The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1805-04-30 00:00:00

UNIVERSITIES ADVOWSON HILL.

The Or ter of the day being read for their Lord-
ships going into a Committee on this Bill ;
Lord Viscount SIDMOUTH rose, and, in a
speech of some length, opposed the proceeding. It
was with pain he differed, and on topics of such pe-
culiar importance as those involved in the measure
in question, from the Reverend and Lea, ned l're-
late who brought forward the Bill. It was said, it
would he a boon to the Universities. No person
could possibiy have a greater respell for the-e very
useful, karned, and respeaable bodies, than him-
self ; yet he conceived that the Bill before the Honse
would operate rather as a boon to individu..ll be-
lcmginn; to those Corporations, than to the institu-
tions themselves. Great stress was laid upon the in-
conveniences produced by the restriaions which the
Bill was intended to remove, but he believed no
proof whatever was brought forward of any praCti-
cal inconvenience having taken place. The restric-
tion had continued for more than half a century. It
was enaaed at the instance of that profound lawyer
and venerable Magistrate, Lord Hardwicke, who,
uo doutst, had thoroughly considered the subject be-
fore he proposed the restraining clause. In the for-
mer .Lobate on the subjeU, it was also said, the suc-

,

cession to the Livings was at present too slow for the
beneficial. purposes of the institution ; but of this no
proof was brought forward, and, as the case stood,
he was entitled to c-intend, were the restriction re-
moved, the succession would he too rapid. Ile was
perfeetly aware of the importance of the subject to
which theta considerations referred, and oo one
could be more willing to promote the comforts and
the interests cf those persons dieted by the Bill, as
far as the same could he done without trenching
on those principles, and an that system, upon which
the institutions were hitherto iorroduced. The im-
portant consideration of a due connection between
the properties of the Laity and the F.cclesiastical
establishments 44-erie country, made also a part of
the present sublet?. How far giving an unlimited
power to the Universities to acqaire advowsons,
would operate with rowed to that consideration,
was matter for serious discussion. He repeated, nu
pudica) inconvenience had hitherto been proved to
exist. He was against conferring an unlimited
;snow on t Lreriersities, though, under what
had been swot. he nad no otlettion to open
the door wider, and to extend the proportion of
the number of livings from one halt to three
fourths of the number •dr fellows in the se-
spedive colleges. Nor did he ohjeCt to 'other re-
gulations being made, upon the same principle, such
AS augmenting the value of the present livings, &c. ;
but he was hostile to all innovations, which did
not proveably proceed upon sure and certain
grounds. A more liberal provision made for those
meritorious persons, could, he thought, be obtained,
without having recourse to a sweeping repeal of
41 limitation whatever. Adverting to the present
state of church livings in general, and the duties of
parochial Ministers ; his Lordship thought the
augmcitation of the value of small livings would
be highly beneficial, as well as the ereEtion of
.mote churches in the populous parts of the
country, and in great towns, in many parts of
the metropolis, in particular. With respect to
the subjeit a the Bill in question, he contended
their Lordships had by ro means sufficient informa-
tion to proceed upon. He saw no immediate neces-
sity for proceeding with the measure. Time, cer-
tainly, should be given for farther enquiry. If;
however, it should be the general sense of the House,
that the Bill shall speedily be committed, be hoped
what he had suggested, in the way of detailed re-
gulation, would be seriously considered by their
Lordships ; such as, that the extent of the increased
proportion of livings should not be suffered to ex-
ceed three-fourths—and the smaller livings aug-
mented.—Under his present views of the ques-
tion, what he should propose was, that the Bill
should be postponed until next session, for the pur-
poses he had mentioned. He would, therefore, pro-
pose
to amend the question regularly before the
House, by omitting the word " now ;" and insert-
ing "this day three mouths."
On the question being put ;
The Bishop of OXFORD rose, and argued ge-
nerally in support of the measure. He contended
that the proportion in which the restraint stood, by
the existing law, was fallacious in the extreme. The
knowledge which their Lordships had of the sub-
jeCt was sufficient for them to proceed upon. There
was nothing in the bill, to interfere with the aug-
mentation of the value of the smaller livings ; the
ereEtion of churches, or a more suitable pension for
the officiating Clergy. With respell to the idea, that
no praffical inconvenience had hitherto resulted from
the restraint ; there was no necessity of dire, proof
of it before the House ; it was every day, and in-
juriously felt. An appeal to the Colleges would
soon convince on that head—particularly that of
which the Noble and Learned Lord was a Member;
abundant proofs of that could be found. He must,
therefore deprecate any further postponement of
the discussion.

The Archbishop of CANTERBURY observed,
that he conceived the principal ohjedions of the
Noble Viscount to the Billl, to be, first, an appre-
hension, that, were the existing restraint removed.
the succession to the University Livings would be
too rapid; and, secondly, that it would tend to de-
prive the laity of too great a degree of that portion
of patronage, which he conceived to be at present
so beneficially vested in them. With resped to the
first objedion, his Grace observed, he conceived the
state of the funds of the universities would operate
as a sufficient check to any thing which might be
feared, if too rapid. With respell to the present
state of the patronage of ecclesiastical livings,
he should be extremely sorry to see it taken
away from numbers of those who at present enjoy-
ed it, and who so beneficially dispensed it, particu-
larly Members of that Noble House. But there was
another description of patronage, which, the y must
all feel, had a very different tendency. He al-
luded to that, which was afloat in the market, and
every day bought and sold under circumstances in-
jurious to the establishment of the church, the inte-
rests of religion, and, he believed, against the laws
of the realm; the patronage of such persons might-
easily be placed in better hands, and in none more
advantageously than those of the Universities. He
had not the least apprehension on the score of too
rapid a succession. And, convinced as he ft-lr of the
beneficial tendency of the measure, he should sup-
port the original motion.
Lord AUCKLAND, though he professed him-
self not unfriendly to the bill, yet was of opinion
that their Lordships had not sufficient information
to go upon : a pradical inconvenience was a matter
capable of proof; let that be brought froward, and
the amount and respedtive value of the livings in the
hands of the different colleges should also be known.
The funds of the universities may also be matter of
proper consideration, for it was =pm taut to know
how far they had the means uf providmg, which
they themselves held forth as a remedy for the al-
leged grievance: there was no evidence whatever
tor these heads before the Howe. '
The Bishop of O:SIFORD shortly observed, he
%as in possession of soma detailed iaforioa-