The Sun.
London, England, 1841-05-04 00:00:00

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT.
HOUSE OF LORDS, MAY 3.
Lord STRADBROKE presented several petitions
against any alteration in the Corn-laws.
The Bishop of LONDON presented a petitim from a
place in Essex against any further grant to the College of
Maynooth, and praying for tun abolition of idolatrous Wol_
ship in India.
The Bishop of WINCHESTER presented a petitiOn
from a place in Surrey against any encouragement of
idolatry in India.

CORN-LAWS.
The Duke of BUCKINGHAM presented 120 pal-
..ion?, principally from places in Buckinghamshire, against
31.)y a:teration in the present Core-laws. These petitions
were signea tiv farmers and tradesmen, by clergymen and
labourers. The Noble Duke proceeded to say that they
had been signed prev;,:usly to any announcement made in
another place.—(Hear.) That announcement, however,
had induced the p titioners to communicate with him,
and to express their astonishment ,on the subject. They
deeply regretted that on such a questisen the Noble Lord
at the head of her Majesty's Government sieeuld have united
with his colleagues in favour of an alteration in
the Corn-laws, and run thereby no small risk of
endangering every thing that was valuable in this coientry.
—( Hear, hear.) The petitioners anxiously desired to
come before their Lordships, not seeking a monopoly
under any circumstances, but simply praying the House
not to deprive them of that protection wbich all other
classes of her Majesty's subjects enjoyed. As far as he
(the Duke of Buckingham) was concerned, he had beard
with regret and astonishment the declaration made in an-
other place; but he did hope that that declaration would
meet with the derided opinion of the Commons of Eng-
land, as well as of their Lordships, in a manner which would
at once dispel the fears of the agricultural population of
that county, and enable them to enjoy in peace their own
property and to give employment to the labouring classes,
who, if those laws were repealed, would be
deprived of the means of subsistence.—(Hear, hear.)
It would be for their Lordships to inquire into the
whole question, and when he recollected the sentiments
formerly expressed by the Noble Lord at the head of the
Government, he certainly hoped he would not join his
colleagues on the occasion. He felt confident at least that
their Lordships would feel that they had some reason to ex-
pect the support of the Noble Viscount. He would read an
extract from a speech formerly delivered by tho Noble
Lord in confirmation of this assertion. The Noble Duke
then read an extract from a former speech of Lord Mel-
bourne, to the effect that his Lordship saw clearly
that an alteration in the Corn-laws could not be carried
into effect without a most violent struggle and civil con-
tentions—without stirring society to its foundations,
and leaving behind every sort of and
animosity. The Noble Lord said that he did
not think the advantages to be derived from the change
would be worth the evils of the struggle by which alone
their Lordships might depend upon it the change could be
effected. They had already seen great changes—changes
which disturbed society to the bottom—which excited
man against man—divided the whole country into par-
ties, and left behind the deepest feelings of animosity.
He was not ready, by any rash adventure, again to agitate
those feelings, and on those general grounds he felt
himself justified in opposing the motion." (Hear,
bear.) Those were the words of the Noble Viscount,
end be (the Duke of Buckingham) would call upon
their Lordships to stand by those laws.—(Bear, hear.)
He trusted they would never witness those disturbances to
which the Noble Viscount had alluded; but so surely as
he and his colleagues should take the step that had been
mentioned, so surely would they throw the country into a
state of irremediable confusion, while the Noble Lord and
his colleagues would be answerable for the evils which
would follow.
Viscount MELBOURNE.—As he had been so point-
edly alluded to by the Noble Duke, be thought it was ne-
cessary fur him to say a few words in reply. No doubt,
en many occasions, he had stated that there were many
reasons and grounds which rendered any agitation of
the Corn-laws liable to great objection, and
pregnant with evil. But, at the same time,
upon every occasion on which he had addressed
their Lordships on the question, he had always sai i that
his opposition to any change in the Corn-laws was based
upon particular and temporary grounds.—(Cheers.)
Upon no occasion had he ever pledged himself to the ex-
isting- kiwi, because he saw that the time must come when
their Lordships must of necessity take the question into
consideration. The Noble Viscount quoted from his
speech of last year, in order to show that he had not
pledged himself to the laws as they stood, or to the
amount of duty to be levied—be had distinctly stated that
circumstances might arise which would render it neces-
sary for the Legislature to reconsider the question. He
thought it impossible for him to use any words which
would more clearly show that in his opinion the question
was merely one of time. In his opinion the circum-
stances had arisen—( Hear, hear)—the time had now ar-
rived when, in order to meet the exigencies of the country
—when large financial measures, affecting every interest
in the country, it was impossible to leave that, the master-
grievance untouched.—(Cheers.) On these grounds he
had thought it necessary to change his opinion.
The Earl of RIPON had heard, with very great regret,
the speech of his Noble Friend—not on account of the
great interests concerned, but on account of the character
of h;s Noble Friend Isimself—(Cheers)--because, if
be had not any more satisfactory reasons for his
chung.: of opinion he would not
he would not be able sta:'
d justified in the eyes
of the count:', carry on the Go-
vernment of the cnJintry.—( Cheers.) He tya: anxious to ask
a question of the Noble Viscount. In his opinion :heir Lord-
ships had aright to know trt.:.t was the principle t 2 be ai,lopted
by the Government, they ought io know whether the mO•
sure was to be one of protection or of taxation. If it was 0
be a measure of protection, then they threw away
all the arguments used by the Anti-Corn-law people.
Ho contended that the Corn-law was a measure of
protection, and introduced upon grounds of humanity
and justice—introduced for the wants and subsistence of
the poor; but if they threw away the principle of protection
and adopted that of taxation-4 Loud cheers)—they would
do that which bad never been done by any country in the
world—(Cheers)—it would be the most cruel act ever
forced upon a reluctant Legislature.
Lord ME LBO U RNE• said he was not at present pre.
pared to answer the question.—(Great laughter and cheer.
ing on the Opposition Benches.)
The Earl of WINCHILSEA (a ho spoke with exceed.
ing vehemence, and although in his loudest possible tone
with so much rapidity of utterance that it was ins.

possible to catch a single sentence coherently) said
that the proposed corn-measure must be considered
as one of taxation, and as such, he, as one of the
landowners of the country, would give it every op-
position is his power. He would oppose any additional
tax upon the agricultural interest, and especially a tax on
the most essential article of the food of the working
classes. (Loud cheers from Earl Stanhope.) He hoped
the people of England would rise up as one man against
scch a tax. (Renewed cheers from Earl Stan-
hope and others.) The object of the existing
Corn laws was the protection of the agricultural interest,
and to afford a supply of bread to the labouring classes as
eltetply as it could be grown.__( Cheers from the Opposi-
tion, especially from Earl Stanhope.) No country could
be independent cr free which depended on others for its
supply of food.---( Cheers.) If it was now to be proposed
to tax brca 1, in Goe.'s name let them resist it to the utmost.
—(Cheers from Lord Stanhope and the Opposition, and
laughter from the Liberal Lords.) They might tax the
property and incomes of the higher classes as they pleased,
but in God's name, let them not allow a tax upon bread.—
( Great laughter on the Ministerial benches, and cheers
foci the Tories.) The Noble Lord opposite and
his colleagues were not acting honestly.—(Checrs.)
The country condemned them on their foreign, do-
mestic, and commercial policy; and now they had raised
the " Cheap-bread" cry, in the hope that clamour would
be of use to them, upon a dissolution of Parliament,
But the people had too much sense to be deluded by that
cry. They knew that "cheap bread" meant low wages.
By this attempt, by taking away the protection from the
produce of the newly emancipated West Indian colonies,
and giving encouragement to foreign sugar, Minis-
ters had rendered themselves more odious than
ever, and had hurried on their own downfal.
CHURCH OF SCOTLAND.
Lord DUNFERMLINE presented a petition foci
seven Clergymen of the Church of Scotland, complaining
that they were deprived of their rights, in consequence
of the adherence of a majority of the General As-
sembly to a division which the Scotch Judges and
that House (the House of Lords) had pronounced to be
illegal. The Noble Lord said, that in drawing their
Lordships' attention to the petition, he wished to state
that he had given notice not only to present it,
but of moving for a copy of the indictment
against these gentlemen. His reasons for doing so were
intimately blended, but he assured their Lordships his
observations should be as short as possible, since
however interesting the subject might be to the people of
Scotland, he knew it was very uninviting in that House.
He had always held that there was no duty more incurn-
, bent on a Member of the Legislature than to bring under the
:en of the branch to which he belonged any wrong or in-
": • a miht have witnessed, either civil or ecclesi-
justice In. ,
;tai. It was necessary that, if possible, the pro.
ast
lion should be arrested, for if it
gross a this gun.:
nrecipated into a Mato of the
d i:',ere could be no other result
were persqvcre ,
have occurred
than that Scotland should be
mightordlsthips. ttnat there might
tuot utmost
some
embarrassment,
of
their
be some objection in point of form tt; a petition
relating to proceedings still pending, but he wished
to rest his cave on more extended than merely technical
grounds. This was no question between patrons and pro-
prietors. It was a collision between two great constituted
authorities. On the one side the Legislature and the Courts
of Law were associated with the legitimate authorities
in relation to the Established Church. On the other side
was a Church which contended for independence and
spiritual supremacy, and enforced their opinion in
opposition to the judgment of the Supreme Courts
of Scotland and England. This was a question
which well deserved attention. It was a question
which would not much longer confine itself to Scotland.
These petitioners asked to be protected and relieved from
severe persecution, because they yielded prompt and loyal
obedience to the laws of their country.—( Hear, hear.)
By whom were they so persecuted ? By those whose es-
pecial duty it was to inculcate obedience to the law by
their precnpts and their practice, and who derived the
power, which he could not but think they abused, from
the State._( Hear, hear.) He wished to call attention to
some of the proceedings of the General Assembly, which
constituted the foundation of the proceedings now brought
before their Lordships. In 1834 an Act was passed by the
General Assembly, called the Veto Act. The ctFrct of
this Act was to make it competent for the heads of
families, being communicants, to reject any minister, with-
oat assigning a motive. This Act was found to be a
direct attack upon the legal rights of patrons, who accord-
ingly applied to the laws of their country. But while the
question came to be considered by the General Assembly,
it was met by a resolution to the effect, that the General

Assembly of the Church of Scotland a:•know•lcdged thy!
jurisdiction of Civil Courts in matters relating to civil
rights and emoluments of the Church, and the ministers