The Sun.
London, England, 1837-06-13 00:00:00

contrary, he felt assured that, sooner or later, the principle
must be admitted.—(Hear, hear.) It had already done
much to quiet the long-agitated question of the Church—
it had already proclaimed that justice would be done to the
people of England : and, assuredly, when thoroughly under-
stood and dispassionately considered, it would take a greater
hold on the public mind than did that proposal of the Right
Hon. Baronet in 1835, when he held out the removal of
Church-rates as a bait to the agricultural interest.—(Hear,
hear.) They (the Government) took their ground on a
much higher principle. Their plan was not less one to give
additional security to the Church than it was one to give
satisfaction to the Dissenters. His object. and his wish,
then, was, not to dissociate.himself or his friends from the
resolution, but to justify and abide by it. Dissociate from
it ! Why, if they were afraid of it, or of inquiry, would they
now come forward to seek for inquiry ? It had been said to
the lessees that they would be unjustly treated. If so,
why did the Government seek for inquiry into the facts ?
Their financial facts were disputed, and it was by some sup-
posed controverted. Then why not at once accede to that
mode by which those facts might be ascertained beyond the
possibility of de.ubt ? Why, then, were the Government
taunted with the desire to throw off the responsibility of the
measure ?—( Hear, hear.). The Right Hon. Baronet had
made use of one argument with a humourous ingenuity—
he had argued that this Committee would supersede the
Cabinet ; and it was a very amusing argument indeed.
But his (Mr. S. Rice's) lion. Friends around him were not
to be led aside by any such arguments or insinuations ;
they would still continue to give the measure their support.
The Right. Hon. Gentleman objects to that portion of the
resolution in which it is affirmed that the inquiry should be
conducted with a due regard to the interests of the Church ;
but if they had omitted that phrase how would they have
been taunted by the Right Hon. Baronet ? If, also, they
had omitted to state that the Committee should carry on
their investigation with a due regard to the interests of the
lessees, they would also be liable to the same charge. He
could not, therefore, see how the Right. lion. Gentleman
could find fault with that portion of the resolution. The
Right Hon. Gentleman had not dealt fairly with his Noble
Friend with regard to the application of the word stipen-
diary. How stood that question ? The Bishops were not
stipendiaries to receive though they were to pay ; and if
they looked to the meaning of the word in Johnson's Dic-
tionary they would find that it was not used in the sense
which had been imputed by the Right Hon. Gentleman.
But if the rights of the Church were guaranteed by the State
he did not see how the Bishops would be in a worse condition.
They knew they had considerable difficulties to contend with
on this question. They had first to combat with those who
would consent to no alteration. They had then to meet
the objection of those who even admitted that some change
was necessary in the system by which Church property was
regulated, but who differed with them as to the mode of
appropriating the surplus. And, lastly, they had to meet
the objections of the lessees, who laboured under an im-
pression that their interests would be injuriously affected
by the measure. To each and every one of these parties
he would say a Committee of Inquiry was the proper tri-
bunal to ascertain the validity of their objections. Their
object was to do justice to all parties, and particularly to
protect the interest of the lessees. To those who differed
from them as to the mode of appropriation he would say, go
with us into Committee, and then propose any plan which
you may consider preferable to our own.
Mr. HARDY should be glad to vote for the resolutions
of the Noble Lord if he could give him an assurance that
he would not persevere in diverting any surplus which
might be found from its proper channel, or applying it
as a substitute for Church-rates.---(Hear, hear.) Would
the Noble Lord or the Right Honourable Gentleman give
this pledge ?—( Hear, hear.) If the majority the other
night had been fifty-five instead of five, would he have the
hardihood to tell them that they should ever have heard of
that motion for a Committee ?—( Loud cheers, and cries of
" Divide.") The resolution, in his (Mr. Hardy's) opinion.
was nothing more nor less than a gross,delusion.—(Conti-
nued cheering, and cries of ," Divide," during which the
Hon. Gentleman resumed his seat.)
The House then divided, when there appeared—
For Mr. Harvey's motion
Against it
Majority —431
When the Gallery was re-opened, we found
Mr. GOULBURN concluding some proposition with
respect to the manner (as we understood) in which his
amendmentthat any surplus revenue, arising out of an
improved system of letting Church lands, be appropriated
for the further increase of Church accommodation and spi-
ritual instruction—should be disposed of. The Right Hon.
Gentleman concluded by requesting that the debate should
be postponed.
Lord J. RUSSELL said it was his wish to have the
debate decided, and would take that opportunity of saying
that the course pursued by the Right Hon. Gentleman
(Mr. Goulburn) in urging the proposition which he made
was a very extraordinary one. The question on which the
House was now about to divide was whether it would grant
a Select Committee to inquire into the state of Church
property, with a view to see whether an improvement could
not be effected--(Hear)—and the Right Hon. Gentle-
man proposed that any funds arising out of an improved ma-
nagement of the property should be devoted to particular
purpose. This was a proposition which would come in
more properly when the question was taken on the resolu-
tions of his Right Hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Ex-
chequer, which proposed a mode in which the contemplated
surplus should be disposed of.—(Hear.) Now, when the
lion. Member for St. Andrew's made a proposition for a
different appropriation the Right Hon. Gentleman refused
to accede to it. The question now was not as to the appro-
priation of any surplus revenue, but for a Committee to in-
quire whether the revenue could be increased. The Right
Hon. Gentleman omitted to make his proposition on an oc-
casion when it would have been appropriate, and brought it
on an occasion where it was out of place. He did not know
how the Right Hon. Gentleman intended to act., but for his
own part he did not wish any further continuance of the
debate. He would again repeat that the motion which
would have been in place on the resolutions of the Chan-
cellor of the Exchequer was quite inappropriate here.—
(Ministerial Cheers.)
Mr. GOULBURN said that it seemed to him to be
essentially necessary when an inquiry was set on foot with
respect to the surplus revenues of Church lands that some
mode should be adopted to provide a remedy for the evil of
want of religious instruction. The words of his motion he
took from the second report of the Commissioners to which
the Noble Lord's name was attached.
The gallery was then cleared for a division, but none
took place. On our return to the gallery we found
Sir R. PEEL concluding some observation, the purport
of which as we caught it, was, that it would be inconsistent
to take a preliminary division on one part of the question
and not to decide on the whole.
The House then divided, when there appeared—
Ayes
Noes
Majority for the Committee --83
On our re-entrance into the gallery strangers were again
ordered to withdraw, and the House divided upon the pro-
posed instruction, when there appeared—
For 265
Against
Majority —26
The other Orders of the Day were then disposed of, and
he House adjourned at Two o'Clock.

IRISH MUNICIPAL CORPORATION BILL.
List of Proxies given in favour of Lord Melbourne's motion, that
the House resolve itself into a Committee on this Bill.
DUKES. EARLS. BISHOP.
1-1. R. H. the Duke Derby Lichfield & Coventri
of Sussex Durham BARONS.
Bedford Errol Auckland
Brandon Essex Belhaven
Cleveland Ferrers Clon'urry
Devonshire g or
LI fnoarrdd Dorchester
Leinster Dormer
Marlborough Granville Dunally
MA RQUISSES. Huntingdon Dundas
Anglesey llchester Erskine
Bi eadalbane Ludlow 6 lenlyou
Sligo Mulgrave Holland
Winchester Ranfurly King
EARLS. Shannon Plunk et
Besborough Suffolk Sherborne
Carlisle VISCOUNTS. Western
Charlemont ' Bolingbroke

TIIE ARETHUSA; A TALE OF THE SEA. BY
CAPTAIN CHAMIEII, R.N., Author of " Ben Brace," &c.—A
twelvemonth has now elapsed since we were called upon to
review " Ben Brace," and in that review we pronounced the
work to be one of the best of its kind ; we have now the grati-
fication of recommending to the public " The Arethusa," as
superior to any book yet produced by its author. It is, in-
deed, by far the best of Captain Chamier's productions, and
may fairly be placed yard-arm and yard-arm alongside of any
naval-novel of the present day. With this tribute of applause
we take leave for the present of " The Arethusa," trusting
before long to pass again within hail of the gallant frigate,
when she hoists the Commodore's pendant of a second edition.
—Metropolitan Magazine.
On Sunday last a young man applied to the parish
clerk of Cranfield, to inform him that, as he should be out
asked that day, he should wish to be married next morning ;
the clerk requested him to appoint the time, when he very in-
nocently replied four o'clock, as he must be at Newport by
six ; on being informed of the unreasonableness of the time,
and that it could not be complied with, he answered, " Then
I must be married to-day as soon as I atu out asked."—Bed-
ford Mercury.

Captain Alexander has just published an interesting
Account of the Colonies of Western Africa, illustrated, with
plates, after drawings by Major Michell. Very little is known
of the new settlements on the African frontier, and it is a
matter of surprise to us that no work, except Mr. Martin's,
has been published descriptive of the establishment and rapid
rise of these acquisitions. The volumes before us contain a
great deal of valuable and interesting intelligence, and a very
animated description of the proceedings of the British and
native forces.—John Bull.