CHURCH AND STATE ABUSE •SUPPORTING MEETING AT BR ISTOL.
TO THE EDITOR OF THE SPECTATOR.
Bristol, 27th November 1531.
SIR-1Iad the meeting, which has this week taken place in Bristol, under the auspices of a " Bristol Association of the Friends of the United Church of Eng- land and Ireland," been held in ordinary times, the most passing notice of the Spectator would have been more than equal to its importance: but significant figures give a value even to ciphers; and therefore it is that in conjunction with the present aspect of political affairs, great things will doubtless be predicated of this meeting -by the Tory organs throughout the country, to the full extent of their small influence and ability. Let me then—a citizen of Bristol, observant of passing events within it, and possessed of the requisite local information— state, through, I trust, the more influential coliimus of the Spectator, what was the nature of this meeting, and to what extent it may be considered as giving a voice to the public feeling in this city. The Tory party of Bristol, under whose auspices the meeting IVES called, arro- gates to itself the respectability, or, as it has been termed, the " broad-cloth" of the place. I do not deny individual respectability to its members ; but I contend that, as a party, it is not so respectable as either of the other two politi- cal sections--Whig or Liberal. Indeed, were it not foreign to my present put.. pose, I could show, that it has been only by fomenting divisions between the Whigs and Liberals, and so forcing a coalition with the former, that the Tories have ever been able to obtain, what they have never dared to attempt the going beyond, their one Member. My intent is, however, to show you the constitu- ents of this party ; and, upon analysis, it will be found solely to consist of the close corporators, the parsons. the Select Vestry men, dependent lawyeas, &c. ; in fact, of all who are mixed up with local abuses, and are interested in their continuance.
There is a section of this party which to its Church Conservatism adds a super.sanctity, the tendency of which may be guessed at when I add that it has led some of the Elect into Irvingism ; and there is a section which, zealous even unto slaying in defence of the temporalities of the Church, has nevertheless escaped this spiritual crack in the upper story. With these rabid zealots the plan of the meeting originated ; and though a few sensible men of the party doubted the propriety of the movement, it went on until the change in the Ministry falling in so opportunely, satisfied the whole clique that it might be made the means of *observing the attack of the " First British Dictator" upon the constitutional rights of his countrymen. Well, the meeting takes place : but how? Under the auspices of an associa- tion of the existence of which Bristol knew nothing, until its name was brought forward in connexion with a meeting, to give a colour to which it appears to have been trumped into existence. Again, WaS it a public meeting ? No: this party, although it has repeatedly put turvrard addresses, petitions, and resolu- tions, as emanating front the citizens of Bristol, never yet dared to accept the challenge to meet those citizens at a public meeting ; and the present assemblage was as very a hole-and-corner affair as ever Tory palmed upon the public. In proof of this, I send you the following, which, I pledge my word for it, is a true copy.
" Bristol Association of the Friends of the United Church of England and reland.
" Sir-The favour of your attendance is requested on 'Wednesday the 26th instant, at the Horticultural Rooms, at the top of Park Street, for the purpose of agreeing to peti- tions tothe King and both Houses of Parliament, on the present critical state of the United Church of England and Iteland. Admission will he obtained by presenting this
ticket at the door. " I remain, Sir, yours faithfully,
" II. RICHARDS, Secretary."
And how was the meeting constituted, after all. It was an assemblage of the dependants of a party, in close junta, to agree to what had been previously agreed to by the Dictators in a still closer junta. Among the respectable* of the party, exclusive of the Irish deputation, Messrs. Barytes. and O'Se maw/vs:, a Bristol paper, not given to under-rate this party, counts only four Aldermen, one Common Council man, two bankers, some half-dozen country gentlemen, two lawyers, and a plentiful sprinkling of the cloth: the rest were of too non- descript a character to be enumerated; but they included all within the pale cf the Church, even to the sextons' sons. Then as to numbers. b. a room mar- vellously inconvenient fir the purpo.es of a meeting—in a room into which 1.500 persons could scarcely he crammed, one- half of whom would be unable to hear or see what passed—there was never at the greatest 10(X) auditors present, although all the energies of the party were strained to get up a full meeting, and although every species of deceit was practised to persuade respectable Dissenteis to attend, under the pretext that the meeting was intended to promote the Protestant as opposed to the Roman Catholic religion.
I am, Sir, yours, very sincerely,
A BRISTOL SUBSCALM.
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