The Sun.
London, England, 1851-06-25 00:00:00

THE IRISH STATE PRISONERS.
Mr. ANSTEY put a question to the Under Secretary
of State fur the Colonies, whether the State prisoner
Mr. MacManue was not discharged from the custody of
Sir William Denison's commandant at Port Arthur by
a solemn order of the Supreme Court of Van Diemen's
Land eleclacifeig such custody to be illegal; whether the
said State prisoner, after having, in coaaequence of such
order,with the connivance of Government, quitted Heber-
ton, and returned to his own house at Launceston, has not
been again arrested by Sir William Denison upon the
same charge on which his Excellency had caused him
to be placed in such custody ; whether it is true that
he was, upon such his aecond arrest, brought all the way
back from Launceston to Hobarton, a distance of 120
tales, on foot ; and whether he was not, at the date of
the last advises, suffering from a fever occasioned by
such treatment?
Mr. HAWES said that it was quite true that Mr.
MacManue having applied to the Supreme Court for a
writ of habeas corpus, and the return to that court being
deemed insufficient, he was discharged from custody.
To the rest of the question of the Hon. and Learned
Gentleman he could give no answer, not having yet re
ceived sufficient information.
The Chief Justices' Salaries Bill was introduced and
read a first time.
UNIVERSITIES (SCOTLAND) L •
Sir G. CLERK presented tt petition from B Ithe
ijGeneral
Assembly of the Church of Scotland strongly objecting
to the provisions of this Bill.
Mr. E. ELLICE, jun., presented it petition from the
Provost and Corporation of St. Andrews in favour of the
Bill.
Mr. COWAN moved the second reading of the Bill.
describing the
The Hon. Gentleman commenced by-
difference between the English S
and university
system.
The universities in Scotland were far from
assuming the ecclesiastical character which they pas-
sassed in England; they were
not so dependent on the
national Church, for all the chairs of professors might
be held by laymen except the chair of divinity. The tests
which had formerly been created bad been for the purpose
of keeping out of the professors' enairs Prelatiee, and
Papists, who were hostile to the Hanoverian succession.
In the present day these tests were but of little use, and
it vas well known that several of the professors' chairs
were occupied by Episcopalians, with great credit to
the mseiveis he would allow. The simple object of the
Bill was to throw open these chairs de jure as well as
-de facto to all classes of Dissenters. Freda the best int
forint:tem he had been able to obtain, no test whatever
had been required for the last twenty years in the Uni-
very of Scotland, and this ho thought was a very
street; argument for the repeal of the testa Re con-
cluded by moving the second reading of the Bill.
Mr. .LOCKII ART considered that the measure was
calculated to destroy the religious and Protestant cha-
racter of the Scotch Universities. There had been no
public demonstration in the country to justify the House
in taking so important a step as the abolition of university
testae which had already worked so well. All the aniver-
Cities in Scotland bore a high character, and religious
dissensiotA had never entered within their walls. The
Bill was, in fact, in direct opposition to the oath taken
by her Majesty, that she would maintain the established
Church in Scotland with all its rights and privileges for
all time to coime. He moved that the Bill be read a
second time this day six months.
Mr. EWART said it was quite competent for the
House to pass a measure to amend or alter the Act of
Union. The lion. Member had said that the Bill would
violate the principles of Protestantism; he (Mr.
Ewart), however, thought that religious freedom
was the heat promoter of the Protestant faith.
The Bill was quite in accordance with the religions feel-
ing of the country, and congenial with the enlightened
views of the people, and he had therefore great pleasure
in happening the second reading.
Sir GEORGep GREY said the opinions which he
entertained in regard to the principle of the
Bill remained unaltered, and if the Honourable
Member went to a division he should feel
bound to give it his support. His Right Hon. Friend
the Secretary at War add stated in the House that it
was the intention of the Government to introduce a Bill
of the same kind, but that he did not think it expedient
to do so this session. He (Sir George Grey) very much
doubted the policy of the Hon. Member pressing the
House to a. division on the present occasion.
There was no probability of success, and looking
at the appearance et: the House, it did not seem that the
question bad excited much interest among the Scotch
Members. Ile was, however, of opinion that however ne-
cessary tfteso tests might have been, the occasion for their
Insthattion had long since passed away, and it was not con.
ducise to the advantage or interest of the universities that
they ehould be maintained. If enforced, the effect would
be to exclude from the chairs of universities many emi-
nent men. The universities themselves had the good
sense to avoid such a result by practically putting these
tests into abeyance. As there was, however, little pro-
spect of the Bill passing this session, he trusted that the
Hon. Member would withdraw his motion.
After a ;i3W words from Mr. E. ELLICE, jun., and Mr.
A. HASTfE,
The Route then divided, when there appeared--
For the second reading ••• • • • 65
Against it ..• ••• •• 66
Mtjority against —1
The auncunceinent of the numbers was received with
loud taught-r.
ENCUMBERED ESTYITE3 LEASES (IRELAND)
BILL.
Mr. M'CULLAGEI. moved the second reading of this
aid explained that the object of the measure was to
give power to the Ericlinahircd Estates Commissioner.
to grant leases, under certain citeuraseincee, to the
:ta
°etpyilit,,, tenants of lttnds which they m,glit value and
i"A" or• As the I
ueett d law now stood great injustice had
one to the occupying tenants of the encumbered
e3tatei which, had been -
sold in tee Commissioners' Court,
and he proposed
-
Option of that in ruture the tenant should have the
miag a lease in perpetuity upon patine a
of the vu,
t„.
uatton and the remaining thrto-fourtha
in the chap., of
vent iEstiy of
thosef
tvieinful ejectments that had recently
thiat, rib, atter the neumbered estates ie Ireland, and
tenant had devoted his time and means
for a tong series of to the Years improvement of the pro-
perty so di4osed or,
Upon the question being put,
mr.
FRENCH said the propositiou of the Honour-
able add Leartid Member Was
a monstrous one. It
was nothing more than t that the
should be ePurchaser of an
encumb red estate ea empelied, whether h®
lease in
would or no, to grant 3Perpetuity to a art
whom he knew nothalluvv_sueh an uning whatever of. He hopedpGoy
vernment would nut just Bill to be read
a second time.
Mr. NA H believe that ER could hardlyt the gee. and
Learned Member had any serious intention of Proceed-
ing with this measure, because if it were passed it Would
have the afflict of directly defeating h-,obJect of the
Encumbered Estates Aut. w s eectioned by to
which was ,
Legislature for the purpose of encouregteg
who
would
of capital in Irish land. Now,
purchase au encumbered estate if one of the
conditions of sale wee to be that the purchaser should
a t ?
The
grnt leese for 999 years to the occupying tenet] _
bear ide euf such a law was absurd, tme
he trusted I
House reij,.et the Bill at once.
DUNNE said this IV4B one of the most extra"
ordinary Echeines of legislation he had ever heerd of.
Toe Eueuratered Estaie3 Act was an attempt at notifica-
tion, lett this Br 1 wss netting less than a speciL-a u 1
R'ilulesupl.4 rc" 'rY• and the House ought hot to enter-
tain it for a single thr,tnemt.
Mr. E. a ROCHE urged upon the House the neces-
sity of re d, ming the law of landlord amid tenant. Tee
recent ceetue eihtloted the startiieg fact, that the popu-
lation uf Irel-I,d had fallen from between nine
and ten znillions to eomething like six millions,
which he attributed to the restricted nature
of tenant - right ;n that country. Nov this
Bill recognised tree principl, of tenant right, and he was
therefore divined to support the second reading; but it
must riot be euppoesd from toot circumstance that he,
was sexious to see all its provlstoLs adop,ed, Lecauo by
wls oPpo'4,-cl to that p.ii t of it which was likely to encou-
nge ieent charg, s. The Hen. arid Learned Member who
last addressed the ase,e told them that what the land
wanted was to he let alone, end he should be glad to
how whether her Majesty's Government subscribed to
that doctrine, or whether treey thought something ought
to be dons] to improve the reiar.:oß3 subsisting be
t alien landlord end tenant in that country. TAe En-
cumbered Estates Comini.iiiiin?rs had tnacle many la-
inentahl in the va;cation of land, and
he should ptuse bef ;re be give them the power to
Talus locate nide:. this Bill, but that was a matter of de-
tail w'aicli tale ht be lees fir contiderxtion lit Commit'o9.
The ATTditNEY GELERAL for IRELAND con-
C lied DID w;l5 objectiotialle nit only in its de-
tail, but in. Finciple also, and if it vi,ie carried he very
sexist noubn.d wheeler it could be jut into (Tendon.
It sot.-!d be an act of gross injustice to confer
upon the 13neambered instates Commissioners the power
of leasing which it proposed. Such a power was indeed