The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1843-05-09 00:00:00

TO CORRESPONDENTS.

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Ebt Eiberpool &tanlati3.

TUESDAY MORNING, MAY 9, 1843'

We were prepared to see the government measure,
announced by Sir Robert Peel, fall short of that wine
we have been in the habit of advocating as a measure
for " Church Extension." We were prepared, accord-
ing
to the declaration of the right honourable baronet,
made a few weeks ago, to find that the aid of the stalet
would be confined strictly to the endowment of
tional ministers in popular districts, leaving the pro'
viding of churches to the voluntary efforts of church;
men. It will be seen, however, from the exposition 0'
the views of government by Sir Robert Peel on FridaY,
evening, that the boon accorded, under the name ei`t
Church Extension, does not reach even thus far.
stops short of the recognition, by Parliament, of t'L.
1.1
principle that it is the imperative duty of the state
provide for the spiritual education of the people; 1;r
proposes to afford no precedent for future and better
days, and is no more in effect—so far, at all events' a
regards its principle—than an extension of the hitherto
limited powers of the Ecclesiastical Commission.
0.1
An explanation of the plan of Sir Robert Peel '
best illustrate this position. The Ecclesiastical Co
mission, it will be remembered,"was established WItL.,
power, out of the surplus revenues of the Church-7
the suppression of canonries, prebendal stalls, aineetit;
or quasi sinecure rectories, &c.)—to provide for
adequate payment of a certain ill-remunerated Portle
of the parochial clergy. Against the propriety of sttlh c;
is
a work there can be few to except ; and uP ,as
time it will be found that considerable progress
inadequacyP
been made in the removal of the glaring
clergy'of the provision for the maintenance of the
in many districts of the country. The most Pressil
evil, however, complained of by the advocates
Church Extension, was to be found in the more POthe
lous manufacturing districts, where it .was not
mere act of increasing the remuneration of the existing
oor
clergy which was required—not the providing of Pods
livings of £3O to £4O per annum, with additional filth,
—but the erection of additional churches, 2.11t1; tog
endowment of additional livings, where the ex's,rhe
means of religious instruction were inadequate' • e to
Ecclesiastical Commissioners contemplated .iesficicts
the working parochial clergy • the Church Extensie"
contemplated justice to the people! diP
For the latter object the accruing means 3t t IVY
posal of the Commissioners were inadequate' fiatioll
could effect nothing beyond a gradual aPr°Pri- the
of their funds to the purposes contemplated. -;),
iii
measure now proposed, however, the rueel:irii: coo'
their hands is rendered presently effective• g re-
templated to enable them to forestal their acerul 'loan
venue, to the amount of £600,000, to be, talre,i/Avoted,
from the Queen Anne's Bounty Fund, autt..l"-: n g.of
at the rate of £30,000 per annum, to the Prev"-ivbere
additional ministers in those populous districts dby
spiritual destitution most prevails. It is calculaitoer re
the Premier that, with this aid from the state `-.0 be
ther from the Church itself) private efforts-Iliburch
sufficiently powerful and active to proVide „,.
Fill
accommodation ; and that at all events stiffiele-oore
be
effected to serve as an encouragement of sby the
direct effort, at some future period, to be Made

state. ro.
We are quite willing to admit the value °l' tile cif
s.s
posed measure as far as it goes, and the soundnep
dor
so me of its details; nay, we are ready to ace°r Still
he arty thanks to government in return for it' 0 be
II
cannot but see its insufficiency for the evil '• `Pith
grappled with, and one serious injury, at least to a
which it is pregnant. It provides, certain'Y' °Fir
limited extent, for the destitution of the denselYl:ll the
fatedand wealthy manufacturing districts; butnirove'
meantimetn what becomes of the progressive itnro th°
ent which the Commissioners were effecting s
, jiittictP
It condition of the clergy in the neglected rural —*over,
applies an insufficient remedy for the giant with'
which the state alone was capable of graPPling t pre.
but in the meantime—so far at least as we C3lll °.aveg 3
sent understand of its proposed working--it 'deer
hundred
minor sores to fester and irritate into ,c 0 (10°
seated wounds. In short, it sacrifices the ittsti.ch the
to the working clergy—the sole plea by wl lof her
Church was induced to consent to the diversi°l3. narcis
revenues—to, what we fear we must call, the IngY
liness of the state. " 0136°P
It is with pain that, in the degree of our e'ti whose
ti
it
the
ise avcfuu,
ofo this bill, we are compelled to differ from sonlei ,es to
vrellions we value. We cannot bring °tile KJ' ptede
ht:Vuhdliotirl
to r satisfactionesortto thtlltee
afefreeliandgy_which has pr,-',OO 0,
insufficient ir'tiviz to
•schaittstleilfe
dfoisrpaoisda,i inofstetiaide
sotfaat
et, ouncheo rs eensaneile....,it inssi
to provide for the spiritual wants of the r-lort
course in which he would have received the stiitemittg.
the. majority of Parliament, and of an orerit,, , stlin
majority of the people. Sir Robert says thatch, fig 311
chua ore,
appropriated from the revenues of the
encouragement to voluntary contributions, 'au,„ils, s'lla
SUM also derived front individual contributli- to
prove of greater service than a sum reincloat4 of Ole
by the house, and reluctantly paid by a portianed 011
people." We believe Sir Robert inisinforrnie, boo'
peo,Potiooos
respect to the alleged " reluctance" of the
.ever it may be with respect to the House °f
which Cog he tli.e
itself. Noise and clamour, such as that by ttacited,
educational measure of government has heell 31-ttureitic?
say that for every ten men who
is not the voice of the people ; and we dare ivewitil t'-'l5
timid and hesitating half assertion of a great•taio '`.lll
Great 13r1 !peat °
ple, there arc a hundred throughout ee- 'es'
would have •
hailed with delight the ann° od etli oy
a measure, which promised more proroPtlY tiviversa ,
ciously to probe to the root of an evil, s° lit teat
hiar
admitted as is that of the want of sPiritua A
for the manufacturing masses. sv 3 '3llO
We would not for a moment seem to thiriare6pect ,
upon the expectations of governMent, wit d by, volt.liust
will be aidie -ore tr; $
the extent to which their plan are pleasea .
Priocio,
tary contributions on the part of the penP'e. but it Ifor
that it will be so aided, and liberally t°°, ;is hope rs,
little ungracious in the Premier to build il few
set(
the future upon the exertions of the past
such eS of
when a return so insufficient is held out for. .atoher,,ol
tions. According to his own statistics tllres"froin 1. ,lit
new churches consecrated in the eighty e,a the e4'ce,
to 1808 was 20 only ; the niunbe;:i
e::igto
iodoefitbide
years from 1835 to 1842 was 5.'51
it is true, of a vast amount of energy adlledecie rnighstsl'illi
moved in the great work ;
Part of churchmen. They have inh fear tbeYbiog
but
be inclined now to require from
the a
„two
more than this flattering pat on toe
,spseci' die
we
mthtlecstate 5,°,119: ""le3 t,l:
them by the minister. The bulk of these c" very 7
be it remembered, have taken place inelcille to officot' ell
tricts which his present measure is proll°,s,oy are,
os,ej,
and how vastly insufficient in number -i'! reo oi)
e, " -
we look at the amount of destitution t° bet
.1! Wil°ll3.
we need not say but have not tlio
;