The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1869-04-01
CHI A r. L E S T ON.
THURSDAY MORNING, APRIL 1, 1869.
The Irish Church Esta bllshment.

the Irish Church passed its second reading
in the British House of Commons, makes 1t
certain that the third reading will be atten-
ded with no difficulty, and that the bill will
pass substantially as it was introduced.
Mr.. Disraeli is not likely to be more per-
sistent in his hopeless opposition than is
necessary for maintaining the organization
of his party. The power of the Ministers
is too great to be overcome. In the Libe-
raj phalsnx there is 40 sign of disintegra-
ton, and none know better than the "won-
''drous boy" how to kick against political
pricks with judicious want Of force. The
Ministers have won their first vctory-a
victory due no less to the genius of Mr..
Gladstone than to the intrinsic merit of the
scheme which he proposed.
Every political coterie and everv relig-
ious denomination had its own infallible
plan of disestablishing or dsendowing the
Irish Church, without interfering improp'
erly with the rights of interested persons
No two sets of men agreed in their opin-
ions; while the Tory press de6ed the Min
listers to bring forward any measure that
could stand the test Of hostile criticism,
or even satisfy the demands of their own
supporters. But the opponents of the ad-
ministration counted without their host.
They forgot, as perhaps they had some rea-
son to do, the calibre of the men with
whom they had to deal. Their wishes led
them sadly astray. Judging Mr.. Gladstone
by his singular conduct at the hustings du-
ring the late canvass, they were tempted 10
believe that the old spell had lost its power,
and that no practical or practicable solu-
tion of the Irish question would be submit
ted to them. Mr. Gladstone, however, has
at once disappointed his foes and satisfied
the most sanguine expectations of his
friends. In speech which threw into the
shade his famous budget speech, as Chan
cellor Of the E1chequer in the Palmerston
Cabinet. he explained tha r-A-;oi0ns OF the
Irish Church bill, analyzing, describing and
eluoidsting the whole subject, with an elo-
quenoe worthy Of his fame. Nor did Mr..
Gladstone rely ON the magnetic influence of
his manner, or upon the charm Of his words,
for the success of the measure which he
introduced. It could afford to stand alone.
There was no need of rhetoric to make 1t
attractive, as glance at its provisions will
show.
Mr. Gladstone proposes to disconnect the
Church of Ireland from the crown, at once
and entirely, on the 1st January, 1871. All
! ecclesiastical courts, laws and corporations
| are to be dissolved on that day, and the
Irish Bishops are to leave the House of
Lords and go to their aocks. The Church
of Ireland will thenceforth be, what every
church should be, voluntary organization,
retaining its churches, parsonase-houses
and burial grounds, on engaging to devote
them to their appropriate uses. A commits
sion, appointed by Parliament, is to take
all the other property of the church,
amounting to ELS, 900, 900, and to appropri-
ate this to the payment of the value of
'svested interests" that is to say, to pay off
the clergy and all their subordinates who
have claim to salaries from the church for
life, to compensate every person injured by
the law, including even the temporary Gu
rates thrown out of employment, and to en-
dow those institutions which have hitherto
received annual assistance from the church.
All these "oompensations" will consume
about sS, 600, 900. leaving about $40, 000. GOO
to be disposed of for the benefit of Ireland at
the will of Parliament. Out of this sum it
| is proposed to institute asylums for luna
tics, idiots and the deaf and dumb aud
blind, county in6rmaries for the sick, re-
formatories for young criminals, and a
fund to supply poor individuals with nurses
This is the whole plan; o plan worthy of
Bright aud Love and Gladstone; plan
which has kindled the enthusiasm of the
English masses and has filed with coufu-
sion the adversaries of the government
The government is now stronger than ever
before, and need not fear the defeat which
awaits the bill when it reaches the House
of Lords Tnere is now popular feeling
in favor of justice to Ireland that will not
be trihed with. This the hereditary cham
Der cannot overcome, nor can it check for
long measure upon which the public mind
is bent.
When the Irish Church bill becomes
low, it will be on earnest of good will to
wards Ireland. But there is more than this
| to be done. There arc more reforms to
make and more abuses to remedy; for until
Ireland is treated in every particular as
England and Scotland are, there will be no
cessation of agitation, and, if the sigu- of
the times count for anything, the Irish,
when they have obtained all that England
can give them as part Of the British EN-
pire, will move forward another step and
demand their independence. All that Eng
land gains by disestablishing the Irish
Church is few years of rest And then
the Irish Republic!