The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1855-06-19 00:00:00

THE LIVERPOOL STANDARD.

PARLIAMENTARY INTELLIGENCE.

HOUSE OF LORDS.

TUESDAY.

A discussion took place respecting the supply of water to
the camp at Aldershot.
RELIGIOUS WORSHIP BILL.—The Earl of SHAFTESBURY
moved the adoption of the report on this Bill, the object of
which was to repeal so much of the act of Geo. 111. as pro-
! hibited the assembling of more than 20 persons in a house,
besides the family, for the purposes of religious worship. He
I thought that at the present day, when so much ignorance,
especially in religious matters, existed, every impediment
should be removed from religious instruction.—The Bishop o,
LONDON was willing to give every facility to persons engaged
lin the spread of religion, but would not consent to allow per-
sons to establish in their houses small congregations, to the
injury of the established church.—The Bishop of OXFORD
had no doubt that the bill was brought forward with the
best intentions, but felt bound to oppose it, on the ground that
it would interfere materially with the action of the established
church. He moved that it be taken into further consideration
that day six mouths.—The Earl of GARNARVON thought that
if this bill became law it would be productive of consequences
which it required no spirit of prophecy to foresee. At present
Dissent was known and acknowledged in a way that was recog-
nized by every one. Those who dissented from the Church
were clearly and distinctly marked out, and had full liberty to
assemble in their certified places of worship ; but by this bill
all the lines of demarcation that now existed between the
Church and Dissent would be swept away. All the visible
and external distinctions that now separated them would be
removed, and temptations would be opened to the people to
attach themselves to no Particular religion or creed. This bill
would enable any person who took an objection to a particular
clergyman or doctrine, and who might wish to act upon the
basis of the Prayer-Book, to set up a congregation of his own,
and in this way the whole of our parochial system might in
time be destroyed. When the line of demarcation between
the Church and Dissent was obliterated, there would remain
only a tangled wilderness of shadowy and vague Christianity,
professed by those who belonged, in fact, to no church or sect.
He hoped their lordships would not exert their influence to aug-
ment the discord which now prevailed in the Church. He be-
lieved it was founded on the most comprehensive principles at the
time of the Reformation, though differences soon grew up in her
bosom, and he deprecated any measure by which those differ-
eirces would be embittered. By this bill the sections within
the Church would find themselves put in possession of weapons
far stronger than any they had ever before possessed. What-
ever room there had hitherto been for a division of opinion,
there had always been a neutral ground on which men of all
parties within the pale of the Church had met, and that was
the Prayer-book : but the essence and intention of this bill
was the mutilation of the Prayer-book. Modifications and
alterations, perhaps slight in themselves, would at first be
made, but by degrees new prayers would be introduced and old
ones expunged —changes of the most vital importance would
be made, and the result would be that we should see many not
merely, with their own places of worship, but with their sepa-
rate forms. The Prayer-book, which was the pledge of the
continuity of the Church and its bond of unity, would retain
its name, but for that reason it would be all the more danger-
ous, and their lordships would, perhaps, find themselves at last
driven to the alteration of the Prayer-book itself. He would
therefore oppose the bill, because he was satisfied that while it
would infringe on the rights and privileges of the Church, it
would give no additional liberty to Dissent.—The Duke of
ARGYLE supported the bill, as did the LORD CHANCELLOR,
and after some further discussion their lordships divided, when
there appeared—for the bill, 31; against it, 30—majority, 1.
The bill was then reported, with amendments.
The Church Patronage Transfer Bill passed through com-
mittee.—The Cambridge University Bill was reported, with
amendments.—The Administration of Oaths Abroad Bill was
read a second time.—The Education of Poor Children Bill, and
the Brighton Incorporation Bill, went through committee.
The Romanist Charities Bill was read a third time and
passed.—The County Palatine of Lancaster Trial Bill was read
a second time; and the house adjourned at a-quarter to nine
o'clock.