§ Order of the day for the Second Reading read.
§ No noble Lord rising to move that the Bill be now read the second time,
§ THE EARL OF RIPONsaid, that his name appeared upon the Bill, but he was not chargeable with its conduct or responsible for its provisions.
§ THE EARL OF DERBYsaid, that this Bill was not one that ought to pass without consideration. Its object was to repeal the existing provision under which the officers of a municipal corporation made a declaration that they would do nothing to injure 738 the Established Church; and it also repealed the prohibition which had been many years in existence, and which forbad mayors and members of corporations from taking the emblems of the municipal authority to Dissenting places of worship. There might not be anything very material in these provisions, but this was one of a series of Bills the object of which appeared to be to reduce the Church of England to an entire and absolute level with all the Dissenting sects throughout the country. The clause repealing the prohibition against carrying the corporate emblems to Dissenting places of worship was intended to do away with all distinction between churches and other places of religious worship. He should be sorry to interpose to prevent the fullest freedom of religious worship, but he was not disposed to give a power to the municipal corporations which they did not now possess, of attending Dissenting places of worship with all the emblems of corporate authority. He had to ask the noble Earl (the Earl of Ripon) whether he had withdrawn the Bill altogether, or had merely postponed it, reserving to himself the right of bringing it forward on a future occasion?
§ THE EARL OF RIPONsaid, the noble Earl, in addressing that question to him, appeared to be under a misapprehension; for he (the Earl of Ripon) had nothing whatever to do with the Bill, and consequently neither moved nor withdrew the Bill.
§ Order for Second Reading discharged.