The Sun.
London, England, 1849-05-15 00:00:00

Sir R. PEEL observed that the Hon. Gentleman
completely mistook his view of the oath. He had taken
the oath with a sate conscience ; he believed that the
i Pope had no temporal or civil power, ecclesiastical or
spiritual authority or jurisdiction within this coun•
try. But if he omitted the words " ecclesiastical
or spiritual," and inserted " temporal or civil,"
he would give rise to a notion that such
ecclesiastical authority existed. He recognised no
such spiritual power; ho believed it did not exist, nor
could it be lawfully exercised or recognised, and he
would therefore say he would much rather omit the
words altogether, than call on him, for the first time,
by his silence., to approve of it. He denied that the
Pope had any spiritual or ecclesiastical authority in this
country; that he had any jurisdiction in a court of law;
but he did not deny that others recognised it. What he
meant was, that he had no cceactive authority, and had
no means of enforcing it. He conceived the authority
of the Pope to be like the Dissenters in America, or
We'ileyan Methodists, binding on those alone who re-
cognised it, and not on him who rejected it.
Lord JOHN RUSSELL said he was perfectly satisfied
with the interpretation of the oath, that the Pope had
no authority to exercise his power within this king-
dom; but others were not so, and among the rest two
Noble Peers—Lord Clancarty and Lord Radnor—dif-
fered iii opinion with him; they refused to take the
oath; rind he proposed to make the alteration. Ile wrote
to Lord Clancarty to ask it his Lordship had any objec
tion to take the Catholic oath. to which he replied that
he had not; and it was thus, therefore, the words " tem-
poral and civil" were introduced. He thought that the
reasons given by the Hon. and Learned Gentleman as
to the common law were of no importance. The supre-
macy of the Pope not being allowed by common law, he
(Lord J. Russell) would remind the Hon. and Learned
Gentleman that that common law would exist whether
there was an oath administered or not.
Sir R. H. INGLIS contended that what they omitted
from the oath would be taken as an amendment of it, and
therefore the retention of the words " temporal or civil
authority of the Pope" would be a recognition of those
principles which placed the present Royal Family on the
throne. He also spoke to the suddenness which the Govern-
ment evinced in omitting those words, and he therefore
trusted the House would not consent to such a proposition.
Mr. GREENE contended that if they omitted the
words " hath or," and leave in merely " ought to have,"
it would answer all objections.
Mr. V. SMITH was anxious that the Bill should
not be lost, or any obstructions thrown in the way. He
would, therefore, consent to that portion of the amend-
ment which the Noble Lord at the head of the Govern-
ment approved of—namely, " That no Pope, Potentate,
or Prelate ought to have temporal or civil jurisdiction,
and that he would defend the settlement of property
within the realm." He would have these words omitted
from the oath, but should retain the words which fol-
lowed, and should now object to the manner in which
the question was put to the House. The Right Hon.
Gentleman did not withdraw the motion as originally
proposed,
oploer tgioune asrtnei dot
an, i tnmheeiestf obr
ee ,
ebi yt h
et
rh e
pruu
tl e so
ro f the
withdrawn,
House,
and
IMr. SCOTT asked whether the Noble Lord intended
to support the oath in the Bill, or as proposed in the
amendment.—(Loud cries of " Oh, oh.") Would Hon.
Members who interrupted him speak their sentiments
u,
d ipdLo non
Lord
dtt n
Jon
Ord
awar otiut
al dnßdtuh ses
?—(Oh,EvoLt
Le oh.)
said
qhue e as thi oo nu l
dw
ch
oi cn hs e
n t theyto
the omission of the words proposed by the Right Hon.
Gentleman the Member for Northampton.
Mr. SPOONER moved that the Chairman report
progress and ask leave to sit again.
Lord JOHN RUSSELL hoped the Committee would
proceed. They had discussed the question in excellent
temper during the evening, and many Hon. Members
were heard, and he wished, thererore, the question to be
decided.
Mr. SPOONER said he really did not understand
what the question before the House was.
The amendment was then pat as corrected by the
Hon. Mover.
Mr. PLUMPTRE complained of being taken quite
by surprise, and he thought it was much too important a
matter to decide it so suddenly. He heartily concurred
with the motion of his Hon. Friend the Member for
Warwickshire.
Sir GEORGE GREY confessed he did not see how
any one could understand why it was that the question
could not be decided at once. The matter had been put
in as clear a manner as possible.
After a few words from Mr. John O'Connell, Lord
John Russell, and Mr. Law,
Sir W. JOLLIFFE said he was much indebted to the
[lon. Member (Mr. Roebuck) for his explanation.—
(Laughter.) However, he should say that it was mere
nonsense to leave out part of the oath and retain other
parts, far neither the public nor the House would under-
stand the meaning of the oath.
Mr. BROTHERTON said that he wished to put the
i matter in its proper light—(Laughter)—and therefore
the question to be put should be that the words " I be-
lieve not "—(Latighter)—should be omitted.
Mr. MILES said that he considered that the question
was put in, a very intelligible light by the Chairman, but
he considered that the question was of such importance
that it should not be precipitately carried, particularly
when such an alteration was made in the oath. lie
therefore thought that the amendment of the Honourable
Member for Warwickshire (Mr. Spooner) should be agreed
to, as no fewer than eight words were omitted out of
twelve. He therefore thought that the sense of the
country should be consulted, and that, as such alterations
were made, the Government should withdraw this Bill,
and introduce a more intelligible one.
The Committee then divided, when there appeared—
For progress being reported
Against it

Majority

-119

The Committee again divided on the amendment that
the Chairman do leave the chair, when there appeared—
For the amendment
Against it
Majority -114

Lord JOHN RUSSELL then agreed that progress be
reported.
The St. John's (Newfoundland) Rebuilding Bill was
read a third time.
The Grand Jury Cess (Ireland) Bill was read a
second time.
On the motion of Lord PALMERSTON leave was
given to bring in a Bill to legalise marriages in the
houses of British Consuls abroad. His Lordship said,
the Bill which he proposed was to legalise marriages in
the house of a Consul, and to put these marriages upon
the same footing as marriages celebrated in the house of
an ambassador.
The House then adjourned at ten minutes to One
o'clock.

THANK GOD FOR SUMMER.
(From Eliza Cook's New Weekly Journal.)

I loved the Winter once with all my soul,
And longed for snow-storms, hail, and mantled skies;
And sang their praises in as gay a troll
As Troubadours have poured to Beauty's eyes.
I deemed the hard, black frost a pleasant thing,
And Fo r logswild b
ibrldasz ecda
m e high,wtahn dt a hmoer saensd' hoofs
gentle
rung
go u t ;
To eat the bread my young hand flung about.
But I have walked into the world since then,
And seen the bitter work that cold can do—
Where the grim Ice King levels babes and men
With bloodless spear, that pierces through and through.
I know now, there are those who sink and lie
Upon a stone bed at the dead of night.
I know the roofless and unfed must die,
When even lips at Plenty's Feast turn white.
And now when e'er I bear the cuckoo's song
In budding woods, I bless the joyous comer;
While my heart runs a cadence in a throng
Of hopeful notes, that say—" Thank God for Summer!"
I've learnt that sunshine bringeth more than flowers,
And fruits, and forest leaves to cheer the earth;
For I have seen sad spirits, like dark bowers,
Light up beneath it with a grateful mirth.
The aged limbs that quiver in their tabk
Of dragging lite on, when the north wind goads—

Taste once again contentment, as they bask
In the straight beams that warm their churchyard road.
And Childhood—poor, pinched Childhood, half forgets
The starving pittance of our cottage homes,
When be can leave the hearth, and chase the nets
Of gossamer that cross him as he roams.
The moping idiot seemeth less distraught
When he can sit upon the grass all day,
And laugh and clutch the blades, as though he thought
The yellow sun-rays challenged him to play.
Ah! dearly now I hail the nightingale,
And greet the bee—that merry-going hummer—
And when the lilies peep so sweet and pale,
I kiss their cheeks, and say—" Thank God for Summer!'
Feet that limp, blue and bleeding, as they go
For dainty cresses in December's dawn;
Can wade and dabble in the brooklet's flow,
And woo the gurgles on a July morn.
The tired pilgrim, who would shrink with dread
If Winter's drowsy torpor lulled his brain;
Is free to choose his mossy summer bed,
And sleep his hour or two in some green lane.
Oh! Ice•toothed King, I loved you once—but now
I never see you come without a pang
Of hopeless pity shadowing my brow,
To think how naked flesh must feel your fang.
My eyes watch now to see the elms unfold,
And my ears listen to the callow rook,
I hunt the palm-trees for their first rich gold,
And pry for violets in the southern nook.
And when fair Flora sends the butterfly
Painted and apangkd, as her herald mummer;
" Now for warm holidays," my heart will cry,
"The poor will suffer less! Thank God for Summer!'
ELIZA Co 01C.

CAUTION TO TRAVELLER3.—In disembarking yes-
terday (Sunday) from the Albion steam vessel, just at:-
rived from Boulogne, and at the moment of the exami-
nation of the baggage, an individual, taking advantage
of the pressure, and aided by a companion, put his hand
into the pocket of a gentleman from Paris, but was for-
tunately discovered by the gentleman when just in the
act of seizing his purse, containing 700 or 800 francs in
gold, which had probably been observed by the pick.
pocket when the gentleman paid his passage money.
Having failed in his object the fellow suddenly retired,
and probably ',changed :some part of his dress in order
to aid his escape, for at the request of a spectator a po-
liceman had been sent for, and the vessel was searched
in vain—he could not again be recognised. These men
were first-class passengers, and appeared to be no
d '
strangers to England, although they coaverse with
each otherin Italian.