consist of the counties of Stafford and Derby. 16. That the diocese of Peterborough shall consist of the counties of Northampton, Rutland, and Leicester; the last county being added to it from the present diocese of Lincoln. 17. That the diocese of Ely shall be increased by the counties of Huntingdon and Bedford, now in the diocese of Lincoln, by the deaneries of Lynn and Fincham, in the county of Norfolk, and diocese of Norwich, and by the archdeaconry of Sudbury, in the county of Suffolk and diocese of Norwich, with the exception of the deaneries of Sudbury, Stow, and Hartismere, which will remain in the latter diocese. 18. That the diocese of Norwich shall consist of the counties of Norfolk and Suffolk, with the above-mentioned exceptions. 19. That the diocese of London shall consist of the metropolis and parts adjoining-namely, the city of London and county of Middlesex, the parishes of Barking, East Ham, West Ham, Little Ilford, Low Layton, Walthamstow, Wanstead St. Mary, Woodford, and Chingford, in the county of Essex, all in the present diocese of London; the parishes of Charlton, Lee, Lewisham, Greenwich, Woolwich, Eltham, Plumstead, and St. Nicholas Deptford, and St. Paul Deptford, all in the county of Kent, and diocese of Rochester; the borough of Southwark, and the parishes of Battersea, Bermondsey, Camberwell, Christchurch, Clapham, Lambeth, Rotherhithe, Streatham, Tooting, Graveney, Wandsworth, Merton, Kew, and Richmond, in the county of Surrey, and diocese of Winchester; and the parishes of St. Mary Newington, Barnes, Putney, Mortlake, and Wimbledon, in the county of Surrey, and in the peculiar jurisdiction of the Archbishop of Canterbury; together with all extra parochial places locally situate within the limits of the parishes above enumerated, except the district of Lambeth-palace, which shall remain in the diocese of Canterbury. In arranging the diocese of London, our great object has been to bring under the jurisdiction of the same Bishop the metropolis and the suburban parishes; and, in assigning the boundaries of the diocese, we have adopted those fixed by an Act passed in the fourth and fifth years of your Majesty's reign, as comprising the metropolitan district. In consideration of the great additional population which will then be placed under the superintendence of the Bishop of London, we have thought it right to relieve that diocese from the whole county of Hertford, and from those parts of the county of Essex which are not included within the new limits. 20. That the diocese of Rochester shall consist of the city and deanery of Rochester, of the county of Essex (excepting those parishes which will remain in the diocese of London), and of the whole county of Hertford; and that an arrangement shall be effected at the earliest convenient opportunity by which a residence for the Bishop of Rochester may be provided in the county of Essex or Hertford, instead of his present house of residence at Bromley, in Kent. 21. That the diocese of Oxford shall be increased by the addition of the county of Buckingham, from the diocese of Lincoln, and of Berkshire from that of Salisbury. 22. That to the diocese of Salisbury, reduced according to the foregoing propositions, shall be added the whole county of Dorset, now part of the diocese of Bristol. 23. That the diocese of Canterbury shall consist of the county of Kent (except those parts which are to be included in the dioceses of London and Rochester), and of the district of Lambeth Palace, and the parishes of Addington and Croydon, in the county of Surrey. 24. That the diocese of Winchester shall remain unaltered, except as to those parts which are to be transferred to the dioceses of Canterbury and London. 25. Some doubts having been raised as to the jurisdiction of the Bishop of Exeter over the Scilly Islands, we think that those doubts should be removed. No other suggestion is offered respecting that diocese: nor is it proposed that any alteration should be made in the diocese of Bath and Wells, or in that of Chichester. We further propose 26. That all parishes not specified in this report, which are locally situate in one diocese, but under the jurisdiction of the Bishop of another diocese, shall become subject to the jurisdiction of the Bishop of the diocese within which they are locally situate. We have used our best endeavours to learn the opinions of the several Bishops respecting these proposed arrangements, as far as they affect their respective dioceses, and have availed ourselves of many suggestions which their local knowledge enabled them to supply. If your Majesty shall approve of the above propositions, it will be necessary that we should consider of some plan for providing a residence for each of the Bishops of Manchester and Ripon; and also for the Bishop of Lincoln, whose residence at Buckden will not then be within his diocese. The adoption of the alterations now suggested will involve the necessity of varying the limits of some archdeaconries and rural deaneries; and we further think that it will be highly expedient to place every parish within a deanery, and every deanery within an deaconry; and that no archdeaconry should extend into more than diocese. REVENUE. arch one In considering the subject of episcopal revenues, we have been materially assisted by the returns made to the Commissioners appointed under a commission issued by your Majesty in the year 1832, and extended in the years 1833 and 1834, for inquiring (amongst other things) into the "revenues and patronage belonging to the several ar Net Income on 3 yrs. average, end ing Dec. 31, 1831. chiepiscopal and episcopal sees in England and Wales." These returns generally present the average of three years ending the 31st of December, 1831; but in some instances they contain corrections to a later date. As the greater part of the episcopal revenues arises from fines on the renewal of leases, of which some are granted for three lives, renewable when a life drops, and others for 21 years, renewable every seven, and in towns for 40 years renewable every 14, it is manifest that a period of three years is too short to exhibit a correct average of the annual value of the several sees; and that an average so taken will show an excess, where large fines have recently accrued, and a deficit where no fine, or an unusually small amount of fines, has been received. But as this point has been adverted to by the Bishops in estimating the probable increase or diminution of the incomes of their respective sees, we may venture to refer your Majesty to the following table, framed from those returns, as containing information sufficiently accurate for the purposes of this report. Probable Causes of Increase or Diminution. Estimated future net Income. £ 19,182 DIOCESE. £1,766 Expected increase of 1,5441. shown by the following statement :- 222 £1,544 One-fortieth part of a sum of 60,000%. borrowed on mortgage The last payment will be in 1873. YORK. 12,629 The average annual amount of fines on renewals for the three years ending Dec. 31, 1831, exceeded, from particular circumstances, the usual average by at least 2,000l., and there will be a further decrease of about 20 per cent. in the amount of the proceeds of the estates generally, from the diminution of the value of agricultural produce: the income of the see will also be further reduced by augmentations of the small livings in the patronage of the Archbishop, about to be made, in addition to those already granted. £ 17,060 gradu ally in creas ing to 20,7001. in 1873. 10,600 Net Income on 3 yrs. average, end ing Dec.31, 1831. £ 13,929 19,066 11,151 6,301 Probable Cause of Increase or Diminution. LONDON. It is expected that there will be a decrease in the future average Besides which, 1-20th part of the sum of 10,000l. borrowed on DURHAM. No accurate judgment can be formed as to the future average WINCHESTER. The augmentations already made of small livings in the patronage ST. ASAPH. The greater part of the income of the see arises from tithes, which By a supplemental statement it appears that the produce of the BANGOR. 4,464 By a supplemental statement it appears that the tithes in the years 1833 and 1834 have fallen below the average of the three years ending Dec. 31, 1831, by 6501., or about that sum, and there is no prospect of increase. Estimated future net Income. £ 12,204 after 1839. 17,890 10,750 5,280 3,814 The average of fines is not expected to be more than 2501. for BATH AND WELLS. 5,946 The net income is expected to be reduced to about 5,500l. per 5,500 BRISTOL. 2,351 The average upon the three years ending Dec. 31, 1831, mụch 2,350 The living of Almondsbury, permanently annexed to the see, is CARLISLE. 2,213 From an unusual receipt of fines on renewal of leases for lives the 3,000 after 1853. Probable Causes of Increase or Diminution. nual value of the property has been less than on former valua- It should also be stated that 1-20th part of a sum of 10,000, CHESTER. Decrease expected, as the property of the see chiefly consists of CHICHESTER. The average amount of fines on renewals for the three years annum. ST. DAVID'S. ELY. 11,105 The estimate of the last three years is rather more than the average amount of the net annual produce of the see; as the two last years, particularly 1830, afforded fines for renewals of leases which seldom occur. EXETER. 2,713 There will in future be 217. per annum from the dividends on stock produced by the sale of houses under a local Act. In other respects no increase or decrease is anticipated. 2,282 GLOUCESTER. A decrease in the revenues of this see will take place in conse- HEREFORD. 2,516 No expected increase or decrease. 3,923 LICHFIELD AND COVENTRY. If the average of fines, as far as it can be ascertained from acces- LINCOLN. 4,542 The estimate taken upon the three years ending December 31, 1831, exceeds the average of the three subsequent years by the sum of 6801. The property consists almost entirely of impropriate rectories, with dependent vicarages, the intended augmentations of which, in virtue of the late Acts, will cause a further considerable diminution of the net annual proceeds. Estimated future net Income. 3,260, 3,800 2,800 11,000 2,734 2,200 2,516 4,350 4,200 Net Income on 3 yrs. ave rage, end ing Dec. 31, 1831. £ 924 5,395 2,648 3,103 1,459 3,939 Probable Causes of Increase or Diminution. LLANDAFF. It is considered that upon a sufficiently extended average, the NORWICH. The average amount of income, taken upon the three years ending OXFORD. A decrease in the revenues of the see must be expected. The PETERBOROUGH. The total receipts may be expected to be less in future than the ROCHESTER. No expected increase or decrease. SALISBURY. If the calculation were taken upon an average embracing a period WORCESTER. Estimated future net Income. £ 1,250 4,700 1,658 subject to the contin gency stated in the preceding column. 3,000 1,459 5,000 6,569 There is reason to expect a decrease of income, from the diminu- 6,500 tion of the amount of fines upon renewal of leases. According to the foregoing table, the net income of all the bishoprics of England and Wales in the year 1831 amounted, on an average of three years, to the sum of 157,7371. and may now be calculated at about 148,8751.; but it appears that this amount is very unequally distributed, the incomes of one half of the bishoprics falling below the sum necessary to cover the expenses to which a Bishop is unavoidably subject. A different distribution of the episcopal revenues is the natural remedy of this inconvenience. Incomes must also be provided for the two new sees which are to be erected. If the total amount of the net income of the bishoprics, as stated in the second column of the preceding table, had been liable to no further diminution, we apprehend that these objects might have been nearly accomplished by such a distribution, without any addition to these incomes by means of commendams, either with or without cure of souls; the former of which additions, we think, ought to be altogether discontinued. This might be done, by enabling the future incumbents of the richer sees, either to transfer part of the estates to the poorer bishoprics, or to pay over |