Parliament, or the King. And if with all we should haply fail, there is still another earthly tribunal, at which, under providence, you are sure to be heard you will appeal to the feelings of the Presbyterian people, who will not leave your Minister and his family to want, because Arianism has stepped in and deprived them of their birth-right. After some discussion, in which the Synod expressed a lively interest in the issue of this case, so deeply affecting not merely to the circumstances of one of their Members, but to the character, influence, and discipline of the whole body, the following resolutions were unanimously adopted: 1. That this Synod has learned with surprise, alarm, and indignation, that a Magistrate of the county of Down, accompanied by a party of armed police, had, on the Lord's Day, entered into one of its Meeting-houses registered according to law, read the riot act to a Minister of this Body and six of his hearers, who during the morning had been previously occupied in the exercises of devotion, giving them only 15 minutes to disperse that 12 minutes having elapsed, this Magistrate had commanded them, at the peril of their lives, to disperse, saying that they had three minutes for that purpose, and had absolutely forced them to leave the place where they had met for the worship of God: That 'his Synod unanimously resolve that the Committee in correspondence with Government take immediate steps to bring the conduct of this Magistrate before the higher authorities, or seek redress in a Court of Justice, as they may be legally advised. 2. That this Synod extremely regret that Government had been induced, by what must have been a misrepresentation of the case of Clough, to issue an order, that, under the penalty of forfeiting its portion of Royal Bounty, the parties in the Congregation, in the short space of thirteen days, should come to a settlement of disputes, complicated in their nature, and at the time under legal investigation-that as Government, in the arrangement of 1803, pledged themselves "studiously to avoid interfering with the discipline of the Presbyterian Church," and declare that "the Bounty once granted, shall in no case be withdrawn from any Minister during his continuance in the charge of his particular Congregation, so long as it shall please his Majesty to continue the Bounty to the Body at large; and as a warrant for the payment of "Regium Donum" to the Minister of Clough had actually been issued from the Secretary's office, this Synod are confident, that when the subject is fairly laid before his Majesty's Government, all purposed interference with the portion of Royal Bounty guaranteed to the Minister of the Congregation of Clough, in connexion with the Synod, will be relinquished. 3. That whilst, in accordance with the expressed wish of the Chief Secretary, the whole correspondence between this Synod and his Majesty's Government, relative to the claims of the Congregation of Clough to its portion of Royal Bounty, has been, on one side, cheerfully submitted for the observations of the Presbytery of Antrim, we exceedingly regret that the first and most important of the documents forwarded to the Go. vernment by that Presbytery, although applied for successively to two Chief Secretaries, and one Under Secretary, and even actually promised, has not at the end of nine months been yet obtained. The want of this document, has prevented the Synod from completing the final statement, which, they doubt not, would have removed the misrepresentations of the case of Clough, which must have been made to his Majesty's Government. APPENDIX. (a) County of Down, to wit.-Whereas, we have received] information on oath, that if the persons professing the Presbyterian religion, who usually attend the Meeting-House of Clough and Drumcaw, situate in the town of Clough, in the County of Down, and among whom a difference of opinion exists, with respect to the right of having possession of the MeetingHouse, meet in the said Meeting-House until the right respecting the possession thereof be either amicably arranged or decided by law, that the public peace will be endangered and lives lost-these are therefore in his Majesty's name to require and command you to prevent any of the said parties entering the said Meeting-House until the warrant shall be superseded and all persons are hereby strictly required and enjoined not to congregate in said Meeting-House until this warrant shall be so superseded, as they shall answer the contrary at their peril, Given under our hands and seals, this 19th day of June, 1830, (b) Signed, by four Magistrates. Holly Hill, Strabane, 23d April, 1831. SIR-In reference to my letter of the 15th inst. I now transmit, for your information and guidance, copy of the reply I have received on the subject by command of his Excellency the Lord Lieutenant, and to which you will pay strict attention. "I am, Sir, &c. (Signed) "Lieutenant Ebbart." "WM. DARCY," "Dublin Castle, 22d April, 1831. SIR-I have to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 15th inst. enclosing a copy of a warrant issued to the Chief Constable at Ballynahinch, directing him to prevent certain persons from entering a Meeting-House in the town of Clough; and I am to acquaint you that the matter was submitted to the Law Adviser of the Crown, who observes that the Magistrates have not a right to present an individual from entering into the Meeting-House; but as the warrant states that information on oath has been made of the apprehension of violence, the Constables ought to obey the warrant, so far as to attend at the place specified, and be ready to act in case of a breach of the peace. "Major Darcy" "I am, Sir, "Your most obedient, humble servant, (Signed) We would beg leave to ask the Magistrate who thought fit to expel our Minister and his six unoffending hearers, what breach of the peace they had committed? Are peaceable worshippers to be expelled from the house of God, at the peril of their lives, because a riotous mob thinks fit to assail them? One question more on the subjeet of equal-handed justice-when a party of the same police, in the same county, and only at the distance of about eight miles from Clough, at the request of the Curate, were engaged in repressing a riotous assembly, desecrating the Sabbath, in the neighbourhood of his church, did they enter the Church and expel the worthy Curate, because a riotous mob were pleased to assemble in the neighbourhood? Dared any one have done so? Surely, we say to the Government, there are not two laws-one for the Church, and another for the MeetingHouse! We would now respectfully and earnestly entreat the attention of Mr. Stanley to the following considerations:-His letter, as well as that of Sir W. Gosset, declares, "that the disputes at Clough have been carried to a great height between the parties. We offer to prove to Mr. Stanley-1. That so far from being between the parties really interested, 'the mob was largely composed of Roman Catholics, who came in aid of the Arians from the parish of Loughinisland. 2. We offer to prove, that a leader of the Arian party publicly declared at the Meeting-House, "that his order would bring a thousand Roman Catholics from the county Louth, to assist in the attack.” 3. We offer to prove, that a Roman Catholic Innkeeper declared, that the liquor drunk by the mob was paid for by one of Arian party. 4. To shew the character of the leading rioters, we offer to prove, that one of them called for the sledge, "that he might knock the door of the Meeting-House to h-1. 5. We offer to prove, that many of the Orthodox were severely beaten by the mob, and that when application was made to the Petty Sessions for a warrant against the rioters, it was refused, on the allegation that it was time enough, till near the Octobor Sessions, and when applied for a second time, it was refused on the same allegation. And we deny that personal injury was inflicted by the Orthodox party upon any of their persecutors. The disputes have not then been between the parties, but the aggressions have been from the one party against the other; and the foregoing statements we offer to prove to Mr. Stanley's satisfaction, in any way he may direct. As there can be no doubt that the Government wish to de substantial justice, and to bring the disputes to a speedy termination, one mode is open to effectuate this object, and should be acceptable to both parties. Let Government lay Mr. Marsden's letters to the Synod, in 1803 and 1804, before the Attorney and Solicitor-General; let them, as lawyers, give their opinion of their meaning and bearing on Mr. Gregory's letters; and we will venture to say, the Synod will instantly acquiesce in their interpretation of these public documents. This is an act of justice to which the Synod has a right; and it is, probably, the only way in which the dispute can be speedily settled. It can thus be settled in a day, if the Government please to say the word. (c) The following letter from the Magistrate who entered the Meeting-House, read the riot act, and expelled the Minister and six hearers, has been published : "To the Editor of the Belfast Commercial Chronicle." "SIR-Having seen in your paper of the 4th July, a partial and untrue report of my conduct in the case of the Clough Congregation, in a speech said to be delivered by the Rev. Dr. Cooke, at the Synod in Coleraine; I have only to request that the Committee appointed to report on my conduct to the Lord Chancellor, may have the matter thoroughly investigated. (Signed,) "Greenwood, 6th July, 1831. "CLIFFORD TROTTER." The latter part of this letter is most reasonable, and Mr. Trotter may rely upon it that the matter will be thoroughly investigated. As to the assertion that the statement was partial or untrue, Dr. Cooke will oppose to it the character of the Synod's Minister in Clough. Dr. Cooke made no statement of Mr. Trotter's conduct. He called upon an eye-witness to do so a man whose veracity and integrity were never questioned. Dr. Cooke did freely comment upon the statement when made, and retains unchanged his original opinon concerning the whole transaction, Dr. Cooke is authorised by the Minister of Clough to add the fol. lowing circumstance to his former statement, respecting the conduct of the Magistrate, viz : "After we had been expelled from the Meeting-House, a sergeant of Police demanded the key for Mr. Trotter in the name of King William the IV. On going to Mr. Trotter, he said he cared not for the key, but asked me to open the house to the soldiers, that they might find shelter from the rain. I said, I would feel much pleasure in affording the soldiers shelter, if I should be permitted to accompany them in the Meeting-House. Mr. Trotter said he had no objection, (or cared not ;) and the house was opened, and a few Police entered. One of them, with much sensibility, said, that house ought to be a house of prayer, if any person would officiate. I said, I had long been a Minister of the Gospel, and acknowledged as such by his Majesty's Government, and I addressed a short prayer to God, and began to read the Scriptures and expound them, when Mr. Trotter entered and asked—what brought you there? I answered, I was there by his permission. He denied having permitted me, and commanded me out, out, out!!!"-F. D. (d) ORIGINAL ENDOWMENT OF THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH IN ULSTER.-The earliest Presbyterian settlement in Ulster appears to have been about 1611. The original Ministers were ordained in Scotland. In 1622, Blair, a Probationer, was presented by Lord Claneboy to the Parish of Bangor.-He, being a zealous Presbyteriau, refused to receive ordination from the Bishop in the ordinary mode: accordingly, Echlin, Bishop of Down, agreed that Cunningham, of Holywood, and other Presbyterian Ministers, should concur with him in ordinations. They acknowledged the Bishop as a Presbyter, and as such they joined in the act of ordination. Blair was permitted by the Bishop to strike out of the ordination service the parts to which he objected. All who were ordained in Ireland from 1622 till 1642 were ordained in this way-they all enjoyed the Church livings and endowments, though they remained Presbyterians still.-Presbyterian Loyalty, Part 1, p. 163. When Henry Cromwell charged the Presbyterian Ministers with ingratitude, because, during a period of the usurpation, some of them had received €100 from the Government," they looked not upon the salary as any obligation, for the usurpers had taken the Church livings from them.”—Presbyterian Loyalty, Part II. p. 301. It is acknowledged by Bishop Mant, (charge 1824,) that "when Jeremy Taylor became Bishop of Down, he was met by a body of Clergy, strongly attached to the principles of a different ecclesiastical party." And he adds, that "during the two years that intervened before the act of uniformity, the great majority of the Clergy had yielded." Here we have the acknowledgment that the body of the Clergy, in the diocese of Down and Connor, were Presbyterians in 1660. In 1662, there were sixty-four Presbyterian Ministers in Ulster but so far was Jeremy Taylor from bringing them over to his own views of Church polity, that we learn from Wodrow that only four conformed; the rest, with the noble host of 2,000 in England, were ejected from their Churches on account of non-conformity. Should one or all be now deprived of endowment, the Orthodox Presbyterians of Ulster suffer no more than their Fathers suffered. The present endowment of the Synod of Ulster commenced in 1672, by a grant of £500 per annum from Charles II. It was successively augmented by William and Mary-George I. and III. (e) "DUBLIN CASTLE, 11th March, 1830. "Sir, The Lord Lieutenant has signed a warrant upon your Memorial of the 9th November last, authorizing the agent of the Presbyterian Ministers of the Synod of Ulster, to pay you the allowance appointed for the Minister of the congregation of Clough, and which will be forwarded to the Rev. Mr. Hay accordingly.-I am, Sir, your most obedient humble servant, (Signed,) "The Rev. F. Dill, Clough." "W. GREGORY. "DUBLIN CASTLE, 20th March, 1830. "Sir,-With reference to my letter of the 11th inst. I beg to acquaint you, that the payment of the portion of the Royal Bounty allotted to the Minister of the congregation of Clough has been suspended, until the question respecting the appointment is decided on.-I am, Sir, your most obedient humble servant, (Signed,) "The Rev. F. Dill, &c. &c. &c. Clough." "W. GREGORY. We feel it right to add, that the warrant was actually transmitted to the Agent, and how long permitted to remain, we cannot tell. Now upon three documents we are willing to rest the case, viz. Mr. Marsden's official letters, and these two letters of Mr. Gregory. Again we repeat→→→→ let Mr. Stanley lay them before the Law Advisers of the Crown, and by their deliberate opinion of the law-question we are willing to stand or fall. (f) Copy of proposal for arbitration made on behalf of the Synod: Propose to refer the rights of the respective parties to the determination of one, two, or three Chancery Barristers, who shall consider the case, and determine as if a bill in equity were filed, and a reference under an order of Court in the cause. When the right shall have been decided, two merchants or other gentlemen to consider and decide what sum, if any, shall be given by the party retaining the |