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    Protestant Society fur the Protection of Religious Liberty . Otf Saturday , May 16 , a Meeting of the Society for the Protection of Religious Liberty was held at the City of London Tavern . The large room was completely filled . Lord Ebrington in the Chair . John Wilks , Esq ., read the Report , and was received with much cheering . He said it was now nineteen years since it had suggested itself to his mind , that

    it was necessary to make some vigorous and determined efforts to promote the great principles of civil and religious liberty , and it was eighteen years since he had first presented himself to a meeting for the purpose of derailing the operations of this Society . It had been his geueral practice to do that by oral statements , but during the last two years the state of his health had rendered it

    necessary that he should substitute for his extemporaneous speeches a short written Report . The same reason still operated , and he would therefore read the Report which the Committee had prepared . It commenced with an expression of devout gratiiude for the progress made by the gieat cause of religious freedom since the establishment of this Society , and especially during the past and present years , accompanied by the following excellent remarks :

    ' * Vast aud ( as they trust ) blessed is the change 1 But they venture to suggest , that the extent of blessedness will much depend on the manner and spirit with which the improvement is received . If still , sects and individuals will remain intolerant , if their hearts be persecuting and exclusive , while the honied words of freedom are on their lips ; if the Churchman still affects to tolerate and

    condescend , or the Dissenter forgets the principles of Protestant Dissent , and slinks into a sycophant Conformist ; the benefits of the public aud legislative abrogation of tests aud proscriptions , and of the general aud glorious promulgation of the rights of conscience , will be lessened , and the brightness and spreading of the real benefits of charity and truth will be proportionately beclouded and delayed . "

    After detailing many instances of vexatious interference with the rights of Dissenters in different parts of the country , where the Society had , and generally with effect , interposed , the Report thus sketches the plan of future proceedings : " Greatas have been the achievements of the Society , and manifold as are its

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    reasons for thankfulness and triumph , they cannot consider their duties fulfilled till several other matters be obtained . They refer mainly to four points : —1 . The termination of the power of clergymen capriciously to exclude from the church a corpse brought for interment , and then omit part of the service over the dead ; and also their power to refuse to read the Burial Service of the Church

    over parishioners interred in the churchyard , and who , belonging to the Baptist denomination , may not yet have been immersed . 2 . The amendment of the last Toleration Act in various points of practical importance , that may obviate doubts and make it more simple and effective . 3 . The exemption of all

    places of religious worship from assessment to the poor rates , according to the bill heretofore sanctioned by Government , and introduced by Lord Bexley and Mr . Whitbread , and which would end the vexations and expeuse on that subject , which frequent disputes and litigations inflict Aud , 4 . That

    substitution of Registries of Births for Baptismal Registers , which will get rid of all the disadvantages to which the registries of Dissenters are exposed—which is adopted by most continental states—which was sanctioued by Lord Liverpool — which has been considered as desirable by the Commissioners appointed by the Crown to exainiue the state of the law

    as to landed estates—which will convey important statistical information that other countries possess , and we have no means to acquire—which will increase the value of all property , by facilitating proofs of title and descent—and which will , therefore , not merely afford relief to the religious bodirs whom the Committee

    represent , but will extend » to the whole British community a real and valuable boon . In the pursuit of these objects , the Committee have invited the co-operation of the Committee of the body of Deputies , which was cheerfully accepted ; and a Sub-Coin miitee , formed by three in embers of each Committee , has already been named . As soon as the session © f

    Parliament has closed , it is their intention to submit their wishes to the Government : and past experience encourages them to believe that they shall not be refused such matters by an adininis - tration by whom so much important relief has been already conferred . "

    1 he Aunual Subscriptions have declined , aud out of the original fund of 4000 / . the sum of 1000 / . has been paid towards the expenses incurred by the

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    Intelligence . —Protestant Society . 445

• Citation
  • Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), June 2, 1829, page 445, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2573/page/77/