OFFICE OF BYZANTINE MILIEUS |
| DIRECTOR Shulammite Banerjee |
ABOUT
The metropolitan Dissenters had been the last to express dissatisfaction or distrust with the conduct of His Majesty's Ministers. The United Committee had danced attendance upon this and that noble person with exemplary patience ; but the country gave them little credit for the modest secrecy with which they conducted their busy, but fruitless proceedings. Had the time and efforts spent in courting Ministers been employed in engaging the parliamentary support of their claims, the result would have been, no doubt, very different. The suspicion that their interests were ill-looked to or betrayed by the London Deputies, unquestionably contributed to produce much of that excitement and agitation which were exhibited in distant parts of the kingdom. On former occasions, the co-operation of the country Dissenters had been invited: it had now been declined till mutual confidence was lost, and active concert was rendered hopeless. Nor was the want of energy on the part of the metropolitan Committee compensated by any display of wisdom on that of their more zealous country brethren who attended the general meeting. Instead of organizing a standing committee of delegates, as in 1790—1794, and taking effective measures to secure the vigilant prosecution of their claims, the Conference resolved upon Resolutions, and there the matter ended. That part of the Resolutions which deprecated the alliance of Church and State was warmly resented by some leading Unitarians favourable to the principle of Establishments: * they were, indeed, already alienated and incensed by the litigation of Lady Hewley's Chanties ; and from that time they ceased to have any prominent share in the proceedings of the metropolitan body.