Lord Broughamsaid, that a petition had been placed in his hands which he felt it his duty to present to the House. He was perfectly ignorant of the facts of the case, and only knew that the petition was signed by very respectable persons—the churchwarden, inhabitants, and house-holders of the parish of St. Stephen's, Walbrook, and the adjoining parish of St. Benet's; and his respect for those respectable persons induced him to present it. As a highly respectable person in point of station was concerned, he should do no more than read the substance of the petition, which was very short. It stated that the affairs of the parish of St. Stephen had been for many years conducted in a manner unsatisfactory to the parishioners, that the differences between the parishioners and Mr. Michael Gibbs having resulted in legal proceedings, they abstained from expressing any opinion upon the merits of the questions which now occupied the attention of courts of law; but they respectfully represented to their Lordships' House that whilst these proceedings, of which no one could see the termination (this was a wilful blindness), were protracted, the Church of St. Stephen was falling into ruin, and its functionaries, including their respected rector, were left 229 unpaid. They represented such a state of things as being disgraceful to a Christian country, and asked their Lordships to pass some general measure for the improvement of small parishes, which were governed by select vestries, by which provision should be made for the service of the Church, without wasteful expenditure.
§ House adjourned.