23 FEBRUARY 1861, Page 3

Mr. Turnbull's case has been carried before Lord Palmerston. On

Monday, a deputation, headed by the Marquis of Normanby, waited on the Premier, to beg him not to accept Mr. Turnbull's re- signation. Professor Pearson presented a memorial to that effect, reciting the facts of the Turnbull persecution, and signed by 800 Protestants. Mr. Turnbull was appointed in 1859 to calendar the . foreign papers in the Public Record Office. The Aber:tem said he - was appointed to write a "History of Religion in England," an utterly unfounded statement. The Protestant Alliance, without inquiry, called on its friends to petition against the appointment ; -the Tract Society said that since his appointment an important paper had been missing—a false statement. The persecution was continued until Mr. Turnbull could bear the wrong no longer, aud resigned. In reply to the memorial Lord Palmerston said : "This is a matter which I have had under my attention for a considerable time. .First of all, let me say that it does not appear to me to be a matter which falls within the category in which Lord Normanby has classed it. It does not seem to me to be a question respecting the exclusion of men from certain appointments on account of their religions opinions. I had representations made to use last year, which led me to communicate with the Master of the Rolls, and I had an answer from him. The objection to Mr. Turnbull, I understand it, is made, not on the ground that as a Catholic he is unfit to be employed by the Govern- ment, but that being a man of high personal honour, and great ability and attainments, he happens, as converts very often are, to be a man also of very extreme opimons--ni fact, almost a fanatic. It was thought, therefore, that he was not a person who was likely to bring to the particular duty upon wnich lie was employed that calm judgment and impartial view which are essential in the abstracting and compiling of documents belonging to a period when differences • of religious opinion, connected with historical events, were very strong. I con- . cur in that opinion. I think it was an unfortunate selection. It would not have been difficult to find in the circle of literary men some other person who would be equally competent to perform the duty; and, although I do not in the least doubt that Mr. Turnbull most faithfully abstracted everything that he was ordered to abstract, yet I must say that his position vras not altogether that which a man holding very strong opinions—strong opinions, 1 say, because his published works prove that they are strong—it was not a position in which a man of that frame of mind, and of those opinions, would feel himself comfortable. When he had to abstract documents relating to religions differences, and controversies of former periods, it must have been against the grain to record them if they were un- favourable to the tenets to which he so strongly clung. At the same time, I must observe that Sir John Rounilly stated he was satisfied that Mr. Turnbull was a fit person, and would do his duty property, and he said that unless I desired that he should be dismissed, be should not think of putting the mattar into any other hands. Of course I did not feel that there was sufficient ground for that. Well, then came Mr. Turnbull's resignation. I think that Mr. Turn- bull acted as a man of honour ought to act under such circumstances. He no doubt felt that, however unjust might be the imputations against him, still, as there was a strong feeling among a large class ot the people that he was pee- forming a duty for which he was not fit, it was best to escape from attack, and get out of a place in which the confidence of a large portion of the community was denied to him. He very honourably resigned. The emoluments of the office were very small indeed. It was not a permanent office, the employment was merely temporary. Well, then, when it was put to me the other day, "What should be done?" I thought it was only acting fairly by Mr. Turnbull to accept his resignation. I think he acted quite rightly in resigning instead of' continuing to be a target to be shot at. I think, too, the acceptance of Ids resig- nation was fair to him and fair to the public. The only mode in which any one could ascertain whether or not his duties were performed fairly was by corn- paring the abstracts which he made with the original documents. That in a labour very few persons would undertake, though any one might try to ascertain by one or two specimens what was the general character of Mr. Turnbull's work; yet it is quite clear that in the performance of the euties entrusted to him he must be more or less liable to imputations, and I felt that, having regard to the public interest, and to Mr. Turnbull's particular situation, as he tendered his re- signation, it was my duty to accept it."

The Marquis of Normanby pleaded further ; Captain Jervis re- minded Lord Palmerston that M. Guizot, a Protestant, had been many years employed in preparing documents by the French Government; Mr. Folkard said that Lord Palmerston had appointed Mr. Panizzi, a Roman Catholic, and that Lord Cowley's private secretary, was a Roman Catholic. Lord Palmerston was not to be shaken. He. re- peated that it was not the mere fact of Mr. Turnbull's being a Ca- tholic. The charge made against him was that of being fanatical. A. moderate Catholic might be just as competent to do the work as a Protestant. The Marquis of Normanby, in parting, said he could assure his lordship that his decision would not put an end to the con- troversy.