The Express.
London, England, 1851-08-16 00:00:00

THE BISHOPS AND THEIR INCOMES.

The following letter has been addressed to the
editor of the Ilarttoyate Herald :
Sir,-1 have read a leading article in your paper of Wed-
nesday, July 30, containing some observations reflecting
upon myself; and as I evidently perceive that they arc
written in no hostile spirit, I am sure you will be glad to
insert the following remarks, which will dissipate the erro-
neous impressions you have conceived from the imperfect
statement of the Murning Herald.
That paper, it seems, has published "a scheme of the
English bishoprics, as settled in the year 1837 " (it should
be by the act of August, 1836) " with the respective incomes
then assigned to them," and adds a list of revenues received
by the archbishops and bishops in 1850, leaving parties to
infer that they may ascertain from the sums thus set down
for that year what is the real annual income of each see.
But herein lies the fallacy of this statement; it does not in-
clude the words of the act of August, 1836, which assigns
certain "average annual incomes " to the bishops; it does
not state that these averages are to be drawn up at the end
of every seven years, the income of each year being fluctu-
ating and uncertain; it dues not give the least intimation
that all conclusions as to the average annual income of an
archbishop or bishop drawn from the sum he may chance to
have received in 1840 must needs be erroneous ; nor dos it
take any notice of the fact that the sums it has set down for
1840 are the gross, and not the net revenues of the respec-
tive sees fur that year.
The following facts relative to the revenues of the see of
Ripon will illustrate what I mean. On the first creation of
that see, in the year 1836, the Ecclesiastical Commissioners
arranged that one.half us the income of the bishop should
arise from a fixed annual payment, the other half depending
upon the fluctuating produce of estates, nut yielding regular
lannual income, but such returns only as might accrue from
time to time from the renewal of leases ter years, and leases
for lives. Those estates being chargeable with expensive
annual repairs of staitlis and floodgates on the river Hum-
ber; with the payment of certain lees to officers connected
with the see of Durham (from which those estates were
severed), who held their offices by patent; as well as with
the cost of all surveys and valuations incident to each re-
newal, were calculated to produce such au average sum,
alter the payment of these charges, as would make up by
the end of every seven years the amount assigned to this
see by act of parliament. No surplus was anticipated, as there
was in the cases of the KT* of Ely and St. Asupli ; and there-
fore no surplus was required to be paid to the commissioners,
as in the instance of those sees. The earlier years of the
septennial cycle, according to this fluctuating arrangement,
having been comparatively unproductive, it was to be ex-
pected that the latter years, including 1850, would exceed
the average, and thus make up the deficiency in the former
years. When, however, the balance was struck at the end
of the year 1850, the average net income of the see for the
preceding seven years not only yielded no surplus, but
showed a deficiency of several hundred pounds, us the
writer of the article in the Marian, Herald might himself
have known, if he would have taken the trouble to look
through the whale balance-sheet from which he made that
partial extract.
You will now therefore see that there was no ground for
the reflection upon myself in which you indulged, and will
be glad, injustice to him whom you have unconsciously
misrepresented, to publish this letter, which will dissipate
the erroneous and unfavourable impression produced by
your leading article of July 30.
I am, Sir, your faithful and obedient servant,
C. T. RIPON.
Palace, Ripon, Aug. 7.

MONEY MARKET.

IHIS DAY.

Two o'CLoex.
There is very little movement in the English
stock market to-day, nor, indeed, are the operations
important in any department of the Stock Ex-
change, the attendance of dealers being small.
Prices of the home funds are supported
at the decline of k noticed yesterday; but the general
feeling of the market is not firm.
Consols are quoted 961 to k for cash, and 961 to
for the 11th of September. Business is officially
reported as follows :—Three per Cent. Consols, 964 t;
do. for account, 961, I ; Three per Cent. Reduced, 971,
; New Three-and-a-Quarter per Cents., 981, 99 ;
New Five per Cent. Annuities, 124 ; Long Annuities,
1860, 7 7-16 ; India Stock, 260, 262.
Exchequer Bills have been bought this morning at
50s. prem., but the present quotation is 465. to 495.
prem., being yesterday's price. India Bonds, small
sizes, have been dealt in at 575., 555., and 58s. prem.
The foreign stock market is dull, with only a very
limited amount of business offering, and prices p;e-
sent no change worthy of notice. In Buenos Ayres
Bonds there has been a transaction at .15. The
market for this stock is exceedingly limited, and
since hostilities have become probable between
Buenos Ayres and the other South American states,
no one has pressed forward as a seller. Mexican
Bonds arc just a shade steadier, with little business.
Sales are reported this morning as follows :—Brazilian
Old Five per Cent. Small Bonds, 924. Buenos Ayres
Six per Cents., 55. Belgian Four-and-a-Half per
Cents., 931. Mexican Bonds, 29Z. Peruvian I. ivo
per Cents., 1849, 901. Sardinian Scrip, dis.
Spanish Three per Cents., 381.
ENOLISII FUN DO—Tnts Pay.
Rank Ptak, 215 16 Long Aunuititw,
3 per Ct. Reduce/ 97* 1 India St. ck,
3 per Ct. Comulr,96* I Ditto lanais , Ma. (Bs.
31 pert-N. Con/ols, Pei Exchequer Bill/.410ui.,164. 42. pus.
C tor AWL. 864 1
FOREIGN FUNDS.
4* per Bt. Belgian, 93 5 3 per Ct. Me/lean, 291 I
pa. Ct. Brannan. * 5 per CL Perurttn,* .1
Do. New. Re St Ditto Delerrol. 021 34
6 per Ct. Duch.. Ayroe, 53 5 5 per CL Portuguo-,, 3=5 3t
6 per CL Chilean,lo4 6 o per Ct. Ituratowo, 114 116
3 poi CL Chilttn, 64 6 I) per CL Ituwean, lutf 21
3 per CL Daoieh, 76 d S per CL MD, c. On 14
11 per Ct. Dutch, 5114 461 3 per LI. Pp 371 84
4 per Ct. Dutch, 53 g Lb, Pwwew 51 I
Kquadur, 311 21 per Ct. Veuctuelst, 30 2
pee Cl. (hyaena, 144 154 Do. DefornA 11 11
Sardinian 5 per Cent.,
_ LATEST FOREIGN EXCHANGES.

- -7 .... .....
BERLIN, Auu. 14.—Voluntary Loan, 1071. New Loan,
Four-zunl.a-llalf per Cent., 1011. National Debt, 114 Com-
mercial Marine Society's Premium, 123. Bank Share.,
1011.
VIENNA, AUG. 14.—Five per Cent. Metalliques, 97;
Four-and-a-halt per Cents., 81k ; Bank Shares, 1229; Ex-
change on London, 11.40.