New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1869-01-26
TIE ENGLISH PARLIAMENT AND THE
YDTcu ,tUUDnH


BEFORE many DAYS the Liberal Ministry of
England will have to meet the Parliament
elected under the new Reform bill, and to pro-
pose definite scheme for the dlsestaohShihehC
and dsendowment of the Irish Church Es-
tablishment and endowment are very dlilerehC
things the work of disestablishment VIII DC
much easier to Mr.. Gladstone than the work
of discndOwment. 1t is easy to declare that
the Irish Church is no longer an institution OF
the State. No political party, however loyal
to old traditions and the prestige OF Protestant
ascendency, could now do much more than
proclaim its protest against such declaration
But the Irish Church is wealthy institution
II has, like Justice Shallow, lands and beeves'
What is to be done with the property-the
"spoil," as the Tories will call it
Some of the possessions of the Irish Church
will not be called into question. 1t has re-
ceived land and wealth in certain instances by
private endowment, or even by the inheritance
of royal bounty and that it will probably be
allowed to keep. The actual buildings it has
raised, the churches, and glebe houses, ana so
forth, no matter out of what re-
sources it has raised them, Will not DE
taken from it by the hand OF Reform.
But the property which is undOubted National,
which was given by the State TO the Irish
Church as a State institution, that Will fairly
and at once come under the disposition OF
Parliament and the fight will be over the
armor and spoils of the dead PatrOclus. We
venture to think that Mr. Gladstone will go
for the entire resumption by the State OF tins
property, and for its appropriation principally
to the purpose of national education in Ire
land. Leading members Of the Liberal party
had at one time, and that recently, very differ
emf views. Earl Russell was in favor OF di-
vision of the Church property in sort OF
rough and ready way among all the religious
denominations in Ireland. Mr.. Bright adyo-
Gated the appropriation of a small part of the
money in the shape of gift, handed over alb
solutely, and without State control or condi-
ton of any kind to each of the principal
scots. In other words, Mr. Bright would call
up the three leading sects, and say; YOU
State Church people, are being reduced to
the ranks, and turned out OF your lll-gotten
possessions but as we don't wish to turn
" you out absolutely naked, here is something in
hand TO go on with. You, Roman Catholics,
" must give up your annual Maynooth Grant.
You, Prcsbyterians, must resign your Regium
" Donum. Here is an equal sum for each OF
"you-make the best you can Of it. We have
ono moro to do with YOU" Mr. Bright was
once very earnest about this scheme; but we
think he must before this have given it up;
and Earl Russells proposal never had tho re-
hottest chance of adoption. The whole bulk
of the English Dissenting bodies are against
any manner of gift or endowment; and the
sum Mr.. Bright proposed to give would be
! hardly worth a moments thought on the part
of the Roman Catholics. Mr.. Gladstone will,
we feel no doubt, go in for simple and final
dscndowmcnt, and the appropriation of the
| money for the promotion OF strictly secular
| and national objects. No other proposal could
possibly satisfy the majority of the Liberal
party; and there will be no greater difficulty
| in carrying that than there would be in carry
the most plausible and ingenious compromise.
| We presume that Mr.. Gladstone's measure
will be littlo moro than an expansion of his
! Suspensory bill Of last year. He will not pro-
nose TO disendow and dsestablisl the Irish
! Church all at once by one sudden sweep of an
act of Parliament. He will probably propose
| that as each incumbent of a living dies, the
State shall resume the property, and make no
new appointment. Applying this general
be necessary, he will allow the Irish Church as
| a State institution TO die gradual and almost
PAINLESS death. OF course if the Professionalism
| of England and Ireland be really worth any
thing, there will not be church the less nor
| a Protestant pulpit unOccupied in the country
because the stream of State endowment is cut
off What the Roman Catholic peasantry could
do for their priests and their churches the Pro-
! testant landlords and shOpkeepers and officials
| of Ireland can surely do for theirs-and at the
worst, Exeter Hall might think the English
and Protestant mission to Ireland as well worth
helping hand rs the missions to Madagascar
ard the FIJI Islands.
Mr.. Gladstones measure will, then, we think,
be simple, straightforward, and final. Unless
| the chapter of accidents or the deXterity Of
Disraeli should succeed in interpOsing unex-
pected delays, il will probably pass the House
of Commons this session. viii it pass the
| House Of LOrds9 Ultimately, yes beyond all
doubt; this session we think not. Like all
really impOtcnt bodies, the House of Lords
loves to make n show of power, and it has not
had a chance of doing anything of the kind
for some time. Mr.. Disrae in one of his
novels, is irreverent enough to say that when
the Lords have accomplished so rare a feat as
q division they caclde as if they had laid an
egg. Ii would be too much to expect that they
should lose 80 splendid chance of cackling
and of clapping their wings as that which
would be afforded by a triumphant Tory
division on the Irish Church bill. They will,
we think. probably throw out the bill this
session. Then there will be an cutlery in tho
country, not unmingled with laughter at the