Mr. Gouldburnrose to move for leave to bring in a bill to amend the act of Geo. IV. c. 68. relative to church rates in Ireland. The House would recollect, that an act was passed last session, to extend an act which already existed in England, to Ireland. By the act as applied to England, there were certain powers vested in the lord chancellor of England, and the amendment which he now meant to propose was, that the same powers should, with regard to Ireland, be vested in the lord chancellor of that country. The right hon. gentleman then moved for leave to bring in the bill.
§ Sir J. Newportsaid, he had before expressed his opinion of this bill and to that opinion he should adhere. A more mischievous bill—a bill, more fraught with oppression, or more calculated to do mischief—had never passed. Little time had been allowed, when the bill passed that House, to discuss or oppose it, and he had been surprised, on a reference to documents which he had found in another place, to see it stated, that this measure had undergone ample discussion in that 497 House. It had made a great alteration in the parochial condition of the people of Ireland; and he should propose, when the bill was brought in, a much more extensive amendment than that to be proposed by the right hon. gentleman opposite.
§ Mr. Goulburnsaid, that the right hon. baronet could not complain that the bill had not been discussed, for it had been delayed night after night, at his own request. He was convinced that nobody could maintain the present bill had caused any oppression, unless he was ignorant of the law as it stood before this act extended to Ireland.
§ Sir J. Newportsaid, he might be ignorant of the law as it at present stood. It was some years ago since he had made the law of Ireland his study; but, of what it was before the right hon. gentleman made all his innovations, he was not so ignorant as the right hon. gentleman.
§ Leave was given to bring in the bill.