The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1847-12-28 00:00:00

THE COURT

Notwithstanding the coldness of the weather, her Ma-
jesty and the Prince Consort walked for some time in the
Home-Park, both in the early part of the morning and
again in the afternoon of Thursday. The royal children
also took their accustomed exercise on the lawns, and in
the sequestered paths of the Home-Park. The Duchess
of Kent visited the Queen and Royal Family at the Castle,
and remained to luncheon.

UNIVERSITY AND CLERICAL NEWS

•
Dr. Hampden was last week on a visit to the Arch-
bishop of York.

The students of St. Bee's College have applied for a
government grant to erect suitable buildings for college
purposes,_ the present lecture room being, what was doubt-
less once the chancel for the church.

THE PLURALIST DEAN OF HEREFORD.-A corres.pou-
dent explains the use of the plural •' we" in the memorial
_ _ _

of this reverend personage, by stating that: Dr. Mere-
wuther is not only Dean of Hereford, but Rector of Madley
and Rector of New Radnor.—Morning Chronicle.

The Bishop of London has addressed a pastoral letter
to his clergy on the subject of the cholera. He assumes
the certainty of the cholera speedily making its appear-
ance amongst us again, and at great length advises his
clergy as to their duties in preparation for it.
It appears that Dr. Hampden, whose name is now for
the second time awakening so much conflict in the field
of theological discussion, is a descendant of John Hamp-
den, who received his death-wound on Chalgrove-field,
Oxfordshire, on the 18th of June, 1643, whilst fighting on
the parliamentary side.
Archdeacon Hare considers Dr. Hampden's publications
(especially the Bampton Lectures), on which the charge
of heresy rested, to be most sound and learned, and the
author one of the most able and thoughtful theologians
of the day. The Archdeacon is about to publish his opi-
nion and the reasons for it without delay.
At a meeting of the Archaeological Institute on the 3d
instant, Mr. R. Hussey communicated a plan of remains
of the Norman choir of Chester cathedral, brought to
light during recent restorations. Mr. Hussey remarked
I that the usual proportions of the earlier Norman struc-
tures lind there been observed, and that the eastern apse
was semi-circular. The plan also illustrated the form of
the present cathedral of Chester, as first built, but subse-
quently modified.
The Rev. Thomas Walker, vicar of Belfast, died on the
18th instant. He was well known in this town, and is
justly described as " earnest and yet unobtrusive in the
fulfilment of his pastoral duties, dignified and yet conci-
liatory in his walk and conversation, uniting the virtues
and zeal of God's ambassador with the kindly charities of
the Christian gentleman; and in a very difficult position
he so maintained the even tenor of his way as to give none
offence, while he maintained with inflexible integrity his
own cherished convictions. As a preacher, he was elo-
quent, impressive, and evangelical, a faithful pleader with
his people, a shepherd ever vigilant of his flock.
DR. HAMPDEN AND THE SEE OF HEREFORD.—The
Times says that the Bishop of Oxford, in consequence of
a formal charge of heterodoxy having been brought
against Dr. Hampden, by some clergyman of his lordship's
diocese, has intimated to the reverend gentleman that
proceedings must commence against him." The Morn-
ing Chronicle, in alluding to a report that some such step
was in contemplation, states that " the accusers are said
to be Dr. Pusey ; Mr. Sewell, of Exeter College ; Mr.
Marriott of Oriel College, the friend and advocate of Mr.
Macmullen, when he, though a Roman Catholic, sought
to compel a B.D. degree : and Mr. Mosely, of Oriel
College.".
SINGULAR CASE OF CHURCH PREFERMENT.—The
Bishop of London has instituted the Rev. Thomas Wall,
M.A., curate of Chiping Sodbury, near Bristol, to the
vicarage of Edgeware, under somewhat peculiar circum-
stances. Some time since the benefice became vacant by
the death of the Rev. T. Smart Hughes, 8.D., on which
occasion the patron, Dr. Lee, convened a meeting of the
inhabitants, and gave them the names of six clergymen,
with full permission to select one as the future vicar. At
the meeting of the vestry, theitev...l-L.-Ilere.yeimeoposed,
and Sir. S. Tootal zrt.onded, the appointment of Dr. Tat-
tam, Archdeacon of Bedford. William Phillimore, Esq.,
proposed, and F. Balmain, Esq., seconded the nomination

Of the Rev. Mr, Wall. For Eli% Tattam the votes were
28 ; for the Rev. Mr. Wall, 75. Mr. Wall was, therefore,
presented to the Bishop, and by him instituted to the

benefice

DEPARTURE OF THE BISHOP OF CAPE TOWN.-otl
Tuesday, the Bishop of Cape Town embarked on board
the Persia, on his way to the distant field of his labours.
The ship had been detained several days, both in the
Downs, and afterwards off Portsmouth, by adverse winds ;
but the weather clearing on the morning of the 20th, he
was summoned in haste from Gosport, where he had been
waiting the departure of the vessel. Several of his near

relations " accompanied him to the ship." and it was a
deeply interesting scene, when, as some of the crew were
shaking out the sails, and others labouring at the capstan,
the Bishop retired with his friends to his cabin to take
leave of them with prayer. Portions of the second lesson
for the morning service, (by a singular coincidence, the
95411 of +k.. A ^4,31 RIM., Senn A .

" kneeled down among them all and' prayed," he gave the
episcopal blessing. The bishop was accompanied by his
chaplains, the Rev. Hopkins Badnall, his late curate, and
the Honourable and Reverend Henry Douglas ; also by
his late churchwarden, a solicitor of considerable ability,
together with his wife, and several others destined here-
after for the office of catechists.

WHAT IS THE OFFENCE OF PREMUNIRE ?--It IS Con-
tempt of the Queen and her Government, and it is so
called, says Blackstone, from the words of a writ prepa-
ratory to the prosecution thereof. It is enacted by the
25th Henry. VIII., chap. 20, " that if the Dean and
Chapter refuse to elect the person named by the Sove-
reign, or any Archbishop or Bishop to confirm or conse-
crate him, they shall fall within the penalties of the sta-
tutes of prcemunire." The punishment for this offence
is thus stated by Coke—" That from the conviction, the
defendant shall be out of the King's protection. and his
lands and tenements, goods and chattels, forfeited to the
King; and that his body shall remain in prison at the
King's pleasure, or (as other authorities have it) during
life." So odious, says Coke, was this offence, that a man
that was attainted of it might have been slain by any
other man without danger of law; because it was pro-
vided by. law that any man might do to him as to the
King's enemy, and any man may lawfully kill an enemy.
If any Archbishop or Bishop be contemplating the com-
mission of this offence, it will be as well that he should
understand that it is no longer lawful for individuals or
the mob to inflict summary punishment. The statute
sth of Elizabeth, chap. 1, provides that it shall not be
lawful to kill any person attainted in a prcemunire, any
law, statute, opinion, or exposition of law to the contrary
notwithstanding. But still such delinquent, says Black-
stone, though protected as a part of the public from
public wrongs, can bring no action for any private injury,
how atrocious soever, being so far out of the protection
of the law that it will not guard his civil rights nor re-
medy any grievance which he as an individual may suffer.
And no man knowing him to be guilty can with safety
give him comfort.
MISMANAGEMENT OF ECCLESIASTICAL ESTATES.—AS
an instance of this, we may refer to the Paddington estate.
There, in the immediate neighbourhood of London, an
estate, formerly belonging to the dissolved monastery of
St. Peter's; Westminster, and consisting of more than 600
acres, was given by Henry VIII. to the Bishop of London
and his successors. Had that estate been properly ma-
naged, its revenues at the present time might probably
have amounted to more than £50,000 a-year, with the
prospedt of :an enormous increase. But it was a custom
more selfish than apostolic in its origin, to grant renewals
of the ancient lease from time to time, on payment of
heavy fines, which went into the private coffers of the
bishops. The result was, that in the year 1795, Bishop
Porteus found himself in possession of an estate producing
only £43 6s. Bd. a-year, but with the prospect of a fine
receivable for the renewal of the lease, as each of the
three lives for which it was granted, happened from time
to time to drop, and be supplied by a substitute. To show
how improvident was this arrangement, it may be added,
that between the years 1776 and 1795, no life had dropped,
and that £43 6s. Bd. a-year was all that this splendid es-
tate had, during that period, produced to the bishopric 1
In 1795, an act of parliament was obtained by Bishop
Porteus, for the better management of the Paddington
estate, and for the purpose of promoting building; but so
many difficulties occurred, that it was not till the year
1826 that another act of parliament encouraged builders to
proceed with confidence, and erect that magnificent pile of
houses which now overspreads the bishop's estate. It is
estimated that, on a moderate calculation, at the expira-
tion of the present leases, the houses now erected (2000 in
number) will be' worth at least £300,000 per annum.
What a revenue for a metropolitan bishopric ! How might
the destitution of Bethnal-green, Spitalfields, and Hor-
ton, be supplied out of the wealth of Hyde Park-gardens
andonly Wenetisttibeodurto one
-third
! But, alas ! the bishopric is
of the income of its own pro-
perty. The system of renewals and fines rendered it
impossible to deal with it advantageously, without a final
surrender of two-thirds of the whole estate to its lessees !
The rental is only about £20,000, and the bishop's present
income out of this estate probably under £7OOO. The
prospective revenue to the bishop is therefore only
£100,0430 instead of £300,000 a-year. We name this
as
an instance of past mismanagement, and of the evil of
permitting the wealth of the Church to be absorbed by its
own dignitaries. The same tale, in a modified form, might
probably be told of the Fulham estate, the Lambeth estate,
and other property, which the piety of individuals, or the
munificence of kings, designed for the instruction of the
people and the maintenance of the clergy.—Recood.