The Sun.
London, England, 1868-07-08 00:00:00

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT

HOUSE OF LORDS—LAST EVENING.
The LORD CHANCELLOR took his seat on the Woolsack
at fivo o'clock.

PRIVATE BUSINESS.
Metropolitan and St. John's-wood Railway Bill was read
a third time.

PAIRS BILL.
This bill was committed and passed.
WEST INDIES BILL.
Tho Duke of BUCKINGHAM moved the second read-
ing of this bill. The object of the bill was to repeal a sum
of £20,000 which had been for up wards of 40 years granted
to the Church in the West Indies. In 1821 this sum was
granted before the abolition of slavery for the purpose of in-
creasing the influence, efficiency, and scope of the Church of
England amongst the slave population in those islands.
It was found necessary that if anything was to be done
for the amelioration of the slaves that immediate
sums should be granted. Mr. Canning said, in introducing
the bill, that it was necessary to grant this amount in
order to introduce spiritual education among the people ;
and Mr. Canning stated that it was for the
benefit of the white population alone ; it was not to be a
permanent grant, but to meet immediate wants, and to be
subject to such modifications as might be subsequently
necessary, and it very soon was modified. Under those
circumstances the grant was made of £20,300 per
annum ; to the bishops were granted £14,000, and
only £6,300 to rectors and catechists. It was
found, however, that the grant to the bishops was
not satisfactory, and that the sum which was intended to
serve two bishops was extended to three. In the
beginning of her Majesty's reign the amount to the
particular bishops was reduced, and it had since
been materially changed. At the present time
the grant is applied in very nearly the original
terms, although more
.persons received the bene-
fits.bill beT her
repealed
d ?quesTtliolen
Housewas,
of had
why Commons should the
laid before it a bill which was to the effect that
the grant had done its work, and it was obvious
that there was no longer reason for its continuance. Boforo
moving the second reading he thought it right that he
should explain that this bill had nothing to do with the
suspension of certain appointments in Jamaica; but that
this point had risen since he had the honour to succeed to
the Colonial Office.

The Earl of CARNAEVON said that he disagreed with
the second reason of the noble lord, and he did not think
that the Indian Church could dispense with this sum
of twenty thousand
.pounds. Ile had seen that
this change was coming, and he had taken pains
to put that Church in a position to meet it,
and for this he had incurred a certain amount of reproach.
The noble earl then stated that after what had fallen from
the noble lord on the woolsack a few nights ago be thought
it right to make a few remarks on the subject. The noble
lord had, he considered, left the impression upon their lord-
ships' minds that he had grossly exaggerated the matter
and misled them. There had been an entire misunder-
standing of his statement relative to the compari-
son between the Church of England in Jamaica and
in Ireland and the modifications introduced by
this bill. He contended that as ho voted for
sup .nsion in Ireland, so he did for it in Jamaica, and
therefore ho thought that he was given great credit by the
noble lord on the woolsack for consistency. His
lordship then reviewed the various acts which
regulated the distribution of the £20,000 grant,
and said it would be obvious that before
1821 there were no "West India bishops at all, and if this
was not a case of endowment he did not know what was.
(Hear, hear.) He could make his case still stronger ; in
1842 there was a debate on. the subject, and Lord Derby,
then Colonial Secretary, clearly showed that this
was an establishment; and Mr. Pakington stated that
in all our colonies thorn ought to be provision for the Es-
tablilleel 011=4. By the gewug toetirapy cif Mr. yor.