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French Protestants , would not have feared the refusal of his support . His was a a party attachment to freedom—no lip profession—he loved freedom in , his heart . With his earliest recoj lections , the evils of persecution were connected . The first sounds he heard , were the sighs of his pa rents—expatriated for their . religion from
their native land . With his growth the remembrance had grown ; and the sentiments would have expired only with his life . Had he been present this day , what indignation would he have felt ! Yet his indignation was unselfish , was passionless .
It resembled the emotions of holy spirits —blending abhorrence of the wrong with pity for the wrong-doer . But he too was lost . ( Loud cheers . ) Yet they were not without advocates . He was happy to see his friend Mr . Alderman Wood present on the occasion . He knew his benevolent
heart- *—his sagacious head— -his active hand . Nor did the country contain one man more ardently desirous to do good . ( Cheers- ) But they had also present another advocate for all that was benevolent and wise . He could remember when but a boy , he read his masterly reply to Burke , with
eloquence equal to that of Burke . He cou 3 d not but overcome , as he had the quarrel just . With delight , too , he had listened to his defence of the freedom of the press . When before Buonaparte , Europe trembled , and our government yielded to prosecute a defenceless emigrant for the affirmance of the truth , he stepped forward
on his behalf , and delivered an oration which Cicero , when most elated with his own immortal efforts , would have been proud to claim . ( Applause . ) India , too , blessed the hour of his arrival on her
shores . He went there to administer justice , and by his administration , lenient though upright , and by the mild exercise of his authority , he was there reverenced , till they regarded him as a tutelary messenger from heaven . ( Applause . )
He has stepped into the situation of Sir Samuel Itoinilly , he has directed his great and comprehensive mind to the amelioration of those laws , which have been justly said to be " wiitten in blood . " He has wrapped around him the mantle of the departed Romilly , more honourable than the judicial ermine , the senatorial robe , or the imperial purple . ( Loud cheers . )
He is not lost ! Such a living advocate Dissenters will possess ! Whilst such evils exist and such duties remain , he could not consent to indulge his wish , to sing the requiem of the Society , or to chaunt its dirge . _ But he did anticipate , that the day . would come , when they might chaunt this requiem , interrupted , perhaps , by shouts of exultation !«~» No ; not with slumts of exultation , but with a calm and
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rational and sublime and silent joy , s which will be felt by men of noble minds , who have attained their rights—by men -who can think on their forefathers without shame—who can view their children without sorrow—who have achieved their freedom—who have deserved their freedom—7 who feel that they are free . Long and continued cheers marked the
interest excited in the meeting by a speech , which we have already characterized , and which occupied two hours , and of which even this long report is unavoidably but an abbreviated sketch . The following resolutions were then suesuccessively proposed and unanimously approved . :
1 . That this meeting , including- the friends of religious freedom of every party , receive with great , interest the statement of the proceedings of the Committee of the Protestant Society for the protection of Religious Liberty , during the past year . That rhey have not forgotten the meritorious labours of preceding Committees , who mainly contributed to obtain the
amended Toleration Act , aided to procure the recognition of more liberal principles in the administration of Iudia , aud who at the same time did not neglect to defend the domestic rights of Dissenters and of Methodists 5 avid they rejoice , that the Committee for the past year have imitated their example * and laudably advanced in the same useful and honourable course .
2 . That impressed with the essential importance' of Academies for the preparation of pious young men for the ministry among Dissenters , and solicitous that no avoidable charges should oppress their funds or diminish their utility , they learn with great satisfaction that it has now been finally decided , that the apartments occi } ,-pied by students in those institutions shall
be exempt from public aad parochial assessments 5 and that the Committee have prevented the interposition of churchwardens with schools established on those liberal principles , which alone tfie enlightened friends of education , can commend .
3 . That experience has convinced many members of this Society , that the demand of tolls on Sundays from Dissenters and Methodists attending their own places of religious worship , imposes on them a burden peculiar and injurious : and that they , therefore , applaud the efforts of the Committee to avert that inconvenience ; and recommend to their consideration the
expedience of Applying- for some permanent provision , that may establish their right to exemption in a distinct and unequivocal
manner . 4 . That whilst this meeting learn with approbation the liberal conduct of the Committee in presenting fifty guineas to
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890 Intelligence .---Prote $ tant Society : Mr . Wilks s Speech .
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Citation
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Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), June 2, 1819, page 390, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct1773/page/46/
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