The Sun.
London, England, 1860-03-23 00:00:00

MPEBIAL PARLIAMENT.

HOUSE OF LORDS—(YESTERDAY.)
The LORD CnANeELLex took his seat on the woolsack
the usual hour.

THE GREAT TASMANIA.
T arl of ELLENBOROUGH asked a question of
1p .• ble lord the First Lord of the Admiralty relative to
:-.ores on board the Great Tasmania transpot t ; he should
iso like to know whether stores had been sent to India for
troops going to China. •
The Duke of SOMERSET said the Admiralty were no
.ray responsible for the stores on beard the Great Tasmania.
With respect to the stores for the troops going from India
lo China, there was great difficulty in providing stores that
'could stand so long a voyage. There was, however, a large
!tore of provisions at Hong Kong that would supply the
roops.up to October next. The Government were sending
out stores every month, and, from the steps the Govern •
meat had ta-k-61a he assured the noble earl there was no
need of anxiety.
The'Earl'of ELLENBOROUGH said the noble lord had
not stated the number of troops for which stores had been
calculated.
ThZi`Duke of SOMERSET said about 10,000.
• :PRIVATE BUSINESS.

• - ---
On the motion of Lord REDESDALE, the Euu Brink
Drainage Bill was read a third time and passed.
, THE EASTER HOLIDAYS.

The'Earl of DERBY begged to ask the noble duke the
question he had given notice of, with respect to the ad-
journment of the house for the Easter holidays.
The Duke of NEWCASTLE said it had been found that
it would be absolutely necessary for their lordships to sit for
the first two 'days of Passion week, on account of two
important money bills cominc, down from the other house,
but after Tuesday he proposal that the house should adjourn.
until Tuesday, the 17th of April.

QUALIFICATION .FOR OFFICE ABOLITION

BILL.

Lord TEYNHAM moved the second reading of this bill,
Which proposed. to. do away with the declaration at present
enforced upon persons about to enter the public ser-
vice and corporation office.. The declaration at pre-
sent required .was to the effect that " I, A B, in the
presence of God, do solemnly profess, testi)r, and declare,
on the true faith of a Christian, that I will do nothing in
the office of to, injure the Protestant Church, as
established' by law in England." By this declaration a
person holding office, however much he might wish for the
abolition of • church
.rates, which were thought by some
likely 10 weaken the Church,was not at liberty consistently
to sign a petition with such a prayer.
Lord CHELZISFORD opposed the bill. It had been
observed that the bill had passed the House of Commens
without opposition, but he should say it had rather slipped
through the house unobserved. Several hon. members
with whom he was acquainted were totally ignorant of
the nature of the measure. The declaration had been in-
troduced by the late ,Sir R. Peel, when Secretary of State
for the Home Department, and the object of it was to ob-
tain from every Dissenter taking office a formal recognition
of the ,predominance of the Church of England. The
declaration had been introduced into the Test and
Corporation Act, and it was the opinion at that
time that, had it _not been done, there would have
been an overpowering majority against it. He objected to
this bill on three grounds ; first, that it'would disturb a
settled,question ; secondly, that the noble lord had not
pointed out any grievance that required a remedy ; and
thirdly, that, it would remove a stumblingblock out of
the way of certain dissenters who wished to injure
the Church of England as by law established. He moved
that tha bill be read a.second time that day six months.
The Duke of NEWCASTLE supported the bill, as the
law was in a'most confused and anomalous state at the pre
sent moment. At present numbers of persons entering the
public service did.not make this declaration, but with re--
apect to corporate offices it was different, because each can-
didate was compelled to go before re magistrate
and make the required declaration. The mode of making
the declaration was most irreverent, and he thought that
the time had 'come for its abolition.

The Earl of DERBY said it was intended by the declara-
tion, intronced at the time of the repeal of the Test and
Corporation Acts, that there should be on the part of per-
sons taking office under the Crown a recognition of the
Established Church being a national institution. He thought
the proposed alterations should not be lightly or carelessly
made. • The annual act of indemnity only applied to some
of these offices, and to others only under certain circum-
stances. His objection was this, that this was one of a
series of measures industriously brought forward by parties
anxious to destroy the power and influence of the Church,
and to place tho Establishmert upon the same footing as
dissenting ;mete. He hoped their lordships would never
sanction such a meastve by their authority. (Hear.)
The LORD CHANCELLOR.thought that all oaths and
declarations that were unnecessary ought to be repealed.
So far from there being more hostility to the Church of
England than formerly, he believed that it never stood
higher in the hearts and affections of the people of Eng-
land, and that was accounted for by the greater liberality of
the Church at the present day, and the expressed desire of
eminent and distinguished Churchmen to free Dissenters
from all civil anctreligietas disabilities. He wished to return
to ancient times, when no oath was required but the oath of
allegiance. He thought the object of this bill was commen-
dable, and trusted it would have th.eir lordships' support.
After a few words f7oin Lord RED.ESDALE,
Lord TEYNHAM briefly replied. He called upon their
lordships as patriots to free them from this declaration, and
pass the bill.

- Their lordships then divided, when this numbers were—
Content
Not Content
Majetity
The bill was accordingly rejected.
The Medical' Acts Amendment Bill was read a third
time.

. 44
-23

The Packet ServiCe (Transfer of Contracts) Bill and the
Consolidated Find (24,500,000) Bill were severaVy read a
third time and pissed.
Theielord-slup4 then wijourned.

HOUSE OF • COMMONS.—(YEsTEEDAY.)
• The SvtgAi;.r.n took the chair at' fonr
NEW MEMBER.
Sir W. HEATircOrrEfobk the oaths and his seat for the
University of Oxford. . .
.FRIVATE BUSINESS.
The following bills vayo road a.t,iiirti.titno and passed:—
Cheshire Midland 'Railway ; Glosaop and Marple Bridge
Road ; ,London awl N04,-Westeru. Railway (No. •1);
Marple New Mi ;Ind. Hayfield Junction Railway; Midland
Railway
_(Burton-upen-Trent Branches' and Deviations •
Midland-Railw4y (Rowsley and Buxton lines) ; Mirfield
Gas; North Bntish and Peebles and Jedburgh Railway
Companies ; Oxford, Worcester, and Wolverhampton,
Newport,'Abergavenny, and Hereford, and Worcester and
Hereford Railways Oxford, Worcester. and Wolverhamp-
ton and Severn-Valley Railways; Stockport and Woodley
Junction. Railway.
The Murton on the Water Railway, the Scottish Drain-
age and' ImproieMent Company, and the Manchester and
Buxton Road Bills were read a second time.
Mr. FORSTER moved that
.the, minutes of the evidence
taken before the banitnitte on the Chester and Holyhead
Railway Bill'in 'session 1841, and the reports of the Ad-
miralty, including till report of Mr, .Eendel, their ene•ineer,
on that iireii7ed to the committee on the Vale of
Clwyd Extension Bill.—Agreed to. •
"PRIVILEGED COMMUNICATIONS.

Mr. EOWYEA gave. notice that on Thursday next he
would move f(ir leave to bring in a, bill to amend the law'
relating to privilMO.Communications in certain cases.
THE INDIAN ARMY.

Colonel .SYKES.gave,notice that he would ask the Sec-
retary of State for India whether it was intended to abolish
the regular army in India ; and that be would also ask for
certain ref:lung in. respect to the Indian army.
SHIP' BUILDL G.

Mr. JACU SON 7inquired if t he' G oVernniont would lay
on the table.the report.of the commission on the
subject of
ship building for the navy and 'in the dockyards?
Lord C. PAGET stated that he was prepared to lay on
the table the report in question.
:

THE •FRANCIIISE.
Mr. ORIF,ETII asked the Secretary of State for Foreign
Affairs, IdliethiT it.waS intended that tho Voters at a rent
and upwards, whose' rates are now compounded for by
their landlords, should' haVe the opportunity at the next
registratibn of qualifyipg themselves as voters, by taking
on themselves pfe payment of rates for the past year, or
otherwise: as maybe arranged'id effect such.object
Lord J. RUSSELL said he would consider whether a
clause to!rneet the views'of tho hon. member could not be
introduced into the Reform Bill.'
PAUPER REMOVALS.

Mr. LANIGAX asked the President of the Poor-law
Board whether he had any objection to produce (and, if
not, when he would.lay upon thelable of the house) copies
of the order of removal made, and the examinations taken
by the magistrate, and of the notice served -or sent by the
poor-law pfficials of St. Pancras to the 'Males Board of
Guardians previous to the removal of the poor woman
Mary Carter to Ireland ?..
Mr. VILI:TERS^ said that the matter did not properly
come within, his Province... He had no official report on the
subject, and was cililig-ed to rely on the accounts which ap-
peared in the newspapers ; but, acting on these, he com -
municatedwiththe Poor-lap' authorities of St. Pancras, and
it appeared that the ease alluded .to was of a very unusual
kind. A cemmission had been directed to proceed to the
place whefe the 'unfortunate woman resided, and it appeared
that she made the same statement that she had. previously
done. Rd had called on the Poor-law authorities to make
an official:statement, anal
.the hon. .member 'could inspect
the documents relating to the matter ; or, if he preferred.
he would be furni,:d4 with copies:of the same.