A meeting of Protestants was held in the City Hall,
Glasgow, on Monday, to protest against the appointments of Roman
Catholics, like Lord Ripon and Lord Kenmare, to high office ; and resolutions were passed declaring these appointments "contrary to the spirit, if not to the letter, of the Constitution,
and dangerous to the civil and religious interests of the Em- pire." In the General Assembly of the Free Church of Scot- land, on Tuesday evening, a motion of Principal Rainy's was carried (in the place of a more decided censure by Dr. Begg)," That the General Assembly regret that one recent appointment has awakened the apprehension that Mr. Gladstone's influence may be made subservient in some relations to Romish principles, and less friendly than might be hoped to the cause of Protestant Missions." But no parallel apprehensions seem to have been awakened in Roman Catholic minds of the undue bias of Mr. Gladstone towards Quakerism, as shown in the selection for the second time of a Ministerial colleague who is a Quaker, and now also for the second time of a Unitarian colleague in the Cabinet. In the mind of the Presbyterians, religious equality appears to mean religious equality, as among Protestants, and a free pardon to Catholics,—on condition they keep them- selves out of sight.
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