The Express.
London, England, 1864-03-01 00:00:00

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT.

HOUSE OF LORDS.—MoNDAT, FEB. 20.

210 Loop CHANCELLOI took his slot upon the woolsack
at &o'clock.

THE SALE OF BENEFICES ACT.

The Earl of DERBY said he wished the noble lord on
the woolsack to favour the home with some explanation in
Manses to the Sale of Benefices Act, as souse misunder•
standing appeared to exist in mud to the manner in
which the Ecclesiastical Commissioners were affected by it.
It was imagined in some quarters that the result of the bill
bad been to place a large sum of money at the disposal of
the 004110111111i00401, sod considerable dissatisfaction might
be occasioned if it was found that that sum wits Rot applied
to the augnieutatiou of small benefices. The real fact,
however, was that the Ecclesiastical Commissioners had
nothing further todo than to receive the money and apply
the whole of it to the augmentation of the
livings sold wider the act. Another portion of
the act authorised the sale of certain benefices
the income derived from which would not be applied to the
augmentation of the livings, but to the augmentation of
other livings in the gift of the Lord Chancellor. In point
of fact the EoolesiastiftWommisaiosers exercised no juris-
diction or authority over any portion of the funds derived
fromthe sale of these benefices.

The LORD CIiAaNCE.LLOR said the noble earl had very
correctly naiad the effect of the act. The money receivable
under the act was divided into two portions ; one portion
being applied to the augmentation of the livings from which
it was derived, and the other portion, derivable from the
sale of 1W livings, being applied to the augmentation of
different livings in the gift of the Lord Chancellor. The
first moiety of the money received from the sale of the
&steins of livings was certainly paid over to the Eockeias-
ticel Commissioners, who were to grant to the
incumbent of the living thus sold an annuity at the
rate of 31, he. per cent. The wood moiety would
remain suspended, but the commissioners bad been kind
enough to promise that they would charge themselves with
the duty of investing and accumulating the interest upon
it ; they were, however, merely trustees both of the cepital
and interest. The money received from the mho( the 1W
livings would not go into the hands of the Ecclesiastical
Commissioners at all, unless he (the Lord Chancellor) re-
quested them to take charge of it as trustees.

THE CONSPIRACY TO ASSASSINATE THE EMPEROR

OF THE FRENCH.

The Marquis of WESTMEATH called attention to the
trial of four prisoners in Fr&DP on a charge of conspiring
to assassinate the Emperor of the French, and asked whe-
ther, if the government were morally coovissced that Signor
bleraini orany other person in this country had been aiding the
conspirators in then detestable trice, the Alien Act give
them powers by which they would be enabled to dent with
the matter?

Earl RUSSELL—I quite agree with the noble marquis
that say porno. conspiring to amaseinate the Emperor of
the French would be guilty of • detestable crime. but I
have no right say that Somme Menial or any other person
living in this country is guilty of that crime. I have no
such evidence, and having no suc► powers under the A 1 ien
Act ris the noble marquis supposes, I can only answer that
1 am not going to take any steps in the matter.