The case of the Irish Church will illustrate the process of disestablishment, although, of course, the precise details would vary in other cases. The Irish Church Act was passed in 1869 by Gladstone's first government, after considerable opposition, and provided that from January 1, 1871, the union created by statute between the Churches of England and Ireland should be dissolved, and the Church of Ireland should "cease to be established by law." Existing ecclesiastical corporations were dissolved, and their rights ceased, compensation being given to all individuals and their personal precedence being secured for life. All rights of patronage, including those of the crown, were abolished, with compensation in the case of private patrons; and the archbishops and bishops ceased to have the right of summons to the House of Lords. All laws restraining the freedom of action of the Church were repealed; the ecclesiastical law, however, to subsist by way of contract amongst the members of the Church (until altered by a representative body). Provision was made for the incorporation by charter of the representative body of the Church, should such a body be found, with power to hold landed property. All existing ecclesiastical property was vested in a commission, which was to give compensation for life interests, to transfer to the new representative body the churches, glebe houses, and L500,000 in compensation for endowments by private persons since 1660, and to hold the rest for such purposes as parliament might thereafter determine. AUTHORITIES.--F.R. Dareste, _Les Constitutions modernes_ (Paris, 1891); H. Geffcken, _Church and State_, trans. by E.F. Taylor (London, 1877); P. Schaff, _Church and State in the United States_ (Papers of the American Hist. Association, vol. ii. No. 4), (New York, 1888); L. Minghetti, _Stato e Chiesa_ (Milan, 1878), French translation, with Introd. by E. de Laveleye (Paris, 1882); C. Cadorna, _Religione, diritto, liberta_ (Milan, 1893); F. Nippold, _Die Theorie der Trennung von Kirche und Staat_ (Bern, 1881); W. Warburton, _Alliance between Church and State_ (London, 1741) (_Works_, vol. iv., ed. Hurd, London, 1788); _Church Problems_ (ed. by H.H. Henson) (London, 1900); Essays on "Establishment" and "Disendowment"; W.R. Anson, _Law and Custom of the Constitution_, vol. ii. chap. ix. (Oxford, 1892); Phillimore, _Ecclesiastical Law_ (London, 1895); J.S. Brewer, _Endowments and Establishment of the Church of England_ (ed. by L.T. Dibdin, London, 1885); A.T. Innes, _Law of Creeds in Scotland_ (Edinburgh, 1867); E.A. Freeman, _Disestablishment and Disendowment_ (London, 1883); G. Harwood, _Disestablishment_ (London, 1876); _Annales de l'ecole libre des Sciences politiques_, tom. i. (Paris, 1885), art. "La Separation de l'Eglise et de l'Etat en Angleterre," by L. Ayral. (W. E. Co.) FOOTNOTES: