22 JUNE 1861, Page 10

TOPICS OF THE DAY.

THE. CIIldRCH RATE BILL: THE Nonconformists have nobody to thank but themselves for the defeat of Wednesday- night. They have chosen_ to permit the. Liberation. Society to misrepresent their real sentiments, and have lent a reluctant support to the menacing muddling of Sir Morton Peto, and they must accept the consequences. Never was a fairer chance more egregiously thrown away. At the commencement of the Session they still occupied their natural position, and it seemed as if nothing, could resist their claim. They asked, as they have alway& done,. for relief from what,they deemed an.oppression, and it seemed: certain that relief would be- acconded majerity of the House of Commons had affirmed theirpeti- tion, Government was avowedly disposed to concession, and the public was either favourable or quiescent. The qaiet mesa who-really rule, though unable to- conceive why men who pan tithes, should object to rates; or to see wherein, the op- pression of church rate exceeded that inflictedby any tar the taxpayer disapproves„were. heartily-weary di contest which, like.all.paliitiao-religious-disputes,producedmore ofbittennesa. than of appneciable result. The-only real oppoeition arose from, a desire to save the parish buildings, and tothiait was -under. stood the. abler Dissenters would offer no: serious-opposition. The maibrity, consequently, on the. first reading;, was. au& eient to render a concession from they Lords at least a pro- bability.. Suddenly, however,. a number of prominent Die-, sentere,, either elated with their- easy victory, or afraid lest sufficient grievance should not be left for agitation, chose to declare that their attack was directed, not against church rates, but the Established. Church, and from' that: minute:the contest was decided. The governing million is not in the ]east. prepared to give up: the: Establishment„ its' only. de- fence against. the tyranny of halfeducated ecclesiastics, and the Moderates instantly resolved to abandon Sir J. Tie- lawney. The country clergy, toot whose: immense influence tha Dissenters never will comprehend; raised the cry of the " Church in danger!" and a second section of the voters was lost to the supporters of the bat.: Finally, as if to justify the preposterous alarm, Sir Morton Pete brought in a bill enabling ministers of all sects to officiate in Episcopalian graveyards, a bill which nobody wanted, which answered no object human. or divine, and which in many counties could not. have-been carried oat without military force. The' ma- josity dropped to. fifteen, and: at last, after a dozen: compro- mises had been discussed and rejected, down to nothing. On Wednesday night, in a: House of five hundred and forty- eight members, two hundred' and seventysfOur voted' against the bill, and the Speaker adding his casting vote, the bill was lost.. Mr. Denison is-, of course„ gravely censured for hiS decision, but without any apparent reason. The Speaker e 1 dia m votes, but ha is, none: the less a.member of toe. House,. entitled to vote- according. to his conscience as much as- any member for Lambeth. or Marylebone. A. long standing, custom prescribes that when further discussion is possible, -the Speaker shall vote for the continuance of the debate, but neither custom nor courtesy can order. him to. violate his own conscience by actually passing a bill he personally does not approve.. His action; however, made little differ- ence-to the:result. A bill detested:by the•aristoerae;cannot be forced through the. Lords- by nmajority of one, and for the disappearance• of their- original strength the. Noncon- formists have only to thank.bliose who changed, their attitude from. one of' resistance: to. oppression to one of purposeless but terrifying, aggression.

The defeat,, we are. told. only fir the Session,. but there 'is little evidence' in proof of the assertion. The Tories are gaining grcnind every day.. Next, year the Nonconformists wilt not have an accptiescent Government' at their back, while they have fairly roused a Church, which, if it does -not. rule a clear majority of the people,, is certainly sups - ported by a clear majority of the: voters: They have nlienated.mareorei,..that all-powerful mass, which does net care sixpence: about the religious aspect of the question,. and is anxious only for a reasonable settlement, of am irksome political controversy. They may win the struggle next Session; but it must be under- different leaders, and with a very. different.War cry. Let them_ nominate a leader who will really represent them, and not a fussy clique, and agree to some. arrangement which may preserve. buildings: in:which they have a reversionary interest„and the church rates will not/be long a stumbling-block in their way. It was not by supporting small political dodges,. or crying for the right to. worry country rectors, that the Nonconformists of the last, generation fought for their great principles. If this gene- ration want to fight the Church, let. them fight it as Baxter did two centuries age, and Foster within, living memory. If they. do not want to fight it, let. them dismis& leaders who think their cause furthered by menaces they are:powerless to. VfulfL