The Sun.
London, England, 1868-11-17 00:00:00

THE SQUABBLE IN MIDDLESEX.

What the Ministerial papers speak of as the " dis-
graceful " squabble in Middlesex is likely to tell
heavily against the Liberals on the polling day. The
quarrel gets warmer as the time for the election
presses. Lord Enfield's defence is of necessity of
an exceedingly unsatisfactory nature. He
speaks of a private letter written by Mr. Labou-
chore to him, whose contents may not be
made public, and attributes the quarrel in
part to this letter. He explains that the secre-
tary to the Registration Society was appointed
without his being consulted; and therefore he deter-
mined to break from it. He states that Mr.
Labouchere called him a damned sneak, and offered
to give him " i
satisfaction." He replied that it would
give him great satisfaction if Mr. Labouchere
would walk out of his committee-rooms. Mr.
Labouchere writes once more, asking for
some unity, so that the Conservative may not be
returned. He denies that he used a stronger expres-
sion than simply " sneak ;" declares that his lordship
did not make the retort about satisfaction ; and offers
to lay the letter (which he says did not commence
the quarrel) and all the other facts before a Liberal
committee. Only let them be united, whatever the
terms, so long as the terms be made public.
m.u. MILL AGAIN.

As the elections approach Mr. Mill is hard pushed.
The hon. secretary of the National Sunday Leap.
writes to him to say that on Mr. Mill's 'half he
had declared that gentleman opposed tcr the
opening of theatres on the Sunday, and had chal-
lenged the incredulous to prove the contrary. At
the same time lie begs a direct contradiction from
Mr. Mill himself. Mr. Mill writes : " I have re-
peatedly said, at public meetings of the electors of
Westminster, that I should vote for the opening of
places of instructive recreation, such as museums and
libraries, on Sundays, but in the present state of the
public mind not theatres; for although, in my
opinion, theatres might be places of instructive
recreation, I think it more wise and right not
to
offend the honest feeling which at present exists in
the minds of so many worthy persons against open-
ing them on Sundays."

EX-GOVERNOR EIRE.
Unfortunately, the Jamaica question cannot be
separated from the political issues of the present
contest. The action of Phillips against Mr. Eyre, for
1.0,000 damages, on account of I:ssault and false
imprisonment during the insurrection, has come
before the Court of Queen's Bench. It
is said that the Jamaica Committee pro-
mote the action, and the attorneys engaged for
the prosecution are the same employed hitherto by
the Jamaica Committee. The committee ignore the
cafie,but ittL4PD4lleatt:Lnkid_llDol2 §aciclUrw them with

~~

the i•-e.sfOlisibilitfind ifliMppragr ntritt trraintent
time will probably prejudice the chances of the men:ok
bers of the committee at the election.
DR. ARNOLD ON THE IRISH CHURCH,

The opinion of such an eminent man as the late
Dr. Arnold on the Irish Church question is worth
noting. In 1837 he wrote : "Above all, every sincere
Christian should vote against a Conservative, if hiA
desires the spread of Christ's Gospel in Ireland. You,
abhor Popery, and we agree with you ; but the
real question is, so long as we have anything to
do with Ireland—how is Popery there to be mended?
Can there be a more mischievous state of things than
what now exists in Ireland ? . . . Does
any man believe that a Roman Catholic people;
in any part of Europe, will ever be converted to
Protestantism by Protestants who have been its
hereditary adversaries ? If there be such a rule in the
world as doing as we would be done by, then the
exclusive establishment of the Protestant Church in
Ireland is a direct injustice, and therefore a direct
sin. If we take the property of the Irish nation to
advance, as we think, the cause of Protestantism, we
might certainly with equal justice persecute the
persons of the Irish people for the same object."

ANOTHER CLERGYMAN ON THE IRISH CHURCH.

Another clerical supporter of Mr. Gladstone 's
policy has come forward to declare in favour of the
Liberal pa: ty in Ireland. The Rev. H. Jones, in a letter
to his parishioners ' of St. Luke's, Berwick-street,
Westminster, says, speaking of the Irish'Ohurch
" I am sorely vexed at being unable to loin with
many of my brethren in the ministry, whom I honour
and respect, in their views. I cannot help feeling
that, in the words of a petition presented to the
House of Lords, ' to maintain the present Established
Church in Ireland as the national Church of that
country is an injustice which legitimately offends the,
majority of the Irish people. I signed this petition,
which prayed the House 'to adopt such measures as
may appear best suited to remove this cause of
offence,' and therefore do not shrink, though in Et.
small professional minority, from saying this to you.,
I deplore the bitterness of the strife which the ques-,
tion arouses, specially as shewn in the-, cry of NO
Popery !' and Church in danger!' I dislike
Popery, but I fear that in some instances—l will not
say all, or anything like all—but in some instances
those who raise the No-Popery' cry are guilty of,
that which is the very essence of Popery,'
i.e., preferring the maintenance of an eccle.ii
siastical form to the doing of justice. Popery;
will never be mitigated by intolerance. As to the.
cry ' Church in danger,' I believe that if people insist,
on raising it they go the surest way to make it a
reality. As a man may persuade himself into an
illness, so may a society. No national church, rooted
in historical revelation, and grown into the feelings
of the great bulk of a nation, is in danger if it
honestly faces the questions of the day, and in the
strength of the spirit of truth is willing to learn as
well as teach."