Bible Society Discussions...
The Times, 1824-11-29T00:00:00

A debate of three days' Icngth has taken place in thePresbyteriass MIcetin.-housc in the town of Carlow., between the Catholic Clergr and thc friends of the Bible Society, on the propriety of circulating the Scriptures without note or comment. On the two f-st days the discussion was conducted with tolerable propriety and order, butors the third day it broke up in a manner which is variously describe& in the Idsh papers of different partiea. The termination of the bn- siness is thus noticed by the Carklre AMiorninfg Post:- " The debate terminated by one of the Roman Catbolic clergy- asking a question, which he contcnded they, according to their prin_ ciples, could not answer. The gentle.nen of the Bible Society re- plied, that they were readY to redLuce tkeir artsrwer to writing. The, atsembly called oar, " Answer ! answer ! question ! question !" At this momertt the feelings of the meeting were thoroughly excitedc. Sorme cried out for "A Adjoarnment !"-otbms "Question ! ctuestion "D All became a scene of commotion. The chairman addressed the meet- ing,but could not obtain ahearing. The gentlemensofthe Societyseem- ed to have losttheir fordtude,but there was no danger. They were gees flying to the door-each person was about to denart--ll wisatustrnzlt. At this critical moment the Rer. M r. Clowry ascended one of the pews, from which he obtained a hearing, silence being fora moment restored. He said that lhe was not sarprised at the intense iseterese he witnessed where the question regarded the religion of a people. He deprecated, bowever, all violence, from whatever sideit pro- ceeded, and said that no cause but a bad one required intemperance fer it5 support. " The CseATRMSAsN, whose dignified conduct c*mmanded the re- spect and admiration of all parties, observed, that it wss his private opinion that, as the Roman Catholic clergy anl people were not willing that the gentlemertn of the Bible Society shoald interfere with the instractiou of the people of their communion, he deemed it ns_ wise in them to press theirproceedings further. He would therefore put the question of adjoarnment si?zc dir, vhich was carried with acclamationi. The meeting then broke up." The Duiblin Evening Mail says, in reference to the same trans., action, " The yells and vociferations proceeding from the mob, which almost exclusively ocon?ied the body of the meeting-house were of a most terrific description; and the calls to have the Pricsts I question' answered, were most astounding. At length the violcnce of voice having nearly expended iteelf, the ruffia,ns preceeded to more uneqaivocal manifestations of what their ultimrate intentiene were. A rush was made over the partitions by which the petwrs are dividled-the barriers were forced, which excladed the meetinc from the speakers and members of the eornmittee, and the whole fury of the bedy appeareud to be directed towards the platform erected on the right of the chair for the Protestant clergymen wrhbo took a part in the discatrsion. The lights were nearly all extingtish- ed, and the appearance presented at this moment was appalling andt terrific. By a special intervention of Divine Providence, the livew ot the Protestant clergv were preserved. Captain Battersby, com- manding the police at Carlow, reached the platforns by a privatc door commun;cating with the vestry-room, a few seconds before thc mob had obtained it, for tlhe purpose of communicatitg to 3Mr. Daly and Mr. Pope (not aware of wh.:t was going on within desrs) that he would not be answerable for the safety of their lives If they venturcei into the street. Perceivingthe state of fury displayed by tFosewith,. in, this gentleman promptly prevailed on theclergymea nst to Toser. mornent in effecting their escape, which he fortunately afforled thsenm the means of accomplishing, by assisting them over a walU eight fert high into an adjoining garden, in the house belonging to which they were concealed, until the departure of thePriests drew the greater portion of the mob from the scene of action. When the rioters reached theplatformn, and found that their intended victims hal escaped, no description can give an idea of their forvr. Father O'Con- nell monn'ed the pulpit, and havielg dcclared the Bible to be a most pernicious book, g,ave Go thanks for the triumph obtained by }iue and his party." BIBLE SOCIRTY DISCUSSIONS INr IRELANV,