Star.
London, England, 1803-05-27 00:00:00

HOUSE OF COMMONS.

- - - -
The Hoofe met at half an Hour palt two o'clock, and after zar.
pofing of Come private band, proceeded to St. Jamie with the
Adds. fs. Having •.riled, the Speaker Rated that his Majeßy
had been waited upon with the Addrefs, to which his Majdty
bad been graeloufly plefed to return the fallowing anfwer

" Gentlemen of the Hook of Commons,
" I return you my wartnaft thanks, for this loyal and dutiftd
" Addrefs. It is highly gradfyiog to my feelings to receive thefe
' warm Alrurances of your Welton towards my peefon and Go
" vermnent ; and it is alto peculiarly grateful to me to be Wand
' of your determination to co-operate with me in preferring the
" dignity of my Crown, and in favoring the sandal Manta of
" sty Pe"lge
Mr. Fox withed to Sine to tar Hoofs, that as he underftood an
Honourable Gentleman (Mr. Patten) who had a motion Reading
for to-morrow bad no objediao to poftpone it to another day,*
would to morrow bring/forward the swum of which he had yef-
terday given nut :e.
A Medagt from the Lords Rated the afoot of their Lordthipa
to the Milidaman's Family Hill, and to the Anssodreents made
by the Houk is the MI for preventing Frivolous and Vexatious
Amite.
Mr. Wilms/flit reported from the Committee appointed to try
and determine the merits of the Petition spina the return for ERR
Raiford, that the Sitting Members were duly returned ; sod ado,
that the Petitions againft their return did not appear to the Com-
mittee to be frivolous or vexatious.
CIAIROY 111111D1111CS SILL.
Sir WILLIAM SC'TT moved the order of the Day
on the third Reading of the Clergy Refidence Bill.
Sir Fanners BURDETT objeted to the principle of
the Bill, and crpofed the third reading. He Paid he
could not agree to a Bill which put fo large a body
:of men under the direction. and fubjugated them to
the difcretion and mercy of the Bifhops. Inßead of
being called a Bill for relieving Clergymen from vex-
atious fuits, it ought, in his opinion, to be intituled,
a Bill for the entire degradation and enflavemenk of
the Clergy. By this Bill, that great body of men
Were to depend entirely upon the Bifbops for the
leave they *ere to obtain, not only in refpea to non-
refidence, but to many other important objets, which
materially *felted their convenieecies and their corn.
forts. For his own part, he would rather be fubjea
to the worn law that ever was made, than to the dif-
, cretion cf the bell men that ever lived. Betides, this
Bill alters the tenure and nature of the property of
Clergymen, for in many cafes they were alfo liable
to be turned out by the Bifhops, and thereby placed
in a Rate of Risk& degradation; and as the Honk
has determined that once a Clergyman mull be al-
ways a Clergyman, it would be tmpoffible for them
to go into any other bufinefs or profeffion, without
fußaining the peat& lofs and inconvenience. The
• penalties of the Bill, he (aid, were monfirous; and in 1
refpea to the licence they might obtain from the Bi
chop, for leave of abfence, they were alfo liable to
the greateft inconveniences, as well as the molt fe-
-1 rions and fatal coiefectuences. If a Clergyman ob-
' tains a licence from his Bifhop to be abfent from his
living for two or three years. in order to attend any
nobleman or gentleman's fon as travelling Tutor
abroad; he goes to the Continent, and the Bifhop
dies; another Bifhop fucceeds to the diocefe, who
may have very different ideas from his predecelfor on
the fubjeft of (offering him to be abfent from his lie •
ing, he iffues his fummons to him to return, which
is fent after him, but never comes into his hands.—
Not returning at the time fixed in the fummons, an-
other Clergyman is appointed, and when he returns,
at the end of two or three years. he 6nda his living
fequeftered, and himfelf left to look out for future
proviften in the world. Another objellion he had to
the Bill was. that the Clergy are entitled in right of
;their livings, to vote for Members of Parliament, and
putting them thus to the mercy and difcretion of the
Whops, would make eleaions for counties as bad as
i that for Boroughs, and in fait placing all eleaions
under the contrail of the Miniffer for the time being.
' It is well known' that a Bifloip of St. David's did
once write circular letters to all the Clergy of his di-

s
were, to influence their vote in favour of a particular
Candidate. If this Bill pages into a law there will be
no further occafton to write circular letters for the
Whop to requeft that as a favour, as no clergyman
will dare to make ufe of his fuffrage without know-
ing whether it is agreeable to the Bifhop, on whom
' he is, by this Bill, made dependent for all his com-
forts and conveniences. He fhould rather think that
injunftions fhould he laid on Bilhnps to fit good ex-
arnples to the Clergy, than have (itch extraordinary
powers entrusted to them to enforce the Clergy to
Itheirparticular duty, or to give them a latitude of
*cafe and exemption therefrom. If the matter of re.
fidence is fo very neceffary, and of fuch high import.
ance, why are pluralities allowed at all ? In refpea
to non-refidence, we have a biking inflame of it,
and of its impoffibility in the perfon and cafe of a
Bahl):
the prefent Bifhop of Llandaff is Regir,
Profelfor of Cambridge, Archdeacon of fame other
place, has a living in Huntingdonlhire, and lives
Cumberland. We have lately ken an ancient Co
poration disfranchifed, and diverted of its prisAeges,
lon account of tumultuous proceedings at an EleCton,
and sow by this Bill, the whole body of the Clergy
were to be laid proftmte, and fubjugated to the
mercy and difcretion of the Whops becaufe of the
,
various faits brought againft them 'by common in -
formers to recover the penalties for non-refidence. It
would, therefore, teem to be the objea of Parliament
to do away every certainty of law, in order to give
molt eatenfive di fcretionary powers to certain deferrp-
tions of men peculiarly attached to and under the in-
fluence of Government. On theft grounds, and from
the conilitutional jealonfy he felt, of vefting fuch
powers in the hands of any defeription of perfons
whatever, he thought it his duty to move, as an
amendment, that this Bill be read a third time this
day three months.
Mr. SHERIDAN raid, that as feveral new clanks
were to be brought up, and added to the Bill, which
would very much alter, and perhaps greatly amend
it, he thought his Hon. Friend had better hear thefe
claufes, and fee the effed they would have, before he
preffed his motion.
The &sant Paid, that it was entirely optional in
the Hon. Member to do as he thought proper.
Sir Fusers BURDITT then, with the leave of the
Houle, withdrew his motion.
The ATTOLNRY Gasestat., at very eonfiderable
length, oppofed the billgenerally, as one almoft from
begmning to end at variance with its title and avowed
objat. He repeated nearly the whole of his former
leading oblations, and argued thence, that the bill, at
the fame tame that it threw upon the Bifhops a weight
of duty, which it was almoft impraaicable for them
to difcharge with due deliberation, confident with
other avocations, it threw open a door for great par-
tiality in the difcharge of thofe duties with lenitygo
one defcription of men and with hardinefs to others ;
that the bill betides contained fo many exceptions in
favour of Clergymen in a variety of &nation: and
cireumftances, as not at all to provide generaily for
that which was the avowed objet of it, namely, the
refldence of the Clergy and the due performance of
their duty.
Mr. WINDHAM fpoke in fupport of the Bilt ; and
obferved, chat many of the oblations of the Right
Hop. Gentleman to it, arofe out of the number of
amendments propofed and adopted in the eourfe of
its progrefs, which deftroyed the fimplicity of that
operation which it would have had ander the original
form in which it was fo ably brought forward by the
learned and Right Hon. Gentleman who introduced is.
Sir Wra. SCOTT replied (hardy in fupport of the
Bill : and the queftion being put, the Bill was or-
dered to be read a third time.
A claufe of amendment, by way of rider, waa
propofed by Sir W. SCOTT, which was adopted.
Other claufes were propofed by Mr. Bu a Leash Mr.
Fs sLowts, and Come other Members, which were
rejected.
Mr. SHIRIDAN propofed a claufe of amendment
for enabling Clergymen to exercife farming to greater
extent, and to exempt thofe from penalties of forfei-
ture of leafe, who continue to cultivate firms of
whichtheartow have kale.. This chide, under fome
modifications fuggefted by Sir Wit. Scam was
agreed to.
The queftion was then put that the Bill do pats ;
when the Horde divided—Ayes 50-7-Noes s—Majci-
, tit y in favour of the Bill 45.
The Bill was puffed and ordered to the Lords, and
at a quarter before eleven the Houle adjourned.