The Sun.
London, England, 1845-05-03 00:00:00

THE GRANT TO MAYNOOTH.
TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN.
Ste,-1 am sadly pained to witness the display of bigotry and
bad feeling which have been manifested by a large portion of the
English public on the proposed grant to Maynooth, inasmuch as I
believe it will have a tendency to destroy that favour and grace
with which otherwise it might have been received by the
Catholic population of Ireland. But if, Sir, you had had an
opportunity of attending the various meetings held in the
country on the subject, as I have, and had heard the
manner in which the religious feelings and passions of the
people have been appealed to and worked upon, you would not
be surprise& I will give you ono instance. A meeting was held
in the Subscription Room at Exeter, on Tuesday last, to pass reso-
lutions against the grant. The meeting was opened by the Rev.
Mr. Hocking of the Establishment, by reading a portion of the
Word of God and prayer. He then addressed the meeting in one
of the most intolerant, bigoted, and, in my opinion, the most
unchristian speeches I have ever heard. He told the meeting that
the Roman Catholic priests of Ireland were at this day in the habit
of grunting absolution to persons who confessed as to their intention
to commit a crime, aye, even if that crime was murder, and that he
was bound by his office not to warn the intended victim of his
doom, though he met him in the street! Now, Mr. Editor, is this
true 7—if so, it is very awful. lam not myself, much read in these
matters; in my heart and soul I believe it to be false, and if false then
what a base hypocrite have we here : a man who had so recently been
engaged in reading the Word of God and in offering a prayer to the
throne of Grace, who could put forth such a statement for the
purpose of stirring up and bad blood between his fellow.
creatures. A feeling specimen this of a minister of the Gospel
of peace. But to the credit of the Establishment be it said, that I
believe he was the only minister of it present. Next came the
Rev. Mr. Cook ( Webleyan), whose portly size and well.polished
countenance showed at any rate that hie religion was not one which
made him eschew the good things of this world. He said he had
read and heard a great deal about Pagans and idotators, but he
knew of no idolatry half so bad as that practised by the Pa-
pists. It was true, he said, the Pagans did make gods with
their own hands, and afterwards fell down and worshipped
them ; but then they paid some respect to them and took
oare of them ; but as to the Prpists, after they had made
their gods they put them into their mouths and ate them. Thus
did this low-minded, vulgar man allude to the doctrine of the
Eucharist. Can he tell us when the innovation of the real presence
took place in the history of the Church? Would he knock down
everything that he cannot squat eto his reason, if so, what would he
have left to base his Christianity upon ? But I tire you, Mr.
Editor. Suffice it to say, that every appeal to the bad passions of
men, everything that was likely to stir up religious hatred and
bigotry, here found vent, and from these divines who are quarrelling
with the Roman Catholic priests for their participation in agita-
tion. Ido sincerely hope, Mr. Editor, that when the sober-minded
people of England begin to reflect, and reflect they will, if you will
give them time, they will see that this is but a very small boon for
the wrongs which Catholic Ireland had received from Protestant
England.—l beg to subscribe myself, Mr. Editor,your great admirer
and constant reader, and
Langford, May 2, 1845. NO BIGOT.
P.S. The local papers will corroborate what I have here stated.

THE MAYNOOTH COLLEGE BILL.
TO THE EDI7'OR OF THE SUN.
Sts,—Considering the public press as the legitimate channel of
reply to printed circulars, I take the liberty of committing to your
columns the following letter.—l have the honour to be, Sir, your
obedient servant, E. TIGHE GREGORY, D.D., LLD.,
Rector and Vicar of Kilmore.

TO CULLING E. SMITH AND JAMES LORD, ESQRS.
Gentlemen,—l have the honour of acknowledging the receipt
of your circular, as Chairman and Secretary of the Executive
Committee formed to oppose the Maynooth College Bill, as you
are pleated to term the measure now occupying so much of the
public time.

I entirely agree with you that " this is no common crisis," but
dissent from the position that " we," i, e. the Committee with
which you act, " are fighting anew the battle of the Reformation ;"
that brother Protestants are bound to "give you their confidence
and co-operation; that the policy pursued in this measure by Go-
vernment is alike subversive of truth and justice ; or that expedi-
ency is necessarily opposed to principle."
It is certainly no common crisis when the " Church militant,"
the Establishment and Dissenters, unite under the same leaders,
form one holy league and covenant, and re-echo the same war-
whoop; still less so when the " battle of the reformation" is to be
a contest, not for the extinction of bigotry, but, contrary to that Re-
formation's intent and principles, for its perpetuation. I humbly
conceive that " brother Protestants" are bound to " co.operate" its
furthering the great attempt that "righteousness and peace may
kiss each other," and realising the injunction to promote " peace on
earth, goodwill towards men," enlarge the circle, too long con-
tracted, of Christian charity, and disuse that more liberal education
which e'erleaps the narrow mind, softens asperities, and prostrates
persecution ; such is the policy pursued in this measure by Govern-
ment, marked out by, not subversive of, truth and justice, and re.
conciling expediency with principle I Like the Irish National
F.ducation System, a great attempt to improve and propitiate, and,
like it, meeting with all the opposition which every new design,
even Christianity itselkhaa uniformly encountered from pride, pre.
judice, interest, ignorancsk and misconception.
The education question haft, indeed, had some tardy converts of
late, who no longer consider principle and expediency irreconcil.
able ; and if the Premier's views are realised, a more quiet, or.
derly, and moral population will spring up under the guidance of an
blither grade of Roman Catholic Clergy, more enlightened because
more educattd. If the altar ceases to be a platform, and the pulpit
a rostrum, the same consestuences will follow the testing of the
present measure, and its opponents become proselytes likewise to a
moral expediency.

Those, I trust, will be its consequences, and with this persuasion
I can neither conscientiously forward your ♦iews, or unite in a
factious opposition to the Government ; int, independent of those
reasons, I conceive the clergy out of place in political discussions,
whieh much impair their usefulness, and desecrate their sacred
calling ; and I would observe that many of my Rev. Brethren who,
in Exeter Hall, widen the breach between Protestant and Catholic,
would be more usefully, as well as more legitimately employed in
their respective parishes by silently forwarding the work of con.
version through the unostentatious means of "letting their light
so shine before men that they may see their good works, and glorify
our Father n hich art in heaven."
It is needless to Judd that in the parish of Kilmore I shall, as I
have ever done, pursue the same course I pursued when adminis-
ter,ng that of Hurstanton, in Norfolk, for my son, namely dis.
countenancing,iny attempt at the introduction of such a petition
as you require; the forming of any deputation to overawe the Go.
vernment, of, generally, any measure tending to narrow the
charities of the Gospel.-1 have the honour to be, Gentlemen,
your übeditnt humble servant E. TIGHE GREGORY.
Rector and Vicar of Kilmore, Diocese of Meath.

Poirof Priory, Kilcock.
ill.pril 30, 1845.

TVE NEW CORONER FOR WESTMINSTER.-Mr.
GM ►ner a very long period of service, has resigned the lucrative
oillec of caroner for Westminster ; and Mr. Bedford, the recently.
appointed deputy-coroner, has been sworn in his place.

ST. JAMES'S THEATRE.
SOIREES MYSTERIEUSES.
In consequence of the immense success which has attended the
representations of the celebrated MONSIEUR PHILLIPPE, of the
Theatre Ronne Nouvelle, Paris, and the general astonishment
created by his incredible experiment. and wonderful delusions,
a limited nuraber of SOIREES MYSTERIEUSES will be given at
the ST. JAMES'S THEATRE. every. TUESDAY, THURSDAY,
and SATURDAY. .

Le DrapQau National, La Cuisine Infernale, Les Ilassins de Nep-
tune, et La Grande Menagerie will be presented every Evening.
Doors will be opened at Eight o'clock, and the Entertainment com-
mence at Half-past Eight. An interval of twenty minutes between
the First and Second Parts.

Boxes, 4s. ; Stalls, 7s. ; Pit, 25.; Private Boxes, Two and Three
guineas each.
Boxes, Stalls, and Tickets may be secured at Mr. Mitchell's
Royal Library, 33, Old Bond-street; and at the Box-office of the
Theatre.

ASTLEY'S ROYAL AMPHITHEATRE.
PROPRIETOR, MR. W. BATTY.
THIS EVENING
A VARIETY OF ATTRACTIVE NOVELTIES.

Mr. BATTY, over anxious to retain the patronage iftitt. has been
so bountifully bestowed on this Establishment, feels a degree of plea-
sure in announcing the greatest combination of Foreign Equestrian
Talent that ever appeared In the Metropolis, he having engaged the
whole of M. Tournaire's Company of French, German, and Italian
Artistes, and the entire Stud of highly-tutored IlOrses. The Com-
pany embrace the following distinguished Professors :—M. Benoit
Tournaire, M. Ferdinand, M. Francois, M. Ernest ; Signors Angussi
and Rinaldo; M. F. Klatt; Mesdames Louise Klatt, Ilubor, and
Popowitz ; M. Popowitz, the French Clown ; Ilerr Ilubor, the Dutch
Grotesque. This talented Corps will make their First Appearance
On Whit Monday. A new Dramatic Spectacle, written expressly for
this Establishment, by Mr. Moncrielf, the plot ofwhich is taken from
the works of Eugene Sue, will also be produced on the same
occasion.

DAVIDGE'S ROYAL SURREY THEATRE.
:n consequence of the immense sensation created by the Feats of
Mr. Canfield, the American Samson, he will repeat his Herculean
Feats every Evening.