The Sun.
London, England, 1869-03-23 00:00:00

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT

•

HOUSE OF COMMONS.-LAST EVENING.
The SPEAKER took Ulu chair at 4 o'clock.
THE POST OFFICE.

The Marquis of LIARTINGTON, in reply to Mr
Mactie, said the reason why the facilities of the book pos
was not extended to parcels and patterns was because the
book post was not remunerative. Ho did not think it
would be for the general co,ivenience that the hour of
the despatch of the mails should be altered. He did not
think it would be profitable to work special trains fur
Post-office purposes.
GREECE.

Mr. GLADSTONE, in reply to Mr. KIRK', said it was
a fact that £1,139,198 had been paid to Greece, but it had
been made solely to prevent defalcation in the payments
of a loan which had been contracted under our guaran-
tee. Greeca was now repaying £1,200 par annum, but if
it was possible for a greater sum to he paid annually the
guaranteeing Power might ask that that sum might be
increased.

SICK ASYLUMS.

Mr. GOSCHEN, in reply to Mr. W. H. Smith, saidithe
sum set down in the return relating to asylums (Metropo •
lis) as to the estimated worth of the structures of the Fever
aid Small-pox Asylums at Stokewell and Hormibton did
not include the cost of fixtures and fittings.
THE IRISH CHURCH.

On the resumption of the adjourned debate,
Sir ROUNDELL PALMER said the present measure
had been to him a subject of the greatest anxiety and soli-
citude, and if personal feeling or political obligation could
be enough to bind him to act in personal concert
with those friends with whom he had acted so long,
and if he had found it impossible to do so
on the present occasion it was owing to an imperious
and overwhelming necessity. (Hear, hear.) H e had no
sympathy with those who impugned the motives of the
right hon. gentleman, because he knew they were as pure
and deeply seated as it was possible for anything to be
in human nature. (Hear, hear.) He could not go the
entire length of the bill now under consideration.
was
(Hear,
hear.) He objected to the bill because its principle
not alone disestablishment simply, but because it was dis-
establishment accompanied by universal disendowment.
(Hear, hear.) He was quite ready to do all that was pos-
sible to remove grievances ro the greatest possible ex-
tent, bat he could not consent to an act which took
away the entire property of the Church in Ireland. He
believed the proposals of the bill to be without precedent
—at least he knew of none--(hear, hear)—aud it was not
even comparable with the extensive ,appropriations of
Church property which took place at the time of
the Reformation. (Hear, hear, from the Opposition.)
In Canada there was no precedent for the measure, there
life interests in the case of the clergy reserves were also
repealed—(bear, hear)—and indeed they remained so
down to the present day. (Hear, hear.) He could not
consent to a proposal that went the length of saying that
what was not national property ought to be treated as
such, and thereupon to found an argument to enable one
person to take that other person's property and put it into
his own pocket. ("Hear, hear," from the Opposition.)
The SOLICITOR- GEOERAL said that when Sir R.
Palmer admitted that as an establishment the Irish
Church was indefensible, and that upon certain grounds
he would proceed to disestablish it, he gave up the whole
case. If, for the first time in her history, the Church was
to play a part as a great religious influence and moral re-
generator, it would come from the joint effect of disestab-
lishment and re-endowment by her own efforts and her
own means. The real question was whether this measure
in its broad outline did not afford a rersonable prospect o
bettering the state of Irish feeling towards England, and
laying the foundation of wise and Christian legislation for
that unfortunate country. To him it seemed that it would
do so, and therefore he gave it his support.
The discussion was continued by Mr. Vance, Mr. g.
Richard, Lord C. Hamilton, Mr. Lowe, dtc., and at a late
hour was again adjourned.

ELECTION PETITIONS.-THIS DAY.

(BY ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH.)
OLDHAM.

OLDHAM, March 23.

Tho petitioners in the Oldham election inquiry have
withdrawn from the case. Messrs. Hilbert and Platt are
therefore declared duly elected. Costs reserved.