The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1851-03-26

ton to which they would not for moment
assent. At the same time there were prsetical
differences upon this subject between England
and lreland--a circumstance which constituted
the main difficulty in dealing with the question.
Tie denied however, that it was the effect OF the
bill 10 setaside spiritual acts on the part OF bIsl
ops in the Roman Catholic church, or that 1t in
intsrfered with requests. But the bill, IN GER
tain cases Of ordination and collation. and be-
quests, would, in its present shape, have an OPP
eration which the government never intended,
and therefore in committee it would DO pro-
posed to omit altogether from the bill the Sec
ond and third clauses, which related to these
subjects The bill would then be parliament
ary declaration. that the authority under which
the titles mad been assumed was one which the
country repudiated. Such prohibition would,
he thought, have all the effect OF national dec
laration against the act of the Pope, though, at
the same time, he did not look to acts OF Parlia-
ment for the security Of the Protestant religion.
Hear, hear.) At the same time, it had never
been contemplated to include the Scotch bishops
of the Episcopal church, but in introducing
words to the effect of excluding them from its
operation He should also add provision, that
such exemption should not be held to give any
right or title to the assumption of titles to which
they were not entitled by law. The honorable
baronet concluded by moving that the order for
the second reading Of the bill be postponed till
next Friday.
Mr.. Stewart commended that the bill as now
altered, in no respect correspondent with the
measure which had been introduced by the noble
lord at the head Of tho government.
Mr.. M. Gibson was averse to any kind OF leg
islation upon religious subjects
Sir r. Ings said that after what had taken
place that evening, he thought the best thing
they could do would be to do nothing The
measure now proposed was paltry in the ex-
IRENE, and he believed the government would
be compelled to bring forward much more
stringent one.
Mr.. G. Bankes briefly opposed the measure.
After few observations by Mr.. Gladstone
and Lord Claude Hamilton,
Lord J. Russell said .the law officers of the
crown were Of opinion that the late assumption
of titles was not illegal, although the proper au-
thorities might prosecute for the introduction
of the bill, a course which he thought would
have been oppressive and dangerous In franz
ing the present bill, it had been sought, and he
believed successfully, to avoid interference with
The religious liberty of the subject. He could
not hope by any measure to prevent the Irish
priests from impeding the education of the peo-
ple but this ought not to deter the house from
passing bill asserting the Queens supremacy
in her dominions
Messrs. Newdegate, Stamford, Pumtre, and
Colonel Sibthorp expressed their dissatisfaction
with the amended bill, which they considered
unequal to the emergencies Of the case.
From the London Times, March 8.
We have recently passed through ministe
rial crisis, as everybody knows, of extraordinary
length and severity. We have been assured by
every actor in that most complicated and ircon-
elusive drama, that the obstacle to the formation
of strong, compact and efficient government
was to be found, not in the clamor for protec-
ton TO agriculture, nor in the signal miscarriage
of the ministerial budget, nor yet in the ll-tmed
opposition to parliamentary reform, but WIDELY,
solely and entirely in the irreconcilable differ
ence Of opinion on the question of papal aggres
son This was a matter Of principle on both
sides, which no anxiety for the public service
no expediency, however manifest--no calls of
patriotism however urgent, could Induce them
to compromise. Armed to the teeth in stubborn
and unbending consisence, and fortified with
his letter to Mr.. Howard, Sir James Graham was
not to be moved; while, firm in conscious rec
titude, and determined to perform his duty faith
ton, Lord John Russell relied on his letter to
the Bishop of Durham, and was equally inexor-
able. IL ,cds spectacle enough 10 conrince the
reriest sceptic Of political morality and public
principle 10 see our Premier consent again TO un-
dertake the government of The country uih The rerv
identical cabinet ,ohich he had himself diSsoired
as incompetent only ten days betore--ready to en-
dure any given number of minorities and TO run
the gauntlet through any species of parliament
AIRY misadventure, rather than betray those hopes
which he had induced the Protestant people of
England to repose in him % their CHAMPION
Well, the sacrifice has been made--the ministry
has been reconstructed in the full strength ofits
original weakness, and Parliament and the coun-
try naturally look with anxiety TO the perform
ance of those Pledges for the sake of which 80
much inestimable time and invaluable support
have been 30 freely and cheerfulIy sacrihced-
How those pledges-for the sake Of which the
affairs Of this great empire are now entrusted to
a government which cannot calculate on ma
jority in either house of Parliament, and which
has only retained office for the purpose Of carry
ing out the wishes of the people with regard to
the Roman Catholic queston--have been re-
deemed, our readers will learn from the speeches
delivered by Sir George Grey and Lord John
Russell in the House of Commons. 1t ia actu-
ally determined TO strike out of the bill which
gave so poor ard inadequate an expression to
the public feeling, the second clause, which rem
ders invalid all deeds executed under the pro-
hibited style and title, and the third clause, BY
which all property left or conveyed to persons
bearing these illegal titles is forfeited to the
crown. The bill will, therefore, be reduced to
its first clause, imposing penalty of a hundred
pounds for the assumption of an ecclesiastical
title taken from any place in the United King
dom, to be sued for by the Attorney General
The effect Of the measure is, therefore, this
1t is unlawful for DR.. Wiseman to call himself
Archbishop Of Westminster, and for DR.. M'flale
to call himself Archbishop of Tuam, and the
government may, if it please-that is to say, if
it is disposed to create a violent disturbance and
most pernicous agitation among the Irish Ro-
man Catholics-prosecute the only party who
Systematically so offends. But it is quite law
full for these persons to convey or receive prop
erty under these illegal titles, and all donations
or requests made to or for the purpose of sup
porting or endowing their dignities, which Par
lament declares to be illegal and void, will be
M rra ycl;d IN all intontc or1 ,nr,osoo