The Sun.
London, England, 1836-03-11 00:00:00

the appointment of Dean, Archdeacon, or Canon, until he
had been six years in Priest's orders.—( Hear, hear.)
With respect to the other minor canonships, &c., it was
recommended that they should be abolished ; and it was also
recommended that all sinecure livings should be suppressed, and
that the revenues arising out of them should be,
appropriated in other parishes to the cure of souls!
The next great subject in the Bill was what had often been be-
fore their Lordships, and upon which it would be perfectly un-
necessary upon that occasion for him to trouble their Lordships
with any general reasonings—he meant the subject of non-re-
sidence and pluralities. The same evils which had met them
before met them on this occasion—the great poverty
and penury of many of the benefices prevented the Com-
mittee (as they said) doing that which they would otherwise
be inclined to do—namely, to recommend the immediate dis-
continuance of all pluralities ; but they were of opinion that
means should be taken to diminish them as much as possible,
and for that purpose they recommended the prin-
ciple, that holding benefices and pluralities should in future
be regulated with respect to distance and value. They were
of opinion that no benefices should be held together that
were at the distance of more than ten miles asunder ; and with
respect to value, that no benefice of a greater value than
5001. should be held in plurality with any other benefice, except
in cases when the small valise of a neighbouring benefice might
make it expedient that they should be united. That was
what the Commissioners had stated. With respect to
non-residence, he ( Lord M.) did not mean to depart
from the principle of the law as it at present stood, but they
did propose to make further provisions for enforcing residences
by diminishing the number of pluralities and non-residents.
The Bill had been prepared by the Commissioners for carry-
ing into effect this purpose, and it would speedily be sub-
mitted to their' Lordships' consideration. He had now stated
the principal recommendations contained in the Report, and
he begged leave to declare his entire concurrence in the whole
of them. They were at once temperate and efficacious, at once
reforming and Conservative, calculated to preserve the character
and efficiency of the Church, while at the same time they would
remove any stumbling-blocks which might in any manner
have rendered it the object of attack, and, therefore, he re-
commended it to their Lordships as being calculated to in-
crease the efficiency of those holy purposes for which
it had been established.—(Loud and continued cheering.)
The Archbishop of CANTERBURY expressed his great
satisfaction at the subject having been introduced by his
Majesty's Government, because it was really impossible
that such a measure could be carried through the House
without the full approbation and effective and hearty
support of the Government.—( Hear, hear, hear.) He
believed that this measure would be very beneficial
to the Church. He had long been aware that some strong
and vigorous measures for the correction of abuses that had
crept into the Church, and for the removal of those anomalies
that had long interfered with its efficacy, were necessary.
When Sir Robert Peel retired from office, the proceed-
ings of the Commission were for a while suspended, but
as soon as the Noble Viscount had taken office, he had
called upon him (the Archbishop of Canterbury), and
expressed his readiness to continue the Commission, with
only such changes in the official members of that Com-
mission, as the change in the Administration rendered neces-
sary. The Noble Viscount stated that it was his desire
that the Commission should proceed on the-same views and
principles as those on which it had been originally formed, and
on which they had proceeded, and had been favoured with the
constant attendance of the Ministers of the time. That Com-
mission had continued to receive the same assistance from his
present Majesty's Ministers since the time the Commission had
been received—the Noble Viscount and the members of the
Government having been frequently present, and lent every as-
sistance ; and he (the Archbishop of Canterbury) was happy
to be able to confirm the statement of the Noble Viscount as
to the unanimity which prevailed ; and whenever any material
difference took place, it had been settled, not by any unwilling
compromise or unjust concession, but from a fair consideration
of the facts of the case, and the special reasons upon which
the matter turned. That was really the state of the case,
and he believed there never was a Commission, appointed for so
important a purpose, on which so much unanimity prevailed.
lie should freely confess, in justice to himself, that had he
not believed this Commission to be founded on Conser-
vative principles, he should never be a member of it.—( Heir,
hear.) When lie said Conservative principles, he meant
that the Ecclesiastical Establishment should be maintained
in all its integrity. He believed that a smaller number of
bishoprics than at present existed would not be suffi-
cient to discharge the Episcopal functions. There were
other reasons which induced him to undertake the duties of
that Commission, particularly when he heard several persons,
for whom lie entertained a high respect, express an opinion op-
posed to the holding of commendams by the Bishops of smaller
Sees. He saw that there existed no other means than those
proposed by the Report for increasing the revenues of the
smaller bishoprics, for, he feared, they could not ob-
tain any from the public.—( Cries of " Hear, hear.") An
appeal to them was out of the question, and there only
remained the plan of taking from the larger Sees some portion
of those revenues which in latter times had greatly increased,
and thus aiding to the smaller ones. Another matter was the main-
tenance of the Cathedral establishments, the Deans. Chapters,
&c. With respect to the upholding of Deans and Chapters, he
was of opinion that they ought to be continued.—( Hear,
hear.) The appointments were very useful to the Church,
as rewards to clergymen of distinguished merit. He
was still of opinion that they might be preserved,
and yet a large surplus obtained for the uses of parishes where,
from the immense population contained in some of those in
the Metropolis, and northern and midland counties, the Church
of En glend was almost as a shadow. He felt quite certain that
no one could Say that the surplus could have been applied to
a better object than in filling up the (Treat want felt in such
parishes. Where the produce of the tithe was taken from
the officiating Minister, and was given to another who
perhaps might not he improperly called a drone,
f,r he might be of eiating somewhere else, it seemed to him,
that it carried its condemnation in its very name. One word
as to the equalization of bishoprics--that question had never
been under the consideration of the commisssiJners ; it was
one of those wild projects which would at once have been
scouted by them. Upon the subject of residence he appre-
hended there would be very little difference of opinion.—
( Hear.) The very principle of the Church ought to be,
that a clergymam should certainly reside upon his benefice.
It would, however, be totally impossible to carry the principle
into effect in the present state of the Church ; but they ought
to come as near to the principle of having a clergyman residing
wherever there was a congregation of the Church of England',
The general feeling against pluralities was so great that he
thought some restrictions were necessary ; and in a Bill
which lie introduced last year, he had introduced a clause to
do away with them in some degree. He wished to say a few
words upon the objects which the Commissioners had in
view when they made their Report. Their only object was
to advance the pure religion of the country through the Estab-
lished Church. He disclaimed any other motive than the good
cef the Church—they had looked to no temporary expediency,
to fix wavering friends. His full persuasion was, that if the
recommendation of the Commissioners were carried into ef-
fect, it would be greatly beneficial to the Church itself.
By applying revenues that had hitherto been given to
literary institutions to parochial revenues, the greatest
good would be effected.—( Heat, bear, hear.) lie be-
lieved it would be found that the clergy of the Church
of England were not inferior to any other class of men in any
other country in piety and learning. He hoped some provision
would be made for the education of those who were preparing
themselves for the sacred duty of the Ministry. There was
another point which had been the occasion of great scandal
to religion—that was the unworthy conduct of some Members
of the establishment. Hitherto, these powers vested in the
Church to punish those who transgressed its rules was very
insufficient, and he trusted some arrangement would be made,
although the Report did not allude to them, to prevent these
scandals. To those who might appear dissatisfied with these
arrangements and reductions, he would only say, let them
look at the state of the Church, and see if its interests would
not be promoted, and much public good effected by the re-
commendations of this Commission.—( Hear, hear.)
The Report was then ordered to be printed.
SPANISH AFFAIRS.
_ _

The Marquis of LONDONDERRY asked if any an-
swer was obtained to the letter addressed to the Spanish Go-
vernment, respecting the twenty-seven prisoners taken by them.
Lord MELBOURNE said of course if there was any an-
swer, it would be laid before the House.
The Marquis of LONDONDERRY said he would bring
the subject before the House on Monday.
After the presentation of some petitions, the HOll3O ad.
journed to Friday.

HOUSE OF COMMONS, 111,11:cm 10.

The SPEAKER took the Chair this evening at four o'clock.
MIDLAND RAILWAY BILL.
Mr. VERNON SMITH, in pursuance of his notice, moved
that the Members for Northamptonshire, and for the borough
of Stamford, be added to the Committee on the Midland
Railway Bill. He thought it necessary to have upon the
Committee gentlemen who were locally interested, and had
a local knowledge of the country through which the Railroad
passed.
Mr. E. DENNISON opposed the motion.
Sir G. STRICKL AND thought any motion to increase
the numbers of the Committee extremely objectionable, and
he should, therefore, feel it his duty to oppose it. If the prin-
ciple were once admitted, they should have frequent motions of
a similar character.

Mr. CARTWRIGHT supported the motion.
Mr. FINCH was of opinion that investigation should take
place, and if on inquiry it should be found to benefit the people
of England, why let all private interests give way.
Mr. BARCLAY thought the proposit►on decidedly objec-
tionable ; and that the House should adhere to the rule laid
down at the commencement of its sittings for the constitution
of these private Committees. If the course now proposed were
adopted, it would render these Committees nothing but parti-
zan Committees.

Mr. P. THOMPSON had on a former occasion called
the attention of the House at considerable length to the reso-
lutions and recommendations of the Committee, of which he
had the honour to be chairman. They had been most anxious
to effect whatever improvements were possible in that respect,
but they found themselves compelled in consequence of the
difficulties that would occur to recommend that the list Com-
mittees, as settled at present, should be the list Committees to
which these railway Bills should be referred. It appeared to
him that if the proposition of his Hon. Friend were acceded to,
it would open the door to the admission of further innovations,
—( Hear, )—and the House would be called on to act upon other
special circumstances,and attend to the claims of every other party
opposing a Railway Bill. It was for the House to say whe-
ther it would adhere to the recommendation of that Commit-
tee to confine these List Committees to the members who
belonged to them, and the members of the counties through