On this page

• Text (1)

  Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. The text has not been manually corrected and should not be relied on to be an accurate representation of the item.

  • 

    August 6, 1853.] T H E LEADER. ?4?

• Transcript

  • Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. The text has not been manually corrected and should not be relied on to be an accurate representation of the item.

    Additionally, when viewing full transcripts, extracted text may not be in the same order as the original document.

    The Week In Parliament. Tub Eastern Ques...

    merchants—viz ., the advances of money for the payment of the contingent . When they found it impossible to obtain money from the Nizam , they induced him to give security for his debt , and they took , in satisfaction of it , the districts previously mortgaged to their own subjects , the present petitioners . The interference of the resident in the case did not amount to a legal-guarantee ; but if ever there was a moral guarantee this was one . It was a guarantee that the petitioners should enjoy quiet possession of their soinde

    curity . Although the Nizam is nominally an - pendent prince , nothing can be more complete than his dependence upon the Government of India . With regard to the relation existing between the Government and the Nizam , there is a despatch from the Court of Directors to the Governor-General , of January , 1824 , in Which they said , that they considered a system of non-interference , founded on a regard for the rights of the native sovereigns , would have great advantage , provided that the irresistible strength which their protection afforded to the native Governments were " not

    converted to the oppression of the people /' The redress of this -wrong is now sought by the Parsee merchants ( " Jevanjee Merjee and Pestonjee Merjee" ); and their case was stated before the House , on Monday , by Mr . John Geobge Phiiximobe and Mr . John Abel Smith . The motion ( praying an examination of the case by the Privy Council ) was resisted by Sir Chakees Wood . He explained , that there was no guarantee whatever given by the British resident ; that those Parsee merchants were warned against lending money to the Nizam ; that the debt itself was a matter of dispute , and that it is amisdemeanour in a British subject to lend money to a native prince . Sir Jame 3 Hogg also pointed out that

    this was but one case out of many . Several others had lent money to native princes and had not got it back . Mr . Bbight , in support of the claim of the merchants , pointed out the peculiar position of the Nizam , not as an independent monarch , but as a puppet in the hands of the Company , and supported by the Company ; and showed that the law making it misdemeanour- to lend to native princes applied only to , Britons born and not to British subjects born in India . But Mr . Mangles showed , in reply , that the Nizam is not under the power of the Company , that the loan was voluntary ' and the interest 18 per cent . The motion on behalf of the merchants was rejected by 111 to 69 .

    THE CHURCH IN THE COLONIES . Tn amendment of the bill for the regulation of the Church ( passed in the House of Lords ) , Government propose a form of clauses . . They will materially reduce the bill in size , and will clearly set forth two principles . The first principle is to establish the most perfect religious equality amongst all sects and religious denominations in the colonies ; and the second is , that the colonies should be left in the most free and uncontrolled

    management of all their affairs , both ecclesiastical and civil . It is merely wished to cut the chain which ties the Colonial Church to tho mother Church , but to give it none of the benefits arising from the endowments and privileges of the latter . The object of the bill , in fact , is to relievo the colonial churches from the imputation of violating tho law by carrying it on on the principle of voluntary consent and mutual government . It was explnined by Lord John Russell that wo havo to consider whether the Church of England in the

    colonies ought to bo merely in tho same position as any sect . Even if tho Church of England in the colonies is not an establishment , is it to bo deprived of tho rights of a voluntary establishment ? If the various religious communities in tho colonies arc to be on a footing of equality , and none of them havo any establishmcnt , it is but just that the Church of England should havo tho snrne privileges ns tho others ; and if there aro any acts of Parliament which deprive it of that liberty which it ought to possess they should bo modified .

    Mr . Gladstone also explained tho bill : — 4 i " ri ! < l uoat " wo havo to deal with is , whothor or not tlio Church of England in tho colonies shall bo strippod of tho privileges which bdong to hor as nn oiitnblislimont , and tf ho , whothor sho shall not bo allowed to fall back on tho natural hborty enjoyed by members of ovory other denomination . It has boon proved ovor and ovor again , that the disabilities under which tho Church in tho coloinos labours aro neither imaginary nor light . Ono ottort haa boon made- by a moat onOTffOtl - bishop , tho Bisl ^ p ot Now Zealand The bishopfinding himself in

    , a BooU , ty the abongmnl inhabitants of which had boon converted to Christianity by t ] l 0 zea \ of missionaries , S ?« £ « ™ Vv ° i tftm vo ^ Ift < ion 3 indispensable , in his opinion , with tho duo carrying on of Church government ' w ™ I ' ' , T V < bn ? ly - ' ° c < mv «™ l a mooting of tho clergy and a sot of regulations wore drawn up arid sent homo for approval ; but , owing to tho ntuto of tho law those regulations wore found to bo invalid , because unlawful . Wo aro , in fact , botweon two aiiUouUios—wo mnv oitbor give tho Church in tho colony froodom to mako S

    own regulations , which is the rational mode , though , it is said to be liable to the objection that the effect of this would be , which . I do not believe , to split up the Church of England into a multitude of differing churches , and the other difficulty is the apprehension f elt against anything like the creation of an establishment in . the colonies . I think the question could be settled , not by any complex or detailed legislative going into particular but that a bill could be drawn up in a ' single page , which would be nofc only adequate to meet J ; he difficulties , but which , from its brevity and simplicity , would be the best law that could be passed on . the subject—a law declaratory that no law or statute at home should prevent the regulation of the Ghurch in the colonies . "

    It ! was then agreed that the Bill should stand over to t % e next session of Parliament , in deference to the very , general feeling expressed by various members agaiast any further promotion of the Bill .

    THE CONSTITUTION OF JAMAICA . The Government and the House of Assembly in Jamaica are at variance—the Assembly wishing reduction of official salaries , and the Government resisting the retrenchment . The quarrel is facilitated by the peculiar ¦ constitution of the House of Assembly . In voting money , the practice has been , not ; to vote it at the request of the Crown , but at the will of independent members of the Assembly . Its disposal is likewiseunder the control of the members of the Assembly , in their capacity of Commissioners of Accounts . To reform this state of things Government propose (

    according to Lord John Bttsseix ' s statement to the House on Thursday ( following the Duke of Newcastle ' s explanation in the Lords ) , that there shall be a permanent revenue for the permanent salaries of certain public officers ; that the initiative of money grants shall rest with the representatives of the Crown , and that certain members of the House of Assembly , or certain persons entitled to appear before that house , shall be the persons responsible for the proposal and expenditure of public grants . By guaranteeing the Jamaica debt , and a new loan , the home Government will still further aid the Jamaica authorities . Sir John Pakington expressed approval of the Government proposition . VOTING AWAY THE PUBLIC MONET . Various grants of money for public purposes were made on Thursday night in committee of supply ; and some sharp shooting at abuses and perversions of funds was kept up by independent members . The management of the British Museum was denounced by Mr . Hume . The catalogue for instance , is 1200 volumes ; it has already cost 100 , 0002 ., and at the present rate of manufacture will take forty-four years to complete it . Sir Robebt Inglis said that more books were wanted , and more space for the present books .

    The disgraceful dilapidation of the mansion of the English Embassy at Paris was stated by the Government as a reason for the vote of 5820 Z ., and was emphasised by the Opposition , led by Mr . Disraeli , as a sign that the former grants , of which no clear account has been given , have been mysteriously wasted—successively expended without any good effect . After a cloud of inquiries on tho subject , rather briefly and insufficiently answered by Mr . Wilson , tho objections by various members ceased , and the money was voted . To the vote for the expenses of election commissions some slight objections were made . Tho money voted for capturing slaves on shore in Africa gave rise to morn ineffectual dissension from Mr . Bright and

    others . But the chief army of objections arose on the new vote of 70 , 000 ^ . for the new Houses of Parliament One member thought the building never would bo finished while Sir Charles Barry lived . Another anticipated a final cost of 2 , 000 , 000 / . ; wo have voted 1 , 000 , 000 / . Tho body of flame kept between tho roof of the building and tho ceiling of the House causing a heat of 140 degrees , and charring the roof ; the windows painted over with strange boasts , and not made to let in the fresh air : tho inefficient machines for

    ventilation beneath the floor of tho House ; tho lights on tho buck benches destroying people ' s eyes , woro topics of querulous declamation by various members , who baited Sir William Molkswokth with questions , tho oflicinl zeal of that Minister being admitted on all hands , but Sir Charles Barry being' pointed out as an Opposition always successful in defeating successive administrations . Explanations wore , given , but nothing decisive was agreed to , except the ' proposed vote of scvonty thousand pounds .

    ELECTION PETITIONS . Tho corrupt practices arising out of tho presentation of protonded election petitions , especially tlio Into Norwich petition , woro brought boforo tho House , informally , by Mr . Duncomuk . Ono hundred and thirtythreo petitions wero presented during tho present Parliament ; of theso fiffcy-nino havo been withdrawn or " paired off , " and fivo aro now ponding . In any alteration in tho luw which ttio Govorumont may propose ,

    effectual care should be taken to prevent this system of " pairing off "—so that no petition , when once laid .. on the table , could bo withdrawn , or , at all events , that no petition should be withdrawn without another petition , in which the reasons for such withdrawal were set forth and signed by those who signed the . original petition . Such documents might be referred to an officer of the House appointed for that purpose . A most desirable alteration might also be made in the system of recognisances ; for instead of the present

    clumsy , cumbrous , and unsatisfactory mode of references to the examiners of recognisances , the petitioners should deposit , in lieu of recognisances , 1000 £ . in the Bank of England , not to be withdrawn without the leave of the Speaker , nor until all parties were satisfied . If another general election took place , and the law remain in its present state , similar scandalous proceedings will occur all over again . The gross defects in the present state of the law require a speedy and an effectual remedy . " I do not blame Mr . Brown . He was the solicitor

    and agent of the Carlton Club ,, and it was the excesg of his zeal for the party in whose service he was engaged that lured him into the indiscretions of which he had been guilty in the case of the Norwich election petition . Mr . Brown worked energetically and incessantly for his party , and when his friends succeeded to power , they testified their gratitude by conferring on him the valuable appointment of solicitor to the Board of Control . If the right honourable gentleman the member for Stamford , who was President of the Board of Control , were now in his place , I would not hesitate to ask that veteran statesman whether he had in the

    whole course of his political career ever heard of any more profligate or indecent appointment than that of an election agent of a party club to the responsible office of solicitor to one of the great public departments . If Mr . Coppock had received from the present Government the appointment of solicitor to the Treasury , or any other such valuable office , we should never have heard the end of it . " Much the same view of the general question was

    taken by Lord John Russell . He agreed with Mr . Duncombe , that there was a " great abuse with respect to the withdrawal of election petitions , and that it was an abuse which ought not to be suffered to continue if the law could prevent it . The matter should , undoubtedly , receive the serious consideration of Government ; and , indeed , a bill for the amendment of the present state of the law had' been already drawn up , and would be introduced at the commencement of the ensuing

    session . CHURCH PROPERTY . A discussion on the Episcopal and Capitular Estates took place on Wednesday , on the motion for the second reading of the Marquis of Blandford ' s Bill for the better regulation of this property . Mr . Wigram and Sir Kobert Inglis opposed the second reading on many grounds . It is too late in the session to consider the bill ; even the Archbishop of Canterbury ' s bill on Colonial Churches was postponed the other day . Tho bill would clash with the commission at present inquiring into the state of collegiate churches and chapels . The bill is also objectionable in transferring all church property to three laymen sitting in London , and giving

    to bishops fixed incomes which might decrease in value ; for instance , 4000 £ . per annum now might only be worth 2000 / . or 1000 Z . in some years , when gold would decline in market value In many other ways tho transfer would jeopardise the property of tho Church . Mr . Sidney Herbert also urged postponement of tho bill , on the grounds that tho session was advanced and a commission sitting . But ho was far from approving of tho present system ; the bishops aro made land agents , nnd even if they do not yield to temptation , tho appointments givo rise to scandal . Mr . Veknon threw in a word for Convocation , showing how useful it would bo to express tho opinion of the Church in tho present case .

    In defence of the bill , the Marquis of Blani > i ? oro stated its principle , and pointed out its necessity . Tho principle is , that tho property of ecclesiastical persons should bo placed in the hands of laymen . Fixed instead of fluctuating incomes aro most befitting the spiritual character of bishops . There is no need of further inquiry ; a commission has already reported on tho subject . . Under , tho proposed bill tho commissioners will pay the incomes to the bishops out of the estates of tho Church , and thus remove from tlio prelates all cares of landed property , giving them inoro time to nttond to their spiritual duties . It is not intended to take uway any property from the Church . Sir Hkn . ta-MIN Hall brought up u now batch of church

    abuses" Tho rovorond gontlomnu , who wns prebendary oi Loijrhton-Huzzard , and who Hold tho property by public auction at Unrriiway ' B for 2 J 2 , OOOL , was novor in tho Church moro than onco a voar , nnd tho chancel , which ho was bound to repair , was loft in a miserable utato of ruin . Tho prosont Bishop of Durham ( Dr . Maltby ) , who Jintl

    August 6, 1853.] T H E Leader. ?4?

    August 6 , 1853 . ] T H E LEADER . ? 4 ?

• Citation
  • Leader (1850-1860), Aug. 6, 1853, page 3, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse-os.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/cld_06081853/page/3/