New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1855-04-24
LATlrUDINAiuAyIsM IN ESGL AND.

Sixty four years ago that accomplished public
is', Sir James Macintosh, declared that "Churcl
Power will certainly not survive the NIneteeuti
Century" We Lately took occasion to rem ,rl
that fresh decline of Church Power was no
taking place throughout the world, aud iastanced
certain simultaneous events in the C.niias, Ssr
dinia and Spain, a. instalments Of Mcintosh pre-
dictioD. Since then, the Canton ofGeneva has de-
creed the abolition Of its State Church aud the
,ecularization of its Church property. We now
propose to follow on. in fuller detail the gradual
development Of the same movement in Englind.
English public life has often been reproached
for it's higthying ssnctimOniousDess and phara.
taicM pretense. However true this may have
been in the good old times Of Lord Eldon. in the
palmy days Of Church aud State, tn, period is
nigh at hand when 10 charge will be more sb.
surdy inappropriate. That drift which i, fast
tearing England away from her time -honored
uOorings and carrying her into so many new po-
titions WILL we dare ssy, soon lay her open to the
opposite imputation of an abandoned lssitudiua-
riAnism. The present Pamersson Adniaistra-
ton 10 itself graver menace to the Chursh
party than any British Executive since the time
Of the Ruup Parliament. Paluerston has for his
colleagues FIVE iuch men as Molesworth, Berht'
Osborne, Attorney General Cockburn Sir RO ,ert
Peel and Horsman Molesworth is the eii.
tor Of the works OF Thomas Hobbies,
Of Malne.bury, tie materiaiist pbiloso-
pber of the English Commonwealth. OF
Osborne, Cockburn and Sir r. Peel We will not
ssy more than that their anteced-nts and opinions
are more agreeable to P,merston than they can
be TO the orthodox world. Horsman is the terror
of the peculatiDg Anglican Bishops, the hobgob-
lin of pluralitt Deans. The Premier himself de-
serves few more words. Eighteen months aso
the Edinburgh Presbysery pettioned him, as tue
then Home Secretary, TO advise her Majesty to
fix dsy for tolemn fast TO avert the scoarse
of cholera, then very prevalent. Palmersson
replied with refusal, alleging thai they had bet
ter attend to sanitary regulations, for science
taught that filthy streets and homes "would in-
"falbly breed pestilence In spite OF all the
"prsyers and fasting of united but inactive na'
tion." Six months ago the same parsonage adj
dreued meeting of laborers and little farmers,
belonging to the Agricultural Society of rural
parish in Hampshire. To them he preached the
doctrine that "the mind and heart Of man are
" naturally good." and are corrupted by vicious
Abiding to this declaration.
NJ Bright took the earliest opportunity Of
statirg In Parliament, amid cheers and laugh
ter, that Gin ore short sentence the noble
lord had overturned the New Testament aud
:. destroyed the foundation Of the Christian re-
s'ligioh."
With all these things in view, bitter oppo-
pent has dubbed the present Cabinet the mon
% Christian Ministry" Yet the Premier being
anxious to provide for his relative Lord Skates
bury, late the good Lord Ashley, offered him
, place in the Government. The good, but rather
poor Lord Shsftesbury, whose character might
have redeemed the whole mass, accepted the
place, retained it for twen.y-four hours aad then
nysteriously tire it up. He looked 10 upon bis
colleagues, gained an nsigh. into their general
character and withdrew frsm their cOntsc; shud-
lerrg He has never explained his incongruous
conduct, for there was no necessity; everybody
saw its obviou, motive. The new temper OF the
Administration has already made itsef felt in
ia the aid given to Independent mo-
,ions of ali ansi.e ecclesiastical character Thus,
= hen the motion for legslzing marriage with
deceased wife's sister or niece, Chat is for as
,inilatiDg the law Of British to what it is with
u.s. was before the House it received the
hearty support" Of Lord Palmerston. These
IRE among the degrees forbidden by the
Csnons of the Church Of England. Lord Pal
meIston said jsuLty that they were not forbid
Cen by the law of God. but by an act of Paria'
ment called Lord Ly ndhurst's Act The bill pro-
posed 10 exempt Scotland from its operation De-
cause public opinion there was opposed 10 IL; q"
Irish member begged that ireland might aiso 90
exempted, assuring the House shat everybody IN
the Island of Saints looked upon the idea OF suco
q marriage with perfect horror. thus !" l. ID
England that lati.udjnsrian tendencies are aise'
bl, the strongest.
The effect of the resent Ministerial changes Is
also exhibited in The debate on the Chufcn .aA
Last year. when Lord Aberdeen was Premier
and when Gladstone, the member for O1Iord L III
yersi,y and the pious Sidney Herbert were IN
the Cabinet the Government opposed OH W.
Claws motion for its abolition on the most solemn
constitutional grounds. This year. on the re-
pevsl of the motion, Lord Palmerston ge" up
,,d oiv.s,be bill his usual hearty support
II ws turn from the Ministerial to the Con-
,e,ya,ye side of the House of Commons, We
find even there, among the historic and n.tara!
allies Of the Church, similar symptoms. Lord
s.snley, the heir Of the Earl of Derby 'old 'h'
member. of literary Institution at Preston 'ha''
in s,ite Of prsisdices to the contrary the over
tasked workipgman could not do better snan de'