The Sun.
London, England, 1836-03-04 00:00:00

THE DISSENTERS.

Sir RONALD FERGUSON presented a petition
from a congregation of Dissenters residing at Nottingham,
praying for relief. The Hon. Baronet bore testimony to
the respectability of the petitioners.
Sir JOHN HOBHOUSE had been requested to sup-
port the prayer of the petition, which he did most cordially.
He was sure the more the petitioners looked into the mea-
sures introduced for their relief, the more they would be sa-
tisfied with them.
Sir RONALD FERGUSON next presented a peti-
tion from the Minister and Congregation of an Anabaptist
Society at Nottingham, complaining of being obliged to pay
for the support of religious houses of worship, in a form of
faith differentfrom their own, while they received no assistance
in the building of their chapels from other congregations. They
also complained of being obliged to make a declaration from
which their consciences revolted, before they could enjoy
any municipal office under the Reform Bill. The Right
Hon. Baronet hoped the day was not distant when perfect
religious toleration would be established in Great Britain.
Sir JOHN HOBHOUSE said this petition had been
entrusted to him for presentation, but having come down to
the House for some days past at four o'clock, in order to
do so, but without effect, he took leave to put it in
the hands of his Colleague.—( Hear.) With respect
to the tax on the Dissenters for building chapels, he would
only speak his own opinion, not that of the Government,
and he would say that he was disposed to agree in the views
of the petitioners. He hoped that the subject would shortly
receive the favourable consideration of his Majesty's Mi-
nisters. With respect to that part of the prayer regarding
the declaration, lie begged to give it his decided support.
Sir RONALD FERGUSON presented a petition from
the Mayor and Corporation of Nottingham, praying for an
alteration_ of that part of the Municipal Reform Bill which
required the making of a declaration by Dissenters before
they could fill any office to which they might be elected.
Mr. WILKS supported the prayer of this petition.
The clause adverted to was productive of great inconve-
nience, and so far left the Dissenters in the situation in
which they stood prior to the Act for the repeal of
the Test and Corporation Acts. The Dissenters,
and particularly the Society of Friends, decidedly
objected to making the declaration required, and in
Exeter alone several gentlemen, who would have been
elected to places under the Municipal Reform Bill were
prevented offering- themFelves, and thus Conservatives ob-
tained a majority in the Town Council. He hoped a
speedy remedy would be applied.
SPIRIT LICENSES.
Mr. BERNAL presented a petition from the licensed
victuallers of Chatham and other places, complaining of
the hardships to which they were subjected by the provisions
of the Bill affecting their trade, which lately passed the
Legislature.
Petitions to the same effect were presented 133 Sir
EDWARD CODRINGTON from Devonport, Mr. WILKS
from Boston, and some other Hon. Members.

TITHES.
Mr. SHARMAN CRAWFORD presented petitions
from Westport, the Union of Kilcommon and Robin, and
the parish of Aughagower, in the county of Mayo, all
praying for the total extinction of Tithes, in name and
reality. The petitioners from Aughagower represent them-
selves as among the poorest persons in Ireland, unable even
to provide themselves with clothing so as to attend Divine
Service in their own houses of worship, and that it was
therefore a flagrant injustice to be compelled, from their po-
verty, to contribute to support in splendour the members of a
different religion ; also a petition from Ballvnashane, in the
county of Antrim, mostly signed by Protestant Dissenters,
to the same effect. The petitioners further state, that the
Bill which passed that Hon. House last session, would not.
have afforded such extent of relief as would have satisfied
the people of Ireland.
MR. BUCKINGHAM'S CLAIMS. _ _

The HoN. MEMBER then presented a petition from the
merchants, bankers, and other inhabitants of Belfast, in
favour of Mr. Buckingham's claims. The petitioners prayed
that the House would take into consideration the propriety
and justice of acceding to the claims of Mr. Buckingham,
for remuneration for his losses.
AGRICULTURAL DISTRESS.
Sir G. H. SMITH presented a petition from the re-
spectable inhabitants of Colchester, praying that House to
grant relief to the agriculturists, with whom their interests
were closely connected. He trusted the House would not
be led away by the statements of the opponents of this
measure, that the labourers were better off than they had
been for many years, and that the distress of the landlords
and agriculturists had been brought on by themselves. As
a practical man, he would say that such statements were
not founded on fact. The Hon. Baronet then presented a
petition to the same effect from the Agricultural Committee
of the Hundred of Colchester and Wrixley.
Mr. POTTER was about to offer some observations in
replY, but was interrupted by cries of " Order," " Chair,"
so., and " Sit down."
The petitions were referred to the Agricultural Committee.
Mr. BRAMSTON presented a petition to the same
effect, from an agricultural association in Essex.
DISSENTERS' CLAIMS.
Mr. LENNARD presented a petition from 4,800 of
the inhabitants of Essex of all classes, complaining of the
grievances under which Dissenters labour. A more im-
portant petition, or one more respectably signed, never be-
fore came to that House. They claimed for all British
subjects an equality in all social rights and privileges, and
they thought that Parliament were not justified in enforc-
ing a compulsory support for the Established Church, of
which they conscientiously could not approve, and in the
services of which they could not partake. They therefore
prayed for immediate relief from Church-rates. He knew
that this was one of those subjects which was most offensive
to Dissenters, and he trusted, and indeed he felt sure, that
it would at the earliest moment engage the attention of
his Majesty's Government. Coming from the present
Government, the Dissenters would look for a measure
which would be satisfactory : but there existed great impa-
tience out of doors upon the subject, for the question had
been much too long before the House. They also complained
of the heavy tax levied upon them in the renewal of the
trusts under which their property was held, and prayed
for relief. He most cordially supported the petition, and

would take that opportunity of saying that the Bills for
relieving the Dissenters before the House gave great satis•
fection ; there was, however, one point on which there
was much difference of opinion—that was the neces-
sity there would be, under the Bill, for the attendance of a
registrar at all marriages celebrated by Dissenting ministers.
Mr. WILKS said the Hon. Gentleman had very rightly
stated this petition to be one of the most respectable which
had ever been presented. It was signed by upwards of
4,800 land-owners, land occupiers, and freeholders, both in
town and country, and the most respectable men in the
county of Essex. He agreed with his Hon. Friend in the
statement as to the satisfaction of the Dissenters with the
Bills now before the House, and he was quite sure the ob-
jections to minor details would be met in a spirit of liberality
and conciliation by the Government. There were upwards of
5,000 Dissenting chapels, and 5,000 schools in the country.
They were not upon an equality with the Church, and all that
property was obliged to be held under trust, and whenever
one trustee died, the trust bad to be renewed at great ex-
pense, though not one of the parties were benefitted one
shillinr, from them. Such a system ought to be done away
with for the benefit of education.

Mr. LENN A RD then presented a petition from a parish
in Essex to the same effect.
MISCELLANEOUS REFORMS.

Mr. DU NDAS presented a petition from York, praying
for the adoption of Reforms in various branches of our
Civil, Military, and Ecclesiastic Establishments. It prayed

that the Bill about to be introduced for the Reform of Mu-
nicipal Corporations in Ireland might be as extensive as the
English one. It also prayed for a Reform in the Irish
Church, commensurate with the religious wants of the po-
pulation, for the removal of Dissenters' grievances ; the
abolition of flogging in the army ; the adoption of household
suffrage, and vote by ballot.—(Much laughter.) These
were the leading features of the petition, but there were
other points which did not reach the gallery. The llon.
Member supported the general view of the petitioners.
Mr. PARKINS was requested to support the prayer of
the petition. The present laws against bribery were wholly
inefficient, and he thought nothing short of vote by ballot
would correct the evil.