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annually a portion of their incomes to the Governors of Queen Anne's bounty, to be applied to the augmentation of such bishoprics; or either of these modes might be adopted, according to the particular circumstances of each case.

The total amount, as above stated, cannot be, however, considered as the future income, for the reasons alleged in the third column, which shows a diminution of nearly 9,000l. per annum; and a further diminution is also to be expected from the application, either in whole or in part, of impropriations, which form a considerable portion of the incomes of many bishoprics, and which in most instances they were compelled to accept, in exchange for manors and estates, for the improvement of populous and poorly endowed vicarages and curacies connected with them.

The total income of the bishoprics in England and Wales will thus no longer be sufficient to afford an adequate income to each Bishop, merely by a different arrangement; and the most obvious mode of supplying the deficiency will be permanently to annex to some of the poorer bishoprics certain Cathedral Preferment, particularly in the Chapters of St. Paul's and Westminster, on account of their position in the metropolis.

In considering the incomes of the Archbishops and Bishops, it is proper to advert not only to the expenses necessarily incurred in journeys for the purposes of confirmation, consecration, and other official duties; in maintaining ancient and extensive houses of residence; in keeping hospitality; and in contributing to all objects connected with religion and charity, in a manner suitable to their station; but to a burden which presses heavily on newly-promoted Bishops, who are seldom men of wealth. The unavoidable expenses attending their appointment are so considerable, that they may be calculated at the income of one whole year in most of the sees, and at much more than a year's income in the smaller ones.

Upon the whole, we are of opinion that where the annual income of a Bishop amounts to 4,500l., it is not necessary to make any addition; nor would we recommend any diminution, unless it exceed 5,500. But we think that the two Archbishopricks, and the Bishopricks of London, Durham, and Winchester, ought to have a larger provision than the rest. These arrangements, if carried into effect, will tend to promote the desirable object of diminishing the frequency of translation.

PATRONAGE.

If your Majesty shall be pleased to concur in the suggestion for erecting two new sees, it will, in our opinion, be expedient for the interests of the Church that the Bishops of those sees shall possess a certain portion of patronage, in order that they may be enabled to reward deserving clergymen within their dioceses. For this purpose it will be necessary to transfer some advowsons to the Bishops of the new sees.

We do not propose that, when a district is transferred from one diocese to another, the whole of the patronage within such district should likewise pass, but in many instances partial transfer will be desirable. We, therefore, humbly submit to your Majesty the expediency of providing for all these cases, in any legislative measure which may be founded upon this report.

We respectfully beg it to be understood, that in all the proposals which we have submitted to your Majesty, we assume that regard will be had to vested interests; and that none of the proposed changes shall take place with respect to Bishops, or Incumbents, now in possession, without their consent.

The subject alluded to at the commencement of our report, as one to which we had given our attention out of its regular course, is that of a vacancy in one of the prebendal stalls in the collegiate church of Westminster; respecting which we, at our first meeting, received the following letter from the Chancellor of your Majesty's Exchequer :

"Whitehall, Feb. 4. "My Lords and Gentlemen,-I feel it to be my duty to inform you, that a vacancy having taken place in a prebendal stall at Westminster, I have advised his Majesty to suspend any appointment to that stall until the circumstances connected with it can undergo the inquiry and consideration of the Commission of which you are members; and I have it in command from his Majesty to inform you, that he shall be prepared, so far as the Royal prerogative is concerned, to make any arrangement with respect to this preferment which shall appear to the Commission best calculated to effect the important object for which the Commission was appointed, and in the successful prosecution of which his Majesty takes the deepest interest. I have the honour, &c. "ROBERT PEEL." Impressed with this strong mark of the desire which your Majesty entertains to

forward the objects of this Commission, we proceeded without delay to consider of the best method of giving effect to your Majesty's gracious intentions.

We ascertained upon inquiry, that the parish of St. Margaret, Westminster, which adjoins the collegiate church, has no individual Rector or Vicar, but that the Dean and Chapter, who are the Rectors, are bound to provide for the cure of souls, which they generally do by committing it to one of their own body. We further found that the parish contained, according to the last census, a population of 25,334; and that, besides the parochial church (of which a portion is devoted to the use of the House of Commons), it has no regular place of worship according to the rites of the Church of England. But there is a chapel, called Broadway Chapel, capable of accommodating about 1000 persons, which belongs to the Dean and Chapter, and is by them leased, at a nominal rent, to a Clergyman, who performs the duty and receives the pew rents, but has no parochial charge. It appeared to us, therefore, that the vacant stall could not be better applied than by making it subservient to the spiritual wants of this very populous and increasing parish.

With this view we propose that the church of St. Margaret shall be permanently annexed to the vacant stall in the collegiate church: and that a portion of the annual profits of the stall shall be suffered to accumulate, until a new church shall be built; when the parish shall be divided, and the incumbent of the new parish shall receive that annual portion; the accumulation being applied towards providing a parsonage-house for such incumbent.

We deemed it right to communicate to the Dean and Chapter our proposals on this head; and we have great satisfaction in stating to your Majesty their prompt acquiescence, and their readiness to give up to your Majesty the patronage of St. Margaret's Church. They at the same time voluntarily offered to surrender, as far as the law would allow them, their property in Broadway Chapel, with the view of its becoming a chapel of ease to the rectory of St. Margaret, with a certain district assigned to it. Should this arrangement take effect, it may be considered proper that a small portion of the income of the stall should be appropriated to the Minister of Broadway Chapel.

We are proceeding with all diligence in our inquiry respecting the other im

portant subjects to which your Majesty has been pleased to direct our attention; and shall forthwith take into our consideration the present state of the cathedral and collegiate churches in England and Wales, with the view of submitting to your Majesty some measures by which those foundations may be made more conducive than they now are to the efficiency of the Established Church.

We cannot conclude this report without gratefully acknowledging the additional proof of your Majesty's anxiety to promote the important objects of this Commission, which has been afforded in the communication of your Majesty's intention to defer any nomination to the prebendal stall in the cathedral of Canterbury, which has recently become vacant, until the circumstances connected with it shall have undergone our consideration.

We have the satisfaction of informing your Majesty, that the Lord Chancellor and the Archbishops and Bishops, who are members of this Commission, have signified to us their intention of pursuing, with regard to ecclesiastical preferments in their respective patronage not connected with the cure of souls, the same course which your Majesty has been graciously pleased to adopt with regard to the patronage of the Crown.

The appointment to a prebendal stall which has recently become vacant at York, has accordingly been reserved by the Archbishop of York until the Commissioners shall have had an opportunity of reporting their opinion as to the best arrangement that can be made with respect to it.

Your Majesty's gracious communication, acquainting us that, in the event of the avoidance of bishoprics or other preferments in the gift of the Crown, the holders of which may have in their patronage dignities or offices not connected with the cure of souls, your Majesty will make such conditional appointments as shall reserve all such dignities or offices for the consideration of the Commissioners, will enable us to proceed in our inquiries with that caution and circumspection which it is so desirable to observe; and will, at the same time, preclude the possibility of any inconvenience from the delay, which is inseparable from full and minute inquiry into matters so important and so various in respect to their local peculiarities.

Note. The tables in the Appendix have been framed from the returns made

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Nos. 3 and 4 are Maps of England and Wales, showing the respective Boundaries of the Present and of the Proposed Dioceses.

Another most important and interesting measure has been introduced by Sir Robert Peel, for the Commutation of Tithes in England and Wales. The Right Honourable Baronet declared that "the first principle of the plan he should propose was, that great

VOL. XVII. NO. IV.

encouragement should be held out to parishes to make voluntary composition with the proprietors of tithes, introducing a new principle of commutation.' We sincerely congratulate the friends of the Church upon this circumstance, convinced, as we are,

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that the adoption of this plan will place the Clergy of the Establishment in a most favourable point of view, and convict the foul-mouthed slanderers, who talk of Clerical oppression and avarice, of base and deliberate falsehood.

We should be doing injustice to a nobleman of the most distinguished and honourable character, were we not to record in our pages the highspirited and most noble conduct of the Marquis Londonderry. This eminent diplomatist and gallant officer, was selected by his Majesty for the honourable and important post of Ambassador to the Court of Russia, which gave great umbrage to Colonel Evans, and the officers of the Lumber Troop, who thought themselves invidiously overlooked. Mr. Hume, the capital goose, as he facetiously (funny fellow!) designated himself, immediately cackled to arms, and the Greek troops, and light (fingered) infantry, obeyed the summons. The result was a most disgusting outpouring of verbal filth, which brother Jonathan calls slangwhanging, from the representatives of Cow-cross and Petticoat-lane; who advocate the cause of rebellion and anarchy in Poland and elsewhere. The high-minded Marquis, thinking that the Government might be embarrassed by this combination, and feeling that his exertions would be cramped by the prejudices thus unwarrantably excited against him, at once tendered his resignation, and by this act has entailed another debt of gratitude upon his country, which the page of history will record, and which we hope to see promptly rewarded by a ducal coronet.

FRANCE.-Ministerial changes continue; in fact, it would appear impossible to constitute a ministry capable of maintaining their places for a month.

AUSTRIA. The Emperor of Austria is dead; but we are happy to say that the prophets of evil, who have been foretelling so much mischief from their fictitious character of his successor, are all dumbfoundered. The new emperor continues Prince Metternich as his chief counsellor, and the Conservative cause in Germany is looking up.

SPAIN-The King's forces under Zumalacarreguy and Ituralde are said to amount to 40,000 men; half this number, however, would be sufficient to annihilate the rebels under Mina, and we confidently anticipate that by Midsummer-day, Don Carlos will have been proclaimed in the Prado at Madrid, and the two queens be en route for - wherever they please.

RUSSIA. Considerable excitement has been felt as to the amicable relations between this mighty empire and Great Britain, and the City quidnuncs construed the change of station of a part of our fleet in the Mediterranean into a hostile demonstration; and some sumph put a foolish question, in the House of Commons, on this head, but he received what the Backwoodsmen term a settler, from the War Secretary, who informed the note of interrogation (the little crooked thing that asks questions,) that the only war he anticipated, was a war of words in that house, and from that party of which the little man was the mouthpiece. The truth is, the prosperity of the monarchical governments naturally distresses the Radicals; and Russia is too much respected abroad, and too contented at home, to please the Destructive faction.

AMERICA, The Yankees threaten Johnny Crapeau, and we hear of privateers, and a fleet. We have not yet seen them.

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REV. MR. WILLIAMS.-A handsome silk gown and cassock, a silver pocket service for administering the sacrament to the sick, and a 4to edition of Bishop Mant's Bible and Prayer Book, were lately presented by the parishioners of St. Lawrence, Reading, to the Rev. Mr. Williams, "on retiring from the curacy of that parish, January 11, 1835, as a testimonial of their esteem, and in remembrance of his truly christian discharge of the various duties of his important office."

REV. JUST HENRY ALT.-Two rich and massive silver salvers were presented, in January last, to the Rev. Just Henry Alt, on his retirement from the Curacy of St. Giles', Cripplegate, London, to his promotion to the Vicarage of Enford, Wilts, as a token of grateful and affectionate remembrance of his late parishioners, for his uniformly zealous and efficient discharge of his sacred duties.

BRIDGNORTH.-The Rev. H. Dalton has resigned his living at Bridgnorth, that he may be at liberty to promulgate the doctrines of the late Rev. E. Irving!

CLERICAL LORDS.—In addition to the late Earl of Scarborough, and the late Earl Nelson, there are the Rev Andrew Windsor, Earl of Plymouth; the Rev. Francis North, Earl of Guildford; the Rev. W. H. Ward, Baron Ward; the Rev. Thomas de Grey, Baron Walsingham; and, the Rev. H. W. Powlett, Baron Bayning.

ORDINATION.-The Bishop of Lincoln's next ordination will be held at Buckden, on Trinity Sunday, the 14th of June. Candidates are requested to send their papers to his Lordship before the 3d of May.

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