The Sun.
London, England, 1868-04-18 00:00:00

LONDON, SATURDAY, APRIL 18, 1868.

St. James's Hall had another great public meet-
ing yesterday, convened by the United Protestant
Defence Committee in support of the Established
Church in Ireland. As on the previous evening
the Hall was crowded, but some attempts were
made to disturb the order of the proceedings by
frequent interruptions at first, but after a time
these were put down by the general expression of
feeling on the part of the meeting. Mr. J. CAMP-
BELL COLQUIIOUN was the chairman, and he deli-
vered an eloquent address. Sir J. EARDLEY WIL-
MOT, in moving the first resolution, declared that
they sympathised with Ireland, but it was not wise
or just at this time to open the fountains of religious
strife, and to create discord in the sister country.
The Irish Church might, he urged, be reorganised
so as to make it a greater benefit to
Ireland and the world, but it was going
too far to destroy the building itself. As
one means of conciliation, he urged the pro-
priety of petitioning the QUEEN, in order that the
Heir to the Throne might be called Prince of Ire-
land as well as Prince of Wales.

At the meeting in Birmingham Mr. NEWDEGATE
made a speech on the subject of the Irish Church,
and declared that this House of Commons was not
competent to pass any legislative measures, but
that the Liberals were very jealous because the
Conservative party had passed a Reform Bill.
They must perforce do something for themselves,
and hence this sudden zeal in the matter of the Irish
Church disestablishment. This observation of Mr.
NEWDEGATE is by no means a bad version of the
affair, and when we call to mind the very extrava-
gant language that was used by the speakers
the other nightin St. James's Hall, and the counte-
nance given to their proceedings by the quiescence
of Earl RUSSELL as Chairman, we may feel justified
in coming to the conclusion that a great party feel-
ing is at work, and that a move in the direction of
the right of the Speaker's chair animates the zeal
and fires the energy of many of the zealous fol-
lowers of Mr. GLADSTONE. For the sake of Ireland
itself it is to be regretted that a question of such
deep interest to her community should be taken up
after this fashion. The country is confused and
bewildered by this sudden exhibition of party strife
that is put before it. The quiet of the Easter re-
cess has been rudely broken in upon, and for what?
That Mr. GLADSTONE should be hailed as the coming
man, the regenerator of Ireland, and the Premier in
future. It would have been better in every
sense of the word to have waited the proper
time for the settlement of this question, and
it is quite as much an error in judgment on the
part of a statesman to be too much before the time
as it is to be too much after it. At any rate we can
see no good in this premature legislation in a fast
expiring Parliament to make up for the inevitable
loss of time that it has occasioned, and the general
disturbance of things, just at the period when it
was most essential that progress should be made.

It seems as if the Jamaica Committee were re-
solved to show the public how perverse they can be,
and their persistence in bringing the case of Mr.
EYRE before a court of law is extraordinary. One
would think that by this time they had had enough
of the matter in all conscience, but it is not so, and
yesterday witnessed the removal of the application
to Bow-street concerning a summons against Mr.
EYRE. The grounds upon which it was urged were
" alleged, misconduct in his' office" as Governor of
the Island of Jamaica. Sir R. P. COLLIER alleged
that Governor EYRE had committed various misde-
zneanours in the exercise of his duty as Governor of
the Island, and principally for issuing an illegal
proclamation. It will be remembered that on a
former occasion Sir THOMAS HENRY heard a
charge against Colonel NELSON and Lieu-
tenant BRAND, and the defendants were sent for
trial, but the grand jury threw out the bill.
Mr. VAUGHAN, the sitting magistrate, of the day,