The Duke of Norfolk, on presenting a petition from the Protestant Dissenters of Burnham Wood and neighbourhood, said, he would take that opportunity of stating, in a few words, his opinion upon the subject of an established religion. In his opinion it was essential to all well-ordered States, provided it did not, by its tenets, exclude others from the full enjoyment of their civil and religious rights. Upon that principle, and considering the Established 1187 Church in this country as the religion of the majority of the nation, he should give it his most cordial support, though he differed from its doctrines upon many points. As a Peer of Parliament, he considered that he had an undoubted right to give his vote upon points regarding the Establishment, such as the dispensation of benefices, bishoprics, and other matters of that nature connected with the Church. In the course of the last Session, when the Irish Church Temporalities Bill was before their Lordships, a right rev. Prelate had expressed an opinion, that Catholic peers had no right to vote on such subjects. He differed from the rev. Prelate upon that point, and he trusted that he had the sanction of the House for his opinion. With respect to any thing touching upon the doctrines of the Church of England, any thing relating to its Liturgy, he considered himself not at liberty to give any vote; but with that reservation, he having been admitted to all the civil rights of a citizen and a Peer of Parliament, he contended that he had a right to vote on the subject.
Earl Delawarepresented a petition from the lay members of the Church of England at Wisbeach, praying the House to watch over and guard the integrity of the Establishment. The signs of the times were such, that it behoved the members of the Church to look with suspicion upon those measures which they had been informed were about to be introduced containing further concessions to a body which had gone the length of demanding the total separation of the Church from the State. His Majesty's Ministers might be assured, that, if they acted upon those principles of hold, uncompromising support of the Established Church which they had announced at the opening of the Session, they would find themselves sustained by the people of England beyond even their most sanguine hopes. If, on the other hand, they were to desert their principles, and weakly make concessions to a body which rose in its demands, and increased its clamour in proportion as it was feebly resisted, his Majesty's Ministers might rest assured they would meet with the most determined opposition.