five per cent. Provision was also made for its redemption, and the investment of the value in land for the benefit of the church. He further proposed to make up the arrears of tithes in 1834, out of the million already advanced to the clergy. But the commutation of tithes was not yet destined to be treated as a practical measure. It had been associated, in the late session, with the controverted principle of appropriation, which now became the rallying point of parties. It had severed from Lord Grey some of his ablest colleagues, and associated them with the opposite party. 66 con- Appropria tion question opposition, Sir Robert Peel, on accepting office, took an early apportunity of stating that he would not give his " sent to the alienation of church property, in any adopted by part of the United Kingdom, from strictly ecclesi- the Whigs in astical purposes." On the other hand, in the first 1835. discussion upon Irish tithes, Lord John Russell expressed his doubts whether any advantage would result from the abolition of tithe, without a prior decision of the appropriation question; and Mr. O'Connell proclaimed that the word appropriation would exert a magical influence in Ireland." The Whigs, exasperated by their sudden dismissal, were burning to recover their ground; but the liberal measures of the new ministry afforded few assailable points. Sir Robert Peel, however, had taken his stand upon the inviolability of church property; and the assertion of the contrary doctrine served to unite the various sections of the opposition. The Whigs, indeed, were embarrassed by the fact that they had themselves deprecated the adoption of any resolution, until the commission had made its report; and this report was not yet forthcoming. But the exigencies of party. demanded a prompt and decisive trial of strength. Lord John Russell, therefore, pressed forward with resolutions affirming that any surplus revenues of the church of Ireland, not required for the spiritual care of its members, should be 1 Hans. Deb., 3d Ser., xxvii. 13. 2 Supra, Vol. I., p. 125. applied to the moral and religious education of all classes of the people; and that no measure on the subject of tithes would be satisfactory which did not embody that principle. These resolutions were affirmed by small majorities;1 and Sir Robert Peel was driven from power. Appropria tion under Lord Melbourne. It was an untoward victory. The Whigs had pledged themselves to connect the settlement of tithes with the appropriation of the surplus revenues of the church of Ireland. The Conservatives were determined to resist that principle; and having a large majority in the House of Lords, their resistance was not to be overcome. Revenues of Ireland. Meanwhile, the position of ministers was strengthened by the disclosure of the true state of the church. of the church Out of a population of 7,943,940 persons, there were 852,064 members of the establishment; 6,427,712 Roman Catholics, 642,356 Presbyterians, and 21,808 Protestant dissenters of other denominations. The state church embraced little more than a tenth of the people.1 Her revenues amounted to 865,525l. In 151 parishes there was not a single Protestant: in 194 there were less than ten in 198 less than twenty; and in 860 parishes there were less than fifty.3 Appropriation abandoned, 1838. every These facts were dwelt upon in support of appropriation, which formed part of bill for the commutation of tithes. But the lords had taken their stand upon a principle; and were not to be shaken. Tithes were still withheld from the clergy; and 1 On April 2d a committee of the whole House was obtained by a majority of 33.- Hans. Deb., 3d Ser., xxvii. 362, 770, &c. On April 6th, the first resolution was agreed to in committee by a majority of 25; and on the 7th. the second resolution was affirmed by the House on the report by a majority of 27.- Comm. Journ., xc. 202, 208; Hans. Deb., 3d Ser., xxvii. 790, 837, 878. 2 1st Report of Commissioners on Public Instruction, Ireland (1835), p. 7. 8 Lord Morpeth's Speech, 1835; Hans. Deb., 3d Ser., xxviii. 1339. The latter number comprises the parishes previously enumerated. the feelings of the people were embittered by continual discussions relating to the church; while bill after bill was sacrificed to clauses of appropriation. This mischievous contest between the two Houses was brought to a close in 1838, by the abandonment of the appropriation clause by ministers themselves. It was, indeed, bitter and humiliating: but it was unavoidable. The settlement of tithes could no longer be deferred; and any concession from the Lords was hopeless. But the retirement of the Whigs from a position, which they had chosen as their own battle-field, was a grievous shock to their influence and reputation. They lost the confidence of many of their own party, forfeited public esteem, and yielded to the opposition an exultant triumph which went far to restore them to popular favor, and ultimately to power.1 But if ruin awaited the Whigs, salvation was at hand for the church of Ireland. Tithes were at length Commutation commuted into a permanent rent-charge upon the of Irish tithes, 1838. land; and the clergy amply indemnified for a sacrifice of one fourth the amount, by unaccustomed security and the peaceable enjoyment of their rights. They were further compensated for the loss of arrears, out of the balance of the million, advanced by Parliament as a loan in 1833, and eventually surrendered as a free gift.2 The church had passed through a period of trials and danger; and was again at peace. The grosser abuses of her establishment were gradually corrected, under the supervision of the ecclesiastical commissioners: but its diminished revenues were devoted exclusively to the promotion of its spiritual efficiency. While the state protected the Protestant church, it had not been unmindful of the interests of the great National body of the people, who derived no benefit from education in her ministrations. In 1831, a national system of education was established, embracing the children of per Ireland. 1 See especially Debates, May 14th and July 2d, 1838. Hans. Deb., 3d Ser., xlii. 1203; xliii. 1177. 2 1 & 2 Vict. c. 109. sons of all religious denominations.1 It spread and flourished, until, in 1860, 803,364 pupils received instruction,- of whom 663,145 were Catholics,2- at an annual cost to the state of 270,000%.3 Maynooth College, 1845. In 1845, Sir Robert Peel adventured on a bold measure for promoting the education of Catholic priests in Ireland. Prior to 1795, the laws forbade the endowment of any college or seminary for the education of Roman Catholics in Ireland; and young men in training for the priesthood were obliged to resort to colleges on the continent, and chiefly to France, to prepare themselves for holy orders. But the French revolutionary war having nearly closed Europe against them, the government were induced to found the Roman Catholic College of Maynooth. It was a friendly concession to the Catholics; and promised well for the future loyalty of the priesthood. The college was supported by annual grants of the Parliament of Ireland, which were continued by the United Parliament, after the Union. The connection of the state with this college had been sanctioned in the days of Protestant ascendency in Ireland; and was continued without objection by George III.,—the most Protestant of kings,—and by the most Protestant of his ministers, at a time when prejudices against the Catholics had been fomented to the utmost. But when more liberal sentiments prevailed concerning the civil rights of the Catholics, a considerable number of earnest men, both in the church and in other religious bodies, took exceptions to the endowment of an institution, by the state, for teaching the doctrines of the 1 On Sept. 9th, 1831, 30,000l. were first voted for this purpose.. Hans. Deb., 3d Ser., vi. 1249. Commissioners were appointed by the lord-lieutenant to administer the system in 1832, and incorporated by letters-patent, in 1845. 2 28th Report of Commissioners, 1861, No. [3026], p. 10, 11, &c. 8 The sum voted in 1860 was 270,7227. 4 April 3d, 1845. Hans. Deb., lxxix. 18. 5 Irish Act 35 Geo. III. c. 21; Cornwallis's Corr., iii. 365-375; Lord Stan. hope's Life of Pitt, ii. 311. church of Rome. "Let us extend to Catholics," they said, "the amplest toleration : let us give them every encouragement to found colleges for themselves: but let not a Protestant state promote errors and superstitions: ask not a Protestant people to contribute to an object abhorrent to their feelings and consciences." On these grounds the annual grant had been for some time opposed, while the college, the unfortunate object of discussion, was neglected and falling into decay. In these circumstances, Sir Robert Peel proposed to grant 30,000l. for buildings and improvements, to allow the trustees of the college to hold lands to the value of 30007. a year, and to augment the endowment from less than 90007. a year to 26,360%. To give permanence to this endowment, and to avoid irritating discussions, year after year, it was charged upon the Consolidated Fund.1 Having successfully defended the revenues of the Protestant church, he now met the claims of the Catholic clergy in a liberal and friendly spirit. The concession infringed no principle which the more niggardly votes of former years had not equally infringed; but it was designed at once to render the college worthy of the patronage of the state and to conciliate the Catholic body. He was supported by the first statesmen of all parties, and by large majorities in both Houses: but the virulence with which his conciliatory policy was assailed, and the doctrines of the church of Rome denounced, deprived a beneficent act of its grace and courtesy. If the consciences of Protestants were outraged by contributing, however little, to the support of the Catholic faith, what must have been the feelings of Catholic Ireland towards a Protestant church, maintained for the use of a tenth of the people! It would have been well to avoid so painful a controversy but it was raised; and the Act of 1845, so far from being accepted as the settlement of a vexed question appeared for several years to aggravate the bitterness of the 1 April 3d, 1845. Hans. Deb., 3d Ser., lxxix. 18. |