The Express.
London, England, 1848-04-14 00:00:00

PI

OM gentleman us Ireland who was not prepared
th pay even more to 'hoes meritorious persons than
ow' aswreesived. What was proposed for the house to con-
"-"'" ersa, whether the abolition of this most obnoxious tax
*mid not be effected in a manner consistent with the prin-
ogee of the hon. ms on the other side of the house.
igriusindttnOnt the sand n the possemion of the ecelesiasti-
mt and that
was amply sufficient for the purr
and that fund might not only be employed inpaying
the church ems, a tax which was not so obnoxious sa nunue
we' romey, but also in reducing the latter impoat. The
;;liestion of the fund to pay church ass was deemed no
i."%aisst of church property; and could it be pre-
„,,t.d that mthe inisters
church ems ' money ?
was
He was less an ecelesisati-
01 tat t as he had
satioied there were sufficient fuilds in the
bads of paid commissioners for instance, there
.01,1 be o them the sum of 10,6601. a rat after the
death of the Bishop of Clugher. The Church Temporalities
act required amendment. Was the house aware that the
Eno of mauy of the bishops in Ireland exceeded those of
English bishops ? The incomes of English bishops were re-
amed to an amount net exceeding 0,0001. Whilst the ra-
teltsof the Biehop of Armagh, which was 16,0001. before
Church Temporalities Act passed, was at present 12,0001.
ender that act. The Bishop of Deny, who gave up 4,0001.
year by stipulation to tte eceleviastical commissioners, was
in the receipt of an income of 8,0001., which was secured
es him and his successors. He would not take one shilling
*GO that most excellent and meritorious bishop. But at
the same time he could not lose sight of the fact that the
revenues of the Irish bishops were greater than those of the
English bishops; and ought they to remain in that state
The parliament of James 11. seized the whole of the pro-
testant church revenues and applied them to the purposes of
the Remise catholic church, but that same parliament
'holland, by a specific act, the impost of ministers' money.
With respect to the protestant church of Ireland, he must
mg, generally, that unless the two ecclesiastical establish-
ments in Ireland were dealt fairly and equally by, it would
tos in vain to look fur satisfaction or to hope that the bitter-
asm of feeling now existing would subside.
Mr. D. CALLAGHAN. complained of the exactions of
the parties who collected the ministers' money, in enforcing
payment from the poor. He considered it a bad tax alto-
gether, and would abolish it at once, even during the lives
of the present incumbents, trusting to the fairness of the
egisliture to find some other means of payment. The tax
was a badge of slavery, imposed on a catholic people, for the
benefit et the minions of the church of England. When it
,u laid on the government had other means of making the
provision, but they did not choose to do so.
Mr. OROGAN said, it was evident the real question was,
sot the burden itself, but the fact of its being paid by Roman
catholic' to the protestant church. The plan proposed by the'
right hon. gentleman opposite (Mr. Shell) would be a clear
alienation of the property of the church.
Mr. M. J. O'CONNELL defended the proposition of Mr.
Shed, and said that it would be to more an alienation of
thumb property than was the act of Lord Stanley passed in
102 for abolishing vestry eels. This tax was a grievance,
set only in principle but in the way in which it was levied,
wig chiefly in towns where the bulk of the inhabitants
vas Roman catholica. The continuance of this tax would
comer being about the destruction of the protestant church
than anything else. (Hear.)
Mr. J. O'CONNELL said the people of Ireland would
lever be content until all compulsory payments to the pro-
testant church were abolished.
Mr. FAGAN replied, and the house then divided :
For the motion 73
Against it
Mr. G. A. Ilauturon's amendment, as altered by Sir
If. Somerville, was then put sod agreed to.
LYME REGIS ELECTION.
Mr. HUME rose to call the attention of the house to the
special report of the Lyme Regis election committee, charging
Hr. Attwood with brib ry, and to submit to the house that
the Attorney. General be directed to prosecute Mr. Attwood.
He said he rose in compliance with the sentiments expressed
in a petition which the electors of Lyme Regis had presented
to that house praying for inquiry. The duty he
hid to perform ism very clear. The 49th George 111.
provided that any such conduct as had taken place
at the late elecnon for the borough of Lyme Regis
should be visited with penalties to the amount of 10001.
for each offnee. There was also a standing order of that
house, which ordained that all parties engaged in corrupt
practices, as related to elections, should be punished in the
severest manner. The hon. member cited as precedents
hr the course he was taking the cues of Mr. Scott, elected
kr Penne, and of Sir Manasseh Lopez. Neither of these
MO he said were equal to the corruption which had been
mortised in the borough of Lyme Regis at the late election.
trends of 100,0001. was expended in the purchase of
houses, the occupants of which were bound to vote, not
sorely for Mr. Attwood, but for any person he might
:mina, and appoint. Under these circumstances, he had
considered it necessary to submit to the house the motion
which he had placed on the paper.
Hr. BAN EX:3 contended that the eases of Mr. Scott and
Sir M. Lopez were not in point, inasmuch as they themselves
had been unseated for bribery, arid were prosecuted for
natters relative to their own el, ctions. In the case of Lyme
Regis, Mr. Attwood had, at most, only a collateral interest.
lie thought that at that late hour a proposition of so much
importance should not be proceeded with, the more especially
she believed that not a single member of the Lyme Regis
committee was present. He put it to the hon. member,
whether the better course would not be to postpone the dia-
conal.
Mr. HUME said that if any single member thought he
should be acting unfairly in persisting, he would consent to
withdraw the motion.
Sir G. GREY approved of the withdrawal of the motion,
which was accordingly withdrawn.
RECOVERY OF SMALL DEBTS.
Mr. B. COCHRANE moved for leave to bring in a bill to
amend the law relating to the recovery of small debts in
England. He said he should net have brought forward his
notion at that late hour, were it not for the injustice which
the law in its present form had entailed on the community.
A ret-eat case, which would be fresh in the recollection of
the house, would he trusted be sufficient for his justification.
He was induced to propose this alteration in the law in con.
ate, nee of the treatment of Mr. Follett, whose case was
lately detailed in the Daily News. The first clause of this
WI provided that no person should be committed for debt to
other than the debtors' side of the gaol; and the second to
bait the fees to 21. instead of 51., and the confinement, in
default of payment, to 7 days.
Sir G. GREY said that, as the bill only went to an
amendment of the law, be should not object to its introduc-
tion; but the repeal of that law he should have most deci-
dedly opposed, as it had conferred great benefit on the pub-
lic. Re was not sure that, in the ease of Mr. Follett, the
levjaatified his treatment. Ir it did, it was of course neces-
any that it should be altered.
Mr. BANKES thought his hon. friend deserved the
nab of the house for bringing forward this bill, and he
skald have his support in pressing it through its future
After a few words from Captain Pechell, Mr. Henley,
mi Sir 0. Grey (who "aid that Mr. Follett had made no
tlication to him on the subject of his treatment, and he
therefore, made no inquiry into the matter), leave was
inn to bring in the bill.
Ile house then adjouraed, at a quarter past 12 o'clock.