Page:A letter to the Right Hon. Chichester Fortescue, M.P. on the state of Ireland.djvu/81

 was not averse to a provision to be made by Parliament for objects in which assistance to the clergy was included. He proposed that tithes should be utterly abolished, the Church lands transferred, and a land-tax of one-tenth of the produce of the land substituted for tithes. The objects to be aimed at were, 'to provide amply for the support of the poor; to assist when necessary the ministers of religion; to educate all the people; and to promote to the greatest possible extent works of public necessity or national improvement.'

This is too vague and too wide a scheme to be now adopted; tithes have, since that time, been commuted for rent-charges, and education has been in a great degree assisted by Parliamentary votes. The abolition of the tithe rent-charge would give no satisfaction; the imposition of a land-tax on Ireland in place of a grant from the Imperial Revenue would cause discontent.

Another objection to such a scheme as has been here suggested is founded on the misuse of a word. It is said to be absurd to have three Church Establishments in Ireland. But Sir George Lewis, in speaking of the Protestant and Roman Catholic Churches in Prussia, has truly said:—

There is, indeed, one facility in Prussia which we have not here. The Protestants in Prussia have no bishops. The Pope consented to abolish the Arch-