The Sun.
London, England, 1868-03-28 00:00:00

LONDON, SATURDAY, MARCH 28, 1868.

We consider that the Ministry has acted wisely
in meeting Mr. GLADSTONE'S resolutions with an
amendment, and the general feeling of the House
was evidently in its favour, as was proved by the
reception it met with, for not only was the
announcement of the noble lord received with
loud and prolonged cheers " from the Ministerial
side, but many members of the Opposition benches
joined also in the testimony of approval. The noble
lord intends to move the notice as an amendment
upon the motion that the House do immediately,
resolve itself into a Committee. The terms in
which it is drawn up are very effective,
and seem to answer fully all the re-
quirements of the case, for they offer no
vexatious resistance to the proposition of Mr. GLAD-
STONE, while they shelter the house from the ne-
cessity of compromising itself upon the weighty
matter of the Irish Church. The words are well
worthy of attentive consideration, and seems to us
that Catholics and Protestants, Liberals and Con-
servatives, may alike agree in their reason and effi-
cacy. " That this House, while admitting that
considerable modifications in the temporalities of
the United Church in Ireland may, after the pend-
ing inquiry, appear to be expedient, is of opinion
that any proposition tending to the dis-esta-
blishment or the disendowment of that Church
ought to be reserved for the decision of the new
Parliament." This is admirably drawn up, and
we entertain no doubt that it will be adopted by
the House, though a fierce encounter may take
place previously, and many expedients may be re-
sorted to in order to defeat ,jt. Before analysing
this question, it may be as well to say that there
are no grounds for the charge of inconsistency that
is being prepared against the Government in some
quarters. On no occasion whatever has Mr.
DISRAELI, or any of his Cabinet, declared that the
present system was perfect, and that there was no
need for any alteration to take place in the Irish
Church as it now stands. On the contrary, it has
been distinctly stated on several occasions that
when the Commission now appointed to inquire
into the matter shall have concluded its labours, it
will be advisable to seek for what changes may be
necessary and desirable. But there is nothing like
making a broad assertion with some people, and ac-
cordingly the public are now informed that the ,
Ministry has changed its tactics, and so on. There
is nothing unwise, unfair, or unreasonable
in the motion of which Lord STANLEY has
given notice ; and, indeed, the Government
were bound to make some assertion of the
sort, not only in self-defence, but also as some in-
dication of their policy to their supporters, and it
may be added the House in general.
It is hardly going too far to say that a more un-
warrantable attempt was never made to disturb the
progress of business during the last session of Par-
liament, and a more uncalled-for attempt made
upon the policy of a Minister who has only just
assumed the responsibilities of the Premiership,
under circumstances of great difficulty and per-
plexity. All this must be taken into account
when we dwell upon the subject, and we
hope that the members of the House of C om-
mons, as well as of the public in general, will bear
this in mind when the whirl and excitement of
next week begins. Talking of change of opinion,
who is a greater master of the art than " young
Oxonian" himself ? The renowned champion of
Oxford prejudices is now the glorified exponent of
the views of extreme Radicals and ultra-Noncon-
formists ; hence we should advise his friends and
followers to abstain from making inconsistency
the groundwork of their attack upon Ministers.
The change or conversion, or whatever be the title
that it may bear, is of so recent a date that the
grand opportunity is lost of alluding to the toils and
exertions of those who have long laboured in the
cause and borne the burden and heat of the day.
It was past the eleventh hour when the leader of
the Opposition and his immediate followers came to
the rescue, and they must feel the awkwardness of
their position accordingly. We do not see how the
House can mistake its duty in this matter ; it lies
plain and straight before it, and we would espe-
cially point out to the extremists of both sides
that in giving their vote for the adoption
of Lord STANLEY'S amendment they- are not
committing themselves or compromising their
actions in a new Parliament. It will be quite open
to some to go one way and some another ; the op-
ponents of the Irish Church Establishment as it
now exists can disagree to its maintenance at once,
while others can on their side fight for its main-
tenance at all costs. There may be yet another
party which can advocate its own particular views,
and suggest the expediency of some alterations or
improvements. The question that is, now to be