The Sun.
London, England, 1827-05-14 00:00:00

MEETING OF FRIENDS OF CIVIL AND

RELIGIOUS LIBERTY.

On Saturday, the Annual Meeting of the Pro-
testant Society, expressly established for the pro-
tection of Civil and Religious Liberty, was held at
the City of London Tavern, Bishoysgate-street.
The recent agitation of the question respecting the
repeal of the Test and Corporation Acts, together
with the change in the Ministry, tended to give an
unusual interest to the great Annual Meeting; from
three to four thousand persons were present, amongst
whom were several Members of Parliament.
Lord Viscount MILTON was in the Chair;

The Noble CHAIRMAN havingbriefly stated the ob-
jects of the Meeting,
Mr. JOHN WILKS, the senior Secretary, proceeded
to read the Report, which was extremely volum
nous. After recapitulating the fundamental princi-
ples which form the basis of the Society, it adverted
to the progress made during the past year, with an
expression of regret that the main object was as yet
unaccomplished. All the leading arguments in fa-
vour of the Dissenters' claims for the repeal of those
laws which have so long excluded them from civil
rights, were warmly insisted on but the Committee,
at the same time, suggested that, considering the
extraordinary and unexpected change which had
taken place in the Administration, it might not be
prudent to press those claims on the consideration of
Parliament, at least during the present Session,
though they held those rights to be their unalienable
privilege. The Report concluded with an earnest
exhortation to the friends of civil and religions
liberty to persevere in their laudable endeavotn s,
which would ultimately be crowned with success.

The Rev. Mr. HILLLtRD, (of Bedford), moved
that the report be adopted, and contended that these
obnoxious enactments were a disgrace to the Sta-
tute-book, and unworthy of a free and enlightened
government.
Several resoltnifuts, in unison with the sentiments
embodied in the report; were proposed and carried.
Mr. EASTHOPZ, the Mez-iber for St. Alban's, in.,
moving one of the resolutions, tOQk occasion to re-
mark, that he had been greatly astor;jahed at the de-
claration which the First Lord of the rfrgasury was
reported to have made, when the question of the
Test and Corporation Acts was before the House—
it was, that he (Mr. Canning) considered that the
disabilities, of which the Dissenters complained,
were merely theoretical. This declaration was the
more extraordinary, coming from one who was the
professed advocate of Catholic Emancipation, and
the arrayed champion of civil and religious toleration.
Had he (Mr. Easthope) been in the Heise at the
time, he would have felt it his duty not to let this
declaration pass without reply. Unfortunately for
the cause of the Dissenters, many of those who were
to legislate, were entirely ignorant of the main ques-
tion. The Hon. Gentleman declared himself fa-
vourable to Catholic Emancipation ; and no less
sincerely devoted to civil and religious toleration in
its general acceptation.
Lord MILTON, in acknowledging a vote of thanks
passed to him, professed his unalterable attachment
to the objects which the Society had in view; his
attachment was founded on the basis of the Consti-
tution itself; and though the tolling of a bell was
refused to Dissenters, as a tribute of respect to de-
parted friends, (to which allusion had been made by
a former speaker), his Lordship would not be so
uncharitable; for it the Test and Corporation Acts
were dead and decently buried, he would not object
to the bell being tolled for them.—(Cheers.)—His
Lordship said, he should never abandon this great
cause ; and he hoped, at no very distant period,
to see these obnoxious enactments blotted from the
pages of the Statute-book.
The Meeting then broke up.