The Express.
London, England, 1853-05-27 00:00:00

STANDING ORDERS.

Upon the 11:1060U0146: 601 HZII. Ix resolved that
three easeaben be a quorum in the committee of standing
orders.

ELECTION CO:

Sir J. TROLLOPE appeared at the bar of the house and
brought up the reports of the committee, containing the
names of the members chosen to serve in the matters of the
inquiries into the elections of members for the following
places Liverpool, Bary St. Edmunds, Peterborough, =I
Durham
[The names have already appeared in the Expreu.]
CHURCH RATES.
Mr. R. PHILLIMOUB, after presenting a number of
petitions on the subject, proceeded to submit his motion ha
leave to bring in • bill to alter and amend the law r
to church rates. Before going into any details, he
to my a word or two as to the circumstances under which
the question was now submitted to the notice of parliament.
The house would be aware this the hen. baronet (Sir W.
Clay) had given notice aim ammilmeat to his motion.
Not having taken his seat lathe house until after Easter,
he (Dr. Phdlimore) did not knew that the hon. baronet had
publicly declared hie intimation of bringing the subject
seder Ho observation of the base, and it was not until hs
had gives kis own notice that he was advised of that fact.
If he had then found that theatre proposition were iden-
thud be would of have surrendered his right of pre-
emies,' la favour gibe Wm. baronet, but that was not the
ease • the tw• aseseese were at variance both in
Semi and subsume& AMIGO he and the bon. baronet
speed upon one per, the justice of excepting dissenten
frees the paymaster ins* rates, in all other respects their
meager's differed from sash other in substance, and they
varied in point of form, ileemesch as while the hon. baronet
prepseed es bind the hews by an abstract resolution, he
(Dr. Philfiasere) is esemdsnes with the views expeend by
Wrimoubsen
_whoa the question was discussed in
spesed esiblindy in bill and to carry into a law
theta abennliens hi the untie"; system, which, in his °pi-
tigejtmlle, end piny alike demanded. (Neer, hear.) It
was impettent in the first place they should be aware that
le permed the chumh should make a large sacrifice of
this wiliele was her due for the sake of peace ; and it was
impertant also that the house should know what was the
Millstate of the law, in order to enable them to decide,
erag hother it was just that the church shield be called
upsn Ineeeke that secrifies ; sad, 'stolidly In order that
tilneglimdien el that hum who segues :NAM dissenting
Mk eiw diatenenekile Ile WWI* tar lie Sear
be the ober* *mid fah& •
boar.rrilaw he believed there was ne
dos more clear than that it was the
duty of every parishioner to entirilests he the mph end
aniatenanee of the nave of the am& !t tllttatrli
division of church property, via., MO part heft Whim
another for the clergy, • third for the Mr* sad a fine*
toe the peer, had never practically obtained in this lend
even from the earliest times. The mainteasece of the
fabric rested with the perishiosen, and it had been laid
down by Buss Parke end other legal authorities thatahe
parishioners in vestry assembled could alone make the
order for the rate, that the parishioners ought to be assem-
bled for the purpose, sad that, being mumbled, it was
their duty to make the order. It was clear, that
under the existing law every parishioner was bound
to contribute foe the repairs of the nave of his
church, and that that obligation extended over all the
property in the parish, of whatsoever description.
(Hear, hear.) had it could not be denied that this osten-
sive power was founded es a maxim of law which the house
mast es alder instate le de justice in this esse—that it was
heeded en the imppositien, both is law and in fact, that
I the shush end the stele were idestleal—hear,—that
ne time wee meth this( el any aebeowl difference of
nligioe from that whisk the state este • , endowed.,
sad. peeduesd. (Haar, haat.) It could not be disputed
by any undid Led that the whole law as it
send was bassi ups that principle. (Hear, hear.)
It would be for the bums to consider whether in the pre-
sent day the law and the fact remained in the same concur-
ream, or whether they had not undergone extensive alters-
tins, sad if so, whether it was equitable and jest when
dm mem kr the law had ceased, that the law itself
should remain. Before the period of the Reformation no
difference of opinion in religion was legally ackaowledged,
and dissent was not contemplated in the eye of the law, and
that principle was not confined to that period, for long
after the Reformed church was established uniformity
was enforced by law. The state of the law as it
Mood operated with great hardship on absentee, and
with greet Washes also upon churchmen. In the
large :manufacturing towns church rates had been for
some years practically abandoned, and the consequence
was that • few liberal churchmen bore the whole burden of
providieg the mesas for maintaining the fabric, which,
whatever might be his opinion in regard to the
tiknenters ought certainly to fall uponthe church-
mea generally. Mr. Edward Baines stated, in his
evidoece, that skunk rates were no longer levied in Leeds.
nor in any fifths mind* towns of the West Riding, and
that the meow wee easily borne by a small number of
churchmen, who made voinitary contributions for the pur-
pose, the mbar churchman escaping altogether under cover
'of the dissenters* exemption; and he added that if church
make were abolished be did not believe there would be any
doser of the churches falling out of repair, remarking, in
peel; that the thMenten were constantly increasing the
somber of thole places of worship all over the country,
erstwithstandiag their liability to pay church routs.
Re (Dr. Phillimen) purposed that all dissenters
eltesld be exempt from the payment of church
seem by the simple ream of stating in writing that
they were dimmers from the shunts of England, and
leading the document to the churchwarden. He thought
ne muiseientioua dissenter would say that he was subjected
Is as intolerable grievance by that requisition. That state-
meat mead be kept by the churchwarden, and a certified
espy of it would be evidence in any court is say matter re-
lades to church rates. It bad been stated as an oblesties
that it was not possible to define dissent, sad he had oisehiel
that difficulty. It would be a hopeless task to Menge to
devise a method by which dissent could be *fink but
there was no difficulty in a man's styles that be was
dissenter. He proptoed that • person so declared to
be • diateater should not be called on to contribute,
seylliiag for the maintenance of the elnereis nod
the easimmry supply for the decent perbenesnee
&dee melee, and as be obtained this exemption be WWI
iime to have soy right to church race, or privileges, or
esiemesies, that is, that he should not be able to compel
.1•1111111ffieen te perform over him any religious rites. lie
Ilsoldl Pim le et the option of the clergyman what he
red' is is Mk respect, but the dissenter would not be
dientlff r gay at one and the same time, " I dissent fees
Ilse dos* her doctrines, and the administrations of her
soviets, bat yet I insist that a portioa of thine serviette
shall be administered to me." (Hear, hear.) He wooed
also a mode by which a dissenter could return to the chin,*
he bad left. He should be sorry to est off any person
from the means of belonging to the Church et
England, and he proposed (although it might excite
the uerriment of some to suppose it to be anything
dcoirable, yet there hat been instances of persons who,
from motives of pique or want of consideration, bad left
tic church,wishing to return to it) ; be proposed, therefore,
regard being had to the proper ecclesiastical authorities,
that under their sanction. on a dissenter's signifying his