The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1874-04-25 00:00:00

THE EAST INDIA ANNUITY FUNDS BILL_

The East India Annuity Funds Bill was considered in
Committee ; and, some other business having been disposed
of, the 'louse adjourned at five minutes to two o'clock.

PATRONAGE, SIMONY, AND EXCHANGE OF BENEFICES IN

THE CHURCH OF ENGLAND.
In the Honk OF Loans, April 21, the Bishop of Peter-
borough, in moving for a select Committee to inquire into
the laws relating to patronage, simony, and exchange of
benefices in the Church of England, said, he was quite aware
of the danger of raising such a question on account of the
many interests involved ; but he believed that the danger
was greater in leaving the evils connected with Church pat-
ronage untouched. Public opinion was now strong enough
to insure reform ; but reform neglected might lead to revo-
lution, and therefore he was anxious to see the subject now
considered by a Select Committee. He commented on the
scandal connected with the open traffic in livings by means of
advertisements, but he looked on that as only the symptom of
a greater evil, which was that the rights of property were
placed above the duties attached to a trust, and conse-
quently there was a possibility of the interests of the patron
coming into collision with the interests of the parishioners.
The laws relating to simony stood in urgent need of revision,
for the powers of the Bishop to prevent the evils arising out
of existing practices were very scanty. After describing
some of the evils connected with the system of patronage,
the Bishop of Peterborough, before proceeding to suggest
remedies for them, explained that he did not propose
to sweep away all patronage and substitute for it populate
election, in the power or wisdom of which he had
no faith, but he thought that the evils complained
of might he reformed, either by increasing the in-
terest of the patron in the trust or by adopting safeguards
against the abuse of the trust. Ile did not desire or think it
possible to st.p the sale of advowsons at the present time.
Their sale was in the nature of a transfer of the trust, and
was not morally wrong but he heartily wished to do away
at once with the sale of next presentations, and for this pur-
pose he would enlarge the area of objection to improper ap-
pointments, giving the Bishop a power, which he did not at
present possess, to object on the ground of personal incapacity
, resulting from age in the individual presented to a benefice.
Ile would also provide that any persons who knew any cause
why the individual presented to a living should not be
appointed, and who acquainted the Bishop therewith,
should slot on that account be exposed to actions for libel
and he would free the Bishop from the hardship of having
to pay heavy costs in endeavouring to oppose improper ap-
pointments. Ile did not see why the declaration against
simony should not be taken by the patron as well as by the
person appointed to the benefice. These were some of the
reforms he desired to introduce in the law of patronage, and
though he had been warned that in attempting to raise this
question he was doing a rash thing, he was convinced that
the hest why of preserving patronage was to purify its user-

The Lord Chancellor offered no opposition to the motion
for a Select Committee, but expressed his opinion that the
scandals complained of could all be traced, not to the band
ride sale of advowsons, but to the sale of next presentations.
The existence of patronage in lay hands had, in his opinion,
been productive of great and extensive benefit to the Church,
and he should object to any proposal which would injuriously
affect the exercise of My patronage. .

The motion for the appointment of the Select Committee
was then agreed to.

THE MUTINY BILLS.

The Mutiny Bill and the Marine Mutiny Bill were read a
second time, and their Lordships adjourned