DIVERTHNG PRIVATE FUNDS TO BUILD CHURCHES. (Hansard, 29 April 1839)

§ Lord G. Somerset
moved the third reading of the Rhymney Iron Company's Bill.

§ Mr. Baines
considered the object of the Bill a laudable one, as it was to afford the means of church accommodation to the men employed at the works. But the objection he had to the third reading was, that the Bill proposed to take away and appropriate funds for the building and endowment of a church that had been subscribed for another purpose. If such a principle were once sanctioned by Parliament, he did not see where it was to stop. If called upon to divert funds to endow and build a church this year, they might be taken for a chapel next, and perhaps for a theatre, because in all these cases it might be said, that those buildings would afford accommodation to the parties who required it. What he particularly insisted upon, was, that a clause should be introduced to protect those who objected to this mode of employing their money without their consent, and which had never been contemplated by them when they gave their subscriptions.

§ Lord G. Somerset
understood by what had fallen from the hon. Member, that he wished to have the third reading of the Bill postponed. The hon. Member had spoken of some such clause as that which he had now proposed when the report was ordered to be brought up, but he trusted the House would not entertain it at this stage. The Bill provided the means of church worship for 8,000 persons. What were the facts? The company had 10,000 shares, of which the holders of 9,985 agreed to this Bill; so that there were only fifteen shareholders out of the whole body, who could be supposed as in any way objecting to the passing of the Bill. It was a fact, which reflected much credit upon the shareholders, and there was Dissenters and Roman Catholics among their number, all approving of the object which the Bill went to accomplish; and he did not think that the opinions of one or two individual proprietors were to be of so weighty a nature as to induce the House to pause about the propriety of proceeding to pass it into a law. In regard to the clause which the hon. Member wished to introduce, it was enough to mention that it was not competent, because notice of his 627 intention to move the clause had not been given in the manner prescribed by the Standing Orders. He must, therefore, press the third reading of the Bill.

§ Mr. Baines
was very reluctant to divide the House against the third reading. He would suggest to the noble Lord, that the further progress might be postponed for a few days, to give time for arrangement. He wished to know whether the large number of assents mentioned by the noble Lord, were within his own knowledge, or merely conjecture? As the noble Lord seemed determined to press the third reading, he had no alternative but to divide the House, as the principle involved by the Bill was important to joint stock companies generally and the country.

List of the AYES.
Ainsworth, P.	James, Sir W. C.
Bailey, J.	Kinnaird, hon. A. F.
Baker, E.	Kirk, P.
Barneby, J.	Law, hon. C. E.
Bethell, R.	Lefevre, C. S.
Bowes, J.	Lister, E. C.
Buller, E.	Lowther, Lord Visct.
Cavendish, hon. C.	Mackenzie, T.
Cavendish, hon. G.H.	Mackenzie, W. F.
Chapman, A.	Mackinnon, W. A.
Christopher, R. A.	Mildmay, P. St. John
Crawford, W.	Morris, D.
Currie, R.	Packe, C. W.
Denison, W. J.	Perceval, hon. G. J.
Duffield, T.	Philips, M.
Duke, Sir J.	Richards, R.
Duncombe, T.	Rushbrooke, Colonel
Duncombe, hon. W.	Sanford, E. A.
Dundas, Sir R.	Scarlett, hon. J. Y.
Egerton, W. T.	Speirs, A.
Egerton, Lord F.	Stuart, Lord J.
Ellis, W.	Strutt, E.
Evans, W.	Teignmouth, Lord
Feilden, W.	Thomas, Col. H.
Freshfield, J. W.	Troubridge, Sir E. T.
Gordon, hon. Capt.	Turner, W.
Gore, O. W.	Vernon, G. H.
Greene, T.	Wakley, T.
Grimsditch, T.	Wilbraham, G.
Harvey, D. W.	Winnington, T. E.
Hastie, A.	Wood, Sir M.
Hayter, W. G.	Wood, T.
Heathcote, G. J.	Wynn, rt. hon. C. W.
Hillsborough, Earl of	Young, J.
Hodges, T. L.	TELLERS.
Hodgson, R.	Lord G. Somerset.
Humphrey, J.	Mr. W. Patten.

List of the NOES.
Ewart, W.	Parrott, J.
Muskett, G. A.	Pattison, J.
Palmer, C. F.	Salwey, Colonel

	TELLERS.
Style, Sir C.	Mr. Baines.
White, A.	Sir G. Strickland.