Star.
London, England, 1810-05-12 00:00:00

THE CLERGY.

Lord HOLLAND, after moving the Order of the
Day, rose to submit certain Resolutions to their
Lordships' House, of which he had given notice, He
thought, that his intention must have been niisconcei- I
ved by many Noble Lords. He had been represented
as bringing forward a most monstrous proposition,
as intruding, in some measure, on the sanctum sancto-
rum, and as profanely venturing to touch the Arch-
chancellorship, tho' it were only to prevent its falling.
He had no such intention. Ne man respected more
than he did the sacred right of property, whether
vested in an individual or in any general body of
men. But when the country laboured under such
severe burthens, he thought that every class of his
Majesty's subjects should take their share in them,
and thus alleviate the general pressure. It had been
.solemnly recommended in his ivlajesty's speech at the
conclusion of the last and the beginning of the pre-
sent session, to make a provision for the inferior cler.
gy. He was ready to allow, that no description of
men were more meritorious. But were there no other
means of relieving their distresses than by increasing
the load of taxes which already pressed so hard upon
the people ? Was there not a fund in the First
Fruits and Tenths originally destined for their
use, which might now be made available for
that purpose, without laying any additional burthea
on the shoulders of the people at large ? The Noble
Lord then entered into an historical examination of
the origin and destination of the first fruits and tenths
from the time of Henry VIII. down almost to the
present times. He particularly insisted on an act of
illat Prince, which authorised the issuing of a com-
mission. whose duty it was to resurvey and revalue
annually the clear improved amount of the first fruits
and tenths of benefices. This law had never been
repealed, and might therefore be put in force. By
enforcing. that act, an ample fund might be provided
for relieving the distressed state of the poorer Clergy,
a fund to which indeed they were originally entitled,
although of late years it was possessed and enjoyed
by the superior Clergy almost exclusi7ely. The No-
ble Lord then traced down the history of this fund
through the reigns of Henry the Eighth, Edward the
Sixth, Elizabeth, Ann, and George the Fire., infer-
ring from all these different Acts a right of the infe-
rior Clergy to the full enjoyment of those funds. The
Noble Lord concluded by moving eight resolutions,
five of which were merely historical positions resting
on the Acts he had quoted, and three more as
practical deductions to be inferred from these Acts.
The Archbishop of CANTERBURY confessed
that the strong language used by the Noble Lord, on
giving his notice, had surprised him. His Grace
mentioned an anecdote of /Edward the Sixth, who
was advised by (he believed) the Protector, to order
a new Commission for a similar purpose to this, for
the purpOse of filling his coffers. The King applied
to the Lord Treasurer, and asked his opinion, which
was contrary to such a scheme. The King replied,
that he should have thought him . a knave, if he had
riven him ether advice. If the Noble Baron was right
an censuring Mr. Burn for an omission (and in that
respect he agreed with the Noble Baron), could it be
ald canchd and fair in hini to omit a whole clause
in the Act of Queen Anne, which his Grace then read,
and which, he said, he thought was conclusive en the
subject ? The clause . stated, that instead of five
bonds which had annually been, for some time, re-
quired of the Clergy, only four should bereguired ;
and the valuation, &c. to be made and levied the
same as heretofore. •

The LORD CHANCELLOR supported the
rights of the Clergy, but thought the clause alluded
to might possibly bear two constructions under the
circumstances of the Commissions that were out at
the passing of the original Act. But the length of tinfe
during which the Legislature had permitted the habits
of the Clergy to be regulated as they had been,
would, under a change founded on the Noble Baron's
itesolutions, be exceedingly unjust. His Lordship
.noticed, the almost impracticability of executing such
commissions, and illustrated the case of the Clergy
by that of the Land-tax.
Lord GRENVILLE was of the same opinion ;
but he thought the clause seemed drawn up to settle
the quesion iTor ever. The First Fruits, especially, he
. thought the least eligible of all modes of taking mo-
sey from the Clergy for any purpose, and dwelt upon
Abe barOilps to which it subjected a clergyman, thus
first making arrangements for his settlement in life.
'Length of usage, his Lordship also contended,
created a sort of right equal to a law on the subject ;
*specially in a case of the present magnitude, where
it was absolutely impossible to attempt a measure of
this kited, with hope of benefit, seeing how much of
the church property, and of this very description in
particular, was at present in the hands of the laity ;
arid which could not be disturbed, a circumstance

which he thought, on the whole, greatly advantageous
to the whole system of the country. As for the larger
:provisions of the superior Clergy, he thought that it
was desirable that in every profession there should be
high and advantageous situations for talents and vir-
tue to arrive at. Few could obtain them, bot they
gave dignity and shed lustre on the whole. He com-
plimented Lord Holland highly, and said, that no
Noble Lord, for his abilities, temper, and love of jus-
tict, was better fitted to take up a measure in which
Such great interests were concerned.
The Earl of HA R ROWBY concurred in the ar.
ituments which had been used by those who opposed
the present motion.
Lord REDESDALE thought the 26th Henry
admit th( istruction adopted by the
bef - the

had
he

VIII. did not admit the construction adopted by the
Noble Baron who had brought this subject before the
House, .
• Lord HOLLAND made a short reply, and con.
- fessed that he was not aware of the clause produced
by the Most Reverend Prelate, who, he observed, had
viewed the Statute of Henry in the same light as he
•