HC Deb 07 July 1834 vol 24 cc1284-6

The Original Question, "That the Order of the Day for receiving the Report of the Church Temporalities (Ireland) Act, be now read," was agreed to, and the Resolution reported as follows:—

Resolved,—That it is the opinion of this Committee, that any defect which may arise in the funds accruing to the Commissioners of his Majesty's Woods, Forests, Laud Revenues, Works, and Buildings, under the provisions of any Act which may be passed during the present Session of Parliament, and applicable to the payments to be made under such Act, to the parties now entitled to tithe compositions in Ireland, shall be advanced and made good out of the Consolidated Fund of the United Kingdom; and that so much of the money so advanced as shall be applicable to any payments to be made to ecclesiastical persons, shall be repaid out of the monies arising to the credit of the Ecclesiastical Commissioners for Ireland, in the Perpetuity Purchase Fund account, to be kept by the said Ecclesiastical Commissioners, pursuant to the provisions of an Act passed in the last Session of Parliament, intituled "An Act to alter and amend the laws relating to the Temporalities of the Church of Ireland."

On the Question that the Resolution be read a second time,

Mr. Hume

said, that he should oppose the Motion for agreeing to the Resolution; and he thought that every hon. Member who voted for the last Motion, for an Address to the Crown praying for a general reduction of the taxation of the country, was bound to support him in this instance. The landed interest, as well as every other class of persons in the community, would be greatly relieved by a general reduction of taxation, for taxation affected all interests alike. The Government had no right to call upon the people of this country to contribute to the support of a sinecure Church Establishment; and he repeated, that those who supported the last Motion were bound to vote with him on the present occasion. He hoped the House would not consent to make any such grant out of the Consolidated Fund for any such purpose as that to which this money was to be applied.

An Hon. Member

denied that the Motion of the noble Marquess meant a reduction of taxation generally.

Mr. Hume

insisted that it did.

The Hon. Member

asserted that it did not. The reduction of taxation proposed by the noble Marquess had reference only to the landed interest, and, therefore, the word "general" was a humbug.

Mr. Curteis

said, that for his part he never would, and he was satisfied his constituents never would, consent to pay any portion of the Irish tithes. He was bound to give such a proposition every possible opposition, and he must say, that he thought it most unjustifiable to call on the people of England to pay any portion of a burthen which ought to any exclusively on the landlords of Ireland.

The House divided—Ayes 181; Noes 106: Majority 75.

The Resolution agreed to, and the Committee on the Tithes Bill (Ireland) directed to make provision accordingly.