Star.
London, England, 1828-05-23 00:00:00

d
freetllitn ap this subject, it would be pereettre
that the espense of taislngotheso supplier* was enor-
, mous, end 'entirely dtspeopottioied to the collection
did ea. made. He thought that ill these different
ehm4Antis 10 shout 'the polity of abultshillg
church bri:fis altogether, and thll, therefore, was the
measure three -he wet *Mout to propose to the House.
(Hear).—In order, hirwever, that Hon. Gentlemen might
see what WO thoyeal bearing of the present system, he
would take one example from the retires" %which had
been' made since the 15th of hlay,' in Are tear 1819
The very first brief stated in that document was to the
following effect :—the amount of the loss by fire was
3621. the areount of the sum collected was 5491...-(Hear).
So that it the sufferer had received the whole thAt had
been collected on his behalf, he would have been more

than remunerated; but out of that sum of 5491. the
charge of the patent was 911. and the expense of collect-
ing came to 326/. so that there only remained to cover
the loss 1241—(Loud cries of hear, hear). Nor was this
-toy reflection on thenaicer whose duty it was to collect
the money, for the expense of printing the ptoper papers
and making the necessary circulation through the coun-
try was very great. The raising money in this manner
for the purpose of building chapels certainly was not
open to the. same objection ; but at the same time it
must be admitted that it was a very precarious method
--(hear, hear)—as it appeared that whatever were the
'ninnies, and however urgent the demand, the amount
neglected was always pretty exactly the same, averaging,
from 4401. to 3391. It was on these facts that he'
should ask leave of the House to bring in a Bill to re-
peal the Act of Anne; but at the same time he wished
to support the excellent principle ut assisting the build-
ing of chapels by voluntary contributions ; and he
should therefore, instead of the plan of church brieli;
proliose the substitution of another system, entirely rest-
sing on voluntary contributions—(Hear)—by which ft
would be arranged, that if his Majesty should think
proper to issue his' letter for the purpose of inviting Sub-
scriptions, he proposed to incorporate that excellent
Society which was called the Society for Rebuilding
and Repairing Cpurchfs and Chapels, in order that it
might be authorised to receive the sums so raised; and
'he was happy to have that opportunity of bearing testi-
mony collie utility of that Society, which, since its
.first
establishment, had .received voluntary contributions to
•the amount of 110,0001. and by applying itself to local
exertions,-where' buildings bad been proposed to be
ected, had been the means of inducing parties con-
nected With 'Ate local interests to contribute .to the
'amount of 400P001. so that the total amount was up-
esaids of 500,0001.; and the object of the Society being
to provide accommodation for the people, it had, by a
judicious application of the 110,0001. he had. mentioned,
provided.. free ,seats for 154,000 persons—(Hear)—
Without giving any fresh power to this excellent
Society, he mereiy•proposed to incorporate it, in-order,
that it might be- authorked to receive such sums as
**tele raised by voluntary contributions, legacies, or
übscriptions arising. from his Majesty's letters: and in
Order that the Laymen of. the country might be con-
:meted with the Society as well as the Clergy, he pro.
.osed that, in addition to the Bishops of tht.yarious
•Dioceises.the Vice Presidents should consist of twenty-
See lay-members. It gave him pleasure to be able to
mtw•that alter accomplishing all this benefit, the annual
. pence of the Society, including the rent of premises,
wslaries, &c. Would not amount to more than'B4ol: la
conchrsion..the Right Hon. Gentleman moved for,
leave to bring Ma Bill to abolish .Church Briefs, and
to provide teethe better-collection of voluntary contri-
butions tolarde the building and repairing of Churches
and Chapels. • • .
Sta'JOßist. NEWPORT. wished .to know whether
this measure was to apply to Ireland? for he thought
that, lf resent there was great mistnanagenient• in the
.assiitser,iSi.which rues and' sobscriptions werelaised itit
ttsaa congest:* He knew of one parishin Dublin, Where,.
fehilethere'had been a Select Vestry,Ahe rates had
amounted to 2,3001.. and when an open Vestry of the
.pariabioneri was appointed,, They uMountedAo.no more
than122915....-and in another perish he had met with ant
itsitanee ofa.Clergyman, who wat•-perhapi receiving at
the rate of 6001. or 8001. a year for his services. and yet
had the cpsnicience charge•the parish with the expense
of his surplices—(A laugh). But then they were told
that they bad a right-of appeal to the Magistrate 4
they were dissatished ; but he contended that that was
no right at 'all ; for when appeal's were' mad it Was
found that the Magistrates were little-disposed to listen'
tnthe complaints•contained in those appeals.- t
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said,
that he. had certainly been taken by surpri-se by the
Right Honoerable. Baronet's introducing- a discussion
'on the Irish Vestry Act. The Right Hon. Gentleman.
had, on a former occasion, mentioned a 'case of appeal
that had takes the. County of Ferns, when he
complained that the Magistrates had taken no nMise of
:thetomplaint made in that appeal; and he (the Chan-
kalkor of the Exchequer) had; in 'consequence, taken
Abe paws to write to the Session;, of that 'County ; and,
from the docuMent that he receiredan reply, it 'appeared
that the Magistrates had not
_only
,Leceiveal the appeal,
but had directed a deduction to-be made in the charges,
which were for Bibles and Prayer Books; and he was
glad to have an opportunity of mentioning this inaccu-
racy of the Right Honourable Baronet, as it would
serveto guard the House against the charge which the
'*Right Honourable Baronet had brought that evening
against the Magistrates of Dublin:
LUSHINGTON said that he entirely agreed in
the propriety of the Right Hon. Gentleman's (Mr.
Peel's) motion, as it was manifest that the mode of
raising money, by church Wets was inadequate, as the
expense, be believed, greatly exceeded the net amount
received. .
Mr. PEEL—Oh, yes; three times, at least.
Dr. LUSHINGTON said, that-such being•the case,'
be concurred in the propriety of abolishing the system;
and he thought that the country was much indebted to
the Right Hon. Gentleman for his propOsition for in-
corporating a Society, most excellent in its pi inciples,
most beneficial in its effects—and one that reckoned
among its supporters some of the most dignified Mem-.
bets of the Established Church—(Hear, hear.)
Mr. G..MOORE defended •the Magistracybf the City
of Dublin from the imputations of the Right Honour-
able Member for Waterford (Sir John Newport). He
declared that he was convinced the Magistrates of Dub-
lin, whether of the City or of the Police, %sere ;mob.,
noxious to charges of the nature brought against theM
by the Right Honourable Baronet, and that they had
never unjustly considered, or unfairly decided any ap.l
peal upon the -subjrct of a Church rate. He thought
the• Right Honourable Baronet ought to have been able
to produce some instance of
,misconduct in the Magis-
trates before he made such an accusation. It was.
possible for him, hciwevee, to remain silent, when he
knew the charges to be so wholly unfounded.
Aldermen WOOD said, that briefs for the last fifty
years had been farmed by contractors; and that.was,
limbo why they produced only ',3001. although they
were4ated at 1000f.or 17001. As'for what were called
the Walking Briefs, they produced a great deal more