The Statesman.
London, England, 1820-05-13 00:00:00

IMPERIAL PA

HOUSE OF LORDS, Former, MAT 12.

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The House proceeded IsAppeals.
The oaths were acissiastered to the Dube of Som..
set ; the Earls of Ruffin, Aylesford, mad tiosibrd ;
the Bishop of Cloyneoma Lord tiray.
The Insolvent Debters'Continance Bill was brought
tip from the House of Commims by Mr. Clive, and
other Heathen. .
Mr. Mason, from the Rut India House, presented
Resolutions of the Court of lilrectors, respecting pen-
'sloas, salaries, he..—Ordered to lie upon the table.
Ciro. LIST.—The Martina of LANSDOIVN moved
ler an account of the salaries, pensions, and allowances
So foreign Ministers daring the last ten years, (Bolo-
•plieing each year. His Lordship said, his motive
ht sieving for this paper was to show the fluctuation
that bad taken place, and that most unavoidably take
Thee in this class of expenditure, and thereirste to
-dim the expediency of separating it from tbitiother
Wenches immediately connected with the Royal House-
/odd. Whilst upon this point, he wished to cornet a
misauderstanding which had got/broad of what be
had recently said. He had been ssppsed to have
stated that the classes of expenditure connected with
the Royal Honeekold should be subjected to sassual
estimates, which should be laid be ore Parliament.
MW however never silk tor ever lateaded to say, that
atae of she seanniftgre in the department/4 of the
Z amnia al Led Chambetlain, sod other d•-
porisimili gated with the Royal /household,
Ali j>l MI bolos Foamiest • ea the contnehise
thought soh a glimosselog maid be very ionisation
with the dignity of the Crowd. It was betides nese-
onsary, as it was always in the power of the proper
Winn in those departments, by taking the inner
itirpendiotre of several years, to replete sufficiently II
each year the expenditure of those departments, with-
bet any material hesitation. What he wished was,
that' time toasts, such as the class of Imago
Mbielato, met inwcoiciably be subject to foe-
Inetisem aboold be• separated from the departments
womootted with the Royal Household, and he was sa
ddled k wonid be found for the interest of the Crown.l
of the public serving, if **eh a soginb•l
phiee.--Tho swerlon was ap reed to.
Fen Beriivion, ke.---The Berl at
I ibr a stateineatof the prosecutions
Parliameit pawed since the let a
His Lordship said hives ibodesitai
this metims, het the porpoise sf
late reetrietive mean re. were wholly
laws of the 'ALS Wog folly odes

Is;wolf*, bid sdil gatthllid to issinttersign
his Metionnlay: the Her. and Witted Prelate stats
tat be was not bound to as• ign a mason for his MP
final. hut in caddonr and fairness he did, and the res.
attn alleged was, that the petitioner had said at the
etunti meeting. that nine-tenth. of the Clergy of Bar
laod stshecribept to she 39 artitles without believinf
theist, particularly the St% article. expressing a belief
in the damnable ;loctrines tf the Athanasign.Creed.:—.-
Wish record to the word damnable. his Lordship ob-
served that It was mach More probable that the word,
datirnatory *as aged, which, in Cot. more strictly ap•
plied then the word damnable. His Lordship, wiik
great eloquence (we lament the' necessity of giving a
Yore outline of his speech), proceeded to iniMadrert
ellen the hardship of the ease of the petitioner, who,
thus plepriitid of all prolseet of advancement in his
profeasioa. Mks also bereft of all legal redrels; for al-
though, if a dioemed refused to institute a Clergy-
man in his own diocese, he might be compelled by
another tribunal to assign a reason for such refusal,
upon the competency of which such other t•ihnnal
might decide—yet is the case of a dioe.san re-
fusing to countersign the testimonials of a Clergyman
in his diocese, with a view lb the preferment of such
Clergyinan in another diocese, there was nu legal means
of compelling the dioc.:..in either to assign a reason
for sash refusal, or to countersign the trials Onials.
Zither the coispulsory means ought to the same
le the Cale he had just stated, as in the other case, or
the

refusal of the diocesan to conntersign testimoNiials
ought to be held as no bat to theClergyntan obteining
preferment in another diocese. His Loillship, after
showiag, from the testimony of different persons, in-
cluding the petitioner himself, that he did not ise the
words imputed to him in the sense ascribed to them,
and a great cause of complaint watt,tbet the petitioner
had not beak allowed td explain the expression he had
actually used, nor bad the names of the parties been
given to hint whet-give the information to the Bishop.
It was surely hardly Air towat.hi Mr. Joni• to deprive
king of all means of advincenient in his profession, for
a disputed expression respecting the A thaoalian Creed,
when men of high eulinence In the detach had been
1111 little tender of that Creed. It was well knows,
riblt in the scheme of comprehension in 1891, it sat
"writhed to give up that Creed-, that Tillotson slid
Tennison were little disposed to support it, the firmer
baling observed, in a letter which had been published,
It were well if we were well rid of it," meaning the
Attaassian Cteett There was also ilisbop Bernet,
who, towards the conclusion of the bietoty of Isis owls
times, had sot scrupled to say. that sixty out of every
hundred of the Clerey eabscribed the 'ikitty-wine Ar•
delft, who did not in4lete thew, and the net beim,
Idle, anat. There was likewise Arrbdeacot Palsy, a
valuable ornament of the Chinch Establishment, *bo
e; scrupled to expels a very free opinion res.
the Athauasian Creed. Bat kf reports tILs
. against this unfortunate Clergyman, were to tie
acrid apes. what might a‘t be said of the Nev. and
I tweed Prolate himself ? reheadary blinds, of the'
'now of Exeter, her* Bet steepled to auvet la a
pamphlet, pabßehed by Ms (in whieb Pr shekel
parties), that tins Rev. end Le sal Peelle' had herb'
•d, that the friars Repeat, over phloem Sovereign:, ha*.
1-...ted to lain. ‘tia. cf tip! Closet), the if the Iwo

iiiiiit ollallietil thl ea. ile adn;itted the bete Of kit
'ordhaellea, U Ike tailing Of the pablie abolidv.• al
'the petitiomer bad described, though be was sarpthed
to hear it stated, that be had refused to
smite any in-
quiry into the ease. The Reverend Gentlesnai bad
been presented to two heists, which, by the way, be
was only to have occupied fir seven years. He bad
applied to him to sip hie testimonials, aid it wig the
biseariable practical. when 'a clerk wee appoiated ia a '
Alkieree, thrust atom that le which he bad before .
4efikiated, so bring with him teetiMeidall Aped by
' three Clergymen, and resetersigied by the Bishop of
the diocese in which he resided. • He (the ilislop of
Exeter) had distinctly told the petitioner, when he '
applied to him, that be ham his opidiede ve•pectieg
1 the Catholic question; that be billeted Hail' se be
' sincere ; and that be hit be had nothing is tad with ••
his opinions spun that subject. At the wise time be
expressed a hope that he Might Meet With the bates •
indulgence from him allich he wee hertehdy. most •
willing to extend towards him. AO be he could '
net aeoid alluding to that part of the Noble Lotilis
speech, in which he shppesed that the line Of ember '
which he felt it his duty to adopt would have the of
of prevedtiag the Clergy front 'seething their third
free will on teat particular subjeet: He hod presided
is the same diocese 13 years, and be would appeal ti
the Clergy, as the best answer di etch a 'Ringside,:
whether lie hid ever Attempted to couttiall them. lb •
had distinctly disclaimed acting gp any such cravat
to the 'Rev. ttentleinan himself, aid he disclaimed * .._;
again before their Lordship. He thought lie was ststr*
bound to assign any reason le /the ma be
de be had ?!
it his ditty to adopt, beaus* a diedilivairy pine •
was tested in his., which he had Wieteised to the halt '
of his jndgent. It *at true that he might eft t bhp '
it be did, it irks the faith Of his bead, sill alit bit '
heart. As to the charge of having refused to invent:
ph, be could state, that so far item that wig as ' 4
case, be had taken the utmost paint to ialimitishieelt • '
He had received written letters, it was true: tail if
they were eat attended to, it was beta*. sliet with
Only orte eteeption, the writers wets et hikihthe to •
him. • He had received other letters Mai those he .
e haw, which corroborated what h been Mated to Mit •
.thileyawa ; and it wait a • Lie het, flat 164
theist. Clergyakis who had si the hotline:defy, se; '
sand hire afterwArth that bad so klittlrfear ttr
the waiter when they MEW their simeatores, aid that
they wk re now delimit° withdfave them ; so
_teal the
14110111ioalah would base fillet
hill 11 he N We Lied enal
the feetinsovials a neerilendin
Hose w ,o aped them, '.
'o* the tad vidmil vela peeps
tuition, aml east, if be ad as
le became a party to as set 4
science, be could not were.
•hat the party, if unjustly
of redeem ; bet he would beg
remedy is the Courts below.
Grow tirades mate tt da more
Rouse; bat be lehrved it so
Lori bud thought it strange
Peeved tie helm this batik

Y km ire* allowe3
was *cm a WV:ltt Of feting

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•

petiticner !Pad stated that be (the Bishop of Exe-
, ter) infernwA he might refuse to countersign the
testimottlitir without adopting any inquiry: to that hr
would irply, that he had never said any such thing,
Oir.-Aly or indirectly. Had he been enough
soliay so, his conduct would prove that he tilt the re- ,
terse; far he did Proceed to i.uptiry ; and it was not
too mire to assiert, tEil the inveetig&iimi Writes:6*Oct].
I.:ns three sreeks. The remit of the invirstigation
Laving confirmed the first acconnts he bad heard, it
was in the exercise of a painful duty that be refused
the application, and adopted that course which formed
the subject of the petition now before their Lordships.
Lord ERSKINE gave credit to the Right lice.
Lord for the purity of his intentions, though he thought
h.s conduct in the present instance was properly brought
coder the view of the House. The mauwrr in which
those testimonials were conducted was familiar to all.
He believed no one would contradict him, when hr
•tated that they generally ran in the following words:
" We, the undersigned, do testify, that we personally
know - for the last three years, that we believe
him to be a person of moral conduct, anal that he dons
not maintain any doctrines contrary to those of the
Choral of England." But it frequently happened that
a Clergyman was promoted, who did not know three
Clergymen is the diocese. A son of his own had been
in twit situation, bat the signature of one being pro-
cured, the Archbishop of Canterbury signified that hr
was worthy of credit; the Bishop of Chichester dial
the same, though they knew nothing of his son, and
time the difficulty was got over. Ile would admit, that
if a Might Kee. Prelate knew any thing disadvantage-
imp to the personal character of the individual, he was

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not only justified in Oil signing the testi 44444 Mal, but
bound not to sign it. Every man had a right so to
conduct himself in this world, as to preserve his gene-
ral character, and if he lost it be must take the conse-
quence. Bat if, as in the presentcase, an inquiry was
set on foot, not as to the general character, but a par-
tie.alar fact, such as the one before them, and that on
the ground of that fact the Bishop should refuse to
sign, he would take the liberty to say, that such con-
dott must prove unsatisfactory to the House. Ile
woeld ask, why did not the Rev. Prelate go into the
Spiritual Court, where the petitioner would have bad
so opportunity of defending himself ?—(ltear, hear:)
--fiVoald the Rev. Prelate undertake to say, that those
from whom he derived his information were present
daring the whole of the speech, for nothing could be
mere unfair than to judge from basing heard a part
only? The Bishops of England had always acted in
a manner which rodected dignity on their characters,
and nothing could be more painful to hint than that it
should go forth to the world that a Bishop had refused
modest a testimonial, net on the ground of general
character, but on a reseat fact which did not implicate
that character. Something he thought might be done
by their Lordships in this case ; for be agreed with
hie Rale Friend that the idea of going to law with
the Beach of Bishops was not within the humble
mean of a Curate.—(Hear')
The LORD CHANCELLOR &leaded the power of
hteplafht BM. Prelate to sat as be had dear. He appre-
that it was a most scrims duty incumbent on
the Clomp and the Bishops to inquire into the chant,
Ulft of the person whose testhnoulah they were required
to irls°. sad maintained that the Bishops ought not to
be.satialled with the signatures of the Clergy, to the
exclusion of their own jadnment and opinions. It had
been stated that the individual was too poor to go to
law with the Bench of Bishops ; but if every man who
had that plea was to have remits, to Parliament, the
impiness of their Lordships would soon accumulate.
If* objection of his Noble Friends was against the
law gait stood, they should proceed by bringing in a
Bill. which the House would have an opportunity-of
diamtieleg; bat even is that case he would beg ef
than, before they consinted to any enactment, to cuss
alder what was the duty of Clergymen and Bishops in
signing and ;countersigning testimonials. He was in-
ivosit to think that they had not enough before them
to justify the adoption of any Immure by Parliament,
for It was not a Angle case tbaj mold justify them in
alimelog any change in the Ecclesiastical Constitution
of the country.
The 'Sari of CARNARVON said, that the present
was sot a mere personal question, but one of greet
prietical and. (moral importance. It was with pain
he, had heard melt a question ars treated I fur, up to
that moment, the Right Reverend Prelate had not as-
signed a Aegis reason for the conduct he thought
proper to pantie. By refusing to countersign the tea-
Unreels!. he had taken away the character and de-
stroyed the hopes of an ladividual, who might, after
Of turn out to be 'filament of the charge. He had
doserasore ; he had stated what he should have thought
tho so public functionary would have dared to state
in II(s country, that he held a discretion affecting the
clamours and hopes of individuals, and the rights
mail properties of patrons, which he was empowered to
minim without assigning any reason. To that state-
lien's Isoornaliktgltbeet meaning any pommel diem-
spool to the Right Reieread ?relit') give the broadest
and most unqualified contradiction. The Right Rev.
Prelate bad said, that he did not procesel without in-
quiry. Sat low did he inquire ? Among those he
kat', among his own friesda and neighbours, theagh
he was aware that the words Imputed arose out of a
aubeet upon which the minds of men were heated,
sod
upon which his own neighbours were as liable to
be lammed as others. The petitioner bad witnesses
up!' his side. DM the Reverend Prelate examine
titers? Did he jati lt from a comparison of evidence?
Net he proceeded an Inquisitor, to take evi-
dence in the dark, by his own selection. and
retdied eves a heeds; so the acensed.—(Hear,-bear!)
It kyl.lreas. stated 04 the three attesting Clergymen
weds willing to withitaw their testimonial, but it was
ifter the ilea Rev. Prelate bad refused to sign, that
they Clargyinen had intimated their intention. As
to the ry clauses of the Athanasian treed, he
had bald men the Right Reverend Bishop himself
iiipolato
sag' to approved if them. If be did approm of
ik perhaps he, might think himself a geed
em astir. Church or Ragland, he would say that
ha' . ' itue a Christian.—(Hear !)--His Lordship next
via .11. sage from the writings of the Bishop of
be
lava
'which he regrets that such clauses shills!
la any lutes, cosapositiop. . Yet this poor
man *alto lie rue 341 3/ haring been charged wrath
earwming the sag 4 : t. meet in different language.