§ Mr. Thomas Duncombepresented a petition from the inhabitants of Upwell, against the Upwell Tithes Bill. The hon. Member observed, that the petitioners had presented a petition in another place in favour of the measure; they were now satisfied, it was from gross misrepresentation they were induced to give their consent to it, and they therefore entirely retracted it.
§ Mr. Childers moved the second reading of the Bill.
§ Mr. Wason moved, that the Bill be read a second time that day six months.
§ Sir William Folkessupported the Bill, believing it to be as much for the benefit of the parishioners as the rector, and expressed a hope that the House would consent to let it go to a Committee.
§ Mr. Thomas Duncombeopposed the Bill. He considered it one of the grossest instances of clerical rapacity that had ever come before the House, and trusted it would never receive the approbation of a Reformed Parliament. The Bill was treated as a private one; but was as important in principle to the public as any question which had ever come under the consideration of the House. The case was amply provided for by the Bill introduced by the Chancellor of the Exchequer for a commutation of tithes; and this Bill, which was a gross job, sought to evade the operation of that measure by being ingeniously introduced as a private Bill. It was opposed to the general wish of the parishioners, and he trusted the House would reject it.
§ Sir Robert Ingliswould ask the hon. Member how this transaction could be termed an instance of clerical rapacity, when he well knew, that the Bill only secured to the rector an income of 4,500l. per annum for property—for he would always contend that tithes should be regarded as any other species of private property—acknowledged to be worth 6,000l. a-year? The Bill would be a great benefit to the parish generally, and should therefore receive his support.
§ Mr. Childerssaid, the amount of tithes actually collected last year was 4,700l.; he thought therefore the rector, in seeking to receive 4,500l., could not be charged with rapacity. The number of acres in the parish was 21,000; the Bill was opposed by persons possessing only 4,500 acres of land. Deducting, therefore, that amount, and 2,500 acres, which belonged to the patron, the amount of property in favour of the claim of the rector would be 12,000 acres. So far from the parishioners being injured by the Bill, there was a clause in it which exempted them from its operation. He trusted, therefore, the House would consent to pass the second reading.
§ Mr. Estcourtdefended the character of the clergyman against the attack of the hon. member for Finsbury, having long known him to be a person of great worth. The Bill was a most important one, establishing as it did a principle of the most beneficial nature in the commutation of tithes. He believed the persons who had been induced to petition against this Bill had been innocently made the tools of other persons to serve their purposes, and that the Bill, so far from operating with injury to them, would be productive of the greatest general advantage to the parish.
§ Lord George Bentincksupported the Bill, observing that if it was not suffered to pass before the end of the Session, the rector would be compelled to collect his tithes in kind during the present summer. He did not see how the rector could be charged with rapacity when he was legally entitled to 6,000l., and possessed the power to levy for that amount, and yet only laid a claim by the Bill to 4,500l.
§ The House divided:—Ayes 45; Noes 60: Majority 15.
§ Second reading postponed for six months.
| List of the AYES. | |
| Adam, Admiral | Jerningham, Hon. S. |
| Agnew, Sir A. | Inglis, Sir R. |
| Astley, Sir J. | Kerry, Earl of |
| Bentinck, Lord G. | Manners, Lord R. |
| Brudenell, Lord | Norreys, Lord |
| Burton, H. | Perceval, Colonel |
| Cayley, Sir G. | Petre, W. |
| Clive, R. | Plumptre, J. P. |
| Crompton, J. S. | Rae, Sir W. |
| Crompton, S. | Ross, C. |
| Dare, H. | Russell, W. |
| Egerton, T. | Sandon, Lord |
| Eastnor, Lord | Sinclair, G. |
| Finch, G. | Townley, R. |
| Foster, C. | Verner, W. |
| Folkes, Sir W. | Vyvyan, Sir R. |
| Gladstone, T. | Wall, B. |
| Gladstone, W. | Wynn, W. |
| Gordon, R. | Williamson, Sir H. |
| Greene, T. | Wood, G. W. |
| Glynne, Sir S. | TELLER. |
| Halford, H. | Childers, J. W. |
| List of the NOES. | |
| Adams, H. | O'Connell, John |
| Aglionby, H. A. | O'Connell, Morgan |
| Bewes, M. | O'Connor, Feargus |
| Biddulph, R. | O'Connor, Don |
| Baines, E. | O'Dwyer, C, |
| Barry, G. | Ord, W. |
| Brotherton, J. | Oswald, R. |
| Bulwer, H. L. | Parrott, J. |
| Curteis, E. | Philips, M. |
| Chaytor, Sir W. | Potter, R. |
| Chapman, M. | Palmer, F. |
| Etwall, R. | Poulter, J. |
| Evans, G. | Ruthven, E. |
| Ewart, W. | Ruthven, E. S. |
| Ellis, W. | Roe, J. |
| Fancourt, Major | Roche, W. |
| Fielder, J. | Ronayne, D. |
| Fenton, J. | Staveley, T. |
| Gully, T. | Sullivan, R. |
| Gillon, W. D. | Talbot, James |
| Harland, W. C. | Talbot, John |
| Butt, W. | Thicknesse, R. |
| Hall, B. | Tennyson, Rt. Hn. C. |
| Hume, J. | Vigors, N. |
| Jephson, C. | Ward, H. |
| Kennedy, J. | Warburton, H. |
| King, B. | Wilks, J. |
| Lester, B. | Wilbraham, G. |
| Lambton, H. | Wallace, R. |
| Langton, G. | Walker, C. |
| Lloyd, j. H. | TELLERS. |
| Nagle, Sir R. | Duncombe, T. |
| O'Connell, Daniel | Wason, R. |