The Sun.
London, England, 1845-04-15 00:00:00

AGGREGATE PROTESTANT
MEE TING AGAINST THE MAYNOOTH GRANT.
Last eveni g a public meeting was held in Covent-garden
Theatre, according to the terms of the advertisement by
which it was called together, "of the Protestants of all de-
nominations, to protest against the establishment of Popery."
The doors were opened at half-past six o'clock, and within a
quarter of an hour after every part of the building—boxes,
pit, and galleries—was crowded to excess. Of the occupants
of the boxes a considerable proportion were ladies. The
whole extent of the stage was thrown open, and folly occupied
by the members of the Committee, the principal ministers of
religion belonging to the various denominations of Protestants
in the metropolis, and the leading gentlemen connected with
each communion. The business of the meeting commenced at
seven o'clock, Robert Bevan, Esq., in the chair.
The Rev. CHARLES PREST having read the 4tith Psalm,
and the Rev. Dr HOLLOWAY offered up a prayer,
The CHAIRMAN rose to address the meeting. He was
sorry that a gentleman, who was better known than himself,
and who was more able to give effect to their deliberations, had
not been chosen to preside over such a great assembly. He
was not a politician ; he had not been in the habit of attending
public meetings; yet, notwithstanding, humble as he was, he
would do his best to fill the situation to which they had called
him. These were not times to remain in a private capacity or
to look passively on, when a great principle was at stake;
and hence he came forward to lift up his voice against
the wicked and ungodly measure proposed by Parlia-
ment. He viewed with mixed feelings, though with great
sorrow of heart, the fact that their rulers contemplated so
grievous a sin ; for, through the providence of God, good was
brought out of evil, men of so many religious parties being
thus collected together, up ,n the broad principle of resistance
to a great wrong, and protection to the Protestant faith.
The present meeting was entirely a religious one. Politics
had nothing to do with it. They might differ on political
subjects, but they were united on the religious duty of opposing
the grant to Maynooth, now under the consideration of the
House of Commons. It, was pleasant for him to see persons
differing so widely on other questions now uniting in the
common object to oppose the leaislative endowment of Popery.
—( Cheers. ) This was a rioly, a legitimate alliance—
( Cheers.) They did not come forward to that meeting on the
ground that it was wrong to tax the people to support May-
nooth.—( Murmurs of dissent.) That was riot the case.
Many might think that no religious system ought to be en-
dowed—( Loud cheers)—but that was not the grounds of
the present opposition. Every person, he (Mr. Bevan )
admitted, had a right to hold whatever opinion he thought fit,
in regard to religious endowments, but it was not on such a
view of the question as that that the promoters
of the present meeting had called it together. Some might
imagine that if endowments were to be granted at all, theirs
should be the favoured religion, while others might conceive
that all religions should be endowed ; hut those were not the
grounds upon which they had met together en that occasion.
The ground on which they opposed the measure was, because
it proposed the endowment of Popery.—(Cheers .1 It was to
this point that the resolutions and speeches of the night would
have to be directed. On that principle they were all united—
that the grant to Maynooth should be opposed.—( Cheers.
The parties who were now supporting the grant did so on two
grounds—either from an avowed love of Popery, or because it
was carrying out an implied engagement or compact on the
part of the State. It could be easily shown, with re-
gard to the latter excuse, the only one within the
scope and consideration of the meeting. how weak
and futile it was.—(Hear.) No such compact existed,
either implied or otherwise.—(Cheers.) He maintained the
State was under no engagement of the kind.—(Cheers.) The
great evil in arguing the question was, that the people did not
know what Popery was—did not comprehend its true charac-
ter—but this was their own faults, they did not examine it. If
they only looked at its accredited documents, they would soon
find out its true nature.—( Cries of " Name, name.") Den's
Theology.—(Great cheering and hissing, which lasted for
somo time.) A book, many portions of which could not be
rendered into English without exciting the greatest disgust.—
( Cheers.) How an education, with such text-books as that,
could make the priests of Ireland better men, or otherwise im-
prove the condition of that country, he could not understand.—
(Cheers.) In conclusion, he hoped, as Protestants, they would
manfully come forward in defence of the principles for which
their forefathers fought and bled.--(Cheers.)
The CHAIRMAN then read several letters of excuse from
parties who had been invited but could not attend the meeting,
among which was one from Fox Maule, Esq., M.P. They
were all expressive of entire agreement with the objects of the
meeting.

The Rev. Dr. CaoLY, in rising to move the first resolution,
was received with loud cheers. The resolution was to the
effect, That as it had pleased God to place this country
since the Reformation the first among the nations of Europe,
it would be a fearful dereliction of duty, and an act of base in-
gratitude, to abandon those Protestant principles which had
led to such prosperity. The Rev. Doctor having read the
resolution, went on to say that he never appeared before any
assembly with feelings of deeper emotion, or with so much
respect for the voice of public opinion. They were Pro-
testants—(Loud cheers)—and he gloried in the name, and
assembled—not for any trivial purpose, but to defend the
faith of their ancestors from the hands of the enemies
into which it had fallen.—(Cheers.) He was not much
in the habit of attending public meetings, but he recollected
that nearly ten years ago he stood under the same roof, and for a
similar purpose—that of protecting Protestantism.—(Hear,
hear, and cheers). That was a time when the
people were sunk low, and the country was placed in a con-
dition of great difficulty ; yet, notwithstanding that, public
opinion was appealed to, and it fully, fairly, and triumphantly
defeated the attempt which was then made.—( Loud
Cheers and much interruption.) He was desirous of
obtaining the good opinion of all present, but he would
not be put down.—( Great cheering.) The same voice that
was victorious on that occasion was raising itself once more in
the country—the voice of the people, magnanimous, universal,
and irresistible—(Cheers)—and it would again prevail. He
rejoiced to see both the Cathedral and the Chapel united on
the same common grounds, and his watch-word to them was
"No surrender."—( Loud cheers.) That was a time for the
various sections of the Protestant public to lay aside all minor
differences, and to unite in defence of their religion and the
Constitution of the country. It was not his wish to offend his
Catholic countrymen, or to say anything to wound their feelings,
for he opposed the proposed grant to Maynooth as much for the
sake of their own liberty, as from a desire to preserve the Con-
stitution of England. He was desirous of taking the ban-
dage from their eyes, to show them how much they were
deceived.—( Cheers and interruption.) His view of the ques-
tion was, that everything good in England had resulted from
the Reformation.—(Cheers and hisses.) Before that period,
while England was Roman Catholic, the people were slaves.—
( Cheers and confusion.) Yes, he maintained they were slaves.
With the Reformation a great change took place for the better.
Elizabeth raised the glory of England to the highest pitch of
greatness. Not only was her power respected and feared
throughout Europe, but she broke down the strongest nation of
which the Continent could then boast—Spain. In the next
reign, though Popish plots were rife, yet they were all anni-
hilated by the discovery of the Gunpowder Plot, and Protes-
tantism was triumphant. Charles 1., who followed,
was a splendid sovereign, just the king for a
rising nation, but he committed the great sin of making a
Popish alliance, and from that day he went wrong, the grace
of God was withheld, and he ended his days on a scaffold. Next
came Cromwell, a splendid man though a guilty one, but he
redeemed his errors by the great support which he gave to
Protestantism, by which he made his reign memorable, and
the name of England respected everywhere. Charles the
Second, a weak and foolish man, was declared a Papist, as was
James that succeeded him, the great Popish King; yet during
their reigns the country was scourged, and flayed in every pos-
sible manner. William, of glorious memory, followed.
Protestantism being once more triumphant, England
swept Europe before her. It was under that reign
that the great military victories of the Duke of Marlborough
were achieved. This retrospect would teach them, that while
Popery sunk the nation, Protestantism raised it up.--(Cheers. )
The great act of William was the exclusion of Roman Ca-
tholics from both Houses of Parliament.—( Loud cheers and
hisses, which lasted for several minutes.) That good king saw
that the only way to get rid of the swamp of error, was to
stop up the fountain-head that fed it.—(Renewed con-
fusion.) He now came to the important period, when
the Constitution was violated by the passing of the
Act of Catholic Emancipation in IB29.—(Continued interrup-
tion.) The Bill would be looked upon as an unholy, rash,
and ill-judged, measure.—( Loud cries of " No, no; question,
question; ' cheering, intermingled with hisses, in the midst of
which the chairman rose and decided that the speaker was out
o l order.) The Rev. Doctor spoke for a short time !anger in
a somewhat similar strain, and amidst considerable confusion,
and concluded by moving the resolution.
The Rev. J. BLACKBURN seconded the motion, and in the
course of an address of some length, declared his " unalterable
repugnance and detestation " of Popery.
The motion was then put, and carried unanimously.
The Rev. JAMES SHERMAN briefly moved the second re-
solution, which was condemnatory of the Government preposi-
tion to endow Maynooth.
The motion being seconded by the Rev. W. CHALMERS,
was unanimously agreed to.
The Rev. Dr. Dixow, in a very long speech, consisting
principally of a review of Mr. Gladstone's speech on Friday
evening, moved the third resolution, protesting against the
hurry with which such a measure as the Maynooth Bill was
being hurried through Parliament. He concluded by recom-
mending the formation of an Anti-Popish Society.
DANIEL BLACKBURN, Esq. seconded the resolution, which
was agreed to.
- Sir CULLING EARDLY SMITH moved the fourth resolution,
recommending that in the event of the Bill being carried, that
the meeting should reassemble and decide upon the course to
be pursued at the next general election. He stated in the
course of his observations, that the meetings throughout the
country that had already taken place on the question of endowing
Maynooth had been so far successful, that the Whig leaders
were divided amongst themselves upon the question, and a con-
siderable accession of strength might be calculated upon.
The resolution was seconded by the Rev. Dr. HOLLOWAY,
and unanimously carried.
A petition founded on the resolutions was then read and
agreed to, and a vote of thanks being given to the Chairman,
the meeting separated at eleven o'elock.

Dotesio, at his Grand and Royal Hotel at Slough, is
seducing the world, in spite of frost and cold, to go and
make a day to try his Chef de Cuisine with the little
army of minors under him. The epicures pronounce
the ensemble as perfect as his announcement, and the
best criterion is, that his house has been quite full dur-
ing last week's cold, and he contemplates erecting im-
mediately twenty summer rooms (on the plan of the
Star and Garter, Richmond-hill), to enable him to avoid
the disappointment of his friends during the spring and
summer.

-THE SEASON OF AUCTIONS. The wintry wea-
ther keeps in check the promised announcements of Mr.
George Robins, which he has in petto for the monied
world. He is quite right in waiting for a change from
sleet to grfen leaves (although the auction duty has now
hid its diminished head), believing, as we do, that every
one looks best when attired in their new suits. The
large estate of the Earl of Ducie (200,0001. value) will
be amongst those exhibitions which are of rare occur-
rence. Since the days of Lord Ormonde's sales (by
George Robins also) there has been no parallel case to
the WoodAester estate. There is also one in the ad-
j.:Aning county of Worcester, approaching 100,0001.
value, not far from Great Malvern, and one of less im-
portance, within two or three miles of Gloucester. Then
the famed Didlington estate of the Hon. Mr. Wilson,
in another county, in Norfolk, this approaches also
100,0001., and appears admirably adapted as an exchange
against Three per Cents. at par. The railway passes
close, and so it does in the case of the Lord Ducies's,
but more anon of these events in anticipation.
CnßtsT Clitaten, EXETER.—Our readers and the
public generally are too well acquainted with the unhappy
state of the diocese of Exeter, through the proceedings of
Bishop Philpotts, that genuine son of Archbishop Laud, to need
information from us. We refer to this for the sake of calling at-
tention to the advertisement of Christ Church, now erecting
in Exeter; and we confidently trust, that the sympatlty so
generallyN
expressed for the good people in that_city Kill be
practically exhibited by contributions to the Church.,
We have seen an engraving of the church, which is very
~
handsome, and will be quite an ornament to the city of
Exeter.