e under his control. In dissensions, also,
among the clergy, and for the protection of their interests, he was the
person appealed to; and if there was not a strong Protestant spirit
in the secretary, it would be in his power to discourage to the most
alarming degree, and even almost to extinguish, the church of England
in many of the colonies. Under all these circumstances, therefore, his
grace concluded by moving, as an amendment, that the bill should be read
a second time that day six months.

The debate in the lords continued four successive nights by adjournment.
The spiritual lords who spoke, in addition to the mover of the
amendment, were the Archbishops of York and Armagh, the Bishops of
London, Salisbury, Durham, and Oxford. All of these opposed the bill,
except the last, who contended that concession was called for, not
merely by the situation of Ireland, but by the turn which talent and
education had taken in this kingdom with reference to the question.
Those peers, said his lordship, who opposed concession, were men
advanced in years; but the individuals who were rising in the natural
progress of things to fill the high offices of the state, were, with
with scarcely an exception, in favour of this measure. But independently
of the fact that the talent, intelligence, and education of the country
were marshalled in favour of concession, there were abundant reasons
why he should vote for the measure. He would vote for it because it came
recommended by his majesty's speech from the throne; seconded by the
declaration of the heir presumptive to the crown; supported by all
the members of the royal family, except the Duke of Cumberland; carried
through the other house by an overwhelming majority; supported by many
members of the house of lords; supported, too, for many years by that
great and eloquent statesman whom Providence had recently snatched away
from the service of his country; and specially brought forward by those
ministers who had hitherto been champions of the Protestant interest.
These were extraordinary circumstances which had never been combined
before; and he thought that a bill introduced in these circumstances
would in a few years produce a different state of things in Ireland. As
to the safety of the church of England he had no doubt, since the people
of England possessed the most hostile feelings towards all the doctrines
of Popery. The Irish church was certainly, he said, placed in an
anomalous