INTENDED ABOLITION OF THE IRISH CHURCH ESTABLISHMENT.

Evening Post, Issue 43, 29 March 1865, Page 3

INTENDED ABOLIT ION OF THE IRISH CHURCH ESTABLISHMENT.

A. grand political meeting has been held in Dublin Rotunda, attendi d by members of the higher Roman Catholic clergy and a good many influential gentlemen but only two members of Parliament. The most importa it object of the meeting was to commence an agitation for securing by constitutional means the abolition of the Irish Church Establishment, " Perfect freedom of education," and such a law of tenant-right as would secure to the tenant compensation for all valuable improvements. Tho meeting has been denounced by the Orangemen as hostile to the Irish Establishment, ami by the Fenians as servile towards Great Britain, and the hall was regularly garris >ned with police, but the meeting passed off quietly. The ecclesiastics generally condemned the law of landlord and tenant, the laymen addressing themselves to the establishment question. The substantive proposals appear to be, that as regards the land Judge Longfield's proposal of compensation fur a.tual improvements be forced upon the Legislature ; that as r gurds the Church, its revenues be secularised as fa-st as existing life-tenants die out ; and as regards education, that the State grant aid impartially to all denominations. Among the letters of apology read for nonattendance at the meeting was one from Mr. Bright, M. P,, of which the following is an extract : — 11 What you want in Ireland is to break down laws of primogeniture and entail, so that, in course of time, by gradual and just process, Irish people may become possessors of the soil of Ire'and. With regard to a State Church, the Liberal party in great Britain will doubtless join with you in demanding the removal of a wrong which has no equal in the character of a national insult in any other civilised and Christian country in the world. If the popular party in Ireland would adopt as its policy tree hind and free Church, and unite with the popular party in England ami Scotland for the advance of Liberal measures, and especially for the promotion of honest amendment of representatives, I am confident that great tvnd beneficial changes might be made within a few years. We have on our Bide numbers and opinion, but we want a more distinct policy and better organisation, and these, I hope to some extent your meetiug will supply."