The Sun.
London, England, 1841-05-26 00:00:00

In April, 1834, the Hon. Baronet opposite had himself voted
for the abolition of Church-rates.—(" No," from Sir R. H.
Inglis.) That was his (Mr. Hume's) opinion, though he had
not then the votes by him. The Church had no more right to
enforce a rate against the will of the majority of the rate-
payers than any man could have a right to put his hand into
the pockets of another. But in any case what could be more
unworthy of a Christian country than those scenes of violence
and strife which the present system led to? Was it fitting,
seeing that Ireland was relieved from Church-cess, seeing
that in Scotland there were no Church-rates except in Edin-
burgh and Montrose, that the present contest should be going
on in England with a Church that was so rich ? The clergy
had robbed the Church, they had taken to themselves that
portion of the Church revenue which should go to build sa-
cred edifices and the support of the poor. Since the year
1800 there had been paid the Church 5,678,0001., inde-
pendent of 5,500,0001. which wait received in tithe. The
interest of that sum ought to do much more than build and
repair sacred edifices. In England members of the Esta-
blishment were to the Dissenters in the proportion of five
to four, in Scotland of three to four, and in Ireland of one
to nine. He therefore hoped that the Hon. Baronet would
not object to the present motion.
Mr. GOULBURN said, if he thought it possible that the
Bill could proceed further in discussion in the present Session,
he would enter into details to show the fallacy of the views
which the Hon. Member (Mr. Easthope) had advanced. He
was sure no result could be arrived at by obtaining leave to
bring in the Bill, then to have it printed for the use of the
Members, and then let it die with the Session. He was not
disposed to offer any opposition to the introduction of the mea-
sure ; but in giving his assent to its introduction, he must
guard against his being supposed to give the least assent to the
principle of the measure. The Hon. Gentleman proposed to i
levy a tax on the inhabitants of the parish who might attend
religious instruction at the church. In the time of Queen
Elizabeth a tax was laid on every person who did not attend
church • but the Hon. Member proposed to levy a tax on all
those ;he went to church.—( Laughter.) He had departed
from none of the opinions which he had formerly expressed on
this subject. He still maintained that it was the duty of the
State to provide, out of the general funds of the country for the
religious instruction of the people.—(Hear, hear.)
Mr. C. WOOD said he could give no opinion at present on
the Bill under consideration; but he was sure that nothing
could be so desirable as a measure by which the heart-burning
and dissensions which now prevailed throughout a large portion
of the country would be removed; and they ought to be grate-
ful to any person who introduced a measure with a view to
that effect.—( Hear, hear.)
Mr. PLUMPTRE said he had voted on a former occasion
for the abolition of Church-rates, but he had done so upon the
understanding that a substitute was to be provided. He
would not support any measure which did not provide what he
should consider an adequate substitute.'
Dr. LUSHINGTON said he could not but express his
thorough conviction from much experience that it was impos-
sible that Church-rates could continue to be levied in their
present form.—(Hear, hear.) Where they were enforced
by the power of the law, the result was to excite and exas-
perate the feelings of the people. The Hon. Member for Oxford
seemed to think that the Clirch-rates from the commence-
ment were a tax upon property. In his (Dr. Lushington's)
judgment, they were no such thing. The Church-rate origi-
nated in the circumstance that every person in the land was
supposed to be a member of the then existing Church.—
(" Hear, hear," from Mr. Easthope)—that consequently they
had a right —for no man could say then that he did not belong
to the Establishment. They had a right to compel him
to contribute to that worship, which he not only did not
deny, but preferred ; and which it was a crime, according to
the law of the country, not to prefer. The whole of the au-
thorities told them that it was binding upon the individual by
reason of his possession of
.property of any sort in kind, and
not by reason of his possession of real estate. The law, as
laid down at the time of the Reformation, was, in case the
friends of the Church failed, three or four persons should be
selected for the purpose of taxing every person resident in the
parish, not according to the estate which he held, or accord-
ing to his stock in trade, but according to the whole means
which he possessed. He alluded to this in order to repudiate
the notion that, it, was. simply, a tax upon property, and to put
it in its proper light„namely, thatof telt upon, persons resi-
dent in the parish, according to the ikons they possessed,
He perfectly agreed in the statement of Chief Justice Tindal,
that the Church-rate was at this moment a lawful tax, and that
there were means of enforcing it. For many years after he
had commenced practice, no opposition had been made to the rate.
Twenty-six years ago there was very little feeling upon this
subject, but from that period, from time to time, cases upon
cases had arisen, in which there had been resistance to the pay-
ment of these rates. The Dissenters said that Church-rates
were a tax placed upon the people of England when the whole
people were Catholic, and that at that period, when the Act
of Toleration came into operation, and when all parties were
al owed to profess freely their religious sentiments, the law
was not altered, which the Dissenters contended ought to have
been the case. They said, that when they were sued for
Church-rates they were proceeded against for their soul's sake,
and the correction of their manners, according to the reli-
gion that existed at the time the Toleration Act came into
operation. The general feeling of the Dissenters was, that
the Church of England had large property, out of which their
ministers were maintained; that the Dissenters had no property
by which they could support their ministers, and they therefore
considered it a hardship to be compelled to support the minis-
ters of a Church which they did not attend. There was
another grievance of which the Dissenters most justly com-
plained, and that was that they were compelled to maintain
many other things connected with the Established Church.
They were compelled to maintain the organ and even the
singers. Now such grievances, he considered, ought to be im-
mediately redressed. With respect to the measure introduced
by his Hon. Friend the Member for Leicester, he shoul.l wish
to reserve his final opinion on it till he had had an opportunity
of seeing it. But if the principle of the measure was
that those who belonged to the Church should con-
tribute to the maintenance of the edifice, in consequence
of the advantage they derived from occupying the pews, that
he considered would be a just and righteous imposition, and
one that any person who flinched from ought not to consider
himself a man of the Church. He would give his hearty con-
sent to the introduction of the measure, believing, from the
statement of his Hon. Friend who introduced it, that it was
likely to allay discontent, while, at the same time, it upheld
the services of the Church.

Mr. ESTCOUftT thought the proposition of the Hon.
Member to abolish Church-rates would be attended with the
worst results. He should protest against the proposition of the
Hon. Member for Leicester. If the measure should proceed
to another stage he would take the opportunity of expressing
more at length his opinions against it.
Captain PECHELL said his Hon. Colleague, having referred
to a petition that had been presented on this subject from
Brighton, he felt it due to his constituents to state that
though, as stated by that petition the question of Church-
rates had been carried in that town by a large majority, yet
that the number of persons voting was much less than the
number of votes, as the votes were taken under Sturges
Bourne's Act. The opinions of that town on the subject were
much better expressed by a petition which he himself had pre-
sented, adopted at a public meeting, and signed by 4,400 in-
habitants.—( Hear, hear. )
After a few words from Sir A. DALRYMPLE and Captain
PECHELL, in mutual explanation,
Mr. HINDLEY said that in the town which he had the
honour to represent, the bell of the parish was at that moment
silent--( Laughter )—in consequence of a dispute respecting
Church-rates. This proved that there was something defec-
tive in the present law, and he should therefore vote for its al-
teration.

After a few words from Mr. EASTHOPE in reply, the
motion was put and agreed to,
Mr. SLANEY moved for leave to bring in a Bill to enable
the ratepayers of any parish, or division of a parish, under
certain circumstances, to make a school rate, of limited amount,
for the education of the children of the poorer cluses.—
Granted.

Lord INGESTRIE moved for a Select Committee to in.
quire into the Post-office communication with the South o
Ireland.

Sir D. NORREYS seconded the motion.

The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER had no ob-
jection to the appointment of the Committee. The subject
had been for some time under the consideration of the Go..
vernment.

After some further conversation the motion was agreed
to ; the words being altered, on the suggestion of the
Chancellor of the Exchequer, to Post-office communication
between Great Britain and Ireland.

Sir G. GREY obtained leave to bring in a Bill for affording
further facilities for the Conveyance and Endowment of Sites
for Schools.

The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER obtained
leave to bring in a Bill to extend the Assessed Taxes Compo-
sitiotrAet for one
_year.
Mr. FOX MAULE obtained leave to bring in a Bill for
the better Drainage of large Towns and Villages.
The other Orders of the day were then disposed of, and the
House Adjourned at Half-past Twelve o'Clock.

SPORTING INTELLIGENCE.
EPSOM RACES.—TuasnAy.
Baron DE TESSIER and Sir G. HEATHCOTE, Stewards.
That amusements of every kind should be affected by the
electioneering movements arising out of the recent debates, it
was reasonable to expect, and it is no small proof of the in-
trinsic attractions of Epsom Races, that the difference betwixt
the attendance yesterday, and on occasions when the politi-
cal thermometer has been at "temperate," was so slight as almost
to escape notice. The public, in fact, drawing their inferences
from the satisfactory manner in which the majority of the plates
had filled, and the immense number of horses congregated in
the neighbourhood, calculated upon a sufficiency of sport to
repay the trouble of a visit to the Downs. They were not
disappointed, the provision for their amusement, minus as it
was of the " Woodcote" Stakes, having exhibited the cus-
tomary average of racing. Their enjoyment ~of it was en-
hanced by the fineness of the weather and thejudicious ar-
rangements made for the maintenance of order, arrangements
with which they have been familiarized under the present
energetic stewardship. The " fitting up" of the course was
on much the same plan as last year, the only alteration that
struck us was the addition of a high stand to the row in front
of the winning post, and the conversion of the old Prince's
Stand into a Police station, thus avoiding the necessity of con-
veying offenders to the old place of confinement under the
Grand Stand.
The duties of Judge, Clerk of the Course, and Starter, were
severally performed by Messrs. Clark, Farrell, ancbyerren,
in a manner creditable to themselves and satisfactory to all
parties. The Grand Stand, to which a back entrance has
been opened, was as well attended as usual on the first
day ; many of the fashionables enumerated in the fol-
lowing list appeared in the privileged apartments
in the course of the day :—Dukes of Rutland and 13eaufort •
Marquis of Exeter ; Earls of Chesterfield, Uxbridge, Lich-
field, Jersey, and Verulam ; Lords Maidstone, Paget, W.
Russell, G. Bentinek, Godolphin, C. Fitzroy, Miltown, Vil-
liers, Albemarle ; Honourables G. Anson, H. Baring, G. S.
Byng, 11. Rous, Paulett, G. Fitzroy, R. Grimsten ; Sirs
G. Heathcote, T. Goodricke, J. Shelley, C. Cockerell -
Colonels Synge, Cranford, Peel ; Messrs. Brand, Delme Rad-
cliffe, Payne, Higgins, Clive, Irby, Greville, Batson, Gregory,
Crommelin, J. White, Hawker, H. Coombe, Codringtou,
Angerstein, Shelly, Rush, Meiklam, Magennis, Vausittart,
Brriadllead.
The racing commenced punctually at the appointed time
(half-past one), with—
The Craven Stakes of JO sovs. each, for three years, Gst 81b ;
four, Bst 101 b ; five, 9st 41b ; six and aged, 9st 101 b. Craven
Course. 5 Subs.
Mr. Dixon's eh fby Saracen, out of Delightful, 3 yrs (Bell) 1
Lord Lichfield's b b, The Corsair, 5 yrs 2
Mr. Westbrook's b e, Mobarek, 3 yrs
Mr. Mostyn's hr f, Birthday, 3 yrs
Colonel 11, yndliam's b c Father Mathew, 3 yrs
Betting—Even on Mobarek, and 2 to 1 agst The Corsair.
After the first quarter of a mile, Father Mathew took the lead,
and made play at a good pace, followed by The Corsair and
Birthday to the turn, where he resigned and the running was
taken up by Birthday, who live I only to the distance ; The
Saracen f went on with Corsair, and won cleverly by a length.
The Shirley Stakes of 25 soya. each, for 3 yrs old colts, Bst 71b,
and fillies Bst 41b. One mile. (Four Subs. )
Lord Albemarle's Minaret
Duke of Grafton's c Mosque 2
Captain Ridge's b c, by the Wanderer—Monody
Betting-5 to 4on Mosque, wlio made all the running to
the distance, where Minaret challenged, and after a good race
won by half a length, Captain Ridge's colt was beaten a long
s‘ ay.