The Sun.
London, England, 1868-02-18 00:00:00

THE CHURCH GRIEVANCE.

In 1760 the Duke of Bedford gave his support to a
measure which would have been nearly equivalent to the
Act of Toleration in England. The Irish Privy Council
rejected it. Other liberal measures met a similar fate,
until O'Connell appeared in 1828, and the Roman Catholic
Relief Bill was as much his work " as the Repeal of the
Corn Laws was Mr. Cobden's, and the Reform Bill of
1867 was Mr. Bright's." The conflict upon the Appropri•
ation Clause is here discussed by the author, and his own
resolution with reference to Irish policy (April 15, 1839) is
quoted. Lord Melbourne changed Sir Robert Peel's cry
of " Protestant ascendancy " to " Justice for Ireland,"
and this led to a total change in the spirit of the
Irish Administration. As to the Irish Church, the
author wholly condemns it, and cites many quotations
from other writers to prove its unsuitability to the
state of things in which it is placed. The marvellous
change in the condition of Scotland in modern times " was
effected by the sacrifice of the Episcopal Church." The
Protestant Established Church in Ireland is the main
grievance of which the people have to complain. What,
then, are the remedies? First, Lord Russell renounces
his own plan of 1835. The Appropriation Clause would
be of no service now. The adoption of a purely voluntary
system in Ireland would prove, the author believes, a mis.
fortune to the country ; and he goes on to say—

" I therefore come to the conclusion that the endow-
ment of the Roman Catholic Church in Ireland, the en-
dowment of the Presbyterian Church, and the reduction
of the Protestant Episcopal Church to one-eighth of the
present Church revenues of Ireland, would be just and
salutary."

Lord Russell does not believe that much is to be hoped
from the progress of the "Reformation "in Ireland. He
dwells upon the vicissitudes through which the Roman
Church has passed in safety, and declares that it ought to
be granted equal arms. The Roman Catholic bishops may
prefer their grievance to a grant from the Imperial Trea-
sury, but—

" Our only resource is to maintain the supremacy o?
ril.*Vam.P.n4vlß.Ovt ma' Tu Le tidal "t% de- intist
be upheld, her courts of justice must not be subject to
appeal to Scotch Presbyteries, or Pan-Anglican Synod;
or Roman tribunals."

Lord Russell does not find fault with the present system
of education in Ireland. The Queen, in a passage in her
journal, commends it, as she saw it practised in Dublin,
and wishes a similar system were adopted everywhere ;
and Lord Rus.,ell says, "I have ally to add to this senti-
ment a fervent Amen."

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