§ Mr. Sinclairrose, in pursuance of his notice, for the purpose of addressing two questions to the noble Lord, in reference to the Commission which had been issued by his Majesty's Ministers to conduct certain inquiries with respect to the Church of Scotland. He need scarcely tell the noble Lord, that much dissatisfaction and surprise had been, excited in the minds both of the clergy and laity connected with the Ecclesiastical Establishment in that country; both by the terms of the Commission itself and the names of some of the individuals appointed to take part in the investigation. He acquitted the Government of all intention to affront or injure the Church of Scotland, but at the same time he was informed that the Commission was loudly complained of on two grounds. First, that it embraced certain objects, an inquiry into which before such tribunal, was derogatory to the character, and inconsistent with the independence, of the Church; and secondly, that some particulars were not comprehended, 1191 into which it was understood by the deputation of the General Assembly, that the Commission should very fully enter; more especially in reference to the propriety of a partial endowment for existing chapels of ease, the respectable and eminently useful ministers of which were, by a recent and most wise legislation on the part of the Church, now placed on a level with their parochial brethren. The names of the Commissioners had also, in several instances, given great and just umbrage to the friends of the Church. They would by no means have objected to the nomination of some individuals, acknowledging the necessity of a Church Establishment, but questioning the propriety of granting any sum of public money in furtherance of its usefulness; but it did seem extraordinary to appoint, as members of the Commission, persons who were hostile to the existence of any national establishment at all, and who could not, under any view of the case, be expected to countenance the application of any funds from the national treasury for extending its operations. If an inquiry were instituted into the propriety of increasing our military force, it would be proper that some of the persons conducting the investigation should be selected from those who admitted the expediency of keeping up a certain amount of troops, though they were averse, without cause shown, to the number being augmented, but it would be a mockery to nominate in such a commission individuals who maintained the principle that there should be no standing army at all. He wished to know whether the noble Lord could have any objection to lay before the House a copy of the remonstrance, which, by an overwhelming majority of ninety to three, had been addressed, upon this subject to his Majesty's Government? And secondly, whether in consequence of the objections urged against the terms of the Commission, and the names of those appointed to conduct the inquiry, it was the intention of the noble Lord in either of these particulars to defer to the wishes and consult the feelings expressed from so respectable a quarter?
§ Lord John Russellhad received a remonstrance from the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland on the subject of this Commission, representing that there were some of the members of it not friendly to the Church. He must also state that he had received another remonstrance from the central body of the Dissenters of Scotland representing the Commission as too 1192 favourable to the Church—stating that the Dissenters were not fairly represented upon it, as there was only one member of it a Dissenter, and adding, that as that gentleman would be sent into the country parts, the Dissenting interests in such places as Edinburgh would not have fair play. Now, he was not disposed to alter the Commission upon either of those representations. The General Assembly had been able to point out three persons to whom they objected in the Commission; one was a Dissenter, and the other two they stated were not favourable to the claims of the Established Church. Now here were only three out of eleven, and of the remainder the large majority were decided friends to the establishment; and though there were others who had expressed themselves favourable to the extension of religious instruction, they had not taken any decided part in the Question. Taking all these things into consideration, he did not think that any candid person could find fault with the composition of the Commission. As to the terms of the Commission, the hon. Gentleman misunderstood them greatly if he supposed that the Commissioners were to interfere with the arrangements or the discipline of the Church. The only powers given to the Commissioners were to inquire into the religious instruction and pastoral superintendence afforded by the Church. They were to make the same inquiry as regarded the Dissenting congregations, but in neither case were they to interfere with their discipline or Ecclesiastical arrangements. He was perfectly aware that the terms of the Commission had been misunderstood. He therefore begged to say that the inquiry extended to all means of religious instruction. It would be his duty to address a letter to the Earl of Minto, who was at the head of the Commission, pointing out the duties of the Commissioners, and stating what were the intentions of Government in appointing them. He should have no objection, after he had looked over that letter, to lay a copy of it, together with copies of the remonstrances he had received from the Church and from the Dissenters of Scotland, before the House. He hoped to have them ready before the last day of the Session.
§ Subject dropped.