Star.
London, England, 1805-05-02 00:00:00

vwivEasiTies ADVOWEOM BILL.

The Order of the Day being called for,
The Duke of NORFOLK laid, that as he was in
hopes the Bill in queilion would be confiderably
ditied in the Committee, he fhould not oppofe that
part of its progrefs ; bur were it not fo, he Ihould
certainly oppole the meal)tre in a future Rage. After
force further obfereations, his Grace moved, that an
account be laid before the Houle, of the number and
value of the different Livings In the prefentation and
difpofal of the Colleges in the Univerfities, &c.
Lord GRENVILLE expreffed his doubts of the
II propriety of this proceeding; betides, he believed there
was no regular office, or place, at !tail none under
Government, whence the information required could
he drawn ; and he highly difapproved of any attempt
to call upon private individuals, or corporate bodies,
for a statement or fpecification of their properties,
amounting, from a proceeding brought forward, as
the prefent, by any individual Peer. He believed
fuch a proceeding was without precedent; and :o let
one in the prefent cafe, may be of a dia.:gems tens
dency ; or, if a precedent ir Mold not be con.
formable to that refpea to the. rights of property, which
he trulted all their 11..,,rdfliiPs were inclined to pay.
The LORD CLIANCELLOR coincided in the
remarks of !Noble Baron : better would it be to
fuller the I'4l in qneftinn (beneficial as it was likely
to proi;,,i
to be 1011, than let fuch a precedent as that
co...etined in the Noble Duke's motion ; did the Uni•
fealties themfelves come forward and defire relief
from fpecific hardfhips, the cafe would be confidera-
bly altered.
The Bithop of OXFORD fbnrtly Rated, he was
in polfeflion of important information on the fubjed of
the motion, which he fhould freely communicate to
their Lordthips.
The Duke of NORFOLK queftioned the juftice
'of the Noble Baron's remarks : he was of opinion
that all corporations were more or lefs in the nature
of truftees, and may fairly be called upon. How•
ever, he had no objeftion to withdraw his motion.
Lord HAWKESBURY, in a great degree, ex.
preffed his concurrence in what had fallen from the
Noble Lords who difapproved of the motion ; but in
tome meafure the merits of fuch a queftion would de-
pend on circumnances, fo that it was impoffible, with
refetence to the powers of Parliament, to lay down a
fixed principle for fuch cafes.
The motion uas then withdrawn by the Noble
Duke.

The Houfe, purfuant to the Order of the Day, re-
folved into a Committee upon the Bill; Lord W4t,•
*INGHAM in the Chair.

The Bilhop of OXFORD addreffed the Commit-
tee in a Ipeech of fome length, upon the fubjea, in
which he recapitulated his former arguments in fa-
vour of the principle of the 8,11, and added a variety
of detailed confiderations, drawn from documents
and accounts, to which he referred, in fupport of
the meaftire. He contended, that it was incumbent
upon thole who oppofed the Bill, to slake out what
benefit would be obtained by continuing the rettric-:
film. The repeal, properly fpeaking, would not be
a boon, but an aa of lattice, on the part of Parlia-
mer,t, and would be gratefully received by the uni-
verfities. He hoped, therefore, it would not be re-
laaantly granted to them, and that the Bill would
be Coffered to pars in its original flape.
Atter a few words in way of explanation, between
the Reverend Prelate and the Duke of Norfolk, had
'Amu place—
Lord Vilcount SIDMOUTH expreffed his °bite
tions, which were in a degree a recapitulation of
thole he advanced on a former night, againft the
Bill in its prefent fhape. If it appeared to be the
fenfe of their Lordthips that a Bill to the general
effea of the prefent ought to pal's, he thought fome
modifications may beneficially be introduced ; but
there not being now perfealy prepared, it was his in-
tention to propofe them on a fotore Ilage of the Bill.
He thought that before the Univetfities were fuffered
to pnrchale any new livings, their friends fhould be
employed in augmenting the filial' Livings now in
their poireflion ; fuppofe to the amount of 3001. per
annum, and afterwards that fuitable Parfunage-
houfes fhould be erefled on the fame.

The LORD CHANCELLOR, in an able, argu-
mentative, and well delivered fpeech, fupported the
Bill. His general grounds wele thole he had ad-
vanced on former occafions, and many of his detail-

eJ obrerraticms were nearly ihnilar: He dwelt with
great faros and etre& on the confideration of ila being
Infinitely preferable toopermit the Uaivetfities of the
kingdom to acquire Ecclefiailical patronage (a pa-,
tronage which they had always exercifed in the moil
honourable and beneficial manner), eve it thould fall ,
into the hands of loch perfons, Schifmaties, Methp-
dills, and other feetarians, as it was likely, to a dam.
gerous and dellratlive extent, through the prefent
Icandalous mode of traffic for church preferments.—
Though he widely differed from his Noble Friend,
(Vilcnunt Sidmouth), in force important confidera-
tions refpeeting the fitbjeft of the Bill in queftion ;
yet there were Tome of his fuggeflions he thought
highly deferving of attention ; loch as the, asigmenta-
tion .of (mall livings, ace. and which, he mulled, there
would be a future opportunity of confidering. With
that view, he thought it would be deftrahle to vote
the repealing claufe generally; it would be properona
future day to recommit the Bill, in order to confider
of farther provifions of the nature he had alluded to.
Lord HAWICSBURY, in an able fpeech, fup•
ported, in a great degree, what had fallen from his
Noble and Learned Friend.
Lord GRENVILLE, in a fpeech of fomelength,
difplayed his ufaal ability and intelligence in.fupport-
of the Bill in its prefent Illape. It was a boon well
deferved by the Univerfities, and °mold be dealt to
them fully and liberally,and not with a fparing hand,
which would imply a fufpicioo of probable abufe on
their part:_

Loid Vitcount =MOUTH ['poke in explanation
man Jame points in the Noble Baron's Ipeech,
tended as a reOntatiancif certain potations which he
had advanced.

The Bifhop of LONDON• and the Earl of SUF-
FOLK Ihordy deliverediheir &ailments. '.

Lord HA kROWBY approved of des Atgellion,•
that the funds of the Colleges fhould be applied
to the enlargement of (mall Livings, rather than to
the purcluivoi others.
The Bi(hop of OXFORD sorsed upsisit simin-
trodtglion of a claufe to that effet.

The LORD CHANCEL T.OR thought that the
enacting claufe fhould pats in the way he had fuggeft-
ed ; and that the provifions adverted Cu lhpuld be
confidered on a future day.
The Billiop of OXFORD did not ol♦jea to this.
The 'Atop of 81'. ASAPH Paid he would not
trouble the Houfe with .his opinions in the prefent
Rate of the bufiuefs ; but thought the obfervation of
a Noble Lord on the Bench with hits (Lord Hat-
rowbv) well worthy of attention.
The queßion was then put,. and the Enaaing
Claute agreal to.—Adjourned.