The Sun. — London, England, 1854-05-24 00:00:00

when it would be beddght in, as its preparatiD would take some time. --- •• SARDINIA. AND ROME Mr. WOODD wished to ask Lord J. Russell wh ether it i s t rue . a s reported, that the Government of this country h as interposed in relation to the differences betty •een the the Government of Sardinia and that of Rome ;ar id, if so, -whether there will be any objection to lay such p; ;peril as leave reference to the subject on the table of the ho use. Lord J. RUSSELL said no such interposition h: d taken place, and there were conse q uently no papers to l ?roduce. PUBLIC PROSECUTIONS IN IRELAN D. Mr. BOWYER asked the Chief., Secretary for Ireland, whether her Majesty's Government intend to p ropose a measure enabling Courts of Quarter Sessions in Ir eland to give remuneration to the sessional Crown solicitor s for the prosecution of larcenies. - Sir J. YOUNG replied that the subject was us rder con sideration, but he could hold out no prospect of k ;giggi ng upon it this session. THE PRESTON STRIKE. Mr. PAT.MER wished to ask the hon. member. for :Fins bury, whether he intended to persevere to-;light with the following motion :—Select committee to inquire into the complaints of the working and industrious classes, and other inhabitants of the borough of Preston, as set forth in their petition presented to this house on the 30 t'n day of March last, and to report their opinion to the ho r ise. Mr. T. DITNCOMBE mid he had this morning received a letter from Preston, which relieved him from -all re sponsibility on the subject. The letter (which tl IA) hon. member read) expressed a hope that as the struggle I Lad now ceased, they hoped he (Mr. Duncombe) would wi Lthdraw his motion, and this he said he should now do. (E fear) CHURCH RATES. Sia W. CL AY then rose to move for leave to in Aroduce a bill for the entire abolition of church rates. 11 e said it was admitted on all sides that the question could: not re main in its present state. The interests of religion, of justice, and of sound policy alike require that it should be finally settled. Almost every party and section i n th a t house had brought forward and ennorted 'measures for the abolition of church rates. The Qovernment of Earl Grey, in 1833, and the Government a? Lord Melbourne, in 1837, both endeavoured to effect a final settlement of the ques tion; and, more recently, ;Alla were introduced for the same object by Sir J. East:nope, by Mr. Trelawny, by the hon. member for Finslo:ny, and by the hon. and learned member for Vavistock. And the house had now before it measure propoeed, by the hon. member for Leicester shire. None of these measures had obtained the assent of Parliament, with many of them he disagreedconsiderably, but., 'at all. events, they proved that a strong sense prevailed bo'ata within and without the walla of that house, of the ne- Frassity of some alteration in the law. (Hear, hear.) Since no last had the honour of bringing this question before the house, two circumstances had occurred of no mean impor tance, and having no light bearing either upon the main question itself, or upon the mode in which it should be dealt with. Re alluded to the decision of the House of Lords in the Braintree case, and the publication of the census report upon relig ions worship. (Hear, hear.) The substantial essen ce and effect of the decision in the Brain tree case was this—the House of Lords, having had the advice of the judges, pronounced by the month of Lord Chief Justice Truro, gave judgment that the church rate - under contest was invalid, inasmuch as it had not had the assent of the majority of the vestry. Lord Truro took oc casion to state that the judges were unanimous in the ()Pinion that a church rate, to be valid, must have the assent of a majority of the vestry. Some difference of opinion had previously existed among . the ..1 110 .ges who were consulted, one or two thinking that a majority of the vestry, by refusing a rate, would oust fnemselves from their jurisdiction, and that in such a case their would be a constructive majority in favour of the 1 - ate. Lord Chief Justice Truro, in a judgment charac terised by that luminous phraseology and that power of analysis for which the noble and learned lord was cele brated, completely overturned that view of the question, and it was finally decided unanimously that to make a rate valid it must be assented to by a majority of the vestry. He entreated the house toconsider the full importance and significance of that decision. It not only set at rest the much disputed point of whether the churchwardens of their own authority, or supported by a minority of the vestry, could make a rate valid, but it incidentally settled for all practical purposes two other questions which had been much debated, namely whether church rates were to be considered a perpetual obligation on property, or only an obligation on property in virtue of the person, and whether there was an obligation at common law to main tain the fabric of the parish church. With respect to the first of these questions, he understood that the best autho rities were in favour of the rate being considered a per sonal tax ; while with regard to the second, the balance of authority was supposed to favour the view that there was no obligation -at common law to maintain the fabric of the parish church. Hitherto there had been some doubts about the law, but now it was perfectly clear, and the conse quence would be that in all cases where a majority of the vestry had the chance, they would refuse to impose a church rate. Already that power had been exercised in a large number of places. After all, upon whom were they imposing these dues ? Was it on a small portion of the people ? Was it on a fragment of the population of Eng land, that made it unnecessaryand unbecoming the dignity of the house to listen to their complaint ? Upon tbathead they had the most extraordinary disclosures, upon the most complete authority—the census report on religious worship. • Tho population of England and Wales was, in round numbers, 18 millions. The proportion for which, by an elaborate process of reasoning, that report showed they ought to provide church accommodation was 58 per cent., or above ten millions. The Established Church had provided 14,713 churches, and accommodation for 5,317,915 persons. The nonconformist body had provided 2 0,390 places of worship, and accommodation for 4,891,604 persons. Therefore, of the religious portion of the people —those who really availed themselves of places of worship —nearly one half did not belong to the Established Church. On the census Sunday, the attendance of all denomina tions at religious worship was 10,896,000, of which 5,604,000 attended places of worship belonging to the Established Church, and 5,292,000 places of worship belonging to the Nonconformist body. That close conformity between the number of persons attending and the accommodation pro vided, west far, in his opinion, to establish the accuracy of both calculations. Those figures proved to his mind that the present state of the law could not be allowed to continue. The question remained, in what mode should the alteration be effected ? The suggestions were mani fold. The first was to take the law as it now stood—to recognise the permanent and nniveral obligation to pay church rates, and to devise some summary and efficient process for enforcing the law. He supposed that scarcely any one would be found to advocate that mode of dealing with the question, though a petition to that effect had been presented by the hon. baronet the member for the University of Oxford (Sir W. Heathcote) from certain of the clergy in the diocese of Exeter. The second was the mode proposed by the hon. and learned gentleman (Mr. Phillimore), in conformity with a proposition of the same kind by Sir Page Wood, and also in conformity with the very able pamphlet of the noble lord the member for King's Lynn (Lord Stanley). That proposal was to enable Dis senters, on complying with certain formalities, to relieve themselves from the liability to pay church rates. It had an aspect of fairness about it, but it was a very offensive thing to insist on the declaration of any man's religious belief, and by forcing men to define their creed they would sharpen those differences of opinion of i which they were sc arce ly consc i ous. There were a great 1 many persons who went to church in the morning, and in the evening to some nonconformist chapel. He could not believe this mode was likely to receive the sup port of the house. (Hear, hear.),_ Then came th e pro posal of the hon. member for Leicestershire (Mr. Packe), which most whimsically combined all the objections to the other modes suggested. The hon. member for whom he had a great respect, proposed to retain a large portion of the church rate, and enforce it by summary process, whilst he also proposed to relieve nonconformists upon declaration of religions belief being made before two magistrates. He came to the last mode, and that was abolition. That was the mode which, either by i`aelf or accompanied by some substitution of other sources for the maintenance of church fabrics, would be found to be the only mode of dealing with the question. (Hear, hear.) Whether the abolition should be accompanied by some substitution of other funds to provide for those precise objects to which church rates were applied, was a question upon which arguments of considerable weight might be used on either side, and upon which a difference of opinion might very fairly exist. It was a question more for churchmen than nonconformists. The essential point for the latter was abolition. To that they were entitled. (Hear, hear.) It was for the mem bers of the Church to consider whether by law they would provide a substitute. In bringing forward the subject last year, he suggested that some provision for those objects might be found in the surplus funds of the Church, not because he believed them necessary, but because there was a difference of opinion, and some thought that, the Church being a national establishment, some provision should be made by law for the maintenance of established places of worship. He cononrred in the opinion expressed by the noble lord and the hon. member, that the superfluous wealth of the Church should be devoted to keeping up the fabrics of the Church. No one doubted that the surplus teveaues of the Church would be ample for the purpose ; for in 1833 Lord Althorp stated the amount applied to 1 ) , lag up the fabrics wa s a b ou t 250,0001., and a report of * ultor date, in 1840 he beli eve d, es ti ma t e it at about the ofAa to the expe nses a tt en di n g th e m i n i s t ra ti on cif div bis h a d b een worshi p, pew rents would be sufficient. They the , for the purpose in a great many churches, end„ was , , - familiarised with their appli ption us b e . d •••*b Way and no more just principle should Pay for t han .that persons using the church th e rati ' that worship which they aPproved. (H e r u i l , t 111 ment epted, hil l i ., ,aear.) If, therefore, the Govern dace t m a id e i ther ? was about to propose to intro or mak e' the law of ti :aaft, upon it those propositions, an additional bill for that d, as proposed, and bring in glare, on the moat mat ure P ne nr e tir- He was bound to de ful analysis of all the fact s tb et e r°u, and a most care ledge, that church rat es m i ght bo ad o , come to his know smallestToinistraoteie, n lished without the chance either of the of service or of the maintenance of the fabrics being i ra were certainly very startling, Dunn,. th e The facts first half of the Nresent century, more churches had b een built than du r i ng oo or 3 00 y ea rs before. F rom 1801 to 1851, 2,520 c h urc hes were erected, at an expense of 9.087, 000 ,. The contributions towards those n ine millions from the public funds amounted to 1,663,429 ; while from private bone. to 7,423,5711. The pronorti factions they amounted public funds was 17 percen t . to 83 per cent. private - ° ll f : 3 e- Asetions. (Cheers') But if they divided the half century into two periods of th irty an d twenty years, the result w as still more surpres' ing. From 1800 to 1830, five hundr e d churches were built, at an expensedfrom public funds , of three millions, whereof there was contribu te 1,152,0001., and from private fund . s 1,848, 0001 . being 3 per cent. public, and 65 per cent private contributions , Prom 1830 to 1850, there were 2,029 churchesebeunitlrit,bauttaedn expense of 6,011,000/. whereof there w from public funds 511,0001., and from priv_a s tm, funds 5,500,0001. or 8 1-3 per cent. from publi c f un and 91 2-3 per cent. from private funds. (Cheers.) It d appeared that the exertions of the Church proceeded in an inverse ratio to the help received from the State. There were two grants by the State in 1817, and in 1821 or 1825, and in the first thi r ty y ears th e p ro p or ti o n of private and public contributions was 35 per cent, and 65 per cent. In the last twenty years, when no grants were made by the State the . proportion was 8 1-3 against 91 2-3 per cent. If, again, they added to the whole sum contri buted in the half century to the building of churches by private benefactions, namely seven millions, the expense defrayed by nonconformists in the erection of 10,000 chapels at an average cost of 1,5001. each, or 15 millions, it 'would giie alotal - of 22- millions devoted to the erection of .see.s of worship by private benefactors, as against 1,600,000/. contributed from the public funds, or 921 per Bent. against 7i per cent. (Cheers,) Such a statement as that almost precluded argument. (Hear, hear.) It s h owe d b e y on d all doubt that the members of the Church , Mr. PETO, in seconding the motion, expressed his gra tification that it should have been introduced by a mem ber of the Church of England. (Hear.) It had been looked upon too much as a dissenting question. It was really as much a question for the members of the Established Church as for members of the nonconformist body. They had heard to what a great extent churches had been built and public worship carried on within them by voluntary con tributions, and in many of the contests the refusal of the rate had been decided by church votes. For these reasons it was eminently worthy the consideration of the Church off England, whether they would allow this root of bitter. ness to remain promoting discontent and division among themselves. (Hear.) With regard to noncomformists they had strong and conscientious objections, arising from be lief in Cie voluntary nature of every religious exercise, and in the impropriety of forcing parties to support a religious service which they disapproved. " He believed it could be shown that the assessment was not necessary for the sup port of the edifices used in religious worship, and it was itself impracticable. They need only look to the census returns to satisfy themselves that with a body which had shown such a determination as to contribute a sum not exceeding seven millions of money for the erection of churches within the last half century, it was not at all likely they would allow those churches to fall into decay. The Dissenters had 20,390 places of worship entirely sup ported by voluntary contributions, and in those centres of activity and intelligence, Lancashire and Yorkshire, great results were accomplished entirely by voluntary efforts. (Hear, hear.) He might refer also to what Scotland had done. The Free Charch of that country, when thrown upon her own resources, had provided an amount for the erection and support of places of worship which had excited the astonishment of the nation and the age. It had been often said that it was only in the towns and in the manu facturing districts that any question with respect to church rates arose—that the majority of the rural dis tries were practically Church of England, and that therefore, with respect to them, no hardship existed. The statistics of the Independents, of the Baptists, and of the Wesleyans—showing the relative numbers of sittings in connection with each denomination in the towns and in the rural districts—contradicted this as sumption; and the fact that some of the severest contests which had taken place with respect to church rates had arisen in rural districts, was a proof that the feeling there was as strong as in the town s . H e mus t say , w ith respect to the bill introduced by the hon. member for Leicester shire (Mr. Packe), that he believed they were only prolong ing feelings of bitterness, and preventing the fair and final settlement of the question by the introduction of these half measures. (Hear, hear.) He believed that justice required that church rates should be totally abolished, and that the Church of England could do nothing more effectually to promote peace than by meeting this question in a fair and liberal spirit, and by showing a proper reliance on her own principles. (Hear ' hear.) He kn ew th a t Di ssen t ers were sometimes charged with entertaining feelings of bitterness towards the Church. He disclaimed on his part, as a Nonconformist, all such feelings. (Hear, hear.) Although he was himself a Dissenter, no member of that house would rejoice more than himself to see the Church of England prosper—to see her reformed within herself—to see the immense revenues in her possession brought to bear for the benefit of the country, and to see her relieved of the scan dal which was at this moment caused by the incomes en joyed by her bishops and by the higher orders of her clergy, and by the lax state of morality which prevailed in our cathedral towns. (Hear, hear.) He believed that if half the money which was expended on our cathedral esta blishments were devoted to City missions, to the augmen tation of the incomes of the poorer clergy, and to the placing of clergymen where none at present existed, the Church of England would have a much stronger hold on the feelings and affections of the people of England; and the Dissenters, so far from regretting, would most heartily rejoice to see it, because by such means the cause of true religion would be advanced, and no interest whatever, with respect to the Church, would be sacrificed. (Hear, hear.) He knew it was sometimes said of them that they wished to sacrifice the prizes of the Church. (Hear, hear.) But what should be the prizes of the Church ? If he knew anything whatever of the obligations of a Chris tian man, he should rank first among th ose o bli ga ti ons th e duty of living, as far as he possibly could, according to the revealed will of God ; and if he were told that it was a " prize" for a clergyman to obtain an income of some 15,000 c. or 20,0001. a-year, when 5,0001. would be sufficient to maintain him in any position of life which it was neces sary for him to fill, he must reply that he believed those incomes were a source of great discomfort in the Church itself, and were perfectly unnecessary. In conclusion, the hon. member repeated his conviction that such reforms as he had indicated, and the dealing with this question of church rates in the only way in which it could be dealt with satisfactorily, would tend to strengthen the Church and to extend her influence, as well as to promote peace and harmony and goodwill throughout the entire com munity. Mr. WIGRAM agreed with the hon. members who had made and seconded this motion, that the time had come when it was a matter of the utmost importance, and indeed of absolute necessity, that some measures should be passed upon the subject of church rates. (Hear, hear.) He said so because it must be admitted that in some districts of the country—although he hoped that those Districts were neither many nor extensive—but certainly in some dis tricts church rates had been the cause of much bitterness, and of much unkindly feeling. (Hear, hear.) He was persuaded, however, that this had had its origin, not in the subject of church rates generally, so much as in the uncertainty of the law. (Hear, hear.) It was because for a long series of years theobligation to paychurch rates had been a matter of uncertainty thatattempts had been made to elude them. (Hear, hear, and oh, oh.) He was per suaded that if the law upon the subject of the obligation to pay had been as clear as in the case of tithes, they would have had no more contests with respect to the pay ment of church rates than they had had with respect to tithes. (Oh, oh.) This was his most sincere belief; nor could he see upon what ground a valid objection to pay church rates could possibly be made. He hoped the house would not consent to the introduction of this bill, which was a bill not for the substitution of any other mode for that which had so long been recognised, but for the simple and entire abolition of the provision which had so long existed in this country for the maintenance of our parish churches. (Hear, hear.) He doubted whether the expectation which the hon. member had held out, that, in the event of church rates being abolished, other means would be voluntarily provided out of which the churches might be maintained, would be realised in the result. Re ference had been made to what the Church of England had done in the erection of churches, and in providing clergy men in those parts of the country in which they were most urgently required. (Hear.) Those only who had engaged in such undertakings could appreciate the difficulties which were experienced, and the efforts which were necessary to surmount them. To what extent, then, would those diffi culties be increased if they called upon the friends of the Church to supply the means for the accomplishment of those objects which were now provided for by church rates ? (Hear.) There could be no doubt that in that case the energies of the Church of England would be ham pered, and her expansion impeded to a very considerable extent. The right hon. baronet had very truly said that the law on the subject of church rates had been very fully and carefully considered in the Braintree case, which was decided in the last session of Parliament ; but if they would refer to that case they would find that the judges who had h oob e n a h r uz d taryt i i t ot w : e ar r te e pc a ola l m l ee n in g ao reed in the opinion that the obligation o e n the owners and occupiers of lands and houses in this tiou? It was ". wolhdiethhewapsa justrish a c s hu b r i c u h di w ng as an a d n u n d la u w p , h this country a ol l t ao: a u se of God, counts clearly recognised as the obligation to repair y bridges' (Hear, hear.) What was that obligo.- sent to the maintain and uphold in every parish in had been made abrogation open to the poor as well as to the rich. this country, without°ll:l r, hear, hear.) Would the house em otion of such a provision, which ground vision for it? assignedwita?s f( }l e r said,e thearantiquity by the common law of indeed, eiddeeoa:crsubstitution oftion such o a f c a o n u y r s other e. pro (Hear, a r , o r that contributions for the He had heard no valid were called for from all, m he a a i r n . t ) enance of our churches their advantages ; but whereas all could not participate hear.) They were the fact was that they were not esnialsed for the benefit and were open of any particular sect. (Hear, hear, established for the benefit of the country, to all those who could and would use the y m , . Parliament, representing the the whole peopelaer'olflear.) country, Dissenters as well as Churchmen, exercised over them a real and effective control ; and laws were continuer ally introduced into that house with respect to them. (Hear, hear.) It was not the fact that the whole people could not use them ; for the doctrines of the Church of and England were such that the great mass and body of tho people could with the utmost propriety dif ferences upon particular religious doctrines, a portion of conscientious ness, and they only did not do so because, from slight them preferred to provide other places of worship for felt that attachment towards her which rendered it impos sible that places of public worship could fall into decay, and that, so far from aid from the public being good, it damped the ardour and relaxed the exertions of members of the Church. Throughout the large towns of the king dom church rates had been abolished, and they were rapidly ceasing to exist anywhere, yet there were no com plaints of the churches going to decay ; and the informa tion he had received induced him to believe that more was being expanded on the fabrics than when the church rates existed. In corroboration of this he could state that he had received a letter from a respectable nonconformist gen tleman at Liverpool, where a church rate had been refused by a majority of 537 persons, informing him that the con duct of the rector was very creditable; that he at once accepted the decision of the parishioners, and appealed to his congregation for voluntary contributions every Sunday which new averaged 151. each Sunday—a sum far more considerable than the amount of church rates. (Hear.) It was for these reasons that he was convinced the best mode was to abolish church rates, and trust to the affection of the members of the Church to provide funds for those pur poses to which they were applied. It was in accordance with these feelings that he asked leave to introduce this bill. It consisted of two clauses, but, in reality, there was only one, the second being a proviso to the first--the one abolishing church rates altogether, and the other re serving them where they had been subverted to other objects, until the charges to which they were by statute applicable were extinguished or otherwise met. It was admitted on all hands that the law could not remain in itspresent state and he thought he had shown conclusively that no mode was so desirable as entire abolition. He appealed to gen tlemen who were members of the Church whether the time had not arrived to relieve themselves from the reproach of not having sufficient earnestness and sincerity in their at tachment to the Church of which they professed to be members, even to maintain the fabrics which the piety of our ancestors had raised. Was it not time that they should show themselves too proud, if not too honest, to call upon those who did not use them to contribue to the expense of maintaining these places of worship? (Hear, hear.) Was it not time to close this perennial spring of bitter waters, to stop this source of acrimonious feeling, and to abolish an impost, collected in the name of religion, but opposed to every feeling which religion inspired ? He saw no reason why there should not be peace. Churchmen and Dissenters both professed to belong to a religion of peace; why should not harmony exist? The field of harvest was wide enough for all, and why should they not pursue with goodwill to wards each other their glorious vocation—to instruct, to enlighten, to elevate, and to humanise ? (Cheers) There were abundant and sufficient reasons for mutual respect. Churchmen should not forget that they owed to their Non conformist fellow-citizens, or rather to their predecessors, not only religious but civil freedom. (Hear, hear.) They should not forget that they h a d r es i s t e d th e blandishments of power and endured the wrongs of persecution. Noncon formists should not forgot that the Established Church was the firmest bulwark of the Protestant faith. They should not forget that whatever faults they might find with it, its existence afforded stability as well as dignity to every va riety of the Protestant religion. The war into which by terrible necessity we had been driven, had had the effect of preventing almost every project of amelioration, but ho would fain hope that this measure would pass. The hon. gentleman concluded by moving for leave to introduce the bill. we have again two plans laid before us, not precisely, how ever, those of last year. One of them originates with my hon. friend (Mr. Packs), and I am quite sure he brings it forward with an earnest and sincere desire to satisfy all classes of the comnunity. (Hear, hear.) But I confess, looking at his preposition, which provides an exemption from the payment of certain temporary expenses—l con fess it appears to me that the distinction drawn is too minute to give satisfaction to those who object to be taxed at all. For I would impress upon the house that this question has never been raised as one of money. If I take the total amount that is raised from the noncon formists, I believe that at the very highest computation it has never exceeded 200,0001. Tee amount, therefore, becomes a totally insignificant one when the question of feeling is taken into account. (Hear, hear.) The question throughout, it cannot be concealed, has not been one of money, but one of principle. (Hear, hear.) And that being so, I believe that if we continue to uphold our old law—if we are still to resort to the old machinery of imposing a rate—although we may diminish its amount— although in other ways we may alleviate the amount of the pecuniary burden—that the daily objection on the ground of principle will not be removed, and that all that will have been done will be to render our rate less produc tive in amount, though no way less objectionable on the ground of feelin g . (Hear, hear.) Well, then, the propo sition brought forward last year by the hon. and learned member for Tavistock (Mr. Phillinaore) was founded, in some respects, upon a different principle. It proposed the entire exemption from church rates of those who did not belong to the Church. Now, I believe that there was nothing in that proposal which could be called unfair or unreasonable. I confess I cannot see anything of the character of hardship or persuasion in simply calling upon men—not so much to make a declaration of their religious opinions —but to declare whether they intend to use the church or not, and if they do they must pay for it. So far as my own opinions are concerned, I think that a compromise might be effected ; but the re sult will be, whether such a measure be passed or not, that in a few years the principle of collecting those rates will be abandoned, and a different system will be resorted to. (Hear, hear.) But the proposition of the hon. and learned member for Tavistock was not received by this house ; and inasmuch as it was not brought forward again this year, I regard it as being entirely out of the question. The only alternatives we have to consider are these—we may keep the law as it - but that, I a p pre h en d , i s not d es i re d b y anybody. Well, then, we may adopt the proposition of the hon. and learned member for Tavistock, to which I have referred ; but I confess I think that this proposition would not produce the effect he anticipates—that of satisfying the claim of nonconformists. There is, then, a third course—namely, that which is proposed by the hon. baronet. It is proposed to settle this question for all interests in the way in which one-half of England has already settled it. Sir, I think that the hon. baronet has exercised a wise discretion in not attempting to de termine from what sources these funds are to be taken which are to replace church rates. In regard to the ex penses of the Church, it is proposed that they should be defrayed from the lands of the Church. Now, that is a plan which I think is surrounded with considerable diffi culty. In the first place, we hardly know the amount or value of that property. In the next place, it is wanted for many other ecclesiastical purposes. And, lastly, and in my mind the most important consideration is—it appears to me a very objectionable principle to say that you will provide for local wants and local circumstances out of the general central fund. Whether the contribution be volun tary or obligatory, I think that it is a sound principle to say that every place shall pay the expenses of its own re quirements. (Hear.) The proposed measure of the hon. baronet omit s t o d ea l w i th thi4 part Of the question. It simply declares the abandonment of the principle of a com pulsory rate. Well, sir, I think that the time has come when that abandonment is necessary. (Cheers from the dissenters.) I do not say that the doctrine of the ne w system, of this voluntary system, is altogeth er f ree f rom risks and diffi cu l t i es. Those risks and difficulties have been alluded to already. I see them as cLarly as any hon. member here ; but I believe that there is no option now left us. I believe that the country has already decided this question ; and I am of opinion that it is our duty and best wisdom to acquiesce in that decision. (Cheers.) Mr. CROSSLEY said he thought that the measures should not only relieve dissenters from the payment of church rates, but also infidels, who would perhaps be in duced to ret urn t o th e f a ith if those unjust exactions were given up. Mr. PHILIPPS said, he had a great wish to see this question amicably settled. He had great faith in the volun tary principle for the building of churches, but he confessed that he had no such faith in that principle for the repairs of churches. Living in a country where the Church was not only exposed to moral difficulties, but wheredissenters were very numerous, and churchmen very poor, when the churches were going rapidly to decay, he felt it impossible to overrate the enormous advantages of having a fund ap plicable to the dilapidations of churches which were con tinually occurring. That was a difficulty for which he saw no remedy in any alteration of the law. Under those cir cumstances, he could not support the measure of the hon. baronet. THE.SUN, LONDON, WEDNESDAY EVENING, MAY 24, 1854. LONDON GAZPITTE OF LAST NIGHT. LORD CEAMBERLAIN'S-OFFICE, APRIL 18. Notice is Lereby given, that her Majesty will hold a Levee, at St. James's Palace, on Friday, the 9th June next, at two o'3lock. ST. JAMES'S PALACE, MAY 22. _ • • -- • The Queen has been pleased to appoint Major George Howard lryso, )f the Second Regiment of Life Guards, to be one of the Gentlemen Ushers Quarterly Waiters in Ordinary to Lei Majesty, in the room of Edward Hob house, Esq., deceased. FOREIGN-OFFICE, MAY 18. The Queen has been pleased to approve of Mr. John Albert Bencke as Consul at Liverpool for his Majesty the King of WurtErberg. DOWNING-STREET, MAY 20. The Queen ias been pleased to appoint William Young, Esq., to be Attorney-General ; Lewis Mr. Wilkins, Esq., to he Provincial Secretary ; William A. Henry, Esq., to be Solicitor-Gene-al ; and James B. Uniacke, Esq., to be Commissionerof Crown Lands—for the Province of Nova Scotia. Her Majesty has also been pleased to appoint William Henry Rawstcrne, Esq., to be Postmaster for the Island of Mauritius. HORSE GUARDS, MAY 19. The Qneen has been pleased, on the recommendation of the General Commanding-in-Chief, to appoint Charles James Lindarl, Esq., late Lieutenant Rifle Briga,le, to be one of her Mljesty's Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms, vice Taylor, deceased. OFFICE OF ORDNANCE, MAY 22 - _ . Royal Regiment of Artillery—Second Lieuenant Henry Thomas Arbuthnot to be First Lieutenant, vice Winn, re tired, May 16 COMMISSIONS SIGNED BY LORD LIEUTENANTS. County of .southampton—Edgar Atheling Drummond, Esq., to be Daputy-Lieutenant, May 15. Hampshire Militia Artillery—Edward Gocdove Goble, Gent., to be first Lieutenant; Albert Newby Clay, Gent., to be Second Lieutenant, April 3. Royal Cornwall and Davon Miners Regiment of Militia. —Reuben Frelerick Magor, Gent., to be Second Lieuten ant, May 2. Regiment of Royal London Benwell Letts, Gent., to be Ensign, May 19. Royal Montgomeryshire Rifle Corps of Militia—First Lieutenant John Hayward Jenkins to be Captain, vice John Edward Harryman Pryce, promoted • Second Lieu tenant John Matthew Jones to be First Lieutenant, vice Jenkins, promoted, May 22. Denbighshire Yeomanry Cavalry Cornet Richard Wakeford Atiree to be Lieutenant, vice Williams, re signed. The Lord Ciancellor has appointed Henry Berry, Vern lam-buildings, Gray's-inn, to be a Commissioner for ad ministering oaths in the High Court of Chancery. BANKRUPTS. George Saunders, gas-fitter, Seymour-street, Euston square, to surender, June 2 and July 7, at twelve, at the Court of Bankruptcy. Canaan, official assignee, Alder inanbury ; Ttiomson and Son, George-street, Minories. Charles Fitton, joiner, Newton Heath, Lancaster, June 3 and 30, at twelve, at the Manchester District Court. Hernaman, official assignee, Manchester ; Whitworth, Manchester. William Biadley George, bill broker, Gloucester, June 5, and July 3, at eleven, at the Bristol District Court. Acraman, official assignee, Bristol ; Bretherton, Glou cester. Robert Burr, boot and shoemaker, Gosport, June 1, and July 6, at one, at the Court of Bankruptcy. Johnson, official assignee ; Burr, Paternoster-row. Thomas Fin !hett and William Finchett, brewers, Chorl ton-upon-Medlock, Manchester, June 14 and July 5, at twelve, at the Manchester District Court. Fraser, official assignee, Manchester ; Higson and Robinson, Manchester. Thomas Hoy Burton, cowkeeper and dairyman, Win chester, June 2, and July 7, at eleven, at the Court of Bankruptcy. Caunan, official assignee, Aldermanbury ; Wood, Aldersgate-street ; Woolridge, Winchester. John Jackson, commission agent, Kingston-upon-Hull, June 7, and July 3, at twelve, at the Leeds District Court. Carrick, official assignee, Hull ' • Preston, Hull. William Wright, b u t c h er , Thetford, May 31, at two o'clock, and July 5, at half-past two, at the Court of Bank ruptcy. Stansfold, official ass i gnee ; Houghton and James son' Gray's-inn. Joseph Best, jun., scrivener, Kidderminster, June 6 and 22, at ten, at the Birmingham District Court. Bittleston, official assignee, Birmingham ; Roberts, Gray's-inn ; Reece, Birmingham. James Hunt, builder, Lupus-street, Pimlico, May 31, at one, and July 5, at two, at the Court of Bankruptcy. Graham, official assignee ; Fitch, Southampton-street, Bloomsbury. Thomas Holland, tobacco broker, Islington, June 1, at one, and July 6, at twelve, at the Court of Bankruptcy. Bell, official assignee, Coleman-street-buildings; Eagleton, Newgate-street. William Johnson, butcher, Bradford, Junel3, and July 4, at eleven, at the Leeds District Court. Hope, official assignee, Leeds • Terry and Watson, Bradford; Bond and Warwick, Leeds. Richard Bond, builder, Brighton, June 2, at one, and July 8, at eleven, at the Court of Bankruptcy. Whitmore, official assignee, Basinghall-street ; Barrow and Clarke, Bloomsbury-square. Hugh Eldrid, grocer, Oxford, May 30, at half-past two, and July 3 (and not June 3, as advertised in the Gazette of the 19th inst.), at two, at the Court of Bankruptcy. Lee, official assignee, Moorgate-street ; Skynner, Coleman street. themselves. (Hear, hear.) Was that any reason why they should be exonerated from providing that which was for the common benefit of all ? (Hear, hear.) He thought it would be quite as reasonable that a particular division of a county should disclaim the use of a particular county bridge, and expect to be exempt from contributing to wards keeping it in repair. (Hear, hear.) Church rates were a charge upon the land. (Hear, hear.) Nothing but the merest quibble could represent it otherwise, and as the present owners of the lands of this country had acquired them subject to the charge, they had not, either in law or in equity, anything like a claim to be relieved from it. Mr. GARDNER was of opinion that this vexed ques tion could never be satisfactorily settled by any measure in the nature of a compromise. It appeared that the ob ligation of which the hon. member opposite had spoken rested on the common law, or on custom, and this might have been all very well when the Established Church was really, and not nominally, the Church of the nation. It was all very well to say that the churches were open to all, if all chose to attend them ; but all did not choose to attend them, and how were they to com p e l them to do it ? Church rates, he believed, were unknown in any other country, yet the Church of England was the richest establishment in the world, and was very far in deed from deserving, at the last census had shown, the name of a national establishm en t. W as it worth the while of the Church to keep alive a feeling of irritation, not only among dissenters, but in the country generally, for the sake of this paltry sum ? (Hear, hear.) He was afraid that churchmen forgot their own interest, that they thought to have a perpetual lease of power and pre-emi nence, and that they were like the jovial clergymen de scribed by Goldsmith, who met together and resolved that they would go on preaching to the world, and that the world should go on paying for their preaching, whether they liked it or not. (Hear, hear.) He thought our whole ecclesiastical system was rotten at the core—that it would be wholly impossible to maintain it on its present foundation—that it was very unwise to go on irritating the dissenters—and that the opposition which he antici pated would be offered on all sides to the introduction of this bill was an indication of the blindnass and infatuation which precipitated the downfall of eveiT institution which had outlived the necessities and the circumstances of the times in which it was founded, and had ceased to be in harmony with the spirit of the age. He hoped his hon. friend, although he might be beaten now, would persevere until his object was attained. Mr. PACKE admitted the necessity of legislation on this subject. (Hear, hear.) If this were simply a question between one set of people worshipping in one place, and another set of people worshipping in another place, he might be inclined to vote with the hon. baronet for the total abolition of church rates. (Hear.) But this was not the question. (Hear.) The real question was this—here was an establishment which had existed now for above a thousand years, for the benefit of all classes of the people—a national establishment—by which ho understood an establishment supported by the nation for the national good. (Hear, hear.) The difference between a clergyman of the Church of England and a dissenting minister was this--that the clergyman had the cure of all the souls in his parish. (Hear, hear, and oh, oh.) Whether they chose to avail themselves of his ministrations or not was another point ; but this was the duty for which he was paid—for visiting the sick, for burying the dead, for solemnizing marriages, and for performing religious offices, in every way, for the whole parish, whereas a dissenting minister was attached only to a particular congregation. (Hear, hear.) It was the duty of the nation to provide places of worship for those who were too poor to provide them for themselves . ; and he apprehended that every per son in the kingdom derived benefit from the existence of .establishments in which these poor'p'eople might be taught some principles of religion. < (Hear, hear.) There were some, also, who did not attend any place of worship, not because they were poor, but from causes within their own control ; and it was the duty of a Christian nation to pro vide the means of worship for such as these, whether they chose to avail themselves of the el or not. In the parish of Marylebone, alone, he had learnt that there were more people attending public-houses on the Sunday than the aggregate congregations of all the places of worship in the palish. (Hear.) According to the census, on the par ticular Sunday for which the returns relating to religious worship had been o bt a i ne d , th e num b er who attended no place of worship, who were not hindered by age, or occu pation, or illness, was 5,288,294. (Hear, hear.) Now for these the nation ought to make such provision as that the means of religious worship should, at all events, be placed within their reach. (Hear.) In the bill which he had prepared upon this subject, he disclaimed all inten tions of insulting the Nonconformists, in endeavouring to ascertain who were Dissenters and who were churchmen. (Hear.) The hon. baronet's proposition ho understood to be a proposition to abolish church rates, and not to propose any substitute or modification of the law. A. division of the Church property had been suggested ; but supposing the revenues of the Church to be equally divided, the amount for each clergyman would not exceed 3001. a year, and no one would consider that too large an amount for a gentleman of education; and as the population in creased, the churches must increase also, so that, according to that scheme, the provision for the clergy would diminish year by year. Another remedy suggested was that of pew rents. Now that would strike at the root of the object of the Church of England, for the establishment of pew rents in small parishes would altogether prevent the poor from frequenting the church. Although Parliament had secured the clergy their incomes, and voted sums for the building of churches, it was now proposed to stop short, and say, " We will not keep in repair the churches which jlave been built sent of thefutids of the nation." The hon. membet fo- Norwich said that many personf were obliged to pay towards the support of a religion of which they did not ap prove. He (Mr. Packe) admitted that many persons did not approve of the doctrines preached in the Church, but how many of the different dissenting denominations dis sented from each other ? The largest denomination next to the Church were the Wesleyans, and they were not averse to church rates, and not considering their abolition desir able, he should vote against the introduction of the bill. Mr. BIGGS said the dissenters considered the church rate an unjust impost and an abstraction of money from one set of religionists for the support of the worship of another. The levying of church rates was a source of con stant annoyance. Two years ago, when he was Mayor of Leicester, it became his duty to issue a number of distress warrants, but he solved the difficulty by paying the church rates himself. He w a s g l a d t o say th a t in five of the parishes in Leicester church rates had been abolished, but this had not been done without a great struggle and the manifestation of much ill feeling amongst different parties. To show the inconvenience sometimes occasioned by the imposition of church rates, he might mention that on one occasion, when he was dining with a party, a num ber of distress warrants were brought to the table for the signature of a magistrate, and that magistrate actually had to affix his name to a distress warrant against the host at whose table he was sitting. (Hear, hear.) Two thirds of the population had escaped from the pale of the Church of England, and the moral loss to that Church from the enforcement of the church rate law was greater than was generally imagined. When the Church of Eng land was the richest Church in the world, was it worth while to continue an impost which tended to increase the alienation from the Church which already existed? (Hear, hear.) If he were a Churchman, he would support the entire abolition of church rates. He maintained that those who supported the abolition of church rates were the best friends of the Church, and he felt convinced that the Dissenters of Leicester would erect a monument to the memory of the man who should succeed in procuring them their abolition. (Hear, and laughter.) Captain SCOBELL supported the motion of the honour able member for the Tower Hamlets, being desirous to see church rates abolished as church rates. It had been said that the churches were open to the rich and the poor. That was true. But if the poor went to church, where were they to sit? (Hear, hear.) In one-half of the churches in the kingdom there were no seats for them, and it was, therefore, worse than a deception to talk of the Church of England as a national Church. Nothing would be so beneficial to the Church as the redistribution of its wealth for the good of the Church. The great blot on the Church was the unequal distribution of that wealth. (Hear, hear.) He should like to see the pious man put forward rather than the man possessing the greatest influence, and the resources of the Church so employed as to produce the greatest amount of good to the country and to itself. (Hear, hear.) With respect to church rates he saw no way so short, so effectual, and so certain of arriving at a desirable result as their total abolition as church rates, and he thought they might be dealt with in a way which he had never yet heard suggested. He could not forget that the land had for centuries been bought and sold subject to church rates, and that they were ingrained into the value of the land, and he did not see how they could be severed from the land ; and those who advocated their total abolition ought to remember that those who had the most land would re ceive the most benefit from such a measure. (Hear, hear.) Now he would abolish church rates as such, but would appropriate the sum thus raised to the purposes of educa tion, either in an aggregate sum as a fund for the whole nation, or for the support of the schools in the particular places where the rate should be collected. All parties would thus benefit from the rate, and he believed that those who grudged the payment of a sum. for church rates would cheerfully pay it in the shape of a school rate. (Hear, hear.) Lord STANLEY said—Sir, I confess I do not quite un derstand the proposition of the hon. and gallant gentle. man that has just addressed us. (Hear, hear.) He says, I believe, in effect, that he does altogether desire the aboli tion of church rates, but that they should be transferred to another purpose. However, it is not my intention to occupy the attention of the house for more than a few minutes, be cause all the arguments used have been very much of one kind. I must say, so far as the Nonconformists and those who object to church rates are concerned, I do not think that the legislation of this house is of very much import ance, because if Parliament were only to leave the public alone for fouror five years more I believe it would be found at the end of that time that the question had settled itself. The real hardship, therefore, is not with those who object to paying rates, but it lies rather here, that there is al ways a great public disadvantage in our maintaining upon the statute book a law which the stateof public feeling renders inoperative. (Hear, hear.) And in addition to this there is involved the great hardship of throwing upon those who are officially responsible for the maintenance of the churches the necessity of resorting to a rate, and of adopt ing a course which can only be taken at the risk of creating great disturbance and afeeling. Still, in many cases, not withstanding such consequences, they were compelled to have resort to a rate, because if they merely proposed a voluntary assessment they would be told, "you need not come upon us in this way, for you have a legal provision to meet your wants." Now, what is the present state of the church rate law ? We cannot deny that the po sition of the question had changed since last year, in consequence of ; the decision in the Braintree case. Up to that time it was supposed there was a power to compel parishes to maintain their churches, and of punishment in case of its non performance. That led to rates being granted without any dispute in many parishes, where otherwise disputes and differences would infallibly have occurred. That state of things is now, however, at an end, and the consequence is, that the dis cussions which for some years had been checked are now revived in many pits of the country. Indeed many of the most Conservative boroughs of the country —many whose feelings of attachment to the Church are very strong, have, nevertheless, refused to im pose church rates. (Hear, hear.) Such, then, is the present state of things; and there appears every proba bility of its lasting, although I believe the question will be ultimately settled in some few years in every borough of the kingdom. That, however, is a result not to be attained without:a, great deal of disputation and discontent. (Hear.) For as to the church rate law in itself, I do not suppose that any one will deny that it involves a great anomaly, and has done so ever since the existence of dissent was recog nised by the civil law. And I have no doubt that so far as the exemption of dissenters is concerned that the majority of this h ouse i s in favour of such a propos i t i on. But when we di scussed the question last, it so happened that two o t i le iifferut plan s were proposed—one resem bli ng th a t w hi c h hon. baron e t h as this evening rev i ved ; the movers of each, however, di sapprov i ng of the other ' s proposa l . I n consequence, theref ore of the difference of opinion pre vailing, the w h o l e question fell to the ground. ..t present struction, and from consenting at once to any steps that they think may avert such destruction. Now, I cannot but consider that these prognostics are of a serious nature, and I cannot confide in the assurances hon. members give us that if church rates were abolished all sorts of and of dissension would cease; and that with regard to all other prerogatives and privileges of the Church there would be perfect acquiescence and contentment, and the Church might look forward to a state of happy and prosperous tranquillity. I confess I have no such antics ations. The Church has various exclusive privileges. It has the privi lege of a high position. It is established in the country, and is protected by Parliament. Its prelates have alone the right of seats in one of the houses of Parliament, and on every occasion we find that those who differ from that Church complain of its exclusive privileges, and its high position in the country. Now, lam not saying that those feelings are unnatural, nor am I arguing that they are unreasonable at this moment. But all I do venture to argue, and all experience supports me, is, that you can not expect when you remove this one source of dissen sion to have that tranquillity and contentment which have been prophesied by my hon. friend. On the contrary I be lieve that this is one of a series of attacks that will be fol lowed by other attacks of the same nature. (Hear.) If your principle is concession and nothing but concession— if on every occasion you purchase peace by adopting this course—l must say that lam not prepared to say how far you will be obliged to go in this direction. At the same time lam very far from being ignorant of the difficulties that beset this question of church rates. We cannot deny that the state of the law is most unsatisfactory, and that the remedies which prevail under that law give rise to scenes scandalous in themselves, and occasion amongst the various religious sects in this country. Well, this is practically true. While no man can deny that such is the state of the law, Ido not myself see that you are likely to obtain any settlement of this question which shall be at all satisfactory unless you take it into your consideration what are the present rights of the Church, and that you make your settlement upon a fair basis. (Hear.) I have heard of a settlement on this basis, and an hon. gentleman opposite, who has introduced a bill upon the subject, has adopted such basis—namely, that those who dissent from the Church should be registered as Dis senters, and, being so registered, that there should be a certain portion of the church rates to which they should not be obliged to contribute. Such was in a great part the mea sure of ley hon. and learned friend behind me (Mr.Phillim ore). Well, I admit there is much to tempt one in this principle. I own, however, I cannot but think that very serious evils would follow hereafter from the distinctions that would be thus set up between Churchmen and Dissenters. (Hear.) One hon. gentleman has gone through some statistics in regard to the Church. He has, however, I think, shown not exactly that which he intended. It may no doubt be true that the Church has no very great absolute majority in the country, but it is quite evident that it has a very considerable majority over eve:y other religion, The hon. member has no doubt shown that there are great bodies frequenting dissenting places of worship ; but there are many of those dissenting places of worship attended by a most numerous and respectable sect called Wesleyans, who profess no hostility to the Church, and who, while they purchase their lands and build their churches out of their own resources, declare that they have no desire to injure the Established Church. They think that Divine service upon the Sunday should be attended to by the members of the Established Church ; but they also think that they ought to have dissenting chapels built for their own particular form of worship. (Hear, hear.) I think it would be a very great calamity if you obliged those parties to say whether or not they were Dissenters, and thereby put them in a position of antagonism to the Church, which they did not themselves wish to occupy. Such being the case, lam disposed to think it would be far better that we should not now attempt during the re mainder of this session to find a solution of this very diffi cult problem. Ido not think it would be wise—l do not think it would be consistent with the position which the Established Church holds in this country that you should totally abolish church rates. (Hear, hear.) My hon. friend says—" Let me abolish church rates, and you are at per fect liberty to find some provision afterwards for the re pair of churches." That is a very convenient proposal for my hon. friend's purpose; but I cannot forget that, what ever may be the present division of religious opinion in this country, those churches are, after all, national struc tures. They were intended to serve the purposes of a national church ; and the maintenance, at all events, of those fabrics appears to be a national object. I think it ought to be your first provision, and not your last, to en-. devour to find some mode of maintaining those churches, and having found that mode, it would be most agreeable to every one to see that this particular species of support— namely, church rates —which is the cause of vexation and ill-will, being no longer necessary, was by common consent to be abolished. But as the question stands at present I certainly am not prepared to give my willing consent to the total and entire abolition of those church rates with oct any substitute, and without any compensation. (Hear.) If a division should now take place upon the subject, I must, in consistency with my opinions, give a vote against the introduction of this measure. (Hear.) The house is not very full, and it may be that my hon. friend may bo successful in:his motion for leave to introduce his bill; but as his principle is clearly declared I should feel more at liberty, if he were to succeed upon this occasion, in opposing) the second reading of the measure, after having declared my obj ec ti ons t o ' it i n th e b eg i nn i ng , thanif I had silently allowed it to be introduced. It is not, after all, of vital interest to the Church that this amount of revenue should be collected in the way in which it is now collected, or that it should be applied exactly in the way in which it has hitherto been applied. Notwith standing all that has been said of the falling fortunes of the Church, I have that belief in the attachment of the majority of the people of this country to that Church, that even if it pleased Parliament totally to abolish these church rates, I think means would be found (cheers and counter cheers) by the landowners, by the gentry, and by men of all orders who belong to the Church, to supply the revenue which would then be wanted. (Hear, hear.) It is not, therefore, from a belief that the Church would by the mere abstraction of so much revenue fall into decay, that I am opposed to legislation of this kind ; but I do think that if such a bill were to pass both Houses of Par liament, it would be a symptom that Parliament was not disposed to give that support to the Established Church which it has hitherto afforded it. I think that a concession upon this point, without the smallest considera tion of other means of settling the question—of what was the state of the law—of what was due to the Church—l think that such a concession—that such an absolute sur render of the claims of the Church, would be a symptom that in any future attacks on the same establishment the assailants would be likely to obtain the support of Parlia ment. (Hear, hear.) I cannot, therefore, assent to the proposal that is now before us. Whether or not my oppo sition to this motion may be successful to-night, I feel assured that a bill of this kind cannot pass through Parliament in the present session. (Hear, hear.) I think that the question, surrounded as it is with difficulty, requires further consideration. I have no doubt that a measure might be framed—and such a mea sure has already been repeatedly under the consideration of governments in this country—which would meet thejustice of the case, and which, if it were passed, would greatly tend to diminish, at all events, the popular complaints which are made against church rates. But that such a measure would pass through Parliament I own I have very great doubts. lam afraid that no measure could be found which would not meet with the opposition either of the Church on the one side or of the Dissenters on the other. I am afraid that it will be, not only difficult, but almost impossible to frame a measure which, founded on prin ciples of justice and impartiality, would meet with general approval and support. I know the pains that are taken by those who agitate the country, whether they belong to the Church or whether they belong to the dissenting bodies —I know the pains that are taken to defeat measures which seem measures of compromise and of equal justice to both parties. I have found with regard to measures which I thought most beneficial to the Church, that a hot oppo sition has been offered to them on the part of the Church, and that those measures have been almost defeated by that opposition; and I am bound to confess, on the other hand, that measures which I thought beneficial to the Dissenters, but which in their opinion tended to give too much to the Church, have been vehemently opposed on their parts. In fact, we live in times when these differ ences—differences sometimes on points of Church govern ment which are not very considerable in themselves, and differences at other times on questions of the greatest im portance with regard to religious belief—l say we live in times when differences of one or other of these characters divide this country and produce the most violent excite ment, and an exhibition of the greatest array of party passion and antagonism. Such being the case, I am not sanguine with regard to the success of any measure which the Government might frame, and which they might hope to introduce in another session of Parliament. But this I will say, that I should think that if I were to give my willing assent to a bill for totally abolishing church rates, without any sort of compensation or any sort of mo dification, I should be setting the example of a concession very dangerous to the Church Establishment, and when I say the Church Establishment, I believe I may say to the general interests of the country. (Cheers.) The house then divided— For the introduction of the bill Against it Majority The announcement of the numbers was followed by con siderable cheering. Leave was then given to bring in the bill, and it was subsequently read a first time. The Industrial and Provident Societies Bill passed through committee. The Church-building Acts Amendment Bill, as amended, was considered and agreed to. The report of the committee of ways and means was re ceived. STAMP ACTS. The report on this bill was brought up and received. INCOME TAX (No. 2) BILL. The Income Tax (No. 2) Bill, and Consolidated Fund (8,000,0001.) Bill, were severally brought up and read a first time ; the latter being ordered for second reading to-morrow (this day). The house adjourned at a few minutes after 10 o'clock. [ADVERTISEMENT.] -- EPSOM RACES. SPORTS MEN.—Her Majesty's Royal Letters Patent, for valu able and extraordinary improvements in the most powerful and brilliant Telescopes, Camp, Racecourse, Opera, and Perspective Glasses, to know the dis tances of objects viewed through them—of great im portance to the army, navy, and others. Messrs. S. and B. Solemons, opticians, 39, Albemarle-street, Piccadilly. Observe—opposite the York Hotel.--These telescopes pos sess such extraordinary powers that some, 34 inches, with an extra eye-piece, will show disti nc tly J u pit er ' s moo ns, Saturn's ring, an d the double stars ; with the same tele scope can be seen a person's countenance three miles and a half distant, and an object from 12 to 14 miles. They are of larger and all sizes, with increasing powers accordingly.— The Royal Exhibition, 1851. - Valuable, newly-invented, very small, powerful waistcoat-pocket glass the size of a walnut, by which a person can be seen and known mile distant ; they answer every , purpose on the race-course, at the opera-houses country sce nery, and s hi ps are clearly seer at 12 to 14 miles. They are invaluable for shooting, deer-stalking, yachting, to sport smen, gentlemen, gamekeepers, and tourists. Opera, race-course, camp, and perspective glasses, with wonderful power; an object can be clearly seen from 10 to 12 miles distant. Newly-invented. Spectacles ; immediately they are placed before extremely imperfect vision, every object becomes clear and distinct; the most aged, de fective sight is brought to its youthful, natural, and ori ginal state. Deafness—New Discovery—The Organic Vi brator, an extraordinary powerful. small, newly-invented instrument, for Deafness, entirely different from all others, to surpass anything of the kind that has been, or pro bably ever can be, produced. Being of the same colour as the skin, is not perceptible ; it enables deaf persons to he ar d istinctly at church and at public as :serablies ; the unpleasant sensation of singing noise s iu ' the ears is entirely removed; and it affords all the assist ance that possibly could be desired.-39, Albemarlo.street, Piccadilly. Observe, opposite the York hotel. Mr. R. PHILLIMORE, who was met by loud cries of " divide, divide," said he had heard the speech of the noble lord opposite with great pleasure. As the noble lord had made allusion to the motion he (Mr. Phillimore) made last year, he felt that he was called upon to make a few obser vations. He thought that honourable members should be cautious in voting for a measure abolishing church rates altogether without providing any substitute for them. They should remember that, upon the other side of the Tweed, church rates Were paid 'by a large body of dissen ters who had made no appeal to Parliament. He had not the slightest intention in his proposition of inflicting the least degree of pain upon the conscientious convictions of those who differed from the Established Church. He had on the 27th of March voted conscientiously upon the question that the Roman Catholics of Ireland should be exempted from the payment of ministers' money, and there was hardly one nonconformist in that house who did not vote for the same proposition. By the measure which he proposed last year a man was not called upon to declare his religious tenets or doctrines, but simply to declare whether he made use of the church or not ; and in case he did make use of it, he was ballad to pay for it. Could anything be more fair, just, or' reasonable ? He was so anxious to have this matter settled, and was so desirous for the peace and welfare of the Church, and that it should not receive any support from the dissenters, that he would consent to any proposition that NI as likely to relieve it from that difficulty. Although he was anxious to exempt from this burden all such as entertained conscientious objections to the church rates, he could see no reason whatever why church men should not pay those rates. So far from con- ' gratulating ourselves that so many churches had been built, we ought to take shame to ourselves that double the num ber had not been built, and that double the amount of money had not been subscribed. He was one of the last men to consent to any part of that money being applied to relieving the wealthy churchmen from the obligation im posed upon them by the law as well as their own con sciences. The Church should, however, be the place in which all distinctions should be forgotten, and the last place in which those distinctions should be kept up in the most offensive manner. For those reasons he was ready to relieve dissenters, but not churchmen, from the payment of church rates. Mr. H. DRUMMOND believed it was of much less im portance whether a few more or a few less belonged to the respective sects than that they should really understand the essence of the question upon which they were going to vote. It was impossible after what they had heard, and es pecially after the speech of the noble lord (Stanley) not to see that this question was far more extensive than the payment of a few pounds in the shape of church rates by dissenters. It was perfectly plain from the language held this night, that every argument used against the payment of church rates was equally valid against the support of the Established Church. (Hear.) It was very easy to talk about the delight of brethren dwelling together in unity and peace When Edward GibbonWakefleld was in Newgate, he found amongst the thieves there was the same opinion as to the origin of their trouble. And that origin was the magis trates, the judges, and the police. (Laugter.) Now, hon. gentlemen who oppose the church rates think that the mat ter could be amicably settled if they were allowed to rob the church with impunity. (No, no, from the diss en t ers .) Why they talked of the necessity of this matter being ami cably settled, an d yet there was not one of them who talked of any other settlement whatever but an absolute refusal to pay. (Hear, hear.) Well, if that was not having their own way and a robbery of the Church withimpunity, he confessed he was at a loss to understand anything. People were very fond of talking of their consciences, and he had no objection to their indulging themselves in such a way, but there was always a secret insinuation made that no one else had a conscience. (Hear, hear, and laughter). In all the countries in the world of which we have any record we find that the Sovereign of that country did establish, for the benefit of the subjects, a national reli gion. That national religion was necessarily the religion of the Sovereign. That was their conscientious duty to do, and the conscientious duty of every subject of the Sove reign was to assist that Sovereign in upholding all that was necessary for the religious instruction of the subjects gene rally. (Hear.) But hon. members said that this blessed thing called dissent should be exempted from the payment of church rates. They should, however, recollect that peo ple must pay for luxuries. They could not keep a pack of hounds or a box at the Opera without expense. (Laugh. ter.) How could they expect to have the luxury of amus ing sermons from the bishop, or of attacking the Church Establishment, without paying the miserable pittance of a church rate. (Cries of "Oh, oh.") But this was not all. He said, with respect to church rates, wh a t h e h a d sa id with respect to tithes, that there was a great cry for their abolition, but the meaning of that was that every landlord should put one-tenth more property into his pocket than he had a right to. (Hear, hear.) If they abo lished tithe let the State take it. He said the same in re spect to church rates ' • f o r they bought their houses and their lands subject to those burdens, and they should not put these monies into their own pockets. Let the Chan cellor of the Exchequer take them—they belong to the State. If their consciences would not allow them to pay this money to the State, he should still suspect that these were not questions of conscience, but of money after all. Lord J. RUSSELL—Sir, I have not much addressed the house upon this subject. It has been very frequently brought before us, and I think the ground of it is hardly, changed in the course of the various discussions that have taken place. It was during the Government of Lord Grey a proposition was made to abolish church rates, but at the same time to give the sum of 250,0001. from the Con solidated Fund for the repairs of the churches ; and like wise that there should be the means found for what is called the furniture of the Church. In 1837 a bill was pro posed by the Government to which I belonged, by w hi c h a certain p or ti on of t h e reven ue of the Church was to be taken for the repairs of churches instead of the church rates. Both of those measures were, however, violently opposed. The first was violently opposed by the Dissenters, who got up au agitation on the subject, and Lord Althorp found it impossible to proceed with it. The second mea sure was opposed by much vehemence and pertinacity, and the archde a c ons th roug hout the country got petiti ons circulated every w h ere w hich were numerously signed against the measure. A division upon the subject took place in this house, and there being only a majority of five in favour of the measure, it was given up. I confess that the rejection of both of those proposals, which appe •red to me to have been framed in a fair and impartial spirit, has given ma but very slender hopes of any fair adjustment of this question being effected. (Hear.) It appears from what I heard to-night that there is as little disposition as there ever was at any former time to con sent to what is called a compromise upon this subject. Some hon. gentlemen approach the Church with every kind of blandishment with a view of inducing it to consent to to give up the church-rates. They say " Your church has the prettiest voice in the world; and if it exerted it for the purpose of persuasion, every one would at once yield to its influence." They say " If you would only drop that which you have got in your beak, the body that is opposed to you ;will be happy to take it." (Laughter.) There are others who approach the church in another tone alto gether. They say it is an institution that is rotten to the core ; it was opposed to the spirit of the age, and no thing but the blindness of the members of the Church pre vents them from seeing that that Ghluch i 9 doomed to de. DIVIDENDS DECLARED. Richard Walker, of Bury, Lancashire, clogger, a divi dend of 6id. in the pound, payable at 10, Union-street, Bury, on any Tuesday. Joseph Turner, of Bury, Lancashire, cotton weaver, a dividend of Id. in the pound, payable at 10, Union-street, Bury, on any Tuesday. William Fawcett, of Liverpool, merchant, fifth dividend of sd. in the pound, payable at 9, South Castle-street, Liverpool, on May 29, or any following Monday. Lilley and Ashmall, of Liverpool, merchants, first divi dend of 6d. in the pound, payable at 9, South Castle-street, Liverpool, on May 29, or any following Monday. William IHesketh, of Blackburn, Lancashire, cotton manufacturer, first dividend of 3s. 64d. in the pound, pay able at 45, George-street, Manchester, on June 13, or any following Tuesday. DIVIDENDS TO BE DECLARED. Richard Williams, of New Brentford, bOotmaker, June 14—William Livesey, of 13A, St. Alban's-terrace, Vaux hall-bridge-road, smith, June 14—John Masson, of Lime street-square, City, merchant, June 13—Henry Steel, of Norwich, tea dealer, June 14—Henry Wilson, jun., of 36, Old-street-road, currier, June 14—John Martindale, of New Bond-street, Hanover-square, wine merchant, June 13—Frederick Bhear, of George-yard, Lombard-street, City, hotel keeper, June 14—Thomas Barber, of Cam bridge, schoolmaster, June 14—William Bromley, of Gray's-inn-square, scrivener, June 13—Edwin Shaw, of Birmingham, pocket book maker, July I—J ames G ues t, of Manchester, cotton spinner, June 23 Joseph Howard, of Glossop, Derbyshire, cotton spinner, June 22 Thomas Wilson and Henry Corbett, of Madras, Manches ter, and Preston, June 22—Michael Wood and John Wild ing, Openshaw, Lancashire, boiler makers, also on the separate estate of Michael Wood, also on the separate estate of John Wilding, June 15—Joseph Mundell, sen., Netherbury, Dorsetshire, flax spinner, June 15—Richard George Daimond, Newton Abbott, Devonshire, stationer, June 15—Thomas Lamplugh, Great Driffield, Yorkshire, draper, June 14—Edwin Lilley, Kingston-upon-Hull, timber merchant, June 14. CERTIFICATES. James Henry Thomas Vaugha❑ Hughes, Westbourne• grove, Bayswater, chemist, June 15—Henry Steel, Nor• wich, tea dealer, June 14—Richard Brownlow, Manches. ter, gum manufacturer, June 17—Richard George Beesley, Manchester, cotton spinner, June 17. INSOLVENT PETITIONERS. William Nash Green, Birmingham, butcher—William Thomas Birmingham, brewer—Bryan Britton, Birming ham, tailor—George Hollingsworth, Birmingham, plumber —Daniel Grantham Birmingham, builder—William Ship pam, Mansfield, Nottinghamshire, baker—George Cooke, Nottingham, umbrella dealer—George Warsop, Notting ham, machinist—John Rogers, Poole, Dorsetshire, mas ter mariner - Dennis Crowley, Kidderminster, Worces tershire, grocer—George Bowden, Runcorn, Cheshire, joiner —John Rands, Rowell, Northamptonshire, publican —James Hercock, Rowell, Northamptonshire, wheelwright —Thomas Colegrove, South Newington, Oxfordshire, wheelwright. PARTNERSHIPS DISSOLVED. John Robert Reay, Richard Turner, and Heauma Sand ford, 75, Mark-lane, City, wine merchants—Alexander Jarvie and Samuel Farnan, 6, Mincing-lane, City—William Sellers and John Sell e r s , Leeds, tallow chandlers—Henry Jones and George R on k s ley, Sheffield, brassfounders—A. Stewart and Isaac Westmorland--Alfred Shepherd, Edwin Shepherd, and Walter Shepherd, Crane-court, confectioners (so far as regards Alfred Shepherd)—Thomas Brennand and James Hird, Wigan, Lancashire, butchers—Sarah Butler and James Robert Butler, Elm-street, Gray's-inn lane, wire weavers—John Josiah Garton and Frederick William Portbury, Exeter, ironmongers —John Townsend and Richard Rowland Minton, Liverpool, printing ink manufacturers —Joseph Dodgson and William Gill Kitching, Bradford, Yorkshire, stuff merchants—Christoph er Ch ar l es Baxter and James Richmond, 31, James-street, Covent garden, potato salesmen—James Allen and William Allen, Manchester, wine and spirit merchants—John Mellor and John Bradshaw, Stockport, Cheshire, paper stainers Thomas Hall and Isaac Hall, Oldham Lancashire, bobbin manufacturers—John Hill and William Henry Dudden, Paulton, Somersetshire, wine and spirit merchants. SCOTCH SEQUESTRATIONS. James Gay, grocer, Falkirk. Lowrie Miller, clothier, Glasgow. [ADVERTISEMENT.]—Du Barry's Delicious Revalenta- Arabica Food invariablyrestores health, without medicine, inconvenience, or expense, as it saves 50 times its cost in other remedies. We extract a few out of 50,000 testi menials of cures, which had resisted all medicines. C ure No. 180.—" Twenty-five years' nervousness, constipation, indigestion, and debility, from which I had suffered great misery, and which no medicine could remove or relieve, have been effectually cured by Du Barry's f oo d i n a very short time.—W. B. Reeve, Pool Anthony, Tiverton." Cure No. 4,203.—" Eight years' dyspepsia, nervousness, debility, with cramps, spasms and nausea, have been effectually removed by Du Barry's delicious food in a very short time.—R Cure ev. John 81 W. Flavell, Ridli ngton Rectory, Norfolk.' No. Not expected to live six days longer. I was cured by Du Barry's.admirable food. —Magdalena Purvis, Moffatt, Scotland." Cure No. 51,416. —" Fifty years' indescribable agony from dyspepsia, nervousness, asthma, cough, constipation, flatulency, spasms, sickness at the stomach and vomiting's, have been removed by Du B arry ' s excellent Food.—Maria Jolly, Wortham, Ling, near Diss, Norfolk." Cure No. 3,900. " Thirteen years' cough, indigestion, and general debility have been removed by Du Barry's excellent Food.—James Potter, Athol-street, Perth." Cure No. 81.—" Twenty years' liver complaint, with disorders of the stomach and nerves, have been perfectly cured by Du Barry's Revalenta Arabica.— Andrew Frazer, Raddington, East Lothian." " Trevagler, Gulval, near Penzance. Feb. 20th, 1851.—Eighteen years' nervous debility, violent palpitation of the heart, throb bing of the temples, violent pains in the left side and back, shortness of breath, coughs, numbess of the extremities, cramps, spaso,s, flatulency, retching, and such general weakness, that I was constantly fearful of falling when on my legs ; all these symptoms have been removed by Du Barry's excellent Food.—Mary Gilbert."—ln canisters, suitably packed for all climates, and with full instructions —llb., 2 s . 9d . ; 2 1 b ., 4s. 6d. • 51b., lls. ; 121 b., 225. ; super-refined, 11b., 6s. ; 21b., lls. ; 51b., 225. ; 101 b., 338. The 101 b. and 121 b., carriage free, on post office order. Barry du Barry and Co., 77, Regent-street, London Fortumu, and Co., purveyors to her Alajebby, Pic cadilly; also at 68, Cornhill; 60, Gracechurch-street ; 330 and 451, Strand, 63 and 150, Oxford-street ; 55, Charing-cross ;4, Cheapside. SHIPPING INTELLIGENCE. CUSTOM-HOUSE, MAY 23. • ENTERED INWARDS.—The Elizabeth, from Guernsey ; Ocean, Salonica ; Jonge .Rintje, Worcum ; Maria, Wis mar ; Corsair, Guernsey ; Iris, Pernambuco ; Charles, Rouen ; Wyvern, Oporto ; Hannah, Guernsey ; Bahiana, Bahia; Deo Gloria Neuhaus Oresund, Helsingborg ; Wm. Septimus de Septimo, Antwerp ; Concordia, Horsens; Gloria Deo, Norderschleuse ; Union, Bruges ; Calmas, Marseilles ; Sibyle, Kertch ; Castor, Vinaroy; Amsterdam, Mowinekel ; Edwin Forrest, New York; James and Elizabeth, Memel; Johannes, Constantinople ; Levant., Galatz ; Highburv, Adelaide; Henrietta, Odessa. ENTERED OUTWARDS FOR LOADING.—The Kangaroo, for Copenhagen ; Las Palmas, Teneriffe and Grande Ca , . nary ; Helena, Leer ; Susan and Mary, Cherbourg ; Johr Bunyan, Cape of Good Hope and Calcutta ; Jane, Berbice; : Six Brothers, Cherbourg, ; Frederick Wilhelm, Ham burgh ; Mary, Alderney ; City of Paris, Boulogne ; Wodan, Melbourne Wharf; Agnes Smith, Toba ; o and St. Vincent; Catharina, Altona ; Medemblink, Barcelona ; James Scott, New Zealand; North Star, Madras ; Pallas„ Newfoundland. CLEARED OUTWARDS WITH CARGO —The Carolin. I Ottilie, for Stettin ; Catharina, Loe.r ; Spheroid, St. Vin cent ; Concord, Ghent ; Governor, Port Philip ; Wal dringsmanden, Christiania, Dram, and Mo. s; Esthor, Panama and San Francisco ; Valparaiso, Melbourne ; Minkina, Konigsberg ; Stad Dordrecht, Dordt ; Belt tium, Ostend ; Seine, Boulogne ; Rhine, Rotterdam ; Men do. ; Christiania, New York ; Countess of Lonsdale, Ham burgh ; Bowallan, Berbico ; City of London, Dunkirk; Alert, Sydney. VESSELS SPOKEN WITH. The Oregon (brig), for New York, April 30, lat. 44 N., 50 W. The Romulus (barque), of Bristol, outward bound, May 3, lat. 42 N., long. 46 W. The Thomas Chadwick, March 23, lat. 35 S. The Wanderer, from Bombay to London, April 20, let. 13 N., long. 39 W. The Jamsetjee, May 18, lat. 62 N., long. 6 W. COUNTRY MARKETS. LIVERPOOL, MAY 23. At this day's market there was a good attendance a f the town and country trade, and of buyers from a di: stance, who, however, were indisposed to deal to any extent at the prices asked by holders here, and some concession had to be made to make sales. White wheat 3d, and red ld to )d, per 701 b. dearer ; and flour saleable at is 6d per bar rel im provement. Oats in request at Id per 451 b., and o atmeal 6d to is per load, more money. Barley, beans, ar td peas brought full prices. On Indian corn an advance o f fully 2s per qr. obtainable. IPSWICH—MAY 23. The supply of wheat at this day's market pr esented more choice to select from, and there was an inani tnation about the trade, giving millers the opportunity to buy at prices a shade in their favour. Sinn() choice white loz fought 838 per qr. We quote to the growers : PER QUARTER. PER Q 0 ARTER• Wheat, red (old) 7,s to B:3a Barley, grinding ... 002 to 00s Ditto (new) Ditto, white (new) 82s to 88s Peas . Ditto (old) Barley, malting ... 34s to 3& Flour, per sack AVERAGES FOR TUE WEEK ENDING 111 Ar 23, 1854.. Wheat Barley Oats Bears Peas HULL-MAY 23. There was a fair show of wheat from our own :and the neighbouring farmers to-day, for which they Boma sided an advance of 2s per qr., but there was only a model rate sale at is over the rates of last Tuesday. Foreign i aore in quired for, and a good sale at is to 2s more money. Barley attracts attention. Oats are is dearer. Beans qu let, and in peas nothing doing. Indian corn is dearer. Linseed a dull market. Rapecakes in demand. Bones dul I. 8 Et Wheat, English, red 80 to 84 Ditto white B5 to 90 Dantzic and Konigs berg Pomeranian and Ham - I . 8. IPeas, grey and black 41,. 5 to 48 I Linseed, Black Sea... (I' 7 to 68 Ditto Petersburgh 2 to 66 Ditto Riga and Arch angel IDitto Konigsberg and SO to 85 5: 1 to 55 burgh Danish, Holstein 75 to 80 and Memel -- -to-- Friesland 7O to 74 Russian and Odessa 66 to 72 Oats, English Ditto Danish Ditto Friesland Ditto Russian 3O to 32 Barley, malting Ditto grinding 34 to 36 Beaus Ditto foreign 1 Peas, whit and yel. 50 to 541 • er Lins. c., Hulllo/ 2s 6d to 0/ Oa Ditto fine for. 81 lOs ' )l lOs Od Ditto inf. for. 0/ 080. I. to 0/ Os Rapeseed OOl Os to 001 Os Rape cakes 120 s Cd to 00s Tares, English Ol )8 to 00s Ditto foreign Guano 4l 10s 8/ to 121 03 Bones l2ss Od to 00s Od Rye Meal , none RAILWAY SHARE MARKETS. LIVERPOOL, MAY 23. STOCK EXCHANGE.—The share market has been steady to-day, without presenting any remarkable feature.. Lan cashire and Yorkshire, 60 a ; London and North-NN Western, 96i ; Midland, 58'1 ; South Easi,ern, 18w, 7-1 6, 5-16, a, 5-16; Dutch Rhenish, 41 dis. MANCHESTER, MAY 23. STOCK EXCHANGE.—There has been a large business done to-day in South-Easter -JIB, but little in anything else. Prices are firm. The sales were—Eastern Counti es, 124 ; Lancashire and Yorkshire, 604, ; Liverpool, Cros by, and Southport, 11 ; London and North-Western, 974 .c. ; M. and B. Qrs. C., 5-16 (1.; Manchester, Sheffield, ant 1 Lin colnshire, 19t ; Midland Railway Con., 584 ; 1 3outh- Eastern, 18 5-16 ; Warrington and Stockport, 24 ; ►'hite haven and Furness, 4t. COURSE OF EXCHANGE--YESTERDAY. Amsterdam ............ 11 14 b Gibraltar ........... ... Ditto, three months .. 11 16% Leghorn .............. 30 5234 Rotterdam • • .... 11 16 Genoa ................ 25 523( i Antwerp .............. 25 20 Milan .... •• • ......... Brussels .............. 25 20 Venice ................ . flamburr,h ..... 13 6 Naples . Altona ................ Palermo ............. . Paris •• . .• • .... 24 073! Messina ............. Ditto, three months .• 25 1.7% Lisbon ............... . Mar5ei11e5.........• .... 25 30 Oporto .......... ..... . Bourdeaux ............ Itio Janeiro .........• . . Frankfort-on-Maine .... 1183 Buenos Ayres.. Berlin . .........• • • ;New York, 60 days' sigh Vienna ............ 13 44 IPhiladelphia .......... Trieste ........ •• .••.. t 3 54 PRICES OF BULLION, P 6 B oz. Foreign Gold in Bars £3 17 9 Madrid . 50 1 4 Portugal Gold Coin .. 0 0 1),, Cadiz .................. 50% Mexican Dollars .... 0 0 0 . Barcelona• • New Dollar s 0 0 Seville ............ 4ilver in bars ...... 0 0 0 SEABORNE MAILS. IN signifies that the mails are sent from the General Po 5' ce by night—and Aby the morning —despatch.) Day when mach u, From who When COUNTRIES in General Post- Port dit. in Office, London.. Dlsp..tchet, I htgland. . - -America(bylirit.pack)N Every Friday .. Liverpool E ich Mon. America (by United Sts. packet) ..........N May 2 .......... Liverpool A 17ived America (by U States I packet) ..........N . .• .... Southampton, Australia (via South ampton) ... . Ditto (via Marseilles) N May 8 ... Dover .. Ju ue t Ditto (via Cape of L)ood Hope) ............NJune 1 ......... ... Unto 3rtat a Africa ( West Coast).. Njl3d of the month. Plymouth .. ,Juiai t 6 Alexandria.......... N 8,9, 24, &30 of ni Dover .... A1exandria........... 4th & 20th of mon. Southampton Bahamas ...... Al ,17th of the mom: Southampton Belgium .......... ..N1)ai1y............ Dover ......May 1 Brazil ..............M 9th of the month.. Southampton Juni , 16 Buenos Ayres ........IM 9th of the month.. Southampton 31a,j 16 Cape of Good Hope ..N 14th of the monti Plymouth Cape of Good Hope ..Nll4th of the month. Southampton Cape de Verds ......N 14th of the month Southampt on Ceylon (see India) Ceylon ..............N 14th of the month Channel Isles ........ N Mon ~Wed.,&Frid. gouthamptoniTu ,Th. Sat. China (see India).. — 7, .AI 2d & 17th of mo n th Southampton Ms 1 Constantinople .... N j7,8,17,24,&27 am. D0ver......! Constantinople ........14th & 20th of molt Southampton Egypt (see India 1 Uont. of Europe ill & N Twice daily ..... Dover ...... T w I ce d a ll y ) France ........ M & NiTwice daily...—. Dover ...... Tw icedally Gibraltar •• • ...M 47172027 of m . Southampto n ' Ms y 6 9 19, Greece (see India) Greytown • • ....M l lnd & 17th of mon. Southampton ,Ma yl6 Hamburgh .....• • ...NjTuesday & Friday London .....1 Elavannah ... ..... .. Mlnd of the month Southampton June 1 Holland • ... MI Dai1y...... Honduras .... • ..... Mll7th of the month Southampton IMayt 16 India (viaSouthampt.)Mj4th & 20th of mon Plym uth .• iMai 20 India (via Marseill es )M Bth&24th o f mon th Dover . lonian Isles (see India)l, 17, & 27 of mon D0ver...... I Ireland ........M &N ' Twice daily —— Holyhead ..ITwitt edsily Lisbon ..............M'7, S p 17, & 27 of m. SouthamptonlMap 26 Madeira ............31 9th of the month Southampton 'JUR 16 Madeira ............N 23d of month Malta (see India) N 7,17,19,27, 30 of m. Dover .. Mauritius (see India) Watiiitius ..........N 14th of the month Mexico ............31,2nd of the month. Southampton Jur 13 1 Naples . - . . ........N 'bth 15th25 thofmon. Dover —— .M a: r 2 New Granada —— M I2d & 17th of month Southampton Ma: r 1 New Zea1and.......... .By private skip Papal states ..... ..N ,S thl s th2 s thoftrion Dover ...... Ma. y 2 Peninsula ..........Ml 7 thlith2Bthoftnon Southampton Ma; r 6 Peru . ..... ........Ml2d & 27th of mon Southampton Maze 1 Port Natal .......„ ..N 114th of the m on th Pl ymout h .. Sicily •• • .....Nlsthlsth2sthol mon, D over ...... May. 2 Tuscany .. ~............N stl.lsth2stholtnon. Dover ...... Ma3' 2 Venezuela ...........11l 2d & 17th of month Southampton May 1 Van Diemen's Land (see Australia) .. West Indies .... ........ .. „ Ni 2d & 17th o. month Southampton Junk ' I • When any of these dates fall o t a .3unday, the wait, lc ill be despatched on the following day with the exception of the India 'via Southampton), and the Malta, both of which will be despatch ed th e day preceding. B IR TB S. OF A SON. On the 21st inst., at Royston, the wife of the Rev. T. Robinson, M.A. On the 18th inst., at 35, Rutland-square West, Dublin, the wife of David Lynch, Esq., Q.C. OF A DAUGHTER. On the 21st inst., at Grosvenor-square, the Countess Dartmouth. Ou the 20th inst., at Waterloo, near Liverpool, the wife o f Henry C. Brown, Inspector-General of her Majesty's Customs. MARRIED. On the 22d inst., at St. Ja mes ' s, Pi ccadilly, Henry Charles, son of the late Rev. J. Deedes, rector of Wil lingald, Essex, to Emily Esther, third daughter of G. Suit van, Esq., of Wilmington, Isle of Wight. DIED. On the 22d inst., at Peterborough, Charles John Henry, eldest child of the Rev. C. Farebrother, rector of Irnham cum Corby, Lincolnshire. On the 21st inst., at Swaffham-house, near Newmarket, Maria, relict of the late J. P. Allix, Esq., late M.P. for Cambridgeshire. On the 19th inst., at Wardour Castle, the Hon. Laura, wife of Lieut.-Col. Macdonell, C. 8., and sister of Lord Arundell, of Wardour. L'': , . 12 ' ) : , : Pt in tc, i and Published by MW 'WO I' 0 U i" , G, of No. 112, Strand, Printer, at The Sun Office, No. 112, Strand, in the Precinct of the Savoy, in the county of Middleaox, Wednesday, Noy 24, UK 126% 127 531 k 53% ine THIS EVE' Saturd ay) . Rails, 33. (3 til l 4 ; area, R . 11/ (80,1 d ,11 9. OPE 10 evening. I °l 4 ..3Pen for 19 Admission,( ROY , 1 Panoramic Vocal and ford, and M astabliannzei concluding Piro Rafts, Do ors open L. NSOCIETY, UA en the Bir Perri n& 11 , consist Mr. Burma Area, 3s ; Books of th Oratorio cc Cloth, 12s ; the CompoE ? resident c LAU; (Le The abi ...and will EL E BRA Pair Star Laurent , t kips and I Dancing tc Roy The SEA' KALAF to the ot the T the prof in a N' LECTUR] DAILY PROCE' o'clock ; __DECOR LECTURI ELECT Sunken _OPen mtudren t T ° fir L`nts of tt ' 7 ANs, tl before the STEI In to ‘Jvneral sDatch ti ly on VnYage t. tens burt of Das4engei steam sh Wlll load c alkeity ahcnild r rH . didates e abatBf Of AP Meat or befon Sinc e sued ft Two 2 Per e e l a Policy 1,260 1. Profit Assur dleease anew. Niel l iturns. Agen Prost UY be n to , A' bless Irauds btessrs Mess t 0 whir aeVeral and ha nlisatoi the Q u the pa Labou Mes eon to to set raay t Me. of real on, as Brc