The Sun.
London, England, 1868-10-27 00:00:00

THE ARCHBISHOP OF ARMAGH ON THE
IRISH CHURCH COMMISSION.

The Primate or Ireland has made an addition to his
charge on the Irish Church. He refers in it to theOrt
of the Royal Commission. This document, whethei we
regard the information it contains, the recommendaons'it
proposes, or the authority of the names subscribed, must
necessarily exercise a most important influence upon the
interests and prospects of this branch of the Church. No
ecclesiastic was selected as a member of the commission. It
was entirely composed of laymen, and the noblemen and
gentlemen who were chosen to discharge this duty repre-
sented in their political opinions the great parties into which
the country is divided. It is impossible to question the im-
partiality of the tribunal before which the investigation has
taken place. The perusal of the report will clearly show that
the inquiry has been conducted with an anxious desire
to ascertain the real facts with distinctness and accuracy.
The result of the inquiry has been to confirm the
statistical facts put forward from time to time by the
friends of the Church, and to expose the exaggera-
tion of the statement so confidently published by her
opponents. Looking to the great extent of country, and
keeping in mind the policy' of providing, as ministers
of religion, educated and independent men for such
an extent, it is impossible to say that the
Church in Ireland is either an overgrown or
largely endowed establishment. Another matter which
has appeared very clearly from the report is, that although
there may exist some capitular bodies unnecessary, and
which may properly be dispensed with, and perhaps some
other matters which had their origin in the original consti-
tution of the ecclesiastical polity of the country that might
be improved, yet there is nothing now existing that can be
called an abuse arising from the management or conduct
of its governors or ministers. Another proposition, which
I think is established by the report, is, that after a severe
scrutiny it has been shown that there are no overgrown
fortunes in the individual ministers of the Church, and
that it is entirely free from the reproach of pluralities.
What the clergy individually are (with rare exceptions), in
character, conduct, and exemplary disclirge of their duties,
has been testified by their opponents, and by no one more
freely than by Mr. Gladstone himself. If we are to fall, it '
is, then, for no default of duty, no reasonable objection to
our ecclesiastical system, or to the constitution or condition
of our Church. It is solely for external political causes
and reasons. Of this consolation we can never be deprived.
I cannot, however, part with the report of the commission
without acknowledging—what, I trust, the clergy of this
country feel—the disinterested and anxious exertions
which the commissioners made to ascertain the real facts,
and place them beyond controversy. Everyone who
peruses the report will say that in the recommendations
which have been offered the commissioners were actuated
solely by the desire to propose what they conscientiously
believed to be most judicious at the present momentous
crisis. I must, however, express say anxious hope that in
any legislation which may follow upon the report, the reduc-
tion of the number of bishops may be avoided. Further,
I do not enter into its consideration, as I should be
unwilling by minute criticism to weaken the effect of
recommendations which, from the constitution of the
commission, may be fairly taken to represent ;nttiligent
lay opinions, both in England and Ireland. That the pro-
ceedings of such a commission should :lave been treated as
of no importance, the information it -‘:fts aquiriug as of
no value, and, without waiting for the result, the disesta-
blishment and disendowment of the Church should be
decided upon, is a melancholy instance of the operation of
party spirit upon political conduct. It is one of the
plainest principles of justice to hear the evidence before
you give the verdict.

DISTURBANCES AT ST. JAMES'S,
BRIGHTON.

An evening paper contains the following description of
the services at Mr. Purchas' chapel on Sunday, and the
row N%', :ch interrupted them :—" The procession had gone
nearly r,;und tl=e church, the whole place being filled with the
smoke cf the incense, when a man started up in one of
the pews and held aloft what appeared to be a
placard. Ho at the same time shouted out some remark,
and wrs thought by those near him to be about to throw a
book at Mr. Purchas's head. A rush was made at him,
and instantly a scene of wild excitement and disorder
was witnessed. The whole congregation arose and loft
their pews, the priests and choristers ftsd precipitately
to the altar, Mr. Purchas among them, and the man
with the placard was seized by at least a score of hands.
Tne doorkeepers and attendants seemed to be prepared for a
disturbance of this kind ; for several of them hastened to
their seats and brought out thick staves, with which they
repaired to the pew where the fight was going on. Tho
noise these men made and the cries of the people threw
the whole congregation into an extraordinary state of
agitation. There was rather a sharp struggle to
get the man who b gan the disturbance out of the
building. Ho resisted vigorously, clinging fast to the top of
the pow in which he was seated, and crying at the top of his
voice, "You brutes, let me go." At last ho was carried
on men's shou'cle: s out of the place, and the police
were sent for. The organ was played, and an attempt
was made to resume the service ; but for some few
minutes the effort was unsuccessful. Mr. Purchas
kept whispering orders to his attendants, casting restless
glances meanwhile round upon the congregation. Several
ladies were taken from the chapel in a half faint-
ing condition, and the faces of the men were very
white. The alarm and excitement were in fact
ridiculous. It could only be accounted for by the fact
that for weeks past the congregation have felt them-
selves liable to interrupt ons from an outside mob. This
sense of danger had been so sharpened with the sligetest
incident would have raised a tumult. The people could
scarcely have shown greater uneasiness ou Sunday morn-
ing if they had been sitting over a powder magazine.
There was then a great rush cf strangers from the place,
and a young gentleman with a little cross on his back
and rod vestments preached a sermon which was
not much calculated to raise the spirits of his hearers.
It was all about wounded affections, vanished joys, the
cankerworm of care, and the blight of treachery
and deceit. Tho preacher also offered a few gloomy
remarks upon the malice of the world, and the
fiendish cruelty of infidels—by which ho was under-
stood by some to refer to the lawless and unregenerate
artists of Punch. After the excitement of the service this
extremely depressing sermon seemed to fall on dull ears.
A great crowd had assembled outside to receive Mr.
Purchas, but he prudently waited until they had dispersed.
Whatever may be Mr. Purchas's theory of his service,
a more uncomfortable morning at church is not often
experienced than that which ho has prepared for his
followers. In the evening a great number of the
regular attendants, as well as some hundreds of
strangers, found themselves shut out of the chapel alto-
gether. The incident of the morning was spread abroad in
the town in a variety of exaggerated and absurd forms, and
the result was, notwithstanding the pouring rain, a
considerable mob gathered round the building. The
doors wore shut before the regular hour of ser-
vice and guarded by the police. Without, a little crowd
of boys yelled and shouted, much to the disturbance of the
service, no doubt ; and if the rain had not befriended Mr.
Purchas matters might have been much worse. It is but
too probable that the peace of the town will bo broken ere
long if some modificatiod of the service isnot made.

THE NEW CHANCELLOR Of NORWICH.—It is un-
derstood that Dr. Deane, Q.C., will be the new Chancellor
of Norwich, vacant by the lamentable death of Mr. Evans,
who was recently thrown from his horse.
MORE OUTRAGES IN IRELAND.—Mr. Arthur
Foster, of Belle Isle, county Donegal, writes to the Dublin
Express giving an account of an outrage on the Belfast
Junction line. After the two p.m, train on Saturday had
passed the BoyneViaduct, a shot was fired at it which broke
the glass of the window at which he was sitting, making
a small hole such as a pistol .shot would leave. There was
a clergyman of the Established Church and another gen-
tleman sitting opposite to him at the time. The person
who fired escaped. A telegram has been received from
Cork to the effect that twenty-five men entered the house
of Mr. Wigmore, a gentleman farmer, near Middleton, on
Monday night, and seized several guns and pistols.

MR. DISRAELI AT CIILTRCH.—An amusing inci-
dent occurred in :connection with the Premier's recent
visit to Balmoral in attendance on her Majesty. In the
Scotch Church the collection is still made with the " ladle"
—a system which is perhaps opposed to voluntary contri-
butions, and gives rather a practical turn to benevolence.
Mr. Disraeli, unaware of this, and being wrapt up in
meditations on the connection between Church and State,
appeared to have nothing wherewith to support the
Establishment. This being noticed by one of the
ladies of the Court, who sat next him, she very readily
offered Mtn a coin. The great man now understood what
was required of him, and, refusing the coin, began fumbling
in all his pockets for his purse, which he at last found, and
from it extracted a donation. By this, however, the
ladle was on its way down the seat again ; but with
that ingeniousness for which Mr. Disraeli is remarkable,
he handed the money to his neighbour, who in turn,
handed it on, in the hope of reaching the retreating
money-box. Along one seat it went, up another, down
the next, but without success ; and the last holder, seeing
the hopelessness of the pursuit, returned it to him whc
gave it. Back it came slowly along its way, until it
reached the Premier, who up to this time had remained
immovable, and unconscious of its fate, while all eyes it
the congregation seemed watching the scene. When ii
was handed to him, he looked at the coin for a moment,
gave ono of his peculiar miles, coolly put it back to hit
puree, and pocketed the wouey,—Nentrose /Wig'

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HARROW RACES—Tms DAY.
(BY ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH.)
STANMORE STAKES. •

SPORTING INTELLIGENCE—This Day.

Proctor
Lord Derby
Brown Jug 3
Seven ran.
NORTH-WESTERN STAKES.

1

Ada .
Clarina
Acrobat ... 3
Six ran.

WORCESTER RACES—Tms DAY.
HANDICAP PLATE.