The opponents of church rates, roused by Mr. Disraeli's cry
of "No surrender !" ha-vg mustered their strength to support Sir John Trelawny's bill. A very large conference, attended by sixteen Members of Parliament, and delegates from many parts of the country, was held in the Freemasons Hall, on Tuesday. A tone of exultation and triumph Obtained in all the speeches. The speakers predicted triumphant success from their efforts, determined to go as they have always gone, for total and immediate repeal, and resolved to raise a fund of 30001. to sustain the agitation, 11001. of which were subscribed on the spot. One or two speeches contained some= thing more than a cry "To arms !" Mr. Cosham, of Bristol, said that, "as a nonconformist, consideritig the church-rate question as a mere matter of policy, he should prefer to keep the wounds open, but," he added, "I go for right, irrespective of consequences." Mr, Miall denied that tie Liberation Society had put into the ship "Church Rates" the heavy ballast of separation of Church and State. "If the House of Commons were wise' it would settle this question out of hand. He did not know what the Liberation Society would do without it, but they must take their chance. But let the bill be re- jected, and depend upon it the ulterior question would then be placed in a position of advantage such as it had never enjoyed before, for they would then be supported by the ,enthusiasm of the whole dissenting bodies." The Rev. Mr. Binney made the most remark- able speech. He said he had been willing to accept of something they might call a compromise—not Mr. Disraeli's, not the Bishop of Exeter's—but one that would assert the principle that the churches are the property of the whole nation, including dissenters. Mr. Binney has strong feelings as a nonconformist in respect of the Church, but he desires to prevent them from saying, The buildings
are ours." The time will come when the nation, and not a sect merely, will have the use of them.
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