The Sun.
London, England, 1869-06-15 00:00:00

TEE IRISH GIIMICEI BILL.

A great number of petitions having been presented
against the bill, and the paragrdph iu her Majesty's Speech
relating to the Irish Church having been read,

Earl GRANVILLE rose to move the second reading
Of the bill. He said he was fully alive to tt e importance of
the task ti at. had devolved upon Lim, and lie had to ask
their lordships' forbearance, because in rer'orming his
duty he should be able to add nothing tow to that which
had already been said. He believed that the Irish Chu! ch
as it now existed was a great anomaly, aid as it
had never fulfilled the position it was intended to hole,
the time had now arrived when it became disendow, d
and disestablished. It had been sad that the county
hal been desirous that Mr. Gladstone should have an or-
portunity of putting in form his views with respect to
the Irish Church, but treat it had expressed no opinion
on the subject, but he could not agree that such had been
the case. On the contrary, it appeared to him that the
country had expressed its opinion iu the strongest possible
manner, and that that opinion was decidedly iu favour of
the measure which had passed the house of Commons
by such very larce majorities. (Hear, hear.) And that
bill be had now the honour to submit to their lordships.
Her Majesty's Government hoped that one great source of
the discontent and uneasiness that had existed, more or
eFs, for many years in Ireland would be removed.
The noble earl then proceeded to explain the
efiect which the passing of the bill . would
have in Ireland, also the provisions that had been made
for the care of the churches and schoolrooms that then
existed in Ireland, and also the purposes to which the
surplus revenue of the Church would be devoted. The
noble earl then referred to the state of the Church of Scot-
land, a t.d said the condition of that con:- try was stroll; evi-
dence in favourof the bill, and he concluded by .spressing
hope that their lordships would not hastily reject a bill,
the object of which was to give peace and prosperity to
Ireland. Such a rejection could only produce the utmost
uneasiness, and leave the question in such a state of un-
certainty that would result in a continuance of that state
of things which it was the great object of her Majesty's
Government to ameliorate and improve.
The Earl of HARROW BY moved that the bill be read
a second time that dry three months. He opposed the
measure on the ground that it was revolutionary, against
the Coronation Oath, against the Act of Unirn, and that
there were no sufficient circumstances to justify its intro-

euction

The Earl of CLAMINDON was quite unable to reci-
procate the gloomy views with which the last speaker re-
garded the probable effect of passing this bill. Similar
forebodings were expressed when the questions under dis-
cussion were the repeal of the Test and Corporation Act,
the Reform Bill of 1832, and Free Trade. What had been
the result? He believed the feeling of the country had
been fully tested on the subject. It had been freely dis-
cussed for the last year and ahalf, and indeed was so tho-
roughly exhausted and understood that it was difficult t&
say anything new upon it.
The Duke of RUTLAND opposed the bill.
Lord STRATFORD DE REDCLIFFE strongly ob-
jected to many of the details of the bill, and warned their
lordships that they would find themselves in the end sacri-
ficing the substance for the shadow.
Lord ROAIILY considered it absurd to suppose that the
disestablishinent of the Iri,ll Church would destroy the
Protestant religion in Ireland. All it did was to deprive
the Crown of the right of appointing bishops, to declare
that there should be no specific endowments, and to do
away with the Ecclesiastical Courts. But in what way was
that to destroy religion ? Why should not a man hold
exactly the same views after that was done as he did
before? Why should it interfere with the doctrine and
discipline of the Church ? He pointed out that in Scot-
land such a state of things had not been introduced, and
it had edt been found antagonistic in the slightest degree
w:th the progress of religion. He warned the hous,,
against resisting the national will, and reminded them
that the severest blow they had received was when they
rejected the old Reform Bill, and were finally compelled to
pass it.
The Archbishop of CANTERBURY could not agree
either with those who urged them to accept the measure
with alteration, or those who advised them at once to cast
it aside without alteration. He was therefore glad to hear
the hope held out that any amendment made by their lord-
ships would be seriously considered by the Chivernment
and the other house.

The Eatl of CARNARVON strongly advised the se-
cond reading, and tLen they could amend the bill in com-
mittee.

'f tie Bishop of DERRY opposed the Ell in an animat, d

address.

On the moti'n cf Lord LYTTON the debate was a'-
journed, and the other busiu, s 7: baying been dispaied of

their lord,hips riparitted.

HOUSE OF COM NIONS.—I.Ayr EVENING
The SPEAKER took cbair at four o'clock.
THE WORKS AT EXMOUTH. DOCKS.

Mr. LEFEVRE said the attention of the Board of
Trade bad been called by persons at Exeter to the pro-
ceedings of the dock authorities at Exmouth, and the
board thought the sullcct was one that ought to be
arranged between the two bodies, with a view to their
mutual accommodation. The Board of Trade would be
glad to afford all the assistance in its power to arrive at a
satisfactory arrangement.
TUE CASE OF THE SEAMAN JONES.

Mr. OTWAY said the attention of the Foreign Office
hal been called to the sentence of twenty-three months'
imprisonment by the Spanish authorities at Barcelona for
steal•'ng a piece of sail cloth. As the sentence appeared very
severe, representations to that effect had been made to the
Spanish authorities, and an answer to those representa-
tions had been received, to the effect that the matter had
been referred to the Supreme Tribunal of Marine.
THE CASE OF MARY LOWELL.
Mr. OTWAY, in reply to Sir John Hay, said the whole
of the matters in dispute between this country and Spain
with respect to the seizure of the Mary Lowell had been
referred to the law officers of the Crown, and until they
had given their opinion he could not lay any of the cor-
respondence on the table.
TFIE STATUE OF SIR B. PEEL.

Mr. LAYARD, in reply to Mr. Grenville, said the st,tue
of Sir R. Peel was now in a Government store waiting the
decision of the committn charg.-td with its re erection.
Two other statues, v'z., those of Brunel and Stephenson,
were also in stor,. until a proper site could be fixed upan for
their erection. The Thames Embankment appeared at
present to be the most appropriate place for the statues
and nut Parliament-square, on either side of Canning, as
had been proposed. The latter place was most inappro-
priate, the more so as Canning's statue was lift. high,
Brunel's was 81t., and Stephenson's Oft. (Laughter.) The
pedestal outside the railings at Palace-yard was for a cast
of the statue of Lord Palmerston, permission to erect which
at that particular spot had been given some time ago.
DIRECT COMMISSION EXAMINAIONS.

Mr. VI VIAN, in reply to Mr. Stacpoole, said ho could
not sgy when the next direct conamssion examination
would take place.