Speech of the Bishop of Derry.
The Lord Bishop of Derry, who, on rising, was received with loud applause, said—The resolution which I have the honour and the almost painful responsibility of bringing before this Synod is as follows:—
That we, the bishops, clergy, and laity of the Church of Ireland, in General Synod assembled, view with the deepest alarm the introduction of a measure which is charged with dangerous elements of revolutionary disturbance, destructive of those most sacred bonds by which society is held together, and in reverent maintenance of which empires, nations, and churches can alone look for the blessing of Almighty God. Objecting to the whole tenor and spirit of the Bill on this primary ground, we are strongly opposed to its provisions in detail; and first: As loyal subjects of the great British Empire, we earnestly protest against its threatened disintegration, and call on our fellow-subjects in England, Scotland, and Wales to join us in resisting a measure that must inevitably and irrevocably effect the dismemberment of the Empire, and the consequent ruin of our position and influence among the nations.
My Lord Archbishop, my lords and gentlemen of the laity, the preamble which I read to you, as you will have perceived, states our united objection to this Bill on the primary ground of its general tone and spirit, and then following in regular detail, I have to speak to you, then, upon the first resolution, and in the course of it the chief stress of my argument will be laid upon that which at first sight appears to be not the most important in it. For I shall dwell chiefly upon the claim which we have to call upon the sympathy and the help of our fellow-subjects. (Hear, hear.) But
