The Sun.
London, England, 1855-05-16 00:00:00

CHURCH RATES.

Lord R. GROSVENOR presented a petition from
All Saints, Poplar, complaining of church rates, that if
the church rate is not sufficient to pay the ministers
stipend the church, however, is liable for it, and praying
that some clause might be inserted in the bill now before
the house on church rates, that may take away the lia-
bility of the churchwardens.
Sir J. SHELLEY presented several petitions from
Westminster for the abolition of church rates.
EDUCATION OF PAUPER CHILDREN.

On the motion of Mr. E. DENISON, this bill was
read a second time.
CHURCH RATES ABOLITION BILL.

Sir W. CLAY rose to move the second reading of
the above bill. He was relieved from going fully into
details on this subject, partly from the frequent discus-
sions it had undergone, and partly from the universal
conviction now prevailing in the public mind that some
change was necessary in the present condition of church
rates. (Hear.) The bill he had now the honour to sub-
mit to the house for a second reading, provided, first,
for the entire abolition of church rates. Secondly, it
continued church rates for a time, inasmuch as it was
necessary for the liquidation of debt contracted on the
faith of church rates on the authority of existing acts of
Parliament. Thirdly, it provided that to the church.
wardens shall be confided, as heretofore, the entire
charge of providing for the repairs and maintenance of
the fabric, and defraying the charges incident to the per-
formance of divine service. He felt it his duty to make,
one incidental remark on the absence of any one member
of her Majesty's Government at the discussion of such
an important bill. (Hear, hrar.) He had the impres-
sion that the assent of the Governmc it, es a Govern-
ment, depended upon a satis‘actory explanation of its
provisions, and it was not his fault if no member of the
Cabinet were present. (Hear, hear.) To revert to the
provisions of his bill. The second provision, as he had
stated, would retain the churchwardens, and he had a
twofold motive for retaining them. In the first place,
he thought it most important to make as little change
as posihle in our existing laws and institutions, more
especially when those changes affected the pecuniary
interests or the habits and feelings of the people. Se-
condly, the proceedings of churchwardens were guided
by a long series of legal decisions, therefore there would
be no new difficulty in the way of their administering
their functions. He had another motive for this.
Churchwardens were among our oldest parochial and
municipal officers; they were really the ecclesiastical re-
presentatives of the parishes ; and it was their duty to
look after any irregularity on the part of the incumbent,
and to see that divine service was duly performed, He
had next to allude to the provisions of the
bill which affected the appointment of auditors. He
would leave the appointment of auditors to the vestry
for two reasons—first, because there might not be a suf-
ficient number of subscribers resident in the parish, and,
in the next place, he wished to have the wholesome
control of popular feeling over the expenditure of large
sums of the people's money for what might be perhaps
fantastic purposes. He did not propose to take funds
from the capitular estates for the repairs of churches ;
he thought there was a growing disposition to
a better management of the church' estates, and
he thought, therefore, that a portion of the surplus
funds might be safely applied to this purpose, on the
grounds that it would be prejudicial to the voluntary
principle, and also because it would require too compli-
cated a machinery for any private member to introduce.
(Hear.) The members of the Church were in the aggre-
gate the richest portion of the country : did they mean
to tell the world they would not pay for the support of
that Church except upon compulsion ? (Hear, hear.)
He would only refer to the returns of the Re-
gistrar-General, by which it appeared that, in the
last half century more churches were built than
in the previous 500 years—namely, between '2,000 and
3,000. In the firmt 30 years of the half century 500
churches were built, which cost 3,000,0001. ; of that sum
1,150,0001. were supplied from public funds, and
1,850,0001. from private sources, or in other words, 35
per cent. from the state, and 65 per cent. from indivi-
duals. (Hear.) For the last 20 years there had been
more than 2,000 churches built, to the erection of which
public fends contributed 500,0001., and private funds
5,570,0001. (hear, hear) or, in other words,
public funds contributed 81 per cent., and
private funds 91i per cent. (Hear, hear.) The hon.
baronet then referred to the cases of Liverpool and

other large towns where church rates were most re-
sisted, to show the great efforts made by the voluntaries
to build and endow churches, and he believed it was
undeniable that, just in proportion as church rates were
abolished in any particular parts of the country, there
the Church was best maintained. (Rear, hear.) The

hon. baronet concluded by moving 'the second reading
of the bill.

[LEFT SITTING.]

LLOYD'S SHIPPING--(THIS DAY.)

LONDON, May 16.—Wind and weather this day at noon,
N. to N.N.E. ; moderate breeze, and dull, cloudy weather.
PORTSMOUTH, May 15.—Wind, N.E. Arrived—Julia
(transport), from Malta, &c. Sailed—Arab, for Balaklava.
COWES, May 15.—Wind, N.E. Arrived—Flensburg,
from Rio Janeiro, for Copenhagen ; Malona, Laguna, for
Stettin, with damage.
May 15—Wind, N.E. Arrived—Oriental,
from
Dante. Buenos Ayres.
PLYMOUTH,
15,—Wind, S. W. Arrived—H.M.S.
Cruiser, from Spithead ; do. Falcon, do., both with pri-
soners.
FA LMontjt To
EI
Video
May ;
PADSTOW, May 15.—The New Jane, of St. Ives, was
driven on shore at the hack of the South Pier, and will
most likely go to pieces.
LOWESTOFT, May 15.—The Reubens, of and for Blake-
ney, from Londrn, which drove on shore near Kissing-
land, has been got off anl assisted in here leaky.
SWANSEA, May N.E. Sailed—Araby Maid,
for Coquimbo.
AMSTERDAM, May 14.—The wreck of a large American
ship, abandoned by the crew, was seen on the 26th April,
in lat. 41 N., 15 W.
LEMVIG, May 10.—The British Queen, of Goole, was
lost near here; crew saysd—the vessel is apparently a
wreck.
PERTH, W.A.' Feb. 28.—(Per Elec. Tel. from Trieste,
wrecked at Port Grege Maryo Queen of Scots has been totally
ry.

(PER ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH.)
LIVER?OOL, Wednesday Morning.

Wind, N.W.
Arrived—Hurricane, from Bombay; Custos, Old Cala-
bar ; R. M. Watts, Savannah,
Sailed—Hannah Fownes, for Arica ; Palatine, Calcutta;
Cavalier, Boston.

QUEENSPOWN, May 14.

Wind, N.N. W.
Arrived—Phcenix from Manilla ; William, Bermuda ;
Simon Hardy, Barl;adoes ; Sea, Lagos.
ATERFORD, May 14.

Wind, N.N.E.
Arrived—Liner, from Marseilles.
Sailed—Thistle, and Lan Forr3stal, for Quebec.
(BY SUBMARINE AND TELEGRAI'II.)
GRAVESEND, Wednesday, 10.2 a.m.
Wind, E.N.E. ; tide, 1 hours' flood; weather fresh.
and fine,
Arrived, May 15—Edith, from the Cape of Good Hope;
Medina, Manilla.
Arrived, May 10—Gesina, froin Amsterdam ; Isis, from
Konigsberg ; Margaret and Elizabeth, Rotterdam ; Deo-
data,bDram • Alma and Amphion,' Christiania.
Sailed, May 15—Queen, for Leghorn; John Jaques,
Rouen.

_ •
•
Sailed, May 16—Sherwood Ranger, for Alexandria.
Wind, N.B.
DEAL, Wednesday, 9.38 a.m.
; fresh and y.
Passed—Blue Jacket, fromhaz Lon Con, for Naples ; Eliza-
beth Moore, Loudon, for Barbadoss; G. W. Bolen, Lon-
don, for Madras; her Majesty's shij Dee, Portsmouth, for
Woolwich.