The grand Conservative and Protestant Demonstration on behalf of "the
Throne, Church, and Constitution," held on Mon- day at the Crystal Palace, was a failure. Lord Fitzwalter (Sir Brook Brydges) was the only peer present, Mr. Newdegate the only member, and some 2,200 people of all sorts, mostly Orangemen apparently, were the only audience. It rained, and though one speaker said the Protestants would rise in arms, they were not equal to getting wet. Lord Fitzwalter called on the people to stand by the Queen, for "we want no Mackonochies among us ;" Mr. Newdegate held that self-government was only fit for Pro- testants, and that if the Establishment were abolished in Ireland the Pope would establish Catholicism ; and Mr. Pitman, a work- ing man, was ready to thank God for the House of Lords, "because the Peers had saved the Irish Church and stopped the amalgama- tion of the Southern Railways." The Bishop of Perth (Australia) said that through the Irish Church "we were able in the great cere- monies of State to confess that God reigned ;" and Mr. Hardinge Giffard said that after the Church would come the land. And, finally, the Duke of Portland, described by the secretary as "one of the princes of the land," sent a cheque for 2,000/. All the rest of the subscriptions amounted to 300/. Next day 50,000 persons attended at the Foresters' Fête.
