The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1911-10-14
alton Of the present National Move

Wexford, the father of the Irish Ma
tionalist leader today: "That while
we believe that in an Irish Parlia-
ment the rights and liberties of all
classes of our countrymen will find
their best and surest protection, we
are willing there should be incorpor-
ated in the Federal Constitution art
icles supplying the amplest guarantees
that no change shall be made by that
Parliament in the present settlement
of property in Ireland, and that no
legislation shall be adopted to estab-
lish any religious ascendancy in Ire
land or to subject any person to disa-
bilities on account of his religious
opinions" From the spirit and letter
a departure, however slight, from that
day to this. On the contrary, Mr..
Redmond has referred to it as en-
bodying his own views.
There have been, my Lord Bishop,
despoilers of the Irish Protestant
Church, but these marauders have not
been Roman Catholics but Protestant
Churchmen of the episcopal and land
lord class. 1t was in pre- Disestablish-
ment days usual for the holders of
Irish Sees, not in many cases 1rishmen
worse character sent to this country
Ito serve the English interests" on
the dropping in of leases to refuse to
renew them, and to re-let on nominal
terms to members Of their own fam
lily, thus enriching themselves at the
expense of the See. I do not desire to
mention names, but if your Lordship
cares to look at the Returns of Lord
Derby's Church Commission of 1857,
you will see that some of the principal
ostensible defenders of the Irish Pro-
testant Church Establishment were in
enjoyment of property Of which the
Irish Protestant Church had been
robbed. To give few instances. One
gentleman, a descendant of a Bishop.
owned 5,938 acres of episcopal lands at
a rent Of Is. sd. per acre; another gen.
tleman, himself an Archbishop, owned
as the descendant of a Bishop, 3,777
acres 8 roods and SO perches Of See
lands at As. Id. an acre: third gentle
man. Union Earl, held $50 acres Of
the lands of the See Of an archieps-
copal grandfather at rent of As. 4d
per acre, and these were some of the
best lands in Ireland.
Archbishop Agar. an English ecclesi-
astical adventurer. who was success
sively Vireregal Chaplain, Dean,
Bishop of Cloyne, Archbishop Of Cash
ell, Archbishop Of Dublin, Viscount
Somerton, and Earl Of Normanton, and
was much disappointed at not being
Lord Primate, was the author of the
provision in the 5th Article of the Act
of Union Ito which you refer some
what reproachfully), "that the contin-
uance for ever of the said United
Church Of the said United Kingdom
shall be deemed and be taken to be a
fundamental article Of the Union"
Lord Castlereagh in his correspond
ence gives us q glance at the doings of
this defender Of the property of the
Irish Protestant Church. which seem
to have shocked the not over-scrupu-
lous Statesman Of the Union"
1.-THE practice" he writes, "of Bish-
ops not to renew leases with their ten
ants, in order at the expiration of the
leases to make beneficial leases for
their families, is growing common. The
Archbishop Of Cashel (Agar) has made
great estates to his family by this
mode. These circumstances throw an
odium on Church possessions This
prelate-to whose memory there is an
extremely eulogistic inscription in
Westminster Abbey and a fine bas-
relief representing the angels bearing
his mitre-acquired 100000 by sin
gle renewal fine, and is stated to have
amassed from. his ecclesiastical saw
ings the sum of 100000.
The imaginary fears of Protestant
Church spoliation at the hands of Ro-
man Catholics, however terrifying,
would, if realised, be trifling as con-
traste dwith the spoliation Of the Irish
Protestant Church by those Of her own
household when she was an English
managed institution without Home
with every kind wish, yours sincerely,
j. G. SWIFT MacNEILL
The Right Rev.
The Lord Bishop Of Ossory.
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