CHURCH RATES. (1.) THE Christian Advocate concludes a pœan* upon the temporary victory gained over the Church by the irruption of an unqualified mob at Manchester, with the following notice : "A nearly similar course to that taken at Manchester has been pursued by the inhabitants of the populous parish of Clerkenwell, where, though a rate was not absolutely refused, they adjourned the making of the rate for the repair of the Church till next year. At this meeting the contest between the Dissenters and the Churchmen was very warm.' We have the pleasure to inform the Christian Advocate that its triumph is premature, in the case of Clerkenwell. A ballot was called for upon the vote of Wednesday; after three days' voting the ballot terminated at 3 o'clock yesterday, when the numbers were, for sustaining Wednesday's vote, postponing the rate, 385; for an immediate rate, 700; leaving the combined Dissenters and Infidels in a minority of 315.-Standard. (2.) TO THE EDITOR OF THE STANDARD. Coventry, Thursday, Sept. 11, four o'clock, p.m. SIR,-The Infidels and Dissenters of this city have to-day been signally defeated. A Church-rate of 6d. in the pound for the repairs of St. Michael's Church was proposed by the Churchwardens; this was opposed by the Dissenters (who had placarded the city, calling upon their friends to muster, and thus shew to the government their strength), who moved an adjournment for nine months. This was put from the chair, when an immense majority was found in favour of the rate; but the unbelievers and sectarians, not satisfied with this demonstration of feeling, demanded a poll, which left them in a most miserable minority. The spirited conduct of the Churchmen upon this occasion will deter the enemies of "Old Mother Church" from similar attacks. On the 20th of November, 1833 (to which period the latest official accounts are made up), there were, in London, Middlesex, and Surrey, forty-eight Savings' Banks, containing The increase in the number of depositors in these counties, since November, 1831, is 10,882; and in the amount deposited, is 261,6047.—Extracted from a work preparing for publication by Mr. Tidd Pratt.-Standard. *The Patriot was still more indecent.-ED. BEER-HOUSE PROPERTY. THE following is a statement of the property invested, and persons interested, in beer-houses, in Birmingham, Manchester, Wigan, Lynn, Ashton, Stayley Bridge, Worcester, Walsall, Stockport, Portsmouth, and Fareham. Total number of houses, 2,038; total amount of capital, 283,8261. 98. ; total amount of annual rental, 52,5941. 10s. ; total number of persons dependent, 6,517. In London and the environs, the capital engaged is about 140,000l.; and the number of persons interested, about 1,100.-Cambridge Chronicle. PRESENT STATE OF THE LAW ON IRISH TITHE. No demand for tithe composition can be made in the present year until after the first of November, by those who came in for relief under the Million Act. The former statutes relating to tithes made the composition payable halfyearly, in May and November; but the act passed in the session of 1833, and which received the royal assent on the 29th of August in that year, directed that, in future, the payment should be made yearly on the first of November. Those who came in for relief under the Million Act received the payments made to them in satisfaction not only of the tithes for 1831, 2, and 3, but also of all preceding arrears. The tithe-owners who received money from the government cannot, therefore, look to the lands for any arrears, nor for the composition of the present year, nor resort to any legal process until after the first of November next. Tenants at will, and tenants from year to year, which latter class includes persons holding under proposals, (a very general mode of tenure in this country,) and whom the law considers in the light of tenants from year to year, are not liable, since the first of November last, to the payment of the composition to the tithe-owners. Tenants to whom lettings were made, either by lease or otherwise, since the 16th August, 1833, are also free from the payment of the composition. We have next to state a most important fact that where lands are occupied by persons not liable, the lands cannot be distrained, nor the goods of those persons taken for the composition!" The remedy of the tithe-owner in such cases is, to resort to the usual legal proceedings against those liable, as for the recovery of any ordinary debt. He has the further remedy of suing by civil bill to the extent of 201. It is further provided that where there is a year and a half due, he may apply to a court of equity for a receiver over the lands. This last remedy cannot, however, be made available by those tithe-owners who received money from the government until after the 1st of November, 1835.-Cork Reporter. EDUCATION OF THE POOR.-During the past and the present year 328 schools have been received into union with the National Society, carrying up the amount of schools in union to the number of 2937; and 66437. have been voted in aid of the building school-rooms in 104 places, the total expense of the buildings being estimated at 20,000l. The Society has recently made a general inquiry into the state of education under the Established Church in all parts of the kingdom; and an account has been obtained concerning 8650 places, which were found to contain about 11,000 schools, with 678,356 children. It is calculated that there cannot be less in England and Wales than 710,000 children under the instruction of the clergy. PUBLIC PETITIONS.-The 42nd Report of the Committee on Public Petitions has been printed, and was delivered on Saturday morning. It contains an account of the petitions presented on the 23rd and 25th of July; therefore several other reports have to be published before the record of the petitions presented to the House of Commons during the session will be completed. VOL. VI.-Oct. 1834. 3 M The number of petitions on all subjects presented to the 25th of July inclusive, amounts to 8857. The petitions in the 42nd Report are principally in support of the Established Church. The numbers presented on this subject to the time of making the report were,-against the separation of Church and State, 309 petitions, with 40,261 signatures; in support of the Church of England, 1062, with 136,533 signatures; in support of the Irish Church, 198, to which 21,607 signatures were attached; and in support of the Established Church in Scotland, 50 petitions, with 18,927 signatures. The number of petitions presented by dissenters, praying for relief, was 1125, signed by 350,000 petitioners; and against their claim, 486 petitions, with 34,535 signatures. INCREASE OF PROTESTANTS IN Ireland during the last FORTY YEARS.— "Since the Union above 600 churches, 800 glebe houses, and above one thousand working clergymen, have been added to the establishment in Ireland -and, in my own parish, to take one example, the Sunday congregation is six times as large as it was at the Union."-Rev. Dr. Martin.* IRISH CHURCH COMMISSION.-The new and increased commission has issued, and is as follows :-Lord Brougham, Viscount Duncannon, Right Hon. E. J. Littleton, Sergeant D'Oyley, Thomas Henry Lister, William Henry Curran, George Barret Lennard, Edward Carleton Tuffnell, Daniel Maude, George Cornwall Lewis, W. Tighe Hamilton, Acheson Lyle, William Newport, Denis George Lube, John Fox Strangways, Neill O'Donnell Browne, Rowley Lascelles, Thomas P. Luscombe, John Gibson, Anthony Austin, William M'Dermott, James Moody, William Gibson Craig, and Anthony Wills, Esqrs.; Matthew Barrington, Secretary. DOCUMENTS. EXTRACTS FROM THE BISHOP OF LONDON'S CHARGE. "THE other point to which I alluded is the non-residence of the clergy. The evil, however great, as we acknowledge it to be, is very much exaggerated in all the discussions which take place on this subject. People are apt to forget that the number of non-resident incumbents is no just measure of the non-residence of the clergy; and that some of the most important advantages which result from the presence of a clergyman are enjoyed by those parishes which have a resident curate. In many other cases, the incumbent, though not resident, according to the strict letter of the law, in their glebe-house, resides within the parish or upon the verge of it, and performs his own duties. "In the whole of this diocese, exclusive of the City of London, which is under very peculiar circumstances, there are only sixty-four parishes without a resident clergyman, most of them containing a very small population, and all of them being under the care of incumbents or curates residing in adjoining parishes."-pp. 24, 25. "I cannot help observing, before I take leave of this subject, that the evils of pluralities and non-residence is in gradual progress of diminution under the existing law. "If the Bill introduced into Parliament by the present Archbishop of Canterbury, and carried through the House of Lords, had passed into a law, with the amendments consented to after its first reading in the House of Commons, there would have been already a great reduction of pluralities, and in the course of a few years more, the number would have been diminished by more than one-half. Even as it is, the recorded opinion of one branch of the legis Dr. Lushington, who derides the expansive force of protestantism, should look to this statement. lature, and the discussions which have taken place on the subject, have had a considerable effect in preventing conscientious persons, both patrons and clerks, from adding to the list of pluralists. With respect to residence, great additions have been made within the last few years to the number of parsonage houses; and many old and dilapidated buildings have been rendered fit for residence. "In the single Archdeaconry of Essex, within the last eleven years, 48,000l. has been expended on the erection or improvement of parsonage houses. In the whole county of Essex there has been more than fifty new houses built within the last twenty-five years. "That part of the City of London which is under my jurisdiction contains eighty-eight parishes and fifty-seven benefices, twenty of which have no residence house, and sixteen are returned as having unfit houses. Some of these have been rendered unfit by the use which has been made of them as shops and counting-houses. I expressed, in my former Charge, an anxious wish that steps should be taken by the clergy to restore them, when it might be possible, to their proper and legitimate use, as places of residence for themselves or their curates," &c., &c.-pp. 28, 29. "In the diocese of London, there are 608 benefices, the gross annual income of which amounts to 267,1377., and the net income to 254,971., giving an average of 3991. net income. The number of curates is 355, who receive, in stipends, 35,1884., averaging 987. It is not sufficiently remembered in discussions on this subject, that it is not merely the church's property which is employed in carrying on the church's work. A very considerable proportion of the smaller benefices are held by clergymen who have some income independent of their preferment; this is added to their clerical income, and the whole is spent for the benefit of the church. If the inducement of a certain legal maintenance were withdrawn, a very large amount of property, which is now employed in supporting the respectability and increasing the efficiency of the parochial clergy, would be diverted into other channels, and lost to the cause of religion."-Appendix G., pp. 58, 59. THE BISHOP OF ST. ASAPH'S CHARGE. For the following statement, contained in the Bishop of St. Asaph's Charge, we are indebted to a friend who was present when it was delivered, and took it down at the time. He pledges himself that it is perfectly accurate in point of substance, and he believes it to be nearly so in point of expression. We have much pleasure in giving it, for we think that all real friends of the Church will be gratified by the facts stated, and will agree in the conclusion to be drawn from them.-The Bishop having noticed the various questions agitated with regard to the Church, the attacks of its enemies and the concessions of its weak and injudicious friends, the mischievous and absurd innovations and alterations proposed in its discipline and its liturgy under the specious name of reform, and having dwelt with considerable force upon these and other matters, proceeded :— "But I turn to a more pleasing subject—the state of my own diocese,—which, I am happy to say, furnishes little or no ground for just complaint. I do not mean by this to affirm that there is no room for improvement, but I assert fearlessly, that not only in this diocese, but throughout the kingdom, there never existed a more exemplary body of men than the clergy of the present day, -more faithful, zealous, and diligent in the discharge of their duties, less influenced by worldly considerations, or more alive to religious obligations and to the responsibility attached to their professional character. Nevertheless they are sometimes accused of neglecting their duty, of absenting themselves from their parishes, and of being deficient in attention to the spiritual wants of their parishioners. Now a simple statement of facts will shew, with regard to this diocese, what little justice there is in the accusation, which is in general suggested by malignity, and supported by falsehood and fallacy. There are 124 parishes, in 26 of which there is no parsonage house, though several houses have been lately built, and consequently the number of nonresident incumbents has been diminished. There are now 94 incumbents resident in their parishes, and nine in adjoining parishes. In 22 parishes there are resident curates, and four curates reside in adjoining parishes, not being able to procure suitable residences in their own; 23 curates also are employed as assistants by resident incumbents. There are moreover 12 chapels in the diocese, in which divine service is regularly performed. In a word, there are 136 churches and chapels, the duties of which are performed by 162 ministers, resident either in their respective parishes or in the immediate neighbourhood. There is not then even the shadow of justice in the accusations which have been brought against the clergy of this diocese, and, we may venture to say, of any other diocese. That there have been some instances of impropriety of conduct and of neglect of duty, and even of gross delinquency, cannot be denied. Deeply indeed are such instances to be lamented and condemned. They are, however, rare, and surely the whole body of the clergy is not to be stigmatized for the faults of a few."-Our correspondent adds, that in another part of the Charge was introduced the following well-merited commendation of the Archbishop of Canterbury, "whose name," said the Bishop, "cannot be mentioned without exciting feelings of affection and veneration; so much have his high character and manly conduct, his Christian meekness and humility, yet undaunted firmness, his uncompromising honesty and integrity, his sound discretion and judgment at all times, but particularly upon some late occasions, endeared him to the clergy and to all the friends of the Church."-Chester Courant. Contributed by Protestants Patients admitted, 3991. Protestants, 1 in 10. SICK POOR INSTITUTION, MEATH STREET. £379 6 £368 8 9 90 £186 18 1 £176 17 1 Subscriptions for 1833 SCHOOL-STREET WEEKLY AND DAILY SCHOOLS. Subscriptions, 1833 One Roman Catholic Subscriber £163 18 0 1 1 0 £162 17 0 Contributed by Protestants 20 Roman Catholics to 1 Protestant taught in the Schools. |