The Sun.
London, England, 1859-12-26 00:00:00

PRICE 4D. STAMPED, 6D:

any one in his miserable state 2 Putting myself in
such a position, if I saw this, what would I do ? I
declare I would not know what I would do. While
the wild spirit of revenge prompts a man, what
will satiate it ? It cries out, Give me justice,
or I will justify myself.' (Great cheering.)"

LOILD,J. MANNERS ALP., AND LORD B,
CECIL, M.P.,' ON CHURCH MATTERS.

On Wednesday evening last some interesting
proceedings took place at the anniversary meeting
of the Collegiate Institution'of Hurstpierpoint, in
Essex, which was established ten years ago for, the
purpose of promoting Church education among the
middle classes. The institution of St. John's, which
commenced on a very humble scale, has now reached
the position and importance of a public school. The
anniversary dinner was held at the Freemasons'
Tavern, under thd presidency of Mr. Hubbard, M.P.,
who was supported by the Bishop of Chichester,
Lord J. Manners' M.P., Lord R. Cecil, M.P., Mr.
Beresford Hope, M.P., Mr. Garnett, M.P., Colonel'
Moorsom, and other gentlemen who take a pro-
minent part in Church matters. A large number
of the gentlemen who have been' educated at the
establishment and of the present pupils were also
present.
_ _ _

After the usual loyal toasts had been drunk,
The CHAIRMAN said,—l now beg to propose the
toast of " The Houses of Lords and Conimons."
(Cheers.) It is true that we have not here to-day
any direct representative of the House of Lords,
but, on the other hand; we have present several
very eminent members of the House of Com-
mons, and in their, presence it would hardly
become me to draw any distinction between the
respective merits of these two branches of

:he Legislature. I am, however, obliged to
confess that I don't think I ever heard so often re-
peated as I have within the last 12 months that
very forcible expression, " Thank God, we have a
House of Lords." (Cheers.) And if we look a little
closely into matters we shall not be very much sur.
prised at the frequency of the expression ; for the
measures which have reference to the Church of Eng-
land that have been brought forward, in the House
of Commons for several sessions, are measures which
for many years have been laigely agitated by a
very small, but at the same time a very united and
very active body, of men, who are opposed on prin-
ciple to Church endowments. I believe I am strictly
correct when I say that so perfect is the organi-
zation of that small body that they have their re-
presentatives and corresponding agents not only in
every city, but in every borough ; so that when-
ever a gentleman presents himsif on the hustings as
a candidate for the representation of that charming
little place they have selected, and which they so
much wish to benefit—(laughter)—up starts some
one and says, "No doubt, you are the very man
we want, but will you have the gpodness to satisfy-
us on the question of church-rates ?" and then,
possibly, in the little amenities which pass be-
tween the candidate and the constituents on
such occasions, in the gratitude of his heart at
the moment of election, he is led to promise
that he will vote against church-rates or any-
thing else they wish if they return him as
their member. •It is in this way that that
small body opposed to church•rates have at-
tained such power, and I fully believe that if the
complete sense of the country were obtained it would
be found that 9-10ths of the people are opposed to
the total abolition of church-rates—(cheers)—as
well as to the admision•of • Dissenters to our en-
dowod schools. (Hear, hear.) I hope that no hon.
gentleman present will be affronted at this frank ex-
pression of my sentiments ; and, although we have
no direct representative of the House of Lords pre-
sent, I will couple the toast with the name of a
noble lord, a member of the Lower House of Parlia-
ment, who has ever shown himself a firm adherent
and stanch defender of the Church of England—l
mean Lord John Manners. (Hear, hear, and cheers.)
Lord J. MANNERS, who on rising was received
with loud cheers, responded to the toast. The noble
lord said—Having, like my younger friends upon
this occasion, had the inestimable advantage iu my
early days of being educated in a great public
school, I have learnt that one of our first duties is to
exhibit a passive obedience to the commands of our
teachers and masters ; and therefore I at once
rise to respond to the call which has been made
Upon me.- I can easily understand, after what the
hon. chairman said, how it is that a meeting of
English Churchmen should receive with such un-
disguised enthusiasm the toast of " The House
of Lords." It is not necessary- to go back to
ancient days and to trace the glorious deeds and
the stirring eloquence of those great men who have
made the term " House of Lords" synonymous with
almost everything that is glorious in our history
and imperishable in our fame. A practical man
would possibly restrict our observations to the con-
duct of the House of Lords in very recent days.
Such a man has already pointed out that the
House of Lords has deep claims on the grati-
tude, not only of every Churchman, but every
Churchwoman in England, and that if in one im-
portant practical point the holy purity:and sanctity
of the Englishman's home is still preserved, it is
only due to the high principles of the House of
Lords ; and that if one of the oldest, the most sacred,
and immutable rights of the Church has been hi-
therto retained throughout the country—namely,
the right of making the people responsible for the
maintenance of the fabrics of the church, it is owing
to the firm resistance which the House of Lords has
always opposed to the measure for the abolition of
Church-rates. (Cheers.) But if these are the grounds
upon which I respond to the toast on the part of
the House of Lords, on what ground am I to respond
for the House of Commons, which has by its pro-
ceedings, and by the measures it has so often sent
up to that illustrious body, rendered that attitude
of resistance and the consequent action of the House
of Lords necessary. (Hear.) The chairman, by a
very ingenious suggestion, has endeavoured. to ex-
plain how it is that the fouse of Commons has
been induced to take the extraordinary course
of proceedings which it has done; but I am
not quite clear that the explanation is altogether
satisfactory. There arc many in this room who
are probably more familiar at this moment with
the immortal work of Clarendon than they will
be in after years, when their minds are more
immediately occupied with the great business
of life; but I am sure that 'Lord Clarendon
affords a more reasonable explanation on this
matter than has our hon. chairman. Lord Claren-
don, in remarking upon the mode in which the great
measures pasied that struck vitally at the existence
of the Church and State in those days, describes
how they were passed one at a time, and in a day
when the great body of the people were apathetic,
and when they who hated the Church hated her
worse than they hated the Devil, and they who
loved her loved her not so well as they loved their
dinners. (Hear, hear, and laughter.) If the hon.
members attached to the Church of England in the
House of Commons could be brought to believe that
the great body of Churchmen in different counties
and in their different constituencies, as well as the
ministers of the Church themselves, were as much
in earnest as *ere Dissenters and their ministers to
destroy the privileges of.the'Church, we should not
session after mail= be found in continual minority,
nor should we witness the continual passing of a
bill of the House of Commons for the abolition of
church-rates. I venture to recommend, speaking
after some years' experience of the House of Com-
mons, the very simple plan of Churchmen pressing
upon the attention of their members that, after all,
there is such a thing as reciprocity in this world—
(hear, hear, and cheers)—and that, after all the
exertions of the clergy and Churchmen, it is neces-
saryc that the members of Parliament so impressfe
should raise their voices and give their votes for
the maintenance of church-rates. (Cheers.) B:r
prepared to
swaiyththaaltl
tiht im
es
Hopuesrefecoftiocnosi;mnl
oanms
insotnoptredpe
English
together guop
Church-
men, gathered tog
of the, approbation of a mereeatisn
this occasion
to . celebrate the marked and glorious success
of a great educational experiment, undertaken in
defence of Church principles, and intended to pro-
mote the education of the middle classes of this
country in sound Church principles. At any rate,
the great question of education holds the most pro-
minent position in the proceedings of this evening,
and if you look at the conduct of the House of Com-
mons during the last 11 years on the subject of
education, you will, I think, admit with feelings of
approbation that the House of Commons has by
large majorities dMinctly shown that, so far as it
is concerned, it is determined that religion shall be
the basis of anything like an educational system in
this country. (Cheers.) I think, therefore, that
while the Church of England has a right to com-
plain of the conduct of the House of Commons with
respect to the question of church-rates, she has no
right to complain that the House of Commons has
failed to recognise her as the great and proper
teacher of the people—(cheers)—because if you re-
fer to the Parliamentary grants which have been
made for the purposes of education you will find
that the grants to the Church of England stand
preeminently at the head of those Parliamentary
grants. (Loud cheers.) So long as the House of