Star.
London, England, 1801-05-12 00:00:00

HOUSE OF COMMONS.

Mr. W.•flunnas moved, that the Speiker do Me Ida
rant to the Cloth of the Crown, to make out a new Writ fur
the Elbe of Edinburgh, in the room of Mr. Robert Dundee, who
hat accepted the emea of Chief 11.ana of the Exchequer in
Scotland.

The Sraoara gave notice, that as there is a great deal of
ptivirte Winds before * Houk, he would for theirs:atom iiif-
pvtch of it, attend to take the Chair to-morrow at two o'clock.
He hoped for a fullkicrn attmdmet of Members to mat& him
to wry Mit porptie into effect.
Genera s•torr.s r nwvtd, according to notice, for leave
to bring i a Bill to 0.41.5i0 and amend two Aig.a of UK lan
Sefton of Panama', allowing the Manufacture of Loather
from the Hid,' of flocks and front tbe Met of OWL, kc.
which lisv: b• o 7ot or datnaged in the Dzilitt—Laive grained

The Houfe went into a Committee on the Nrtlith Adjutants',
Ben. The report was ordered to be received to-nsorrovr.
Mr. VA NSITTA Rl* brought up Conte Accounts fluent be Trea-
fory, and moved for leveret other Accounts to be bid on the
Tab); which were ordered.
'lle Bill for making certain Allowance to Subaltern Officers
of Militia was read a third time, and paired.
The third reading of the Scotch Militia Bill was p.ftponcd
till to-morrow.
NON-RESIDENCE OF TIM CLERGY.
Mr. DICKINSON, fen. purfuant to notice, role to
move for leave to bring in a liill to fufpend for a
time to be limited, fo much of an Aft of the 25 ft
Henri VIII. as relates to the non-refidencc of
Clergymen. He profeffed his objeft to be, not to
remove or weaken any of the obligations laid on
the Clergy to refide in their parifhes, but to free
them from what has been to many of them a heavy
grievance, while it has by no means promoted any
public good—he meant the profecutions for non-
refidence by common informers. He knew that
above two hundred of there profecutions are now
pending, and many of the perfons againft whom
they are inftituted, mutt, according to the terms of
the Aft of Henry VIII. be fentenced to pay the
penalty, though it was abfolutely out of their power
to conform to the terms of that Aft. The time
for which he propofed to fufpend that Aft was,
till the end of the next Seffion of Parliament. Re
concluded with reading his motion.
The SPEAKER thought, that as he knew of no
inllance of a Bill being brought in to fithetuf past
of an Aft of Pitrliament. the Hon. Gentleman
would do better to word his motion " To explain
and amend to much of the Aft. kc."
Mr. M. A. TAYLOR conceived that it mutt be•
expreffed to repeal fo much of the Aft. He knew
of no inftance of an Aft being pad to fufpend
the operation of a Statute Law of the_kingdom, as
the Aft of Henry VIII. is.—[Severwl ,AWsitatosilif
out, " there are iniaoteet—the Ai; 1 for ft#swellag &Nes
be arput it an irflatice."]
Mr. GREY recolleded many initances, fince he
had been in the Houfe, of Bills being brought in
to fufpend Laws in the whole, but none to fufpend
particular parts of them. He thought that the
motion ought to be expreffed to repeal fo much of
the Aft.
The Sacazrativ at WAR mentioned an inflame
of a Bill being palled this Seffion to fufpepd part
of an Ad. But he thought that it would be a
more regular mode of proceeding, in this cafe, as
it relates to an old and Important Statute, to move
in the first place, that the Haute (hall refolve itfelf
into a Committee on the Aft, and then to found
any fubfequent meafure on that report.
Mr. DICKINSON coincided in this fuggeftion, apd
moved, that the Houfe (hall refolve itfelf into a
committee on Thurfday next, to confider the Ad.
Sir R. BUXTON oppofed the motion, on the
ground, that inftead of relaxing, every means of
firengthening and enforcing the Laws to fecure the
'refidence of the Clergy ought to be adopted. The
evil which the Hon. Gentleman complains 9f, aril:
in from the profecutions by informers, for the
fake of the penalty, may be better remedied by
bringing in a Bill to deprive them of any part of
the penalty on conviaion, and giving it to the poor
of the pariffi. Then, pmfecuttons by inforiners
and corrupt attornies will no longer exits, but any
parifh that wiffies for the refideoce of its Clergyman
will have an additional interest in enforcing it.
Mr. Matrix thought the non-refidence of the
Clergy a very great abufe. The Clergy, he Ibid,
were very amply paid, and employed Curates at
fahries of 401. or 501. a-year to do their duty for
them, whilifi they amufed themfelves riding about
the country. attended by three or four fervent..
He Paid he held in his hand an old Magazine. in
which there was a Letterfrom a High-Churchman,
pthich he would take the liberty of reading to the
Houfe, as it explained the injuries arifing from
the non-refidence of the Clergy much better than
he was capable of doing. The letter Rated, that
the income of five pariffies in Lincolnfhire, was up-
wards of 19601. a-year, upon which no Clergyman
refided ; that one of thofe livings had been fold
twice in the (pace of fourteen year*, and concluded
with commenting in very ftrcmg terms upon the
Non-refidence of the Clergy, and the purchafe of
Church-Livings. Mr. Martin Paid, that as he was
convinced the caufe of complaint fince the printing
of the letter had rather inct'eafed than diminitheef,
he fhould oppofe the Houfe going into aCommittee.
Mr. M. A. TAYLOR raid, he was glad the at-
tention of the Houfe was called to the fubjed of
the Non-refidence of the Clergy, becaufe he con-
Catered it a fubjea in which the morals and happt.
nets of the people were very much interelted. The
till which the Hon. Mover wined to tulpend he
confidered a bad one, but bad as it was, he would
sot content to part with it, until fomething was
fubilituted in its Read, which might be better. He
could not content to get rid of it altogether, and
leave the Clergy to their own inclinations. To his
knowledge many Clergymen were in the poffieffion
of great livings who never vifited their parifhes at
all, and the whole duty was done by the Curates
at 401. or Sol. a-year. To this, he Paid, was to be
attributed the progrefs of the Methodiils made
throughout the country. He difliked canting Me-
thodifts, and he was forry to fee them increafe.
If the Clergy of' the Eflabliffied Church attended
their livings, and inftrufted their Parifhioners,
they wouldnot run after a let of canting ignorant
hypocrites. There were Come inflames in which
Clergymen would be found to labour under great
hardfhips ; and thefe he was lorry to fay had, in
the exifting Laws, no remedy: as if the Non-refi-
dence was proved, the judge was bound to find
the party guilty. It might happen that the par-
fonagehoufe not being on a habitable condition
(as is very often the cafe), the Clergyman might
take up his refidence in the next village to his
rya, as near to the fpot where his duty called
him as poffible—in that cafe he thought it very
bird that he fhould be as liable to pay the fines for
Ndsf-refidence as he who never vifiter his peril)* at
all : yet fuck was the indent law. He wifbed as
much as any man to fee the law amended, but be
would never content to a Bill to exempt the Clergy
from refiding at their livings.
Sir Wm. ELFORD laid, in the Diocefe of Exeter,
Clergymen without parfonages to live in were un•
hdearrrecutton, which he thought a very great
ip. He hoped fomething would be done.

Mr.CaLettarr raid a few words in oppoiltio%
the motion.
Mr. Nietrott thought if the fill was fuiTereci t,
pars it would not answer the surpofe propefe„
by the Hon. Mover. He objeetcd to the Flom:.
going into a Committee, becanie he difapprovt;
of the meafure ; and he did rot fee how the Li;
propofed could remedy the evil complained or.
Would, he asked, the fufpeading the meant law
put a flop to the profecut ions already commenct,d
He fancied not, and he did not tee how that
Honfe could pafs an Aft to flop any action brought
againfl Clergymen for Non-refidence, conformable
to the vatting laws. He thought the Country flood
in need of the refidence of the Clergy, and it onghr
to be enforced. The county which the Hon. Mem.
ber reprefents (Somerfenhire) is a county wh'rre
Clergymen 'do not refide as the} ought. He ap•
proved of the ofervations of his Hon. Friend (Mr.
Taylor), but he thought Parfonage.houfes ought.
in all cafes, to be provided for Clergymen, and
they ought to be compelled to live in them. ,
refpett to the Hon. Mover's obfervations relative
to actions being compounded, he thought that h_ol
the Profecutor and ch Clergyman were in fuck
cafes guilty of a breach 'of the laws, and both alike '
liable to punifhment. He had heard nothing which
could make him give his alrent to the meafure, and
therefore he fhould eppofe it in every ftage.
The Ssca treaty at WAR raid, if the Houle went
into a Committee, it ought to be with a view to I
enforce the law. He thought the refidence of the
Clergy on ht to be enforced. 'The Bench of Ili-
!hops had Tomething under contiaaation relative
to the fubjeEt in debate 4 he therefore withed to look
to them, and fuggelled the propriety of peifilmniag
the motion,
Sir Wat. goot.ssit thowght ;s the &Ned was
under the confideratiop of -th; Bench of Bithops.
it would be premature in that Houle to do any
thing in it : he therefore recommended withdraw-
ing the motion.
-Mr. Di cilasow, Jun. raid, if the lion. Gentle.
man would undertake to fay that the Bench of
Bithops watcld tate up the tubjea, he wan fore the
Hon. Mover would have no objettion to wilhdra*
the motion. The law, as it now 11004 he fa 4
was a vicious one. It made no diftindion ;it
compelled the refidence of the tiergy who had
only i tol. a year, as wellsthete who d' ;poet!.
He thought the informers compounding the ac.
tions was a arcing proof that they did not aft for
the Public good, and A:eV/id the pecei4ty of the
interference of Parliament.

. .
Mr. M. A. Teet.oa laid, a Bill which occafinned
flnei fault originate in tlitg Houle, and 'therefore
theßench of TAlhops could not do any thing in
the bufulefs.

The SPE4ltaa raid, that though fuch a Bill could
not originate in the other Hcmie,yet it might coma
to that Houfe recommended.
Mr. BACIWR Ls. Paid there was no law in Ireland
to enforce Refidence of Clergy, and if a Bill were
to pars it might extend to that part of the United
KingdoM.
Mr. Dies imsoit had not heard before of any in-
tention on the part of the Bench of Bithops to take
up the fubjed. He had no objedion to a little de.
lay, tq tee if any thing would be done ; but h:
wonld not abandon the meafure.
The SP sax R then allied Mr. Dm al to sox cos/A:L.
draw his motion : with the content of the Houle,
the motion was withdrawn. ' "

COASTINU
Mr. Boanoty moved that the Houle do to.mor-
row refolve itfelf into a Committee of the whole
Houle to take into conlideration the Afts of 31
and '34. GeOrge the Third ; the firft, for the bet-
ter regulation of the Coafting Trade; and the Lit-
ter, fop the better encouragement of Mariners.
He gated fomd amendments he had to propofe re;
lative to the figning of articles by Seamen in coati•
ing voyages, and to Regifiers.—The Motion was
agreed to. • • " " "