and conflicting doctrines in the
same light, instead of administering those noble functions, they will
become helots and slaves." The weakness of Mr. Gladstone's case was
found in the fact that he insisted on regarding the State Church in
Ireland as resting on precisely the same foundations as those which
upheld the State Church in England. The truth was afterwards brought
home to him that every argument which could be fairly used to justify
the maintenance of the State Church in England was but another argument
for the abolition of the State Church in Ireland--a work which it
became at last his duty to accomplish. "I shall content myself," said
Daniel O'Connell in his speech in the debate, "with laying down the
broad principle that the {249} emoluments of a Church ought not to be
raised from a people who do not belong to it. Ireland does not ask for
a Catholic Establishment. The Irish desire political equality in every
respect, except that they would not accept a single shilling for their
Church."

Sir Robert Peel made a speech which was at once very powerful and very
plausible. It was not, perhaps, pitched in a very exalted key, but it
was full of argument, at once subtle and telling. He challenged the
accuracy of Lord John Russell's figures, and declaimed against the
injustice of inviting the House to pass a resolution founded on
statistics which it had as yet no possible opportunity of verifying or
even of examining. He pointed out that the Government had already
given notice of their intention to bring in measures to deal with the
very question concerned in Lord John Russell's resolution; and he asked
what sincerity there could be in the purposes of men who professed a
desire to amend as quickly as possible the tithe system in Ireland, and
who yet were eager to deprive the Government of any chance of bringing
forward the measures which they had prepared in order to accomplish
that very object. The main argument of the speech was directed not so
much against the policy embodied in the resolution of Lord John
Russell, as against the manner in which it was proposed to carry out
that policy. Sir Robert Peel declared that the object of the
Opposition was not to effect any improvement in the relations of the
State Church of Ireland and the people of Ireland, but simply and
solely to turn out the Government. Why not, he asked, come to the
point boldly and at once? Why not bring forward a vote of censure on
t