The Sun.
London, England, 1844-12-28 00:00:00

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in respect to Ireland. The Charitable Bequests Act,
and the arrangements made with certain members of
the Irish Romanist hierarchy, to act under Govern-
ment appointment in carrying its provisions into effect,
is the cause of the present clamour. The Church of
England has quietly enough submitted to place
some of its most important interests in the
hands of Commissioners to be appointed by
the Civil Government, but the Romish Church in
Ireland cannot so easily brook such interference :
"In the first place, it places the nomination of com-
missioners entirely in the hands of the existing Go-
vernment, whether they be Whigs or Tories, pre-
tended favourers of Catholic claims, or open and
avowed antagonists of a Church which is pronounced
by law, as by their favoured organs, idolatrous in its
tenets and in its practices. If it be their will, at any
moment, they can turn the three present Bishops
adrift, and appoint in their place three pliant tools
fitted for the worst purposes of corruption or tyranny.
Suppose the Act good—that it did not revive the
penal spirit of the Relief (!) Bill—that it did not out-
law an exemplary, useful body of men and citizens—
that, in fine, it was unexceptionable in all its remain-
ing clauses—still, it is dangerous in the power of
nomination by the Government, and the facility of
removal at will. The second section does provide
that ' five, and not more: than five, shall at all times
be persons professing the Roman Catholic religion,'
Why not say that three of the five shall at all times
be Archbishops or Bishops of the Catholic Church ?
Oh, no! professing Catholics, who have a religion to
sell, are far more valuable to an English, Protestant
Government than Bishops who have a Church to
guard, and a people to defend." Such sentiments
from the organ of the Romish priests in the south of
Ireland show very clearly how much has been done
by " concession" to reconcile these persons to the
sway of an " English Protestant Government." The
storm, however, is but in its begir.ning. Unless the
discipline belonging to the Romish system shall pre-
vent it, we must have, ere long, a hurricane of Agita-
tion in the Hiberno-Romish Church.

NO TEST IN THE UNIVERSITIES.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN.
SIR,—If the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge
were schools merely for the education of young men
to serve as ministers in the Established Church, it
would be fit and proper that such parties should be
required to subscribe to the articles of the Reformed
Liturgy in the fullest intent and meaning of the Pro-
testant compilers ; but when we find that members of
the Universities can take degrees in law, physic, and
music, I can see no reason why in this age such
parties should be called upon to subscribe to a par-
ticular religious creed.
Let the candidate for ordination be put to as severe
a test as possible in order to prove his allegiance to
the Protestant faith, but there is no necessity that
this should be required until he desires to hold office
in the Ecclesiastical Establishment; and I would go
even further, and require that every minister should
be required once or oftener every year to renew his
protestation in his parish church in the face of the
whole congregation. We find that times and circum-
stances in the political world often alter the opinions
of Ministers of State—why, then, may we not expect
that times and circumstances may alter the opinions
as to doctrine of ministers of religion ? These parties
having most conscientiously subscribed to the Protes-
tant Articles of Religion at ordination, too often
remain outwardly members of a Church that inwardly
they repudiate, merely for the sake of its temporal
emoluments—hence the true necessity for an oc-
casional renewal of the test of adherence to the
articles of religion of the Church in which they are
ministers. This would sufficiently protect the Church
of England from all but the perjured.
From what I have read of " The Ideal of a Church,"
I feel bound to say, that I think the acknowled,red
author, the Rev. W. G. Ward, a jesuitical intruder
into our boasted Protestant Church ; but is that any
reason why he should be deprived of being a member
of the University of Oxford, or of enjoying any
honour therein that his ability or talents have won,
provided such honour might be held by a layman ?
I think not.

Test, or no test, has long been an agitated question.
" Now's the tune, and now's the hour !"—let the
struggle be bold and undaunted, and victory will
soon be proclaimed.
The 13th of February will not take place until the
Thursday week after the first meeting of Parliament.
There will be plenty of time to debate the subject, in
order to make it a popular one, but not long enough
to settle the question ; still it will be preparing
matters so as to get the support intimately of those
whom the proposed test will shut out if adopted—and
if not adopted, on what ground is Mr. Ward to be
allowed to remain a member of the University of Ox-
ford, and to retain his honours and fellowship, and
professedly Roman Catholics and Protestant Non-
conformists excluded ?

I declare myself to be a staunch member of the
Protestant Church of England, and would strongly
oppose the introduction of anything Popish into our
churches which our Protestant forefathers have dis-
carded ; at the same time, I would give to Roman
Catholics equal civil privileges, and protect them in
the observance of all the rites and ceremonies of their
Church, so long as they confine the performance of
them within the walls of their own fabrics.

Make the Universities schools for the education of
those intended as ministers of the Church of England
only, then put what Protestant test you please ; but
when it is a school for general purposes, I say,
abolish all tests.

This letter, of itself, will have no weight at all. I
merely address you in hopes to call your attention to
the subject, so that you may throw your best ener-
gies to aid a subject which you hare on many pre-
vious occasions so ably advocated.
I am, Sir, yours, &c.,
Ilfracombe, Dec. 26, 1844.

R. W. D.

SPORTING INTELLIGENCE.
COURSING.

BROUGH AND HORNBY MEETING.—The Eight-dog
Stakes were won by Mr. Maxwell's Seymour. The
Brough Cup (8 dogs) was won by Mr. Mangle's BeIlona;
and the Ilornby Cup by Mr. Mangle's Major.
BELSAT CLUB MEETING.—The Sweepstakes (16 dogs)
were won by Mr. Thompson's Cerberus ; Mr. Kirkly's
Coiherstone ran up.
MORPETH CLUB MITFORD MEETING, DEC. 23 AND
24.—The Borough Stakes of 3 guineas each (16 subs.)
were won by Mr. Jobling's Miner ; Mr. Braithwaite's
Miss Jane ran up.
HUNTING APPOINTMENTS.
Mr. Drax's hds.,
,Mon., Aims Bills ; Fri., Holnest

Kennel.
Essex Union hds., Wed., Tiptree Windmills ; Sat, Moor

Gardens.
Badsworth hds., Tues., Wentbridge ; Thurs., Robin
Hood's Well ; Sat., Ackworth Moor Top-10i.
Mr. Foljambe's hds., Mon., Blythe Law Hill ; Tues.,
North Carlton ; Thurs., Rossington Bridge ; Fri.,
Headon Clump-10i.
Rutiord hds., Mon., Kennels ; Wed,, Ossington ; Sgt.,

14,ng with Bridge.
Quorn lids., Mon., Shearsby Inn ; Tues., Steward Hay ;
.Thurs., Rolleston Ball ; Fri., Widmerpool Inn-101.
Pytchley hds., Mon., Buttock's Booth ; Wed., Kilworth
Hall ; Fri., Spratton Bridge ; Sat., Sulby llall-10i.
Heythrop lids., Mon., Chapel House ; Wed., Blenheim ;
Fri., Addlestrop Gate ; Sat., Ditchley-101.
Thanet harrs., Mon., Hale; Wed., Manston Wood-101.
East Kent hds., Mon., Sellinge Les; Wed., Black Mile;
Fri., Sweech Gate-101.
Somerset Subscription hds., Tues., Aisholt Wood; Sat.,
Stowly Wood-101.
Bedale hds., Tues., .1 iepswell Village; Thurs., Scorton;
Sat., Busby Stoop-101.
Hurwith hds., Tue.., Enter Common ; Sat., Middleton
One Row-101.
Lieut.-Colonel Hildyard's harrs., Mon., Acklam Blue
Bell; Wed., Kennels; Fri., Trenholm Bar-10i.
Durham County lids., Mon., Sunderland Bridge; Wed.,
Chester Lane; Fri., Thornley—lol. •
Whitehaven
,harrs., Mon., Leys (Lamplugh)l Wed.,
Distington-10.

NAVAL INTELLIGENCE.
PORTSMOUTH, DEC. 27.—The Lily, 16, was commis-
sioned on Monday by Commander C. J. F. Newton.
The Locust steam-vessel was commissioned by Lieute-
nant Henry Eden (1837) on Tuesday.
The Siren, 16, was dismasted on Tuesday, having been
paid off.
The Comet steam-vessel, Lieut.-Commander Pretty-
man, returned on Wednesday from Chatham.
The Lightning steam-vessel, Master-Commander Ro-
berts, arrived from Sheerness on Wednesday, with ma-
rines from the Queen and Hornet, belonging to the Ports -
mouth division.
The Avon Royal Mail (West India) steamer, docked
on Monday for repair, was found to require none, and
consequently she left the dock on Tuesday, and pro-
ceeded to Southampton on Thursday.
The Emerald tender, which proceeded to Devonport
on Saturday, with supernumeraries for the vessels fitting
out there, returned on Wednesday.
The Mercury tender returnc d from the relief of the
wind-bound vessels in the Channel on Thursday.
The Lightning steam-vessel, Master-Commander W.
Roberts, left last evening for Devonport, with upwards
of seventyand supernumeraries for the ships fittinout a
Chatham Sheerness. They were chiefly newly`entered hands.
The royal yacht Victoria and Albert is ordered to bo
paid off immediately. When re-commissioned she will
only have one lieutenant The Nautilus, tender to the
yacht, is also to be paid off.
The Vindictive, 50, is ordered to be fitted for sea ser-
vice immediately. The orders arrived yesterday. She
will be fitted for a flag.
In Harbour—The Victory, Excellent,Vietorieuse (flag
hulk), Nautilus (tender), Sparrow (ketch), the Comet,
Echo, Dwitef, and Fearless (steam-vessels), Lily and
Diligence (naval transports).
In Dock—The St. Vincent, Prince Regent, Victoria
and Albert, Vengeance, and Athol.
In the Basin—The Neptune, Magicienne, and Locust.
CHATHAM, DEC. 27.—The Rolla, 10 guns, is ordered
to be immediately fitted for commissioning.
The Pearl, 18 guns, was put out of dock on Thursday,
the 26th inst.; and the Fantome, 16 guns, Commander
Sir Frederick Nicholson, taken in to clean her bottom.
She will go out again in a day or two, Aqien the Cowing,