CHURCH OF SCOTLAND. (Hansard, 11 March 1841)

The Earl of Rosebery
presented a petition from a very large and influential body of people in Edinburgh, praying for the immediate and total abolition of Church patronage in Scotland. The noble Earl said, that he could give no countenance or support to the prayer of the petition. In his judgment, if the wishes of the petitioners were complied with, it would not remove the difficulties which surrounded the question, nor would it improve the deplorable condition in which that country was now placed with reference to the Church. He thought the mode which the petitioners approved of would turn out to be the worst that could be adopted for insuring a proper choice of Ministers. At the same time, he was decidedly opposed to the intrusion of ministers into parishes contrary to the wishes of the inhabitants.

§ The Earl of Aberdeen
wished his noble Friend to explain how he meant to prevent intrusion. He supposed his noble Friend did not wish that the veto should be legalized. Did he then wish the course which he (the Earl of Aberdeen) approved of to be adopted—namely, that no minister should be rejected without reasons assigned and cause shown—that no minister should be set aside at the mere caprice of the parties intrusted with the power?

The Earl of Rosebery
said, he did not mean to stale what would be the proper remedy against the intrusion of a minister into a parish contrary to the desire of the congregation. Various modes had been pointed out for obtaining that result; but he had not, at any time, made up his mind as to which was the best. Individuals, much better acquainted with the question than he was, and who had considered it deeply, had not, up to this hour, been able to see their way clearly through it. He would not, therefore, be entrapped into saying whether, in his opinion, the legalization of the veto would or would not be the best mode of establishing non-intrusion. He did not give his support 110 to the bill introduced by the noble Earl, because, while he gave the noble Earl credit for the goodness of his intentions, he felt that it would not satisfy the people of Scotland.