The Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland left Dublin yesterday, for London.
Some sixteen Members of Parliament and a pretty sprinkling of Ro- man Catholic clergymen attended the "Religious Equality" Conference in the Dublin Rotunda on Thursday. The following names of Members are specified—Mr. Sergeant Shee, Mr. George H. Moore, Mr. J. F. Ma- guire, Mr. F. Lucas, Mr. James M'Cann, Mr. F. Scully, Mr. W. Keogh, Mr. James Sadleir, Mr. W. H. F. Cogan, Mr. Robert Potter, Mr. C. G. Duffy, Sir T. O'Brien, Mr. P. O'Brien, Mr. W. H. Magann, Mr. Bellew, Mr. D. O'Connor Henchy. Of other notables, the chief were Dr. Gray, Father M'Quade, Dr. M'Elheran of Belfast, and Mr. John Reynolds. The proceedings were flat, and unbroken by any personal incident, except a little skirmish between Mr. Lucas and Mr. Sergeant Shee ; the latter not wishing it to be thought that ho concurred in all the opinions of Mr. Lucas.
A report was read by the chairman, Mr. G. H. Moore, and adopted. The gist of it is contained in the resolutions which were passed, as follows--
" That the public opinion of this country demands for all classes and de- nominations of Irishmen complete religious equality in the eye of the law; and will not willingly tolerate in any religious denomination, civil power, preiiminenoe, or ascendancy over any other.
"That the settlement of trig church question on the basis of perfect equal- ity is essential to the establishment of that entire equality, civil and reli- gious, which alone can or ought to produce content.
" That the present Irish Church Establishment is at once a badge of con- quest and a legalized robbery of the Catholic population ; which, while it in- sults and wrongs the people, convulses society, and impresses the Catholic people with a belief that the Legislature which sanctions its contingence is hostile to the peace and prosperity of the kingdom. "That in order to prevent any misapprehension as to our objects, this Conference deems it right most emphatically to declare and put on record,
that our sole object is to remove from this country the intolerable grievance of religious inequality ; and though on grounds of justice the Church of the majority of the people might claim at least a share in any redistribution of the overgrown and misapplied ecclesiastical revenues of this country, yet, in our unanimous opinion, our representatives in Parliament should not, on our behalf, or on behalf of the Catholic clergy and laity, urge such a claim upon the Legislature ; that the mode of accomplishing our object is of very secondary importance ; and that we shall be content with any secular appli- cation of the Church revenues which shall be at once just, reasonable, and for the common good of all classes of the community." [Interpolated by Mr. John Reynolds.]
"That all laws which impose penalties on the ecclesiastics of any church, or prohibit the performance of spiritual functions, or the exercise of eccle- siastical rights, order, or jurisdiction, or require peculiar oaths or tests from the members of any religious persuasion, are inconsistent with the constitu- tion of these realms, practically declare the parties affected thereby to be in- ferior in the eye of the law to their fellow-subjects, and ought to be at once absolutely and unconditionally repealed.
"That religious equality is inconsistent with the exclusion from public offices of any subject of the Crown because of his religious faith, and that all such exclusions should be at once abolished.
"That we consider it the special duty of the Irish Liberal Members of Parliament, to urge upon the attention of the Legislature at all convenient times the grievances endured by the poor and friendless Catholics in all parts of this empire, so far as these grievances depend upon bad laws or a bad ad- ministration of them ; and that in order to enable Members of Parliament efficiently to discharge their duty in these matters, we respectfully request of the Catholic bishops and clergy at home, in Great Britain, and in the Colo- nies to supply, at their earliest convenience, the statistical and other inform- ation, without which it will be impossible to have the elsims of these un- protected classes adequately laid before Parliament. "That, in the opinion of this Conference, all Members of Parliament re- turned by Liberal Irish constituencies should continue independent of and in opposition to every Government which will not make the concession of per- fect religious equality, as explained in the foregoing resolutions, a part of its policy." The practical upshot of the meeting is, that Mr. Moore was requested to place a notice on the books of the House of Commons with reference to the Irish Church ; and Mr. Keogh to draw a bill for abolishing all dis- abilities whatever ; these measures to be backed by petitions.
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