The Sun.
London, England, 1861-02-20 00:00:00

THE CASE OF MR. TURNBULL.

The Earl of SHAFT ESBURY moved for a copy of the
memorial presented by the Protestant Alliance to the
Foreign Secretary. The noble earl said that the noble mar-
quis (Normanby) came down to make a motion on this sub-
ject, and he (the Earl of Shaftesbury) attended in his place
in order to give him his answer. The noble marquis, how-
ever, had put his motion off indefinitely ; and as he (the
Earl of Shaftesbury) felt, as the president of the Protestant
Alliance, that he was under some personal charge in refer-
ence to this matter, he was led to take the earliest opportu-
nity of stating the grounds upon which that body was
acting. First, they were charged with circulating the
memorial secretly, whereas he could show that a copy was
sent to Sir John Romilly as soon as it were issued. Then
it was said that they had charged Mr. Turnbull with
having tampered with the public records entrusted
to him. They never made such a charge, and he
defied any one to put his finger on the passage where it
occurred. The third accusation was that they took
that course because Mr. Turnbull was a Roman Catholic.
He denied that it was so. With the views they had, and
the principles they proceeded upon, they would have felt
it their duty equally to proceed against a Protestant. Ho
hoped the noble marquis would state, as soon as possible,
what were the precise charges he had to make against the
Protestant Alliance and himself. (Hear, hear.)

The Marquis of NORMANBY said that the indignation
exhibited by the noble earl was perfectly unfounded. He
told the noble earl that he did not intend to bring forward
the charge, and he told him why he had delayed it ; namely,
first, because he thought it better, in the interests of jus-
tice, that an appeal should first be made to the Prime Minis-
ter, to see whether he, acting under the inspiration of the
noble earl and of the Protestant Alliance, would disregard
the remonstrance of the high legal functionary who had
expressed his sense of the eminent qualities possessed by
Mr. Turnbull; that that gentleman, so admirably fitted for
the duties of the office to which he had been appointed,
should be removed from it on the mere ex parte statements
of the Protestant Alliance. One word as to what had
passed within the last two days. He accused the Protes-
tant Alliance, on the testimony of the noble earl himself,
of haying published that which they must have known to
be a misstatement. They published in their monthly state-
ment these words :—" That Mr. Turnbull was engaged in
writing the religious history of the reign of Queen• Mary."
Now, that was distinctly a false statement, and it was ad-
mitted to be so by the noble earl himself, as appeared from
his confession in the public journals of that morning. The
noble earl, however, need be under no apprehension that he
did not mean to bring forward those charges, for it was im-
portant that it should be known whether a person, because
he was supposed to entertain strong religious opinions,
should be prevented from fulfilling a duty for which he was
in every respect so peculiarly qualified. He could not,
however, fix a day at present. (Hear, hear.)
The Earl of ELLENBOROUGH said that if there
was to be a discussion on this subject it would be a con-
venience to himself, and perhaps to other noble lords, if the
noble earl would produce some paper or document, or if
some papers were laid upon the table telling them what
the Protestant Alliance was. (Laughter.) He never heard
of it until that case had come before the public. The noble

earl represented that great Alliance in that house, which
had kindly undertaken the protection of the Protestant re-
ligion. (Renewed laughter.) He was greatly indebted to
them for their good intentions, but whether or not that was
a matter of practical advantage ; he was desirous to know
what they were, who constituted them, and what they were
to expect from them. (Cheers.) When the noble earl was
asked to state the grounds of his charge against this unfor-
tunate gentleman, his answer was that lie made no attack
upon his personal character. Well, then, if no attack was
made upon his personal character, it came to this—that a
man who had been selected by the Master of the Rolls for
his ability, and because.he was eminently suited for a par-
ticular employment, was to be driven out of that employ-
ment because he was a pious Roman Catholic. If that was
the ground on which those proceedings had been taken, he
must say that though he was a Protestant as well as the
noble earl, he could not concur in the course adopted.
The Marquis of NOKMANBY said he would consult his

noble friends opposite as to the day when it would be least
inconvenient to the Government to bring on the question.
After a brief conversation, it was understood that Tues-
day was named as the day for bringing on the subject.
Their lordship; then adjourned.

HOUSE OF COMMONS.—(YESTERDAY.)
The SPEAKER took the chair at four o'clock.
NEW MEMBER.
Mr. BARNES took the oaths and his seat for Bolton.
PRIVATE BUSINESS.

The standing orders were 'reported to have been
complied with in the case of several railway
and other bills. The following bills were read
a second time :—Cok ford, Monmouth, Usk, and
Pontypool Railway; Dewsbury, Batley, Gomersal, and
Bradford Railway; Elland Gas; Exeter and Exmouth
Railway ; Galashiels and Peebles Railway ; Hawick
Police and Improvement; Kingstown Improvement; Mid-
dleton Improvement; Oldham, Ashtonrunder-Lyne, &c.,
Junction Railway •,' Tonge Improvement;, Universal Pri-
vate Telegraph Company ; and Wexford Harbeur Com-
missioners.