§ LORD STANLEY OF ALDERLEYmoved that the Bill be now read 2a (according to order). The noble Lord said, that the tax called Ministers' Money was levied for the support of clergymen of the Protestant Church in certain towns 834 in Ireland having large Catholic populations. It was a subject which had frequently been brought before the other House of Parliament, a Committee of which had reported in favour of its total abolition. However, it had been found that there was considerable difficulty in the way of giving effect to that recommendation, particularly as to the fund out of which the amount should be made up. It had been suggested that the deficiency should be supplied by the Ecclesiastical Commissioners, and certainly he for one regretted that when the church cess was abolished, and the Church Temporalities Act passed, some provision had not been made in reference to this tax, which was but 15,000l. a year. The measure now before the House, though not going to the extent which the Commission had recommended, would, he believed, remove many of the evils incidental to the present state of the law. It would exempt all houses under 10l. a year and all new houses, and would provide that no house now assessed should be charged at a higher rate than hitherto. It would in fact relieve 30,000 houses out of 50,000, and he thought that for the sake of the Protestant Church, as well as of those who paid the tax, the House would be anxious to adopt it.
THE EARL OF DONOUGHMOREadmitted that this tax had been the source of a great deal of dissatisfaction and of heart-burning in those towns in Ireland in which it existed. He thought that some provision with regard to it ought to have been included in the general measure which was passed some years ago, but he believed that, as a compromise, this measure would be satisfactory to both parties.
LORD CAMPBELLalso supported the measure as a compromise which he thought ought to be satisfactory, and which he hoped would have the effect of putting an end to heart-burnings and restoring peace.
§ Bill read 2a, and committed to a Committee of the whole House on Monday, the 1st of May next.