Star.
London, England, 1830-02-09 00:00:00

land in their respective parishes. The hon. gentleman said a few
words in support of his motion, but was quite inaudible.
Mr. HUME was not sorry to see this subject again taken up.—
Ile deprecated, however, a clause which had been introduced, en-
abling clergy to enjoy the effects of capital expended in the improve.
ment of land, and so far discouraging the honest industry employed
in its cultivation. The peculiar feature of—thence the peculiar ob-
ject to—a tithe-tax is, that it is a tax upon industry, increasing
with the application of labour to agriculture, and as a consequence
tending to restrict that application. (Hear, hear, hear.) He
saw no reason whatever against changing the system altogether,
and for not paying the clergy according to the mode pursued in
the army and navy. (Hear.) The measure proposed by the
hon. member appeared to him objectionable, because it did net
go far enough : he, however, would give it his support as a step
towards improvement. He should have preferred a plan of
more extent—one, for example, which would institute a com-
mission to value the tithes of every 'parish in the kingdom.
He would give the commissioners a power to sell at a fair
market-value those tithes which belonged to lay pre prietors.
He said at a market-value, for those tithes were a matter of
daily sale—in fact were advertised in newspapers, and sold as
common as a twopenny loaf (" Hear," and a laugh ;) so that
there could be no difficulty in determining their fair value
With rest ect to the tithes belonging to clerical incumbents, be
would pursue a different course, he would have them consolidated
one fund, from which the clergy should be allowed a axed sti.
pend, in proportion to their rank and amount of bona fide duty. By
this means, all the evils consequent upon tithe-litigation would he
avoided, and the meritorious and zealous minister would be reward-
ed ; while the present system of idle pluralities would be at an end.
It could not now be said that church property was sacred ; that
to touch it would be an act similar in kind to the spoliation of pri-
vate property; for the Tithe Commutation Act of the present
Chancellor of the Exchequer recognised and acted upon the prin-
ciple of interference. (Hear.) When he (Mr. Hume) proposed
such a measure, he was scouted at by the right hon. gentleman
and his colleagues, as one who had proposed to rob the church of
what as much belonged to it as any man's house or chattels to him ;
and yet, within one year, the right hon. gentleman himself pro-
posed, and, as in office, passed the very same measure.
Mr. TEA NT thought a measure of more extensive interference
would be neither more nor less than a spoliation► of property.
Mr. HUNI E disclaimed any intention or wish to deprive the
clergy of their just claims or public support.
Mr. GREENE said that his main object was to put an end to
those litigations which so much disturbed the harmony between
clergymen and their pat i•bioners.
Leave was then given to bring in the bill, which was brought in
at a subsequent part of the evening, read a first time, ordered to he
printed, and to be read a second time on Friday, the 19th Inst.
Mr. PEOTHEROE presented a petition from certain inhabi-
tants of the parish of St. Giles, against the St. Giles's select vestry
bill.—Adjourned at nine o'clock.

THE EVENING STAR.

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