The Sun.
London, England, 1846-07-21 00:00:00

lowers of the Free Church, but he would remind them of
a great and noble saying of a man who held high office
in the sister country, namely, " That in the
possession of property there were great oh-
legations to be observed, - AS well as rights
to be enjoyed." Now, in their. persecution they Were
forgetting this great principle, and he trusted they
would at once see the necessity, as well as the
justice, of discontinuing it.—(Cries of " Hear, hear.")
He es ould not detain their Lordships much longer, but
he would ask their Lordships to consider this as a matter
of policy. The Free Church numbered at least one-
third of the entire population of Scotland. It was a
strong and vigorous religious body, calculated to pro-
mote the religious and moral education of the people.
And he contended that it would be the policy of the
Legislature and Government of this country and the
landed proprietors of Scotland rather to encourage than
discourage them. The number of the congregations of
the Free Church of Scotland was 816, and the number
belonging to all the other religious bodies, not connected
with the Established Church, was :815. The number
of the ministers of the Free Church was 662, and the
number of the elders 3,000, who were assisted by
3,000 deacons. In the Lowlands there were 84 con-
gregations ; and in the Highlands, 50 congregations.
The communicants of the Free Church were 200,000.
It was said that there were only 60,000 communicants
itt the whole of London, with a population of 2,000,000.
There were already 600 churches erected, and there
were 30 in the course of erection, and 40 were still re-
quired for the existing congregations. 171 manses
were already built, and many more were in the course
of erection, and intended to be erected. There
were also a Free Church-college, the funds for
the erection of which had been subscribed; it was fur-
nished with an efficient body of professors, and would
bear comparisen with the first college in the kingdom.
The library of the college contained about 30,000
volumes. There were upwards of two hnndred salaried
teachers of Free Church schools: There was also a
normal school at Edinburgh, which had cost 140,0001.
He thought the provisions of the Bill introduced by the
Right Hon. Member for Perth (Mr. Fox Maule) so well
defined that no injury could arise from the carrying it
into effect. He only regretted that, instead of being
confined to Scotland, it had not been extended to the
whole kingdom. He hoped the Noble Lord who
represented the Government in that House would be
able to make some statement, that the Government would
be prepared to support any measures that were calcu-
lated to give effect to the prayer of the petitioners. He
would now conclude by pressing on their attention the
prayer of the petition.
The Marquis of LANSDOWNE could not let
the opportunity pass without saying that he
could not conceive any Parliamentary measure
that should compel the granting of sites fur churches
without the consent of the possessors of the land. At
the same time he expressed the hope that matters would
be so arranged that there would be no necessity for ap-
plying to Parliament for a measure to give effect to the
objects which the petitioners sought to carry out.
After duly considering the circumstances of the case, and
the importance of the numerous body from whom the
petitions omanated, he was yet unprepared to go into
any legislative measures, but he trusted that it would ex-
cite a disposition in all the men connected with the district
and especially in those who were great proprietors to
provide suitable sites where churches might be erected,
where the members of this important body of Dissenters
might carry on their public worship in a way acordant
with their principles, and yet he felt that this movement
of the people of Scotland was one which it was difficult
to manage, for it affected the church of that country,
although it neither interfered with the principles, nor in
any way disturbed the discipline by which its members
were governed, and it therefore ought to be respected in
such a way that they might not have their consciences
needlessly injured. One advantage at least he trusted
would result from these petitions, and that was a change
in the disposition of the landholders ; and that benefit
would at least arise to that extent on tis, which he did
not deny to be a most important subject.
The Duke of BUCCLEUCH quite agreed with his
Noble Friend, but he must deny the re wecentation of
this body of Dissenters, that they ht d been treated with
intolerance, for no religious body could h .ye me Keith
more tolerance than had the Free Churcu t f Scotian 1
It might be well for them to speak in the genoe term •
they now used, but what they desired was nothing wort
nor less than than this, viz., to take that part of a man's
estate which best suited their convenience, whether he
desired it or not ; and this they did with great
asperity and open hostility, for proof of which
reference need only be made to their
own newspaper. As one instance, one distinguished
author, and eminent member of the Free Church,
had plainly stated his belief that the Church
of Scotland was a nuisance which ought
to be swept from the face of the earth.
He always had resented, and always would resent and
fight against every interference by any man or body of
men between l:im and his tenants or labourers.
It was a question entirely between them and
himself, and not between strangers, who came
from a distance to excite the people agninst him.
If the people were allowed to be quiet., there
weuld be none of this excitement. He had been most
unjustifiably attacked, and his conduct had been held up
to ridicule and scorn. All I wish to state is, that I shall
oppose this measure. The object of the Bill was to en-
able those parties to take sites wherever they might
wish. The measure was most unjust, and if such powers
were asked for by any other sect, or by the Established
Church, it would be instantly rejected.
The Marquis of L'READALBANE wished to ask the
Noble Duke, whether upon his own property there had
not been a congregation worshipping in the open air,
in the highest place and part of Scotland, ex-
posed to the cold and severity of the elements
for the last two or three years. And whether
these unfortunate members of the Free Church were not
miners on his estate who had asked him repeatedly to
give them a site for building a church upon, but up to
the present time their request had been refused.
They were so distant from any other place that they
could not obtain any place of worship unless the Noble
Duke granted it upon his property. He would also ask
the Noble Duke, whether on a part of his property (the
parish of Canobie), the members of the Free Church
met on a moor, and the Noble Duke took legal means to
drive them from that moor ; he would ask him
if they did sot take refuge on the public
road, and whether the sacrament of the Lords'
Supper was not about to be administered in that cross-
road. Whether the Noble Duke did not refuse them
suitable site, for they wished to have a centrical situa-
the. With regard to the members of the Free Church
The Noble Duke did allow them a tent to worship in,
because—greatly to his credit—he did not think
it suitable or proper that they should meet upon
the public road, and celebrate public worship
stated. He had stated these facts, because he must ask
whether they did not amount almost, if not entirely, to per-
secution. Hesaid that these members of the Free Church
were deprived of the opportunity of removing elsewhere,
owing to the great possessions of the Noble Duke, and
therefore he ought to grant it to them. In the last ses-
sion he had presented similar petitions,- and the same dis-
cussion arose with respect to these parishes. The Noble
Duke had asserted that the members of the Free Church
could go a distance of five or six miles—that he asserted
that they could go a distal:cc of five miles to worship.
He asked if that was a reasonable distance to go to
public worship, especially for the aged and weak
for they too would have to walk a distance of five miles
to obtain the consolations of religion. There was a fact
which occurred the other day. The proprietor
of lands is the Western Highlands of
Scotland referred to gave sites for churches,
and what were the people obliged to do ?
They were obliged to build iron churches, which
they set afloat upon the ocean, and anchored in one of
the bays. He did not see why such measures of pre-
caution should be adopted to compel men to change
their opinions.
The Duke of BUCCLEUCH said that what the Noble
Lord had said was perfectly true, but he did not see
why this class of Dissenters should be favoured more
than any other. He could not understand why they
should object to do what other Dissenters in the pa
rish did.

SLAVE TRADE.
Lord BROUGHAM gave notice thet on Friday next
he would submit a resolution to their Lordships for the
purpose of preventing, directly or indirectly, the African
slave trade.

PRINCE CZARTOROYSKI.
Lord BROUGHAM was desirous to know if the
Noble Marquis could state whether the Government
had received any information relative to the reported con.
fiscation of Prince Czartoroyski's property in Poland.
He had no doubt whatever that the Prince disapproved
of the attack upon Austria as much as he did himself.
In fact every friend of liberty and every enemy
to the destruction of human life must do so, for it was a
most foolish and insane attaek.—(th ar, hear.)
The Marquis of LANSDOWNE made a few observa-
tions
across the table which did not reach the gallery.
He was understood, however, to sympathise with the fe,l-
ings of the Noble Lord, and regretted the confinement
this prince, who was the representative of one of the
most illustrious houses in Europe, as distinguished fir
its virtues in times of adversity, as for its loyalty in tunes
of prosperity. (Hear, hear.)
Several Bills were advanced a stage, and their Lord-
ships adjourned.