The Sun.
London, England, 1853-08-16 00:00:00

I if it not
put to that which, was
u favour of the measure, and he trusted
that an end won't. be
public opinion I'
checked, would be
Lord REDESDA LE urged that a measure
vexation.
Lord
ht not to
of this
it:o great
kind, and involving a principle,
nudghe hoped
be pressed at this pei iod of the session, a
.t.
the noble earl would be doted to withdraw
The Earl of lIADDINk
pone the bill until another s, ssito_i, if
GTON wohueldthaoguroehettiot post-
The
in the nest
gable that he would get al ,Y I
session. He was by no meal-
but he looked upon it as a oTessive measure,
which
silauttfia.sed with the bill,
• • test hereafter an he •
afforded some security for the
perfect religious eubstabldishmheenitievofeda
' ltion, it was the inten-
result was not provided by legisl, , if that
to establish a college of their own, wli
tion of the clergy of the established
crcla, and where
sided over only by members of that ch
cjAuchrchshouuf should
Scotland
l Preand
• line The nobl earl, of whose observat the students might be educated in its doe',
cip . rootosin
intention of
1,3 fifty was heard, intimated his `nines less andn doinse-
very low t; one in
"-opossible to collect from the
quite i.
som,:, amendments in committee ; but their objt,ct it was
which he .spoke'
'list the blll
friend, who was absent) agai
part a noble I d
of the Church of Scot an ,
from the Generai assembly
The DAL-. a ARGYLL presented a petition (on the
petitioners stated that
but said he did not agree either Th
petition or its alleg,ltinns: than a declaration
•othing more
the existing test wa,. L with the prayer of the
()lessor that he believed in the
upon the part of the
truths of the Scripture. 15.
giving this general definition tt it wheastelustu,chhemtuhroUghautdthine
weakness of their case.
did in this allegation
General
expected,
admitting
ts
‘7,7
test, so far as
,tablished religion
rd ptrhoapto
thesed
thet e
doctrinesinsufficiency
and o fdiscipline test
a of
a rt ehlei
h
ofun
oStchoetrla;nhdut werein
instead
dernoef d,thtahteytheyd
woulde
el a
tie 1113 any
General Assembly could not consent to to.,bill
ground but that of uncompromising hostility to i.."2Y,b. of
that infringed the rights and privileges of the Chun_
Scotland. But so far from the test being confined to a
declaration of a belief in the truth of the Scrip-
tures, it required the person subscribing to it to
declare that he adhered to the Westminster Con-
fession of Faith, and to promise that he would con-
form, in all respects, to the worship and discipline of the
Established Church of Scotland. Now, every one must
see 'that it was intended by this that every person filling
any one of the professorial chairs should be a member of
that church. That was the state of the law at present,
and if that law was strictly and literally carried out,
those who were members of that church only could fill
these offices. But the altered state of society in Scot-
land had rendered that impracticable, and the result was
that in the University of Edinburgh the test was in abey-
ance, and in the Universities of Glasgow, Aberdeen, and
St. Andrews, episcopal professors subscribed to the test
without having any notion of binding themselves either
to the worship or discipline of the Established Church
of Scotland, and to enforce that test literally would be
to exclude from the professorial chairs the most eminent
professors of the day. Take the case of Edinburgh--who
was at this moment the professor of natural philosophy
in that university ? Professor James Forbes, a man of
European reputation, who had advanced the boundaries
of human knowledge in numerous departments of science,
but he was an Episcopalian—a member of that very
church against which this test was directed. Again in
the department of mental philosophy—the professor of
metaphysics was Sir W. Hamilton, a worthy successor
of those great men who throughout the close of the last
and at the beginning of the present century had main-
tained the honour of the University ; he, too, was an
Episcopalian. Then, in the department of medicine—
that department in which the University was so deser-
vedly celebrated—who filled the professorial chair ? Pro-
fessor Simpson, also a man of European reputation ; he
was a member of the Free Church. Thus, if the test
wire enforced the University of Edinburgh would lose
the services of the present eminent professors of natural
philosophy, of mental philosophy ; the medical professor,
and also' the professor of mathematics, who was also a
member of the Free Church. Then the Church of Scot-
land regarded this test as conferring upon them eccle-
siastical rights in connexion with the universities,
but an unanimous judgment of the Court of Session
had decided that the universities were civil and not
ecclesiastical estabiishments, and that the Established
Church of Scotland Lad no jurisdiction. The students
were of all sects and ai,! religions—no test was imposed
upon them, and it was anomalous to insist upon a reli-
gious test from the professors. Suchlibeing the state of
the case, the existing test being not only useless, but
capable of being turned to the injury of the universities,
the Government had to consider whether they would
impose a new test, and they found that had they pro-
posed to do so, their measure would have failed in the
House of Commons, and they considered that under all
the circumstances the best course would be to require a
simple declaration from the professor that he would not
use the influence of his office to the derogation of the
established church. His noble friend who last spoke
had stated that the clergy of the Established Church in-
tended to establish a college of their own, where stu-
dents of their own religion might be educated apart
from those of other sects. He thought nothing could
be more injurious to the church than such a course,
which would deprive them of the services (for the edu-
cation of their youth) of the most eminent professors.
He should be most happy to see a larger proportion of
the gentry and middle classes educated in the Universi-
ties of Scotland, but they would never maintain the due
influence of those institutions if they attempted to con-
fine the professorships to the limited sphere of the Esta-
blished Church. There was no weight whatever in the
argument that the bill was an infringement of the Act
of Union. The hereditable jurisdictions had been gua-
ranteed by the treaty of union, but it having been found
in the course of a few years that the state of society was
opposed to their continuance, they were abolished, and
it was absurd to contend that the same authority—the
Parliament of Great Britain—which had made the
change, was not competent to make the alteration now
proposed. He regretted that the bill had come up to
their lordships at so late a period of the session, but the
delay had been consequent upon the efforts which had
been made to secure the assent of the Scotch members
in the other house, and he rejoiced to say that at a pri-
vate parliament of those members the assent of all, he
believed, except one, had been given to the measure.
Under these circumstances he trusted their lordships
would consider that the time bad arrived when the
existing oath exacted from professors of the Scotch Uni-
versities should be abolished, and a simple declaration
substituted.
The house then went into committee.
Clauses 1 and 2 were agreed to ; some amendments
proposed by the Earl of HADDINGTON having been put
and negatived.
On clause 3,
The Earl of HADDINGTON proposed to insert
words making the declaration more stringent in regard
to the proteetion afforded by it to the Church of Scot-
land.

The Duke of ARGYLL said the amendment was evi-
dently directed against the members of the Free Church,
and would prevent any professor writing or speaking
adversely to the doctrine and discipline of the Estab-
lished Church apart from his office. It was, he thought,
sufficient to require that the influence of the office
should not be used in derogation of that church.
The amendment was then put and negatived, and the
clause passed.
The remaining clauses passed through committee,
and the house resumed.
COURTS OF COMMON LAW (IRELAND) BILL.
This bill was read a third time and passed.
The Burials (beyond the metropolis) Bill, and the Em-
ployment of Children in Factories Bill severally went
through committee.
The Assessed Taxes, Insurance on Lives, and Sheriffs
Courts (Scotland) Bills were severally read a third
time and passed.
PUBLIC WORKS ACTS AMENDMENT BILL.
This bill also went through committee.
The Stock in Trade Exemption Bill, the Customs
Tariff Act Bill, and the Customs Consolidation Act
Amendment Bill were severally read a second time.
The Commons' amendments to the Transportation
Bill were agreed to.
The Commons' amendments to the Entails (Scotland)
Bill and the Vaccination Extension Bill were severally
agreed to.
Their lordships adjourned at eight o'clock.

HOUSE OF COMMONS-(YESTERDAY.)
The SPEAKER took the chair at 1 o'clock.
NEW WRITS.

On the motion of Mr. BUTT, a new writ was issued
for Dungarvon, in the room of Mr. Maguire, who, since
his election, had accepted the Chiltern Hundreds.
On the motion of Mr. E. BERKELEY, a new writ
was issued for Stamford, in the room of the Right Hon.
Mr. Herries, who, since his election, had accepted the
Chiltern Hundreds.

PRIVATE BUSINESS.
The Lords' amendments to the following bills were
considered and agreed to :—Banbridge, Dublin, Newry,
and Belfast Junction Railway ; Galway Harbour ; Har-
wich Docks and Pier ; London and North Western and
Buckinghamshire Railways ; Saint Margaret and Saint
John the Evangelist, Westminster, Vestries ; Severn
Talley Railway ; South Wales Railway (Deviation) ;
South Wales Railway (Pembroke, &c.) ; South Wales
Railway (Power to purchase, &c.)
_Rushbyooke's Divorce and the Baron Vivian's
Estite bills were read a third time and passed.

Mr. 11. WALL p PETITIONS.
polls in favour of o resented a petition from the metro-
pen Opening Crl Palace on Sundas.
Lord D. STUART sentpredysta a petition from Marylye-
bone, praying the house to interfere in behalf of Edward
Murray.

asked the P •
whetherTraCdoelonelßLAtlhß °r"13.A.19.°.
Government had received
true,
of Africa,
that
e Gov resident of the Board of I
9.ri.
t,
mation of the truth of
an
islanadnye confir-
ing an almost inexhaustible
lately discovered on the east supply of guano, hasontain.
event of the report being and, in beenth
intention to take any steps that would 'whether it was theire
to be obtained at a more would cause that moderate • article
culturists of this country? price by the agri-
Mr. CARDWELL said no such information I
reached him ; but with regard to the supply - had
PPly of
generally, be had been in communication with guano
miralty on the subject, and instructions had beenheg iA,
di;
to the fleet in the Pacific to supply any information-th% I
might receive with respect to new discoveries of guano,
; 1
METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATION.
Mr. HAMILTON asked the First Lord of the Admi-
ralty, in reference to Parliamentary Paper No. 115, of
Session 1853, and to the communication made by Lieut.
Maury to the Secretary of the United States Navy,
and the conference suggested in the letter of the
Secretary of December 16, and of Mr. Ingersoll of
March 7, whether any such conference had y