The Sun.
London, England, 1864-04-28 00:00:00

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT

HOUSE OF COMMONS.--Last Evenings
The SPEAKER took the chair at 12 o'clock.
NEW MEMBER.

Mr. H. A. Bnucm, the new Vice-president of: the
Committee of the Privy Council on Education, took the
oaths and his seat on his re-election for Merthyr Tydvil.

CHURCH RATES COMMUTATION BILL.

On the order of the day for the second reading of this bill,
Mr. HADFIELD objected that this was a bill relating
to taxation, and ought to be considered in a committee of
the whole house by resolution.
The SPEAKER., having cited some cases, overruled the
objection.
Mr. NEWDEGSTE Then proceeded to move the second
reading of the bill, which proposes to substitute for church
rates an annual charge of 2d in the pound, to be deducted
by the tenant on paying his rent, unless he has made an
agreement to the contrary. This church charge would be
counted into the county end borough rates, and the amount
placed in the hands of the governors of Queen Anne's

Bounty as trustees, and to them. a ratepayer objecting to a
proposed expenditure might appeal, and ultimately to the
Lords Justices. But a certain proportion of the ratepayers,
with the leave of the vestry, might obtain from the quarter
Sessions an order exempting the parish from liability to
church charge if no church rate had been levied for the last
seven years, or if within those years a proposal for a rate
has been on three successive occasions rejected on a poll.
The bill allowed the t,rder of exemption to be revoked on
the application of the ratepayers. He was not sanguine of
carrying the bill; but he trusted the house would consent
to read the bill a second time, when he should move that
it be referred to a select committee.
Sir C. DOUGLAS objected to dealing with the question
of church rates at the present time, because it had been
decided by most parties to go to the hustings and fight the
question upon the dissolution of the present Parliament.
He hoped that if the present Government should be in
office on the assembling of the new Parliament they would
take np this difficult question and deal with it as a Govern-
ment measure. He, therefore, moved, as an amendment.
that the bill be read a second time that day six months.
Mr. SALT supported the second reading of the bill.
Mr. Alderman ROSE supported the bill, because he
wished to deprive the opponents of church rates of the

excuse of keeping up an agitation on the subject.
Lord FBILMOY opposed the bill, as he believed it was
calculated simply to make bad worse. He thought
Churchmen ought to be content to let church rates cease,
and to rely, as they might safely do, on the Voluntary prin-
ciple for the support of the Church.
_

Mr LONG thought the bill a moderate measure honestly
proposed to meet the objections raised by Dissenters to pay
church rates. He should vote for its second reading.
Mr LOCKE said it was extraordinary that the hen gen-
tleman who had just resumed kis seat should call on the
Government to introduce a bill which he and the gentlemen
on his side of the house would to a man vote against.
(Laughter.) The opinion of the country would be taken
on the matter at the next election. and it was a farce for the
hon. member for North Warwickshire to bring it forward
until the country had expressed its opinion on church
rates. Ho considered it was a waste of time to discuss
any other question than the entire abolition of church
rates. (Hear, hear.) He should vote against the second

reading.
Lord J. MANNERS was ia no fear as to the opicion of
the country on the subject of church rates, but he could
not think that the bill under discussion would in the least
degroe satisfy the dissentients on this question ; but
giving his hon. friend all the credit he deserved for the
trouble he had taken in the matter, he could not bring
himself to believe that his bill was calculated in the least
degree likely to sett') the question. He suggested to his
hon. friend to withdraw the bill for the present, in order
that before tho house pronounced a decision on the subject,
the opinion of the country might be taken at the next
general election.
Sir O. WOOD concurred in the recommendation of the
noble lord for the withdrawal of the bill.
Sir It. FERGUSON said he should vote for the second
reading of the bill in the hope of putting an end to the
bitter contentions that existed upon the question of church
rates.

The house then divided, when there appeared—
For the second reading
Against it..
Majority.against the second reading
BANJi NOTES (SCOTLAND) BILL.

Sir J. HAY moved the second reading of this bill, the
object of which was to distribute amongst the existing
banks that note circulation which was lost by the failure of
the Western Bank.

Mr. BLACK contended that the bill was altogether un-
necessary. Ile objected to what he considered tinkering
with a great subject, and as to the want of banking accom-
modation in Scotland, such an assertion was pure moon-
shine. In England there was a bank for every 14,000 of
the population, in Ireland there was one for every 26,000,
whilst in Scotland there was one for every
4,000. With respect to free trade in banking, he
contended that practically it existed at present, because
any person could open a bank if he chose; but by free
trade he supposed it was intended to moan that every bank
that was open in Scotland should hava the power of manu-
facturing and issuing their own notes without any kind of
upervision. He bit certain the house would agree with
him that that was too great an extension of what was called
free trade in banking, and therefore he moved that the bill
be read a second time this day six months.
Mr. EWING seconded the amendment.

Mr. FINDLAY supported the bill, and expressed a hope
that the Chancellor of the Exchequer would turn the at-
tention of his logical mind to the restrictions that at present
exist in the extension of commerce in consequence of the
state of the laws with respect to banking.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said he
could not support the second reading of the bill, and at
some length guarded himself from being censured in favour
of any particular system with regard to an uniformity of
tanking for the three kingdoms. Ho considered the time
was fast approaching when our whole monetary system
would require consideration. _ _

Mr. DUNLOP and Sir E. Co=moot. supported the bill.

Mr. A. HODGSON urgod the withdrawal of the bill.
In the event of a division he should support the amend-
ment moved of the hon. member for Edinburgh.
After a few wortls from Mr. BUCIUNAN and Mr. Kix-
/cunt),
Sir J. HAY withdrew the motion for the second reading.
TRESPASS (IRELAND) BILL.