The Express.
London, England, 1850-04-23 00:00:00

dowed, and public worship encouraged and extended,
and he was thereto?, of opinion that the house would act
wisely in not disturbing thee:feting arraugemeata. (Hear.)
Mr. ROEBUCK wu somewhat sarprieed at the blowing
hot and Gold which distinguished the policy of the government
with respect to the colonies. :Meru, hoer.) One moment the
government were for giving them all ...rim of powers, in-
cluding that of making constitutions. That was the way
the government began ; but at the end of the bill there
were schedules, and schedules alwas excited his suspi•
don. On turning to the 17th clause, the first
thing which he found mentioned was the salary of
the governor. The colonists might make a constitution
they might split one house into two, they might get rid of
nominees, they might have a thoroughgoing democracy,
bat they were net to get rid of the governor's salary without
a bill which had received the approbation of her Majesty.
(Hear, hear) Now, he maintained that that was blowing
hot and cold. If the colonists were fit to govern themselves
and to make coestitutiont, were they alt fit to decide
whether or not the governor should have 5,0001. a ye.r, and
whether 28,0001. a year should be paid for public worship ?
But the most remarkable proposition was, that any saving
below the 73,0001 should be res, reed to her Msjesty to do
what she plumed with. That was an insult to the colony.
(Hear, hear.) He would not affront her Majesty by sup-
posing that she had anything to do with the matter, but he
maintained that the co.onisl administration at home should
have nothing to do with it. (Hear, hear.) When the com-
mittee came to this section he should move the omission
of it.

Mr. BRIGHT said that with regard to the question in-
troduced by the hoe, member for Westminster, he felt that
the right hon. gentleman had blown hot and cold through-
out his observation.. He said he was entirely against
having one dominant church in the colony, as that would
be sure to lead to great discord. He therefore
wished to have four, because discord would thus
be prevented, the minority being overpowered by the mays.
rity. There could, however, be no permanent advantage in
the remedy for discord which the right hon. gentleman pro-
posed, because, as the population of the colony increased,
the relative proportions of the sects might change so as to
mike the discord even grater then it would be under one
established church. He would ask the noble lord st the
head of the government where was the wisdom of attemptirg
t. fix the sums of money which should be p►id for the stip-
' port of certain religious permissions—not merely for the
support senerelly of a church which was believed to he true,
' hut for the support of three or four kinds of churches
He asked him bow could they, at a distance
of so mar, thousands of miles from the colony, undertake
wisely, fairly, judiciously, usefully for the colonists, to de-
cide such a question? If there were one question which
more than another people could alone decide for themselves,
it was the question of religious establishments, and of giving
support out of the public funds to any religious faith.
As the law stood, the clergy reserves in Caned' wore
regulated by the provisions of an act of the imperial parlia-
ment, and the Canadian parliament did not even possess the
power which this bill would give the Australian parliament,
of making a new arrangement without coming to this country.
No men would contend that it was desirable to interfere
with their follow-countrymen on the other side of the globe,
and he therefore asked the noble lord (it he would not con-
sent to withdraw the who:a of the clause) to take away that
part which he ( Mr. Bright) believed would be a source of
discord amongst people to whom we were wishing free
institutions.

Mr. LAI3OCCIIERI: Paid it was not true that the
arrangements as to the Canada reserves could not be altered
without an act of parliament. Os the contrary, they could
be altered by the act of the legislature; all that was re-
quired was, that the act should come to this country
and receive the unction of the crown. At present the
state of things now existing in these colonies was that
sums had been voted. There sums were an advantage to the
persons who had a vested interest in tke receipt, and it must
must be tome time before any question could arise as to any
part of the sum appropriated by the Irgiblature. No present
inconvenience could arise from leaving the question as it was
now proposed to be established, and gold reason ought to be
shown fur changing a r3stem under which many individuals
had embarked their fortunes. This system had greatly pro-
moted the extension of churches and religious in,truction,
and had given religions peace to the e I roles. It was not
too much to give that ilaarse of stability which was given by
this bill, viz., that no alteration should take plate except by
an act of this legidature.

Ur. BRIGHT explained that his argumnn• was, that an.
leu they seam to exercise the power, they should rot retain it.
Mr. SEYMOUR ohjected to the system of endowing four
clkurches.
Mr. ANSTEY said it was true that with the creep.
tion of the Church of England, attempts were matting
by the privileged clams in New &tell Wales, who
happened to obtaia more power, to destroy the priotiple, rot
of endowment, but of all religious equality, by cutting off
the endowment. The other societies should be prevented
from disturbing the religions peace which the church had so
happily creserved.
Mr. AUDISRLEY observed that the question was not
whether this was a bad or a good system. No member emir,
staod up to dolma the four great churches—the church of
England, the church of R.mt, the church of Scotland, and
what he had nxt before heard of. the Weelayan church. The
government only wished to preserve the system as it now
rood.

Lord J. RUSSELL said that is 1835 the secretary of state
for the colonies, finding there were great comphuats of the
want of churches, made a provision that the four principal
bodies, those m At numerous in the colony, sh wa.d each have
*certain sum all dud to them, and he likewise made It a
part of the condition on which a certain sum was given for
the erection of buildings that there should be equal con•
tributioos by the inhabitairs of the Giglio: in which the
church was built. Tote sums had been paid fora ems.derab'e
number of years, the churches had been built, and individuals
had subscribed their money to build these churihes. Go-
vernment, therefore, proposed to continue the evahlishments
which they found, and that any alterati•ms which should be
made as to the establishments should be sent over hereiit the
confirmati mof her Msjesty. Now, he understood that the
hos. member for Westminster would propose te leave this
matter as it was, making no provision for vested interests,
but allowing these old establishments which lied grown up
at once to be put an end to ; every clergyman who had
gone out on the assurance that he would receive a certain
sum, would be deprived of that income, and the persons
who had contributed the money for building the church
would Ist at once told that the church should be
no longer maintained. He thought that would be
an injustice to thiae who lived in thi se cantles.
When they found that this system had existed for fifty years,
he did not thick that they would be wise in saying that'
nothing but a voluntary system should be established.
Mr. C. LUSH NGTON explained.
. . .

Mr. F. F. sCOr r said that it was certain that there was no
gag!, point on which the colz.ny of New Santh Wales tilt
more sore then on this schedule of appropriation. It was the
great grievance of Lord Stanley's bill.
Mr HAWES said that the question was, not whether the
.thedule of appropriation had given risi to disouisfaction,
but whether this grant as now diarihuted gave rise to gene-
ral dissatisfaction. If It did, he did not hear of it ; and on
the whole, he had reason to believe that it had given satis-
faction.
The house then divided.
For the clause
For the assendment
The elan!! flea passed.

Mr. ROEBUCK moved that the chairmen report progrem
and ask leave to sit again. (Great confusion, and cries of
.•(:ior' Drotherton,” &c.)
Mr. DISRAELI asked what the government intended to
do respecting the Stamp Buie, Bill.
Lord J. RUSSELL sa;4l that if plows' were reported
then, he proposed to resume the committee on Thursday
neat, and to take the Stamp Ditties Bill on Friday.
Tbe CHAIRMAN reported progress and the house re-
sumed. The Sump Duties Bin was fixed l't;r Friday oral.
PARLIAMENTARY VOTERS (IRELAND) DILL
Sir W. SOMERVILLE pr posed the re-committal of
this bill pro forma, in order that word', providing remune-
ration for town clerks, with other verbal amendments, might
be inserted.

The bill went throne% committee, an i the house tenoned.

METROPOLITAN INTERMENTS BILL.

Oa the order for the second reading of this bill,
Lord D. STUART complained that the bill was being
hurried tnrough the liouse. At the same tim:, he wus
anxious not to impels a measure which was so loudly called
for by consideration for the health of the metropolis. How-
ever, it contained heavy rating powers and much patronite
and therefore he hoped that sufficient time would be given
for the dxrussion of its 60 clauses in committee.
Mr. FORBES was understood to support the bill.
Mr. LACY was friendly to the principle, but feared that
the details were not calculated to carry it out.
Sir G. OBEY suggested that the further consideration of
the bill should be postponed for a fortnight, in order that
time might be given to consider its provisions.
Mr. BRIGHT thought • week or teu days a very short
time for the consideration of so important • bill.
Sir G. GREY said the time he proposed was • fortnight,
and he di I not think that any objection strong enough to
justify further d.lay had been urg.d.
Mr. W Y LI) attempted to address the house, but was in.
terrupted by cries of ' Spoke, spoke."
Mr. MACKINNON made a similar attempt, hut his
voice was drowned in cries of " Smoke, smoke." He said
he had not " spoke" (" smoke"), smoke was nothing to the
point. (Loud laeghter ) The hon. member was under-
' stood to support the bill.
The bill was then read a second time.
RAILWAY ABANDONMENT BILL.

This Lill WY read a second time and rained Wbe coin
witted on Mand.it. next.
..... -

NAVAL Plum BALANCES (ADVANCES Our OF
TliE CONSOLIDATED FUND).

....• --
The house on the motioa of Mr. J. went into
committee, and passed a resolution pledging the Consolidated
Fund to the payment of these balances, the hon. gentleman
ezplainisig that the surplus arising from the prizes would he
repaid to the amount of that fund. The amount of these ha.
lanais was about 341.01 W.
OFFICIAL SALARIES.
_ _ _ . . .

Lord J. RI 813RLL moved that the following members be
nominated se the select committee on official salaries: Lord
John Russell, Mr. Wilson Patten, Mr. Bright, Sir John
Yards Buller, Mr. Cobden. Mr. Beckett, Mr. Napier, Mr.
Hume Drummond, Mr. William Evans, Sir Willie's Mob.
worth, Mr. Henley, Mr. Ellice, Mr. Ricardo, Mr. Walter,
and Ilr. nestles.
Col. fiIIITIIORP said this committee bad evidently been
selected on the principle of " you stand by me and I will
stand by you," and not with any bona fide intention of
fairly inquiring into the salaries of public men with the
view to ascertain how far economy might he prsethed. Ile
would oppose to the utnicst the appointment of such a par-
tial, such a packed committee. Ile looked with suspicion on
all otHciel mon. The result of a committee so appointed
would be worse than useless—it would be dangerous.