear,. hear)—and yet he was now told that
be sat there as the representative of the Conservatives in the
county ! He knew there was a strong party of Conservatives
among his constituents, who had honestly voted against him,
but he believed that the great body of the constituency were
honest well-meaning Reformers. He would like to ask whe-
ther lie had the honour of the support of the Hon. and Leaned
Member ?—( Laughter. )
Mr. WILKS said he had gone. down to Ricgate to support
the Honourable and Gallant Officer, and he therefore was one
of his constituents who admired the manliness of principle
exhibited by him, and he promised him his support upon the
next occasion.