§ Captain Alsagerpresented a Petition from the Eastern Division of Surrey, signed by 2,000 Individuals, against the alienation of the Revenues of the Church of Ireland to other than Ecclesiastical purposes. As this petition was of so important a nature, as it was so perfectly in accordance with his own feelings, and as it was signed by a number of individuals for whom he had the highest respect, he begged to call the attention of the House to its prayer. It prayed, in the first instance, that the House would pause before it appropriated any portion of the revenues of the Church to other than the purposes to which they were applied. It next called the attention of the House to the propriety of making a grant for the endowment of Churches in Scotland. For his part, he must say, that he was only surprised at the smallness of the grant asked for in that case, and he was astonished to find it opposed in any quarter in that House. The petitioners expressed their apprehensions as to the projects which had been avowed and brought forward in that House with respect to Church Establishments. They, in conclusion, prayed the House to pause, and well consider, before it decided on a Question that agitated the minds of all persons throughout the empire.
§ Major Beauclerkbegged, as one of the Representatives for the division of Surrey from which this petition came, to say that it certainly was signed by a very respectable body of persons. He was sure, however, that his hon. Colleague would not put it upon the House as a petition representing the feeling of the county of Surrey. It was signed by 2,000 individuals, but not 2,000 voters or electors. Seeing that the county of Surrey was one of the largest and most populous in the kingdom, and knowing that this petition had been carried about the county from one end to the other of it, he was only surprised that so few names were attached to it. The hon. and gallant Gentleman, he was sure, would bear him out in the statement, that the petition had been so carried about. In fact, during 875 the last six weeks he had received letters from different parts of the county, announcing, that this petition was lying there for signatures. He had supposed, therefore, after such exertions, that it would have had 8,000 or 10,000 names to it. If the challenge should be given to him, he would engage to get up a petition signed by 10,000 or even 20,000 persons, from Surrey, of the very opposite description. It was his conviction, that the measure brought forward by the noble Lord (Lord John Russell) would do more than anything that ever was done to promote the establishment of true religion in this country. He looked upon the petitioners as wrong-headed and mistaken altogether. He did not doubt their sincerity—far from it, but if the course recommended by them should be adopted, he was sure that instead of carrying that good feeling, which religion should, into every part of the country, it would have directly the opposite effect.
§ Mr. Freshfieldwas one of the constituents of the hon. and gallant Gentleman who had just spoken, and he begged to assure him, that he was quite mistaken in his estimate of the state of feeling in the county of Surrey on this subject. If that hon. and gallant Member would only persevere in adopting and acting upon the sentiments he had just avowed, and if he would wait patiently till a dissolution of Parliament should take place, he would be furnished with a most convincing proof, that he did not represent the feelings of the county of Surrey.
§ Petition to lie on the Table.