The Sun.
London, England, 1836-03-21 00:00:00

THE TITHE COMMUTATION BILL

DEPUTATION TO LORD JOHN RUSSELL.
On Saturday afternoon a deputation from the owners and
occupiers of lands in the Bedford Level, in the counties of
Cambridge, Huntingdon, Norfolk, and Suffolk, waited by
appointment on Lord John Russell at the Home Office,
respecting the provisions of the Tithe Commutation Bill.
Among the deputation` were E. Yorke -and R. J. Eaton,
Esqrs., the Members, for Cambridgeshire, Mr. Dunn, Mr.
Eagle, &c., &c.
Mr. YoaKE objected to estimating the commutation by
the average gross produce of the land for the last seven
years, which would be extremely injurious to the owners of
lands, and more especially in the few districts where the
lands were subject to heavy taxes, imposed for the purpose
of drainage and embankment.
Mr. BALL suggested the propriety of fixing a commuta-
tion according to the rent of the land.
Mr. EAGLE said that the great objection to the Bill was
the fixing the tithe on the value of the gross produce for
the last seven years.
Mr. BALL spoke of the propriety of introducing a clause
for limiting the claim of the tithe-owner, in order to pre-
serve exemptions from tithes. He said that the University
of Cambridge was entitled to the tithe of two parishes ;
that a few years ago they instituted a suit for the recovery
of tithe on some land that bad never paid tithe. They
selected for the defendant a very poor aged man, who,
being unable to defend the suit, was sent to prison, where
he died of a broken heart. The man was brought home to
the parish to be buried, and a great sensation was excited
in the county. No further proceedings were taken by the
University, but the parish was still exposed to the demands.
Lord J. RUSSELL inquired whether Lord Tenterden's
Act was not a sufficient protection ?
Mr. EAGLE observed that it was a very inefficient Act.
Lord J. RUSSELL admitted that the objections stated
were of some weight ; that it was difficult to pass any
Commutation Bill that would not be liable to objections.
If they were to wait till a Commutation Bill was brought for-
ward free from objections, tithes would remain as they were.
Mr. ALLNATT pressed on the notice of his Lordship the
objections to making the land chargeable on the payment of
the value of the tithe for the last seven years.
A MEMBER of the Deputation said that the Bill, in re-
spect to what had fallen from his Lordship, would operate
as a penalty on good farming, and as apremium on bad cul-

tivation.
Lord J. RUSSELL would consider the objections that had
been stated to him, particularly those which related to the
necessity of inserting in the Bill some provision for protec-
ting land that had enjoyed an exemption from the payment
of tithes. With regard to the suggestion that the commu-
tation payment should consist of the payment of a proportion
of the rent, the objection was, that rent and tithe were so
completely different ; that Lord Althorp had attempted that
plan, but found it necessary to abandon it.
The deputation then withdrew.

The late venerable Lady Dorchester, who died at
the seat of her son-in-law Lord Bolton, Hackwood-park, a few
days ago, had been in the receipt of a pension on the civil
list, of 1151., for the long period of seventy-two years ; the
last grant to her Ladyship being dated from 1764. Lady
Dorchester was daughter of Thomas, second Earl of Effing-
ham, and married Guy, first Lord Dorchester, grandfather of
the present Earl, distinguished as General Carleton, for his
military services during the American war.
NOTHING NEW UNDER TILE SUN.—Upon look-
ing over some old papers belonging to the Rev. C. Lucas's
family, there were found, in the hand-writing of his father—
" An abstract of a bill for the better relief and employment
of the poor within the county of Wilts," which is drawn up on
the same principles and points, and even with similar stations
and names, to the one lately adopted by the Government.
These papers appear to have been written about 70 years ago
and Mr. L., who lost his father at a very early age, has fre-
quently heard his mother speak of such plan having been sent
to the authorities of that day.— Correspondent of Devizes
Gazette.
We stated that warrants of distress had been issued
against eight cottagers of Bronham, for non-payment of poor-
rate. The constable, we understand, has hitherto been una-
ble to put in execution more than two of them ; the cottagers
keep a constant watch, and barricade their cottages.—Devizes
Gazette,