The Sun.
London, England, 1868-04-02 00:00:00

IIE.R MAJESTY.

BUCKINGHAM PALACE, April 1.
The Queen drove out this morning, accompanied
by Princess Beatrice.
Princess Louise visited the Exhibition of the So-
ciety of British Artists in Suffolk-street.

The Prince of Wales, attended by Major Grey,
rode out yesterday forenoon.
The Princess of Wales drove out, _attended by
the Marchioness of Carmarthen.

ADELPHI THEATRE.—Their Royal llighue.scs
the Prince and Princess of kVales, Princess Louise, and
Prince Arthur, attended by the Marchioness of Ca:mar-
then, Major Grey, and suite, honoured the performances
at this theatre with their presence last evening.

7HE MINISTRY AND THE APPROACHING

DIVISION.

Last evening a circular, marked " most import-
ant," was sent round to the supporters of the
Government, requesting "most earnestly" and
" most particularly " their attendance at the
division to-night.

The following also accompanied the circular :
" That there may be no misunderstanding, it is
greatly desired that members will bear in mind
that the first division will be taken, not on Lord
Stanley's amendment, but directly either to affirm
or negative Mr. Gladstone's motion to go into com-
mittee."

POLICE INTELLIGENCE.-THIS DAY.

THE RELIGIOUS PRESS ON MR.
GLADSTONA

Looking at the matter from our own point of view, we
can as heartily congratulate the friends of religious
equality on this latest advance of their new parlia-
mentary leader as on the welcome announcement that
he—in this matter, at least—had resolved to place
himself in their ranks. Mr. Gladstone is accused
of undue eagerness, of heated haste, and of such
like parliamentary weaknesses ; but, in this instance,
he seems to have displayed the prescience and the practical
sagacity of the calmest statesmanship, in combination
with the pure and lofty aim of the unselfish patriot. He
has measured the magnitude of the operation which he
has commenced. He sees with a clear eye, while he is
impelled by the pulsations of a generous head.
He acts with firmness, but is as considerate as he
is decided—as conciliatory as he, is just. He does not
profess to be able at the present time to produce a perfect
plan, and he wisely reserves for future discussion much
that will need to be considered with the utmost care and
scrupulousness. But he lays down broad and intelligible
principles, in the light of which we can see our way to the
end of the work in all its comrleteness ; and, in taking
the first step, he makes the next and each succeeding step
comparatively easy, because the path is wisely chosen, and
the ground is firm beneath the tread.—Nonconformist.
We do not find in Mr. Gladstone's speech a sufficient
answer to the question why this great matter was just'
at this moment forced on Parliament. The hour
might have come for him to make up and de-
clare his mind on the subject, and it may be
quite true that the weak and lame policy of the
Ministry On the most pressing necessity of the day was
exasperating, and deserved little indulgence. But
though the Ministry. might have no claim on his for-
bearance, Parliament and the country had ; and
he did not 'Make it clear what objects he proposes to
himself by suddenly making this matter the subject of a
debate, where it will not be really discussed on its
merits. . . . Nevertheless, an Established

Church which is not in any reasonable sense a
Church of the nation is an anomaly which nothing can get
over ; and the Church of Ireland is such an Esta-
blishment, and its defenders struggle in vain to
disengage it from this radical fault in its posi-
tion. . . . Irish Churchmen inherit a position
created and kept up for centuries for the benefit of
England ; and English legislators have no business to
tarn round on them now, and visit on them ruinously
the consequences of English bad policy. But a great
sacrifice will probably be cheaply made, even if it re-
leases the Irish Church from a connection with the State
which has been the source of so much injury and dis-
honour. It will not cease to be the Irish Church, and it
ought not to lose anything which it can fairly call its own,
by ceasing to be an Establishment."—Guardian.