The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1869-04-02
THE IRISH CHURCH.
Dehats Ia Parliament = Speech of
John Bright.

London, March 90
Mr.. Gladst0nc's bill to disestablsh the
Church of Ireland came up again in the
House OF Commons last evening, and was
debated at great length. .s......
SIR John Girly, the Liberal member
from Kilkenny, regarded the Established
Church in ireland as badge of conquest,
and asserted thai it must be abolished.
Edward Mail, liberal, from Bradford
also supported the bill in speech of con-
siderable length, and was followed By the
Rt. Hon. Stafford Northcote.
Jobu Bright then delivered a lo2g and
able speech in favor of the measure. 9 The
establish he'd church of England had the as
sent OF a large majority of the people of
England; but the question was, whether
that church was good, also, for the people
OF ireland. The opponents of this bill had
utterly failed to prove that the opinion of
the civilized world was hostile to this mca-
sure as he'd been stated. He reviewed the
Opinions OF statesmen on the question, ana
quoted Lord SANKEY'S lemark that Ire
land was the question Of the hour" He
referred to the conduct Of Lord Mayo, while
Lord Lieutenant Of Ireland, and the posi>
ton OF other Tories, to show that that par
ty had no policy on the Irish question.
The bill now before the House. If continu>
ed, was acceptable to the people of Ireland
Catholics and Prote.tants. 1t was al>
most universally proved by the people of
England, as had been before stated here,
that the established church in Ireland was
badge Of conquest. Conservatives of the
future would view the attitude of the pres
ent conservatives on thi, question with
surprise He quoted Cayours work on
Ireland where that author shows that the
established church promotes dlsaffection
and anmosities in that country, and causes
the peasantry to be in a worse condition
the slaves of the Antilles, and that the r.
lsh were continually protesting against it..
The speaker. then contrasted the position
of the church in England Engiand's lib
critics, he said were not secured by the
churches, but by the Puritans aud Non :
contormlsts. Nations never forget their
religious grievances until the cause is re
moved. The old pol cy pursued by Eng
land rendered Ireland more ultramontane
than any country in Europe Catholicism
was not only a matter of faith, but of pa.
trlotlsm, for which the Irish were ready to
suffer or die, if need be. Since the union,
disturbances have been continued Potes-
tantlsm wasthe only fire that was destroy
ing everything that Is good and noble in
Ireland, resulting in the absolute disap-
.pcarance OF peace and loyalty. The Irish,
men who had euligrated to the United
States and Australia were watching anx-
lousiysthe result of the great question.
The entire Fenlan project was ted and
kept alive by the sympathy Of Americans,
under the idea that England never did Jus
tice to ireland. There were no bitter foes
to England in the United States than Ir-
lshmen.. The House was now asked to do
justice to Ireland not for. fear Of foreign
enemies, but for the sake of internal peace
and tranquility. He contemplated thu vol
untary system prevailing IN Scotland, and
anticipated the best results to posterity for
ireland if this bill became a law.
Mr.. Bright concluded by saying that this
measure would nave the approval of the
Supreme Being, for it was. founded on
Of mercy and justice-the attri-
butes of His glorious reign s'1
EarA late letter from Brazil states that