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

VAGRANTS REMOVAL BILL.

On the motion of Mr. ROBERT PALMER the
Vagrants Removal Bill was read a second time, and
ordered to be committed on Monday nest.
TITHE COMMUTATION ACTS AMEND-
MENT BILL.

Sir E. KNA.TCHI3ULL moved the second read-
inK of the Tithe Commutation Acts Amendment MI.
In this Bill there were two or three claims which might
be modified in the Committee. He imant especially
those relating to hops and market grounds. He wished
to do every thing to forward the intentions which the
Lngi,dature had in passing the Tithes Commutatioh
Act. And one of his principal objects in the present
measure was to prevent tithe from being taken in kiwi,
when the rent charge was fixed, that was to say, between
the apportionment and the commutation.

Mr. DIVETT was decidedly opposed to the Bill.
It would be impossible to dovetail an Act of 74 dis-
tinct clauses into the six dieferent Acts which had been
passed upon this subject, without producing the greatest
doubt and confusion. The first Tithe Act was the
Gth William IV., and then there was the Act of the
Ist V ctoria, which bad been follieved by three
or four others on the some sullect. The Ho-
nourable Baronet said that his object was to
prevent the taking of tithe in kind between the
apportionment and the commutation. Now that might
be a very good object, but it would not ba attained
under the proposed Bill, without great ex-
pense and inconvenience, and it would materially stand
in the way of the justice of the appportionment.
He f'eund that the expenses of the present Tithe Corn-
mission amounted to 60,0001. a year, and he believed
that the present measure would tend considerably to in-
crease that. The Right Hon. Baronet, in introducing
his Bill, had talked of the inconveniences of the present
system, and of the great difficulty of collecting tithes.
He (Mr. Divett) believed, however, that those diffi-
culties existed only in a very few instances, and that
there was a general disposition in the country to enter
into voluntary agreements on subjects of the kind.
The Tithe Commissioners said they had reason to ex-
press their satisfaction at the working of the 8,11, and
there was therefore no reason to come to the House
for its alteration when appeals were of rare occurrence,
and acquiescence was the general rule. If that was the
opinion of the Tithe Commissioners why allow a Bill of
this sort to pass, which would materially alter the Act,
and make that which was already extremely difficult to
understand, a great deal more difficult. He contended
it was not sufficient for any Member to say the Tithe
Commissioners concurred in the Bill. If this were the
case the Bill ought to be introduced under their auspices,
and they should have taken upon themselves the
responsibility of any changes they thought might
be required. One clause only in their report
could justify this supposition, though in another
place they said " the hardship of collecting tithe in
kind had been strongly pressed upon them." He bed
no doubt of it ; but the time of the House should not
be taken up in legisliating on individual cases of'
grievance' He contended that the intention of the
framers of the Bill had been fully carried out, and that
there was no occasion for the House again interfering.
And having stated what were his objections to the Bill,
and knowing that vast alterations must be made in
Committee, he thought it had better be stopped at
the second reading, than allowed to go into Committee,
where it would probably pass in a state that would be
prejudicial to the interests it affected. He therefore
moved, that the Bill be read that day six months.
Mr. FOX MAULE could assure his Hon. Friend
that this Bill had been introduced with the full concur-
rence of the Tithe Commissioners.—(Hear, hear.)
When this measure was first proposed to the House,
he had referred to the Tithe Commissioners on the
subject, and he had this day gone through the Bill with cue
of those gentlemen, who had told him. Speaking not
only for himself, but his colleagues when he said that
the Bill had their entire concurrence as calculated to
relieve them from a great portion of their labours, and
to make the operation of the Act much less expensive.
—(Hear, hear.) The object of this was to tff:ct
a commutation of tithes into a rent-cbarge,
as speedily as possible. It was quite true that in most
cases this had been done on the voluntary principle,
but still there were many cases in which the old custom
of taking tithes in kind still remained ; and unless
some measure were taken to remedy this inconve-
nience the power conferred by this custom might be
exercise n ost vexatiously. It was quite true that the
clause had been introduced by the Right Hon. Gentle-
man opposite, and he did not think that this measure
could have come more effectually before the House
if the Tithe Con.missioners brought it forward
on their own authority. On the contrary the
Tithe Commissioners, he said that they would
take edvantege of this Bill to introduce certain ne-
cessary amendments. His Honourable Friend had
cemplained of the great number of amended Bills on this
subject ; it would be a matter of surprise if such had
not been the case, because it would be a vroeder if in a
great measure, such as that of the Tithe Commutation
they should have been enabled to have introduced a per-
fect Bill at once. Reeervine therefore to himself the
right of entering into a fall explana.ion of this Bill
clause by clause in Committee, he should vote for its
second reading.
Sir E. KIslA TCH BULL was quite ready to accede
to the proposition of a select Committee. He hoped
the Hon. Mernherfor Exeter would allow the Bill to be
read a s•cond time in order that it might be sent to a
Committee upstairs.
Mr. DtVETT intimated that he would perseveie
with his amendment.

house accordingly divided, and the numbers
were _

For the second reading 77
Against it
Majority
The Bill was then read a second time.
(LEFT SITTING.)

flAt the Duchess of Sutherland's assembly on
Monday evening not one-halt of the company invited could
gain access, in consequence of the immense number of waggons,
omnibuses, carts, and cabs blocking up all the neighbouring
streets.

EDUCATION.
Mr. RORSM A N (we understood) gave notice that
on the motion of Sir R. H. Inglis relative to an exten-
sion of the means of instruction in connection with the
Established Church, he should move an amendment, to the
effect that an inquiry should be instituted as to whet:.er
the defect arose from inadequacy, or misapplication of
the means now possessed.
FREEMEN.

Mr. KELLY moved for returns of the number of
freemen burgesses intitled to vote for Members o' Par-
liament,—Agreed to.—The Learned Gentleman post-
poned in the meantime his motion relative to the sub-
ject.