The Sun.
London, England, 1868-04-15 00:00:00

TILE COBDEN CLUB.

Last night the Cobden Club at Leeds held their
first banquet, at which Mr. W. E. Forster, M.P.,
was present, and nine other members of Parlia-
ment.

Mr. FORSTER, in his speech, alluded to the recent
division in the House of Commons, and said there
was for the first time for many years hopes about
Ireland. He believed, and it was a belief based on
what he heard from those who really knew, that
already there was a different feeling in Ireland, and
that already there were many who had come to de-
spair of justice from England, and who had begun
to believe that there was no hope except in repeal,
and even, as some of them thought, in separation,
who were beginning to return to faith in the Imperial
Government and in the Liberal party—(hear)—so
that there was every reason to believe that Ireland
would become a contented member of the community
instead of what she had been so long—our shame
and disgrace. But, although this was encouraging,
and ought to be a solace to Mr. Gladstone in every
difficulty, yet it imposed upon him and upon his
supporters in Parliament an immense responsibility.
If, after all the Irish people were disappointed;
if, after all, the opponents of these resolutions
or this policy were so strong that the Protestant
ascendancy would still be preserved in Ireland, and
religious equality still denied to her, she would not
only still be insulted as having a Church of the
kuiuority held over her by the force of power, but
there would then be a different state of things to
contend against. Instead of there being, as now,
a feeling in that country in favour of dissolution.--
held, indeed, by large numbers of very shy men of
no great importance, and having no great influence
—we would find the intellect, the influence, and
much of the wealth of Ireland joining that stan-
dard. In fact, if he were an Irishman himself, an
Irishman of station and means, he should feel
that he was not doing his duty to his country—to.
his Irish country—if after England had had the
question of whether she would treat Ireland as she
treated Scotland and as she treated herself fairly
brought before her under the most favourable
auspices she should at length refuse to decide it as jus"
tice demanded, he did not say that the time had comb
when he must seek to dissolve the Union that existed
between the two countries—(cheers)—and he need
not say that the dissolution of the Union between
England and Ireland meant untold evils to both
countries. He mentioned this question because they
had now arrived in this Easter recess at a most im-
portant time. They would be well aware that all
Parliament bad done had been to go into commit-
tee on the state of Ireland, or rather into the con-
sideration of those Acts by which the Irish Church
is maintained by law. That committee would be
gone into in a week or two, and he could not for a
moment believe that the Liberal members of the
House of Commons, who had voted in so large a
majority for going into committee, would insult
Ireland by doing nothing when they went -.here.
He had no fear of this. He had very little
doubt—he might say he had no doubt--
that the resolutions which Mr. Gladstone
had proposed would be carried by very nearly, if
not quite, the same majority as carried its motion
for going into committee. He trusted that there
would be no compromise on the matter, because that
was where the danger lay. As to the English
Church being in danger, the sole foundation of the
State Church in England was the wish of the State
—that was to say, of the large majority of the.,
people who composed that State—that there should
" gt"to Church ; that was the sole possible four"
dation for it, and when that foundation if z° etr
were the case, were sapped awar, then' the Sta.-
Church must fall, uct,ause there would be nothing
to keep it up. It was upon this feeling that it rested)
and why the advocates of a State Church in Ens:
laud—and he honestly confessed he was not one
those who were opponents of a State Church--why
its advocates could not see that they would be in
much safer position if these principles were applied
throughout the whole of the three islands than ~
different principles were allowed to extend to
ilre-
land, he could not for a moment understand. With
regard to the " No Popery" cry, that also had not suc-
ceeded ; indeed, it would not have said much fer
the common sense of the Protestants of England'
the hearty, true, sincere Protestants —if it had suc-
ceeded. Although the result would be that for Of: b
next few months we should have a Ministry in
minority, he was not disposed to find too flue
fault with what undoubtedly was best in accordan',„.
with the principles of constitutional government'
Hitherto Mr. Disraeli bad done the work of 010
Liberal party and the work of the Radicals far bets
ter than they could have done it themselves, and
he thought Mr. Disraeli was entitled to their highest
gratitude for doing it—(hear, hear)—but he doubte:
whether the right hon. gentleman could pursue sue..
a course in the future; he doubted whether lui:0
Disraeli and his friends would if they could, and
doubted whether they could if they would.
Mr. BAINES, M.P., in replying to one of the
toasts, eulogised the objects of the Club, and s%
there were cases in which party spirit was a childisd
thing. It was a disguised selfishness that displaYe
itself in a mere unmeaning attachment to any'enint'tr:t
h red, blue, or yellow, whatever it might be ; wvo
public spirit was a totally different thing. It gage
an enlarged view of that which was good and rig,,D
%
and true ; it involved the desire to promote 0,,
happiness of those by whom they were surrounded'
it implied a sense of the claims of their country'
and a wish to advance the happiness of all nOto
kind ; it enlarged the mind, it ennobled the spirit,
and it made such men as those before them wer,tbi
a club which bore the name of Richard Cehnbeat
He scarcely knew whether he ought to say sv
he
,was going to say, but he would sal
on his own responsibility, that he, for '3'
having observed Mr. Bright most closely to
many years in and out of Parliament, had cowe,
the conclusion that if he could in one respect Pre
sume to differjrom Mr. Cobden, who had reflisat,
to take office under Lord Palmerston's Governnie •
if he should be called by his Sovereign and by de
country to take office, he believed he would honour to it. (Cheers.) He, for one, would tife
o
his hearty support to an Administration in Nv.
the names of Gladstone and Bright were assoel!.eb.
(Cheers.) Both men had been alike in their at'eli.
r
meat to Free Trade, to economy, to peace, t° d
gious liberty, and to justice to Ireland, an Do
therefore thought they might most properly
associated together in the same Cabinet.
Mr. J. HOLDEN, M.P., also spoke, and se
sof
speakers followed, enjoining upon the Liberal 13,,e0
unity of action and active preparations for the "
election.

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