The semi-weekly messenger., 1907-10-25
BISHOPS PALACES.
With the Secret Yealniag for Sim,
nler LGfs.

The bishops would like to set the ex-
ample OF the simple life. They have
large salaries and palatial homes are
PROVIDED for them, but they do not
lind 1t easy to make both ends meet
!. zen they balance their accounts for
sg year. The salaries of thirty-seven
bfshops In England and Wales-tke
.SuHragans Lot being included-aTuoLat
te l77 ,2e0 pounds, and they have cpIs-
copal residences without rent to ray.
This seems specifically a most liberal
teTovisfon for their maintenance il
proper state. They are, however, the
victims of tradition and custom, 21d
complain of being in false position
and Of being generally misunderstood.
The bishop of London started a reform
movement few years ago when he
published a balance sheet of his ex-
penditures for year, and proved that
while he received 10, 900 pounds-tne
same salary as the archbishop of YORK
he had two costly residences to
maintain in st. James Square anu
at Fulham, and that here was Il de-
ficit Of nearly 800 pounds Being a
bachelor and having a greater interest
in his work than in social entertain
II and in managing households of
sgants, he found for himself q small!
fIat in the heart Of London and a mod
est cottage in the country The bishop
OF Norwich, who is opening the church
congress in Yarmouth this week, has
H.
800 pounds, but he is forced to live in
palace which dates from the four
teenth century, and has been repeater
~ enlarged until it is costly resi-
dence, requiring constant outlay for re-
pairs. He states that an expenditure
of 3,60e pounds was necessary in order
to make the palace habitable when he
took possession of it, and that it costs
him $500 pounds for The upkeep lie
asks not for fiat and cottage, but
for small town residence, AMI Oh
these conditions is willing to have his
salary cut down one-third.
The archbishop of Canterbury, with
15, zee pounds a year, has the expensive
esta blishment Of Lambeth to provide
dence near his own cathedral. The
archbishop of York has a mediaevai
palace at BiShOpthOrpe, with a large es-
tate, and the bulk Of his income is
expended in living up to the Sump-
tuOus environment of his office. The
Bishop OF Durham has a large palace
at Bishop Auckland on the Wear, and
II - - of ~.
The See Of Winchester is one Of The
great prizes of the English church, bet
Very bishop without q private fortune
S the maintenance of Farnham cas-
burdensOme and would be willing
- nave his salary reduced third
or even One-half if a modern residence
near the cathedral could be substitltt
ed for it. Salisbury, Ely, PetersbOrou"h
Exeter and numerous other sees nay
be cited as Illustrations Of the general
fact that the bishops of the English
church, while nOmnally well paid for
thelr services, are compelled to S3crj-
hce a large part Of their incomes in
repairing ancient residences which are
too large for their requirements and in
employing swami OF servants and
gardeners The enforced sumptu0uS-
ness of their state keeps them poor.
like the bulk of the nobility and larG
ed proprietOrs; yet their palaces s"l
salaries are constantly held up against
them as evidence of the growth Of
luxury and wOrldliness in the English
ch1n.-LOndOn Letter in New York
Gf1PFes