The Sun.
London, England, 1838-02-20 00:00:00

PLURALITIES' BILL.

In answer to Sir R. INonrs,
Lord J. RUSSELL said that ho could not exactly state
when the Pluralities' Bill (we believe) would come on.
CHURCH OF SCOTLAND ACCOMMODATION.
Sir R. PE EL asked if the Government were prepared to bring
forward any measure on the subject of additional accommoda-
tion in the Church of Scotland, arid if so, at what time?
Lord J. RUSSELL said the subject was under the con-
sideration of the Government, and he hoped that in a fortnight
he should be able to give a definite answer relating to it.
BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE.
Lord JOHN RUSSELL said that he would now state the
course which he meant to pursue with respect to the busi-
ness before the House. He proposed to bring on first
to-night the Parliamentary Electors' Bill, and after that
the Committee on the Irish Poor-law Bill. The Irish
Poor-law Bill required so much consideration, that it was itl
possible for hint to fix any particular days for other business
while the House was in Committee on that Bill. (Hear'
hear.) What he proposed, therefore, to do was, that
the House should go through the Poor-law Bill; that
they should take no other business on Government days hat
that ; and that after the third reading of the Bill, it should be
sent to the other House without delay. He proposed to take
the same course with respect to the Irish llunictpa,
Reform Bill. With respect to the Benefices Pluralities
Bill, it wss not his intention to bring it on at pre-
sent. Thera were one or two exceptions to the order
of business, which he had stated. He proposed on that day
se'nnight that the Hovse should go into a Committee, in orderd
that they might proceed to the consideration of the ArillY 'a to
Navy Estimates ; and the week after next he hoped to be 1.11).Le
bring on the motion of which he had given notice, and whiel.
t.bad
Lien referred to by the Right Hon. Gentleman opposite, fel'. Ile'
appointment of a Committee on Church lease-. If any 11.9',
Member did not perfectly understand the mode of proceeding
which he intended to adopt he was ready to enter into any
further explanation which might be deemed necessary.
Mr. HUME wished to ask the Noble Lord whether he
meant to bring on the motion of which he had given notice,
for certain returns connected with Church revenues, before the
House proceeded to the consideration of the Benefices Plu-
ralities' Bill?

Lord JOHN RUSSELL said that the greater portien of
the information which was contained in those returns was t°
be found in the report.
Mr. HUME said that the Noble Lord had stated that the
Bill varied considerably from the recommendations contained
in the Report.
EAST CUMBERLAND ELECTION.
Mr. JAMES hoped the House would bear with him for a
few minutes whilst he made a remark or two on a matter per-
sonal to himself, and connected with the privileges
of the
(
House. In the course of the debate which took place on the
motion of the Hon. Member for the City of London, he
Mr
James) took occasion to say that certain tenants-at• will, voters
for East Cumberland, after signing a requisition to secure the
return of his (Mr. James's) colleague and himself, had been
.
urged by their landlords to violate their pledges and vote
to
Sir James Graham. He (Mr. James) was called upon
name, and he named the steward of the returning officer,
Sir
F. Vane. That statement was strictly true, perfectly correct:
and he could prove the fact ; but the observation with regard
to the notices given to certain tenants who were threatened ,t°_
be ejected from their farms was not intended to apply to the
same parties ; but to apply to other parties. He had no doubt the
error had arisen in some of the historical records of Friday
last, either from his (Mr. James) having been indistinctly
heard, or his imperfect manner of expressing himself, because
no man admired more than he did the general reports of the
debates which were made in the House ; in fact, it was
i Per-
fectly wonderful how they could be given so perfectly n s*
short a space of tine.—( Hear, hear, hear.) He (Mr'
James) would have made this explanation on Friday last'
but was very unwilling to trouble the House with s
matter personal to himself; but he did on that day write a
letter to the editor of a paper in Cumberland, having tke largest
circulation, correcting the error. He had since received
latter from Sir F. Vane, who was anxious that the error should
be corrected as soon as possible. Sir F. Vane was a
particular friend of his, and nothing would hurt him more
than to have been supposed to have attributed to him any un-
just, harsh, and tyrannical conduct, because he knew he rraa
utterly incapable of it, and he was especially anxious not to
wound the feelings of his friend, who was suffering from tka
effects of a long, severe, and painful illness.—( Hear, hear,)
Lord MAHON begged the indulgence of the House on e
subject personal to himself. It would be recollected that on
Friday last he presented a petition from Hertford against the
Ballot. He stated, then, that a meeting had been convened
by the friends of the Ballot, that a considerable number
of voters, both Conservative and Whig, attended on
that occasion, and that the petition against the Ballot
was adopted by a large majority. On that occasion it was
stated by the Hon. Member opposite (Mr. Ward) tkat a con-
siderable number of persons bad been paid for their at-
tendance ; and that it was not a spontaneous feeling
on the part of the inhabitants of Hertford.—(Hear, hear.)
He had considered it his duty to write immediately to the
place, and he had received a letter from the gentleman vrh°
had lately officiated as Mayor of the town, and others of the
highest respectability, who had authorized him to say that not
a single person had been paid for his attendance at the meet-
ing. He thought it right to state so much in vindication of
his own character, and that of his constituents.
Mr. WARD begged to assure the Noble Lord his infor-
mation had been by letter, and that he had no personal know'
ledge of the facts. He had since had a personal communica-
tion, and he was bound to say that he did not think there
existed that decisive proof of facts upon which he had made
the statement.
CHURCH ACCOMMODATION ( J
SCOTLAND.)
Sir R. PEEL begged to ask the Noble Lord (Lord J.
Russell) what the intention of her Majesty's
Govern-
mer.t was with respect to the measure for extending
the means of Divine Worship in Scotland.
Noble Lord had stated that a fortnight would elapse
bet;
fore he could give an answer, and if it was his intention _
bring forward such a measure he hoped it would be don:
before Easter, in order that the country generally, and th
people of Scotland in particular, might be able to expre
an opinion upon it.
Lord JOHN RUSSELL said he should certainly do so.
Sir R. PEEL_ As he did not see the Noble Lord, the
Secretary for Foreign Affairs, in his place, begged to give
notice that, on some future day, when he saw the Ilutilo
Secretary in his place, he would put a question
him, relative to the levy of duties on English goods
in Java. When it was put on a former day the Noble Lord
said he hoped that the matter would be adjusted in a satista
tory way in a short time.
NAVAL OFFICERS.
Captain PECIIELL wished to put a question to a gam"
her of the Board of Admiralty ! but as he did not see 0'
of them in his place he trusted that he would receive a sates:
factory answer from some Member of the Government.
wanted to know whether it was intended to take any steps to
clear the character of the naval officers on the coast of Africa
from the aspersions which had been so scandalously thrown
o
upon them in another place.—Order. ) the
calumny wanted .
know whether these officers were not to be relieved front
calumny which had been so unjustly thrown upon them. ,
Lord J. RUSSELL ttoulcl not then answer the questio.
The discussion would again come on to-morrow in OF other_
[louse, and he trusted the Gallant Officer would be satisfied. r
Captain PECHELL said, as he had received no answer
then, he gave notice that he would repeat it to-morrow.