The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1824-05-26 00:00:00

Anne it was paid to the Crown, but it was bestowed by bet the hurch. This grant in Ireland hat produced be m...
300 f (a-year. and Isis object was to ascertain how and
the case. During one period, when eight bishop and os,-.`""•
bishopric became vacant, only LIAO. was paid intoics the
the first fruits, when the suns, by • moderate caleulatioo,'4,ool have been 30,00111. During six years, when the clergy
aw
2,f100/., the public had 'lead:lo,ooK, and he thought thie
matter of inquiry by the Home, in order to ascertain
culties were in the way, atal now to remove them. It appeared
fee twenty-two years only 3.7001. had been cornributed, W.;
a great number of the benefices had nut o.ntributed at all. The
Primate of Ireland only paid to the first finite the own or 404, while the Archbishop of Canterbury. whose inconte was not
leas, 3,8001. The Bishop of Derry paid 2.101., and the set.,
Winchester 2,1.00/.; the Morse of Cork and Ross 041,
a-year, and the Bishop of Norwich 3igf. lie thought theee'eee—u.
be but one opinion as to the necessity fur inquiry into the ph,
so monstrous an inequality. The 'tight Hon. Bart. exch.!,
by hinging several reaslutitms, which recapitulated his aehtilh7.
3lr. PLCNKETT considered the question as one of Very gw,
importance, not only to the interests but to she charaeter ,he
Protestant Church in Ireland ; and he trusted that he shodd
able to prove to the Right lion. Gentleman and the Ifouse that
the charges brou.ht forward against the 'church were in MT, Di
titular unfounded. There were two statutes of the 2lkh ,
of Henry VIII. regarding the first fruits in Wood; se4 th;
Crown was entitled by those statutes to the produce of the int
fruits, which must be 63, a valuation of the actual amount. (tk.
missions were to be appointed to make this valuation on oath. R.( to record it in the Exchequer. It was material to understand it,
law on this subject, and it the law were understood, it siteltl ft. seen that the clergy had not bean guilty of any misers:dun.
Ile might be wrong in his interpretation of the law, but if he were
so, he erred with all those who hod erred foe three hundrol yea
back. The Act of Parliament says, that this valuation should be
made front time to time ; but the last valuation that was node',
Ireland was made in the 10th of Charles I. He believed tha h $
Hon. Friend new enough of the law to know that the best 00..
ment on it was usage and experience. James I. made an e'en
new regulation with respect to the province of I 'lster, and
is up
orders to the Commission to let the valuation there be as soral.k.
possible. From that time to the present no new valuation had been
made in any part of Ireland. In the at tack now made, it mum
only the unprotected church of Ireland that wan to " bide Me Del,
ing of the pitiless storm," but the character of the Church
tt
England was involved in the charge. The Honeurible
Baronet was aware that the 2d of Elisabeth restored
inn
fruits to the Crown. The principal number of valuation were
made subsequently to the passing of this Act. The fair commit_
tion of the statutes had been acted on, and the amount rely
paid in the Exchequer. In the reign of Charles 11. for project,
were resorted to foe the increase of the first ?rune, bit these
were resisted by die clergy. The first fruits, both in England
and Ireland, were paid according to their original valuation,
IIVIII. Why then Should the
clergyathed in th
of irelane reigndbe of
singleclilenourty for reprobation, Mien they seed
on t same principle as the English clergy ? He thought his
Right Honourable Fiend had said a great deal ad raphuithwn :
the incomes of the Irish clergy did not exceed, on an average, 2hg.
per annum ; and it was hard, after 411 or 30 years 'mice, that a
clergyman appointed to one of these livings should be called on to
pay 4401. for first fruits. The opinion that he had given en a for.
oar ocess;on, he could not, as an honest man, have given any other,
and he had this night stated his reasons fur it. Ile had adverted
the other night to the L3I non.resilents, which the Hon. Manlier
for Aberdeen had numbered them at. He then stated that the d I
was an exaggeration ; he was now enabled to confirm what he then
raid. Therefrom no set of men who had bete so much calumniated
as the Irish clergy, but they were by no means inferior either in
seal or education. lie begged pardon for having occupied the at-
tention of the House for so long a period on so dry a subject.
Mr. S. RICE observed, that the Learned and Hon. Oentlemin
bad charged his Right Hon. Friend w.th making a stretch infra.
tandem. lie mustily thought that the charge might be retorted.
In giving the motion of his lion. Friend his hearty support, he
did not mean to east a stigma on the Clergy of Ireland, or to char7e
them with any impropriety of conduct, -but he was of opinion the
the Clergy ought to be more connected with the great mass of the
Irish people. If the statutes were as they had been represenud
by the Right Hon. Gentleman opposite, it was surely in the poser
a Parliament to alter them without being charged with spoliation.
He thought that the whole of the subject ought to be re-considertd.
Mr. GOCLBURN thought that it was the object of the Right
lion. Baronet to make it appear that the Clergy of England wire
liberal, and that the clergy of Ireland were niggardly. Mk in
his opinion, was very unfair, as the Irish clergy had done all that
they were required to do. lie was content to leave t'.e legal an:e-
inem in the hands of his Right lion. Friend. The clergy of Ire-
land evinced a zealous anxiety in the performance of their clerical
duties. and there was no charge against them as to the misappropria.
lion of their funds He concluded by moving the previous question.
Mr. '3IE said a few words.
Sir J. NEWPORT replied.
The House then divided—
Foe the motion, 711 Against it, 8.5 I Majority, IL
The Law of Merchants' Bill was ordered to be read a third
time on Friday next.
The Exchequers' Bill was read a second time; the Report was
brought up, and was ordered to be received to.morrow. Mr. lira.
airs introduced the appropriate clause. We unclaimed this to
be the last financial measure of the Session.
Mr. BROGDEN brought up the Report of the Newfaandlard
Fisheries Bill, which was ordered tithe takes into mosideration on
Thursday next.
The M'ool importation and exportation Bill was read a third
tune and pissed.
The Beer Duties' Bill was ordered to be reed a tiled time on
Monday next.
The Bankrupt Laws' Amendment Bill was ordered to be re."l
a third time on 31onday next.
The New Churches' Bill was read a second time.
The other Orders of the Day were then disposed of, and the
• Home adjourned at half-past Ohre o'clock.

NOTICES OF MOTIONS.
Sir Robert Shaw—Correspondence between the Post-office and
Mr. Watt. relative to the Boilers of the Royal Sovereign Ste:int
Packet, and the Report of the Engineer thereon.
Mr. Alderman Hergate--To repeal the Forfeitures and Penal-
ties incurred under the Usury Laws, and to substitute others in.
stead thereof.

ORDERS OF TILE DAY.
Coumy GaolslL—Furtber comid •ration of Report.
Land Revenue Sale of Sock Bil —Third Reading.
Tenants' Relief (Ireland) lidl--Com
Impounding Distresses (Ireland) Bill—Committee.
Poor Regulatiou (Scotland) Rill--Second Reading.

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