The Statesman.
London, England, 1823-03-05 00:00:00

viency. Heels°hd bird!, tefrain from a sante at such
laagusee—(a laugh)—the independence of the Church.
_cold they be serious; because surely they,.of every
class in the State, were avowedly the most servile. H•
was not, indeed, surprised at the assnranee with which
they put forth such language, because he was aware how
frequently assurance carried many people through the
world.—(A laugh)—Neither was he surprised at the
toile of an hon. gentleman opposite, because he suppos-
e I the' would by and by have an opportunity of seeing how
fir his assurance carried him. He contended it was the duty
of the State only, and not the Clergy, to look to the
situation of the successors. If it was proposed to inter-
fere with any of the rights of the existing possessors of
Church property, they 'night then be justified in their
opposition, hut upon no uth. r ground. The clergy
ought not to be so hosile to the principle of commuta-
tion, for a precedent aheady existed which affected the
most illustrious Personage in the Sate. Ilad nut his
Mak s. ty's territorial roperty been commuted to a
mowed equivalent?—(hear, hear !)—and then with what
justice could the clergy complain against a similar mea-
sure ? If they have any other olijections, let them advance
them; but as to the objection that by bring paid in
money they would be exposed to the tempta•ion of be-
coming subservient and servile ; as to that lie confessed
lie was w iLing to take the chance, because he believed
they could not be worse than they were at present.
When have they not been the most subservient, when-
ever any thing was to be gained by subserviency? He
had no objection to lee the clergy enjoying a full and
ample remuneration proportioned to their services—a
remuneration which, while it would secure to them
every comfort, would constrain them to perform all the
sacred duties of religion with credit to them.elves
and advantage to the public. lie had now sated
all the points which occurred to him in his view
of the subject. He had endeavoured to show
them what the Church was, and how it was constituted,
the income which it po-sesseil, and time duties which it
bad to perform, and that income was infinitely too great
in proportion to the thrit•s to be performed, and there-
fore ought to be reduced. He also endeavoured to show
that such • a system of things induced them to elevate
themselves above their proper level, and intermingle in
what did not concern them, instead of adopting, in prac-
tice as well as theory, the divine precepts of the founder
of that reeigiol, of which they professed to be the Minis-
ters, sch t, in maciu,,ie his own life the example by which
they wu re to he guiaed, abstained from luxury and ex-
travagance. He also endeavoured to show that there
were many valuable Members of that body who were
nut sufficiently tewarded for their services, while there
were many beneficed resislmts who did not attend to
their ditties, and others who were not resident at all.
• He would here also show the evils of the tithe system.
hat it was not necessary for him to go into that part of
the subject, as the house already aoinitted the existence
of those evils. If time house-followed him, be thought he
Lad shown satisfactorily the necessi•y of a•lopting the
Resolutions with ..vhich he would conclude. After the