The Sun.
London, England, 1845-05-19 00:00:00

presented a petition from Monmouth, signed by 38 people,
out of a population of 30,000, against the grant.
Mr. PACKE presented petitions from Dissenting con-
gregations in several places to a similar effect.
Sir T. FREMANTLE presented a petition from Tun-
bridge Wells and other places in favour of the grant.
Mr. C. BRUCE presented a petition from Elgin and
other places against the grant.
ACADEMICAL EDUCATION (IRELAND),
Lord J. RUSSELL—I wish to ask the Right Hon.
Baronet at the head of the Government what day he
would name for the second reading of the Bill for Acade-
mical Education in Ireland ?
Sir R. PEEL—I cannot exactly define the day upon
which the-second reading of this Bill will be introduced,
but at the conclusion of the debate on the Maynooth
quPstion I will name the day.
Mr. EWART said he had a notice on the paper in
reference to this question, which was to this effect .
On the third reading of the Maynooth College Bill, to
move that, while it is expedient to open all the
public educational establishments of Ireland to the
Catholics, to reduce to its due dimensions the Irish
Church, and to establish entire civil and religious
equality between Great Britain and Ireland, it is not
advisable to extend the principle of making any religious
denomination endowed by any dependent on the
State. In bringing forward this motion he begged to
assure the Right Honourable Baronet opposite, and the
Hon. Members on that side the House, that while he
was in favour of the most liberal and extended system
of education to all eenominations of Christians, he was
opposed to any religious endowment by the State
of any institution. And now when the question was
coming before that House for a final decision, be
did think it but just to those out of doors abo were
opposed to it, to have their opinions and feelings ex-
pressed. lie 'bad the honour of differing from the opi-
nions of the Hon. Member the representative of the
University of Oxford upon this question, and also
from the Right Honourable Gentleman the Recorder
of Dublin and the Recorder of London. The standard
they had raised bore a device far too exclusive for him.
He hoped the lion. Member for Oxford University would
pardon him for this allusion ; but he felt compelled to
say that though he differed from him on many 'stints in
reference to this question, he agreed with him only on
the principle that it was not wise to endow religious
establishments. Ile did not mean to say he was opposed
to existing endowments, but he was'opposed to their ex-
tension, whether that extension was to be made to May-
nooth or to any other institution, for he did think that
all theological establishments should be left to themselves.
He did not admire any Government interference with
the matters of religion, and the success which the Go-
vernment had met with on a former memorable occasion,
when the Right Honourable Baronet the Secretary
of State for the Home Department introduced his
Factory Bill, furnished an ample proof of the
utility of advocating mixed theological and political
questions. He doubted, therefore, the wisdom of
agitation in questions which involved the subject
of religion, and this was the reason why he
now differed from the Government on this
question of an endowment to Maynsoth. Such
a course might have been in place some forty or
fifty years ago, but there was a new spirit abroad now.,
He believed that a pure r principle actuated the people
than the principle of endowments—he meant the volun-
tary principle. The voluntary principle manifested its
truth to the minds of the people of this country, and it
now occupied the place which the principle of endow-
ments did at a former period. This fact was proved by
what had taken place in two of the Established
Churches of this country. It was owing to the increase
of the voluntary principle, that the Free Church in
Scotland had separated itself from the parent establish-
ment; nor was it less owing to the insinuation of voluntary
principles into England, that Tractarianism had diffused
irselfin Belfast, and extended its influence over thecountry.
A change had come over the spirit of the country,
which called on that House to legislate in conformity
with it, but he was t. that this system was not a sys-
tem of endowment, but simply an act of
restitution. He would like to know what in this
case was meant by the phrase " act of restitution."
Was the Church of Ireland asked to restore to the Ca-
tholic Church what she had taken from her ? No.
This was tube exacted from the people of this country—
it was to be taken out of the Consolidated Fund. We
should not oppose any principle of restitution
hut this was nut so. He thought that, if they took
from the superfluities of the Irish Church it would
be well, but instead of doing so, they deducted this
something from the necessities of the English people.
It was an anomaly to call on the people of this country
to contribute from their bard-earned labour to the. ex-
tension of religion, when that Church, which was now
almost the mockery, as it had long been deemed
the disgrace of this country, possessed so much wealth.
That was the course which he, for one, would have pre-
ferred ; and he begged to ask Right Hon. Gentlemen
opposite what course they intented to pursue ? He
asked, did they mean to make their stand upon this Bill,
or to extend the principle so far as the endowment
of the Roman Catholic clergy?—(Hear, hear.) Ile
believed that they would give dissatisfaction to the Pro-
testant portion of the United Kingdom, and that they
would at the same time give no satisfaction to the Roman
Catholics.—(Hear, hear.) The Noble Lord the
Member for London had said that he was prepared
to carry out the genuine principle of endowment,
and to give salaries to the Catht lie clergy out of the
Consolidated Fund. The Hon. and Learned Member for
Edinburgh echoed the sentiment.—(Hear, hear.) The
Right Hon. Gentleman the Secretary for the Home
Department thought that he also was in favour
of the endowment of the priests. But the
Right Honourable Baronet at the head of the
Government maintained a prudent silence on the sub-
ject.—(Dear, hear.) He believed that the spirit
of endowment had passed away, and that a
purer spirit—that of the reformation, and of primitive
Christianity bad taken its place.—(Hear, hear.)
He aas willing to aid in measures of
the largest liberality to Ireland, to compensate
for past oppressions. But he did not thiok this measure
was calculated to do so, and therefore, not wishing to
prolong the debate, he concluded by moving according
to notice.
Mr. MARSLAND seconded the motion. He fully
admitted the wrongs and oppressions which the Irish
nation had suffered under the domination of a more
powerful country,; but he did not think that a
further extension of ;the bad principle of that
endowment would do anything to ameliorate the pre-
sent condition of the people, or to compensate for their
past wrongs.

(LEFT SPEAKING.)

ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH.

We understand it is the intention of Government, in
conjunction with the Chester and Holyhead Railway
Company, to have the electric telegraph established on
that important line, reaching from London to Holyhead,
a distance of between 200 and 300 miles, and embracing
in its route the commercial capitals of Liverpool, Man-
chester, and Birmingham. The adoption of this inven-
tion on a scale of magnitude bids fair to effect a change
in the entire correspondence of the country, by bringing,
as it were, momentarily into close consolidation
and communion the exchanges of London, Liver-
pool, Manchester, and Birmingham, conveying with
lightning-like velocity every fluctuation of affairs, and
telegraphing from mart to mart, with marvellous exacti-
tude. and over areas of hundreds of miles, intelligence
that may be received and reciprocated almost simulta-
neously by every mercantile community in the king-
dom. Great advantages have already been developed
to the Admiralty and the commercial world, by its
adoption between London and Gosport. The old sema-
phore system is now nearly superseded, and important
Government orders and intelligence, that formerly oc-
cupied hours in transmitting by the ordinary sema-
phores between London and Portsmouth, are now for-
warded and fulfilled in a few seconds, the comatunicating
wires, which will shortly be carried from Rine Elms
to the Admiralty, at Whitehall, terminating in the
very barracks of the garrison at Gosport. The
establishment of telegraphic communication between
Liverpool and Holyhead, Lloyd's and London, will give
every facility for shipping purposes ; and in this respect
the invention has worked most efficiently between Lon-
don and Southampton, where, as at Gosport, there is a
telegraph station, telegraphic notices being daily dis-
patched, on the arrival of important mails and mercLant-
men. The advantages, moreover, that may accrue from a
line of wires to Holyhead, in establishing a closer con-
nexion between the metropolis and the sister isle, is of a
nature not to be overlooked, either in a political or social
point of view. Lines of telegraph, we understand, have
been or are about being adopted on the following, amongst
other, lines,:—On the South-Western, as a Government
telegraph for the Admiralty to Portsmouth, 90 miles; on
the same line, as a commercial telegraph, from Nine Elms
to Southampton, 77 miles, with branch to Gosport, 21
miles ; on the South Devon atmospheric liae, new in
progress, 52 miles ; on the Great Western, from Pad-
dington to Slough, 18 miles ; on the Yarmouth and
Norwich, 20 miles ; on the Dover line, from Tonbridge
to Maidstone, 15 miles ; on the Croydon atmospheric,
on the Blackwell, on part of the Manchester and Leeds,
and its branch to Oldham ; on part of the Edinburgh
and Glasgow ; upon the Dalkey atmospheric branch of
Dublin and Kingstown, applicable alike. to the convey-
ance of commercial intelligence and to the safe conduct
and working of the line. The above embraces an extent
of nearly 250 miles, over which the telegraphic prin-
ciple is already in operation ; and its adoption between
London, Liverpool, Manchester,.Birmingham, and Holy.
head will add about 300 miles more.

STRIKE OF FARM LABOURERS.—Last week the
labourers at Nether and Over Compton were informed by
their employers that their wages would henceforth be reduced
from 7s. to 6s per week. The reduced wages were offered to
the Nether Compton men on Saturday night, but refused, and
on Monday morning, as early as six o clock, the men, who had
arranged their plans during the Sunday, started off in a body-
to
the residence of the landed proprietor, taking with them
the Over Compton men, who (their wages not having been
curtailed) had gone to work as usual. The men, to the
number of thirty or more, passed through Yeovil, and we
believe had an interview. The result was, that they re-
turned to their work. It appears that, an audit or two ago,
the landlord took off 10 per cent. from his tenants' rents, but
'that, at the last audit, he put on 5 per cent. on that amount.
The farmers declared that they were unable to pay an ad-
vanced rent in these times, and to continue paying the same
wages as formerly. The consequence was the reduction of
the labourers' wages, as above stated. We hear that the
tenants are willing to pay their labourers at the usual rate
if the increase of 5 per cent. is taken off, and negotiations
have taken place to effect this desirable arrangement. The
matter, however, at present, is unsettled. The tenants, we
believe, are determined not to give the customary wages,
unless they obtain a concession from their landlord.—Sher-
borne Journal.
VISITORS TO THE BRITISH MUSEUM. nit-
Monday, May 12, 1845, 35,233 ; Tuesday, 8,133 • Wednes-
day, 21,660 ; Thursday, 2,369 ; Friday, 10,282. Total-
-77,681.