The Sun.
London, England, 1839-05-01 00:00:00

. . .
idi:chargi d his dot- properly, accord:ng to the c intros
of the Church.—(Cites of .‘ OA, oh.") Hun. Mem-
bwes might cry " 0,3, oh," but such was the fact, and
1
yet they went without reproof. It was his firm belief
that not a single canon of the Church was h• the letter
performed. In making this statement he did not
wish to cast reproach .on the clergy—all he wan ed
was to show that t trosa" persous who had
the adrninitration of the ecclesiastical 11w,
did not adraini,ter it in justice and equity, because they
punished persons in low degree wirile they permitted the
higher ones to escape. Such being the case, he thought
that Mr. Thorognod had acted as became a man in po-
titioning for the abolition of the Eeclesiastie.id Courts.
It was clear that the present state of things ought not to
exist. Men ought Oct to be shut out from society for
such trivial offences when great crimes were overlooked.
IMinisters had been denominated as the enemies of the
Church—he thought that they would show themselves
its friends if they abolished Church-rates.---( Hear,
hear.) In conclusion, he begged to state that he
thought the case of the petitioner well deserved
the consideration of the, House, and he should there-
foro move that there should be laid before the
House a copy of the decree issued against Mr. John
Thorsgood by the Consistorial Court of the Bishop of
London, at the suit of the churchwardens of Chelms-
ford, together with a copy of the warrant under which
he was committed to the gaol of that place.
Dr. NICHOLLS said that, perhaps the Han.
MeMber would have no objection that the name of the
Learned Judge who had pronounced the decree, should
be added.
Mr. BAINES observed, that he had no objection
to any addition to his motion that would further
the ends. of justice and humanity.
Mr. EASTHOPE seconded the. motion. He
thought that every friend of the Church must feel that
something ought to he done upon this subject—he
knew that this unfortunate man had been committed by
a most liberal and right-minded Judge, the Mem-
ber filar the Tower Hamlets, but that only aggra-
vated the case, because that Learned Judge, in
the present state of •the law, had no discretion
whatever in the matter. He was sorry to say, that by
that day's post he had received a letter detailing a twin
ease to the present, and as that letter had come from
as individual in whom he could place the most implicit
confidence, he believed that every word it contained
was true. The letter stated, that a poor Dissenter,
named Israel Brown, had been arrested at Broadway,
in Worcestershire, for Easter dues, at the suit of the
Clergyman of the parish (he would not mention his
name). The sum was only 3d. a year for three years,
and there were 31. 3s. expenses of the action. The
poor man was married, and had six children, but fortu-
nately the money was borrowed, and the debt paid by a
few kiwis, to prevent his going to gaol, and thus great
hardship and misery was prevented. He trusted the time
Was come when some remedy would be provided for
these evils. The mischiefs they occasioned to religion
we're irreparable. He trusted that one advantage of
. the.„, pverent discussion would be to quicken her Majesty's
'' veronent in their determination to apply a remedy
to these abuses.--( Hear, hear, from Lord J. Russell.)
It
I'Pla a question which he hoped would never be taken
up in that House as a party question ; all parties were
interested in removing
nts, and
so
chargeseriousuttaino.ane
nto
against the
dsuch
punishments, and such grievous mischief.—(Hear.)
Mr. Mr. G. VERNON congratulated the Hon. Member
who Ivy! 1,,15t spoken, upon the spirit in which his obser-
vations had been framed, although he could not say so
t Such for the Hon. Member for Leeds. That Hon.