The Sun.
London, England, 1837-02-17 00:00:00

BIRMINGHAM GRAND JUNCTION RAILWAY.

Mr. CLAY presented a petition praying for leave to bring
in a Bill to alter and amend the line of the Birmingham
Grand Junction Railway.
CEMETERY_(NOTTINGHAM.)
Mr. BROTHERTON presented a petition from the
Mayor, Aldermen, and Burgesses of Nottingham, praying for
leave to bring in a Bill to erect a Cemetery in that town.
The Hon. Member also presented a petition from the National
Endowment Insurance Society, praying for leave to bring- in
a Bill to enable them to sue and be sued in the name of the
Chairman.

GLASGOW AND KILMARNOCK .RAILWAY.
Lord W. BENTINCK presented a petition, praying for
leave to bring in a Bill to alter and amend this line of Railway.
Mr. CHALMERS presented a petition from Dundee,
praying for leave to bring in a Bill to supply that town with
water.

Mr. E. TE NNE NT presented a petition for the establish-
ment of a Cemetery in the North of London.

Mr. ANGERSTEIN presented a petition, praying fur the
extension of tho Greenwich Railway.
CHURCH RATES.

Petitions praying for the total abolition of Church-rates
were presented by Mr. DOBBIN' Mr. JERVIS' and Admiral
ADAMS.

Mr. BAINES presented petitions from Wellington in So-
mersetshire, from Bow Chapel, London, and from Nuneaton
(eight in number), praying for the entire extinction of Church-
rates.

WILK S said he had a petition on the same subject,
of importance, from the number and respectability of the
signatures attached to it. It was from the deputies of several
congregations of Protestant Dissenters within 12 miles of
London. They represented 120 congregations, and they
prayed the house to take immediate measures for the entire
abolition of Church-rates. The Hon. Momberthen presented
petitions from Wellingborough in Northampton, from Sheer-
ness in Kent, and from Bewley in Southampton, to the same
effect.
Mr. VERNON SMITH presented similar petitions from
the Mayor aad Town Council of Northampton, and from
Woodford, Alnwick, Milton, and other places in Northampton-
shire.
Mr. TIMM presented petitions to the same effect from
the inhshitants of Aylesbury, from the Dissenters of Old
Chapel, Chelmsford ; from the congregation of Watsford, in
Suffolk; and from Great Yarmouth, signed by the mayor as
chairman of a public meeting called for that purpose—all
praying for the total abolition of Church-rates, and respec-
tablyallsine
and numerously signed.
The ATTORNEY-ENERAL presented a similar pe-
tion from the congregation of Albion-street Chapel, Edin.
burgh.
Mr. OSWALD presented a petition from Glasgow, g
by 42,000 inhabitants, praying for the total abolition of
Church-rates. He would merely express his concurrence in
the views of the petitioners, and state that the places of abode
of all of them were attached to the signatures.
Mr. C. LUS HINGTON and Mr. BA INE S supported the
prayer of the petition, and the latter Gentleman added that
the petitioners wished that no grant should be made to the
Scotch. Church on account of the deficiency in its revenues
arising from the abolition of Church-rates.

Mt:: C. LUSH INGTO N said he had a petition to present
which embodied the sentiments of millions. It was from mi.
nizters end laymen of Dissenting Congregatlons assembled in

London, from various parts of Great Britain, for the total
abolition of Church-rates. He need not inform the House
that considerable excitement existed on this subject through-
out the country ; but so great was it in the metropolis, that
it led to the formation of a Church Abolition Society.—
( Shouts of laughter from the Opposition benches.) He was
sorry for the mistake he had made—he meant to say a
Chttrch-rate Abolition Society. The petition which he held
was signed by 400 delegates from every part of Great Bri-
tain and Scotland—(Hear, hear, and a laugh)—who came
to London for the purpose of impressing upon the represen-
tatives of the people the necessity of an immediate abolition of
Church-rates. He had also 36 petitions to present from
Frome, from East Cambridge, from Southampton, and from
various other places to the same effect.
BENEFIT SOCIETIES.

Mr. THOMAS ATTWOOD presented a petition from
Birmingham, praying for the repeal of all laws relating to
Benefit Societies, and that these bodies be allowed to form
their own rules and regulations.
Mr. WILKS supported-the prayer of the petition, and was
proceeding to address some observations to the House, when
The SPEAKER reminded the Hon. Member that he
was infringing upon the rule of the House.
The ATTORNEY-GENERAL had been requested to
support the prayer of many of these petitions, but he thought
the proper time would be when the subject came under the
consideration of the House.

Mr. SCHOLEFIELD also supported the prayer of the
petition.

Mr. BARLOW HOY presented petitions to the same ef-
fect from London, Westminster, Birmingham, Canterbury,
Southampton, and two other places.
Mr. HUME supported the prayer of the petitions.
Mr. DUGDA LE gave notice that, on the Ist of March, he
should submit a Resolution that the Proprietors of all Railway
and Canal Companies be made responsible for the depredations
and injuries occasioned by their servants.
Mr. S. LEFEVRE presented petitions from Woodchurch,
and another place in Southampton, praying for the abolition of
Church-rates.

Mr. 11. HINDE gave notice that on bringing up the Re-
port of the Municipal Corporations Act Amendment Bill, he
should move the introduction of a clause to provide for the en-
dowment of hospitals and almshouses for the widows and
orphans of freemen.

The ATTORNEY-GENERAL presented two petitions
from Edinburgh, praying for a repeal of the duty on Life In-
surances.

Mr. H. GRATTAN presented petitions from Kilmore,
Duleek, Knockmartin, Kilmurray, and Kilmore, all in the
county of Meath, prayint, for Corporate Reform for Ireland,
to the same extent as had been granted to England and Scot-
land, and for the abolition of tithes. That from Kilmore com-
plained of having been designated as " aliens in blood, in reli-
gion, and in language."
TITHE COMMUTATION ACT.

Sir E. KNATCHBULL was anxious to obtain, from the
Noble Lord opposite (Lord J. Russell), some information with
reference to the Commutation Act of last Session. An opi-
nion generally prevailed that this Act required much amend-
ment and improvement, and that it was the intention of his
Majesty's Government to introduce a measure in the present
session for that purpose. Perhaps the Noble Lord would be
kind enough to inform the House what the intention of his
Majesty's Government really was ?
Lord JOHN RUSSELL was quite aware that' such re-
ports as those mentioned by the Right Hon. Baronet pre-
vailed, but he could not imagine from what source they had
arisen. The Tithe Commissioners had uniformly expressed
an opinion that there was no necessity for introducing an
amendment, or alteration, by which the operation of the Act
of last Session could be rendered more easy or efectual, and
that, therefore, there was no reason for proposing any such
amendment.—(Hear.) He could also state, that the
Government on their side had no intention whatever of pro-
posing an amendment or alteration of that Act.
Mr. HODGES had heard the statement of the Noble
Lord with regret, as there were clauses in the Tithe Bill
with respect to rating that undoubtedly required alteration.
THE COLONIES.

Mr. E W ART wished to ask the under. Secretary of State
for the Colonies whether he had received any report from the
Commissioners on that subject.
Sir GEORGE GREY said that the Commissioners were
proceeding to make enquiries on the subject -of the Colonies,
and he believed that' some of their Reports had been made,
but none as yet had been sent to the Government.
Mr. E WART wished to know whether it was the intention
of the Government as fast as those Reports appeared to lay
them before the House.

Sir GEORGE GREY did not anticipate that the Re-
ports would be laid before the House as they were received.
There could be no objection, however, to lay them upon the
table, but there was an objection to lay them before the House
before the Government had had an opportunity of reading them.
Mr. EWA RT then said he would give notice of his inten-
tion to move to-morrow that the Reports should be laid on the
table as they appeared.
Sir G. GREY said ho did not refuse to give them as they
appeared to the House; he only claimed the right, on the part
of the Government, to read them first.

Mr. E WART expressed himself satisfied with this state-
ment.

CORN TRADE WITH MALTA.

An lioN. MEMBER wished to ask the Under Secretary of
State for the Colonies whether it was the intention of his Ma-
jesty's Government to make any alteration in the regulations
with respect to corn going to Malta, or whether they intended
to stand by the statements in the Gazette. • _

Sir GEORGE. GREY said that in consequence of a ques-
tion by the Hon. Member for Worcestershire last year, he
stated that it was the intention of the Government to act on
the recommendation of the Commission of Inquiry of
1830, and directions to that effect had been sent out to
Malta. The Government had seen no necessity to
make 'any alteration on the subject, but was still
determined to act upon that recommendation. Of course, the
establishments which had been kept up for the purpose of se-
curing corn would cease the moment the necessity for them
did not exist.

CANADA.
Mr. ROEBUCK wished to know whether the Noble Lord
at the head of the Home Department intended to let the
House have the Report of the Canada Committee, before he
called upon them to express any opinion of what had taken
place.
Lord JOHN RUSSELL said it was certainly his inten-
tion that the Report should be laid on the table before he made
any proposition to the House.