The Bishop of Norwichsaid, he had a petition to present from certain Protestant Dissenters resident at Ipswich, in the diocese of Norwich, on the 246 subject of Church-rates. He agreed with the petitioners in the wish they expressed that the question should he speedily settled, for as long as it remained unsettled, he conceived there would be constant bickerings and altercations, and that, which ever party won or lost, religion would be the loser. In the next place, he agreed with the petitioners that a Dissenter was not bound to support the church in all the luxuries, additions, and the variety of other circumstances which were comprised under the head of Church-rates, but he did not agree with them that a Dissenter should be altogether excused from Church-rates; because he conceived that as every man who bought lands did so subject to contributing his share of taxation, it would be unfair for him to draw back and say, that it was unjust to pay Church-rates for the maintenance of those ancient edifices, which every Englishman, whether Dissenter or churchman, ought to be proud to support. If he were living in a country where the religion was different from his own, and where he had purchased lands under a liability to certain taxes, he should think it unfair and discreditable to seek to be absolved from the payment of such taxation.
The Bishop of Exetersaid, he had heard the speech of the right rev. Prelate with great pleasure, and he apprehended that not one of their Lordships would disagree from the right rev. Prelate in repudiating any attempt to cast upon Dissenters charges for illegal luxuries, or in any way exceeding the legal objects for which Church-rates were imposed. He rejoiced that the Dissenters in the neighbourhood of Ipswich had placed this petition in the hands of the right rev. Prelate, and that he had done himself and them so much justice.
§ Petition laid on the table.