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London, England, 1867-04-04 00:00:00

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IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT

HOUSE OF COMMONS. -YESTERDAY.

The SPEAKER took the chair at twelve o'clock.
JOINT STOCK CODIPANIES (VOTING PAPERS)
. BILL.

The house went into committee on this bill.

Mr. D. GRIFFITH said the great object of the bill was
to enable persons to vote at meetings of joint stock com-
panies by a voting paper in preference to the system now.
in practice, viz.—either in person or by proxy. At pre-
sent the proxies wens sent in to the directors before the
meeting was held, and therefore the system was open
to great objection, because it nearly always hap-
pened that the proxies were used by the directors
to enable them to carry their own propositions
right or wrong. The voting paper was only to be used
at an adjourned meeting, and then the parties giving them
to their friends would be in a position to give expression
to their opinions after they had hoard the question to some
extent discussed.
Mr. LAWSON said the bill was altogether useless, as it
would not carry out the object of the hon. gentleman,
neither would it be of the slightest benefit to shareholders.
After a short discussion the Ist clause was struck out
without a division, and on the motion of Sir F. Goldsmid
Mr. Dodson left the chair, and the house resumed.
SPIRITUAL DESTITUTION BILL.
Mr. AYRTON moved the second reading of this bill.
He said when -he first brought forward the subject he was
met with the objection that the bill dealt with a small por-
tion of the country in preference to the larger; and the
object of this bill was to call upon the Ecclesiastical Com-
missioners to give a portion of the Common Fund to relieve
cases of spiritual destitution in England. As that was
objected to, he had consented to extend his measure to the
whole of England and Wales, and that the Commissioners
should _at once be called upon to provide for the urgent
cases which presented themselves. The Common Fund was
made up mainly from the increased value of land and other
episcopal endowments, in comparison with what they
produced when first given to the church, and he thought
it was nothing but just that those places which had given
the wealth should have the first of the benefit. The Com-
missioners at the end of the 'year would come into an in-
creased income, by the falling in of the Finsbury estate, to
the amount of over £50,000 per annum; and therefore he
thought the overcrowded portions of the metropolis ought
to be well cared for. The Commissioners, he' believed,
proposed a plan of making an appropriation to all places
with 5,000 inhabitants, so as.to make up the salary of the
ministers to £3OO, but he contended that the spiritual
destitution of the people ought to be cared for before the
personal destitution of the clergymen.
Mr. HOWES moved that the bill be road a second time
that day sii months, because he believed the measure was
hostile to the commission in the largest sense. The Com-
missioners were anxious to relieve all cases of spiritual
destitution, but the bill laid down such stringent principles
that he felt bound to oppose it in every way.
Mr. B. HOPE supported the bill.
Mr. WALPOLE said he should be strongly in favour of
the bill if it were to give curates to ponnlous places as
well as to au,4:ment benefices, but as the Commissioners
had not sufficient funds in hand when they considered
the clauses which came under the existing act, he could
not support the bill. Moreover, if they adopted it they
would lose the large benefactions which were now
,made
to meet the grants made by the Commissioners.
A. discussion ensued, in which Mr. Bruce, Mr. Selwyn,
Sir W. Heatlicote, and other members took part, the gene-
ral opinion" being that the bill ought to be made simply a
permissive measure.
Mr. AYRTON, in reply, said the bill was compulsory
only so far that the Commissioners should be called upon
to consider the cases submitted to them, but it
was permissive as to the distribution of its funds.
He was of opinion that for years greater regard had been
paid to the parson than the people, and it was to remedy
that that he had introduced the bill. It had been said
that the Ecclesiastical Commissioners were unable to
deal with the cases he had referred to, because the
Commissioners had anticipated the funds that were to
come into their hands. He denied altogether the right to
do so. The bill simply stated that where the population
exceeded 5,000 persons andspiritual destitution existed, the
Commissioners should be at liberty to appropriate the funds
at their disposal. He contended that the poor had a
right to assistance from the fund which they
had helped to accumulate rather than that those funds
should be distributed amongst parsons and patrons. He
was quite willing to alter the bill so far tbat the commis-
sioners should take the claims of populous parishes into
consideration concurrently with the other claims made.
The house then divided, when there appeared
For the second reading 7B
Against it• 173
—95
Majority
The bill was consequently lost.
SEA COAST FISHERIES (IRELAND) BILL.
Mr. BLAKE moved the second reading of this bill,
which provided, among other things, to appoint inspectors
to guard and protect fisheries, to enact certain restrictions
with respect to trawling, and to grant loans to fishermen
for the repair of their boats and gear. The measure would
be productive of much good in Ireland, and therefore he
hoped the house would consent to its second reading, with
a view of referring it to a select committee, where its pro-
visions could be fully examined.
Lord NAAS said he should not oppose the progress of
the bill, but he specially wished to guard himself against
the supposition that he was favourable to all the provi-
sions of the measure, and he must also ask that no further
steps be taken iu the matter until after Easter, the question
of-referring the bill to a select committee being also left
open.
After some further discussion, the bill was read a second
time.
MUTINY BILL.
This bill was read a third time and passed. •
WATERFORD ELECTION COMMITTEE.
Colonel ADAIR brought up the report of the Waterford
County Election
_petition. The report stated that Edward
Do la Poer, Esq., was duly elected, and that no-corrupt
practices were proved' to have prevailed at the late
election.
The house then adjourned.