The Express.
London, England, 1866-04-17 00:00:00

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT.

HOUSE OF LORDS.—Moximy, Arun 16.

TIM LORD Cluffremos took his seat on the woolsack at
Wiffock.
PRIVATE suanniss.
The following bills were read a emend time:—WestMid-
dimes Water, Devon and Somerset Railway (capital),
Moriyabire Railway, Dublin Corporation Water, Cornwall
Couiry Lunatic Asylum, and Central Wales Extension
Railway Bill The following bills were read a third time
and passed:—Worcester and Birmingham Canal, Ryde
Om; and Aldershot Gas sad Water Bills.
PARLIAMENTARY OATHS AMENDMENT BILL.
Lord RUSSELL, in moving the second reading of the
Parliamentary Ostia Amendment Bill, expressed his
regraotlumpant the bill of last session for altering the terms of
the catholic oath had not been pealed, but ad-
mit that any considerable change in the settlement of
182'4 would most properly be made on the proposition of
the #overnment. After an historical view of parliamen-
tary-oaths from the time of Charles IL, and remarking
upon the obnoxious character to Roman catholic* and
protestant dissenters of some of those oaths, Lord Rus-
sell observed that, while a declaration of allegiance and
loysjty should be required from all members of parliament
yet ft was unjust to place any in a position which rendered
them liable to a taunt of violating their oaths if they
voted in parliament according to their
hoo:leilartatns.
This bill was intended to place all members of ant
upon an equal footing, and, therefore, he it would
receive the sanction of their lordships.
Lind DERBY was glad that a DBI of such importance
had not been left, as the bill of last session bad been in
the hands of a private member of parliament. He had
opposed Mr. Monsen bill because be bad regarded it as a
„portion of a series of attacks upon the protestant religion
and gffelinoent of this country. Lard Derby explained
that a particular phrase used by him in the debate of last
tendon, which had given offenoe to the Boman ilibolics,
had not been intended by him in the sense in which it bad
been taken. He had entertained objections to the total
abolition of the oath, but, ss a strong desire appeared to
prevail in the House of Commomi that there should be but
one pniform oath, he was not prepared to offer any opposi-
tion, After a humorous reference to Mr. BriOt's objection
to the retention of the obligation to " defend " the
protestant succession, Lord Derby concluded by stating
that he should not oppose the second reading, nor should
be in committee propose any amendments to an oath I
which he hoped would be one means of promoting har-
mony and good feeling among all classes of her Majesty's
subjects.
Lind RAVENSWORTH regarded the bill as a deliberate
violation of a compact between parliament and the Roman
catholic., and believed that securities were necessary
against the aggressive demands of the church of Rome.
The Duke of ARGYLL sail that upon this subject, as a
matter of feeling, his sympathies were to a great extent in
accordance with those of the opponents of the measure ;
but the real question was whether the oaths which Roman
catholic. bad been required to take end to portions of
which they objected, were any security to the crown or the
protestant religion. The church of Rome had, indeed, not
abandoned her pretensions, but it was not possible to pre-
vent men from acknowledging them if they thought fit.
The country was now enjoying the fruits of the **Mesta of
former times, and the true triumph of protestant, was in
granting to their Roman catholic fellow-countrymen that
freedom which they could never have obtained for them-
selves. . . .

—.—
Lord CHELMSFORD remarked that the objections of
Roman esthetics to the present form of oath were hardly
intelligible, because the same form of words had been in
use for sixty or seventy years without exception having
been taken to them. He should prefer to retain the old
securities ; but as the other house had so decidedly expressed
its opinion in favour of one uniform oath, which necessarily
excluded all recognition of supremacy, be should reluc-
tantly abstain from opposition, although he should in com-
mitbie.propose an amendment not affecting the oath, but
recognising the Queen's supremacy.
After a few words in reply from Lord RUSSILL,
Lard ARUNDELL of WARDOUR thanked the govern-
ment for relieving catholic, from • trammel which had
long pressed upon them, but observed there were other
grievances which they still laboured under, and which he
hoped would soon be redressed.
Lord WESTMEATH denounced the bill as a spurious
attempt on tho part of the government to court popularity
with the Roman catholics.
The bill was then read a second time.

ATTORNEYS AND SOLICITORS (IRELAND) BILL.
On the suggestion of the LORD Cuascr.uon,
Lord CHELMSFORD postponed the committee on this