The Sun.
London, England, 1860-06-13 00:00:00

PETITIONS.

Several petitions were presented against the Metropolitan
Local Management Act; against the Sunday Trading Bill;
against the provision in the Census Bill, by which persons
making returns should be required to state their religious
profession, &c., &c.
ANNUITY TAX ABOLITION (EDINBURGH)
BILL.

On the motion for going into committee on this bill,
The LORD ADVOCATE suggested that five other
Scotch bills on the paper should be referred to the same
committee, who should report to the house at six o'clock.
Mr. STIRLING wished to know when the learned Lord-
Advocate intended to proceed with the Titles to Land
(Scotland) Act, and whether he would give a week's notice
before proceeding with it ?

The LORD-ADVOCATE said he could not give any
such notice as that required by the hon. member, and he
proposed td,proceed with the bills as soon asp ossible.
Mr, HADFIELD objected to the complaints which had

been made in some places in reference to English members
taking a part in the discussion of Scotch bills. (" No, no,"
from the Scotch members.) With respect to the bill, peti •
Lions against the Annuity-Tam Bill had been signed by
no less than 15,000 or 16,000 inhabitants of Edinburgh,
and he unsidered the measure one of the worst that had
ever been introduced on the subject. He objected to the
bill that it partook of a political character, as well as being
oppressive to the religious convictions of a large number.
He was much surprised that the hon. member, and other
hon. members, shoald have supported it in the face of such
petitions as those to which he adverted. He contended
that the effect of the bill- would be to create apathy and
indifference in regard to religion in Edinburgh.
The motion was then agreed to, and the house went into
committee on the bill.
Clause 1 was agreed to, with some amendments.

On clause 5,
Mr. BLACK BURN proposed an amendment, vesting
the property of the local churches in Edinburgh as well as
their administration.

Mr. BLACK strongly objected to the amendment, on
the ground that it would deprive the inhabitants of pro-
perty which they themselves acquired.
The LORD ADVOCATE also opposed the amendment.
3.1 r. MURE considered it absurd to suppose that the
commission in their management would deteriorate the
value of property.
The house then divided, and the numbers were—
For the amendment 4O
Against it 7B
Majority —3B
The clause was agreed to.
On clause 6, an amendment was proposed, the object of
which was to have one• tenth of the sittings reserved as free
sittings.

After a short discussion, the amendment was agreed to.
Alterations for the purpose of securing the rights of the
Town Council in reference to their seats were also agreed

On clause 8,
Mr. BLACKURN moved an amendment to the effect
that the sum proposed by the bill to be paid to clergymen
should be raised from £4,200 to £5,000 a-year.

The LORD ADVOCATE said that the amendment
went so deeply to the root of the principle of the bill that he
could not assent to it. It was originally proposed to make
an allowance annually for thirteen ministers for 15 years,
when it was to terminate. The Town Council, however,
preferred the imposition of a permanent allowance, and it
was in conformity with this view that the sum of £4,200
was inserted in the bill.
Mr. MACKIE thought the proposed increase Ail too
large, but that if the hon. member had asked for the allow-
ance to be raised to £1,500, he thought his proposition
was entitled to approval.

Mr. BLACK entertained a different opinion, and thought
the allowance should be reduced to £4,000. If the amend-
ment were passed he certainly would take the sense of the
house as to the reduction which he proposed.
After some discusvion,
Mr. BLACKBURN said he did not consider that £4,500
a year would be adequate to meet the expenses, including
£3OO a year for collection. He would not, however, press
his amendment in its original form, but would agree to the
substitution of the £4,500 a year.
Mr. HADFIELD said that the sum of £6OO a-year was
considerably more than the clergymen of the Church of
England received on an average, and he strongly objected
to a sum of £3OO. There were 25,000 churches in England
which did not cost the church estate a farthing, and he
thought it was a proof of the luke-warm feeling that pre-
vailed towards the Established Church in Scotland that no
person could be found to collect the tax without payment.
The house then divided on the amendment as altered,
and the numbers were=

For the amendment
Against it

Majority —3l
The amendment was accordingly lost, and the clause
was agreed to.
•On clause 10,
Mr. MURE moved the following amendment :—To
add " And provided further that the tenants or occupiers
of any property liable in payment of the increased police
assessment shall be entitled, and they are hereby autho-
rised, in making payment of the rent of the said property,
to retain from such rent the amount of such increased
assessment, except in the case where the said property
shall, prior to the passing of this act, have been let for a
term of years, in which case the said increased assess-
ment shall be borne by the occupier till the expiry
of the period for which the said property was let."
The hon. and learned member stated that the object of his
amendment was to throw the burden of such assessment
on the proprietor as a more equitable arrangement. A
proprietor who purchased his property subject to a portion
of this tax could in future not complain.
Mr. BLACK opposed the amendment, which he thought
would be most unjust to the proprietor.
After some discussion the house divided, and the num-
bers were--

For the amendment
Against it
Maj ority —32
The clause was then agreed to.
On clause 11,
The LORD ADVOCATE moved to add "Provided
that nothing in this act contained shall authorise the com-
missioners, or any other creditor in any of the said annui-
ties, to interfere in any way with the administration, disposal,
or control of the property, funds, revenues, or income by
this act assigned or disponed in security of the said annuities
so long as the same shall be regularly paid ; but the rights
in security hereby constituted shall only become operative
and available in the event of failure in the payment of the
said annuities."