The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1835-04-07 00:00:00

1101JSE 011' LORDS.-THURSDAY.

Petitions were presented from various parishes in the coun-
ties of Sutherland, Banff, Aberdeen, Ayr, Bute, and Argyle,
in favour of the established church of Scotland, and for increas-
ing church accommodation in that country, by the Dukes of
Sutherland and Gordon, and the Marquis of Bute.
The. Earl of Ross:Bemis presented,a petition from a place in
Scotland, againstany parliamentary grant fur increasing church
accommodation in that country.
The Earl of RIPON, in the absence of his noble friend (the
Duke of Richmond,) postpoued until 3loNlay next the third
reading of the oaths' abolition bill.
Lord PLUNKETT called the attention of the house to some
observations made in their lordships' house a few evenings since
by the Bishop of Exeter, who, in alluding to a speech delivered
by him (Lord Plunkett) some years ago, had
.misrepresented
what be had then said. He felt satisfied that the right rev.
prelate, who had spoken of him as likely to assist his argument,
if he were present, did not make that observation ironically or
as a sarcasm; but the impression which it seemed calculated to
produce was, that he (Lord Plunkett) entertained opinions at
present that were rather contrary to those which he had former-
ly advocated; and on that point he wished to undeceive the
right rev. prelate. Now, in the first place, he would say that it
was not his intention to go into a discussion on the subject either
of the nature of church property, or the applicability of it to any
purposes whatever: Ile wished merely to state the opinions
'that he now entertained, and Which, he might be permitted to
add, were perfectly consistent with those that he had always
held. Whenever, however, that important subject came regu-
larly before their lordships, he should be ready to give. his opi-
nion upon it at length. He should not at at) enter into the
question now, and lie could not help thinking that his opinion
with respect to it was somewhat unnecessarily alluded to on
the occasion to which he referred. Without, 'however, raising
any argument, he would inform the right rev. prelate what his
opinion was. Ile begged leave then distinctly to state, in the
first place, with respect to the church of Ireland, that the
church of Ireland, properly so called—the spiritual church—was
to be maintained as the established religion of the land. No
person, he believed, felt stronger. on that point than he himself
did. He considered the church of Ireland to be a part of, and
to be consolidated with, the church of England—with the pro-
testant established church of the empire. He was of opinion
that an established church was necessary, and, being necessary,
he looked upon the protestant church as the established church
of England and Ireland. Such was his opinion; and on that
head he did not think that it was necessary to say anything
more. Then came the question with respect to temporalities.
Now the church itself, and the temporalities of the church, rest-
ed on very different conditions. That proposition he was con-
vinced would be supported by many members of the church.
But if any one supposed that he had ever expressed an opinion
that the property of the church was to be considered and might
be dealt with as private property, he felt himself imperatively
called on to deny that he had on any occasion advanced such a
position. He considered the property of the church of Ireland
as corporate property, but corporate property of the most sacred
I character. le held that the rights of every member of the
church ought to be protected, and that an ample provision
should be made for the clergy he was quite ready to admit. But
he had not the least hesitation in saying, that if, after all the
wauts of the church. had been answered, a surplus should re-
main, that surplus might, with great propriety, be applied to
purposes connected with the education of the people of Ireland.
He thought that he was justified in saying that the education of
the people, protestant and catholic, was a religious object, and
one to which auy sur,plus church funds might with propriety be
applied. 'Whenever the subject came regularly before their
lordships, lie should be ready to state the arguments on which
he founded his opinions. At present, he only deemed it neces-
sary.to show that the opinions which he now held were perfectly
consistent with those he had formerly advanced.
The Bishop of EXTER explained. The conversation was con-
tinued for some time, when the Lord Chancellor reminded their
lordships that there was no question before the house.—Ad-
journed.