Page:History of the Radical Party in Parliament.djvu/118

 IO4 History of the Radical Party in Parliament. [1807- Radical elements in the Liberal party, none were more active than those affecting religious freedom and dealing with the relations between Church and State. It is here that the con- flict between authority and liberty is most directly waged. In such matters there was a distinct line to be drawn in theory between those who asserted and those who questioned the broad principle that the State has no right to interfere at all with religious belief, either to suppress, to limit, to encourage or endow one form or other. In practice the division was not so sharp at least at the time which is now under considera- tion. There were but few Whigs who did not admit that the powers of the Church ought to be relaxed, and the privileges of Nonconformists extended. There were few, if any, Radi- cals who would not have been content with concessions very far short of disestablishment. It is true that when Fox made an attempt to repeal the Test and Corporation Act, he was opposed by Burke and some others of the Whigs ; but the question had widened even in that short interval. .There were two things which helped to accelerate the progress of public opinion ; one was the increasing importance of the Irish Catholic question, and the other was the growth in numbers and in social influence of Nonconformists. This last element is one which must be taken into special account in watching the history of Radicalism. Not only did their questions lie at the root of all possible intellectual as well as political liberty, but the Nonconformists have been the most robust and active members of the party, both in and out of Parliament. Every incident, therefore, which illustrates their power and energy is worthy of record. Such an event occurred in the early part of the year 1811. Usually discussions on religious and ecclesiastical questions were forced on by the Liberals, the Tories, as mere resisters of all change, not being desirous of raising any issues of the kind. On this occasion a different line was taken. Lord Sidmouth, most narrow of Tories, most devoted of Church- men, was too anxious to display his zeal. He thought that some social disturbances, and was certain that some political