The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1822-06-14 00:00:00

TITHES IN IRELAND.

Mr. GOULBUaN rose to mike his motion pur-
suant to the notice he had given. He expressed at
some length his sense of the numerous difficulties
with which the subject was surrounded, and the
more argent and important sense of duty which
compelled him to take it in hand. It would be
necessary for him to state the principles which had
guided him in his review of it. In the first place, ft
any who heard him had given ear to the wild and vi-
sionsry !injects lately set floating, or attacking
the tithe property of the church, and applying it
as • sacrifice to heal the present difficulties and
troubles of Ireland—to all such persons he must
for the present decline giving any immediate reply.
Generally speaking, such projects must. be looked
upon as violent injustice, which if adopted in one
case, might become dangerous and destructive
to every other kind of property. Nor were the
consequences to be only dreaded in regard to
the property of the church and the church it-
self; for the property of the church was ne-
cessary not only for the maintenance of the eccle-
siastical establistimeur, it was also one of the chief
supports through its administration of the civil con-
stitution of the government under which they lived.
To another class of persons, of more moderate hos-
tility to the tithe property, who looked for, and en-
deavoured to obtain some general and permanent
commutation of the tithes in 'lreland, he would
say that he had no such view in the measure he was
now to submit ; though he (lid not pledge himself
that no measure of commutation could be adopted,
or tbat be might nut himself introduce one to the

Wage at some other period. The difficulty 14y
in getting sufficient informstion un a subject so
extensive. to form even the bare outline of an am-
mo. If the plan of commutation were one Itu-
plying a full equiveleut for that which was taken.
tf it were fumed under the scrupulous dictate of
juetwe and right, and were to be silliogly ',tort a
by the parties most interested. lie could see het uh.
jectino to such a ineoure. But if dere were to be
any thiog like a forcible surrender and aciimenites.
while those who were connected with the church
property were to be shut out from all participation
in the judgment to be given upon it, then lie must
oppose any such proposition as dangerous to loo-
ped), generally, wheresoever the demo might first
corny. fie would now state die principle upon
which lie hid founded the measure he was about to
subMit. It was impossible fur the most cursory
view pot to convince those who exarnitucl the sub-
ject, that the tithe property partook entirely ef the
nature-of private property, with there advantages—
that it was oldie oldest prescriptioli, sod the least
objectionable to origin and in tenure. It was held
by those who, whatever might be thought, or said,
or written of them occasionally, must always hold a
station of consequence in eascietyss being, of all
clssses, possessed of national property, the most be-
oeficial io the date. The administration of their
property was us useful in every view as that of
any private property whatsoever. Instances might
be cited where clergymen failtd in the high duties
for the performance of which they held their pos-
sessions ; but the exceptions were nothiug against
the general right and the general rule. There
were duties which devolved on the proprie-
tors of the land by reason of -what they held ;
but he should be sorry to disclaim their
right, because in some cases the moral obli-
gations were neglected. fie would treat the sub-
ject as in the case of any other private property.
Occasions might arise, however, which would re-
quire particular sacrifices. The protection of a
great and common interest would sometimes de-
mand the compromise of a smaller one. The clergy
had already, of their own free will, made this sacri-
fice in part. He claimed nothing at present fur
the sanctity of the clerical function, and the supe-
rior influence of that character upon society, ex-
cept that these circumstances might not be turned
against them. He abandoned all idea of compul-
sory interference. His measure was to be consider-
ed tallier as • remedy for present and pressing evils,
than as a greataud compulsory change in property.
One good effect of it would be, if adopted, that it
would be as secure • remedy as could be derived
from a measure more objectionable. If he proved
that it was of such a nature that those most interested
would be the readiest to adopt, he thought he might
hope for the favour and apprubaliou of the Honer.
Thee was one general and permanent abuse in
the present mode of administering tithe prOperty
in Ireland. Much of the r vil was attributed eu
the tithes thernselvee which did not belong to them;
part of which urose out of the nature of the Irish
tenures—part from the effixte of old institutions—
part from the habits and customs of the inhabitants.
He did not wish to impute any design of invading
the tithe property to the landed gentry of Ireland.
He thought the safety and tranquillity of the
country depended upon the ninon of the clergy and
gentry, and he could not easily excuse himself if
any word of his should sow &sedition between
them. But there were c;rcumstances attaching to
the collection of tithes in ',Amid which were nut
found elsewhere. In the mode of collection
doubtless there was much that required niuditica-
thin. At the same time he must declare that the
clergy were exedaplary for their forbearance and
lenity in collecting them. Indeed to that fort/warier
and lenity were to below &eel, in some measure, the
necessary severities with which the tithes were ultr
nudely gathered in. He denied, from the Ws; ex-
amination of the subject, that the Irish clergy were
ever rigorous in the exaction of tithes; whatever
exceptional deviations from the rule might be cited.
they took much less than they were entitled to re-
ceive. If the individuals who paid the tithes had
not all the advantages of that lenity and forbearance.
it wits owing to the interference of intermediate
agents. Were there no difference between the diffi-
culties of collecting tithes in England and Ire-
land, he could never have brought forward this or
any other motion of the same tendency. First
and foremost among his reasons for the measure
I he had to submit was the uncertainty of
the amount of payinenf:- There was a general
evil applicable to both countries, and was a
favourite point with the writers who questioned the
validity of the property in tithe. ; but it became
much worse in Ireland through particular circum-
stances. He meant us unkind imputation, but,
besides the great arnounelof rents ranted. • diffi-
culty arose from the eery virtue and stuiplicite of
the people, o Inch made them unobservirig 1.1 the
consequences of their orret conduct; they titled
making that provision -for the payment of tithes
which a people of, 'sore cautious deportment
would supply. Another evil in Irish tithes was.
that the incumbent was driven to the necessity of
receiving the greatest part of los dues from the motet
indigent persons in the community. In England
tithes were drawn from • class of superior import.
once. and some capital was required to engage its
agrteulture, which was always security for the tithes.
Its the accounts of Irish livings, he had found WC
in the county or Kerry where the incumbent en-
joyed 4801. a year ; the persons paying tallies to-
wards this income were in number 1,960. This
was no picked case—there were hundred, like it.
But there was nut only the poverty of the parties..
and the faulty means of collecting to be struggled
with. The improvident habits orthi people. autl
the mode of renting, so little suited to pelvic of
ruch habits, were other obstacles. The land Was
let by competition and -there were none of diode
checks to the demands of the landlord which
operated in England, and the tenant, content with
hewing paid his rent, thought no more of providing
for the payment or tithes. It might be said, that it
was the duty of the clergyman to remit that part of