The Sun.
London, England, 1835-04-07 00:00:00

MISCELLANEOUS.

Sir S. WHALLEY presented a petition from the Select
Vestry of Mar; lebone in support of Church Reform, which
they considered the only means of preventing the general
alienation of the community from the Establishment. They
prayed the House to inquire into and correct the sinecures
and other abuses of the Church, and to exclude the Bishops
from the House of Lords, as the discharge of their spiritual
duties was totally incompatible with that of their political
ones. The Hon. Member also presented a petition from the
inhabitants of Marylebone, praying the House to present an
Address to the Crown for a remission of the sentence
passed last year upon the labourers at Dorchester.
Lord MORPETH presented a petition from Mr. Haydon,
the historical painter, praying Parliament to purchase
the Elgin marbles, as a means of encouraging the pro-
gress of the arts in tlii; country. The Noble Lord
supported the prayer of the petition, and then moved
that it be referred to the Committee now sitting relative
to the building of the New Houses of Parliament. The
Noble Lord then presented several petitions from places in the
West Riding of Yorkshire, praying for some alteration in the
present Factory Bill ; also a petition from the licensed vic-
tuallers of Saddleworth, against the encreased rate of licenses.
Mr. CAYL E Y begged to ask the Noble Lord whether the
petitions against the Factory Bill were agreed to at public
meetings or handed about for signature ?
Lord MORPETH could not say precisely how the peti-
tions had been got up, but he believed he was justified in saying
that there was a general feeling among masters and workmen
against the present Factory Bill.
Mr. B A INE S supported the prayer of the petitions pre-
sented by the Noble Lord against the Factory Bill. They
were signed by a considerable number of the parents of chil-
dren employed in these factories ; and it must be presumed
that they were the best judges of the proper hours during
which the children should be employed.
Mr. OSWALD MO SE LE Y presented a petition from the
the Licensed Victuallers of Uttoxeter, complaining of the
increased duty on spirit licenses, and praying that a gra-
duated scale be substituted proportionate to the quantity of
spirits consumed in each House.

Mr. CLAY presented a petition from several inhabitants of
the Tower Hamlets, against certain clauses in the Bill for the
Abolition of Imprisonment for Debt. The petitioners prayed
that the Commissioners of the Court of Requests have power
to decide in cases of fraud. They approved of the provisions
of the Bill generally.
Mr. MURRAY presented a petition from Leith respecting
the arrestment of wages in Scotland.
Mr. CAYLEY presented a petition from 2,000 agricul-
turalists of the North West Riding of Yorkshire, complaining
of distress, which they attributed to the alteration in the cur-
rency ; they did not complain of the Malt Tax, at least they
knew that its abolition would not give them that relief to
which they were entitled. He had a motion on the subject,
which stood for next month, that he considered would be a
test for the House ; the agricultural interest would then see
whether they were to expect any relief from it.
The Hon. Mr. DUNCOMBE presented several petitions
from the same district itnd to the same effect. They prayed
that no alteration might be made in the Corn Laws, and attri-
buted the distress to the alterations in the currency. He did
not agree with his Hon. Colleague with respect to the Malt
Tax. A reduction in that tax no doubt would be beneficial,
though it would not cure the distress.
Mr. CLAY said that he also had a motion on the book,
which would come on next month ; he was going to move for
an alteration in the Corn Laws, which if carried, would in his
opinion greatly relieve the distress complained of.
Mr. CAYLEY was of opinion, that any measure on the
subject coming from the Hon. Member for the Tower Ham-
lets, must be looked at very cautiously—an alteration in the
Corn Laws, he was afraid, would only add to the distress.
Sir P. TRENCH presented a petition from the victuallers of
Scarborough, complaining of the additional tax of 50 per cent.
imposed upon their licenses for spirits.

DISSENTERS.
Mr. WILLS presented a petition from three Dissenting Mi-
nisters, residing at Frome, in the county of Suffolk, against seve-
ral parts of the Dissenters' Marriage Bill. They agreed with the
principle of the Bill, but they objected to many of its provi-
sions ; they objected to the clause requiring them to announce
themselves to be dissenting Protestants, and to that part of the
Bill which compelled marriages to take place before a magis-
trate ; they also objected to the enforcing of the payment of ss.
to ministers of the Established Church upon the registration of
marriages. The petitioners also objected to the payment of
church rates. The Hon. Member concurred with the peti-
tioners, and trusted that their petitions would meet with the
the attention of the House.

Dr. B 0 WRING said that he had had several communi.
cations from individuals of considerable eminence among
the Dissenters, expressing a hope that the measure
for their relief might not be proceeded with precipitately.
He thought with the petitioners, respecting that clause com-
pelling marriage to take place before a magistrate.