HC Deb 03 July 1856 vol 143 cc267-8
MR. W. WILLIAMS

said, the hon. Gentleman the Secretary of the Treasury had stated in answer to a question put to him by the hon. Member for Wolverhampton (Mr. Thornely) that the vote of £10,000 out of the Crown lands for the purposes of Church extension was to be left over for the present Session. He (Mr. Williams) had never before known such an attempt made to get £10,000 by misrepresentation. It was to be granted out of the Crown lands for the purpose of building churches. Now, all the Crown property had been surrendered to the public, and there was now no Crown property available for churches, or any such purposes. He thought it would be monstrous to bring forward a Vote of this kind to build churches in connection with the Establishment, when the Church enjoyed property amounting to millions per annum. They should take example from the Dissenters, and provide for the building of their own churches out of their own pockets. In the district he resided in they had built three or four new churches at their own expense, and had taxed themselves not only to pay for them but also to keep them up. He was certain that there was no other source than the public taxes from which the Vote could be made, and it was nothing short of a misrepresentation to say that it was to come out of the Church property.

THE CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUER

said, it was not the intention of Her Majesty's Government to propose that Vote this Session, and he should, therefore, be wasting the time of the House if, under such circumstances, he entered upon its discussion. The hon. Member for Lambeth was quite mistaken as to the circumstances of the Vote. When the proper time arrived, the circumstances would be laid fully before the House.

MR. HADFIELD

said, that he suspected, notwithstanding the short notice that had been given, that this Vote would have been persevered in, had it not been for the question of his hon. Friend (Mr. W. Williams), and he cautioned the House not to be taken by surprise at a future day. £1,500,000 had already been expended on this subject; for the last thirty-eight years a sum of £40,000 had been devoted to it per annum. The Government should avow what their intentions really were. Let the House, however, beware how it commenced a series of grants for church-building, which would lead to disputes of which no man could see the result.