The Sun.
London, England, 1837-02-21 00:00:00

THE POOR LAW ACT.

The Marquis of LANSDOWNE had a petition to present
from the Guardians of the Poor of the Union of Hoxtead (as
we understood) to which he particularly desired to call their•
Lordships' attention, inasmuch as it completely refuted the
many unfounded fabrications which bad been spread abroad
in various parts of the country, with so much industry, as to
the working of the Poor Laws Amendment Act. The Union
from which the petition came was situated in the midst of a
populous agricultural district ; and in one or two statements
it furnished a convincing, contradiction to the numerous false-
hoods which had been circulated upon that subject. In the
year before last, under the old system, the cost of supporting
the poor in the Union of Hoxtead amounted to 20,0001. In
the course of last year the Poor-rates were reduced by 8,000/.,
and the present amount was not quite at the rate of 12,000/.
a year. The petitioners further stated that the reduction
of the expenditure had been accompanied by a proportionate
improvement in the condition of the poor, as to morals, habits,
and the comforts of life. When those gentlemen came into
office the number of paupers in the union was SOO. In the
very first quarter, the number of persons receiving relief in
the workhouse was reduced to fifty-two, but at the end of the
year it was no mcre than four—the whole remainder of the
800 having found employment at sufficient wages : and whilst
the parishes were relieved to that great extent, the real objects
of charity, the aged and infirm, were sheltered and fed much
better than they had been under the old system.
The Marquis of LANSDOWNE presented petitions from
Devizes, and various places in Wiltshire, praying for the aboli-
tion of Church-rates.

Lord L YND HURST presented a petition from Morden in
Surrey, against the abolition of Church-rates.
Lord BROUGHAM presented petitions from the Town
Council of Chester, St. Austin (Cornwall), Warwick, Gains-
borough, Lanark, Market Harborough, Walsingham, Aberyst-
with, Northumberland, and various other places, all praying
for the entire abolition of Church-rates; some on the ground
that they were against conscience, others that they were against
the peace of the Church, and others that it was a hardship on
individuals to be compelled to pay to the support of a Church
to which they did not belong.
Lord A SHBURT ON said he had three petitions to present
of a contrary nature to those which had just been laid before
them. They were against the abolition of Church-rates. One
was from Norton Fitzwarner, in the county of Somerset.
When he said against the abolition of Church-rates, he used a
general expression—he used a general expression to convey
his meaning. The petitioners had no particular objection to the
removal of Church-rates, or any other rate, merely as rates—
Lord MELBOURNE—But had no liking for Church-
rates.—( Hear, hear, and laughter. )
Lord ASHBURTON—They had certainly no particular
liking for them, but being alarmed, from the statements made,
lest some measure should be brought forward to endanger the
Established Church, they had thought it right to forward the
present petitions to their Lordships' House. He had no doubt
that a petition on both sides of this question might be got up
from every parish in England and Wales ; and as there were
undoubtedly Dissenters in every one of those parishes, it was
not unreasonable to suppose that a greater number of petitions
should be presented on the one side than on the other—still
there was no great importance to be attributed to the preponde-
rance in point of numbers. The present petitioners having a
friendly feeling towards the Established Church, and their pe-
titions being respectful, he felt it his duty to present them.
Lord HOLLAND said that very many of the petitioners
whose petitions he had presented were as friendly to the Es-
tablished Church as the Noble Lord, or any other Noble Lord
in that House ; but they considered that the manner of main-
taining the Established Church was very injurious to the
Church itself.—( Hear. )
Lord ASHBURTON did not wish to introduce any argu-
ment on a Bill which was not only not before the House, but
of the nature of which their Lordships were ignorant. But
the apprehension of the friends of the Church was that if the
maintenance of the Church depended on the voluntary
system, or if parish churches were not to be maintained by
rates raised in the parishes, or by some known and defined
fund, though it might have a great appearance of tolerance,
yet every body mustfeel perfectly certain that in the end it must
end in the distruction of the Church of England:
Lord BROUGHAM extremely differed from the Noble
Lord with respect to the feeling prevailing in all the parishes
in England and Wales. He had no doubt whatever that there
would be no difficulty in getting petitions from every parish on
one side of the question, but he felt as certain that it would be
no easy task to get petitions on the other side. As regarded
one part of what the Noble Lord had said in reference to thin
friendly feeling of the Noble Lord, petitioners to the Church
of England, and of what was in these petitions, one might have
supposed that it was wished by those who prayed for the
abolition of Church-rates to have some measure introduced
calculated to endanger the very fabric of the parish churches
of this country, whereas no man living ever dreamt or thought
of the introduction of such a measure. All desired that the
Established Churches should be supported, and the only ques-
tion was what were the best means of supporting them.
GRAND JURIES.--(IRELAND.)
The House resolved itself into a Committee on the Grand
Juries ( Ireland) Bill.
In answer to a question from Lord B:ougham,
Lord DUNCANNON admitted the necessity of making
some immediate alteration in the system, by which medical
charities in Ireland were now regulated, and said steps would
be taken for that purpose. The report was then agreed to.

SUSPENSION OF MARRIAGE

Upon the bringing up cfthe Report of this Bill:

The LORD CHANCELLORsaid there might be tome
necessity for altering the Bill as sent up from the Commons,
by making some verbal amendments.
Lord BROUGHAM said without some change there could
be no mariiage legally solemnized in England, between the
Ist cf March and the 30th of June, unless by special license.
The LORD CHANCEL LOR then proposed that the fol-
lowing words in the second clause be omitted, " such day as
the registrar general shall direct."—Agreed to.
The Report was then received, and the House adjourned..

HOUSE OF COMMONS, FICBRUARY 20.
The SPEAKER took the chair at the usual hour.
NEW MEMBER.

Mr. WOULFE took the oaths and his seat for the 80.
rough of Cashel, on being re-elected. The Hon. and
Learned Member was introduced by Mr. Walker and Mr. S.
Baring.
HINCKLEY SMALL DEBTS BILL.

Mr. HALFORD moved the second reading of this Bill,
►chich was agreed to.
CARLTON AND LOFTHOUSE INCLOSURE BILL.
On the motion of Sir J. BECKETT, this Bill was read a
third time and passed.
LLANWREST ROADS.

On the motion of Mr. JONES this Bill was read a second
time.

BIDDULPH ROADS BILL.
On the motion of Mr. WARBURTON, this Bill was
read a second time.
SOUTII UNION RAILWAY.
Sir O.MOSLEY presented a petition in favour of this Bill.
GREENWICH PIER BILL.
On the motion of Mr. BARNARD, this Bill was read a
first time.

LICENSED VICTUALLERS.
On the motion of Mr. HAWES, the Licensed Victuallers
Assurance Company's Bill was read a second time.

LIVERPOOL APOTHECARIES.

On the motion of Mr. POULTER, the Liverpool Apothe-
caries' Company's Bill was read a second time.
LEICESTER CORPORATION ESTATES.

On the motion of Mr. Sergeant GOULBURN, this Bill
was read a second time.
FIRE INSURANCE.

Mr. WILSON presented a petition from 300 of the inha-
bitants of Bury St. Edmund's, complaining of the heavy duty
on fire insurances, which bore upon the poor more than upon
the rich.
CHURCH-RATES.

Mr. W IL SON presented a petition from a place in Suffolk,
' praying for the total abolition of Church-rates.
Mr. Clay, Mr. C. Lushington, Mr. Hindley, Sir R.
Ferguson, kr. Baines, Mr. Hawes, Mr. Hutt, and Mr. Wilke,
presented similar petitions.
Mr. M. PHILIPS presented a similar petition from the
inhabitants of Manchester, containing 38,i38 signatures.—
( Hear, hear.)
Mr. BROTIIE RT ON supported the prayer of the petition.
It was an extraordinary fact, proving the advantage of the vo-
luntary system, that since it had been acted upon in Manches-
ter, more money had been thus collected than by the compul-
sory rate.—( Hear, bear.)
Lord J. LENNOX gave notice of, his intention to move
for certain returns connected with the Marine Force.
Dr. BALDWIN presented five petitions from parishes in
Cork, praying for the total abolition of tithes, and one in fa-
vour of the
Mr. C. LUSHINGTON and Sir R. FERGUSON pre-
sented petitions praying for the reduction of the duty on In-
surances of Life and Fire.
Mr. HARDY presented a petition from Bradford, in fa-
vour of a ten hours' Factory Bill.
Colonel BUTLER presented petitions from Cariglecn, and
other places in County Kilkenny, praying for the total aboli-
tion of tithes.
Mr. SANFORD presented a petition, from a place in
Somersetshire, against church-rates.
Mr. SHARMAN CRAWFORD presented a petition from
the united parishes of Fahan and Dysertagany, County Done-
gal, signed by 792 names, praying for a measure of Municipal
Reform for Ireland, similar to that conferred upon England
and Scotland.
Mr. HINDLEY presented a petition from Warrington,
signed by upwards of 2,000 persons, praying the House to pass
the Irish Municipal Bill ; also five from different congrega-
tions against Church-rates.
Mr. J. O'BRIEN presented several petitions from parishes
in Limerick county, praying for the total abolition of Tithes,
and one praying for protection to the Salmon Fisheries of the
Shannon.

Mr. G. F. YOUNG presented a petition from Teignmouth,
praying for the abolition of Church-rates.
Sir G. CLERK presented a petition from Dundee in fa-
your of Church-rates.
IRISH CORPORATIONS.

Mr. lIUTT presented a petition from Hull, praying the
House to pass the Irish Municipal Corporations Bill. The
Hon. Member presented a petition from the same place against
the Poor Laws Act.
Mr. S. BARRY presented several petitions from Cork,
praying the House to pass the Irish Municipal Bill, and also
praying for the abolition of tithes.
IRISH POOR LAWS.
Mr. AGLIONBY presented a petition from Cockermouth,
expressive of the greatest satisfaction at the measure of Irish
Poor-laws.

Colonel SIBTIIORP presented a similar petition from
Lincoln.
MANCHESTER AND STAFFORD RAILWAY.
Mr. AGLIONBY brought up the Report of the Committee
on this Bill.