The Sun.
London, England, 1835-03-20 00:00:00

TERRITORY.

The map of England and Wales, marked according to
their present ecclesiastical divisions, will exhibit the great
inequality which exists between the different dioceses. This
inequality, though diminished, was far from being remedied
by the erection of new sees at the Reformation ; [the bishop-
rics of Chester, Peterborough, Oxford, Gloucester, and
Bristol, were erected in the reign of Henry VIII.] and the
inconveniences resulting from it have been greatly increased
by the immense and partial growth of the population.
Although various circumstances render it impossible to
establish a perfect equality of dioceses, we are of opinion that
the disparity which now exists between them will admit of
considerable diminution.

The extent of episcopal duties, while it increases in some
degree with the population, is also materially affected by the
number and, distance of benefices within each diocese. It is
not, therefore, to population alone that we deem it right to
look on the present occasion. Attention must likewise be
paid to other local circumstances.
We are not prepared to recommend any increase in "the
total number of episcopal sees; but we are of opinion that
by the union of certain existing bishoprics, of which the com-
bined duties will not be too onerous for a single bishop ; by
the erection of two new sees in the province of York; and
by the transfer, in some cases, of a district from one diocese to
another, an arrangement may be made for the general per-
formance of episcopal duties more satisfactory than that
which at present subsists.
The maps, and tabular statements, which accompany this
report, will exhibit the actual condition of the several dioceses
in England and Wales, and the alterations which we venture
to suggest.
Under this head we proceed to submit to your Majesty the
following propositions, subject to such modifications as, upon
further inquiry, may appear to be advisable :
I. That two new sees shall be erected in the province of
York—one at Manchester, and the other at Ripon ; at each
of which places there is a collegiate church, well adapted for
a cathedral.

2. That the diocese of Manchester shall consist of theses
parts of the county of Lancaster which compose the deaneries
of Ansounderness, Blackburn, Leyland, Manchester, an
Warrington ; and which now form part of the diocese of
Chester.

3. 'That the diocose of Ripon shall consist of those parts of
the county of York which compose the deaneries of Rich-
mond, Catterick, and Boroughbridge, in the diocese of
Chester : of the deanery of Craven, and of such parts of the
deaneries of the Ainsty and Pontefract, in the county and
diocese of Yoil, as lie to the westward of the following dis-
tricts :—viz., the Liberty of the Ainsty, and the Wapentakes
of Barkston Ash, Osgoldcross, and Staincross.
4. That to the diocese of Carlisle shall be added those parts
of Cumberland and Westmoreland which now form part of the
diocese of Chester,—the deanery of Furnes and Cartmel, in
the county of Lancaster, and the deanery of Kirkby Lonsdale, in
the counties of Lancaster and York, also in the present dio-
cese of Chester,—and the parish of Aldeston, in the county
of Cumberland, which is now inconveniently situate in the dio-
cese of Durham.

5. That, further, with respect to the diocese of Durham,
that part of the county of Northumberland called Hexliarn.
shire, which now belongs to the diocese of York, shall be
transferred to that of Durham ; .and that a few insulated pa.
riches in Yorkshire, now belonging to the diocese of Dur-
ham, shall be transferred to that of York, or Ripon, by which
dioceses, under the proposed arrangement, they will be respec-
tively surrounded.
__

6. That to the diocese of Chester, reduced according to the
foregoing propositions, shall be added those parts of the county
of Salop which are now in the diocese of Lichfield and Co-
ventry, and St. Asaph ; and which must then be included,
with the remainder of the diocese of Chester, in the Province
of York.

7. That the county of Nottingham shall be" transferred to
the diocese of Lincoln, from that of York, which diocese will
therr-curiiist of the whole county of York, except the parts
which are to be included in the dioceses of Carlisle and Ripon.
8. That the diocese of Lincoln shall in future consist of the
counties of Lincoln and Nottingham, which latter county will
then be in the province of Canterbury.
9. That the sees of St. Asaph and Bangor shall be united ;
and that the diocese shall consist of the whole of the two ex-
isting dioceses (except that part which is in the county of
Salop), and of all those parishes in the county of Montgomery
which now belong to the dioceses of St. David's and Hereford.
One advantage which will result from the union of these two
sees will be the opportunity afforded of applying a part of the
irnpropriations, which constitute nearly the • whole property of
the bishoprics, to the augmentation of poor and populous vi-
carages in the united diocese. •

10. That those parishes in the county of Hereford which
are now in the diocese of St. David's, and the deanery of
Bridgenorth, locally situate between the dioceses of Lich-
field and Hereford, shall be added to the diocese of Here-
ford ; that those parishes which are in the county of Wor-
cester and diocese of Hereford shall be transferred to the
diocese of Worcester, and those which are in the county of
Montgomery and diocese of Hereford to the diocese of St.
Asaph and Bangor.
The diocese of Bristol presents a peculiarly inconvenient
arrangement. It consists of the city of Bristol, with some
adjacent parishes ; and of the county of Dorset, which is
separated from the seat of the bishopric by the county of
Somerset.

We recommend, as a more convenient arrangement, that
the county of Dorset shall be transferred to the diocese of
Salisbury; and that the remainder of the present diocese of
Bristol, consisting of the city of Bristol and its adjacent
parishes, shall be united to some other diocese.

Two modes of effecting this object have suggested them-
selves to us. The first, which is that of uniting the bishoprics
of Gloucester and Bristol, involves this objection, that the
great and populous city of Bristol would no longer be the re-
sidence of a bishop. The other is that of uniting the dioceses
of Bristol and Llandaff, the latter having no house of residence
for its bishop. If this plan be adopted, it cannot be denied
that the interposition of the Bristol Channel between the two
divisions of the diocese will produce some inconvenience, and
that the bishop will be resident at a considerable distance from
the greater part of his diocese ; but, under all the circumstances
of the case, we are prepared to recommend-
-11. That the sees of Llandaff and Bristol shall be united;
and that the diocese shall consist of the city of Bristol and
adjacent parishes, now in the diocese of Bristol, and of the
present diocese of Llandaff; with the addition of those por-
tions of the county of Monmouth which are now in the diocese
of St. David's and Hereford, and of certain parts of the
deanery of Brecon now in the diocese of St. David's.
We further propose-
-.

12. That the diocese of Glocester shall consist of the county
of Glocester (except those parishes which arc now in the dio-
cese of Bristol, and that part of the deanery of Campden
(which lies to the north-cast of the chapelry of Snowshill), of
the deaneries of Malmesbury and Cricklade, in the county of
Wilts, now in the diocese of Salisbury, and of the parishes of
Red Marley, Stanton St. James Chaseley, Eldersfield, Bush-
ley, Bredon, with Norton and Cutsoean, Overbury, with
Washbourne, Teddington and Alston, Sedgbarrow, and Ic-
comb, now in the county and diocese of Worcester.
13. That the diocese of St. David's shall consist of the pre-
sent diocese, except those parts which are to be transferred to
the dioceses of St. Asaph and Llandaff.
14. That the diocese of Worcester shall consist of the whole
county of Warwick, part of which is now in the diocese of
Lichfield and Coventry, of the county of Worcester, except-
ing the parishes transferred to the diocese of Glocester, and of
that part of the deanery of Campden which is to be taken from
the diocess of Glocester.

15. That the diocese of Lichfield shall consist of the coun-
ties of Stafford and Derby.
16. That the diocese of Peterborough shall consist of the
counties of Northampton, Rutland, and Leicester ; the last
county being added to it from the present diocese of Lincoln.
17. That the diocese of Ely shall be increased by the coun-
ties of Huntingdon and Bedford, now in the diocese of Lin-
coln,—by the deaneries of Lynn and Fincham, in the county
of Norfolk, and diocese of Norwich,.--and by the archdea-
conry of Sudbury, in the county of Suffolk and diocese of
Norwich, with the exception of the deaneries of Sudbury, Stow,
and Hartismere, which will remain in the latter diocese.
18. That the diocese of Norwich shall consist of the coun-
ties of Norfolk and Suffolk, with the above-mentioned ex-
ceptions.
19. That the diocese of London shall consist of the metro-
polis and parts adjoining--namely, the city of London and
county of Middlesex, the parishes of Barking, East Ham,
West Ham, Little Ilford, Low Layton, Walthamstow, Wan-
stead St. Mary, Woodford, and Chingford, in the county
of Essex, all in the present diocese of London ; the parishes
of Charlton, Lee, Lewisham, Greenwich, Woolwich, El-
tham, Plumstead, and St. Nicholas Deptford, and St. Paul