The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1839-03-29 00:00:00

THE ECCLESIASTICAL DUTIES AND REVENUES

BILL

(From the Times.)
In our paper of the 18th of February, when commenting
upon certain clauses in the Ecclesiastical Duties and Reve-
nues Bill, one of which seemed to have been introduced prin-
cipally for the purpose of patching up the title of Lord Wri-
othesley Russell to the deanery of Exeter, by a confirmation
of that title so indirect as to be likely to escape the notice of
members in a committee upon the bill, we took occasion to
suggest that the course which ought to have been pursued by
ministers was manfully to come before parliament, and avow-
ing the defective title of this Dean of Exeter, to seek from
the legislature the confirmation, by specific enactment, of
that title. _ _ _ .

Since our observations upon this subject were placed before
the public, a new difficulty has arisen. We stated on Satur-
day that an address signed by 11 bishops had been presented
to the Archbishop of Canterbury, entreating his Grace to
withdraw any sanction he may have given to the bill, to
which we have referred, and intimating the firm determina-
tion of those prelates to oppose a measure which they consi-
der most injurious to the cause of religion, and to the welfare
and stability of the Established Church. A similar opinion
as to the effects likely to result from the bill is to be found
embodied in an address, either already or shortly to be pre-
sented to his Grace from a large body of the lay members of
the Church of England. We are informed that the Primate
has at last begun to reflect how far it is necessary for him to
support a measure, originated, it is true, with a commission
appointed by Sir Robert Peel's government, but proposed
after a change made in the constitution of that commission,
whereby the weight and influence of the clergy in directing
its proceedings has been essentially, and, for the interests of
the Charch, we fear, fatally diminished.
But if the bill is not to pass, at least as it stands " what
is to become of our brother Wriothesley?" a question which,
considering the very few weeks, perhaps days intervening be-
tween his present possession of power and future irretrievable
loss of it, we admit, must be a very pressing one for the con-
sideration of the Home Secretary. " Shall we then advise
her Majesty to revoke the appointment, and make a valid
one, by appointing one of the prebendaries to the deanery, or
seek from parliament, by a plain statement of the case, a con-
firmation of the letters patent issued by royal command, in
consequence of the advice given by us ?" The first course
would be in conformity with the statutes of the Cathe;
drat Church of Exeter ; but the deanery would be lost to a
scion of the house of Russell—the other would be open,
manly, or straightforward ; but who expects an open, manly,
straightforward course in parliament to be pursued by the
present government ? What says a Sunday paper, formerly
a strong supporter of the Melbourne administration ? In
allusion to the threatened application for " a vote of confi-
dence" after Easter, we find the following :—" But then, by
postponing retirement till after Easter, another quarter's
salary is secured ! The general conduct of these men justifies
the imputation of mean motives on the present occasion."
A. tortuous course is therefore again to be pursued. A bill
has been sent down from the Lords, with the title of the
" Ecclesiastical Appointments Suspension Acts in part Re-
peal Bill." Its object is to enable the chancellor or commis-
sary of the bishop to whose diocese any portion now sub-.
jetted to the jurisdiction and visitation of another bishop
formerly belonged, to attend upon the other bishop, and con-
tinue in the exercise of certain powers relating to churchwar-
dens, marriage licenses, probates of wills, &c., over the por-
tion so transferred. That bill stands for committal this even-
ing. Now, let our readers bear in mind that the Dean of
Exeter " has heretofore been elected or appointed from
amongst the canons or prebendaries" of that cathedral, and
that in consequence of the reforms recommended by the
Ecclesiastical Commissioners, canonries or prebends, as they
become vacant, are not to be filled up, and they will under-
stand why the bill sent down by the Lords is to be made a
peg whereon to hang the following :
PROPOSED ADDITIONAL CLAUSE FOR THE ECCLESIAS-
TICAL APPOINTMENTS SUSPENSION (ACT IN PART RE-
PEAL) BILL, BY LORD JOHN RUSSELL.
`• And be it further enacted, that nothing in the said first
recired act contained, nor anything contained in an act therein
recited, passed in the seventh year of the reign of his said
late Majesty, entitled An Act for Suspending for one year
Appointments of certain Dignities and Offices in Cathedral
and Collegiate Churches, and to Sinecure Rectories,' shall
prevent the collation or appointment of a canon or preben-
dary to any canonry or prebend which shall become vacant by
reason of the vacancy of any deanery in any cathedral or
collegiate church, wherein, according to the statutes or cus-
toms of such church, the clean has heretofore been elected or
appointed from amongst the canons or prebendaries thereof"

EFFECTS or A DRAM.—Saturday last, a warehouse girl
was intrusted by her employers with some shawls to sew
after she went home. Instead of going home to work, she
went into a house to get a dram. The dram rendered her
desirous of more; more she got; and having become unable
to take care of herself she fell into bad company, and was
robbed of her shawls, and eight shilling's in money. The
thief; a female of public notoriety, was discovered,'appre-
headed, and was sent for thirty days to Bridewell. It will
probably take a year's hard earnings to pay for the shawls,
and this is what the girl has gained by taking a dram.—Pais-
ivy Advertiser.
Man was formed with an understanding, for the attainment
of knowledge ; and happy is he who is employed in the pur-
suit of it. Ignorance is in its nature unprofitable ; but every
kind of knowledge may be turned to use. Diligence is gen-
erally rewarded with the discovery of that which it seeks after ;
sometimes of that which is more valuable. Human learning
with the blessing of God upon it, introduces us to divine
wisdom ; and while we study the works of nature, the God of
nature will manifest himself to us ; since, to a well-tutored
mind, " The heavens," without a miracle, "declare his glory,
and the firmament showeth his handy work."—Bishop
Horne.
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HOBART TOWN, OCT. 19.—0 n Tuesday last the very gra
tifying sight of the launch of a vessel of considerable magni.
tude was witnessed. at Kangaroo Point. 'This ship, which
we noticed a few weeks since as being in a very forward state,
has been nearly two years in building, from a model by Mr.
Johnson. She is the largest vessel which has been built in
this or any of the Australian colonies, and reflects the high-
est credit upon the spirited proprietor, Mr. Petchey, and all
concerned. Her dimensions are as follow :—Length of keel,
83 ft. bin. ; imperial register, 387 tons. As a work of colo-
nial art and industry, we cannot look upon her without a
feeling of proud satisfaction. We behold in her, and the Maria
which was launched a few months back, the commencement of
a colonial navy, which, we hope, is destined to rank high in ge-
nerations yet to come. In it we behold not only a suitable and
profitable employment for a large portion of native youth, but
a sure and certain means of giving trade, commerce, and ulti-
mate prosperity to Van Dieman's Land. With a healthy and
temperate climate, our native seamen, reared in the mer-
chant service, will be robust and hearty, active and da-
ring. Our insular position affords us the advantages
of an unlimited extension of commercial intercourse ; and we
doubt not that the enterprising spirit of many individuals in
the colony will, ere long, reap a substantial benefit from the
intermediate commerce which may be carried on between the
various countries and islands scattered over the vast expanse
of the immense Pacific Ocean. The commencement of our
colonial ship-building was attended with considerable diffi-
culties, arising not more from the scarcity of shipwrights and
materials than from the want of a knowledge and proper
management of the peculiar wood of this country. But
experience and a due attention to the process of seasoning
the timber has now proved that ships built of this country's
wood are more durable than those vessels constructed in the
mother country ; and we are enabled to state, upon the
authority of Mr. Gray, a first-rate ship-builder, that our
gum-tree wood, when properly seasoned, is preferable even
to English oak for the purpose of ship-building; whilst
nature, in this colony, so far aids the shipwright in his I:ibour,
that there is no form or curve which may be required in the
art of ship-building, either for " transoms" or " knees," no
length which may be wanted for masts or spars, that cannot
be found spontaneouidy growing iri our fokesti.---Robart
Town Courier.