The Sun.
London, England, 1860-07-11 00:00:00

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT.

HOUSE OF COMMONS.—(Tms DAY.)
The SPEAKER took the chair shortly after 12 o'clock.
PRIVATE BUSINESS.

On the motion of Mr. C. FonszEn, the following was
agreed to :—" That Standing Order No. 203 be suspended,
in the case of the Athenry and Ennis Junction Railway
Bill, and that the bill be read a second time to-morrow."
THE CENSUS BILL.

The early part of the morning was occupied in the pre-
sentation of petitions against the religious profession clause
in the Census Bill, from different parts of the metropolis
and the country generally, and signed by several thousands.
A few petitions in favour of the retention of the clause were
presented, and elicited some ironical cheers.
CHINA.

Sir J. PAKINGTON moved for statements showing
the total amount of grants made by estimates submitted to
Parliament in the present session to meet the expenses of
hostilities in China, including the estimate lately presented
to the house; tfie additions (as nearly as the same can be
calculated) made to the Army and Navy Estimates of the
current year, on account of the contemplated operations;
votes to cover the deficiencies in the estimates
of last year, arising from the -expense of pre-
paring for these operations; and, votes. of credit,
showing, up to latest date to which the same can be given ;
the amounts expended under following heads :-1, pay and
allowances of troops sent to China; 2, cost of transport of
troops to China.; 3 cost and freight of naval and military
stores sent to China, including coals ; 4, other charges ;
and showing dates of various orders given for sending
troops and stores to China.
The return was ordered.
NATIONAL -DEFENCES.
Mr. MACKINNON gave notice that oh the bringing up
of the report of the National Defence Commission, he would
move " That, in the opinion of this house, the existing
naval and military force was sufficient for the defence of the
country."

THE CENSUS BILL.
On the motion of Sir G. C. LEWIS, the house went into
committee on this bill.
Clauses 1,2, and 3 were agreed to.
On clause 4,

Mr. BAINES said it was a very general opinion that
the demand made by this clause for a declaration of religion
was most objectionable. On no occasion did the feelings
of members on the Ministerial aide of the house. coincide
more closely with their constituents than on this question.
This declaration of religious opinion was quite novel in re-
ference to the census. On one occasion an inquiry of this
kind was made in Ireland, but the result was not such as to
induce the Government to repeat it in the Irish Census
Bill for this year. An inquiry into religious opinions wero
objectionable both on the ground of principle and feeling.
He had heard very strong objections on the part of the
members of that house who belonged to the State Establish-
ment--indeed these were more numerous than amongst the
Dissenting members. Having adverted to the reyort of
Mr. Horace Mann in reference to the question of inquiry
into religious oi • in which it was stated that no less
than 5,200 00 I) mon'
divine worship'church or chapel
throughouto persons who were in a position to attend
were not present in any
the kin was evident that kingdom on the Census
of persons who
Sunday; he said it
also becaus.
had no religion there was a large number _
able
n his
own religion, was not just to call on any person todeclare . .
• Besides,
°IL this ground the bill was obj ectio
very painful and
on the records o; the persons, which ncnii,trageous protests on the part of several
the inquiry would no doubt elicit
undue authority to the enumerators member would wish to see placed
This clause would give an
fill up returns in e enumerators, who would have to
a strong
biasreligiausin cases, and might be influenced by
of the clause that the It had been advanced in support
existed in countries o
no analogy between these e,7
„tnictili.ll into relius profession
Continent, but there was
were under despotic forms aorr England. The former
grants from the State, so thdt sue government and derived
owoenrter
o H necessarily
ocontended subject
to Government surveillance
that no reliance could be placedfroon the returns, and duded by moving the omission
con-
words "religious profession." thedt 4th clause
Sir G. LEWIS said, as he was m
answerable
f this
of h
bill,te
and as it excited considerable interest
country, he hoped the house would afford throughout the
nity of making explanations in reference to ni
an opportu-
entertained. In his opinion the presumption must the views he
sidered to be in favour of including religion amongst be con-
ngst the
subjects comprehended in a census. It was true that it
had not been the practice in this country to
require
any declaration of religious profession ; but in
civilised community, wherever difference of religion
prevailed, such declarations were comprised in the cenauT
The right hon. baronet concluded by withdrawing the
words in question amid loud cheers.
[LIFT SITTING.]

Yesterday morning the marriage of Colonel
Leith Hay, C. 8., of the 93d Highlanders, with Miss
Hamilton, of Craighlau Castle, Glasgow, was iolemnised at
St. James's Church, Piccadilly.