The Express.
London, England, 1868-05-23 00:00:00

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT.

Is the ROUSE of Lonns, yesterday, the Earl of
MALMESBOZY stated that on Friday next he would
mote the thanks of the house to Sir 8. Napier and
the officers and men of the expediticesary force in
Abyssinia, and that he should on the same evening
move the adjournment of the house till the tenon-
ing Monday week.
On the motion of Lord EVIILISIXT a select com-
mittee was appointed to inquire into the operation
of an act relating to the deer in the New Forest.
Lord lioci;irrow presented a petition from New-
foundland complaining of the restrictions affecting
the grants of and on the so-called French shore of
that colony, which was believed to be very rich in
minerals.
The Earl of Csumativox said, on the cession of
Newfoundland to this country by the treaty of
L`trecht, certain rights connected with the French
nshery were secured to France, and as there had
been disputes as to what those rights were, he had
telt that it would be undesirable to permit grants
of land on that part of the territory.
The Duke of Buctiroansm said, on full conside-
ration of the circumstances her Majesty's govern-
ment had felt that the restriction imposed in the
despatches of the Earl of Carnarvon had been im-
posed for good reasons, and they did not think it
right to withdraw them.
The Regulation of Railways Bill and the Duchy
of Cornwall Bill were read a third time and passed,
and several other bills having been advanced a
stage, the house adjourned at a quarter to eight

IN the Houss of CososoNs,
Mr. REARDEI4 rose, and was proceeding to give
notice of his intention on Monday next to as: the
First Lord of the Treasury a question with regard
to the Queen, when he was interrupted by 1..uul
cries of " Order," and
Tho SVLAKEK said the house had anticipated
him by the indignant expression of its feeling
with regard to the terms employed in the notice of
the hon. member. No doubt a question might be
put by a member of the house to the confidential
advisers of the crown relating to the public duty
of the sovereign ; but those questions must be ad-
dressed in respectful and parliamentary terms. The
utiestion of the hon. gentleman was nut compatible
with piuliamentary usage.
Mr. DISKAELI gave notice that on Friday next he
would move a vote of thanks to Sir Robert Napier
and the trips engaged in the Abyssinian expedi-
tion.

In reply to Mr. MosrsELL,
Mr. DISRAELI stated that the government had
for some time had under its consideration the
whole subject of Irish railways, and a bill would
be prepared on the subject, but he had nu hote of
Winging it forward this session.
Mr. GLADSTONE moved the second reading of the
Established Church (Ireland) Bill. He reminded
the house that at the commencement of the session
government were at one with members on his side
of the house in their belief that it was not de-
sirable to maintain the present ecclesiastical con-
dition of Ireland, and that religious equality
should be established ; but they proposed to effect
this by giving, and not by taking away—the mean-
ing of which was to establish, by means of public
funds, other endowments than those which now
existed. He, on the contrary, was fur bringing
about religious equality by disestablishment and
general disendownient by the repeal of the May-
nooth Act, and the discontinuance of tho Regium
Donum. In disestablishing the church of Ireland
he, and those who acted with him, emphatically
disavowed the idea of establishing any other
religious commanion, and they finally abandoned
for Ireland the maintenance in any form of a
salaried or stipendiary clergy. The bill was a
necessary consequence of the second resolution,
and if they were to carry the resolutions which the
house had agreed to by a large majority into effect,
it was imperative to prevent new embarrassments
by putting a s:op to the creation of new vested
interests. That was the object of the bill. The
hon. member for Cumberland had appealed to him
not to proceed with the bill, when he was aware
there was no chance of its passing the House of
Lor•ls. But they were not to be governed in their
rejection or adoption of a measure by doubts or
misgivings which any of them might entertain as
to the judgment which might be arrived at by
another braniih of the legislature.
Mr. G. HARDY moved that the bill be read a
second time that day six months. He denied that
:he government made religious equality the basis
of their policy. Taney proposed to give a charter
t..) the Roman Cat! olic University in Ireland, but
his right hon. friend at the head of the government
had distinctly stated that no intention had ever
sisted of paying the Roman catholic clergy, and
lie would add that the subject of the ltegium
DOlllllll was never discussed in the cabinet in
any shape or form. This was the first bill that
hail becn introduced into this house avowedly for
the confiscation of the church property, and de-
voting it to secular purposes. ire did not deny
that parliament had the power to deal with this
matter, but he said, on the authority of a lawyer of
eminence, that by this bill they were in effect re-
pealing the union, lie objected to the bill because
it Was inexpedient ; because it was an attempt to
paralyse the action of the church in Ireland before
any real decision had been come to with regard to
it ; because it was unjust to the clergy ; because it
was monstrously unjust to stop the operations of
the Ecclesiastical Commissioners, part of whose
function was to increase the endowment of poor
livings ; and because this attack on the church of
Ireland was only a preliminary to an attack on the
church of England. Mr. Lowe, speaking of the
Irish establishment, said, " Cut it dos u ; why cum •
hereth it the ground ?" He, on the contrary, said,
" Let it alone for this year also." He concluded
by applying to the bill a sentiment uttered by the
late Bishop of London when speaking against the
appropriation clause in 1835, that a measure com-
menced with spoliation and sacrilege must end in
ruin and confusion.

Mr. LAWSON contrasted the statement just made
by the Home Secretary, that the government had
never any intention to endow the Kaman catholic
clergy, with the statement of the Earl of Mayo,
when announcing the Irish policy of the govern-
ment' that there could be no objection to deal
equally with all sects, but that that was to be done
by elevation, and not by depression, and that their
pulley was to create, and nut to destroy. And he
asked whether the noble earl or the Home Secre-
tary spoke the sentiments of the government. Ho
then proceeded to answer in detail the objections
of the Home Secretary to the bill.
Sir F. HEIGATE denied the efficacy of the volun-
tary system in Ireland, and especially in those
parts where there was only a small scattered pro-
testantpopolation. _ _

Mr. tilinna. opposed the measure as unjust,
unwise, and unnecessary.
Mr. Si NAN followed in support, and Mr. VERNER
in opposition to the bill.
Mr. WHALLEY contended that church establish-
ments were experiments which had failed, but
though the church ascendency was to be given up
in Ireland, protestant ascendency, by which he
meant the freedom of worship and of opinion, must
be maintained.

Mr. J. C. KAINLAKE entered his protest against
the bill.

Mr. Berjeant DAILEY, asan Irish catholic, wished
to say that there was no desire on the part of the
Roman catholita to attack the established church of
England ; but if they were told that the Irish
church was to be kept up in order to maintain the
English church, what answer was to be given to
those who said that justice was to be had only by
separation from England ?
The ATTORNEY-GENERAL for I REL tND next ad-
dressed the house against, and Mr. Mu RPHY for the
bill. _ _

Lord Runt° believed religious equality would
lead to the dimstablishinent not only of the Irish but
of the English and Scotch churches, and saw in the
bill an attack on proteatantism.
u- Mr. W. E. Folocrza contendedlnot only for the
religious but for the political equality of Ireland,
wild called Ln the Premier either to disavow or to
entl.dac the language of Lord Mayo when declaring
the Inch policy of the government.