The Sun.
London, England, 1840-02-12 00:00:00

THE SHERIFFS OF LONDON.

Sir E. SUGD EN;;;I:ed, first, whether it was in
tended to discharge the Sheriffs from custody ; and sr-
condiy, whether the Nob!e Lord (John Russell) hi-
tended to bring in an Act of Parliament to &fine the
privileges of the House in future cases?

Lor:1 JOHN ICLSSELTwi-snOt prepared to
agree to any motion for the liberation of the Sheriffs,
and he could not at present answer the other question.
CHURCH-RATES—CASE OF JOHN THORO-

GOOD.
Mr. T. DUNCOM BE rose to call the attention of
the House to the petition of John Thorogood, a pri-
soner in the county gaol of Essex, for the non-payment
of 5s- 6d. Church-rate, and to move for leave
to bring in a Bill, to relieve from the pay-
ment of Church-rates, that portion of her Majesty's
subjects who conscientiously dissent from the rites or
doctrines of the Established Church. He had already
called the attention of the House to the case of Mr.
Thorogood last Session ; and on that occasion the
House, eller having heard the ease, had resolved, that
it would be the duty of the House at the earliest
possible period of the Session, to make such altera-
tions in the existing laws relative to the payment
of Church-rates as will prevent similar violence being
inflicted on such of her Majesty's subjects as differed from
tits. Established Church. It was in order that that
resolution should not be a dead letter, that he begged to
cad the attention cf the House to the extraordinary
crlse in question. Mr. Thcrogeod -bad been a prisoner in
the county gaol of Essex for the non-payruent of ss. 6d.
Church-rate for the last thirteen months. Ha Iseliavod
that a more charitable, kind, and benevolent isidivichut.
than that Dissenter did not exist.—(Hear, hear.;
He was aware that all those who had any concern in
the elections of the county of Essex, !mew that Mr
Thorogood had been a very active political partizan,
but against his benevolent disposition or moral charac-
ter, lie believed that not one wo.d could be offered
by way of disparagement. He did not mean to occupy
time by going into any of those disputed points with
regard to the law for the payment of Church-rates, nor
would he enter into an examination of the nature of
those Ecclesiastical Courts. which he thought every one
would admit were opposed to the spirit of this free
country. What he wanted was some relief for Mr.
Thorogood, or for those who might hereafter be simi-
larly situated. He believed ...bat individuals who ob-
jected to the payment of Church-rates, might he divided
into two classes—those who belonged to the Established
Church, but who t1;ou8lit that the revenues of that
e
Church were amplyasking
hetste.
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pensos of its establishment ; and the other class
s
was composed of those Dissenters who had conscien-
tious objections to contribute to the worship,
or rather to the ornaments or a worship, which was not
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isions
d
should 1 st
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propose,pr o
Mr.vrnoogtflot eotdbfierisl first
from confinement ; and
ll
individuals who should hereafter conscientiously dis-
sent front the rights or doctrines of the Established
Church should not be subject to imprisonment for the
non-p tyment of those rates. But, in order to entitle
those individuals to avail themselves of that provision
of the Bill, be would require that they should make
a declaration that they conscientiously dissented from
the doetrires of the Established Church. He would
move that they should go before a Magistrate, and
nhke the following declaration :—" I, A. B do so-
lemnly declare that I am not of the communion of the
Church of Eagland as established, and in my con-
science I do dissent from its rites and ceremonies, and
I do solemnly declare that in my objecting to pay
Church-rates I ens ae.uated by no pecuniary mo-
tives, but by conscientious ones alone." On an
individual making that declaration before a Magistrate,
the Magistrate should be obliged to furnish him with
a certificate, declaring that he was a Dissenter, and
within three years of his holding that certificate be
should be free from any action, citation, suit, or sum-
mons brought against him for the non-payment of
Churcl.-rates. That having been done, he (Mr.
Duecombe) thought it was but fair that the non-sup-
porters of the Established Church should take no part
in the proceedings of any vestry meetings convened for
the purpose of makin,g a Church-rate, or that they should
be connected with a vestry meeting called for the purpose
of considering any (v.:est:on connected with the Esta-
blished Church. Ile believed the Dissenters were read