The Sun.
London, England, 1831-10-24 00:00:00

TO THE EDITOR OF THE TIMES.

SlR.,—Notices having appeared upon the walls and in
the windows and newspapers of this city, that the church
lately erected under the authority of Parliament, in the pa-
rish of Bedminster, called St. Paul's Church, will be con.
secrated on Monday, the 24th of October instant, by the
Right Reverend Father in God, George Henry, by divine
permission Lord Bishop of Bath and Wells, I ask forin-
formation on the subject of the postscript of the adver-
tisement referred to, viz.:—" Tickets of admission, price
2s. 6d., may be obtained at the church, &c. After divine
service, a collection will be made, towards defraying the
expences for opening the church for divine worship."
Now, Sir, I, in common with many others in this city,
want to know what the expenses are ? In some cases,
it is said, they amount to 5001., and that a large proportion
of that sum goes into the Bishop's pocket. So simple
have I hitherto been in these matters, that I thought
the Right Reverend Fathers in God, being paid so
many thousand pounds annually for the arduous
duties they have to perform, made no charge for the
separate duties which belong to their office as Bishops,
To charge every person who enters 2s. 6d., strikes me as
theatrical,—it is " conforming to the world,"—it look.
like " covetousness," and a seeking (even in this solemn
service) for " the loaves and fishes,"—instead of a de-
sire to comfort and benefit the human race. It reminds
me of the story of the artist who was employed to paint
a picture of the Apostles, and having made them all very
red, his employer remarked, " that they looked as if they
were all in a state of inebriety." " Oh, no, returned the
artist " they are not drunk, but blushing fur the conduct
of their successors."

A BEDMINSTER PARISHIONER.
Bristol, Oct. 22.

Mr. EDWARD LYTTON BULWER, it appears,
is to be the future Editor of the New Monthly Magazine,
and much may be expected from his efforts, as his position
in society will doubtless enable him to obtain contributions
from sources which are not accessible to others.

LORD WHARNCLIFFE AND HIS REGI-
MENT.—We have not seen Lord WHARNCIFFE'S answer
to the request made to his Lordship by part of his regi-
ment to resign the command ; hut we understand that it
is to the effect that they may pursue what course they
think proper, but for his part, he shall not resign.—
Leeds Mercury.

In speaking of Mr. COOPER'S new romance,
entitled " The Bravo," the Literary Gazette says, " The
author has here taken new ground with all the vigour of
novelty. Change of scene is as good for the mind as it is
for the body. . . . . The plot is laid at the time
when Venice lived rather on past than present power ;
and when weakness in Government led to even more than
usual suspicion, and was covered with even more than
ordinary mystery Among the many pro.
ductions of Mr. CoocEa's prolific pen few are more vivid
in interest, or more original than ' The Bravo.'"

We have reason to believe that among the
ancient Nobility of the kingdom who would have voted for
the Reform Bill, had they been able to attend, were the
Earls of EGAEMONT and ABERCAVENNY, in this county ;
but these Noble Lords had not been well enough to take
their seats, and consequently could not vote by proxy.—
Brighton Gazette.

LONDON,
MONDAY EVENING, OCTOBER 21, 1831.

Among the legislative productions of the
sessions just terminated is a New Church Build-
ing Act, purporting to be an Act to explain and
amend the 7th and Bth Geo. IV. cap. 72, which,
as our readers are aware, authorized the Church
Commissioners generally to declare the right of
nomination to be in persons building and en-
dowing churches and chapels. This Act hav-
ing given rise to much dissatisfaction both in
the High Church party, and in the party by
whom the Church is in no favour at all, and hav-
ing caused much question and litigation as to
the powers vested by it in the Church Com-
missioners, is now repealed to make room for a
new one, which deprives the Church Com-
missioners of the greater part of the absolute
jurisdiction they before possessed, and gives the
Bishops the principal controul over the subject
—a circumstance which doubtless will be pleas-
ing to the Anti-Reforming admirers of episco-
pacy by law established, however it may be re-
ceived in other quarters. The new Act, Ist
and 2d William IV., cap. 38, enables the Bishop
of the diocese, in case of the population of a
parish being 2,000, and existing churches not
affording accommodation for more than one-
third thereof, or where there is a population of
300 at a distance of more than two miles from
the church, to declare the right of nomination
to be in the person belonging to the Church of
England, declaring his intention to build a new
church or chapel, and to provide 1,0001. or more
for its endowment, and also a fund for repairs at the
rate of five per cent. on the cost of the building,
to be secured as mentioned in the Act ; and also
that one-third of the church shall be in free sit-

tings, provided that no new church for 300 per-
sons shall be built nearer than two miles from the
existing church. This enactment will probably
be the means of bringing many new churches
into existence, and if that object be desirable,
it is likely to tend to the furtherance of its ac-
complishment. But it should be observed that
neither the patron, or incumbent, are to be con-
sulted upon the subject, and it will consequently
be in the power of a Bishop to authorise the

erection of a church against the will of the two
persons in the parish who will be the most affected
by it. There are Bishops whose views are not
unlikely to be in direct opposition to those of the
patron and incumbent upon such a measure, and
there would, in such a case, be neither justice
nor policy in acting adversely to the wishes of
those who are locally interested, for the sake of
the assumed advancement of the interests of the
Established Church. Besides, the Bishop may
confer the nomination in a case where a chapel
may not really be wanted, from the population
being chiefly members of other sects, and there
may be consequently no real need of a new
church except in the mind of some proselytizing
visionary willing to endow it• Yet, under the
new Act, the new chap] may be set up by the
Bishop—though the patron protests his pro-
perty will be injured—though the incumbent
declares his influence will be undermined—and
though the inhabitants confess that they prefer
resorting to other places of worship.

In cases other than those we have mentioned,
the Church Commissioners are to continue to
have the power of declaring the right of nomi-
nation to be in persons building and endowing
to their satisfaction, but the consent (.).f the
Bishop is now to be superadded. Patrons and
incumbents are to have notice of intended appli-
cations, and if patrons will build and endow
themselves, they are to have the preference in
so doing. But it is obvious that this latter
provision does not mend the matter, as far as
regards the injury done to the property which is
interfered with. The Act is a strong precedent
for those who desire to molest ecclesiastical pro-
perty in general—for to authorise an erection
directly diminishing the value of an advowson,
is pretty much the same thing as to meddle with
the tithes of that advowson. The Ist and 2d
William IV. c. 38, whether a good or a bad
measure in itself, will afford an excellent argu-
ment to those who will, before long, propose a
new arrangement for the Church revenues in
general ; for, if spoliation of private rights for
the public good be justifiable here, it may be so
also in other measures from whence the gain to 1
the public would be likely to be much greater
than from any Church Building Bill like that we

are noticing.
We see no reason for such an innovation in
the law of real property, as the clause which de-
clares that land conveyed for the site of a new
church shall not be subject to question for want
of title, after five sears. To establish one law
for the laity and another for the Clergy, in such
matters, is highly unjust, and quite inconsistent
with the endeavours that are making to reform
the Law of Prescription as applicable to the
Church in other respects. It is by the introduc-
tion of enactments of this description by side-
winds that the English law is filled from time to
time with anomalies and absurdities.

There has been abroad for some years a sort
of mania for church building, which seems to
have prevented people from reflecting whether,
if the services in existing churches were more
numerous than they are, there would not be
much less deficiency of accommodation than is
commonly supposed ? If arrangements were
made in populous places to have four or five ser-
vices a day in the present churches, there would
surely be opportunity for supplying the religious
wants of almost all persons of the established
religion, for whom alone accommodation needs
to be provided. As to the notion, that rooms
should be provided for sectarians by way of en-
ticing them back to the Church, it is quite un-
tenable, if not ridiculous. The Clergy of the
Establishment have quite enough to do to look
after their own flocks, without seeking to prose-
lytize among the Dissenters. The Dissenters,
on their part, have reasons for separating, which
however unintelligible to churchmen, are not
likely to be overcome by providing them with
house-room if they choose to come round to the
establishment. Making, therefore, every allow-
ance for the zeal of the framers of this New
Church Act, we are hound to say that it appears
to us to contain much that is in principle fal-
lacious, and almost as much that is extremely
unjust.

In our last accounts, received from Dover this
morning, it is said that the Belgians have re-
fused to accept the Treaty of Peace with Hol-
land, agreed on by the Five Mediating Powers.

In consequence of the late unnatural junction
of the Star with the Albion Newspaper, one be-
ing a staunch Reform, the other an equally
staunch Anti-Reform Journal, a respectable
body of farmers, who are in the habit of as-
sembling on market days at the Bull Inn, Col-
chester, were so disgusted at the forced alliance,
that they not only burnt our unfortunate Even-
ing Cotemporary in the news-room, but sent up
its ashes, inclosed in a small parcel, to a respect-
able London newsman, with a request that they
might in future be supplied with The Sun,
instead of the Albion.

REPEAL OF THE COAL DUTIES.—We
have recently seen some documents which bear
sufficient evidence of the indefatigable exertions
made by an individual in the West of England,
which must have had great weight in producing
this salutary measure. The gentleman alluded
to is a resident of Plymouth, and whose valu-
able literary productions on the subject were un-
ostentatiously displayed under anonymous sig-
natures. It appears some steps have been taken
by his townsmen to promote the presentation of
a public tribute of reward for his most efficient
public service rendered in this cause ; and from
circumstances which have come to our know-
ledge, we shall be very glad to hear that the re-
ward will be commensurate with the desert. We
are not at liberty to state the name of the party
in print, but ahould any of our readers feel cle•
sireus of the information, it may he obtained by
applying at our office.

By a return made to the House of Commons
it appears that five persons—viz., the Duchess of NEW.
CASTLE, Lord FARNROROUGII, Lord REAY, Mrs. PERCY
SMITII, and Lady Sy.Yrtoon, have relinquished their
pensions on the Civil List, amounting to 2,6091. 4s. 6d.
per annum. This is, no doubt, one of the results of the
exposure which took place upon the subject last year.
We wish that a similar feeling had been more extensive.