The Press.
London, England, 1858-05-08 00:00:00

WANTS OF THE CHURCH.

THE Church of England is a wonderful and
mysterious thing. It is full of " want" and
" destitution,"—this is quite certain ; not merely
because the Bishop of EXETER has proved it, in
one of his most effective speeches in the House of
Lords, but because we know from fifty other
sources that hundreds of poor incumbents are
lingering on, with incomes of 601. or 701. a year;
not knowing how to escape, even if they were so
disposed; although they might earn 2001. or 3001.
a year apiece, if they were eligible, as " Stewards
of the Club," or " Assistant-Secretaries of
the Railway."

And yet, while this is unquestionably the fact,
and while there are still many parishes in the
environs of London in which new churches
might be built with the fairest prospects of good
to the inhabitants,—we take up the Builder of
last week, and there we read the following
" Tender " and contract :

" For alterations and additions to St. Michael's Church,
Cornhill. Messrs. U. G. Scott and Herbert Williams,
architects :
'J'rollope
Hill
Brown and Robinson
Lucas, Brothers
Piper and Son
Ashby and Horner
Ashby and Sons
Wilson (accepted).
Now, St. Michael's, Cornhill, is a parish which,
like twenty other City parishes, has been of late
years stripped of its inhabitants. The houses In
Cornhill have become either Assurance-Offices, or
mercantile-offices. Its nominal population Is
about 400 or 500, but of these one-half fly Into

the country on the Sunday. The attendance
at the church does not exceed sixty or seventy
persons each Sunday morning. The very
Churchwardens are absent • havmg quitted the
parish on Saturday afternoon for their
private residences" at Clapham or Hack-
ney. Still, for these sixty or seventy per-
sons—the servants left in charge of the Assurance-
Offices on Cornhill—the Rector has to provide the
usual ordinances. He reads the Prayers with
proper feeling; he preaches a well-composed and
useful sermon ; and the sixty or seventy auditors
depart. But, in the course of the next few days,
they will receive notice to cease their attendance
for the present ; for the church will be closed,
and the contractor, who has received his orders
to spend 7487/. on certain " alterations," will
then begin his labours.
Such is a sample, gathered from a single parish,
of the strange condition of the Church of Eng-
land—poor almost to destitution in one spot, and
rich to repletion in others.

But Lord GREY'S speech on Tuesday evening
furnishes us with a still more startling instance
of the singular position of the Church of Eng-
land. His Lordship said,—" It had been stated
" that the total value of Church property was
" about 35,000,0001., but nearly half of that sum
" represented the beneficial interests of lessees.
" Of that great estate, therefore, only one-half
" really belonged to the Church." Here is a
hicli involves a sum of 17,000,000/.
than that enormous amount is at
broadly asserted that one-half of the
the Church " belongs to the lessees."

fearful effect of this state of things we
have seen one remarkable instance,
narrated in a petition to Parliament from
Whitby. The tithes of that town
annual value of 2,8001. They were
_ Mr. YEOMAN, who realized that
from them year by year. The Arch-
' YORK was the lessor, and he received,
2,8001. per annum, about 5001.
Whitby eight churches and chapels
Established Church, all of which, except-
- wretchedly endowed. Among these
seven) churches a miserable 1101. per
distributed out of the tithe. Not
, but 1101. among the seven ! The re-
amounting to more than 2,0001. per
to the lessee.
is strange, the lease having twelve
run, the Archbishop (who has no
, the question) has expressed an opinion
lessee ought to have a renewal, and that
' things ought to be allowed to con-
some twenty or thirty years longer !
wing no interest in church leases,
appear almost incredible. To speak
the " want and destitution " of the
yet to give away at one stroke
millions of property, does seem a strange
proceeding. It is not as if the lessees
leir tenure suddenly changed. The mea-
-835, now twenty-three years since, gave
all holders of Church property that
.g system would be abolished. Since that
almost a quarter of a century has elapsed.
now another twenty or thirty years
should be expected, and the lessees be
at Whitby, to keep the clergy in
a whole generation longer, does seem
an almost unaccountable thing.

papers transmitted to the Senate by
nt on the subject of African slavery and
Coolie labourers was one from Mr.
cited States Minister to France, dated
in which he relates a conversation with
.?wski. Mr. Meson inquired whether
any truth in the statement in the English
that French vessels freighted with
emigrants would be regarded by British
is engaged in the African slave trade.
alewski replied, no ; that there had been
unication between the two Governments.
a British would not object to the French
ile the wants of the British colonies are
,lied by the Coolie trade. Count Walewski
,t by the plan adopted to secure African labour,
indispensable to the colonies, the emigrants
and resued generally fr m impending im•
that, relieved from ignorance and Ilea-
humanised
. the most degrading character, they would
and Christianised by being placed in
the French colonists.

son's—the servants 11
OAiusuaclesoorn l h
dirnanceshill—
.
proper
ng;
e
useful sermon ; anc
depart. But, in th
they will receive ni
for the present ; foi
and the contractor
to spend 7,2871. c
then begin his labor
Such is a sample,
of the strange con
land—poor almost
rich to repletion in
But Lord GREY'h
furnishes us with a
of the singular posi
land. His Lordshi
" that the total vs
" about 35,000,0001
" represented the 1
" Of that great es
" really belonged 1
question which ini
Nothing less than
stake. It is broadl
property of the Chi
Can this be !
Of the fearful effi
remember to have
lately narrated in a
the town of Whitb
were of the annual
leased to a Mr.
income from them
bishop of YORK ww
out of this 2,80(
There are in Whitt
of the Established (
ing one, are wretch
eight (or seven) cl
annum is diatribe
1101. to each, but 1!
mainder, amountir
annum, goes to the
And, what is stra
years to run, the
interest in the ques
that the lessee ougt
this state of thing!
tinue for some twer
To us, having I
these things appeal
feelingly of the "
Church, and yet
many millions of p
way of proceedir4
found their tenure
sures of 1835, now
full notice to all he
the leasing system v
notice almost a qui
But that now anc
notice should be
allowed, as at W
Poverty for a whole
strange, an ahnot
Among the paper
the President on the
African and Coolie
Amon, United Ste
Pi.breary 19, in
whit
Coma,
Walewski.
there
was any truth
newspapers._ that
African emigrants
cruisers as engage
Count Walewski ref
some eoromunicatioi
and that the British
scheme while the wi
supplied by tl
urged that tiy the pie'
:hich is indispensal
o a.on
nritie free, sad
resue
; that, rel
t
iheutarn of the most
ue humanised
and contact with the Fri