The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1839-03-19 00:00:00

Ireland in Parliament assembled

" The humble Petition of the Chancellor, Masters; and
Scholars of the University of Oxford,
•" Sheweth, That the Church of England has been the in-
strument, under Divine Providence, of countless blessings to
the people of this country.
" That it belongs to the very essence of a National Church
that her spiritual ministrations should be co-extensive with
the spiritual wants of the whole community: offered freely
to all men, though not enforced upon any one.
" That it is at present notorious, and has been admitted in
public and authentic documents, that the population of Eng-
land and Wales having of late increased with a vast and un-
wonted rapidity, has outgrown the resources of the National
Church ; and a large proportion of the people are altogether
excluded, without their consent or fault, from her public
worship, religious instruction, and pastoral superintendence.
" That this spiritual destitution, which is ever least re-
garded by those to whom it is most pernicious, has chiefly
befallen districts the least capable, even if they felt the want,
of supplying the remedy. That its immediate consequences,
not to advert to future and higher interests, are ignorance,
vice, and disunion ; and the partial and inadequate, however
laudable. endeavours of other religious communities to sup-
ply the deficiencies of the Established Church, even whilst
they restrain demoralization, tend to multiply and perpetuate
our unhappy-divisions.
" That the only effectual remedy for these evils is the ex-
tension of the National Church ; and nothing has hitherto
been accomplished in order to this great end in any degree
commensurate with its magnitude and importance.
" That your Petitioners do not overlook the benevolent
exertions of individuals and societies, who have laboured,
even beyond their means, to supply the national want; and
they are deeply grateful to the Legislature and to your
Honourable House for the encouragement and facilities ex-
tended to these endeavours ; and more especially for that en-
lightened policy which dictated the Acts for Building and
Enlarging Churches, and for the liberal grants in furtherance
of these objects in the Sessions of 1818 and 1823. But these
supplies, admitted at the time to be inadequate to the occa-
sion, have been exhausted ; private munificence and the
public bounty have only palliated the evil ; and the spiritual
destitution of the count.y, notwithstanding these exertions,
has increased, and is still increasing.
" That this deficiency of religious ordinances and instruc-
tion is a national evil ; and it ill becomes a great and wealthy
people to rest for the supply of a national want either upon
private liberality, or upon the voluntary efforts of those poorer
districts in which the want especially prevails. That by no
altered management or distribution can the remaining re-
sources of the National Church, a great proportion of whose
original endowments have been long since diverted by the
State into other channels, be rendered sufficient to meet the
growing evil : the nation alone can counteract it permanently
and effectually. Divine Providence has entrusted the nation
with unexampled resources, and your Petitioners believe that
it is the duty of the Government and the Legislature to di-
rect them to this end ; and the people at large, they do not
doubt, will rejoice to see a portion of the national wealth de-
voted to the honour of HIM who gave it, and employed in
relieving the spiritual necessities of those by whose industry
it has been developed.
" 'Your Petitioners, therefore, with the utmost earnest-
ness, implore your Honourable House to take the spiritual
destitution of England and Wales into your most serious
consideration, and to meet this great and acknowledged evil
by such prompt and effective measures as to your wisdom
shall seem most expedient, in order to arrest the progress of
demoralization, prevent the increase and perpetuation of dis-
union, provide for the best interests of the community, civil,
moral, and religious, and draw down upon a Christian people
the blessing of Almighty God.
" And your Petitioners will ever pray!'
PROMOTIONS.
Rev. John Allen, to the Perpetual Curacy of Knowle St.
Giles's, Somerset; patron, the Rev. Canon Heberden.
Rev. Samuel Briggs Ward,B.A. to the Rectory of Quinton,
Northamptonshire, vacant by the death of the Rev. J. D. M.
Mitchell, on the presentation of the Queen.
Rev. J. F. Wray, to the Vicarage of Stixwold, Lincolnshire;
patron, C. Turner, Esq.
Rev. Henry Haddon Greene, M. A., to the Stipendiary
Curacy of Oving.
Rev. W. Bond, to the Rectory of Beauchamp Roding,
Essex.
___

The Rev. William Thomas Parr Brymer, M.A., of Trinity
College, Cambrdge, and F. A. S. Prebendary of Wells, and
Rector of Charlton Mackrell, Somerset, has been collated by
the Lord Bishop of Bath and Wells to the Archdeaconry of
Bath, void by the resignation of Charles Abel Moysey, D.D.
Rev. Wllliam Edw. Scudamore, M.A. Fellow of St. John's
College, Cambridge, to the Rectory of Ditchingham, Norfolk,
vacant by the death of the Rev. J. Newling, B.D.
Rev. John Nelson, late Perpetual Curate of St. John's,
Fulham, to the Rectory of Gilston, Herts.
Rev. William Gunning, B.C.L. to the Vicarage of Stowey,
Somersetshire, vacant by the cession of the Rev. Reginald
Pole.

Rev. Jas. Fred. Todd, M.A of Trinity College, Cambridge,
to the Vicarage of Lisceard, Cornwall, on his own petition,
vacant by the death of the Rev. John Strode Foot.
The Bishop of the Diocese is reviving the office of Rural
Dean throughout the Archdeaconry of Leicester, and the fol-
lowing appointments have already been made :—The Rev.
Mr. Marriott, of Cottesbach ; the Rev. Mr. Belgrave, of
North Kilworth ; for the Deanery of Guthlaxton. The Rev.
Mr. Echalaz, of Appleby ; the Rev. Mr. Gt eenway, of New-
bold Verdon ; for the Deanery of Sparkenhoe. The Rev. Mr.
Apthorp, of Gumley ; The Rev. Mr,Humfrey, of Laughton;
for the Deanery of Gartee. The Rev. Mr. Morgan, of
Rearsby ; The'Rev. Mr. Beresford, of Hoby ; for the Deanery
of Goscote. The Rev. Mr.-Selwyn, of Branston ; The Rev.
Mr. Gillett, of Waltham ; for the Deanery of Framland.
Dr. Mallett has for several years discharged the duties of
Naval Chaplain on board the Tribune, Blanche, and Castor
frigates, and the HerdOes, 74 ; and has been lately appointed
by the Earl of Minto, First Lord of the Admiralty to the
Chaplaincy of her Majesty's Dockyard at the Bermudas.
Rev. G. Lewin, to be Chaplain to H.M. ship Ganges, vice
Rev.—Moore, resigned.

Very great activity prevails in the ordnance department at
the present time. The gun business has not been so brisk
since the battle of Waterloo, and good workmen are with dif-
ficulty obtained. Very extensive contracts (indeed the largest
ever known) have been lately entered into, for the supply of
military and naval stores of all descriptions. Large quanti-
ties of stores have been lately shipped off from the Tower for
the colonies and various parts of the united kingdom.

MR. SERGEANT TALFOURD'S COPYRIGHT BILL

Mr. Thomas Tegg, bookseller, Cheapside, having been
alluded to in the House of Commons as one of the oppo-
nents of the bill introduced by Mr. Sergeant Talfourd for the
extension of copyright, and which was read a second time on
the 27th ult., has addressed a letter on the subject to the
editor of the Times, in which he gives thb following state-
ment :

The object of the bill is the profit of authors by extension
of their copyright monopoly, on the alleged ground of their
present remuneration being insufficient, and the hon. mover
of the bill, like a skilful lawyer encumbered with a weak case,
has made eminent displays of eloquence in its favour, in-
stead of bringing forward proofs of its necessity or even ex-
pediency ; the representatives of the people have wept at his
pathetic recital of the bygone distresses of Milton, Defoe,
and Burns. I humbly beg to call their attention to the pre-
sent treatment of authors, which is not so heartrending, and
to explain the cause I will call in the aid of Dr, Johnson,
who observes in the life of Milton, that " the slow sale and
tardy reputation of this poem (' Paradise Lost') have been
always mentioned as evidences of neglected merit, and the
uncertainty of literary fame, and inquiries have been made,
and conjectures offered, about the cause§ of its long ob-
scurity and late reception." He afterwards says, " The call
for books was not in Milton's age what it is in the present—
to read was not then a general amusement, neither traders
nor often gentlemen thought themselves disgraced by igno-
rance. The women had not then aspired to literature, nor
was every house supplied with a closet of knowledge. Those,
indeed, who professed learning were not less learned than at
any other time, but of that middle race of students who read
for pleasure or accomplishment, and who buy the numerous
products of modern typography, the number was then com-
paratively small. To prove the paucity of readers, it may be
sufficient ,to remark that the nation had been satisfied from
1623 to 1664, that is 41 years, with only two editions of the
works of Shakspeare, which probably did not altogether
make 1,000 copies."
The change from the time of Milton to that of Johnson
was not near so great as that from Johnson to the present.
In the Augustan age of British literature Pope got £22 for
the " Rape of the Lock t" £l5 for the " Essay on Criti-
cism ; £32 ss. sd. for " Windsor Forest." Lintot paid him
in cash and subscription copies for the " Homer's Iliad,"
with notes, the work of six years, with a great deal of assist-
ance, about £2,000, and his subscriptions made his total
profit about £6,500. Johnson sold his " London" for ten
guineas to Dodsley. " Vanity of Human Wishes," for 15
guineas. " Rambler," and Adventurer," for two guineas
per paper. For editing the " Gentleman's Magazine," he
received £lOO per annum. " English Dictionary," the
work of eight years, with six amanuenses paid by himself,
£1,575. Lives of the Poets," published in 1777, 200
guineas, "and 100 added afterwards by way of gratuity.
Rasselas," £lOO, and for the second edition £25. Gold-
smith sold his " Vicar of Wakefield" for £6O, which Dr.
Johnson thought a suffiCient price. " The Deserted Village"
for 100 guineas, which the simple-minded doctor thought was
more than the bookseller could afford or the piece was worth,
and he actually returned the money to the publisher Reynolds,
leaving it entirely to him to pay in proportion to the profits
produced by the sale of the poem.
There were no complaints of the remuneration of authors
or the duration of copyright (then 14 years certain) in the
days of Johnson and Goldsmith ; and I beg to illustrate, ?)37
a few facts, the grounds of complaint that exist at present,
viz :

PRODUCE OF COPYRIGHT-HISTORY.
" Fragments of English History," by Charles James Fox,
sold by Lord Holland for 5000 guineas.
Ditto, by Sir James Macintosh, £5OOO.
" Lingard's History of England," £4633.
Sir Walter Scott's Buonaparte" was sold with the printed
books for £lB,OOO ; the net receipt of copyright on the two
first editions only must have been above £lO,OOO.