The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1803-05-06 00:00:00

CLERGY REsIDENCE BILL.

On the motion of Sir W. SCOTT the House
resolved itself into a Commit:ee of the whole House
on the Clergy Residence Bill.
Several resolutions were put and agreed to.
On the clause for extending the term allowed for
non-residence to three months,

The ATTORNEY-GENAAL ohjeaßed to the
; he said it was highly objectionable with re-
gard to the charaller and proposed objet of the
Bill, which professes to prevent non-restdenee, and
yet this clause on the contrary. encourages relaxa-
tion, by extending the time allowed for non-resi-
dence to three times the extent already allowed by
the law; and giving, moreover, a discretionary
power of continuing it to the iiiihops. He would
rather be desirous to keep the law as it stood
with regard to the period allowed for non-residence.
He thought that three weeks unaccountable non-
re,idence, or three months to bc cuuated at several
periods in one year would be better, and that rea-
son should be assigned when it extended to three
months. He therefore moved to insert, instead of
the words" three months together," the words" three
weekstogether;" znal also three months to be counted
at different times. . _

Mr. GltEGOtt was against the Amendment.
Mr. ROSE would wisdi to make it eight weeks at
a time, or three months in the year.
Mr. WILBEILFURCE said, the ohjea of the Bill
was to make Clergymen reside among their parisiii-
oners ; he thercfcre thought three months too much.
Lord PORTCIIESTLR said, the former laws
were never applied, until the present time, when a
certain description of men brought it forward. The
objea of the Bill was to make the Clergy reside for
the „,,,reater part of the year on their benefices ; and
study Curates could do the duty in their absence.
Some regard should be had to the consideration
that persons in the church were, for the most part,
of the first families and most extensive connection,
who would require this indulgence, and a denial of
which may alter the whole state of the Church of
England.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER
agreed with what fell from the Noble Lord in the
beinning of his speech. It is true, the Al of
1-I'enry VIII. was never called into aaion until a
cetta.in description rum can forward with no

laudable intent... But the situation of the Clergy
then, was very different from what k is now. Their
habits of life generally confined them to particelar
spots, and their internal residence was then pecu-
)tarly necessary, as the preservation of the peace was
almost exclusively in their hands. No person, he
said, contended that the parishes were to be left
without persons to perform the spiritual duties of
the several places „-but we must take care not to
impose a galling and opprobrious restridion which
would prevent persons of liberal education from
entering into holy orders ; he did not confine
this to the description alluded to by the Noble
Lord, but to the whole body of the Clergy
of England. Notwithstanding the facility with
which travelling accommodation is obtained in
this country, yet the expellee of visiting distant
relatives, which it is presumed most people would
wish to do, would be very great if so short a time
was allowed. The Right Hon. Gentleman here
passed an high panegyric on the Clergy of England,
which he described as a most valuable description
of men, distinguished for their loyalty, their piety,
morality, attachment to the Constitution, and every
good quality that entitled them to the liberli
consideration of Parliament ; and he would ask, in
what branch of the public service an indulgence si-
milar to that now proposed was denied He wat
therefore against the aatendn,rut.
Mr. sPENCER STAN HOPE, wished to know
whether three lunar or calendar months was meant.
.lr. ISUItTON rinsed a high encomium ea thr
Hon. and Learned Gentleman who introduce,l the
PAL to whom he said the country W:IS much *Li:.
debted. In answer to. the Hon. Gentleman apps.
site, he would say three lunar was certainly meant,
as it was always so interpreted in all statutes. He
wished to have the residence of the Clergy distill.
guished from a state of imprisonment, that would
disgust them. He was against tire Amendment.
Mr. ROSE explained.
Sir WILLIAM SCOTT supported the original
clause at considerable length, recapitulating most of
the arguments which he urged on a former night,
The original clause was then put, when a division
wok place and the numbers were,
For it 53
Against it 17
Majority —l6l
While strangers were excluded, another division
took place on a motion proposed by Sir William
Scott, but the tendency of which we could not learn,
when the numbers were.
For the original clause SO
Against it •
Majority —s
Srangers were then excluded for upwards of two
hours, during which the usual irregular conversation
which takes place in Committees, and in which
Mr. Wilberforce, and several other Members took
part ; after which the Chairman was instruded to
report progress, and ask leave that the Committee
should sit again to-morrow, which was agreed to.
The House adjourned at half past eleven o'clock
till to-morrow.

THEATRE-ROYAL, DRURY- I. ANE.
TO-MORROW EVENING will be pertormed a New Comedy

THE MARRIAGE PROMISE.
At the End of the Play, A .ORRICE D kNCE„
In which will be iatrotirced a PAS SEUL, by Muter Erse.
To which be added,
LODOISKA.

THEATRE-ROT 11,, COVENT-GARDEN.
THIS EVENIIN(.: wilt be pre -witted a NVI etomedy called
N JOH BULL;

Or. AN ENGLISIIMAN'4 FIRE: SIDE.
To which will be addetl,
THE FARMER.

To-morrow, the New Comedy, with The Irish Widow.
_ _

THE BRITISH PRESS.

LONDON,
FRIDAY, MAY 6.

The credulity of that part of the public imme-
diately connected with the Stock Exchange is almost
proverbial. The money market, which, judging
from cold and abstraCi principles, it might be sup-
posed, could be operated upon only by solid and
real agency, is become the sport of every whim.
fraud, and caprice, and instead of the caution and
sedateness of avarice, has evinced of late the levity
and thoughtlessness of childish curiosity and inex-
perience.—From the first moment of the present ne.
gociations, we have seen nothing but dupery upon
the Stock Exchange. No rumour has been too
vague or slight not to have some effeCt. No lie,
however gross, has been without its proselytes and
supporters. The climax of credulity was, however,
yesterday crowned with a fabrication which left
all its competitors panting far behind, and blurred
the grace and blush of truth and modesty.--Between
nine and ten o'clock, and exactly at the critical
moment when, if the hoax took, the most prompt de•
tection must come too late for counteraCtion, the
Loan MAYOR received the following Letter;

" Lord llAwicsisus: presents Compliments to the Loitn
MAYOR, has the honour to acquaint his Lordship that tax
Negociation between this and the French Republic is brouo ;,
to an amicable aouclusion.
" Dagnisig.-Strcet, May sth, 1603,

Eight ?Clock."
'I he letter was apparently sealed with Lord HAWKS.
SU St 'S seal, and was brought by a person whu
spoke with a foreign accent, and was dressed in a
coarse, drab,- travelling coat, with his hair in disor-
der about his eyes and cheeks. He had all the ap-
pearance of a man just off a journey, and displayed
all the symptoms of anxiety and dispatch, which
the bearer of such important intelligence might
be supposed to show in his general manner and
condua. He delivered the letter in at the side
door of the Mansion-house to a servant of the name
of Ping, who happened to be there accidentally.
He instantly dis tppeared, after desiring the servant
to delivta the letter to the LORD M 4 YOR without

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