The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1844-08-06 00:00:00

Imperial laaritament,

HOUSE OF LORDS.-MONDAY.

Lord WHARNCLIFFE, at the suggestion of the Marquis
of CLANRICARDE, postponed until Friday the second
reading of the Unlawful Oaths (Ireland) Bill.
The Duke of Bum,Euon moved the second reading of
the Metropolitan Buildings Bill, which was opposed by
Lord CAMPBELL and Lord COTTENHAAI, on the ground
that at this late period of the cession it was impossible to
give proper consideraton to a measure of such importance.
A division ensued, and the second reading was carried by
a majority of 30 to 8. .

Several bills on the table were forwarded a stage, and
their lordships adjourned.

HOUSE OF COMMONS.-MONDAY.

The house got through the committee on the Merchant
Seamen's Bill.

Several other bills were also forwarded a stage.
Sir J. GRAHAM moved the second reading of the Cha-
ritable Bequests (Ireland) Bill, the object of which was to
remedy the defects of the 40th George 111., by which be-
quests for religious uses in Ireland were regulated. The
existing board is constituted exclusively of Protestants,
and it was proposed by this bill that there should be ten
commissioners to be appointed by the Crown in addition
to the ex officio members, and of these ten one-half should
be Roman Catholics. After pointing out various minor
remedies contemplated by the bill, for the purpose of
placing the Catholics on that ground of equality which was
contemplated by the Emancipation Act, the right hon.
baronet concluded by stating, that the bill was brought
forward in the spirit of peace, and as a part of that con-
ciliatory policy which it was hoped would have the effect
of tranquillising Ireland, and enabling her Majesty to visit
her Irish subjects, who were a brave and still loyal people.
The Earl of ARUNDEL supported the bill, which was, in
his opinion, conceived in a kind and conciliatory spirit.
Sir R. PEEL said that the bill was a bona fide manifes-
tation of the spirit in which the government was prepared
to act towards Ireland, being brought in for no other put,
pose than to remedy a grievance of which the Roman
Catholics alone complained. 1 his measure was founded
upon the outline of a plan suggested by the Marquis of
Wellesley, and approved of by Dr. Murray, the Roman
Catholic Archbishop of Dublin, and its object was to do
justice in a kind and conciliatory spirit. The bill might
be defeated by a persevering opposition ; but, if so, he
trusted that during the recess the public mind in Ireland
would not be inflamed by allegations of injustice and neg-
lect against the government.
Mr. SHELL said the most serious error in the bill was,
that it placed laymen, no matter whether Protestants or
Catholics, over the ecclesiastics in matters affecting doc-
trine and discipline.

Lord STANLEY, in supporting the bill, quoted the evi-
dence given by Mr. O'Connell in 1829, when he stated
that if three Catholics were placed on the board, all ground
of dissatisfaction would be removed.

After some observations from Mr. Wyse and others,
the house adjourned.

HOUSE OF LORDS.—TUESDAY.
The Lord CHANCELLOR explained the course he had
-pursued with respect to Lord Beaumont's bill for repeal-
Ing all the obsolete penal acts against Roman Catholics
which still remain on the statute. book. He confidently
recommended that their Lordships should pass the bill,
in spite of the objections which the late period of the
session had suggested.
The Bishop of LONDON anxiously guarded himself
from the possible imputation that he was desirous of con-
tinuing these laws for their own sake, but opposed the
further progress of the bill, on the ground which the
Lord Chancellor had himself suggested—that it was not
it comprehensive measure. He complained that it was
pressed forward at so late a period of the session, and in
the necessary absence of most of the bishops ; and, re-
minding their lordships that the constitution of the En-
glish Church was not only Protestant but anti-Popish,
cautioned them against thus lightly and hurriedly break-
ing through the links of the great chain which had been
designed to maintain the Church in its supremacy.
There was already a talk of " going further ;" let there be
no piecemeal legislation, but let a subject of such great
importance be considered at leisure, and as a whole.
Lord BEAUMONT said a very few words in reply ; and
the Bishop of LONDON having withdrawn his opposition,
the report of the bill was received.