Star.
London, England, 1808-06-21 00:00:00

ped the situation of affairs would excuse his bringing much worse than it was. The Bill went to make tug
these points under the consideration of the House. I different classes of Curates, and that class !which
Lord CASTLEREAGH expressed great oblige- would be benefited by its provisions would derive thistion to his Right Honourable Friend for the manner benefit from the demerits of the Rector, and cense.
in which he had stated his opinions, and declared his quently the Bill gave them an interest in their supe.
willingness to give everr*. explahetion that his duty riors neglecting their duty.
would allow him, respecting the measures taken for ; Mr. WINDNIAM enforced the argument adduced
the defence of the country. .He allowed, with his against the Bill by Mr. Tierney. If this were a Bill
!tight Honourabre neead, that it would be a great to punish non-residence, why did it not receive its
fault in Ministers toindeavourto lull the country into proper title ?—He said, that in future the Church of
a false sense of .security. He allowed that the dan- England ought to be called the Church Litigant in.
ger was great, although perhaps not immediate, stead of the Church Mitstat. The real object of din
' There was certainly danger enouglotirring abroad, present Bill was to set the Rectors and Curate;
to make it necessary fur the country to consider anal- ; throughout England to law with each other. In this
ously the best means for its defence. If on the one I respect, perhaps the Right Honourable Gentleman
hand he would not wish the country to entertain a.' oppositelthe Chancellor of the Exchequer) was se.
false idea of its security, on the other had, he thoughi- curing busbies for himself in the event of a change
it was but fair and right that it should. know what of Minim". We had heard of a book called " T
I
had already been done by its Government,. 0 pre).- Law of undiord and Tenant ;" now he would
mote that security. In the first place, there was I 'humbly recommesuito the Right Honourable Gen.
number of regulars and militia, equal tie what his ,Itleznatt opposite, eo go home'
and write a book to be
Right Honourable Friend• had always considered 'es'', called a The Law of Rector and Curate," and he had
the greatest exertion that the country could Weaned. I nodoubt the ssdhe would be immeese--(Leed/aueues).
upon to make. He had always said, that he. had I tie concluded by opposing the measure.
never found fault with the numerical force, or with „ Mr. STEPHEN supported the Bill.
the quality of those troops ; and he had conferee:3, Mr. DICKENSON opposed it. He confessed that
1
that it was as large an army as was wanting, or, is it was proper that clerical duties should be discharged,
this country could afford to keep up. As to the de- I but this should not be done by a side wind. if a sti,,
ficiency, in point of fortification, it would be obvious ' pendiaiy curate was to be provided for, it ought dot
to his -Right Honourable Friend, that ste country to be out of the property of the Incumbent.
could at once so completely change its system and Mr. MANNERS SUTTON supported the BM
character, as, from a naked country, to become a from the very shearing of the Incumbents themselves.
strongly fortified one. When it was considered how He had read the Petittoas on the table from this class
very low the establishment of the ordnance was at the of persons, and though they deprecated discussion,
beginning of the late war, it was astonishing that they addmitted the existence of the evil, and only
:t should have started forth from almost nothing to its asked, that the Curates sheuld not be. aid out of their
present most respectable state. There was no service pockets. To him the present seemed to be a mea-
which required more time to bring to a state of per- sure of leniency, compared with the Act of the 36th
fection. Engineers were not to be made in a day, or of the King. By it the Bishop had the power of
by an Act ofParliament. As to the defence of the granting to the Curate to the extent of 751. a year,
coast, there had been considerable exertions in this re- though that might be the whole of the living. By the
spect. Dover, Chatham,. and the whole course of the 1 present Bill, the Bishop was precluded from granting
Medway, were placed in a very strortg state of de- in any instance to the extent of more than one-fifth
fence. He believed the whole line of coast from Ports. such living. There was another objection to this ram.
mouth to the Thames might be considered in a very sure—that it was an improper interference with the
perfect state of defence, acid much more strongly for. property of the Church. This he denied : this Bill
tined than any part of the enemy's coast. Th enemy only went the length of giving to the Church a greats
were indeed obliged to erect many batteries on their jurisdiction over its own tree olds.
coast, not for the purpose of repelling invasion, that Dr. LAWRENCE objected to the Bill. As to
to protect their coasting vessels. . 'they had latterly the idea of its greater leniency, that was a mistake.
made the coast very strong between Boulogne and The present Bill added to the burdens thrown on the
Ostend, that their boats might creep along near the sh ore Incumbent, but did not abate any thing of the rigour
in security, out of the reach of our frigates. The shores of the former Acts against him. He sheered that
of the southern district were, le.wever, as strongly fir- there had never been an Act, down to the time of
tified as any part of the French coast, and under the Queen Anne, -which did not go to limit rather than to
former Administration of Lord Chatham, a system encream the privileges of Stipendiary Curates. They
had been adopted for putting the coasts of the eastern were originally Monks, sent to officiate in their din.
district in a similar state of defence. This system had ferent Cures, as penances imposed for offences.
been - -Wed under the late Administration, elm Me WHITBREAD stated, as matter of cam.
_____