The Sun.
London, England, 1866-05-09 00:00:00

ARMY MEDICAL OFFICERS.

Sir R. ANS TRUTFIER called the attention of the
house to the proposed alteration in the system of promo-
tion amongst medical officers of the Brigade of Guards, and
moved an address for copies of the Warrant or 01 der
of 186 Q, under which a change in the system of pro-
motion amongst the medical officers of the Brigade of
Guards was to be made ; and also for any communications
from the War Office or the Horse Guards to the officers com-
manding the three regiments of Guards, intimating the
proposed change of system to the officers affected by it.
He contended that a great hardship had been done to the
gentlemen who had entered the service by the conceal-
ment of the existence of the warrant by which their pros-
pects in life had been altogether destroyed. He was of
opinion that the worst results would follow the altera-
tion. The warrant of 1858 ought to be held inviolate,
because it was signed by her Majesty, and there was no
knowledge in the service when the alteration which so
much affected the position of the assistant-surgeons in
the brigade of Guards was made. He thought they had a
right to ask that the warrant should not have retrospec-
tive action.
Lord H. PERCY thought the medical officers in the
Guards had a right to complain of the hardships inflicted
on them. He thought that retrospective measures ought
only to be sanctioned in the extremest cases. He
thought the difficulty could be got over by allowing the
gentlemen at present complaining to have their promotion
in due course under the regimental system, and that when
they were absorbed their promotion for the future could
be by brigade.
After a short discussion, in which Mr. BRADY, Colonel
DAR sox, and Mr. INGHAM took part,

' The Marquis of HARTINGIOI4 said be should not
agree with
oppose the motion, but ho could not
the mover of it, that great injustice had ,
been done
He thought the decision of 1860 was quite in accordaonnce.e
with the warrant of 1858, and that although it had not
been officially promulgated, yet the whole of the medical
officers in the Guards were perfectly well aware of its
existence. If it was good for the other regiments in her
Majesty's service, he could not 6430 why it should not bo
good for the brigade of Guards.
CHURCH RATES.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER, in moving
for leave to introduce a bill for the abolition of compulsory
church rates, stated that the measure provided that no
suit should hereafter be instituted, or proceedings taken
in any ecclesiastical court, or before any magisterial
court, to compel the payment of church rate in any
Parish or place in England and Wales. It also made pro-
vision for the discharge of debts contracted on the
security „
.aritY of church rates under the system now existing.
it 1 Aber provided that, notwithstanding anything con-
tained in the
act
with regard to the abolition of
suits and proeeses•
for the recovery of church rate, it
should be lawful,
church rate was
swittnith the exception of parishes where
or fixed funds, for theeiently provided for by endowments
parishioners in vestry assembled to
assess a voluntary ratetaori e applicable to any purposes far
which church rate had been
heretofore lawfully applied.
Another clause defined the class of parsons who were to
enter upon the discussion or decision
p d that, ffenetdat nngys
daisffnent-
i n g the voluntary rate. Itof Proceedings '
sion a difference of opinion arroesvdeiaend a poll was demanded,

the votes should be entered in a book or on a schedule, de-
daring the willingness of the persons who gave their votes
to pay their quota towards the rate in case it were passed
by a majority. Bat the most important clause in the bill
was that which provided for compensation for the compul-
sory abolition of processes. He further proposed that
persons who declined to pay a rate should, after a certain
lapse of time, be deemed ineligible to fill the office of
churchwarden for ecclesiastical purposes. The only other
material provision was that persons who had declined to
pay a voluntary rate should, if they changed their minds,
on payment or tender of payment of their proper propor-
tion of the voluntary assessment, be entitled to all the
power of voting, as if they had in the first instance volun-
tarily paid their share of the assessment. He made the
proposal in a spirit of peace, and the offering had already
been accepted by a large portion of those who had been
engaged in this controversy ; and being made in the spirit
of peaee he sincerely trusted that the attainment of peace
would be the result.
Mr. NEWDEGATE feared the measure would be at-
tended with the danger of introducing elements for con-
firming a variation in the system of carrying out the ser-
vices of the Church in different parishes.
Mr. B. HOPE appreciated the excellent feeling and good
spirit in which the Chancellor of the Exchequer had subor-
dinated political and religious differences to an honest
desire to settle this vexed question. He believed the mode
proposed was the only one by which that object was to be
secured.

Mr. CANDLISH inquired whether the bill would over-
ride and supersede local acts empowering an assessment to
church rates.

Lord J. MANNERS, so far as he could form an opinion
from the statement of Mr. Gladstone, didnot think that the
proposal could be regarded by Churchmen as a satisfactory
C,ompromise.

Mr. CIT MBERS agreed that it was not a compromise
but a victory for the Dissenters, inasmuch as it abolished
church rate. As a Churchman he objected to it that it
kept up the form of compulsion without the force. The
truth was that the church rate was abandoned, and that
the Dissenters had won the whole battle.

Sir R. PEEL regarded the bill as made in the spirit of
conciliation, and cordially approving of the course taken
by the Government, trusted the house would give them its
support. He wished to know whether, if a Dissenter re-
fused to pay church rate, he might claim a right to inter
members of his family in the parish churchyard.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER, replying
to the questions of Mr. Candlish, stated that the bill was
intended to supersede local acts such as had been referred
to. To Sir R. Peel's inquiry, he returned the answer that
there was no disability imposed except as to the making
and application of the rate, the election of churchwardens,
and the right of serving the office of churchwarden for
ecclesiastical purposes.
Mr. BRIGHT drew attention to the subject of Easter
dues, which he pronounced a more offensive impost even
than church rates, and recommended that their abolition
should be made part of the present measure.
Leave was then given to bring in the bill.
Mr. M. GIBSON nominated the select committee on
the Thames Navigation Bill.
The Transubstantiation, &c., Declaration Bill, the second
reading of which was moved by Mr. Cogan, called Mr.
Whalley to his legs, and the hon. member made a charac-
teristic speech, aimed at the influence of the Society of
Jesus, who, he declared were at the bottom of every mis-
chief afflicting the British empire, and had even insti-
gated the late rebellion of the natives of New Zealand
against the supremacy of the mother country. He bad
given notice of an amendment to read the bill a second
time six menthe hence, but he finished his speech, which
was well laughed at by the Roman Catholic members,
without making the motion. Mr. C. Fortescue and the
Chancellor of the Exchequer having expressed the
thorough approval of the Government of the bill, Mr.
Newdegate administered a sharp rebuke to Mr. Whalley,
who, he said, was always playing into the hands of his
opponents. He warned the hon. member, if he ware really
a Protestant and sincere, that he was damaging the inte-
rests and misrepresenting the feelings of the Protestant
people of the country, and bringing into contempt in that
house feelings which were deeply and sincerely enter-
tained by a large number of his fellow-countrymen. With
regard to the dec:aratioa which it was proposed to repeal,

it was in his opinion no more than a reasonable one to be
required from any man who took office under a Protestant
Sovereign.

Mr. O'BEIRNE having thrown out a challenge to Mr.
Whalley to substantiate the allegations he had made, the
motion for the second reading was agreed to.
The Exchequer and Audit Departments Bill was read a
third time and passed.
The other business on the paper was disposed of, and
The house adjourned at a few minutes to 12 o'clock.

ELEC nos IN LELLIGENCE.