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    at alt events , come out of the trial with increased character and importance as a religious body , whose claims are indeed , for a time ,, defeated , but defeated by arguments which touch the m & de and the manner rather than the justice of the case , of the final concession of their rights . Your Committee were , soon after their appointment , led to consider the propriety of entering a Christian protest against prosecutions of any sort ^ at the tribunal of the law , for the expression of opinion in matters of religion .

    The exertions of this Society were , perhaps , not strictly applicable to this object ; but your Committee could but feel shame and sorrow that the real friends of Christianity had not yet lifted up their public voice against proceedings in their viesr so impolitic , so disgraceful , and so contrary to the spirit and precept of the gospel ; and they thought they could rely upon the feeling of the members of this Society for their sanction , in devoting some portion of their attention to what appeared to them to have become an imperious duty .

    With these views they , at a late period of the last Session , prepared a petition , which , in the short space of about ten days , received upwards of 2000 signatures , nearly 100 of which were those of ministers of Christian congregations , and they were glad to see that its presentment , at all events , afforded an opportunity to some few enlightened Friends of civil and religious liberty to come forward in Parliament , and express their reprobation of prosecutions so peculiarly disgraceful to a Protestant country .

    The Test and Corporation Acts have several times been incidentally noticed at the General Meetings of this Society , and have often occupied the attention of preceding Committees . The paramount importance of the subject has been always recognized , and all have felt the impolicy of the course which has for so many years been pursued by the Dissenters . This Society has , however , always seen how desirable , on every account , it was that , if possible , whatever was done publicly should be under the direction , and with the united exertions .

    of those who have been so long associated for the protection of the civil rights and liberties of the general Dissenting body ; and it has , therefore , mainly directed its efforts to arousing the energies of those societies , and tendering , on all occasions , its active co-operation , in entering upon a course more honourable to the Dissenters , and more likely to prepare the way for ultimate ( though perhaps still distant ) success . At the General Meeting of 1822 , the Committee received instructions to urge on the Committee of Deputies

    and on the Protestant Societv the strong" and decided feeling of their bodv . and on the Protestant Society the strong and decided feeling of their body , that Dissenters of all denominations ought to concur and persevere in applications to Parliament for the repeal of these Acts . On these instructions it appears that the last Committee acted , and their Report to the Meeting of 1823 , communicated the adoption of proceedings by the Committee of Deputies , which gave reason to hope for a revival and continuance of attention to what ( as it appears to your Committee ) ought to be the constant , unremitted

    subject of public and private exertion , until effectual redress is conceded . At the last General Meeting your Committee received the instructions of their constituents to bear this important object in view , and they lost no time in renewing their representations to both the bodies above alluded to . From the Protestant Society they have no reason to expect that any exertions on this head are at present to be expected ; but at the beginning- of this Session they were gratified at receiving the resolution of the General Body of

    Deputies , ( adopted on the 19 th of March last , ) which fully recognized the urgent necessity of immediately bringing the question under public consideration by an application to Parliament , and by renewing such application from time to time temperately but perseveringly . This resolution was accompanied by others , for carrying this determination into effect , directing their Committee to adopt various active plans prescribed for awakening public attention through the press , and for the opening and establishing communications with the country ., and particularly for obtaining the co-operation of Deputations in

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• Citation
  • Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), Dec. 2, 1824, page 6, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct1715/page/32/