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or schools , from which no profit was made , were not rateable property , but that when profits were derived from them , they were like all other profitable property , to be rated to the parochial burdens . As far as the Bill related to chapels , from which no profit was derived , it was unnecessary 5 in so far as it related to profitable chapels , it was unjust , because these building's were
erected on speculation , and were often a very advantageous species of property . What reason was there for exempting them ? None could be alleged , but that it would conciliate some persons ; hut this was do reason "why Parliament should give a premium to separation and dissent from the church . As to the argument that parish churches did not pay , it was the same as to say that the parish did-not pay to the
parish . Mr . Wetherell observed , that if these chapels were exempted from parochial rates , they should also he exempted from all taxes and contributions . The Bill would not be a Bill of toleration to the
minister or congregation , but a Bill to save an expence to the carpenters and bricklayers who built those places on speculation . It was notorious that these places were subjects of bargain or sale , and eren of late the Court of Chancery had been
obliged to put in a receiver to collect the jiew-rents in one of these chapels . Mr . Protheroe was surprised that the Hon . and Right Hon . Gentlemen who now opposed the Bill , had not before come forward , but had left the Honourable General
( General Thornton ) to oppose it in the other stages propria marte . The Bill was not to repeal the ancient law , but to disapprove of a modern interpretation , which opened the door to dissatisfaction , and bore the appearance of intolerance . Mr . Wetherell explained .
Mr . Serjeant Best vindicated the opposers of the Bill from having taken the friends of the Bill by surprise . He had given notice that he should oppose it . If the Bill , as it at present stood , passed into a law , the parish church , where profits were derived
from the pews , would be chargeable ; that is to say , the pews would be chargeable , while Meeting Houses would not pay any ^ tes . Many livings in the Metropolis did Mt produce 2 CKM . a year , an income much toss than many dissenting Ministers received . How could the House refuse to
e < Mnpt the Ministers of these livings from a taxation , if the present Bill was carried . ' Y The Chancellor of the Exchequer and Mr . Butterworth explained . The latter ^ claimed the intention imputed to . him by
w » e Learned Gentleman ( Mr . Serjeant Best ) ° asting any reflection upon the Clergy ^* e Estab lished Chnrch . On the con-IUl what he stated was merely in reply 0 an unfounded , indiscriminate charge
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against dissenting preachers , some of whom , no doubt , might depart from their professions , as others were liable to do . Mr . W . Smith thought the character of this Bill had been materially overstated , for it did not appear a matter of much consequence to the generality of the Dissenters — -whatever pecuniary interest might be
felt in its adoption by the speculating proprietors who built chapels with a view to profit hy letting out the seats . But the fact was , that many of these speculators , who were generally carpenters , bricklayers and plumbers , were members of the Church of England , who erected chapels from a motive which certainly did not entitle-them to
the proposed exemption . The supplementary chapels , however , which served as chapels of ease for the Established Church , ought to enjoy the benefit of this exemption , as should those dissenting chapels which were constructed solely with a view to the public worship of God , and it was
impossible that the liberal part of the Protestant community would feel any jealousy against such exemption . But the principle of such exemption was already recog-, nized by the Legislature , which released dissenting Clergymen from serving in the Militia . Whatever the fate of the Bill
might be , it was impossible to mistake the tolerant spirit of the Right Hon . Gentleman ( the Chancellor of the Exchequer ) with whom it originated , while the " toleration under certain limits , " truly of the Gentlemen by whom it was opposed , was pretty much the same as that which might he pro * .
fessed by Ferdinand 7 th . With respect to the apprehension of the Learned Gentleman ( Mr . Serjeant Best ) , that the adoption of this Bill might create irritation , he ( Mr . S . ) rather thought that its rejection would not produce conciliation . It was notorious that Dissenters liberally contributed to the maintainance of the Lecturers
of the Established Church—contributed indeed , an hundredfold more than the amount of pecuniary exemption which this Bill was calculated to produce , and would it then be wise to offend a body so liberal *
But the tone in which this measure had been discussed by , gentlemen on the othfcr side , and especially by the Right Hon . and Learned Gentleman who commenced the debate ( Sir William Scott ) y that Learned Gentleman indeed dealt out his censures in
a very unsparing and indiscriminate manner against all dissente r * . [ Sir William Scott nodded dissent . ] Then , said Mr . Smith , I am happy to find that the Learned Gentleman did not meant to confound all alike .
Mr . Baring supported the Bill , observing , that as it provided that no chapel should be entitled to the proposed exemption which did not afford one-fifth of its pews gratis , it followed , that no mercenary speculator could avail himself of it , be *
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Intelligence . —Chapel Exemption Bill . 457
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v X . 3 M
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Citation
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Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), July 2, 1815, page 457, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct1762/page/57/
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