The Sun.
London, England, 1834-02-22 00:00:00

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT.

HOUSE OF LORDS, FEir. 21.

The Turnpikes' Act Continuation Bill went through a
Committee, and was reported without amendment.
Lord ELLENBOROUGH moved for a copy of the cor •
respondence between the Board of Control and the Board
of Directors of the East India Company, relative to the
case of Mr. Prendergast.—Ordered.
Viscount MELBOURNE laid upon the table the report
made by the Commissioners appointed to inquire into
the poor laws. He did not then mean to say anything
relative to the case that could provoke any sort of discus.
sion. The proper time for that would be when the re-
port came under consideration in that House. He could
not, however, let that opportunity pass without express.
ing his high approbation of the care, diligence, and atten
tion which had been bestowed by the Commissioners.
Considering the nature of the subject—its complicated na-
ture, it was scarcely possible but that some errors might
have crept into the report, but when it was known that
two Reverend Prelates of that House, who had many
other important duties to perform, and considering also
that the other gentlemen who were engaged in the com-
mission, belonged to a profession the duties of which
were very arduous, the country must be much indebted
to those commissioners for the ample and valuab'e infor-
mation communicated in their report.—On the motion of
the Noble Viscount, the report was ordered to be printed.
The Earl of DURHAM presented a petition from the
Protestant Dissenters of Bridgewater, praying for relief
from the grievances under which they 1 thouted, in having
to support the Established Church. He also presented a pe-
tition from Allhallows, London, complaining of the con•
duct of the Dean and Chapter of Canterbury. in present.
ing the rectory of that parish to the Rev. Francis Daw-
son, who at the time was rector of Chialehurst,
and Orpington, and likewise Prebend and Sub-
Dean of Canterbury. The petitioner stated that
as the Legislature had provided funds sufficient for the
due maintenance of the ministry, and as they (the peti-
sinners) were compelled to support a minister for their
own parish, they thought that, at least, they mere
entitled to have one who was resident within the
parish. The Noble Earl said he had no connexion with
any one of the petitioners, but that he felt it his duty to
present any petition which was sent to him, and which
was res?ectfully worded. He had made some inquiries
into the allegations contained in the petition, and he found
that there were considerable causes for complaint. It
appeared, however, that before the present pre-
sentation, the recto'y was held for 18 years by a gen-
tleman named Brown, who resided at Woodstock, and it
was proved that during all that IS years, he had only been
in the parish IS time., or once a year. The citrate who
performed the duty was so unknown, that even the over-
seer of the parish knew nothing more of him than that he
lived somewhere in the West-entl.—(Hear, hear.) Ser-
vice was performed only once a week, on Sundays :
the church was very large, and capable of containing the
whole popul rtion of the parish, which amounted to 600,
yet an average having been taken, it was found that it
was attended by not more than 25 people. The curate's
salary, he believed, was only 60/. per annum ; but the
tithes of the parish, with the fees on burials, &c., alto-
altogether amounted to upwards of 400/. The
petitioners complained that in consequence of this pre-
sentation they would now, as they had heretofore been,
be left without any scriptural attention whatever. He
could not help thinking that that was a case of
very peculiar hardship, and that it was one well
worthy the attention of the Legislature. The petitioners
did not, and of course he would not, say one word re-
decting on the character of the individual ; all they said j
was, that they did not expect to derive any advantage
from his being appointed. It was of the system that
they complained, and, as he had before stated, he con
sidered it a case of considerable hardship, and one wor-
thy the attention of the House.
The Archbishop of CANTERBURY said that, after
the cool, temperate, and gentlemanly manner—(llear,
hear)—in wh'cla the Noble Earl had brought forward
this petition, he had not one word of complaint to
make. The objections both of the petitioners and
the Noble Earl were to the system, anti not to
the Reverend Gentleman therein named.--(Hear, hear.)
With those objections he entirely agreed ; but such was
the state of the law at present, that the presentation was
perfectly regular. That such was the case was no fault
of his, for, two years ago, he had brought forward a
Bill, for which he had to fight most strenuously
against an obstinate, and, he might truly say,
factious opposition in that House. He however succeeded
in having it passed there ; hut it shared another fate in the
other House. Had that Bill become the law of the land,
he stated at the time that it would have put an end to
two-thirds of the pluralities that then existed ; but now,
on more mature consideration, be believed it would
have put an end to five-sixths. He had nothing to say
in commendation of the Rev. Gentleman, because no at-
tack had been made upon him. The case stood thus :
—He was Rector of Chiselhurst, which living was
worth about 400/. per annum. He also held the sinecure
rectory of Orpington, which produced him about 40/. per
annum. But he, having been chaplain to the House of
Commons, was recommended to his Majesty for promotion.
A prebend's stall in Canterbury fell in soon after, to which
he was presented in consequence of that recommendation.
Not many months after, the present living fell in,
and by the law of the land, the Chapter was
bound to offer it to some one of their own body—
(Hear, bear)—and so it was that Mr. Dawson bad
got the presentation. He had not a word to say as to
the propriety of his having accepted it under such circum •
stances, but as the law at present stood, he had a perfect riaht
to take it. The livings, however, were at so abort a dis-
tance, that he understood from the Rev. Gentleman that he
intended to spend great pat tof his time in it. With regard
to the curate, he also bad been newly appointed, and be
believed that it was his intention to reside in the parish.
He would always be ready to lend Lis assistance for the
purpose of putting an end to all pluralities, or any mea-
sure that was likely to be advantageous to the Church.
The House then adjourned to Tuesday.

R OUSE OF COMMONS, FRE. 21.

The SPEAKER took the Chair at a quarter past five.

There was an unusually Lige attendance of Members,
and a vast number of private Bills were presented, none
of which were possessed of any interest.
On the motion of Lord ALTHORP, that the order of
the day be read for the House to resolve itself into a Com-
mittee of Supply,
Mr. ROBINSON rose, and begged to ask the Noble
Lord (Altborp) whether there was any intention on the
part of the Government to make any alteration in the du-
ties on timber ?

We understood the NOBLE LORD to say, in reply, that
there was no intention at present, on the part of the Go-
vernment, to do so.
In answer to a question relative to the salaries of the
officers of the House,
Lord ALTHORP said, there were some officers who
should be paid by fixed salaries, and there were other
cases in which a payment by fees was necessary.
There were some instances in which officers connected
with that House were obliged to sit up to a late
hour of the night, and if these persons were paid by fixed
salaries, although he did not suppose there would be any
danger that they would not perform their duties
efficiently, yet still the payment by fees would
insure their doing so. The House was the best
judge of what officers should be paid by fees, and what
officers should he paid by fixed salaries, and a Committee
of the whole.Honse would be the proper place to have any
alterations made.

Mr. GUEST put a question, which could not be beard
in tblgallery.
Lord ALTHORP said, that with regard to gratuities
they were almost in the nature of fees. Hon. Members
frequently felt themselves disposed to make gratuities, but
there was nothing of that sort compulsory on any Mem-
ber of the House; and for his own part he did not think
it was a subject the House ought to interfere with.
Mr. GUEST attempted again to speak, but the
Speaker arose, amidst cries of "Order, order."

The SPEAKER said that the Hon. Member must be
aware that although by the counting of the House he
was permitted to ask a question on what had been just
stated, yet it was irregular, and would be extremely in-
convenient if he were to argue upon the answer he had
received.
Mr. WILKS wished to know whether it was the
intention of Government to revise the provisions of the
Irish Stamp Office Act, which did not exist in England,
with a view to the bringing in of some measure to amend
that Act.

Lord ALTHORP said, that the Act which be believed
the Hon. Member alluded to, in Ireland, had been passed
by the Irish Government, and not by the British Par-
liament.--(Hear, hear, and laughter.) Yet it was an
Act passed in 1738, and had been adopted in 1815 into
the Act passed by this Parliament. He believed it was
an Act prospective and imperative. Not long since the
Secretary for Ireland had written to the law officers there,
calling their attention to it. Their attention hdd been
directed to it and they found that it was impera-
tive, and that they were bound by it. It wss
an Act, however, that was most easily evaded, arid
always bad been evaded. No attempt bad ever been made