§ MR. CARVELL WILLIAMS (Nottingham, S.)asked the Secretary of 1434 State for the Home Department, Whether, since giving his answer to the Question put to him on the 2nd instant, relative to the burial of the child of the Reverend R. Charlesworth, a Wesleyan Minister, at Tarporley, he has received a letter from Mr. Charlesworth and any further information on the subject; and, whether he will communicate the same to the House?
THE SECRETARY OF STATE (Mr. CHILDERS) (Edinburgh, S.)In reply to my hon. Friend I have to say that since my former reply to him on this subject my attention has been called to several newspaper extracts, and that I have also received letters from Canon Cooper, the rector, and from Mr. Charlesworth, the Wesleyan minister. I am satisfied that I have no occasion to modify two of the replies I gave—namely, as to the gate by which the mourners were admitted, and as to the bier, or rather bench, used on the occasion. But I said that the Wesleyan minister selected the gate, which was not strictly accurate, inasmuch as it was, apparently, selected by the sexton; and that he was satisfied that everything was done as he desired. In this latter respect, although I did not act upon information received only from the rector, I was undoubtedly in error, and I have to express my regret that I misled the House. I was not aware of the correspondence which had previously taken place between the Wesleyan minister and Canon Cooper, and if I had seen it I could not have used the remark to which I have just referred. Having reviewed the whole circumstances carefully, I venture now to suggest, in the interests of religion, that the controversy should cease, and I hope that the expression of regret of which I have made use may facilitate this result.