Lord Stanleybegged to ask the noble Secretary for the Home Department whether it was the intention of Ministers to bring forward this Session a measure on the subject of Church-rates?
§ Lord John Russellreplied, that it must depend upon the progress of other Bills, and upon the decision the House should come to on the plan proposed by the Church Commissioners for appropriating part of the Church revenue not absolutely wanted, and now devoted to sinecures. The Report of the Commissioners had not yet been presented, and he would take this opportunity of saying, that he did not think he should be able to introduce a measure on the important question of Church-rates in the present Session. At the same time he begged to declare that his opinion remained unchanged; that by means of Church-rates, or in some other way, it was expedient that the State should provide for the maintenance and repair of churches. If a Bill were not brought in this Session it would be absolutely necessary not to delay it beyond next Session, and if it could be proceeded with instantly it would not be very possible to vote any sum for the purpose in this Session, so that a remedy would not be much, if at all, delayed by deferring it to another year.
§ Mr. Humereferred to the anxiety felt out of doors, especially by the Dissenters in all parts of the kingdom, on this question. Although they did not wish inconveniently to hurry the Government, they expected to be told frankly and clearly what course was intended to be taken.
§ Lord John Russell, added that whatever 612 might be the anxiety of the Dissenters, they could not have been in doubt as to the opinions of the Government. Two years ago Lord Althorp brought in a Bill on the subject, in which the principle was declared that Church-rates should not be abolished unless the State provided a substitute. He had never said anything inconsistent with that principle, or at least anything to lead the Dissenters to suppose that Ministers meant to abolish Church-rates without an equivalent, or that such an equivalent was to be found in the revenues of the Church. To that principle he had adhered, and to it he intended to adhere. On various occasions he had explained his views to the Dissenters, and they were satisfied that he did not mean to bring forward any Bill that would accomplish their wishes. He did not believe, therefore, that they were at all anxious that any measure should be introduced.
§ Mr. Humesaid, that as far as he was acquainted with the wishes of the Dissenters, they never would agree that Church-rates should be paid out of the general revenues of the country. Means to pay them ought to be found in the sinecure revenues of some of the deans and chapters.
§ Lord John Russellremarked, that that was a question upon which the House had not yet come to any decision.