The Sun.
London, England, 1868-06-09 00:00:00

THE IRISH CHURCH QUESTION.

A deputation, consisting of noblemen and gentlemen
Lepresenting the Ulster Protestant Defence Association
and the Central Protestant Defence Association in Dublin,
together with their various branches throughout Ireland,
waited on Monday upon the Premier, at his official real-
dence in Downing-street, for the purpose of laying before
him resolutions passed by those bodies in reference to the
proposed disestablishment and disendowment of the Irish
Church, and of making statements in support of those
resolutions.
The Marquis of DOWNSHIRE introduced the deputa-
tion, and read the resolutions which the associations repre-
sented had come to. _ .

The other members of the deputation who spoke were
the Earl of Bandon, the Rev. Mr. Henderson, Presbyte-
rian, and the Rev. D. M'Afee, Methodist minister.
Mr. DISRAELI, in reply, expressed the pleasure he
xperienced in receiving that deputation, which he looked
upon as representing the general sentiments of the
Protestant population of Ireland. I can assure you (he
continued) that so far as the Protestant churches and the
Protestant institutions of Ireland are concerned, you need
have no fear that her Majesty's present Government will
not stand by them —(cheers)—and to the utmost of their
efforts support and maintain them. (Loud cheers.) We
are well aware of the critical position of affairs in
Ireland from the policy which has suddenly been intro-
duced by the Opposition in the present Parliament. But
I think we should be taking a very limited view of the
situation if we looked upon it as only affecting the inte•
rests of Ireland. In the opinion of her Majesty's Govern-
ment the interests of the whole United Kingdom are
concerned, and the blow that is to be dealt to the institu-
tions of Ireland must in due time, as a necessary con-
sequence, be levelled against the institutions of Great
Britain. Under these circumstances of great difficulty,
and no doubt of great danger, her Majesty's Government
have taken that course which they believed was their duty,
namely, to take care that no precipitate decision was
arrived at by Parliament upon a question of paramount
importance suddenly introduced to its consideration. And
although from the position in which we were placed,
having accepted office originally in a minority, we have
not been able to accomplish that which we could have
desired, we have at least secured this for the people
of this country, that their constitution shall not be sub-
verted without an appeal to them. (Cheers.) So that
if there is to be a great and lamentable change in the in-
stitutions of the United Kingdom, tit will be by the people
of the United Kingdom, and not by the machinations of a
party of politicians who have seized a favourable oppor-
tunity of carrying their revolutionary designs into effect.
' (Loud and prolonged cheering.) The question, therefore,
simply is this—Do the people of the United Kingdom
wish for a revolution ? Do they wish for a sub-
version of those institutions to which they owe, in my
opinion, their happiness and their greatness ? (Loud
cheers.) Her Majesty's Ministers will not believe that
that can be the case, and they look forward with the
utmost confidence to the impending appeal to this great
nation, believing that the verdict to be given will be one
to uphold the institutions of the country, and among those
institutions those in which you are peculiarly interested—
the Protestant institutions of Ireland. (Loud and pro.
longed cheering.)
The Marquis of DOWNSIIIRE thanked the right hen;
gentleman, and the deputation withdrew.

ROYAL GEOGRAPHICAL SOCIETY:

On Monday evening a meeting of the members of this
society took place at Burlington House, Piccadilly ; Sir
Roderick Murchison, Bart., president of the institution,
in the chair. It having become known that Mr. C. R.
Markham (one of the secretaries of the society), who had
acted as the accredited geographer in the Abyssinian
expedition, was about to communicate his experiences
of the country between Antalo and Magdala, a more
than ordinary amount of interest attached to the
occasion, and the attendance of members was very
numerous. A paper was read by Dr. Neumayer
upon the scientific explorations of Central Aus•
tralia, recommending a new exploring expedition,
at a cost of more than £21,000, and extending over three.
and-a-half years ; and a brief discussion having ensued on
this subject, Mr. Markham proceeded to detail the result
of the observations he had made during the recent Abys-
sinian expedition. The country, he observed, between
Antal° and Magdala was a mountainous region, entirely
composed of volcanic rock. He then described the geo-
graphical formation of the country and also the character
of the various tribes of people by whom the region was in-
habited. He particularly alluded to the excellence of King
Theodore's road, which he said was thirty feet wide, and
owed its origin entirely to the ingenuity, and its execution
to the personal energy of that monarch, adding that but for
that road our troops would have been at least ten days
longer in reaching Magdala. Mr. Markham next gave
some interesting particulars regarding Theodore's camp,
which was very extensive, but without canvas tents, the
soldiers being housed in huts or in hovels constructed of
the branches of trees. Magdala itself was a mass of
basaltic rock, 9,050 feet above the level of the sea, and
had been founded and fortified by Theodore as his prin.
tipal stronghold, and there he retired in the hope of mak-
ng terms with the English, and, in the event of his
!ailing, he determined to end his career in the manner lie
aad chosen. He then proceeded to describe Theodore's
tttempt to capture Colonel Phayre, the attack on the
Baggage, the action of the 10th April, and the defeat of
the Abyssinian army, of which 800 men were killed
Lnd 1,500 wounded, including most of the leaders and
great men in the King's service. The particulars of Theo-
dore's endeavour to obtain peace without complying with
the demand to give up the prisoners, and surrender him-
self and his stronghold to his conquerors—his attempt
apon his own life the day after his first defeat—the letter
tie sent to the English general, giving an account of his life
and policy, written when he had abandoned all hope, and
had resolved upon self-destruction—the presents of cows
and sheep he sent by him to the English camp—the arrival
there of the prisoners—the singular appearance of the
sun on the morning of the 13th April, which the English
regarded as a good omen, and Theodore as a bad one—the
bombardment of l‘lagdala, the assault and capture of the
fortress, and the death of the king by his own hand—all
these details were vividly described by Mr. Markham,
and he concluded a very interesting paper by stating the
scientific results which the expedition had produced. A
vote of thanks, at the suggestion of the president, was
passed to Mr. Markham, and the meeting separated.

BULL-FIGHTS IN FRANCE.—The Journal du
Ilavre announces that bull-fights are to be held in that
town in the course of the present month, in the circus of
the Boulevard Francois I. ; and that some of the best ban.
derillos and picadores of Spain have been engaged;
Twelve bulls have been procured.

THE MEETING OF THE NATIONAL RIFLE ASSO.\
CIATION.—The regulations respecting the forthcomin%
camp and rifle gathering on Wimbledon Common have
been issued. The camp is to be under the command of,
Colonel the Hon. INT. Colville, and will be ready for owl.,
pation on the 11th of July, the shooting okthe
.11
FaAet4lg commencing on gß4cla), t!l_3?