The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1808-06-09 00:00:00

the most influence. Increase of salary would fail
to make them more respectable. He hod yet
more serious constitutional grounds of objectiou ;
the system of undue Lifluence given by this Bill
over so great • uuniher el clerical freeholders and
voters it elections. If it should be necesary to in-
crease their salaries, sn act should follow to disable

theta from voting, as had been done with rs-
spect to others, in less danger of being influenced.
The true rouse of the grievance now existing, was,

the neglect of the Bishops in permitting Pjrsons
to take holy orders who were not proper suh-
jects for the situation. These were then left with-
out either livings or income, and the evils now
complained of were the consequence. After such
an abuse of their power, was it right to give them
mere Ilad they known the state of the clerical
entablislinseut, and the number of their clergy,
they could not have fallen into the error ; and thus
have contributed to the disgrace of the clerical func-
tion. Perluspo it would be said; the proper place
for a Bishop was in the lions& of Lords, or
at Court. Little could. be said of such ob-
jector's respect or zeal foe the cause of religion.
The Bill looked one way and proceede4 another ;
it pointed out an evil, and offered no remedy.—
If a change should ever take place. it should not
be of this description. It went to overturn the
whole system of clerical property, a consideration
which sliould have its due weight on the House;
and especially as it might happen they themselves
might shortly become the sufferers by similar en-
croachments on the property of lay impropriators.
It was therefore the duty of the Gentlemen of Eng-
laud to show their disapprobation of such a dan-
gerous innovation on this defenceless portion of the
community.
Mr. hisz nuts Surrox contended that great
improvements had of late been made: iii the ail-
ntission of Gentlemen to Holy ()Acre, and sup-
ported the bill.
Mr. WILSCRIFORCE, at some length, rodeo-
vowed to refute the objections of the Honour-
able Baronet. He admitted, in one sense, liv-
ings were property, for they were bought and
sokl ; yet he contended they were nut obtained
but on a tacit compromise of performance of
duty ; non-residence, as would appear from the
tett:4.loov of Burnet, Lukin, Tillotson. and all
great Divine., was the greatest possible evil in the
Church Establishment, and must tend to increase
that evil several seemed so anxious to guard
against, viz. the increase of Sectaries.
Mr. WINDHAM contended that the interest of
the Church ought to be supported ; lint in the Bill
of the Right Floa. the Chancellor of the Exche-
goer, h saw an stn inpt to undermine its best in-
terests. at the same time there was no endeavour,
on the part of the Right Hon. Gent. either to ad-
vance the general welfare of the Church, or to
support those who wens immediately affected by
the operation of the Bill.
".I.r. Annaba TAMLOII declared himself, in a
great degree, friendly to the present Bill. He had
applied himself attentively to the subject, and the
rook was, that although in thtferent parts of this
country there might exist a variety of opinion as to
certain speculative questions upon our religious
establishment, still lie considered it a necessary
• duty to provide for the wants of every class of those
unfortunate people.
, The Cassicsbsoa of the EXCHEQUER had no
reason to deviate from any one principle he had ad-
vanced in support of the Bill.
Sir Joists Isiswroaz declared himself the last
man in the House who could oppose a well-regu-
lated reform with respect to the establishment of
Curates. As far as the Bill went to propose a
remedy for that great grievance, he gave it his
support. Ile must, however, say, it did not meet
the existing evil in Ireland, nor was it calculated
generally to answer the ends for which it was iii-
tended.

Lord Poectterrea said, as it was a measure of
reiMrm, there ought to be a race laid down for it,
and that they ought not to go back to a state of
Popery at a time of Protestantism. He concluded
by observing, that he was decidedly of opinion
se-ainst going into the Committee, as he objected
to the Bill is NO. The Church of Englund was a
jewel to the State, but how loag would it continue
an, if they went into a Committee of tnonopolita-
tion ? Ile believed the Bill went to the degrada-
tion of the Ministers of the Church.
Mr. T. Jowls supported the SPZAKIteS leaving
the Chair, qtr he was confident the Bill would re-
lieve the Curates float pecuniary distress.
Sir Cu sates Pates did not like the reamsre ;
but would vote for their going into a Commit-
tee ; he trusted, in thriVommittee they would so
modulate the claims of the Bill, as not to affect
the pourer Rectors.
The Music' then divided ; for the Speaker leav-
ing the Chair—
Ayes, la I--N4,es, 17—Maj,wity, 114.
When we w..re aLt'lllll admitted to the Gallery,
the House were to a Committee on the first clause,
'tt That the Bill should' extend to Ireland."
Lord llttron opposed the extension, as there
were many parishes in Ireland where there were not
twelve protestant inhabitants, and the enforcement
of residence could not be of any advantage.
Mr. PERCIEVAL supported the clause, as it wsts
the wish of the people of Ireland to 'enforce the
residence of their Clergy.
Sir Jona NEWPORT said, that he wished the re-
sidence of the Clergy should be enforced in Ire-
land ; but his objection to the clause was, that the
present bill we: nut applicable to Ireland, for the
same means that would answer enforcing residence
in this country. would tint have that edict in
Ireland, and that this bill would be quite nugatory
as to that point. He wished that Glebe-houses
were built, and Clergymen residing in them, even
if there were net six Protestant parishioners, SO it
would be the means, by their example, to make
good Catholics.
Mr. SPURR:9A N could no' agree with the Ho-
notiroMle Baronet who spoke last ; he could not
see how a Protestant resident Clergyman could
make Catholics. He thought the Bill in
applicaMdto Ireland, for in that country a Rector
may be found possessing 14001. a-year, without
twelve Protestants for is congregation, ssithout
a church in which to perform divine service,
or a glebe-house to live in. He concluded by ob-
sarviag, that residences ought to be enforced.
fir Aaruua WeLLEsttir suppotted the eaten-