The Sun.
London, England, 1868-09-17 00:00:00

THE IRISFI CHURCH.

A county meeting was held at the Shire Hall, Hereford,
on Wednesday—Lord Bateman, lord-lieutenant of Here-
fordshire, in the chair—to " express disapprobation of any
measure calculated to injure the position or impair the
efficiency of the Irish branch of the United Church of
England and Ireland." The requisition to the lord-lien-
tenant was signed by about 400 county gentry and
clergy, Lady Emily Foley and Lord Mahon heading the
list. Among those present were the Hon. and Very
Rev, the Dean of Hereford, the new Solicitor-General
(Mr. Baggallay, M.P.), Sir J. R.. Bailey, M.P., Sir H.
Croft, Dr. Jebb, &c.
Sir JosEni BAILEY proposed the first resolution, atnrm-
ing that the union of Church and State ought to be main-
tained, believing that religious freedom was best secured
by such union.
The resolution was carried.

The SOLICITOR-GENERAL (Mr. Baggallay) then addressed
the meeting in support of the second resolution as
follows :—" That the maintenance of the union of
Church and State is the best means of securing the privi-
leges of the poor of the United Kingdom of England and
Ireland ; that the intentions of previous benefactors should
be respected," &c. In supporting this resolution he said
that the laity had as much interest in this question
as the clergy, and more. Now, in the scheme sketched
by Mr. Gladstone for disendowing the Irish Church, he
was at great pains to produce the impiession that he would
compensate all interests affected by the measure —an
expression which sounded well, but meant more than
appeared, for they found that, while compensation was to
be given to the holders and patrons of benefices, the
interests of the congregations were altogether for-
gotten. Was it a true definition of the Church to
consider it as solely consisting of the clergy and the
patrons ? He ventured to think that they were but the
trustees of the 'real benefficiaires—the congregations. The
result of this scheme would be that the poor districts
would especially be neglected, and the inhabitants would
be at the mercy of the propagators of any other faith.
It had been alleged that the Irish Church had
ceased to effect the purpose for which it was esta-
blished. He admitted in a certain qualified sense that
the Irish Church had failed to effect the purpose for
which it was established. But they must look to the cir-
cumstances. It was a well known fact that on the first
planting of the Reformed Church in Ireland it' was
intended to work a political object—to bring the Irish
people to the feet of the English—rather than to promote
religion in the land. It was only owing to the
zeal of a few godly ministers that the Established
religion had prospered at all. But from the commence-
ment of the present century there had been a very different
state of affairs. The learned Solicitor-General went on to
show that the revenues of the Irish Church were derived
from the land which had been granted to the ancestors of
the present owners, subject to those dues. He also
answered the argument that it was the ;Church of a
minority. After answering other arguments advanced by
Mr. Gladstone and his supporters, the speaker concluded
by reading some passages from a speech delivered by Sir
James Graham thirty years ago, as appropriate to the
subject.
Sir H. CROFT seconded the resolution, and denied that
this measure would conciliate Ireland.
The resolution was carried nem. con., and others or a
formal nature followed.

THE " LAW MAGAZINE" UPON LORD

BROUGHAM.

In the last number of the Law Magazine and Law
Review is a somewhat lengthy but interesting biography of
Lord Brougham. His career as a barrister, a states.
man, a judge, and a philosopher is illustrated by numerous
anecdotes and clever criticism. His remarkable versatility
is especially shewn, and, in the opinion of the writer of
the article, the success of Brougham as a lawyer
was marred by the enormous correspondence and
attention which his other studies required. The
following estimate of his character is given :—" As
advocate, judge, statesman, orator, author, philoso-
pher, philanthropist, he was alike distinguished, and in
each capacity is entitled to regard. But versatile as he
unquestionably was, his was not the versatility of a
shallow mind, which dips into everything but goes deep
into nothing. 'What he did not know he never pretended
to know. What he learned ho learned thoroughly ; and
whatever he did he did well. His was the versatility of
that order of mind which distinguished Bacon, and
Newton, and Locke, and Michael Angelo, and Leonardi
da Vinci, who studied a variety of subjects, but made
each aid the other. All his pursuits were connected with
and assisted one another. Omnes antes, quce ad humanitatem
pertinent, habent quoidant commune vinculum, et quasi
cognatione quadam inter se continental.. So in Lord
Brougham, each of his studies, however varied,
were linked together by his study of man and
his gigantic efforts for the amelioration of the
human race. To say that he knew or tried to know
everything is as contrary to fact as it would have been
irrational in the attempt. He was no poet, no painter, no
musician, no chemist, no metaphysician. In reality,
although sneered at for directing his vast mind to so many
subjects at once, and thence argued to be necessarily a
shallow man, he did not in reality embrace so wide a
range, much less did he grasp topics so unconnected and
so opposite, as did, some of the great men whose names we
have cited, and whom none have dared to call superficial
or shallow. His judgments, although they may be sneered
at by mere case lawyers, whose minds are neither suffi-
ciently comprehensive nor sufficiently acute to regard the
study as a science, are nevertheless remarkable and valu-
able as exponents of leading principles on many of the
most important topics of jurisprudence, an effort of all
others the Most difficult of accomplishment, and a quality
which not only distinguished the judgments of the most
profound jurists who have adorned this country—our
Hardwickes, and Mansfields, and Ellenboroughs, and
Stowells—but which was after all their highest merit.
Probably no public man ever attempted more than what
Lord Brougham attempted to effect, and few, if any,
have accomplished so much. His law reforms alone
occupy a considerable space in the statute book.
For education he effected a vast deal. No one
contributed more to the extinction of negro slavery.
Of political and social progress he was the
pioneer. Of every abuse he was the determined foe.
No subject was too vast for his genius ; no topic too
commonplace or ordinary to be beneath his notice. With
his splendid intellectual acquirements and untiring in-
dustry, were, moreover, combined a high moral courage
and a sterling integrity which no dread of power could
ever daunt, no temptation ever lead astray. Fortunately,
perhaps, for his fame, and still more so for his country,
the period in which he lived was exactly suited to exhibit
to the full the stupendous powers and energies of such a
man ; while he was in all respects singularly and com-
pletely adapted to the peculiar exigencies of such an
age."

In the
.conrse of an address at Leeds, Mr.
Isaac Holden, ono of the Liberal candidates for the re-
presentation of the eastern division of tho West Riding, said
he had that morning received a letter from London, in which
it was stated " that Mr. Gladstone had just intimated his
willingness to consider the question of the ballot."

SINGULAR CASE OF SUICIDE.—TIIO Liverpool
coroner has held an inquest on the body of William
Rimmer, a metal broker. A few days ago he went home
in an excited state and told his wife lie had seen some of
his barrels taken along the street by the Excise officers,
and his mind became affected. He was afraid of being
apprehended on account of an illicit whisky still he had in
Everton. On Tuesday morning, at an early hour, his wife
missed him from bed, and on getting a light found him sus-
pended by the neck fi om the bedpost, and quite dead. The
iuu returned a verdict of tea norm