The Sun.
London, England, 1861-03-20 00:00:00

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT.

HOUSE OF LORDS.—(YESTERDAY.)
The LORD CHANCELLOR took his seat on the woolsack at
five o'clock.

CHURCH RATES.

A number of petitions against the abolition of church
rates were presented.
PRIVATE BUSINESS.

The Metropolitan Central Hotel Company Bill was read
a second time.

The following bills were read a third time and passed :
Charing Cross Bridge (City Terminus); Portsmouth
Water; Edgeware, Highgate, and London Railway;
Price's Patent Candle Company ; Eastern Counties and
Saffron Walden Railway; and Dewsbury and Batley Gas.
QUALIFICATIONS FOR OFFICES BILL.

Lord TAUNTON moved the second reading of this bill, I
the object of which was to remove a certain declaration
which was now required to be taken by every
person appointed to any office under the Crown.
The declaration at present required to be taken,
bound the person never to use any power vested
in him by virtue of his office to do anything calculated. to
injure the Church as by law established. The bill he
thought would have been agreed to without opposition,
but he found that it was to be opposed. The declaration
had for years been disregarded, and he doubted whether
the noble earl opposite, when he took the high and respon-
sible office of First Minister of the Crown, subscribed to the
declaration. [The Earl of Derby—l did.] (Hear, and
laughter.) The noble and learned lord then who sat
next the noble lord, when he was elevated to
the woolsack, and had to dispense Church patronage, did
not subscribe to the declaration. [Lord Chelmsford.—Yes,
I did.]—(Laughter.) He was unfortunate in mentioning
names, but he knew that although he (Lord Taunton) had
held several offices under the Crown, he never made the
declaration, and it was notorious that a number of the persons
holding very high offices dispensed with it also, and a bill
of indemnity was regularly passed every year to exempt such
persons from the consequences of the omission. He knew
many very sensible persons who thought it was highly ob-
jectionable, and who felt so scruphlous, that they thought
it an infringement of the declaration to sign a petition for
the abolition of Church-rates. He was of opinion that no
danger could result to the Church by the abolishing the
declaration, and he hoped their lordships would be of
opinion that it ought no longer to be retained.
Lord CHELMSFORD said, in spite of the strong appeal
of the noble lord, he felt it his duty to oppose the bill, and
he hoped the house would uphold its former decision. He
thought the Dissenters had in years gone by received a
benefit with a certain condition, and they were now, by
objecting to make the required declaration, attempting to
retain the benefit and get rid of the condition. For thirty
years the declarationhad been in force, and now it was dis-
covered to be highly inconvenient. He had no sympathy
with the members of the Church who had such sickly
scruples as prevented them from taking the declaration,
and he must say he was astonished at some of the remarks
of the noble lord opposite as to the little danger likely to be
apprehended by the Church by repealing this declaration,
when it was well known that large bodies of persons
were exerting themselves to the utmost to obtain a sever-
ance of Church and State.

Lord DE GREY and RIPON was not surprised at
the opposition of Lord Chelmsford, based, as it was, not on
the merits or demerits of the measure, but upon the advo-
cacy of it by persons of extreme views.

After a few remarks from Lords TEYNHAM and NOR-
MANBY, the house divided, when the numbers were, for the
second reading, 38 ; against it, 49. So the bill was lost.
The Red Sea and India Telegraph Bill passed through
committee.

Lord CLANRICARDE moved for certain returns in con-
nection with the administration of justice in Ireland.
Lord GRANVILLE did not oppose the motion.
Their lordships then adjourned.

HOUSE OF COMMONS.—(YESTERDAY.)
The SPEAKER took th© chair at four o'clock.
PRIVATE BUSINESS.

The following bills were considered and ordered for third
reading :—Kendal Fell, Llantrissant and Taff Vale Junc-
tion Railway, and Stockton and Darlington Railway (New
Railway at Marske and Skelton, &c.)