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 resi-
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 DOWNS= 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 Bari 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, it 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 aLd 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 arc peculiarly interested—
the Protestant institutions of Ireland. (Loud and pro-
longed cheering.)
The Marquis of DowNsnins thanked the right hon.
gentleman, and the deputation withdrew.