, 1869-06-16
TIE IRIBH CHURCH BILL.

THE lR1tH CHURCH BILL.
The debate in The British House Of Lords
upon tho Irish Church bill discloses that The
more reasonable portion Of that body doubt
whether defiance Of public sentiment. is
the s11rest way to protect special privileges.
The speech Of the Archbishop Of Cantor
bury was model for moderation, and was
in marked contrast with that Of the Bishop |
OF Deny, who il ono Of the threatened hie1-
a1chy. The English P1imate very wisely |
advised against the policy Of undertaking |
TO sare tho Irish Church at the cost Of
popular conflict which may end in tho
diseetabfshment Of the English Church.
Thongh the Protestant Eplseopal Church
Of England is the Established Church Of |
that country, there is no law requiring coz.
fo11nity by the Sovereign OF any others
save the ordained members thereof. The
ooronation oath is to protect the 't Protest |
ant religion" generally, and not the form
Of Protestantism taught by any particular
church The English Chusch. half cen
tnry ago, ceased to be the Established |
Church N Scotland, vhere another Protest
ant Church is the State religion The
English Church has never had, and
has nov, but very few lay members
in Scotland; in Ireland the clerical
force in many parishes constitute its entire
membership. The church property in Ire
land is the oouAscatad estates Of the Roman
Catholic Church, whose people, in many
districts, have been for centuries without
churches, and hare their services in private
housea, in rude structures, or in the open
fields The proportion OF the English peo-
pie who ara members Of the Established
Church is much larger, Of oourse, than it is
in Scotland and Ireland, but, nevertheless,
it represents but a minority OF the people.
There are nany Roman Catholics who are
English, and there is a large body Of Irish who
have sought employment in that country,
and who, with their descendants, have be-
come pari Of the English people. But the
DisEenters, as they are called-the members
Of the various Protestant Churches outside
Of the Church Of Englaud-are Of them
selves far IN excess, numerically, Of the
members of the Established Church All
these people support aud 1naintain their
churches, their clerBmen, their schools
and all their institutions, including their
yarious charities aud foreign missions,
by voluntary contribution, and in 10
part Of the kingdom is there
stronger or more earnest protest against
the injustice Of taxing people Of one church
for the support Of another, which they re-
pudiate, than there is among the Dissenting
P1otestants Of England It is true the di-
rect ta1 taken from the people for the sup
port Of the Engliah Church is now very in
considerable. It's revenues are derived
from lnnds and property which were taken,
or which followed the church at the time
Of tho Reformation; but this immense
property, now yielding an enormous an
1ual revenue, is held BY but one branch OF
the Protestant people, that branch being
great,y in the minority. The disestablish-
ment Of the English Church would turn
into the National Treasury tho many millions
Of pounds which now 60 to support the
hierarchy aud clergy Of the Established
Church An attempt by the House Of
Lords, in which the Engliah and Irish Biah-
ope hare large representation, to put the
popular Will at deaance, and to maintain
the Irish Church, would, necessarily, have
tendency to direct the popular mind to
the question not only Of reforming the
Church in Ireland, but Of relieving England
Of the anomaly Of being governed in Parlia.
mert by the Bishops Of single body oi
Christians. The opposition to the bill in
and out Of Parliament, On the ground thAs
it is but the prelude, or precedent, for the
eventual disestablishment Of the Church il
England, however it may have alarmed the
members Of thht church, has not produced
my effect upon the people at large, many
Of whom have no moro sympathy for tht
one church than they hare for the other
viewing them as legal establishments,
: The tone Of the debate leaves no doub
that the bill will not be rejected on its sec
ood reading, which must OF course preceds
any attempt to amend it; and yet, If tn
Lords intend ultimately to reject it, til
prompt Rnd unconditional rejection Of tn
bill would possibly be the best policy. Th
| country can understand rejection Of III
} bill upon question Of principle, but no
, on matter Of detail To admit the bl
. to second reading and reject it then be
: cause its details are not satisfactory, Is
virtual Concession that the principle Of Ii
: bill is correct one, md such an admission
e does away with MI reasons for dis1egardin
e The will Of the people expressed in tn
t action Of the Commons.
e Tho chances arc, therefore, that the bi
: will pass, and il it does, it will bc m ami
i hilasing deleat Of the extreme Toyism reE
8 resented by Earl Derby It viii result i
a the formation Of two parhes-the oae cor
= sistiug Of the more advanced Liberals, pr
S serting other reforms in suffrage, the ballo
q in Land tenures, in army and navy appoin
d meuts, in sinecurcs and in the civil servica
is and tie other Of those mora tinid Liberal:
II united with the Tories, Who will make D
ii ctYo1t to restrain and hold IN check the PEE
F. Pile they hive euancipateI.