The Sun.
London, England, 1831-07-16 00:00:00

PRICE 7D.

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT.

HO USE OF L ORD S, Juar 15.
The Earl of GROSVENOR presented a petition from
Stockport against the importation of foreign corn ; also
two petitions from Welsbpool and Dorset, against slavery.
The I3ishop of BRISTOL presented a petition from a
clergyman of the Established Church, praying the House
not to sinction any measure for the abolition of tithes.
Lord LORTON presented a petition from the trades
of Boyle, in the county of Roscommon, in favour of
the repeal of the Union. Though the Noble Lord could not
support the petition, he considered it necessary that some
measure should be adopted for giving employment
to the starving poor, as the only means of tranquillizing
the public mind in Ireland.
The Marquis of WESTMEATH hell a declaration in
his hand against the prayer of the petition, which was
signed by all the wealth and respectability of the county of
Roscommon.
Lord TEYNHAM moved for certain returns relative to
malt and bops.
Lord LONGFORD presented a ietition from West-
meath
against R.form.
PLURALITY OF LIVINGS.

Lord KING stated, that he had in his hand a Bill, pre-
pared by himself, for the prevention of the holding of plu-
rality of livings by the Clergy. A most Reverend Prelate
had brought in a Bill on the same subject, but he did not
think that it would be effectual for its purpose. Power
was left in the hands of the Archbishops or Bishops to
grant dispensations for holding a plurality of benefices in
certain cases; and, looking to the results of former expe-
rience, he was not at all satisfied that a Bill with such a
provision could prove an effectual remedy for the evil.
In his Bill, he had left this power of discretional licensing
or dispensing in force with respect to livings where the in-
come of the whole would not exceed 5001. a year, which
was a good average medium. But his Bill proceeded, that
when a clergyman held a plurality of livings, the income
of which, on the whole, amounted to, or exceeded 5001. a
year, the parishioners of any of the parishes might tender
and pay to the incumbent the sum of 500/. ; and that,
upon this being done, the incumbent should not have the
power, by action at law, or otherwise, to recover more
than the 500/. This. he believed, would really have the
effect of preventing the holding of large livings in plu-
rality; and if the most Reverend Prelate, and the Right
Reverend Prelafes on the Bench, were really desirous of
putting an effectual obstacle in the way of the holding of a
plurality of livings by one man, they could have no rea-
sonable objection to his Bill. He felt grateful to the moat
Reverend Prelate, however, for his admission of the exis-
tence of the abuse. But it would not do to proceed to
the correction of this abuse by a bit-and-bit Reform. They
must, without further delay, resort to a real and efficient
measure of Reform, and such, he believed, his Bill would
prove.

The Bishop of LONDON—The Noble Baron was aware
that a most Reverend Prelate had introduced a Bill to effect
the same object, and if the Noble Baron thought that his
plan would be more efficient of the two, he ought to have
proposed it by way of amendment to the Bill of the most
Reverend Prelate, instead of bringing forward a distinct
and separate Bill. The Noble Brron could, if he pleased,
propose his plan as an amendment in the Committee on
the most Reverend Prelate's Bill. At the same time he
thought it right now to state, that the most Noble Baron's
plan was highly objectionable. In the granting of dispen-
sations it would be necessary, under his system, to ascer-
tain the precise value of the livings, and in many cases it
would be impossible to do this. The Nob'e Baron's pro-
position was liable to another serious objection. Benefices
were in many cases one value one day, and of another value
on another slay ; and as the value was continually changing,
it would be impossible to fix upon any precise sum. Dis-
putes would be perpetually occurring as to whether livings
were of the value of two or three pounds above or below
5001. ; and the p'an would, therefore, prove a fertile source
of perpetual collision anti litigation. He hoped, there-
fore, the Noble Baron would reconsider the matter, and
that, if he chose to persist in his measure, he could pro-
pose it as an amendment in the Committee on the Bill of
the most Reverend Prelate.
Lord KING—He certainly had no wi;11 to lay the foun-
dation for perpetual litigation between an incumbent and
his parishioners. His object was the very reverse, and
such would be the effect of his Bill ; for the parishioners
had only to tender the 500/., and then there would be no
room left for litigation. As to the svgestion, that he
should propose his plan as an amendment to the Bill of
the most Rev. Prelate, his Bill was really so different from
the most Rev. Prelate's Bill, that h 5 thought it much
better to propose it as a separate and distinct measure.
The Duke of WELLINGTON tho ight that this was
not the most convenient time to discus+ this matter. He
considered the Bill of the Noble Baron (King) went di-
rectly to alienate the property of the Church and limit the
revenue of the Clergy.
Lord KING then brought in his Bill, which he moved
should be printed ; which was agreed to.
The Marquis of LANSDOWNE moved the third read-
ing of the Abolition of Oaths' Bill. The Noble Lord said
that in former times the Legislature hiving thought it ne-
cessary to protect the revenue of the country by a vast
number of oaths, his Majesty's Government had taken it
into their consideration, and they thought it would be
better to abolish the oaths in certain cases, and
substitute a declaration in place. He thought that the
interests of religion would be served by the proposed
change, for in the last year, in one department of the Cus-
toms, 10,000 oaths had been taken, and in one depart-
ment of the Excise 12,000, Many of these must have
been on frivolous occasions, which would much weaken
the force on the person's understanding which such a
olemn obligation ought to have.

The Bishop of LONDON congratulated his Majesty's
Ministers on the beginning which they had made by this
Bill, and hoped they would carry tho same plan into effect
in other departments.—(Hear, hear, hear.) He really
thought that the Magistrates of Loudon were too lax in
their administration of oaths, as was proved by placards
to be seen in almost every part of London, purporting to
be affidavits snorn before some City Magistrate, as to the
number of stamps used by a particular Newspaper. The
Rev. Prelate was of opinion that this was an occasion too
frivolous for a solemn oath to be taken upon,
Lord WYNFORD said that such oaths hail been dm-
dared to 1)r illegal by the Court of King's Bench four years
ago. The Noble Lord took this occasion to state his
doubts whether the penalty of 1001. for a false declaration
was large enough, as their Lordships would be tvell aware
that some parties would be better served by it tyment of the
IN/. than adhering to the truth,
Lord KING suggested that the best made of putting a
stop to the iliegal oaths alluded to by the Rev. Prelate
would be to abolish the fees on such oaths, and then the
Magistrates' clerks would take care that none such were
taken.

The Bill was then read a third time and passed.
BELGIAN NEGOCIATIONS.

The Marquis of LONDONDERRY rose to put some
questions to the Noble Earl opposite (Grey) on the subject
of the negociations between the fire great Powers with re-
ference to the settlement of Belgium. Ile supposed the
Noble Earl was the proper person to apply to, as the Fo-
reign Secretary was not a Member of their Lordships'
House. He understood that an Illustrious Friend of hip,
who had been chosen King of Belgium, and had accepted
that honour, was about to leave this country to-morrow,
in order to proceed to his new kingdom. Now he wished
to know whether the negociations on the subject of Bel-
gium had come to a close, and what had been the -emit?
lie also was anxious to know whether Cho Noble Eral in-
tended to lay on the table of this House, for the informa-
tion of their Lordships, the papers relating to these nego-
tiations, which had partially already appeared in the public
papers ; and more particularly whether be meant to lay
before the House a certain hasty lettet:,, addressed to the
Belgian Congress, by a certain Noble Lord whom the
Noble Earl had prais,:d highly, although it rtil4ht be
doubted whether the Ambassadors of the o'bei great
Powers would join in these praises ? He felt s rongt r on-
the subject
of t h
eo fNtohbelsee
Lord
sh negotiationsould ;
not
td
ein
satisfactory,c ase Chan-
swer
h e
would take an early opportunity of submitting to their
Lordships a naot*.on ou; the subject, And then state his
opinion at large at the proper time. 'The Prince to whom he
had alluded had been preserved from the Acceptance of the
Sovereignty of Greece ; but he suspected that he had been
so preserved only to be thrown adrift on a much more
tempestuous ocean; for such the throne of Belgium would
prove in case the negociations had not been brought to a
point. He was anxious to know whether the King. off'
Holland had consented to the arrangements before cane