Polish Exiles-Question by Lord Dudley Stuart Exchequer Receipt Bill-Committee 24. Dissenters' Grievances-Cambridge Petition Deanery of Down-Mr. Plunkett's Memorial presented-Ex- planation by Mr. Littleton of Lord Plunkett's Conduct Ordnance Estimates-Colonial Fortifications-Report of the 25. Chairman of Middlesex Sessions-Petition Page 522 543 .. 560 561 569 Admission to the Universities-Cambridge Petition-Adjourned South-Sea Company-Motion for Returns Employment of Labourers Bill-Motion for leave to bring in Channel Fisheries-Seizure of English Boats 26. Dissenters-Cambridge Petition-Adjourned Debate Report of Committee-Warwick-Motion by Mr. Halcomb to inquire whether the Report were drawn up by the agent of the Petitioners against the Return Felons' Property Bill-Second Reading Capital Punishments-Mr. Ewart's Motion for leave to bring Supply-Miscellaneous Estimates-Registering Barristers- The National Gallery-Professors at Oxford and Cambridge -Millbank Penitentiary-Consular Departments, &c. 15. Commutation of Tithes(England)-Lord Althorp's plan for the Poor Laws (England)-Lord Althorp's plan for amending these Laws-Leave given to bring in a Bill Game Laws-Motion for leave to bring in a Bill to Amend Admission to the Universities-Motion by Colonel Williams Order of the Bath-The King's Message considered in Com- Salary of the Chief Justice-Question by Sir Robert Peel 962 Church Rates-Lord Althorp's plan for putting an end to Hertford Borough-Third Reading of the Bill to extend the boundaries of this Borough-Amendments, Divisions, &c.. 1063 22. Repeal of the Union-Petition-Motion by Mr. O'Connell to Repeal of the Union-Adjourned Debate-Amendment moved by Mr. Spring Rice-Debate again Adjourned IV. LISTS OF DIVISIONS. The Noes on Mr. Tancred's Motion to discharge the Order of the Day for referring a Petition said to come from Leaming- 19. The Ayes on Sir Robert Peel's Amendment to the Hertford 24. The Ayes on Major Beauclerk's Motion to reduce the Ord- The Ayes on the Question, that the Votes in the Borough of Parliamentary Debates During the SECOND SESSION of the ELEVENTH PARLIAMENT in the Fourth Year of the Reign of His Majesty Second Volume of the Session. HOUSE OF LORDS, MINUTES.] Bill. Read a second time:-Marine Mutiny. any Legislative Enactment, for the Better Observ -for the Better Observance of the Lord's Day.-By ance of the Sabbath.-By Sir ANDREW AGNEW, and Messrs. WYNN and SPRING RICE, from several Places, Mr. FITZGERALD, from Knockbridge, for the Abolition of Tithes, and the Repeal of the Union.-By Mr. HAWES, from Lambeth, in favour of the Bill for the TESLEY, and Messrs. LITTLETON and HANDLEY, from several Places,—against any Measures likely to lessen the COTE, from Quadring, for Extending the Labourer's Employment Act.—By Mr. EVANS, and Lord ROBERT GROS VENOR, from certain Licensed Retailers of Beer, to be placed upon the same Footing as Licensed Victuallers. -By Lord ROBERT GROSVENOR, Mr. AGLIONBY, and Mr. G. J. HEATHCOTE, from several Places, for Relief to the Dissenters.-By Sir JOHN RAE REID, Colonel Suppression of Sunday Trading.-By Sir JoHN WROT Efficacy of the Established Church.-By Mr. G. J. HEATH EDWARDS, and Messrs. PEASE, CRAWFORD, VERNON, and COTES, from a Number of Places, for the Better VOL. XXII. {rice} Third Observance of the Sabbath.-By Mr. ORTON, from the Coroners of Cumberland, for Augmenting their Fees.— By Mr. SINCLAIR, from the Shipowners of Greenock, to be relieved from the Payment of Light House Dues.-By Mr. CARTWRIGHT, from two Places, for the Repeal of the Duty on Malt; and from one Place, for a Commutation of Tithes.-By Messrs. SANFORD and CARTWRIGHT, from several Places,-for Relief to the Agricultural Interest.-By Messrs. STRUTT and EVANS, from several Places,-for the Better Observance of the Sabbath. -By Sir GEORGE STAUNTON, Dr. LUSHINGTON, and Messrs. R. GRANT, STRUTT, WILKS, BROCKLEHURST, CHAPMAN, CARTER, and WINNINGTON, from a Number of Places,-for the Redress of the Grievances complained of by the Dissenters. DISSENTERS' GRIEVANCES.] Dr. Lushington said, he was anxious, in presenting the petitions which he held in his hand, to occupy as little of the time of the House as possible, conceiving that the demands upon their time were numerous and important; but he also conceived, that it was part of his duty to state who were the petitioners who had signed the present petition; for, though it was a matter very familiar, yet it was of the greatest importance to that House and the country, and especially to those Gentlemen who took an interest in the subject, to know what it was that the petitioners required. The petition was sigued by the general body of Dissenting Ministers of the three denominations residing in and about Londoh, composing a body of as respectable and intelligent persons as were to be found of any denomination in the kingdom. They did not pray for a separation of B Church and State; though they avowed | Mr. Wilks said, that having the honour their conviction that the union between to be acquainted with many of those inthem was not beneficial to the cause of dividuals who signed this petition, he felt Christianity. With this proposition he that he should not do justice to them, if did not agree, and, except in a case of he did not express the high sense he enterabsolute necessity, he thought it would be tained of their learning, influence, and better to abstain from discussing it. The piety. His hon. friend, the member for petitioners also stated what they con- Colchester, had spoken of them in terms sidered the principal practical grievances of respect which no one who knew them under which they laboured, viz. a want of could avoid; but he was apprehensive general registration, the difficulties in the that the House would not understand, solemnization of marriages, the difficulties from the manner in which his hon. friend in the burial of their dead, their exclusion had adverted to them, the real weight of from the Universities, and their liabilities their opinions. The whole non-conformist to the payment of rates and other com- body were scattered throughout this empulsory levies for the maintenance of the pire, and had been in existence nearly two Established Church. His view of the case centuries; the petitioners were composed was, that these grievances should all be of the Dissenting Ministers of the Indetaken up by the Government in one com- pendent, Baptist, and Presbyterian, denoprehensive measure. In fact, those griev-minations of this Metropolis, and within ances were so connected, that one could ten miles of London. They were not only not be remedied without remedying the entitled to respect on account of their inother. When the subject should be regu-dividual intelligence, but, he would take larly brought forward, he trusted that both sides of the House would unite most heartily in their endeavours to co-operate in one common object; and not allow themselves, however strong their feelings might be, to be led away, but to effect that desirable conciliation which was ne-ing, did not merely express their own cessary both for Churchmen and Dis senters. Mr. Harvey said, the subjects treated of in the petition were of very great im portance to a most respectable and valuable part of the community. It was important that the House should understand what were the feelings of the non-conformist body; but, at the same time, should not attach more weight to a petition coming from their apparently authorised representatives than it deserved. Certainly those Ministers could not be held to speak the sentiments of all the Dissenters, when they said, that they did not desire the separation of Church and State. When they said that the Dissenters did not desire a separation of the Church and State, although they spoke of the union as not being necessary towards the support of Christianity, he must protest against such a speculative dogma; for so it was, and no man could regard the union as an article of faith. He fully concurred in the desire to obtain for the Dissenters a redress of all their practical grievances, and he hoped the hon. and learned Gentleman opposite would lend them his support. the liberty of saying, that when it was recollected that every one of them had been educated for the Christian ministry, and selected for that office by a large and respectable body of the community, such men, after meeting together, and discuss opinion, but gave expression to the seutiments of the vast, he might say, innumerable, body of intelligent, wealthy, and influential Protestant Dissenters in this Metropolis; therefore, whatever sentiment they expressed, might be considered as the expression of the body at large, and, whatever grievance was complained of by them, the House might rest assured, would be universally complained of by the whole body of non-conformists, and, therefore, entitled to the consideration of the House. Much as he respected the manly spirit of the hon. member for Colchester, whose love of liberty might lead him to consider that the severance of Church and State ought to be effected, he begged to say, the Dissenters of the Metropolis did not wish to make that a prominent subject of discussion now, but rather to confine themselves to practical grievances. He concurred in many of the observations made by the learned Civilian who presented the petition, and the petitioners having committed it to his hands, he being connected with the Church, showed that they did not desire what the learned Civilian could not support, while they were |
