§ Sir Robert Peelsaid, the noble Lord had stated on a former occasion, that he would take an 230 early opportunity of notifying to the House what course the Government would adopt with a view to the settlement of the existing differences between the Church of Scotland and the courts of law in that country. He trusted the noble Lord was now prepared to state whether the mind of the Government had yet been made up upon the matter, and whether any measure upon the subject would be proposed.
§ Lord John Russellsaid, that anxious as the Government were to bring forward a measure that would tend to allay the existing disputes between the church and the courts of law, they had come to the conclusion that no measure which would be likely to meet with the consent of Parliament, would be likely, at the same time, to put an end to the present state of things, and therefore, in the present excited state of feeling upon the subject, and previous to the meeting of the General Assembly, it was not their intention to propose any measure upon the subject.
§ Sir R. PeelWas he to infer that the Government had not abandoned altogether the attempt to legislate, so as to put an end to the differences?
§ Lord John Russellsaid, he thought he could state that the Government generally were in favour of attempting legislation on the subject; and therefore, if the General Assembly did not succeed in putting the matters in dispute upon a. more satisfactory footing, they would very likely make some attempts towards that object,
§ Subject dropped.