The Sun.
London, England, 1827-05-30 00:00:00

S ECOND EDITION.
SUN OFFICE, Seven o' Clock.

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT

HOUSE OF COMMONS.

The Speaker took the Chair this evenirg at 4 o'clock.

A petition was presented from the Dissenters of Middle-
wich, for the repeal of the Test and Corporation Acts.
Mr. N. COLBORN presented a similar petition from
a town in the, county of Hertford.

Mr. DICKINS presented a similar petition from Chard.
Mr. BYNG presented a similar petition from Chaseside.
Mr. BYNG also presented a petition from the Protes-
tant Dissenters of South-place, Finsbury, for the repeal cf
the Test Acts, and for Catholic Emancipation.

Mr. HUME presented a petition from Anstruther, against
the burning of Hindoo widows.
Mr. PYM moved for a return of the number of Fire
Insurance Duties paid, in the year ending Jan. 1827, with
the amount paid by each Insurance Company.
CORPORATION AND TEST ACTS.

Mr. J. SMITH presented a petition from certain Dissen-
ters in Essex, for the repeal of the Test and Corporation
Acts. A similar petition was presented from a congrega-
tion in Manchester by Lord STANLEY.

Lord J. STEWART presented similar petitions front
Cardiff and Swansea.

Mr. LYTTLETON presented a similar petition from
Worcester, and observed, that he could see no object in con-
tinuing a grievance which, though not practical, was nut
the less a grievance, and the House testified their opinion
as to the little necessity which existed for these laws by
constantly passing Acts of Indemnity.
Sir J. NEWPORT said, that the want of Churches was
one of the grievances which had diminished the number of
Protestants in Ireland. In the parish to which the petition
alluded, there had been a falling off of above 140 protes-
testants within a very short period.
Lord MILTON said the case now before the Houses
was not at all peculiar, it was a part of the system. The
acts of Ecclesiastical corruption, which were too gross for
the English Government, were usually perpetrated in
Ireland.

Mr. GOULBURN defended the conduct of the present
Irish Government with respect to Ecclesiastical Benefices.
Every effort was made to diminish the number of non-re-
sident clergymen, and to abolish pluralities.
Mr. CALCRAFT thought the Test Acts a great prac-
tical grievance, inasmuch, as insult was a practical
grievance. Whenever the question should be brought be-
fore the House, he would give a motio❑ for repeal his de-
cided support.
Mr. HUME regretted to find that this important ques-
tion was not to be brought forward this Session. The
First Lord of the Treasury said, he would oppose the re-
peal of those laws, but that was the very reason, he (Mr.
Hume), if it depended on him, would have brought the
case forward, and if the laws were not repealed, during
the present Session, it was very possible they might, the
next Session of Parliament.

Lord ALTHORP declared himself to be a decided op-
ponent to the Test Acts which he characterised'as a hard.
ship, if possible more galling to a consciertious member of
the Church of England, than to a Dissenter. He also ex-
pressed his regret that the subject was not to be brought
under consideration during the present session.
Mr. BROUGHAM agreed with the Member from
Wareham (Mr. Calcraft) and his Noble Friend (Lord
Althorp) that the Test Act was a great practical grievance,
nothing could be more impolitic or unjust than to
exclude a great number of most loyal, industrious
and intelligent persons from office, in consequence of the
opinions they entertained on religious subjects. Feeling
strongly, as he (Mr. Brougham) did, on this subject, he
should give his support to any motion for the repeal of those
laws, when he was assured that such a motion was brought
forward with proper views; but he did not regret that the
discussion of the claims of the Dissenters was postponed
until the next Session. The Dissenters themselves, after a
long deliberation, had agreed not to press their claims
this Session, and, in so doing, had evinced equal
disinterestedness and discretion. No Hon. Member
therefore had a right to find find fault with the course the
Dissenters had adopted, for they ought to be allowed credit
for knowing what was their own interest, as well as any
Hon. Gentleman who found fault with them. In his
(Mr. Brougham's) opinion the Dissenters would greatly
promote the success of their cause by postponing the
discussion of their claims until the next Session ; and he
could not help thinking that the advice now given to the
Dissenters by their friends, was too like that given lately
to the Roman Catholics by their enemies,

Mr. CALCRAFT explained. The opinion of the Dis-
senters had been given, and he found no fault with their
their decision, though he differed as to its expedieney ;
and, for his part, he felt so strongly on the subject, that
he could not conceive any occasion when a motion for re-
peal should be bronght forward, that he would not sup-
port it.—(Hear, hear.)