The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1848-08-08 00:00:00

HOUSE OF COMMONS.-TUESDAY.

The report from the committee on :Air. F. O'Connor's
National Land Scheme was brought up and read ; which
stated, among other words, that although the accounts
had been irregularly kept, it clearly appeared that there
was a sum of £3,298 due to Mr. O'Connor.
In answer to Sir B. Hall, Mr. F. O'CoNson. stated
that it was now left altogether to the promoters of the
society to decide whether they would wind up the affairs,
or apply for new powers.
_ Ater a conversation, in which Mr. HAYTIM said that

it had been proved in evidence the scheme was impracti-
cable, or would at least take 150 years to carry out, the
report was received.
Mr. LABOUCHERE intimated that it was his intention
to bring in two bills for the purpose of prohibiting the
importation of cattle when diseased.
Mr. S. WORTLEY, in answer to questions, stated that
he thought it very desirable the people at large should be
made acquainted with the fact that the intention was en-
tertained of bringing in a bill for altering the I.w with
respect to marriages within a certain degree of affinity,
which would have a retrospective as well as a prospective
effect.
Mr. HORSMAN moved a humble address to her Ma-
jesty, " praying that she will be pleased to take into her
consideration the whole condition of the Established
Church as regards its temporalities • that she will direct
an enquiry to be made into the full value of all church
property under lease, and cause such measures to be pre-
pared as may make the revenues of the church more con-
ducive-to the religious teaching of the people." He said
that our national church as established bylaw existed for
- one purpose only, the spiritual and religious instruction
of the lowest orders. Everything that tended to secure
that object should be enlarged and strengthened, whilst
.everything that obstructed it should be ruthlessly hipped
away. Of all the ecclesiastical institutions in Europe,
the Established Church of England was the only one
which remained unimpaired in all its grandeur. He then
entered into a history of its temporalities, stating that he
had confined his motion entirely to them, as they were
matters with which Parliament could most easily deal,
and to which it could most easily apply a remedy. The
revenues of the English church amounted to £4,500,000
at the lowest calculation, and might be estimated, without
fear of exaggeration, at £5,000,000. He showed that,
though such was its income, its parochial ministers were
most inadequately and irregularly paid, and that in no
other church were there so many clergymen living in so
much affluence and in so much indigence, so distinguished
for learning and ignorance, gifted with so much piety, and
yet existing amid such heathenism. He then referred to
his former statements respecting the episcopal revenues
and the revenues of deans and, chapters, and lamented
that the estates of both should be managed under a sys.
tem of fines and leases, which in every point of view was
a most unprofitable system. NO one who had not thci-
ronghly considered the subject could have any idea of the
value of the estates in possession of the church, which
were now let on leases. Mr. Finlayson had proved that
the fines received on those leases amounted to £1,400,-000
a-year ; and the lessees, acting on that calculation, had
estimated the value of the estates leased to them at
£36,000,000. He then estimated the value of those es-
tates, first, under the supposition that all the leases were
allowed to run out ; and, secondly, under the supposition
that the reversions of them were sold. In the first case
he showed that the church would come into possession of
£1,400,000, and that in the latter it would have an addi-
tional income at once of £500,000 according to the lowest,
and of £1,500,000 according to the highest estimate. He
then adverted to the condition of the parochial clergy,
and quoted the preamble of an act of Charles 11., in
which it was declared that every clergyman should have
an adequate residence in his pariah, and a oloar income of
at least £BO a-year. Now, how was that declaration ob-
served in our day ? Were all the resident clergymen
adequately paid ? Had every clergymen an adequate re-
sidence, and had they only one benefice ? Quite the re-
verse. Out of 10,000 parishes in England and Wales,
3,454 were hell in plurality, and nearly two-thirds of the
'whole number of benefices produced to their incumbents
less than £3OO a-year. Thus the population was de-
frauded of the provision for religious instruction which
the piety of former ages had provided for it. It was la-
mentable that in 6,800 parishes the majority of our clergy
had much less than £3OO a-year ; and he now declared
that he would never rest till their incomes were raised at
least to that amount. Lord J. Russell had already given
his assent to his suggestions on the episcopal revenues,
on the fusion of the episcopal and common fund, and on
the revenues of our deans and chapters; and such being
the case, his lordship could have little reason for objecting
to his motion of that evening. It was the same inquiry
which Lord J. Russell had imperfectly carried out ten
years ago, and which he hoped that he would complete
now. All parties were anxious for it; and he therefore
implored the government to institute it during the recess.
' Sir E. 11. BUXTON seconded the motion.

Lord J. RUSSELL admitted, in the ccurse of his speech
in reply, that the subject was one well worthy of conside-
ration, but expressed his hope that the hon. mover would
not press his motion, as the effect of it might be if car-
ried, to place the crown in the position of being liable to
sustain a refusal to obey its precepts on the part of any
.clergyman or bishop.
After a discussion, in which Sir IL Inglis, Mr. W. P.
Wood, Mr. Goulburn, and Mr. Frewen took part, Mr.
Horsman yielded to the suggestion of the noble lord, and
the motion was withdrawn.

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