The Sun.
London, England, 1865-06-26 00:00:00

ROMAN CATHOLIC OATH BILL.

Tl Earl of DEVON, in moving the second reading of
this bill, said he was anxious to see every remnant of in-
tollerance towards their Roman Catholic fellow subjects
ablishod, and the object of the bill had his cordial approval.
Having read the terms of the declaration required to be taken
by Roman Catholics before they could take their seats in
either House of ,Parliament, which he ridiculed, he said
there was no reason to doubt the loyalty of the Roman
Catholics of this country, and the imposition of this oath
was an unnecessary insult to that body. He denied that the
oath afforded any additional guarantee for the fidelity of
the Roman Catholics to the constitution and the Crown,
because, as it was compulsory under the circum-
stances, there was no security that it -would
prove binding on the consciences of the members of that
persuasion. They should rely on the growing intelli-
gence of the Roman Catholics and the respect they
entertained for the Established Church, and not on an
oath of this description. He contended that the oath was
also open to the objection, thatlit limited and fettered the
discretion of members of both houses in the discussions
that took place. He alluded to the attempt that had
been made in 1829 to disqualify Roman Catholics from voting
on matters affecting the interest of the Established
Church, and he, referred to statements made on that occa-
sion of certain distinguished speakers discussing the
attempt.
(LEFT SPEAKING.)

HOUSE OF COMMONS—Tars DAT.
The SPEAKER took the chair at four o'clock.
NEW MEMBER.

Sir A. BULLER took the oaths and his seat for Liskeard.
PRIVATE BUSINESS.
__

The Lords' Amendments to the Great Northern Rail-
way (Sleaford. to Bourn) Bill ; County Antrim and Bel-
fast Borough Bill ; Great Eastern Railway (Capital, &c.)
Bill ; Lugg Valley Railway Bill ; 'and Solway Junction
Railway Bill were considered and agreed to.
The following bills were read a third time and passed :
Kidwelly and Llanelly Canal and Tramroad ; West Corn-
wall Railway; and Westminster Improvements.
The following bills were considered and ordered to be
read a third time :—Bodmin and Wadebridgo Railway ;
Burnley Market ; Carmarthenshire Railway ; Fergus River
Navigation, &c. ; Llanelly Railway and Dock (Extension
to Mumbles) ; Navan and Kingecourt Railway; and West
Cork Railway.
The following bills were read a second time :—Ettrl of
Winchilsea's Estate ; Limerick and North Kerry Junction
Railway ; and Dublin, Clontarf, and Dollymount Tram-
way.
GOVERNMENT ANNUITIES BILL.

Sir M. FARQUHAR asked the Chancellor of the Ex-
chequer what progress was being made in insuring lives
and iu purchasing Government annuities under the Act
27 and 28 Vic. cap. 43 ; and also what number of con-
tracts had been entered into by the Postmaster-General in
pursuance of that act ; at how many post-offices such
business had been transacted ; and whether such business
was carried on at any and how many of the old savings
banks?
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said the act
had only so recently come into operation that he could not
give his hon. friend the information he required in detail.
A long period of time had elapsed between the passing of
the act and its coming into operation, so that it had not
been in operation, as was expected in some quar-
ters, immediately on its receiving the assent of
Parliament. They had appointed and opened about 400
offices for the transaction of business, but it had been found
impossible, up to the present, to extend them o ver the whole
of the county, but no time would be lost in increasing those
offices at the earliest moment. No arrangement had been
able to be come to with the old savings banks for carrying
on the life insurance business. Some hundreds of trans-
actions have been completed by the offices already
in existence, and it would bo gratifying, no doubt, to the
hon. gentleman to know that Mr. Scudmore, of the Gene-
ral Post-office, was quite satisfied with the transactions up
to the present time ; and it was also most important to
know that the rules all work well. He hoped he should be
able very shortly to give the hon. gentleman further infor-
mation on the matter.

THE HIGH WORT H UNION.
Mr. TORRENS asked the Secretary to the Poor Law
Board whether any steps had been taken by the Board to
ascertain that Dr. Kennard, medical officer of the High-
worth Union, had discontinued to employ his assistant,
which was animadverted on and forbidden in the Secre-
tary's letter to Dr. Kennard, dated April 19, 1865.
Viscount ENFIELD said an inquiry had been made into
the matter, and Mr. Kennard had been informed of the
feeling of the board. The duties of medical officer, he be-
lieved, were now exercised exclusively by Mr. Kennard.
No complaints had been received since the guardians of the
poor had been in communication with Dr. Kennard, and
that being so, it was to be expected that the duties of the
office were now being strictly attended to.
APPROPRIATION BILL.
After a short discussion this bill was read a third time
and passed.
CLERICAL SUBSCRIPTION BILL.

On the motiou for going into committee on this bill,
Mr. lIADFIELD stated his opinion to be that tho bill
would fall very far short of the expectations of its
supporters.
(LEFT SPEAKING

RAILWAY AND OTHER COMPANIES.

GREAT WESTERN.

An adjourned special meeting of this company was hold
on Thursday at the Paddington Station to consider the re-
maining bills on the list ; Mr. R. Potter in the chair.
Mr. Saunders, the secretary, having read the notice of
adjournment,
The CHAIRMAN said that this would-be the last Wharn-
cliffe meeting of the company this session. The first bill
he had to submit was to authorise the construction of a
railway in the county of Glamorgan, to bo called the Afon
Valley Railway.
Mr. WILLIAms seconded the motion, and it was unani-
mously adopted.
The following bills were then submitted and carried nem.
con. ; the only clauses in them relating to the Great West-
ern Company were permissive, for making, working, and
other arrangements :—To authorise the construction of a
dock and other works at Newport, on the western side of
the river Usk, to be called the Alexandra Dock, and of
railways to connect the same with neighbouring railways ;
a bill for making railways from the Newport, Abergavenny
and Hereford line at Pontypool to the Great Western Rail-
way ; to authorise the construction of a railway between
Ross and Monmouth ; for authorising the Sirhowy Rail-
way Company to construct a railway in substitution for
the authorised extension of their railway to the Merthyr,
Tredegar, and Abergavenny Railway, and to deviate their
authorised railway, and to use parts of the Merthyr, Trede-
gar and Abergavenny, and Monmouthshire Railways, and
the Park Mile, and for other purposes ; and a bill to autho-
rise deviations in the line of the Glocester Extension of the
Worcester, Dean Forest; and Monmouth Railway, and to
enable the company to raise additional capital.
Formal resolutions, approving modifications in the lease
of the Severn Valley Railway, and for making a branch
Railway from Bewdley, and also sanctioning an agreement
with the Forest of Dean Central Railway Company for use
and working of the line, were passed.
The proceedings concluded with a vote of thanks to the
chairman.

THE SHIRLEY MURDER. —lt is stated that Broom-
field, the Shirley murderer, has so far recovered as to be
able to take his trial at the ensuing summer assizes at
Winchester.—Hants Advertiser.