Prescott journal. [volume] (Prescott, Wis.) 1861-1871, 1868-04-18
An Interesting Debate 10 British Par
lament

DObu On Tue uOOI anu III tue Bdlleflcb,
long before tie hour of the commence
ment of the proceedings.
Prime Minister Disraeli moved an
adjournment to the Goth instant, when
the House should rise tonight. If in
the discussion the Liberals should have
a majority, then the House might 90
into committee on the Irish church,
report progress and resume debate on
the 9th. he promised that the bud
get would be produced on the 23d inst.
The motion was agreed to. The debate
on the Irish charcb was then resumed.
Mr.. Colridge said it was quite pos
sible to be devout friend of the Eng
lish establishment and at the same time
a foe to the established church of Ire
land. The latter was fourishing before
il was endowed by the state, and was
| thriving now In the colonies and the
world over without the state, and would
survive all establishments. The union
was, in his opinion, repealed. The
Church of England was tolerant; that
of Ireland was, by force of circumstan-
ces, bigoted and militant 1t should
be plucked up by the roots. The min
| istry had not said that it would not dis
establish the Irish Church. Even Mr..
Hardy, who went further than any
other member of the Government, said
tbas only in that case he would resign.
Fir. Hardy, interrupting Mr.. Col
ridge, said the ministry would oppose
the resolutions of Mr.. Gladstone, and
would never aid the disestablishment
of the Irish church.
Mr.. Coolidge said that the resolution
was not an abstract proposition, for it
would show to Ireland that England
had begun to regard the question from
an Irish point of view, and would right
the other wrongs of Ireland as they
arose.
MIR. Beresford Hope opposed the
amendment.
Lord Stanley proposed to leave the
subject to the next Parliament.
MIR. Stansfield spoke against the
amendment.
Mr.. Lanyron and Viscount Hamilton
spoke in favor of postponement, and
Mr.. Lloyd against it.
Earl Mayo said abandonment of the
Irish Church would increase absentee
ism ON the part of landlords from the
Irish soil indefinitely. He admitted
the existence OF discomfort, but this
measure would divide Ireland into two
hostile camps, for Fenianism had got
to be based on hatred to the Irish
Church. He asked for delay, and the
obtaining of further information. He
should oppose tue resolves to the last
as factions and mischevious.
MIR. Cardwell said that nothing was
to he gained by delay. The Liberals
had clear and ineligible issue to place
before the country, and Tories should
be as explicit. He hoped that the
Premier would tell the House what his
views really were.
Mr.. Disraeli said the house had been
asked to go into committee for the dis
establishment of the Irish church. He
had to consider the best mode of meet.
ing this movement. He might have
moved the previous question, or met
the proposition with direct negative,
denying that any change In the Irish
church was desirable; but having ad-
mitted that beneficial change was
possible, that course was impracticable.
The government had, therefore, moved
an amendment, the obscurity of which
he justified by the maxim of Sir Robert
Peele, that ministers should never state
their policy in an amendment; if at
tempted at length it would be cum
brous, and if brief, it would be am
biQuous; but they should seize the
salient points, and maintain them.
MIR. Disraeli maintained two points
which defeat the resolves, viz that the
time was inopportune, as a commission
was now examining church affairs, and
thia Parliament Was morally incompe-
tent to settle the question. He then
attacked MIR. Gladstone for his adop.
ton and urging of the crusade against
the church at eight days notice. The
act of union was a solemn covenant |
between the Irish and English Protes-
tants, to be observed in all its bearings. |
Gladstone had appealed to the new |
House. but the new House could not |
be hoodwinked into giving up their |
privileges. He attacked Mr.. Gran. |
bourne and his motives, and said the |
only effect would be to evoke Mr.. |
Lowe from his Cave of Adullam and join |
him in the chorus of reciprocal malig- |
nifty; bet now they had the hour and |
the man, though somehow the man was |
not vet here Ills remarks were on the |
defensive. He had never attacked any |
man in his life. Cries of "Peelr'
He admitted that there was something |
critical in the affairs of Ireland, but |
said there was no danger from Fenian.
ism-thet was Frustrated SO low that |
no call for precautionary measures |
could be made. The Irish had always |
had his sympathy He did not despise
their sentimental grievances; but the |
Irish were not a conquered race, nor |
was the church badge of conquest. |
The Tory policy was one of concllia-
ton. They had sought to aid |
the Catholics in order to strengthen |
the Professionals and attain equality. 1t
had been successful, but Mr.. Gladstone |
proposed change which outraged the |
feelings Of large and influential part |
of the community. What vas to be
thought of statesmen who should throw
a firebrand into the state and kindle
the direst flames? The plan proposed
was simply confscation. Ritualists and
papists had long been plotting to seize
with the aid of the Liberal party the
supreme power of the realm, and if the
present movement should succeed the
Crown itself would be Ia danger.
Mr.. Gladstone said that much of the
speech of the Premier was the result
of heated Imagination. So far as the
endowment of the Irish church was
concerned, the Liberals only proposed
founding them for the benefit of the
state revenues. Ireland had been for
three years in state of war. The ha-
beas corpus was suspended, and only
the great power of England had kept