The Sun.
London, England, 1851-05-14 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON,

SUN OFFICE, Seven o' Clock,

YORK SPRING MEETING,

(THIS DAY.)

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gee . • o she received letters in her own handwriting,
0 ittetb Itetaliet Zttloo 11 without date or address, in which she told her parent
she was no longer her mother, as she had now a mother
in heaven. Another case to which he referred was
that of a young woman who had escaped from a con-
vent near Wimbourne, Dorset, and taken refuge in
the house of a methodist preacher, named
Peter Hawke, saying her reason for doing so
was that the system was too rigid, and she could bear
it no longer. Though it was the cold season of the year,
she did not once see a fire, was fed on bread and beer
only twice a day, and had to rise every morning at
two o'clock, and attend to her devotions several
times before break of day. The Roman Catho-
lic Bishop Ullathorne had, in fact, declared in
his book that it would be wholly impracticable
to keep persona under conventual restraint for any length
of time, except they believed in the real presence, and
though he (Mr. Lacy) was ready to_
this
admit that some
ladies, impressed with the proprietyimure othfemh.sselmreosdferoomf life,the
Immure had a right, if they liked, to
lo world,w e d yet,to th he
see
whosethought
views some
wo
ep
rpeo rot
fu niat y
differentough t tok bi
he d at lo-
readily :obtain their release from convents. The Hon.
Member concluded by moving the second reading of the
Bill.
Mr. HUME hoped the Bill would not be proceeded
with, as it was only another instance of an attempt to
annoy and irritate the religious feelings of is large por-
tion of the people. If it were passed it would be a
reflection on the House and our free country, and he
therefore hoped her Majesty's Government would at
once state what their intentions were with respect to the
measure, in order to put an end to any useless discussion.
Sir GEORGE GREY said he was ready to admit
that a dangerous control, not of a physical, but of a
moral nature, was exercised over parties in these
houses, but he thought the Bill of the Hon. Gentleman
would not in the slightest degree alleviate that evil. It
might, perhaps, be a question whether the cases which
had recently been brought before the public did not re-
quire that some steps should be taken to prevent inmates
of convents being deprived of their property.—(Hear.)
The Bill of the Hon. Gentleman, however, was open to
serious objections, and it would not accomplish the object
which he had in view. He should, therefore, give his
support to an amendment for reading the Bill this day
six months.
Mr. NEWDEGATE supported the Bill, and observed,
that even in Roman Catholic countries it had been
deemed necessary to throw protection over the inmates
of monastic establishments by enabling their friends to
visit them. He denied that a habeas corpus would ac-
complish the object of the Hon. Member who in-
troduced the Bill. He believed that many persons
were kept under physical restraint in convents, and on
behalf of her Majesty's subjects who might be induced
to enter these establishments he claimed that the Legis-
lature would follow the example of Roman Catholic
countries, and pass some measure on the subject.
Mr. PLUMPTRE also supported the, Bill, and ex-
pressed his astonishment that the advocates of civil and
religious liberty should throw any obstacle in the way of
the Hon. Member. He would give his vote in favour of
the second reading, as these religious houses weregreatly
on the increase, and he hoped a large number of Mem-
bers would adopt the same course.
Mr. R. PALMER trusted, after what had been stated
by the Secretary for the Home Department, that the
Hon. Gentleman would not press the Bill. The mode
in which it was proposed to carry out the provisions
was, in his opinion, most objectionable.
Mr. GRATTAN also urged the withdrawal of the
Bill. He passed a high eulogium on the convents in this
country and on the continent, many of which he had
visited, and said he believed Ireland would long ago
have sunk but for her convents.
Lord ASHLEY admitted that the machinery of
the Bill was most imperfect, though he agreed that
there was a deep and serious feeling in the coun-
try on the subject of the management of re-
ligious houses. He considered, if it was found that
an undue interference was exercised with reference to
the property of the inmates of convents, some measure
ought to be introduced by the Government to remedy
the law so as to prevent the continuance of any such
evil. He concluded by appealing to the Hon. Member
to withdraw the Bill.
Lord ARUNDEL and SURREY considered after
the strong expression of the House against the Bill it
was unnecessary for him to trouble the House with a
speech against the second reading, or to say more than
that the measure was wholly unjustified and unnecessary.
Sir J. PAKINGTON did not concur in the
suggestion for the withdrawal of the Bill. Al-
though it might be objectionable in some parts,
the declaration of the Government was extremely
unsatisfactory. The Right Hon. Baronet acknowledged
that something ought to be done, but did not give a
pledge that he would introduce any measure, and until
such a pledge was given he should give his support to
the Bill.
Sir GEORGE GREY explained that he said he
thought a case had not been established of forcible and
physical detention, hut that a moral and religious con-
trol was exercised over the inmates of convents.
Mr. KEOGH took occasion to attack the Government
for introducing the Ecclesiastical Titles Bill, which he
said had induced Hon. Members to try their hands at
similar specimens of legislation.
Mr. SPOONER said the very admission of Sir G.
Grey called on the House to insist on an inquiry as to
the dangerous moral and religious control which existed
in these estabiletweetne. '11......c woo a good grrnind of
suspicion that persons were kept in them without their
consent, and it was the duty of the Secretary of State to
see that they were no longer detained as prisoners. After
a few years the inmates gave way to sorrow and
despair, and many were deprived of their senses.
At the present time there was a convent being erected in
Birmingham, the lower story of which consisted of cells,
and he should like to know for what purpose these were
intended? The country would insist on a far more strin-
gent measure being brought forward to deal with
them.—(Hear, and cries of " Oh.") He did not deny
that many monastic institutions had done a great deal of
good, and been supported for no other purpose than to
glorify the Creator ; but he could not exclude
from his mind many cases in which their proceed-
ings did not possess that character. The country
would not be satisfied unless some measure
was passed, and the Honourable Member (Mr. Lacy)
would be compelled to proceed with the Bill, unless the
Government would promise to agree to the appointment
of a Commission or Committee to inquire into the im-
prisonment and confinement practised at convents ; and
also into the laws relating to mortmain,
The SOLICITOR-GENERAL said the very title of
the Bill, "A Bill to prevent the Forcible Detention of
Females in Religious Houses," was a grave indictment
against a large body of their fellow-subjects without, as
far as he knew, any case being proved or established
justifying its introduction. The Bill branded with infamy
and crime the whole body of Roman Catholics, because
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ADVERTISING VANS, &c, the act of a number of persons uniting to keep a person
in duress was a conspiracy of a vary serious nature, and
Colonel SIBTHORP asked the Secretary of State fc'r subjected allAi the parties concerned to heavyhad punishm, ent.
the Home Department whether he was prepared to take Scarcelyj a spoken who not admitted
effective measures for the stringent sappreation of that the provisionsm of the Bill were most
barrel-organs and advertising vans in the metropolis? objectionable, and the only case which the
Sir GEORGE GREY replied that the Commis- Honourable Member (Mr, Lacy) hadmentioned
sioners of Police had issued notices that nuisances as a ground for passing it *
was that
of a young lady
of the kind to which the Gallant Colonel had referred, who had escaped from a convent. Did Hon. Members
which were dangerous obstructions in the public streets, not know that on application to a judge of any one of
were illegal, and must be removed. He did not think our courts of law, any person who was detained forcibly
it was necessary to bring in a special Act of Parlia- against her will might be brought np by a writ of
latent on the subject, the existing law being quite suffi- habeas corpus and released from her confinement? That
Mont to deal with the evil. being so, the House, ho thought, could not be properly
Colonel SIBTHORP said in that case he would intro- cared on to pass a Bill of this description. Anxious as
duce a Bill himself, the people might be to see property p and undu
ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH COMPANY, spiritual influence over the minds ofrotected young, or inexpe-
e
Mr. STANFORD asked the Secrntary of State for rienced persons prevented, yet they possessed
the Ho
Department whether the scale of charges too great a sense of justice to condemn any body of their
ra aclebrayc'th.e Electric Telegraph Company, for the trans- fellow creatures unheard, and place them under the pro-
mission of information in criminal cases, where their aid visions of an act of this description.
was necessary to secure the ends of public justice, hal Mr. FRESHFIELD supported the Bill. He con-
occupied his attentien; and whether there was any ing sidered that sufficient grounds existed, and had been
tentieo oil the
part of Government to ask for Parliae proved, fur passing the Bill, and also that no greater
mentary powers to s
in such cases, as ecure a " maximum" rate of elierge difficulty would arise in carrying out its provisions than
travelling? wassecured to the public for railway was experienced by magistrates in visiting lunatic asy-
I lums. It the Bill were thrown out he was convinced
Sir G. GREY said the heect had not occupied his I that the first session of the next Parliament would not
attention, but obseravaevdethtehree"lEWoas a clause in the core- pass without another measure being introduced on the
pang's Act which
Board of Trade jurisdiction subject.
with respect to the scale of charges,
CHARITABLE INSTITUTION Mr. Sergeant MURPHY contended that not a single
On the motion of Mr. SPOONER the
eOTICES BILL. instance of forcible detention had been proved to show
to, and it was orderedsecund residing' the necessity of such a Bill, and that all the reasons
of this Bill was aggeed
com-
mitted on the 22d instant. to bo alleged for its introduction were entirely hearsay,
LANDLORD AND TENANT BILL, and he asked whether the House was disposed to give its
Mr. SPOONER moved
forte sepcuornpdosereoaitlfi:g assent to the second reading of a Bill with no other
Bill, which he said was he
itef this grounds for it? They had lately had an :illustration of
and toetleintstatiinng the impolicy of relying on hearsay. For the last few
the arrangements between the outgoing
g weeks the papers had been filled with a vile imputation
tenant relative to existing crops, and buildings erected on a convent close to London. It had bee:a stated that
At the tenant's own expense.
physician waa called in in the dead of th e night, that
After a brief discuesion respecting some of the dettails
1 tce an accouchement took place, and that the child was
of the Bill, the motion was agreer,
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RELIGIOUS HOUSES BILL.
smuggled away, but the authors of these libels appeared
Yesterday batons the Queen's Bench and made
Lord ARUNDEL and SURREY presented a great
cutirchurble apology for the untruths they had
Camber of petitione from different parts of the kingdom
peopleate, idnw.vhisiTei he ' Learned Gentleman adverted to
against the Religious Houses Bill•
tbhye great benefits which institutior,s inhabited
Mr. ROCHE al rated several petitions to the
so prese
' man Catholic ladies had conferred on the
tame effect, from places in Ireland.
thing the sick and poor, and also to the
votetdcilittibeemselves to a. religious life, and said he hoped his
Mr. J. O'BRIEN resented petitiuofnec firtiorme, tahleso
of Newmarket-o I)they offered to those who wished to de- 1
Fernes, county. _
the parishes of Rely ly and liilleekennety, same county, Protestant brethren had the advantage of similar estab-
and the Religious) listen ants, The effect of the Bill would b© to drive these
parish
from
against the al
Titles Bill,
ladies out of the country, f?
Houses Bill.
r they would never be advised
Mr. CARDWELL presented a similar petition from a by their relatives to
Hon. Member proposedl.4nanitet. th.e visitationh which the
place in Lancashire.
aitndistwoura(tleacstiangßopmieacen
Sir J. GRAHAM a .
from Louth, designating
iso prtsented similar patition ' Catholic to oppose this feltwanton
scarcely()r ig iIl a t
ed a am
Protestanto ng
a
the honour and liberty and
theehtß. ill both as unwort yof f le islation, which
also presented two other petitions
of the countryl; he religious
increw.
gThere he:ads
petitions from Ireland U' the , Mernher the liouse, young or old,e
olegdis'dlation
same effect.
attempt his hand at some untertunate pine whot .l not
Mr. P. HOWARD attempt
to the same effect, one etating that if
several petions also against his Roman Catholic brethren,
_--0(g, gr.)
passed, i't would amount virtu
ONPSON
all- to the Bill were I bAfter some few observations fromet ge,
.1 2,11
the occupants of these religious aeuags, b .
1 the banishment of ' and Mr. ANsTEY,
,
would be compelled to remove to countries cause
tIP'Y
Ithat it
Mr.SIDNEY HERBERT said he ag reed-
where such 'o on any
house& were ellowed to be established and •would be 3 must dangerous precedent to leg islet
maintaieed
Mr. LACY moved the second reading of the Big . subject on the mere ground. of probable and not positive
object of which was to require the registratio(H ar I
of , the necessity. They
.required something more than pro-
f ladies b• • v to legislate upon.— e t tear.) He
residing is monasteries or other religious houses, tend to
enable the magistrates of quarter sessions to visit such should,
vote
e had the fullest rid ht to iuter--
bit
iin-
therefore,agemst the Bill, 1 nit in doing
establishments without notice, and to remove any jag_ so, ho held that the -tat
who should express a desire to leave them,
c institutioi as and je fere and control the management of relige ous houses.
It appeared to him that monastic was informed thee taest, houses had greatly en_
per-
creased within the last few years, the number which had b not
Patna[ vows were not only unneessary,ggboutehohoogstitl,e to
0 el spirit of our institutions.—(Hear.) H
been added to the list during the last four }sera being; let
Several of them conteined as many as 500 or even 1,000
ln state policy, right to give no enco
i 3 e on religious but on public gro.unds, ar.d as a matteru-
inmates, and when they recollected instances of ludies , recturiet.P een the State had a
escaping rrom them, and other circumstances which had
Lord BERnine,e e duty which
a t'grids"bet to establishments which must necessarily have
lately transpired, they might rightly tteeume that many , they
o,4:oov:withdraw subjects from tie
...nation.—Hear.)
Di the inmates were dissatisfied with their mode of lite ,
AD was understood
toed desirous of again entering upon the proper duties of
The House then divided,when
there appeared—
life He read a number of communications to show the ) -
r or the second
Majority to support the Bill.
reading ~. 9l
hardship; which such institutions gave -rise to, one 1 Ageintt it ... -
salting that a young lady had been forcibly placed !
in one, and that her mother had never since been !
; The 'I . ... ... —32
~. ot
..., 123
131 I was consequently lost.
able to find where she was kept, though 1

The other o
and the House adjourned

lers of the da,

were th,