§ LORD EBURY,who had given notice to move for Returns relating to Queen Anne's Bounty, observed that, as he found very similar information had been furnished to the other House of Parliament, he should 1654 not press his Motion. He would take that opportunity, however, of putting a question to the noble Earl at the head of the Government with respect to the prayer drawn up last year by the Archbishop of Canterbury, and read in every church, praying for Divine intervention for the repression of the cattle disease, and beseeching Divine protection against the threatened visitation of cholera. Appropriate as the prayer was at the time of its composition, he thought that circumstances had occurred which would render desirable its reconstruction—the cattle plague had been nearly stamped out, while the cholera, which was ravaging other countries at that time, was now fatally prevalent here. He wished, therefore, to know, Whether there was any intention of substituting a fresh form of petition, invoking Divine aid and assistance under present calamities and visitations?
§ THE EARL OF DERBYsaid, he admitted that the language of the prayer was not at the present time so applicable as it was at the time when it was composed. He believed, however, that the introduction and continued use of the prayer in our churches had given considerable satisfaction throughout the country. In reply to the question which the noble Lord had put to him, he had to state that he was not aware that at present any intention had been formed of altering the prayer at present in use; but he had no doubt the subject would receive attention from the most rev. Primate and other heads of the Church. The murrain was by no means stamped out, as it prevailed to a large extent among sheep; but, as respected cholera, the language of the prayer was hardly appropriate, for since cholera had broken out in this country the petition against its visitation was scarcely reconcilable with fact.