The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1844-07-16 00:00:00

CLERICAL AEW.s.

The Bishop of Chesterhvs licensed a place of worship
on the winch les of ti e Established Clutch in the viliage
of Oxton. The Rev. Joshua King and his nephew will
officiate until t minister is appon,ted.

CHURCH EXTENSION.—A supolem ent to the London
Gazette, published on Finlay night, cent:rips an an-
nouncement that the Ecclesh.stical Conm'ssioners for
England have, in virtue of powers intrusted to them by
Parliament, prepared a scheme, which is explained at
great length, for constituting a separate district for spiri-
tual purposes in each of the
parishes of Astbury and
Prestbuty, in the county and diocess of Chester. Seve-
ral other places are named. in a hick it is proposed that
separate districts of this kind should be constituted.
FALL OF THE TOWER OF HALLSTEAD NEW CT-react'.
—On Wednesday afiernm n last, the be antifil tower a, d
steeple of this chur. h, (width was to have been eouse-
, crated on the 31st instant,) which had been completed to
a height of 115 feet, till with an awful crash, w ilia must
have bren heard tor miles round.. The first impression
was, that all the labourers wi re tit neath the ruins, and
the shrieks end screams of the women aid thlliti en were
dreadful. It was a most 1.10% ideutial interposition that
such was rot tt e case. It appears that Mr. Johnstone,
the builder actually saw the towr r sinking. and I e imme-
diately ordered the workmen off, when the tower. fell
s'arilriwo'labourer4 Were 'their upon the scaff Id, one of
whom is severely injured, but it is hoped may ultimately
recover; the other is con paratively hut sl ghtly hurt.
The Bev. Archdeacon Burial and G. Syerlieg, Esq.. ex-
perienced a very narrow etc re, as did also Mr. and Mrs.
Arden, who were in tie body of the church at the time of
the accident, 'a portion of the ruins falling into that .r.rt
of the structure. The church itselt has received btit little
injury.
LECTURERS AND PARISH CLERKS., -A bill has been
recently passed by the 'House it' .Lord', and Irotight
down to the Low( r Chamber, entitled "An Act for bet
ter regulating the Offices of Lecturers and Parish Cie' ks."
It hi.s been, we believe, already'read mfirstliine in 'the.
House of Commons. The preamble recites thefact than
are now in dives parishes, &r., certainleettireis or
preachers elected to deliver or prea, h turesbe settvidow
only, without.the obligation 'of tjt'tforming other clerical
or ministerial duties, and declares 0-tit it is "expedient"
that, in many cases, such lecturers should be required to,
perform other clerical' duties, arid act, if necessary, as
assistant-curates-imsuch parishes, &c. We need-hardly
sta'e that the enactments are in strict accordance with, the
requirements of the preamble. Lecturers or 'preachers
(so called) may be required by the bishop of the ditieese
to perform such other clerical or ministerial duties as the
bishop, ac ing in conjunction with .the incumbent of the
palish, may think fit, under pain of suspension or re-
moval. An appeal may be made to the archbishop of the
province within fourteen days. This enactment, how-
ever, is not to affet t or be deemed at pl;calle to any lec-
turer appointed prior to the passing of this act, unless
such lecturer shall consent to be bound thereby. Power
is given to the rectors or incumbents of parishes by the
second clause to fill up vacancies occurring in the office
of church or parish clerk, by the appointment of persons
in the holy orders of deacon or priest of the united Church
of England and Ireland, such persons to act as assistant-
curates if required. The appointments of assistant-clergy
•under this act are not to exempt incumbents (now liable)
from the duty of providing curates. Power is given to
archdeacons and other ordinaries to remove sucks parish
clerks, not in holy orders, as may be guilty of misbehavi-
our or neglect of duty.