The Sun.
London, England, 1850-11-09 00:00:00

THE PAPAL AGGRESSION.

DEPUTATION TO LORD JOHN RUSSELL.
• Yesterday, at one o'clock, the deputation appointed
to present to the Right Hon. Lord John Russell the
vote of thanks unanimously agreed to by the Court of
Common Council, consisting of Alderman Sir Peter
Laurie, Mr. Alderman Wilson, Mr. Blake, the mover,
and Mr. Bennocb, the seconder of the address, to-
gether with Mr. Richard Taylor, and Mr. John
Wood, accompanied by the Remembrancer, waited by
appointment upon his Lordship, at his official resi-
dence in Downing-street.
The deputation having been severally introduced to
his Lordship, by whom they were most warmly and
courteously received,
Mr. BLAKE spoke as follows :—May it please your
Lordship, we are deputed by the Corporation of
London, in common council assembled, to present
to you the copy of a resolution adopted yester-
day at a full Court, after having heard read your late
letter to the Lord Bishop of Durham. To say that this
resolution was unanimously adopted—to say that the
standing orders of the court, prohibiting the intro-
duction of any new subject not contained in the
paper of business were as unanimously suspended,
would but faintly describe the degree of enthusiasm
with which it was carried. Whilst we sincerely pray
that your Lordship may be spared for many years to
an admiring people to maintain those principles you
have so nobly and eloquently enunciated, we feel both
proud and happy of 13(:ing the medium of communi••
eating on the part of the corporation of London the
expression of sentiments in which we so cordially and
heartily concur.
Mr. BLASE then read the address, which was as
follows

"Resolved unanimously, that this Court has read
with feelings of the highest gratification the timely
and admirable letter addressed to the Right Rev, the
Lord 1315.h0p of Durham by the Right Hon. the
Lord John Russell, and entirely and heartily ap-
proves the principles therein expressed, and his de-
termination to maintain unimpaired the great consti-
tutional doctrine that •no foreign prince or poten-
tate will be permitted to fasten his fetters upon a
nation which has so long and so nobly vindicated
rights to freedom of opinion, civil, political, and

religious.
And, " That the cordial and sincere thanks of this
Court be presented to his Lordship, not only as one
of the Representatives of this City in Parliament, but
as the Prime Minister or the Crown and the organ of
her Majesty's Government, for such a declaration of
opinion as must re-assure all her Majesty's subjects
of the unabated desire of those in power to uphold in
its integrity the religious freedom of the British

Lord JOHN RUSSELL, in reply, thanked the depu-
tation most heartily for the address which had just
been read. He observed that he felt most grateful
for the sentiments of confidence which were expressed
therein. His Lordship further remarked that it was
at all times gratifying to him to receive the thanks
of the Lord Mayor, the corporation, and the citizens
of London. The approbation of such an important
body was most valuable ; and, indeed, if it were not
for such support from those who represented the
people, it would be be impossible to give full effect
to the opinions of the Government.
The deputation then withdrew, much gratified
with the cordial reception they had met with from
the Noble Lord.

THE BISHOP OF EXETER
e with Exeter,
gre part e sseant
itsefda
et
toi
ON
THE
ROMISH AGGRESSION.ed
"Brother. Christians and Brother Cuhrusrchm.
reply to an address from
The Bishop of Exeter has issued following
the laituy of thhe ai of
just been read to me.
rTrinity,ece
has
" The recent act of the Bishop ohninathoeriaTddhretssdeawYphlracsht
p of Rome, affecting,
in direct contradiction to the canons of the Catholic
Churcb,to place bishops in this land, which is through-
out already occupied by an episcopate nearly as an-
cient as that of Rome itself, cannot fail to have ex-
cited, in every faithful member of Christ's Church
amongst us, a feeling of indignation at its presump-
tion, and a firmer resolution than ever to resist the un-
righteous and uncatholic spirit which has prompted it.
" Whether this act be, indeed, as you designate it,
an 'aggression on the constitutional rights and sove-
reignty of the Crown of England,' after all the changes
in our constitution which modern legislation has in-
troduced, Ido not presume to say. If it be, it is
manifestly the duty of the advisers of the Queen to
take steps to vindicate the outraged rights and honour
of their Royal Mistress.
" But, perhaps, there is too much reason to fear
that the innovations which have been made within the
last few years in our fundamental laws have, in truth,
removed all impediments to the intrusion of such bulls
from Rome as that which is the subject of our present
complaint. If this shall prove to be the case, it will
become the people of England to blame their own
culpable disregard of their highest interests, in spite
of warnings repeatedly pressed upon them, rather
than to indulge in furious, but idle invective, against
the wary adversary who has turned their imprudence
so largely to his own account.
Be this, however, as it may it is a branch of
the subject on which it does not become me here to
dwell. In Parliament, so long as it shall please God
to give me strength to go thither, my voice shall ever
be raised—as it always hitherto has been raised—
however feebly and ineffectually—to assert the an-
cient principles of the English law—principles which,
so long as they were permitted to retain their force,
were the security alike of the majesty of the Crown
and the best interests of the people.
"But, out of Parliament, my duties are of a spie
ritual character. When called on, therefore, as I now
am, to address a highly valued portion of Christ's
flock, over which He has constituted me the pastor, I
would confine myself to the religious aspect of the
case before rne. Looking at it thus, I cannot but in-
vite you to discern in the present Occurrence a new
proof of the wise dispensations of God's Providence,
overruling all the designs of men, and all the events
hi life, to the accomplishment of Ilk own blessed
purposes for the ultimate good of His Church—and a
fresh call on us to use faithfully, and thankfully, the
great blessing which He has bestowed on this favoured
land, by planting in it a true branch of that Church,
and placing over it, and empowering with his autho-
rity, in unbroken succession from the Apostles,
those, of whom the great Apostle of the Gentiles
himself has commanded all Christians so to account,
as of ministers of Christ, and stewards of the myste•
ries of God.'
" Human policy may be at a loss in dealing wisely
and effectually with the out-breakings of Papal pre-
sumption, backed, as it is, by a powerful and pani-
i)ered party, which has hitherto been suffered to pre-