The Sun.
London, England, 1834-06-11 00:00:00

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT,
IHIS WEDNESDAY} JUNE 11.

HOUSE OF COMMONS.

The SPEAKER took the chair at a quarter-past
twelve o'clock.
The Viscount Keith's Estate Bill was read a second
time. The Hale (Cornwall) Railway Bill was read a
third time, and passed. The Hammersmith Parochial
Bill was read a third time, and passed.
Lord DUDLEY STUART presented a petition
from the Protestant Dissenters of Arundel, praying
for the abolition of church rates.

Mr. MILE S presented several petitions from East
Somerset, against the admission of Dissenters into the
University and their claims.
Mr. SHE PP ERD supported the prayer of the pe-
titions.

Mr. CLAY alluded to the reported address made
by his Majesty to the Bishops, and said it was a thou-
sand pities that the responsible advisers of that address
were not known, because it seemed to indicate that
there was nothing in the church requiring reform. As
a member of the established church, he was sure that
nothing could insure the safety of the church but a
proper reform initself, and liberal policy towards others.
Lord ACHE SON presented a petition from the
Presbyterian congregation of Clare, in the county of
Armagh, for the tntal abolition of tithes, or their ap-
propriation in a different manner ; a petition from
the Presbyterian congregation of Tassagh, in the
county 'of Armagh, for an inquiry into the causes
and extent•of drunkenness • a petition from the sur-
geons of the City of Armagh, and another from the
physicians and surgeons of the county of Armagh,
praying for an inquiry into the laws affecting the me-
dical profession in Ireland.
Mr. HA LL IBURTON presented petitions from
the hand-loom weavers of Cupar, complaining of dis-
tress, and others from Fifeshire against drunkenness.
Mr. F. O'CONNOR presented a petition from
John Flood, complaining of the improper conduct of
certain magistrates in the county of Clare, and pray-
ing to be heard at the bar of the house by counsel,
having already made complaints to the proper
authorities without avail. ( Hear, hear.) He had
been thrown into prison and deprived of his property
by the connivance and injustice of the said magistracy,
only for electioneering purposes. The hon. member
supported the prayer of the petition, and said he him-
self had witnessed similar misconduct on the part of
the Irish magistracy.
Mr. CLAY presented a petition from parishes in
the Tower Hamlets, against a clause in the Beer Act,
which laid beershop-keepers open to the extortion of
informers ; from other beershop-keepers in White-
chapel, for an amendment of the Beer Laws ;
from the parish of Christchurch, in Middlesex,
to the same effect; from Lawrence Stephen
Curtis stating, that after having kept the Gun public-
house, Old Artillery Ground, for twenty-seven years,
he was ejected by the proprietor, a brewer, because he
would not agree to confine himself to deal for porter
with the same brewer. He took another house, and
made two applications to the licensing magistrates of
the district, recommended by 200 respectable inhabi-
tants, but it was refused. The petitioner, therefore,
prayed for an amendment of the licensing laws.
Mr. LLOYD supported the prayer of the latter
petition.
Mr. PL U MT R E presented petitions from Ashbourn,
Derby, and other places and parties, praying that
Protestant officers and soldiers in the British army in
our Roman Catholic colonies might no longer be com-
pelled to engage in and acknowledge the idolatrous
ceremonies of Popish worship.
Mr. LAL OR denied that Protestant officers and
soldiers were ever compelled to join in the ceremonies
of the Roman Catholic against their will, and com-
plained of the nse of the words " idolatrous cere
monies."

Mr. FINN said those terms had no effect upon
him, and that he as a Catholie would never support
any coercion of the conscience of any man.
Mr. ROBERT GRANT said there was an inquiry
instituted, and a motion coming onto-morrow, in re-
lation to the subject, which would have the effect of
setting the question at rest, though he could not un-
dertake to say whether the result would be favourable
or unfavourable to the petitioners. The result of the
inquiry would be known in a few days.
Mr. SCOTT presented a petition from Acton
against the claims of the Dissenters.
Mr. COLLIER presented a petition from the Dis-
senters of Devonport against the Bill for the Commu-
tation of church rates.
Lord DALMEN E Y presented a petition from
the county of Forfar, in support of the Established
Church.
Lord MIL TON presented a petition from Rowel,
in the county of Northampton, in support of the
established church ; and another in favour of the
Lord's Day Bill.
Mr.- SHAW presented a petition from Carrickfer-
gus in support of the established church.
Mr. SHE PPERD presented a petition from Frome
in Somerset, against the separation of church and state,
and in support of the established church.
Lord KERRY presented a petition from Burnled,
Wilts, in support of the established church.
ESTABLISHED CHURCH...

Sir RALPH LOPES presented a petition from
eleven congregations of Protestant Dissenters of the
parish of Westbury, Wilts, against church rates and
against the Marriage Bill.
Sir R. PE EL presented a petition from some place
in Staffordshire, against certain parts of the Poor
Laws' Amendment Bill, and particularly against that
part relating to the union of parishes. Also a
petition from the Presbytery of Perth, against any
alteration being made in the law of patronage ;
also a petition from the same place, in favour of the
Lords' Day bill. The right hon. baronet then said he
had to present several petitions from various places,
most numerously and respectably signed, against the
claims of the dissenters. The right honourable
baronet referred to the resolutions adopted by
the united committee of the dissenters, to show
that their object was the spoliation of the established
church, and contended, that after that declaration,
which was made so lately as Monday last, all hon.
members who were desirous of preserving the church,
ought to come forward and manfully and openly de-
clare their sentiments. The right hon. baronet then
presented petitions from Langtree, Exeter, Swaffham,
Norfolk, Kelson, Somerset, Beaumaris, Augbuy,
Barnstaple,Devon,Bishop's Stotord,Daintry, Hereford,
Kendal, Wearness, Pendring, Rudgley, Kingsnorton,
Woodstock, Plimpton, and from Tamworth ; to
the respectability of the names attached to which
he could himself bear testimony. (Hear, hear.)
He considered that, in the present state of this
question, it was the duty of the government to
state distinctly and unequivocally what their intentions
were. (Cheers.)
Mr. B AIN E S said that the Dissenters were in-
capable of concealing their opinions upon this subject ;
and, in his opinion, the fact of being a Dissenter was
a proof that the individual was desirous of the separation
of Church and State. That was the foundation of
dissent. (" Hear, hear,,' and cries of " No.-) He
begged to state that he was as well acquainted as any
hon. member with the principles of the Dissenters
(hear, hear), and he, Mr. Baines, was of opinion that
this was the case. He and other Dissenters did not
deny the right of others to uphold and cultivate the union
of Church and State ; but as a Dissenter, if he were
consistent, he must be opposed to this union. ( Hear. )
With respect to the appropriation of church property,
the right hon. baronet had denied that there was any
merit due to the dissenters, for their disinterested con-
duct with reference to this question.
Sir R. PE E L said that all he meant was, that
the dissenters disclaimed any right to interfere with
the internal discipline of the church, and that the
Established Church might retain their bishops and
their system of diseipline, and that it would be un-
reasonable in the dissenters to take credit for this,
since the Established Church left to the dissenters
the right of regulating the internal affairs and disci-
pline of their own church.
Mr. BAIN E S understood the right hon. baronet to
have stated what he had just repeated, but also under-
stood him to have said that the Dissenters could claim
no merit for declining to participate in the church re-
venues. There was nothing selfish in the conduct of
the Dissenters, they did not want to participate in the
revenues of the church, though as the revenues of the
church were derived from one common ancestry of one
denomination, it would not be unreasonable in the
dissenters if they claimed as much right in those
revenues as any other denomination of Christians.
( Hear, hear.) But the dissenters did not ask for
this, they merely demanded a redress of practical
grievances, they sought to be put on the same footing
with their fellow-subjects of the established church,
and as their claims were founded on truth and justice,
he was confident that they would soon be granted.
( Hear, hear.)
Iy beins three o'clock, the Speaker left the chair.]