The Sun.
London, England, 1837-02-25 00:00:00

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT.

HOUSE OF LORDS, FABIWARY 24.
The Lord Chancellor, Earl Shaftesbury, and the Archbi-
shop of Canterbury, took their seats at a quarter before five
o'clock, as Commissioners, and gave the Royal assent by'com-
mission to the Grand Juries (Ireland) Bill, awl the Registra-
tion of Births, Deaths, and Marriages Suspension Act Bill.
The House having adjourned during pleasure, the LORD
CHANCELLOR in a few minutes afterwards took his scat on the
Woolsack.
Lord BA N DON presented a petition from the medical
superintendents of the Dispensary of Donegal, praying for the
repeal of a clause in the Grand Jules (Ireland) Bill, that was
passed last year. Ile believed that the prayer of the petition
bad been complied with by the pasFing of the Bill, which had
just received the Royal assent.
Earl SIIAFT E S BUR Y presented petitions from St. Pe-
ter's ( Dorchester), Stow, and other places, against the aboli-
tion of Church-rates.
TO Marquis of SALISBURY presented a petition from
the parish of St. Mary, Ahlerrnanbury, praying that the operation
of the Poor-law Bill might not be extended to the City. Also
a petition from Wolverhampton, against the abolition of
Church-rates.
The Marquis of LAN SD OWNE presented a petition,
signed by upwards of 3,000 of the inhabitiants of Pontypool
and its neighbourhood, praying the Ho devise some means
for the total abolition of Church-rates.
Lord POLTIMORE presented petitions from several
places in the county of Devon to the same effect.
Earl SEFTON presented a petition signed by upwards of
8,000 of the moat respectable inhabitants of Liverpool, praying
for the total and immediate abolition of Church-rates.
The Post Office Contract Bill and an Enclosure Bill, on the
:notion of Earl S HA FTE SBURY, were read a third time and

passed.
Lord BROUGHAM presented petitions for the total abo-
lition of Church-rates from a great many different places, the
names of many of which were not distinctly beard in the gal-
lery, but amongst which were parishes in the counties of So-
merset, York, and Cumberland ; from Bradford, Tooley-
street, Borough, several Dissenting places of worship in
Birmingham, Peckham, Pembroke, and Pembroke Dock
Union, and Oldham-street Chapel, Ashton-under-Lice ;
also from Hcadcorn, in Kent ; from the Protestant Dissenters,
and others favourable to religious liberty—inhabitants of
Whitby, in Yorkshire ; from the inhabitants of Newport, in
the Isle of Wight; from the congregation of St. George's
Chapel, Middlesex ; from the inhabitants of Framlingham ;
and from the congregation of Trevor Chapel, parish of St.
Margaret, Pimlico. All those petitions (said the Noble Lord)
were against the continuance of Church-rates, and especially
against them as a general fund, to which all-classes of his
Majesty's subjects should contribute.—(Hear, hear.)
Lord FING AL presented a petition from Cove, in the
county Cork, in favour of Irish Corporate Reform.
The Earl of BURLINGTON presented a petition from
the inhabitants of Bedford, praying for the total abolition of

Church-rates. ,
The Bishop of DURHAM presented petitions from Ottory
and another place is Devonshire, against the extinction of

Church-rates:

RELIGIOUS WORSHIP.
Lord GODOLPHIN said, that he had given notice last
session that he would, early in the present Session, bring in a
Bill to prevent all parochial notices being read during the
time of service In Churches. He considered the custom im-
proper, and would now move the first reading of that measure.
The Archbishop of CANTERBURY concurred entirely
in the principle of the Bill of the Noble Lord, and he could not
express himself more strongly in that respect than in mentioning
that he had a Bill of the same nature which it had been his

........
intention to propose ; he however, was happy to concur now
in that proposed by the Noble Lord.
Lord GODOLPHIN did not know that the Right Rev.
Prelate entertained this purpose, or he would have left the
measure in his hands.
The Bill was read a first time.
DIVORCE ACT.

Lord GODOLPHIN said, that he had given another
notice last Session ; it was to call the attention of their Lord-
ships to the mode in which Divorces were carried through
their Lordships' House. He thought tho whole Anode of
proceeding was irregular, and hoped their Lordships would
take the subjeet into their serious consideration.
Lord BROUGHAM certainly could vouch for the fact,
that his Noble Friend had on many occasions, in that House
and elsewhere, stated his objections not only to the Bill in
question, but to all such Bills, his (Lord Godolphin's)
opinion being, that the remedy proposed to be given by
such Bills ought not to extend to one of the parties
interested. Indeed, he himself (Lord Brougham) knew
that there were many objections to all such Bills.
One of these objections certainly was, that if they afforded a
remedy to one party, they did also under the circumstances, in
a degree favour (as we understood the Noble and Learned Lord)
binding that party, which under the circumstances, could not
be regarded as entitled to legislative relief. The remedy was,
besides, not satisfactory, and, perhaps, less satisfactory in one
House of Parliament than the other. There had been an at-

tempt made to remove those objections when the Bill re-
specting the Ecclesiastical Courts was under consideration.,
It was then proposed that those Courts should be allowed
a concurrent jurisdiction with Parliament in those
cases, wherein those Bill were applied for. Some of the Noble
Lord's friends had conferred with him on the propriety of
transferring to the Ecclesiastical Courts the jurisdiction
at present exercised by Parliament in those cases ; and he
hoped that before long, an alteration so desirable would be ef-
fected—at least, to the extent that those Courts should have a
concurrent jurisdiction with their Lordships' House.—( Hear.)
—His Noble Friend ( Lord Godolphin) had only given
his view of one side of the question ; but he did
not seem to hare considered what the state of the law

would be if the remedy, such as it was, that was at present given
by Divorce Bills, wore entirely done away with. The person
injured would remain a married person, and the other party
would retrain in tho same state, notwithstanding the offence
committed. He hoped his Noble Friend would give the other
view of the subject his grave consideration, and would point
out the means of removing the objections which he had so
clearly pointed out.
Lord GODOLPHIN explained in a few words, which
were wholly inaulible in the Gallery.
Lord BURLINGTON presented a petition from Wake-
field, Yorkshire, praying for the total abolition of tithes.
Their Lordships then adjourned.