The second Protestant meeting announced by the O'Sullivan faction at
Brighton is not to take place ; and the " Protestant Committee" have backed out from their challenge to prove that religion was en- dangered by the conduct of the Roman Catholics. The Reverend Mr. Goulty accepted the challenge, and professed himself ready to prove
that "Protestantism was not endanged by Popery :" finding them- selves opposed when they expected to have bad the field clear, the Protestant Committee " declared that the public .discussion of the question would probably be attended by uproar, that would "defeat the calm investigation of truth." There is little doubt of this ; but why the calm investigation of truth." There is little doubt of this ; but why
was it not remembered when the challenge was issued, that to submit nice theological questions to the decision of a miscellaneous multitude is the extreme of absurdity ? [Mr. O'Sullivan, through his friend Mr. Colquboun, has since offered to prove at a public meeting, that Catho- locism in Ireland is intolerant ; but Mr. Goulty has not thought it ne- cessary to take any further notice of him.] The Brighton Guardian remarks that O'Sullivan's speech, as reported in the Brighton Gazette, is essentially different from that which was
published as a more full and correct report in the Standard; the latter being, no doubt, prepared by the burly priest himself. Some of the more extraordinary passages which appear in the Brighton Gazette are not to be found in the Standard edition of the speech. For instance, says the Guardian, " That in which Mr, O'Sullivan spoke of the gratitude of the Catholics for being enabled to discharge by the help of the military their conscientious
debts—that in which he spoke of his examination before the Committee—that
in which he claims tithes as of Almighty authority—and that in which he re- bred to Mr. Finn—arc either wholly omitted front the Standard's speech, or 30 altered as to bear a totally different meaning. It is, however, evident from the latter, that Mr. O'Sullivan has very much curtailed and trimmed his offer- in for the press, though it be called a more full ' report; and that he dares
mot expose to the calm deliberation of the closet all the nonsense which he thought
Iand an excited auditory might snake pass for reason and truth. Ile treated his Brighton friends, who went to hear him, like persons who were far below the average level of understanding, and on whom might be foisted the observations he dares not commit to the press."
The Brighton church-rate for the ensuing year has been refused, by a majority of 1521 to 1244. So the windows of St. Peter's Church must still remain in a fractured condition ; unless, in mere charity, the Dissenter's subscribe to mend them, for the comfort of the poverty- stricken Churchmen of Brighton.
It is said that the statement of the Bishop of Chester having refused to allow Mr. M'Ghee to hold a "Protestant meeting " in Chester is
incorrect. On the contrary, the Bishop invited him to attend a meet- ing to raise money for the Irish Clergy ; which invitation A1'Ghee de- dined—prudently; for the meeting could scarcely have been a packed one, and there are Catholics and Protestants in Chester who would not have suffered him to indulge in his characteristic strain of virulent misrepresentation without calling him to order.
The Reverend Joseph Ketley, Unitarian Minister at Ipswich, whose talents and exertions had augmented the numbers of a declining con- gregation very considerably, surprised his hearers last Sunday morning, by publicly recanting his opinions, and declaring himself converted to the belief in Christ's divinity, by the arguments of the Reverend Mr. Butler, Curate of St. Margaret's, Ipswich. Many of his congregation were much affected by their minister's avowal.
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