he continued, between the bonus given to the
landlord and the deduction made from the tithe-owner, which deduction
was to remain as originally proposed, would produce a considerable
deficiency in the funds accruing to the commissioners of land revenue.
It was proposed at first to make up this deficiency in the first
instance from the consolidated fund, and to repay it from the perpetuity
purchase-fund in the hands of the ecclesiastical commissioners under the
act of last session. Finally, in all cases where a rent-charge should
not have been voluntarily created before the expiry of five years, a
rent-charge equal to four-fifths of the land-tax would be compulsorily
imposed. Mr. O'Connell taunted ministers with weak and vacillating
conduct, and insisted that the bill should not go into committee till
it had been printed with the new clauses. The bill, he argued, was no
longer the same: it had been altered again and again; eight additional
clauses not originally contained in it, had already been inserted,
and now came a fresh quantity of matter. Familiar as he was with the
subject, he was not sure that he understood the new alterations, and he
was quite sure that nine-tenths of the members did not understand them.
Messrs, Stanley and Shaw joined Mr. O'Connell in thinking that some
postponement was reasonable and necessary. Mr. Stanley said that it
would be more decent to give time for the great alterations in view, and
the deviations from the principles formerly adopted to be deliberately
considered, after the bill should be again printed and put into the
hands of members. The objection to proceeding with the bill was so
forcible that Mr. Stanley's proposal was acceded to, and the committee
was postponed. On the 4th of July, the house having gone into committee
on another bill connected with the Irish church, Mr. Littleton explained
more in detail the mode of fixing the bonus to be given to the landlords
who submitted to voluntary rent-charges and the financial effects of
it on the consolidated fund. He moved "that for any deficit which might
arise in the sums accruing to the commissioners of woods and forests
out of the land-tax or rent-charges, payable for the composition
of ecclesiastical tithes in Ireland, to the payment of which the
consolidated fund was pledged, that fund should be indemnified from the
revenues in the hands of the ecclesiastical commissioners, and out of
the perpetuity purchase-fund, placed at their d