The Sun.
London, England, 1860-04-26 00:00:00

CHURCH RATES.

Earl DE GREY and RIPON presented a petition from
a place in Yorkshire in favour of -the abolition of church
rates. _ _ _ _

-The Earl of DERBY presented petitions from places in
Lancashire against the abolition of church rates.
MARRIAGE LAW.'
The Bishop of CHICHESTER presented a petition
against any alteration in the law of marriage.

UNION OF BENEFICES BILL.
The Bishop of LONDON moved the second reading of
this bill. Its object was to remedy one of the principal
evils pointed cut by a committee which considered the sub-
ject. There were a large number of parishes which Lad
once been very populous, but had ceased to be so, though
they still possessed very large endowments, the object for
which they had been made having ceased to exist. The bill
proposed that these funds might be made available for the
spiritual improvement of the poor of an adjoining or poorer
parish. In the City of London there were many such pa-
rishes. with populations varying from between 800
or 900 persons, and it would be a source of
benefit if these large and wealthy parishes were made to
contribute for the spiritual relief of the larger but slen-
derly-endowed districts. Another of the benefits
the bill would bring about was an amalgama-
tion of various parishes, and ensure the existence
of a parsonage house, and the residence in it of a clergy-
man, whereas under the existing system the clergy-
man was compelled to reside at a distance of some
miles from his parish, and in many cases the poverty of
the district was so great that it was impossible for the
bishop to insist upon the erection of a parsonage house.
There were at present acts of Parliament in existence by
which it was possible to tax a rich parish for
the benefit of a poorer one •when the patronage of both
was vested.in the same hands, but the state of things
in the City of London was so complicated that the appli-
cation of those acts was rendered impossible. It was not
generally known that in the City, in spaces no larger
than Grosvenor-square, there was, in one instance, four,
and in another five churches. By one of the provisions
of the bill enabled the taking down certain churches. He
was aware that in this he was trenching on dangerous
ground, especially as there were such strenuous exertions
being made te erect them. He was alid aware of the out-
cry that would bo made by persons who would look upon
the bill as one to destroy the splendid specimens of the
genius of Wren and other great and eminent Lien, but such
would not be the case, for all those churches which had
any historical interest would still remain intact ; and
in any case where one church was taken down he had
no doubt another would be erected in a more populous
parish. Another objection to the bill might be the removal
of the remains of the dead, which would produce infection,
as it was calculated that at least 48,000 tons of human re-
mains were under the city churches. He assured their lord-
ships the bill provided for the removal of the dead in a proper
reverential manner after an order in council had been
issued ; and as to the fear of infection, he thought the fears
on that head were somewhat exaggerated. It had been mg -
posed that the City benefices were of a very wealthy nature ;
some, no doubt, were, but the majority of them were, on
the contrary, very small.
(LEFT SPEAKING.)

HOUSE OF COMMONS.—(Tgis EVENING.)
The SPEA.KER took the chair at four o'clock.
NEW MEMBER.

Colonel ROWLEY took the oaths and his seat for Har-
wich, and was received with loud cheers from the Conser-
vative benches.
PRIVATE BUSINESS.

The London and South-Western Railway (New Line t 4
Bristol and Exeter Railway at Exeter, &c.) Bill was read a
third time and passed.

PETITIONS.
Several petitions were presented in favour of and against
the Church Rates Abolition Bill, in favour of the Medical
Relief Bill, against the Wine Licences Bill, from South-
ampton; in favour of the Bankruptcy Bill, for additional
remuneration to medical officers employed in Poor-law
Unions, against the Highways Bill, in favour of the Win•
Licences Bill, in favour of legalising marriage with a de-
ceased wife's sister, in favour of the Reform Bill, &c.