The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1851-05-20 00:00:00

CLERICAL INTELLIGENCE,

The sum of £324155. 10d. has this week been collected
at the annual services at Hull, on behalf of the Church
Missionary Society. Though the sum is very large, it is
£7O. 6s. 7d. less than was collected last year.

The Rev. Philip Blends, Perpetual Curate of St. Martin
at Oak, Norwich, has been preaching at the Unitarian
Chapel, in that city, and has published his sermon, with
a preface, vindicating his conduct. No steps have yet
been taken ag inst him by the Bishop of Norwich.
SEQUESTERED DINEFICES.—A bill has been brought
into parliament to amend the law relating to the seques-
tration of benefices for debt. If a benefice is sequestrated
under the existing law, the bishop of the diocese has not
power to set apart more than £2OO a year for the payment
of curates to discharge the ministerial duties. From a
return which was made to parliament last year it appears
that several cases of sequestration have taken place since
the passing of the last act of parliament, and some of
these livings are of considerable value with several
churches. The bill provides that in all cases where a be-
nefice which exceeds £4OO a year in value shall hereafter
be put under sequestration for the debts of any incumbent,
the bishop of the diocese may, if he thinks proper, deduct
one half the income for the payment of a curate or curates
to discharge the spiritual duties connectedwith the parish.
Co viten PASTORAL. AID SOCIETY.—The annual meet-
ing of this society was held on Tuesday in Exeter-hall,
Lord Ashley in the chair. The chairman said, that of all
the annual meetings held in that hall he regarded this as
the most important, as it directly affected the interests of
the Established Church and the religious welfare of our
home population. It was founded to support the paro-
chial system—a system now so indifferently carried out.
and yet the only one which could he devised to reach di-
rectly the overgrown population of the metropolitan pa-
rishes. Without a house-going minister they could not
have a church-going population ; and yet how was it pos-
sible for one man evtli to give a semblance to the paro-
chial visiting system in a parish of 40,000 or 50,000 inha-
bitants ? It was to render assistance to men who were
now struggling to perform this herculean labour that this
society was founded, and he trusted that, knowing its
purposes, they would unhesitatingly support it. The re-
port stated that the proceedings of the society during the
past year yielded to none in former years in point of ex-
tent, interest, and success. There were now 37 more
grants than there were at this period last year, making the
total number 407—the largest number ever on the list of
the society. The grants of the society were thus distri-
buted :-270 additional curates for populous parishes, two
chaplains for boatmen and mariners, 27 incumbents or
ministers, whose incomes were furnished in whola or part
by the society ; 106 lay assistants for parishes, and two
lay assistants for railway labourers or mariners ; giving a
total of 299 clergymen and 108 lay assistants. The aid of
the society was now extended to 332 incumbents, in
charge of an aggregate population giving 7,264 souls to
each. The average income of these incumbents was only
£2Ol yearly, and 178 were without parsonage-houses.
Through the operations of this society 562 additional Sun-
day services were established, as also 254 week-day ser-
vices, 340 school-room and cottage lectures, and 256 Bible
classes. The grants of the society had led to the erection,
opening, or keeping open of 149 churches or chapels, and
in districts now receiving the society's aid 164 rooms were
licensed for divine service. The receipts during the year
amounted to £31,595 7s. 4d., exceeding the income of the
previous year by £735 2s. sd. ; this increase arose from
the returns made by associations. The expenditure for
the year amounted to £30,000 9s. 10d., exceeding that of
the previous year by £1,051 13s. 10d. The committee
concluded their report by urging upon their friends a
continuance of their assistance.

COURT AND FASHION,

THE QUEEN'S DRAWING-ROOM,

The Queen held a Drawing-room on Thursday, in St.
James's Palace. Her Majesty and Prince Albert arrived
from Buckingham Palace escorted by a detachment of the
Lire Guards.

The Prince and Princess of Prussia were present, at-
tended by the Countess A. de Hacke, Countess Louise
Oriolla, and the gentlemen of their suite.

LADIES' DRESSES.
HER MAJESTY.
A train of blue watered silk, brocaded with gold, trimmed
with blue ribbon and tulle, and ornamented with diamonds;
the petticoat was of white satin, trimmed with tulle and white
ribbon, and also ornamented with diamonds. Head-dress,
diamonds and feathers.

DUCHESS OF BEDFORD,

Train of black tulle, embroidered i silver, over black satin ;
petticoats of tulle, embroidered in silver, over satin. Head-
dress, feathers and lace lappets; ornaments, diamonds.

DUCHESS OF SOMERSET

Costume du cour, composed of a train of white moire Go-
thique, brocaded with bouquets of white lilacs, lined with
white satin, very elegantly trimmed with blonde, pearls, and
agraffes of white anti lilac marabouts and pearls ,• corsage and
sleeves a la Louis XV., with rich embroidered blonde ; splen-
did stomacher of diamonds and pearls; skirts of white tulle
and blonde flounces over rich white satin, with bouquets of
white and lilac marabouts and agraffes of diamonds and pearls,
the complete toilette being rich and most distingu6. Coiffure
of ostrich feathers, blonde lappets, and magnificent tiara of
diamonds.