The Sun.
London, England, 1857-09-29 00:00:00

IRELAND.

DUBLIN, MONDAY MORNING.
STATE OF BELFAST. _ _

The Rev. Hugh Hanna having announced It's
intention of again setting the authorities at deffii nee
by holding forth in the open air on Sunday (yeAer-
day) the Belfa9t Presbytery met on Friday with
the special view of talcing the les. disturber's case
into serious consideiation. The Rev. Dr. Cooke
was present, and after four hours' solemn deliber,t-
tion with closed dcw.s, the public were admitted,'
anti Dr. Co9ke rose and prop,sel the annexed re-
solutions, which were teconde l by Dr. Edgar, acid
passed nem. con., after which the Presbytery ad-
journed, a committee having been formed, consist-
ing of Drs. Cooke, Morgan, E !gar, and Mr. Mac-
Naup.liten, to confer at 10 o'clock next day with
Mr. Hanna on the subject of open-air preaching.

" 1. That the poaching of the Gospel in the open air
as well as in our churches, bad been customary during
the entire history of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland.

" 2. Taat this custom we hold to te founded on our
Lord's commission and on Apostolic practice.

" 3. That we are rest-Aced, by all legitimate means, to
maintain for our,,elree, and transmit to posterity, this
right, which we have hitherto uninterruptedly enjoyed.
" 4. That, while we are T. stiva.d, we nevertheless
feel conscientiously bound, as ministers of the gospel of
peace, to de all i❑ our power, even in the exercise of
our rights and the performance of our duties, so to live
giving no offence in anything, that the ministry be
not blamed.' (2 Cor. vi. 3., &e.)
" 5. That, under the exieting circumstances of this
town, we do affectionately entreat our brother, Mr.
Hanna, as a matter of Christian expediency (1 Cor. vi.
12) to desist from open-air preachieg till, in the mercy
of God, a reasonable time be afforded fur excited pae-
siens to cool and subside, an event which we hopefully
anticipate, because, until within these few weeks, no
organised obstruction or annoyance was experienced by
any of our ministers during their open-air services in any
part of the town and country.
" 6. That we most earnestly remonstrate with our
brother as to the language he has occasiona ly employed
in letters to his Excellency the Lord-Lieutenant and to
the local magistracy.
"• 7. That a committee be appointed to confer with
Mr. Hanna in r eference to these resolutions ; and that
they be, and leereby are, authorised to take such Mea-
sures as to them shall seem desirable, for maintaining
by appeal, either to the Executive or the Legislature,
the constitutional privileges of this church. The com-
mittee to consist of the Moderator, Drs. Cooke, Morgan,
E tgar, and Mr. Macnanghten."
Undaunted, however, by Presbytery or public
opinion, the Rev. Hugh Hanna still seems deter-
mined to show fight. In a brief note addressed to a
friendly local journal he says :
" The meeting of the Belfast Presbytery has com-
plicated the question of open-air preaching in Belfast.
What I may specially do I cannot just now say. The
resolutions of the Presbytery are entitled to a respectful
consideration. I have not yet seen them; but I shall
act according to my own sense of duty, looking for
Divine light to guide me."
" Divine light" to guide a man, to create riot and
ill will—i£ not worse—on the Sabbath-day ! Mr.
Hanna, however, on second thoughts, adopted the
wiser course, and made no attempt to repeat his
dangerous experiment, leaving the field open to
Mr. Matico, the gentleman who has already gained
some little notoriety as one of the apostles of street
preaching. There was not, it appears, the slightest
disturbance yesterday.
_