The Sun.
London, England, 1837-04-08 00:00:00

CHURCH-RATES.

The HoN. MEMBER presented a petition from the mayor,
aldermen, and burgesses of the borough of Carlisle, pray-
ing the House to take into consideration the propriety of
altering the present system of Church-rates.
Petitions against the abolition of Church-rates were pre-
sented by Sir C. B. Vere, Sir J. Beckett, Mr. Wilson
Patten, Mr. Maclean, Colonel Lygon, Sir E. Knatchbull,
and Sir R. Inglis.

Petitions in favour of the abolition of Church-rates were
presented by Mr. Tynte, Mr. Divett, Mr. Phillips, Mr.
Wallace, and Mr. Wilks.

Mr. HOPE and Mr. FOSTER presented petitions against
the Ministerial plan.
Mr. MACKINNON brought in a Bill for the regula-
tion of Turnpike Trusts.
Mr: BROTHERTON had a singular petition to pre.
sent, but it was respectfully worded. He thought it
his duty to offer it to the House. It was from a
Samuel Bamfield, who stated that he was a reporter
for the public newspapers at Middletown in the county of
Lancaster ; that he had for many years been zealous in
promoting Parliamentary Reform ; and that he had fre-
quently been imprisoned on charges of treason—(A laugh)
—that he had had occasion to see the evils of popular
assemblies, especially at the time of general elections ; and
he therefore prayed that the law might be made so that
general elections might be abolished, except when the
King or Queen ascended the Throne.—(Loud laughter.)
Sir T. BARING presented a petition from Yarmouth,
praying that the Shipping Gazette might be exempted
from the payment of postage.
Similar petitions were also presented by Mr. WALLACE,
from Greenock, and the SOLICITOR-GENERAL, from Fal-
mouth.

Lord F. EGERTON presented petitions from retailers of
beer in South Lancashire, praying that their interests
might be protected.
Mr J. F. YOUNG presented a petition from North
Shields, against the duty on marine insurances.
Sir W. FOLLETT presented petitions from parishes in
Devonshire, against the Government plan for the abolition
of Church-rates.
POST-OFFICE BILL.

Mr. LABOUCHEItE said that he should postpone
the Order of the Day for going into Committee on the
Post•oflice Acts Repeal Bill till this day week.

PARLIAMENTARY AGENTS.

Mr. FRESHFIELD wished to put a question to the
Hon. Member for Truro. The public had been led to sup-
pose that the Hon. Member for Truro had stated, on mak-
ing his motion yesterday, that the resolution of 25th Feb.
1830, had been got rid of by an evasion. He wished to
ask the Hon. Member whether he so stated it, and if he
did, whether he applied the term evasion to him (Mr.
Freshfield.)
Mr TOOKE did not feel a momentary hesitation in
answering the question just put to him, by stating then, as
he did on a former occasion, that he gave credit to the
Hon. Member for Falmouth for having acted on the full
and fair contiction in his cw❑ mind that the arrangement
entered into with his son was not within the letter
or the spirit of the Resolution.—(Cries of ",Hear.")
He hail, on the contrary, expressed the highest opinion of
the Hon. Member's honour and integrity ; but at the same
time he bad given an illustration of the manner in which,
under colourable agreomerts of partnership, the regulation
of the House might be evaded.
Sir E. WILMOT begged to ask whether there was any
intention on the part of his. Majesty's Government to make
any alteration in the Post-office laws?

Mr. L BOUC HE RE said his only object was to con-
solidate the p: csent laws, and he should strenuously object
to the introduction of any new matter.

RELIGIOUS INSTRUCTION (SCOTLAND).
Mr. GILLON begged to ask whether his Majesty's
Government had authorised the publication of any portion
of the etridence taken before the Commissioners appointed
to inquire into the state of religious instruction in Scot-
land. He had just returned from Edinburgh, where he
had seen a number of pamphlets, purporting to be the evi-
dence given by Dr. Lee ; and an impression was abroad
that the two Commissioners before whom the evidence heel
l:een taken had communicated it to certain individuals, while
it had been withheld from others.
Mr. M A ULE believed that access had been had to the
evidence of Dr. Lee prematurely. An advantage had been
taken of that to publish it in the shape of pamphlets in
Edinburgh. The Secretary of State had written to the
Commissioners, inquiring how that had occurred, as the
evidence was confidential, and belonged to his MPjesty
until it had been laid before Parliament. The Com-
missioners however stated that they had given it to
a person to print,. under the strict charge of confidence,
and in the absence of the printer the Rev. Mr. Biggs called
at the office and saw the brother of the printer,
to whom he communicated his wish to see his own
evidence for the purpose of correcting it. He was
allowed to see it, and it was supposed that on that
day access had been had to the evidence of Dr. Lee.

'The Committees on the Bills relating to the Post-office
were postponed till Friday next.

WILLS BILL.

Sir R. INGLIS wished to ask the Solicitor-General
when he, or his Friend, the Attorney-General, intended to
fix the second reading of the Wills Bill. It stood for that
night, but there was no chance of its coming on in anything
like time.

The SOLICITOR-GENERAL, in the absence of the
Attorney-General, could not fix any day. All he could say
upon the matter was, that his Learned Friend was most
anxious to proceed with the Bill as early as possible.
BENEFICES PLURALITIES BILL.

Lord J. RUSSELL then moved the second reading of
the above Bill.

Lord ASHLEY begged to ask his- Noble Friend the
Secretary for the Home Department, whether he was aware
that notwithstanding the declared illegality of the orders of
the Factory Inspectors, yet the same system was in full
operation—and whether if he was not aware of it would he
put a stop to it immediately?

Lord JOHN RUSSELL would make instant inquiries
on the subject. He had only yet received a letter from Mr.
Sanders, in answer to his instructions, but he had no doubt
the other inspectors were fully alive to the subject.