The Express. — London, England, 1853-06-22 00:00:00

THE EXPRESS, WEDNESDAY EVENING, JUNE 22, 1853. IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT. HOUSE OF LORDS.—TunDmr. Jims 21. Toe Luau CHANCIILLOR took kis seat at 3 o'clock. PUBLIC BUSINESS. PETITION puEsuNT ED. ... ... CH ‘RITAIiLIt ilt1:4T11 BILL —By L'ird BROUGHAM, Inna Beth. in f of . TRANSFER OF REAL PROPERTY. 1.4r,1 N KS r, having read en extract from the Tt1..11 of the commissioners appointed to inquire into the g u t j et of the registration of assurances end trawler ut real property, to the eff.et that some more simple means should ▪ adopted for the transfer of rest property, said he wished to ask h.a nol.le and learned friend on the woolsack whether Lt hAd in actual preparation or in contemplation any mea sure or measures directed to the objects to which he had n forted. LORD CHANCELLOR said that he bad no measure actually in contemplation; but he bad had nuiNerous con wersati ins with many learned persons, with a new to con sider what might be done. (Hear ) INCOME TAX BILL. The Sul of ABERDEEN, in moving the second readinc tsf this bill, said that, at the first formation of the preterit pairetnniest, be stated to the house that therewould speedily be • financial difficulty, or Tattoo. • Bnancial crisis, by the failure of a largo portion of the revenue, in consequence of the early expiration of the income tax ; and he added that it would severely try the ingenuity of say person who lead to repair the loss. The income tax having expired in the month of April, it became necessary for the government to ginsider what course they shoull pursue. Ile believed it would net have been impossible to have allowed the tax to • lope without being renewed, and to have found a substi tute for it, but the surplus at their disposal was so insignifi Cant, and such • tax as would have been necessary fur the ?tarpon of supplying the deficiency occasioned would have tutu so onerous, so oppressive, and so unequal, that it would hne created more dissatisfaction, and have been more unpalatable than the income tax itself. They. therefore had as hesitation in deciding upon renew ing the income tax. But then the question arose, in what spanner and for what pe-iod, and with what modifications should this be done t Then was something in the nature of toe tax itself, notwithstanding the incalculable advan (ages which we had derived from it both in war sail peace —Viers was sossethiag is its very nature which was open to radical objection. There was no doubt that it was inquisito rial in its character—irksome and objectionable ; also that the principle of self-assessment afforded a facility, if not an encouragement of fraud, very much to the loss of the re venue and the injury of 'morality. (Hear, hear.) But be thought, notwithstanding the prevalence of this opinion— is which, he mu-t admit, there was much reason—his right bon. friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, had so dealt with that notion that be had absolutely succeeded In s(l -wing every opposition to his plea, sad inducing the b lief that it was the Daly one capable of being carried. He did unsay that the mode which he had adopted was jest and even, but be proved that any other plan was its possible, and that any attempt at any other mode would be attended with more iaequality and more injustice. blew, what was the result? Not that the in came tax should rot be renewed, but that it should not form say permanent portion of our financial sptem ; and that in renewing it they should take cars to wcure a mode by which it should become extinct, and ex rim he might say, of itself. During the period from 1853 to 180), the time at which the income tax would expire, re. missions of taxation would be made. In the course of the pornat year the remission would be above one million. The whole of the reductions of the charge upon permanent omens of income therefore will amount to about 8,954,00 W., making up the amount of the income tax, which he had taken as the estimate for 1800, within 1100,0001., so that their lordships would see that at that time, if they thought proper, the income tax might be dis pt used with by an additional burden of 100,0001. Now he must say that this appeared to be a solid system of finance, and it was one which had already been received with pr at readiness by the country. He believed it was a system which, coupled as it was with the great relief of the mew of the people and the continuance of that system of free trade so wisely adopted, if pioneered in (if we should 'be foetus Ran enough to e preser the incalculable b sif peace), would caus this country to sea years of trial prospeeity which hitherto it had not attained. ear.) The Earl of DERBY did not rise for the purpose of offering any opposition to the second reading of this bill, because he was quite aware that the state of the fineness, as the noble earl (Aberdeen) had stated, was not such as would enable the peanut or any other government to die- run with the income tax. Bat he must say that the speech of the noble earl, from the fleet to the last, appeared to him (the Earl of Derby) to have been • contradiction of the premises me which he proccedLd. He could not but think that some of the calculations of the noble earl (Aberdeen) were of • character so vague as to render it perfectly impossible to take them Lathe bases for further arguments and calculations. He (Lord Derby), however, believed the income tax to be inevitable. He was not prepared to ask their lordships to refine that which was necessary to the country. He believed *bather° must be a continuance of this tax, and that insole. milting to it now, with all its injustice and all its inequali ties, they were submitting to a tax which, though immainally for years, was really one of which neither the noble earl (Aberdeen ) nor himself would live to see the end. Lord PORTMAN would only say a few words in 14 ferencs to this bill upon the great increase which bad taken place of late years in direct taxation. The course of things at pretest was to widen that system in comparison with the amount of indirect taxation ; and he spoke, therefore, by way of warning against any further steps in that direction. There was one peculiarity in the bill to which he would call attention ; it was, that it was the first bill in which an allowance was made to the clergy in respect of sums actually expended in ecclesiastical service. Lord BREWERS (who was very indistinctly heard) was understood to object to the income tax generally as tw in.* and intiaisitorial, and complained especially of this bill, by which nemiaally a tax of 7d. in the pound was imposed on land when to tact it amounted to 9d.; and he denied that any one could defend the incidents of • tax of this description. Lord BROUGHAM agreed with the noble lord who bad just sat down with regard to the great evils of the tax which he had pointed out; but there were also many others besides those whisk the noble lord had noticed. His noble friend at the head of the government held out the prospect of their seeing the tax taken off in seven years; but he (Lord Brougham) could not help fearing that that seven years and many other seven years, would elapse before there was an end of this tax. This tax was only net worse than • tax on the food of the people ; thea a tax en the knowledge of the people; and than a tax on law pro ceedings ; and, looking at it as ens of the worst taxes, he retained the opinions he expressed, and would be ready to reiterate the resolutions which he moved in 1842 and 1851, with the ate exception, that he was more inclined to listen to the argument against the possibility or any . modification with regard to the warms and different emcee of income. Without the hops of the tam ending at the time his noble friend Mated, he yet admitted that the state of the finances of the Manny rendered it mummy. The Mamie el CLANRICARDE was one of those who ; act the Meese tax when it was introduced by Sir Peal. They were told then that it was imposed for skies yew s but he thought then that it would be mons oon% nag he did aot sow see say real reason why it should sew esimisete is semmyeere. The Ilestrvis le LANIEDOWNI 411111111.ei that the cos liness, et the eas maid wisslesft iispeed upon the desieha of fats» goemonteas mad Aftee legislatures ; list en his own part, and on this part of the government, he sbe to NIL that ewer= is the sesessity for eon- • the tan to the dam w bed bees howled in the ilill , the *miss they swat le Nam was sot that it peemesest t but the very attettssy. (Hear, hear.) MU serpent Met the tax would be peemaseat he should le the most isessielest of human bakes is supporting it, %Meg ea essismo esseeleas onward lis Grey, es la ewe aelheritresly, bet oe the sado auth Or of Sir Robert Peel , Lead Oresellis. Grey, and Wiest every ether shames is this wastty daring the lest twenty ysen—to as Mews s. as a permanent source of sod be was maim is take this opportunity of stating, ths4 bs had ha se dives amp& his oriaies in this respect. The *WM with elidt Me peemmeet bed deed the period of Triers he the madams* of the las was the very reverse of that whisk bad been esesmed by the noble lord opposite—that of Wei it mere lbsek upon the financial system of the cosaley—theg peeled lad bees adored ea the se empties, heeded es ihele, that peer after year the romans would es Wm= hese the impetus given to trade by the removal of than Ime ad wise lauties which hod Whew acted as 'beds le r fall develep meat of the resources of the gauntry, that by the year 1880 we might altegett er teuse with a tax which, he ad mitted,should be to only seder special circum stances. As a t swarm as revises such • tax was in the Owen de igrei obleetiesabie sad unconstitutional, lieing,as it was, • tax met ealy lathe peekets, but on the feel ings of the people. With regard to the extension of the Sas to Ireland, he theeght the time had come for consider ing how ter the taxes et the two countries should be imi row apps_th•priodple of equality. It was not because the mmolidatel assaities were remitted that the income lax wee imposed, but as it was considered unjust 1., continue to exact from Ireland the payment of those annuities which formed • galling sad most waled impost, sad as It was impossible longer to exempt that country from the taxes paid by this, the moment was thought favourable for sweeping away those consolidated an= which, more than any income tax could do, bad leaded is cheek the prosperity of the country, and at the erne Mtn establishiag sousethhig like equality of taxation Won= the I , o centime. (Hear, hear.) As to the sleds of levying the tax is Ireland, the government hod gives the gooiest the fullest attention, and had adopted the made proposed in the bill as the mat equitable and fair to all parties. It bad bees said that • property tax was a war tax, and should tidy be imposed in time of war. He earnestly hoped that it might be loss before we shook: have to resort to it for that purpose—(hear, hear)—hut shoeld war unfortunately come, the continuance of this tax would be found to have raised up • Omit seedy to be appropriated to the swimsuit defence and the na tionsl honour, and by placing the finances of the country in • position to enable it to enjoins its polities amongst the stations of the earth. la the event of • war we should take the surest means of preserving peace. (Bear, hear.) The Earl of WICK LOW approved of the extension of the tax to Ireland, but nbj,oted that the made in which it wee to be imposed would make it equal to upwards of a shillingiaateed of sevenpence in the poand upon the land is that country. emami The hill was then reads second We, and ordered to be tted. INC1:3111ER ED ESTATES (I 1: ELAND) CON TINUA NC E ACT WILL. The LORD CHANCELLOR, is moving the second reading o✓ this bill, enured into a brief esplanttßin of the nature and extent of its provisions. Their lordships wore aware, he said, that the Incumbered E.tates Court way constituted under an act of parliament which passed in 1849, and which provided that the court ►hould continue for three years. That act, which expired last year, was continued for twelve month• longer, and so that period hail very nearly expired, the object of this bill was to continue 'the court for two years more, power being given to the commissioners to d' "hute the money which came into their hands for two years after that. Lord MO:STEM:ILE was sorry that the introduction of this bill had been delayed, because the delay had been pro , ductive of considerable inconvenience in Ireland. Atter a few words from the Earl of CLAIM/AM, the bill was read a second time, and ordered to be eommitted. • BURGH It Alt BOU RS (SCOTLAND) BILL. This bill was read a second time, and ordered to be committed. Their lordships then adjourned at twenty minute. to nine o'clock. HOUSE OF COMMONS.—TI:Esn.►T, JtNE 21. The 13ramcza took the chair at 5 o'clock. PRIVATE BUSINESS. .. . The Edinburgh, Perth, and Dundee Railway. and the Westminster Improvements bills were read a third time. The following bills were considered end ordered to lie upon the table:—British Electric Telegraph Company; Great Southern and Western Railway (Ireland); Liverpool, Crossby, and Southport Railway. WARRINGTON AND ALTRINCIIAM JUNCTLY.s/ RAILWAY BILL Mr. BROTHERia3i - Mo - veith - e - r - e• - com . mittal of the bill. Mr. T. M. GIBSON objected to the bill being re-com mitted to the same committee, and proposed that it should be postponed till Monday. Mr. BROTIIERTON acceded to the proposition, and the bill was postponed accordingly. =Wieners; and it was necessary that the income of the dignitaries should be made a first rent cheese upon the property. Those dignitaries who' were not in possession of a deed income were to have such a sum paid to them =should make up what thdy were in any case entitled to receive. The provision were very simple. Tbi re was only one other, of which be had taken ne secoent in his estimate of church property. but which would have the effect of materially enhancing that value. The principle adppted by the commissioners with regard to all property in their possession; of not renewing the leases of tithes, would be carried out with respect to the property of corporations =mine under their management. 'When ever any surrender of lessee or tithes took place, either by purchase or lapse, a sufficient provision would be nude for the wants of those placer, and the residue would he made to form part of the permanent endowment of the ecclesiu field corporations. The step be now proposed was the ne cessary consequence of all the previous legislation, and appeared necessary to render it complete. He had shown that the commissioners were already in possession of pro- perty to a considerable amount, over which they ezerciaed little or no control. The position of the bishops was ez evedingly unsatisfactory. (Hear, hear.) He proposed that it should be in every eau their own property that should yield them their lawful amount of income ; that they should have constant access to the accounts of those properties; that an account should be kept in every can distinct; that the fee should remain in themselves, the commissioners being only their agents; and that the strongest cautions should be adopted of which the law was capable to secure prompt and immediate payment. If they wished to confer real efficiency upon the Church Building Acts, that could only be done by holding out to districts and parish., a prospect of • permanent endowment, which those acts were unable to afford. If they wished that the act of enfran chisement, 14 & 15 Victoria, should confer a reel boon upon the church by enhancing the value of its property, unless they adopted a mode of administration suited to the new description of things, they did little to pro mote the real interests of the church, but rather led it to encounter a new and formidable danger. As the po pulation was increasing, and as thousands of forms of vice and danger were threatening the state, • heavy responsi bility lay on the legislature, notonly of framing enactments whose terrors should repress crime, and of providing for the temporal comforts of the people, but of regarding them as beings entrusted to their care, with undentandings given them from above, and with spirits framed in the mould o( time, but destined for eternity. He would urge the house to assert its indisputable rights over all matters, ecelesies tical as well as civil, and so to discharge its inalienable duty as to prove the necessity end the advantage of the union between church and state. Events were now dioly proclaiming that it was not only to human law, bit to ' divine assistance, that we must look for the inviolability of our empire. The noble lord concluded by quoting some words of Archbishop Tillotson, in reference toQueen Anne's bounty to the church, and expressing • hops that they might prove applicable to the present time. He then moved for leave to bring in a bill to make better provision for the management of episcopal and capitals, property. THE LIVERPOOL ELECTION. . - Mr. INOHAY SppOtrad at the bar, and presented the report of the Liverpool Election Committee. It stated that Charles Turner and Wiliam Forbes Mackenzie were not i l duly elected, and that the last election was a void election ; that Charles Turner and William Forbes Mackenzie were by their agents guilty of bribery and treating ; and that William Dodd and about 20 others were bribed by the pay ment of fis. each. (Laughter.) That others were bribed by the payment of 10s. each ; bet that it was not proved that such bribery was with the consent of the sitting mem bers. net refreshments were provided on the polling day ; that the several payments were made to the voters on ac count of their having voted for the sitting members, under the name of a day's pay, and as a compensation for the time which it was alleged they lost in voting. These gifts were not beyond their daily average earnings; but from the position of the polling places in the different wards, the voters might have polled without any such interruption of time, or without needing refreshment. As to the other candidates, there was no reason to believe that any illegal transaction had taken place with regard to the voters. The committee did not think it right to re commend that the issue of the writ should be suspended, or that any further inquiry should take place. An Rote. Stempel: gave notice to move, on that day week, that the writ should issue. Lord D. STUART said he should move as an amend ment that at the nest election for Liverpool the votes should be taken by way of ballot. (Cheers.) EPISCOPAL AND CAPITULAR PROPERTY. 17);d 7f ;dent, from the speech of the noble lord, that he had devoted great industry and labour to the subject, rid was animated by a very great regard for the good of the church and the spiritual welfare of the people. (Hear, hear.) With respect to this parti cular proposition and the details of the bill, he thought it far better that the house should see the bill, and have an opportunity of considering it, rather than enter into a dis cussion on the present stage. (Hear, hear.) Many of the propoeitions were of very great importance ; and to some objections might be entertained. He quite agreed with the noble lord that they should not consider the acts passed from 1836 to the present time as forming a complete eye tem ; but that they should, from time to time, adopt other provisions for removing abuses, and promoting the efficiency of the church. He heartily concurred in giving leave toe the introduc ion of the bill; and he trusted t►e noble lord would not unduly press a bill of such great importance at a petiod when parliament might not be able to give i a whole attention to it. (Hear, bear.) Mr.'HUME wished to express his great satisfaction with the proposal now made, though he did not approve of it in all its parts. He had made a similar motion in 1836, but had not succeeded in it. He bad protested against the vote of a million and a half for new churches, and he should maintain that an more public money should be devoted to that f urpose. He did not object to the surplus of capitular incomes being applied to' the use of the church ; and he thought it highly wrong that such enormous salaries should be received by dignitaries. The noble lord considered that this property could only be applied in support of one sett of the establishment ; but it should be remembered that it was originally devoted to the education of the whole com munity, and he thought that at least one-half of it ought still to be applied for this purpose. The noble lord com plained of the destitute state of some parishes. Let him look at the voluntary efforts of dissenting bodies, and of the free church of Scotland, by whom three millions bad been raised in a few years. (Hear, hear.) Mr. HEADLAM expressed his entire concurrence in the object of the noble lord. With respect to the diocese of Durham, the operation of the scheme of the commissioners was to divert the church funds of that district, and apply them to the country at large, leaving the population of Dur ham comparatively destitute. Newcastle, with Gateshead, contained a population of 113,000 ; they had been applied to to raise a fund fur the church, to which they had ac ceded, though it was very hard upon them that their own funds should be diverted In thi. , way he had described. The population of the empty of Durham had increased faster than any other district, with the exception of Lancashire and one or two others—the result of the opening of the great coal-field there ; and there was no doubt that a dis , triet with a population so rapidly growing must require a great extension of church accommodation. He should en deavour to introduce into the bill a clause giving the dirricte where the funds were produced a prior claim upon them. Sir B. HALL said he had long paid attention to this 11 subject, and had endeavoured to bring about • better dis tribution ofchureh property, in consequence of which he had been exposed to much obloquy. He certainly did not expect, at so early a period, to see the House of Commons acquiescing in the proposition to permit a.trill like that to be introduced, which went further than anything he had ever proposed. He would not enter largely onto the sub ject, as there seemed a unanimous feeling that the propo sitiom should go forward, and should be discussed on the sesemiseading. If it were proposed that the of the thumb should be made available for the church generally, imbed bre particular districts, he would give it his hearty She church ought to be viewed generally, not in asilsaa ; and if any district was more richly endowed than estrether—if there was more property in Durham than was noesseary for the wants of the community—the poorer ds. triets ought to hove the benefit of the distribution of that property. (Hear, bear.) Ito Wales, real poverty might-he seen among the working clergy ; and any proposal to make the superfluous wealth of the diocese of Durham available for the wants of the church, either in the poorer districts of England, or in the principality, should have his hearty support. He sincerely hoped that the bill would pass into a law this session, being confident that its result would be to render the church more beloved and more cared for. (Hear, hear.) Mr. EWART expressed his approval of the leading fea tures of the bill. He wished to call attention to an ano maly in the working of the capitular act, by which the deans on the old foundations received more than those on the new, who were limited to 1,0001. a year, and some of them actually received less than the canons. In this re spect, the object of the act bad been defeated; and ho hoped the bill now proposed would supply a remedy. Mr. FEROL'SON spoke in praise of the efforts of the hard-working clergy, to whom, he said, the present efficient state et the church was mainly due. In his own name, and in the name of the working clergy, he thanked the noble marquis for having introduced the bill. Mr. A. PELLATT concurred in the tribute of praise which was bestowed on the noble lord for having introduced the bill. He sympathised with the distresses of the work ing clergy of the church of England, but, at the same time, there were clergymen in the enjoyment of large incomes for I which they did little in return. He thought there ought to be • meet searching inquiry into those incomes, and into the management of church property. As a nonconformist he thought he was entitled to claim • part of the merit for the nonconformist clergy in helping to bring about the improv.d state of things which the noble marquis re- fared to. Mr. PHILLINIORE observed that pluralitieswere rapidly disappearing, and by the existing laws it was impossible they could be renewed. The Marquis of BLANDFORD, in reply, tendered his thanks to the government for the manner in which the had received tis motion, which he agreed in thinking , with his hon. friend the member for Marylebone, was • sign of a wrest advance. (Hear, hear.) Leave was then given to bring is the bill. SEPTENNIAL ACT. The SPEAKER having called on Lord Dudley Stuart, whose motion for the repeal of the Septennial Act and for shortening the duration of parliaments, stood next an the notice paper, Mr. II CM E submitted to his noble friend whether, eon . sidering that the government had promised to introduce a re form bill nest session ; considering also the great Importance ! of the subject, the state of the house (which was very thin), and the prospect of the debate being interrupted, It would sot be better deg his ble friend not to submit his motion under these riven :-.(Hear, beer.) Lord I). STUAILTaIa he, was mast unwilling to post pone a question of so much importance as the shortening of the duration of parliaments, but at the same time he was desirous of giving every weight to the opinion of so old, 90 tried, and so steady a reformer es his hon. friend. Ile was pats aware also that he roes to bring forward his motion at toe mast critical hour of the dry. (Laughter.) Under them ' circumstances he would bow to the hotter judgmer.t of his hon. friend. But he should decline to give any pledge as to the course be should pursue in reference to the subject in the present session, or any future session of parliament. (Hear, bear.) The motion was then withdrawn. SEIZURE OF WATCHES. •-- Mr. M. CHAMBERS YOU to move for • select committee to inquire into the circumstances connected with the un lawful seizure by two officen of the customs, on the 10th day of February, 1152, of foreign and English watches of the value of upwards of 5,0001., end of books, letter., papers, and bills of exchange, the property of Lucien Merchant, and to ascertain what steps have been taken by the com missioners of customs to investigate the conunet of the offi cers, and to make restitution of such property. The hon. and learned gentleman, after a few introductory observe- tions, and characterising the seizure as unlawful, was pro ending to state the circumstances under which it was made, when An HON. Maxuxa moved that the house be counted. And there being but 31 members present, the house ad journed at a quarter to 8 o'clock. ghe exoregus, 110LIIE RESERVOIR BILL. The mooed reading of this bill being moved, Mr. COBDEN moved that it be postponed to Thurs day, that he might present a petition from the neigh bourhood against it.—Postponed accordingly. SPITALFIELDS ANDSHOBEDITCH IMPROVE• MENT BILL. This bill wu read a second time, and referred to a select committee, consisting of Sir William Moluworth, Sir Wil liam Clay, Lord Robert Gros , Lord Seymour, Mr. Osborne, Sir Robert Harry Inglis, and fire to be added by the Committee of Selection; three to be the quorum; that the committee sit and proceed oa Monday, the 27th day of June. PUBLIC BUSINESS. THE CLITHEROB PETITION. TM SPEAKER said be had to sequin% the house that be had received a coessualeatiodthat the rareties for pro- muting OW petition were sot objected to. PUBLIC LIBRARIES BILL. This bill wu ;;;;(atir;iiiais---: EPISCOPAL AND CAPITULAR PROPERTY. The Marquis of BLANDFORD presented &petition from 800 ineumbents of district parishes, stating that there were many church endowments which did not exceed 131. a year, the remainder of the clergymen's income being provided out of pew rents, and that there were upwards of 4,000 in cumbents whose incomes did not eeceed 150/. a year, and praying that the house would provide a remedy. The noble lord then said, in rising to move for leave to introduce a bill to make better provision for the management of epis copal sod capitular property, he must ask the indulgence of the house while he entered upon • subjnt wide in its range and almost incalculable in its results. He alluded to what had been previously done re regarded church legis lOUs, tending to place the church in its present position. The constant tendency of all past legislation bad been, and no doubt that of all future legislation would continue to be, to limit and fix the incomes of the dignitaries of the church ; and it followed, therefore, es • necessary consequence, that the management of their property must be entrusted to other bands. If it be answered, that • sufficient amount of their estates might be assigned to them in fee, to produce their incomes, he would appeal to the house whether it was consistent with the interests either of the property itself or of the church, that her chief pastors should be occupied in the management of large landed es tates at reek rent ? (Hear, hear.) Tl.e &destitute that would weree from his proposition would ha great ea ma nifold. In the first place, it would strengthen and improve that great parochial system the full effects derived from which were rarely attributed to it. He believed, however, that it had contributed largely to the formation of the temper and moderation of the people of this country, be sides beaming upon them those spirituel blessings which it bad bud enabled to convey. (Cheers.) The pubdivisiom of paddlemi into smaller ones was a process that ought to go • ellieurrently with the increase of the population, ) This house had been forward to promote the I= l g of churches and the formation of district perishes; sea sae of which had tended to repress'Erime, aid to form a nucleus round which charitable sod • of all }finds—schools, district visiting societies, provident !P -aean, literary societies, and other benevolent institutions, the object of which wee to benefit the people sod too MU Horan their social, mental, sod moral condition cluster. (Cheers) Nay, more ; the poor had been to find by this means that which no civil institutions could pros ide for them, the care of • Christian pastor, sad WE sympathy of a common friend. (Hear, hear.) That wee his (the noble lord's) view of the parochial system. (Chun.) The present wants of the parochial system might be divided into three classes. The first comprised those cases in which relief had already been partially afforded, and in which • virtual prelnin of something more had been held out. Then there came that clue of costs in which new districts had been wholly or partially formed ; and, lastly, those into which inquiry had been made, but towards which no funds had been provided. Now the first reports to which they had access were those of 1836, and the virtual promise of which he had spoken we, thus, as the house mould see, of very long standing. From the last reports it appeared that 796 benefices had been augmented at an an neal charge of 44,7281. ; but there still remaiosd no fewer than 737 yet requiring aug.nentstion, and which would re quire 100,4674 • year. He now e one to the second class. Of the district parishes there were several kinds. First, there were districts which had been completely separated from the mother parish, and formed in point of fact new parishes. Then there wen what were called " districts" —in other words, portions taken from the mother parish, but which still remained in a kind of subordinate relation towards it. Thirdly, there were district chapelries and consolidated ebspelries, which were nearly the same as district parishes. And, lastly, there were the districts formal under Bir R. Peel's act. Referring to the petition of the 800 incumbents of districts which he had presented that evening, the noble marquis then dwelt upon the hardships of thisclass of the clergy. In many cases the endowment was the smallest known to the law, namely, 131. • year; and in others there was ne endowment at all. The result was that the clergyman was drawn away from the discharge of his proper duties to attend to pew renters from other parishes. In other cases, owing to the formation of railways, the wealthy residents had left the district, and the minister was left without the assistance of those who bad wealth to bestow upon the support of his church. There were no fewer than 4,000 benefices whose income did not amount to 1501. per annum, and there were many iocumhents of long standing and laborious lives whose Income did not exceed 901. • year, and who were obliged to take pupils, to write for periodicals, to engage themselves as lecturers in neigh. bearing parishes, or to become the agents of religion* societies in order to procure food and raiment for them selves and families. Is many instances, too, the churches had fallen into decay for want of timely repairs. (Hau, hear.) Great difficulties had also arisen from the seining laws relating to church rates which were collected for the mother church over the whole district. The voluntaty system was at total variance with the principle upon which the church was founded. The church was an endowed, not a voluntary, establishment. Its vast property at once negatived the notion of the voluntary system. (Hear.) The income of the incumbents of the Peel dis tricts did not exceed 1601. • year; and, if there was no church, it was only 1301. ; so that, unless be possessed property of his own it was utterly impos sible that he could present that decent and respectable &p -runing which became • minister of religion. (Cheers.) With respect to the 3rd class of wants, the returns on the table showed that an inquiry had been made into all comes whore the population exceeded 3,000 ; and it appeared that se fewer than 680 churches were required for places of this description. All these new churches would of course in volve the formation of new districts. Now there could be ea doubt that ifa prospect of a proper endowment could, ya judicious amortisement of ecclesiastical property, be held eat, it would Salm • great stimulus on the erection of the detach. (Item He might fairly cessinds that, under II wise 41.0 Mt administration, there would be sidising to meet the immediate wants Web, Monk bat that as the population increased a further !weal might be mode, and not in vain, to the resources of lthe establishusest He proposed by this nature simply to transfer the sobs management of the episcopal and capi talise property Me the hands of the estates commissioner, and to invest them with legal control over the property ter the purposes of management only, making them the law ful receivers of the rents and peafits, with some ssceptions. He wished this great step to be taken with as little alteration as peasible ; and the bill did not in any way take the pro perty eat of those corporations in which it was now vested. The bill further provided that a separate succinct should be kept of the properties of each individual to which they should have at all times access, ti themselves or their agents, and that • seal should housed, having • distinctive die fur each. With raised to the transfer of property, the bill did not interfere with the enfranchisement provided for in 1817. It pro *led that estates might be assigned to each see soft. jam to yield its annual income, instead of the plealsew adopted, whereby the richer sees paid over their eerplus to the commissioners, while the poorer sees re solved an annual sum from them. The payment was to be a first rent charge upon the property ; and is the event of the payments not being regularly made, or delayed after • eertabs time, immediate powers for re-entry would be eon hived. &me of the sees were already in the receipt of /bed incomes, insladisg thews appointed since 1818, alas sem ethers who had agreed: to take them. Ito proposed, ebb regard to thus and all capitular estates, that they should immediately come under the operation of the bill se to those appointed prior to 1818, it was proposed that the operation of the bill should be delayed till after the nest I%pp...its:Fascist to the see. With regard to incomes, the NM provided that half-yearly returns should be made to the ematindonen of all sums derived from excepted sources et imam, which wore not under the etsbel et the sew TO CORRESPONDENTS. A 'axed &Utica et" The Eames; eostatateg the tame evenlog's • classic.," is published every Tuesday aad Friday sight. um time for post• htsettoerseataintended for "The FAr raw," toe tee !vents! paper, suet be ate Mhos, 10, Bouverie.street, by Two o'sleak on the lay of pution. DIOR WATER AT LONDON BRIDOR. Tan DAT—Marais& 2b. ma....» mtersoosh 2b. 4211. T ..voaarw—lllorobsg. bk. 12a Women. St. Stles. LONDON, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 22. No room for doubt any longer exists as to the determination of Russia to adhere to her arbitrary demands upon the Porte, and her resolution to en force them—if permitted to do so. Intelligence has now reached us of the final rejection by the SULTAN of the Ultimatum of which so much has recently been said, but which was in point of fact nothing more than a formal reiteration of Prince MENCIIIKOFY'S demands. We are likewise in possession of a species of manifesto, or expose des motifs, on the part of the Cabinet of St. Petersburg, in the shape of a Ministerial note, which has been officially sub mitted to the governments of the other Great Powers under the signature of NESSELRODE. In this important document there is little that is new, and still less that is true, regarding the aims and pur poses of the Russian aggressor, but it possesses at the present juncture a certain importance, inasmuch as it betrays more openly than tny document which bee yet proceeded from the head-quarters of despotic dissimulation a sense of the pressure outwards and awards in the career of aggression, of which the CUR has been long believed to be alternately the stimulator and the instrument. Count NESSELEODE, in this singular document, declares that after what has occurred Russia cannot recede without such a degree of humiliation as would wholly change her position in relation to the other states of Europe. What the Muscovite ides of that position is we need be at no loss to conjecture. Plainly it is not one of real or ostensible equality with the other Great Powers, for that she had confessedly enjoyed in the fullest sense, before the development of her present schemes of encroachment and aggrandise ment; and to that she might still return with the unanimous assent and approval of all Europe, by their relinquishment. But it is clear that in her arrogance and pride Russia has cherished dreams of domination, which she has hitherto thought fit to I disclaim. It is the position of arbiter and dictator in the fate of Christendom that she desires to fill; and it is a repulse in her present overt attempt to play this overbearing part that her haughty spirit refuses to endure. Hereto fore her princes and her statesmen have for genera tions steadily pursued the same undeviating course of territorial aggression, and diplomatic interference where she dare not appear as an armed intruder; in the one capacity as the subtle foe of liberty, in the other as its ruthless destroyer. And Continental Europe has been induced to submit to one after ano- ther of her exactions and encroachments, often with childish cunning, pretending not to be afraid, and trying by the effrontery of flattery to cajole its implacable foe into mercy and moderation. There are many politicians of note in Western Europe who have sullied themselves by stooping to this folly and baseness ; but happily there are still some to whom the indignant eyes of England, France, and Germany instinctively turn in the hour of trial, and by whose firmness and unity of purpose the further advance of the Cossack conqueror will, doubt cm, be checked and restrained. A few days, possibly a few hours, may bring us tidings that the Russians have broken the bounds assigned to them by treaty ; and the peace being thus broken, that the Portehas called upon the ambassadors of France and England to summon the allied fleet to the Golden Horn. If these events have not actually occurred, there is manifestly little probabi lity that they will be long postponed. The cabinets of Paris and London have already been given to un derstand that Moldavia and Wallachia, the two pro visoes of Turkey north of the Danube, will be forth with occupied by a Russian army. The country will of course be laid under contribution, and its grow. fa►g export trade be paralysed and destroyed. A limitary more extensive than Ireland, and a popula den not inferior to that of Scotland, will thus, at a degle blow, be riven from a peaceful and unoffending ally, without a shadow of excuse or justification which the Government of any civilised people will recognise or admit. And then will come the real question that must test the political quality of our own and of neighbouring Statesmen, and by which far more than the fate of the Danubian principali ties for many a long day to come will inevitably be swayed. There are two lines of policy which already have their advocates amongst us. There is the policy of prompt resistance, and there is the policy of tempo- 1 rising and delay. The latter is—with thin dis guise—advocated by those who discredited to the last the idea of suspecting the magnanimity and moderation of the CZAR; and who now, that they I can no longer venture openly to defend his conduct or his language, are eager to palliate what they cannot justify, and meanly to tolerate what they shrink from sanctioning. With this trimming class of politicians no course, however right and just, is worth taking for its own sake. All their resources are in evasion of great truths, and the mere adjournment of present difficulties without regard to accumulating circumstances that must op ' press the future. Let the Russians occupy Molda via and Wallachia say they, while France and England make a safe show of friendship by ordering their ships to pass the Dardanelles ; and then let the autumn be spent in negotiation, while the invader feeds his troops at the cost of plundered provinces, and the outraged and humiliated SULTAN is com pelled to maintain a ruinous expenditure upon pre parations for defence, whilst ho is to be told to remain in ruinous inaction. This is the policy of delay ; but it is surely fraught with consequences of fur deeper and graver moment—coq. sequences the mere perception of which induces the advocates of prompt resistance to consider that to temporise in such a case would be folly, if not rain. Opposite• to the •WaUachlan shore lies the richer and far snore important province of Bulgaria. The bulk of the population aro Christians, whose priesthood have long been suspected of receiving the pay of Russia. It is hardly three years since an insurrection, originating in some trivial and local grievances, was so dex terously fomented by certain of the prelates and clergy of the Greek church as to cause serious alarm to the Turkish authorities, and to cause the effusion of no little blood before it was effectually put down. At the time when these transactions took place, a ltussian corps with the temporary assent of the SULTAN was stationed in Wallachia ; but what will limit the influence or restrain the intrigues of the Muscovite, when the whole of the northern bank of the Danube is seen to bristle with Cossack spears, and when nothing but the stream separates the sacer dotal emissaries above referred to from their powerful and opulent employers ? So sure as an army of oc cupation is suffered to establish itself without hin drance or reprisals at Jassy and Bucharest, so sure will fanatical passionsbe worked upon in Bulgaria, and the smouldering ashes of insurrection be fanned into a flame. And then, when the Ottoman shall at tem ipt to crush disturbances thus assiduously p , °- yoked, the pious protector of the Sclavonic faith will suddenly find himself inspired to cross the Danube, and to occupy the most populous and industrious province of Turkey in Europe. TIIEAiI of BLANDFORD prefaced his motion, last night, for leave to introduce a bill to make better provision for the management of episcopal and capi tular property, by the presentation of a petition from 800 endowed clergymen of the Established Church, in _ which it was stated that there were many Church dowmenta which did not exceed 131. a year, while there were upwards of 4,000 incumbents whose in comes did not exceed 1,101. a year. We question whether ST. PAUL or ST. PETER—the Bishops from whom their modern episcopal represents. tives persist in tracing their descent—would have seen any very great cause for com miseration in the above statement, although we confess that, looking at the Church from the point d view which oar modern bishops have adopted, idea a statement is likely to produce unpleasant im pressions. While we are quite sore that ST. PAUL and ST. PETER could by no possibility have been made to understand why a cure of souls should be objected to, because the emolument derived from it amounted only to 131. a year, we arc no less con strained to acknowledge that we of the present day, looking at the Church as it is, understand the full value of the objection. The most remarkable Episcopal " Charges" of the present day have not been those delivered from the thrones in the cathedrals, where moderation and humility have been affectionately recommended, and avarice and ostentation and filthy lucre decried, but those fierce Charges which the Bishops, wielding all the weapons of the Church militant, have directed against those guardians of the golden apples of the Church—the — Ecclesiastical Commissioners. The organs both of the high and low church party in the public press have all for the lest ten years asserted, directly or indirectly, over and over again, that while many a Bishop could by no persuasion be in duced to stir himself for the purpose of eradi cating a whole crop of heretical tares in his, field, there has never yet been an example of a prelate remaining quiescent if his re venues were in danger. When we see, then, how valiantly and how cleverly a Bishop, or a Dean, or a Canon will fight for an additional 501. or 5001. of revenue, we have a tight to consider that the profes sion generally are actuated by a desire no less earliest to obtain a due pecuniary appreciation of their ser vices. For this reason we do not hesitate to join with them in denouncing the present system of the distribution of ecclesiastical revenues which awards a remuneration of less than nine pence a day to some clergymen, and less than nine shillings to so many others, while a portion of the same body are in the possession of revenues which is their magnitude laugh to scorn the great prizes obtainable in the army or at the bar. To remedy such a state of things, some such mea sure as that proposed last night by the Marquis of BLANDFORD is necessary. The object of this mea sure is to transfer the entire management of epis copal and capitular property into the hands of the Estates Commissioners, and to invest them with legal control over the property, for the purpose of management only, making them the lawful re ceivers of the rents and profits. The first and para mount object which would be achieved by such a regulation is this—that the estates being placed under the management of Commissioners responsible to the public, the accounts would be always aeossaible, and the possibility of perverting large Varpisses to private purposes would be considerably diminished. Some idea of the amount of property that up to a very late period has been placed under 'the uncontrolled management of irresponsible par ties in the Church may be formed from a statement made by the Marquis relative to the see of Durham. The value of the property of that see as given in evidence before the committee was 100,0001. ; from the return of 1846 it was only 39,0001. It is mon strous to suppose that vast sums of money of this nature can be any longer left at the control of private individuals. The very bishops themselves have been obliged to denounce the eye-i tem, however imperfect their efforts may have been to effect its destruction. " If," said the Bishop of LONDON in a memorable speech made some years ago in the House of Lords, "if I direct my steps towards the cathedral of St. Paul, I see that noble structure with one dean and three residentiarics, enjoying an income of 10,0001. or 12,0001. a year, and twenty-six officers connected with it, holding complete sinecures amounting to an annual income of 12,0001. If I proceed a mile or two eastward, I find myself in the midst of a population, the most wretched and destitute of mankind, consisting of artificers, labourers, beggars, and thieves, to the amount of at least 300,000 souls." Now, in one of the districts of this quarter, which belonged exclusively to the Cathedral of St. Paul, and which consisted of 40,000 souls, there was but one church, in which one ser- mon was preached every Sunday by one of the Canons of St. Paul's, and another by a clergyman who was paid by the Corporation of London for that purpose. His Lordship pointed in terms which might be uttered by the most radical of reformers to the absurdity of supposing that such a perversion of funds destined for national purposes could be long submitted to. As a pendant to the statement of the Bishop, we may point to the condition of Chiches ter. This town contains nine parish churches. Of seven of these churches tho incumbents are, unless any alteration has taken place since 1818, in the pos session of an annual income of 701. each. One living was in the year specified worth 1501. a year, and the other had no endowment but 40/. per annum from the Ecclesiastical Commissioners. While these ample salaries were considered sufficient to recompense nine clergymen for their labours amongst 8,000 per sons, the canons residentiary received each 700/. per annum for their arduous services in the cathedral, the whole expenses of which establishment were not less than 5,0001. a year. These are not solitary in stances, discovered after wearisome search by hostile eyes ; they may be mot with in numerous places throughout the land—they are quoted by the best friends of the Church. While this is the case in the upper departments, in the lower there is dearth and misery. The Marquis of BLAND FORD divided the wants of the parochial system into three classes. The first comprised poor livings, in which re:ief had been partially afforded and the promise of more held out. The Ecclesios. tical Commissioners have augmented 796 benefices of this classat an annual charge of 41,728/.. while there are no less than 737 yet requiring augmenta tion to the amount of 100,467/. a year. The second class comprised that class of cases in which new dis tricts had been wholly or partially formed. The pe tition alluded to, referring to this class, after enume rating many of the consequences of the insufficient endowment of these districts, states that the clergy appointed to them are in many cases reduced to the utmost distress, and obliged to turn to other avoca tions to procure food and raiment. There are 4,000 of these clergymen whose incomes do not reach the sum of 150/. per annum for each. Thc third class comprised those cases into which inquiry had been made, but for which no funds had been provided. It was calculated that no less than 530 churches were required for districts containing each more than 3,000 inhabitants. The Marquis of BLANIWORD showed that the surplus of the episcopal and capitular property which would remain after payment of all just calls would he suffi cient to provide for the three classes of wants above stated, and that as the population increased further resources might be obtained in a si , Lilar manner. It is satisfactory to see that Lord JoitN heartily concurred in the giving leave for the intro- duction of the Marquis of BLasneonn's bill, and the favourable manner in which Mr. Hrxe, Sir liaNta- MIN Ham., and other Church Reformers, spoke of its tendency, gives reason for supposing that it may be made the basis of much reform in a Church estab lishment greatly in need of improvement. THE TURKISH QUESTION, The Journal de St. .Petersburg of June 12 publishes the Circular Note on the Turkish question which Russian diplomatic agents were at about that date bringing to the knowledge of the courts and cabinets of Europe (see Explear, June 13). The text of the note itself will be found in another column. The public will scan its language in vain for any indica tion of a moderate, accommodating, or peaceful spirit. On the contrary, its language is highly charged with all the fierce passions which generate war. Blinded by pride, the Czar declares that he cannot and will not renounce the exactions which all Europe have condemned, and that violence must compel the sur render which has been denied to negotiations. It is to be noticed that whatever 'assurances or ex planations the foreign ministers of the Czar may have given to the courts to which they arc accredited, the note says not a word which would limit the threat ened violence to the Principalities. Direct despatches from Vienna state that the Journal de C•nstantinople received there contains the promised firmans, assuring and extending the pri vileges of all the Christian communities. Surely the Czar, if sincere, can desire no more. . The question returns with increasing gravity : How will France and England regard the occupation of the principalities? Of all the organs of Russia in the press not one has come forward to show that Russia has the least treaty right to cross the Pruth under present circumstances. Their only argument is an appeal to the Czar's sword. " The Emperor of Russia," they say, "declares thnt he does not make war, he only exerts a pressure." At the same time they proclaim that he will see a declaration of war in the passage of the Dardanelles by the vessels of France and England. The treaty of 1841 is binding on the Western Powers, but the Russians may come across the Turkish frontier, if they come repudiating war. ."the Czar wills it," is the only argument of the Russian press. The Pay.•, Journal de I . Empire, has an article stating that ' turkey will be left to decide whether a routs Belli has or has not arisen in the oc cupation, but as Turkey will be guided by the advice of Frapee and England, this does not say much. Diplomacy (says the Pays) has not yet withdrawn from the question, and it will only cease to act on the day when moderation and justice shall ne longer be attended to in the councils of the Emperor of Russia. Europe will be as invincible in her force as she is in her right. The great powers, who represent the interests which bind them and the treaties which pledge them, will be judge of what their duty and their honour command. They will decide where aggression commences, and where the patience of negotiation ought to stop ; they will not act either too soon or too late ; they will not compromise tither peace by a pre cipitation which would be equivalent to reshot so, or war by a tardiness which would be weakness. Such is our answer to these interpellations, which are at least inopportune, though certainly quite excusable, of the public impa tience, which asks, •• What will France and England do if Russia crosses the Pruth ? Where it the eases &lli to be— on this or on that of the Danube ?" We maintain that the occupation of the Danubian provinces by Rum* in contempt of the treaties of Aiirianoplc and of Balta-Liman, would clearly constitute a formal violation with respect to Turkey. That is our opinion ; but we admit also that the appreciation of that fact, the declaration of the casus belong., with respect to the occupation of these provinces, to the Turkish government alone, and we do not desire to transfer that privilege from Constantinople to London or to Paris. We have nothing to prejudge on the official in terpretations of the special treaties existing between Russia and Turkey ; but we can affirm, without any fear of being found in error, that European right, superior to these treaties, will not be violated ; for the day on which that violation should be effected not one of the states interested would fail in the duties of energy end decision which would be imposed on them, and the accomplishment of which would be the inevitable defeat of unjust pretensions and of immoderate ambition. Admiral Prince Nlenchikoff, the ci-devant negotia tor, is at Sebastopol with the fleet awaitingthe orders of the Czar. A telegraphic despatch from Toulon announces that the Friedland line-of-battle ship, 120 guns, left that port on Saturday for the Island of Tenedos, to join the squadron under the command of Admiral de la Susse. The Friedland is to take the place in the squadron of the Montebello, which is to return immediately to Toulon to continue ire experiments respecting its screw machinery. The division of the Levant, under the command of Rear-Admiral Lebarbier de Tinan, who replaces Admiral Romain- Desfossi•s, promoted to the grade of Vice-Admiral, will continue under the orders of Admiral de la Susse. A letter from Smyrna, of June 7, in the Semaphore, of Marseilles, says : Generals Klapka and Liebnig have offered to Reschid Pasha to form a corps of 30,000 Hungarian and Polish emi grants; the offer has not yet been accepted, neither has it been refused. Although hostilities have not yet been de clared, they have in reality commenced. A Turkish vessel, with slaves on board, and another laden with corn, have been captured in the Block Sea. At the departure of the French packet from Constantinople, a report was current that a steamer belonging to an Armenian company having been summoned to surrender by a Russian brig of war, which had even fired several shots at her, ran into the Russian and sank her. There is nothing in any other journal or letter to confirm the intelligence thus given in the .sjrnaphore. The same journal contains the following: It appears that the war in the Caucasus has of late shown extreontosary vigour. If we are to believe our correspon dents, in spite of the tone of the bulletins of St. Petersburg, which as usual speak of victory, the Russians have been completely routed by Schiamil. The Russian army, com manded by General Baron Wrevsky, 40,000 strong, and having 36 pieces of artillery, has met with a severe check , near Argille. A great number of men remained on the field of battle, and 23 pieces of cannon fell into the hands of Schiamil, who never gained a more complete victory. Such is the intelligence which letters from Trebisond give us. RUSSIAN NOTE TO THE EUROPEAN POWERS. We (Journal de St. Petersbottry) are authorised to communicate to our readers a circular which the imperial cabinet has just addressed to the ministers and agents of the Emperor at foreign courts, respect ing the mission of Prince Menchikoff to Constan tinople: St. Petersburg, May 30 (June IP, 1853. M. '—,—The mission of M. le Prince Menchikoff in Turkey baring already given rise to the most exaggerated rumours, and his recrA departure, and the interruption ef Irelations which was succeeded,:being calculate) to occssioa I Yet others, I his thought fit to transmit ta yon some PM' write t same time an autogri and corm , acts grant Sultan, M Althoui spirit, I from th , to mail peared t ilia just ei Russo-G duced bit to Si to E gagetnew In prat municate rial govc co' thi co' ral