The Sun.
London, England, 1858-04-24 00:00:00

CHURCH RATES AND INDIA.

Sir J. TRELAWNY said that as he was determined
to take the sense of the house o❑ church-rates, he hoped
the Government would give him a day for that purpose.
(Hear, hear.)

,
Lord J. RUSSELL sail he thought the right hon.
gentleman the Chancellor of the Exchequer was in el ror
in saying that an understanding had been come to to
suspend the Bill N 0.2 for the government of India. It was
his impression that the right hon. gentleman at the end of
a former short conversation in answer to a question from
the lion. baronet the member for Marylebone stated that
he did not mean to withdraw it, but to keep it in sus-
pense, and wait until the house bad decided on the re
solution. He had beard with great regret that declare-
tion---(ciear, hear) —but he considered it was the decla-
ration both of the right honourable gentleman and his
colleagues, and not as arising from any undertaking on the
part of the house. He (Lord J. Russell) submitted to
him, and also to those who acted with him as colleagues,
although he had certainly concurred in his (L rd John
Russell's) opinion that the bast mode of di,cussing this
subject was by resolution. (Hear, hear.) He believed
the introduction of a bill and keeping it in suspense by
the same Government nee a very unusual course, and
he therefore trusted the right hon. gentleman would not
adopt the course he had stated. He (Lord J. Russell)
could not imagine that any resolution the house 'night
agree to would at allju tte Government in proceeding
wit't ti e bid in its present shape, because be behaved
the house were opposed to the principle of electing by a
parliamentary constituency to seats in an executive
governtnent. (Hear) Her Majesty's Government ought
to take one of two courses, either propose the resolu-
tions and act on them, or withdraw the present bill.
After some remarks from Mr. NEWDEGATE in reference
to church-rates,
Sir E. PERRY asked whether instructions had been
sent to India that terms of amnesty, including protection
to lefe and property and full toleration in matters of re-
ligion, should be held out to the inhabitants of Oade,
excepting in gross cases of heinous crimes ; and, if no
such instructions bad been sent, whether in the opinion
of her Majesty's Government it was not expedient to
do so

Mr. RICH called attention to the mutinous sepoys,
and said some inducement should be held out to them
to return to their allegiance to the governineut of the
Eas;, India Company.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said, in
reply to the last two questions, instructions bad been
sent to India to the effect that, consistently with the
fulfilment of the due calls of justice, the claims of pro-
perty in India and the rihte of the people should be
respected. (Rear, hear.) He believed that in giving
such directions the Government were taking a course
consonant with the feelings and wishes of the country.
With respect to the question of the hon. member for
Tavistock, whether the Government would be able to
give a day to the bill for the abolition cf church rates, he
must say that he agreed with the hon. member in think-
ing it a subject which had claims on the attention of the
house, and if he thought that by giving a day for going,
into committee on the bill he should aid in the settle-
ment of the question, he would gladly do so. But he
could not bring himself to believe that going; into com-
mittee on that bill a out(' lead to so desirable a result.
He quite believed that a majority cf the house was in
favour of a settlement of this question, and he would
have preferred, instead of giving a day to go into com-
mittee on the bill itielf, to have asked leave that her
Majesty's Government might bring in a bill on the sub-
jsct. (Cheers.) If he did not pledge himself to take
such a course, it was solely because of the pressure of
public business. He thought, however, that the pr po-
sition brought forward by Mr. Puller on Wednesday Let
was one well worthy the attention of the houe, aA be
should be very glad if the principle of that proposition
could be brought to a fair discussion before them. He
took that opportunity of apologising to the noble lord
the member for West Riding f,r the short reply he had
given to the noble lord's question. When he gave that
reply he was not aware that the Government of India
Bill actually stood on the orders of the day. He thought
it had been put off for a considerable per,od. It was
certainly his intention that it should be. It certainty
had been his wish before any other measure had been in •
troduced on the subject to have bad an opportunity of
vindicating the general policy of that bill. The house
would recollect, that when it was introduced he confined
himself strictly to the statement of its plan, and offered
no argument on the details of the measure. He
thought that it was better, however, to take a
decision on the resolutions, and afterwards introduce
a bill founded on it. His reason for keeping the bill oa
the order was to defend those parts of it that had been
attacked, and had not been answered. He did not per-
sist with the bill in the form on the paper, but if the
resolutions he should support sere carried, be should
introduce a bill on them.

Lord PALMERSTON sail he thought the course
proposed now by her Atjesty's G.)vernment the only
one open for them to take. He would not discuss the
propriety of proceeding by re3olutiims first, or by bid.
The resolutions in committee must be the principles on
which the future bill must he drawn.

Mr. BRIGHT thought the course now pursued the
most convenient in the present awkward position of her
Majesty's Government. With regard to church rates,
he assured her Majesty's Government the country were
determined to have the question settled, and urged them
to fix a day for that purpose. He had no desire to change
Government, and wished to see the present Govern-
ment in office so long as they would pass useful measures
for the country. (Hear, hear.) He asked her Majesty's
Government to reconsider the measure—reconsideration
was the best thing a Government could do, for it often
happened that "second thoughts were best." (Hear.)
Mr. V. SMITH asked her Majesty's Government to
lay on the table the instructions sent to India, referred
to by the Chancellor of the Esc:het:per ? He hoped the
instructions were accompanied by admiration of the
conduct of her Mak sty's Government as it greatly de-
served, though their conduct had been improperly as-
sailed by the right hnn. member for Droitwitcb.
Sir J. PAKINGTON said that when a vote of thanks
to the Governor-General of India was given ho consi •
dered his conduct hypothetically—(laughter)—being
based on the memorial from Calcutta, without Lord
Canning's answer. Since then the Government bad re-
ceived Lord Canning's answer to it, and in almost if not
in every instance his answer was satisfactory,
Sir H. WILLOUGHBY suggested it would be better
to drop both the India bill.; now before the house.
The motion for adjournment till Monday was then
agreed te.