The New York herald., 1869-03-22
ENGLAND.
The Church Disendowment Question-How
u VIII Elect Ireland.

IL Will Elect Ireland.
LONDON, March O. 1859.
While the clergy or the Established Church In Ire
land are besegng the throne OF grace with prayers
to avert the calamity with which they threatened
and while the tory laty In England are literally
boiling over with indignation at the idea OF any lexis
lation that looks like dsturbance.of the sacred
rights OF property, the British Reform ministry are
steadily and surely pushing forward the hobby OF
disestablshment and disendowment upon which
they recently rode into power The opposition
headed by D'Israeli have signihed their intention to
divide the House ON test question upon the second
reading OF the government bill; but the vote win
prove them to be weaker than they have been
hitherto supposed, and the measure will pass the
Commons by a large majority with as little delay
as Is consistent with well considered legislation.
The truth is that the Church party '.played Itself
out,n to use an Americanisn in the late elections,
and the antPopery cry has lost Its force. Mr. Clad
stones scheme Is comprehensive, and the disposi-
fon 1t makes OF the property, most OF which was
stolen from It's original owners by Elizabeth is prob
ably as fair as could be expected from a nation a
large portion OF whose people regard the whole dis
endowment scheme as sacrilege and robbery After
providing for all conceivable vested rghtsr the
surplus Of the church property fund, estimated at
fsO00, 900, s to be used 70 endow assist certain
public charities and 1t Will be hard persuade fair
minded men that It IA not more praiseworthy and
Christanlike to expend money In this manner than
TO best0w II upon fat, lazy ministers who have no
congregations to preach TO, IL as means OF
pcnsionng the graceess black sheep OF arstocratic
n0cks. In the Lords more stubborn battle may
be fought over the measure, but variety OF infiu-
ences VIII combine TO insure It's eventual success,
prominent among which will be the uneasy feeling
that az present prevails among the nobility and
more important inroads upon their cherished
privileges should the reforms now demanded BY
nos the people be withheld through the agency o. the
But how much of real solid reform Is this pro-
posed dsestapiishrnent and dsendowment OF the
Established Church IN IreandY VIII IL remove any
portion OF the substantial evils growing out OF the
land SYSTEM WIN II better in any degree the con-
dition OF the tenantsS We know that Il Ia an abuse
70 lasten upon the majority OF people, through the
power OF tue state, the support Of q church with
every union Of Church and state Is an evil and there
can be no real liberty without perfect freedom Of
religious oeIet Ihe English Church Establishment
N as great an outrage upon Roman Catholics and
dissenters In England az the Irish Church is upon
the same classes IN Ireland The rights OF minority
should De even more sacredly guarded than rights OF
majority. Many people begin now TO nanlre now
wall this much talked Of Church disendownent ana
disestablishment benefit the Irish masses and how
Tar Is the popular feeling In ITS favor mere senti-
mentality. The wrongs OF Ireland lie deep ana
those who most deplore and and condemn the Jolly Of
ing ncson Of the scalpel OF reform to remove those
wrongs than that which is about to cut away the
mummery OF the Established Church la the tried ana
patient ISLAND. There is however. one view In
winch Mr.. Gladstone's measure Of progress
may be rewarded as giving PROMISE OF
practical utility. Disestabllshment has won
many TO its support endurance under the
belief that II might prove panacea Tor the greater
evils OF Feniansn universal suffrage, the ballot
oner barbarous ideas which have OF late seized pos
session OF the public mind. These friends Of the
measure have caught u glimpse OF the cleaning
teeth OF that terrible monster the common people.
and have been willing 10 throw the Irish Churcn into
ITS jaws IN the hope Of satisfying It's cravings and
saving their own treasured privileges from destrnc-
tion. Indeed, outside Of the bigotry which revolts
against any encroachment upon the special rights Of
the favored classes, the Irish Church establishment
can md little favor and small sympathy. Its minis
ters have as o general thing, proved themselves TO
be bgoted and intolerant and have done their
best 10 foster hatred In the bosOms OF their
RcaDfy nOcks against the Roman Catholics. They
have thought more OF coneIgnng the souls OF
paplsfs to satan than Of winning the souls of all
men 10 Christ It Ia not to be wondered at, there
fore that the clergy OF the established Church IN
England should be Indifferent TO the fate 0f tnelr
tx1b Trends. or that nld aSistocrafe sn0nso con-