Star.
London, England, 1824-05-05 00:00:00

THE SPITALFIELDS. ACTS.

E-irl of LAUDERDALE stid that, pursuant to
the notice he gave yesterday, he Held in his hand a Bill
for tepealing certain Acts pa-,sed in the reign of his late
M.jesty, and going in like manner to affect an Act
passed last Session of Parliament, in relation to the Silk
Trade, with the exception that it repe ited the substance
of those Acts passed with reference to Ireland. When,
however, they recollected the opposition made to for-
mer attempts of this nature, their Lordships might be
surprised to learn that the scene was changed ; but he
could assure them that those who were formerly ene-
mies to any change had become friendly to a more ex-
tended one. If he were at a►l well informed on this
subject, he was assured that if the Spitalfields journey-
men could be polled, they would much rather see the
whale of die Acts repealed than see their masters freed,
by the operation of another Act. from the necessity of
employing their capital in and about Spitaltields. He
therefore would rather at once repeal the whole of the
Acts, than pursue what was considered the more
faulty measure—that of freeing the masters from the
obligation of directing their capital to its original use.
He ss as not, however, of the opinion that the Bill which
had passed in the present Session would be destructive
to the silk manufacturers of the country ; but as the ma-
nufacturers thought and felt differently, it appeared
that they would rather have the whole regulations of
the Sditalfields Silk Trade now entirely done away with.
He had brought forward the present Bill at this junc-
ture of time, because, had it been offered late in the Ses-
sion, its utility could not possibly have been tried very
soon ; he understood that the silk manufacturers were
accustomed to look for their principal demands to the
results of February, March, and April ; and, therefore,
it was better for the present Bill to be introduced to
their Lordships now, that its operation, if it passed at,
all, should be ascertained in proper time. These were
the reasons that induced him to bring forward the pre-
sent Bill. He would therefore move that it be now read
a first time; and he would afterwards fix an early day
for the second reading.
The Earl of HARBOWBY was glad to hear from
the Noble Earl himself, that those who had resisted the
Bill propr•sed last year, were now friendly to the altera-
tion in the law. He upon this account would call upon
their Lordships to pause befOre they proceeded to reverse
what they had recently done.
The Earl r.f. LAUDERDALE here asked how it
happened, if the recent Bill was so satisfactory to the
silk trade, that their Lordships were petitioned to reject
it? How, also, could they account for the appearance
this year, outside the House, of such numbers engaged
in the manufacture of silks ?

The above Bill was accordingly, on the motion of the last Noble
Earl, now read a first time.
The Earl of CARBERRY presented s Petition from some
place in the county of Cork, wbich prayed their Lordships not to
withdraw the Bounties on Coarse Linens.
UNITARIAN MARRIAGSS.

The Marquis of LANSDOWN, the Order of the Day
being read, moved that their Lordships should go into
a Committee of the whole House upon the Unitarian
Marriage Bill.
The Bishop of CHESTER, the question being put,
stated, that having trespassed on their Lordships time
when the Bill was last beinre their House, he should
trouble them with a very few observations. In justice
to his own feelings, however, in justice to his character,
in justice to the importance of the subject, and in jus-
tice to their Lordships; he must state, upon the very
best reconsideration he was able to give the present Bill,
he felt more and more convinced that the Unitarian Dis-

sewers had no moral right to urge their exemptionary
claims to indulgence, as contained in the preamble of
the Bill. The form objected to, it should be recollected,
was adopted from our Blessed Say:Qua himself, in the
Baptismal Service, and, therefore, it was idle to object
to it; but, on the other band, it any Noble Lord oppo-
site would get up in his place, and demo,istrate to their
Lordships that the consciences of the Unitarian Dis-
seine's wore implicated in the celehiation of the mar-
riage rite, then both his feelings and his vote should go
along with that Noble I.ord. There existed no manner
a doubt that the Minister, while pronouncing the
blessing which concluded the solemnivition of matri-
mony, did distinctly state the doctiine of the Trinity ;
and it would he wanting to the fair character of
the Church of England if she abstained from taking
every oppostunity iii her services .for asserting and
maintaining her fundamental creed. The framers of
her Liturgy could not, therefore, have met the scruples
of Unitarians in•any age without at once compromising
the honesty of-the National Church. And here, it
precedents of conformity were asked for, did not the
great Apostle of the Gentiles—did not our Blessed Loau
while upon earth—conform to the edicts of the Jewish
Sanhedrim, though both Jesus CHRIST and St. Paul
reproved their superstition and 'cruelties? • And wbat,
`after all, was likely to result From conceding to Unita-
rians so solemn a rite? Concession must, in firs opineop,
lead to concession, and etemand
grow uron demand.
He knew, indeed, dm: the Church of England had been
distinguished as a tolerant Church, and such she really
was; 'but toleration bad its limits. Never could she.
be called upon to give up the established religion of the
greatest tights
country. One of the most ancient and