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LAW REPORT.

ON THE RINGING OF CHURCH BELLS.

THE following opinion of Dr. Lushington is extracted from the Bath Chronicle of the 4th of January, 1821, and may be of service to the churchwardens of other parishes besides that of St. Giles's, Norwich.

"That the consent of the Minister, whether Incumbent or Curate, is necessary to authorise the ringing of bells in the church; and that the consent of either or both of the Churchwardens, without the Minister's consent, is not sufficient. That the Minister's consent to the ringing of the bells must always be had; if the two Churchwardens differ, the consent of the

Minister and one Churchwarden is sufficient; but the consent of the Minister against both Churchwardens would not justify the ringing; nor would the consent of both Churchwardens against the Minister authorize it. That the Minister has authority to limit the time of the ringing, and that the ringers are bound to obey him."

Your humble servant, VIATOR.

Norwich.

P.S. This opinion seems to be founded upon the eighty-eighth canon. No case upon the above point appears as yet to have been decided by a Court of law.

RESIGNATION BOND.
In Chancery, Dec. 17, 1821.
NEWDIGATE AND ANOTHER, v. HELPS.

THIS was a Bill calling upon the Court to compel a Rector to resign his living in favour of one of the plaintiffs in pursuance of a covenant to that effect, which the Rector entered into upon being presented. The patron joined as plaintiff in the suit.

The Vice-Chancellor :- This is a case of the first impression. In matters of real property, or property which partakes of realty, this court exercises its authority to put a purchaser in the actual possession of the subject of his purchase, considering that damages for the non-performance of the contract, which are all that the law can give, are not always an adequate compensation. It is argued, that the present case is within that principle.

The right of presentation to a living is mere matter of property, but the actual possession of a living is not a mere matter of property, but depends upon the discretion of the Ordinary.

The Ordinary has an important duty to exercise, first in the acceptance of a proffered resignation, and next in the acceptance of a new Presentee.

Over the Ordinary this Court has no jurisdiction; nor has this Court the power to enter into those considerations which may fitly induce the Ordinary to refuse the surrender of the defendant, or the presentation of the plaintiff.

For these reasons, the Court has no means of securing to the plaintiff the possession of the living, and no means of determining his fitness for that possession.

I am of opinion, therefore, that a court of equity ought not in any manner to interfere in the execution of such a contract, and that the parties must be left to seek in a court of law such redress as they may be entitled to.

I give no opinion whether in this case there be a legal remedy.

MONTHLY REGISTER.

SOCIETY FOR PROMOTING CHRISTIAN KNOWLEdge.
Brentford District Committee.

THE above Committee, after giving a summary of the Society's report, next turns the attention of its friends and the public to a statement of its own proceedings during the last year; since it is to the permanent and zealous aid of Diocesan and District Committees, that the Parent Society has ever looked, and still looks, with peculiar hope and satisfaction, for success in its great undertakings.

And first, the number of books issued from the depository during the last year is as follows:

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society, particularly of those anti-infidel tracts which have been reprinted and revised within the last year; and many others which have been lately added suitable to the present times, and to the general improvement of christian education.

2. The next point to which the Committee refer, and one nearly connected with the former, is the state of the various lending libraries within the District. The number of books contained in each is as follows:Acton.... New Brentford Old Brentford..

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18

....

135

122

92

21

21

20

87

61

Bound books......

Unbound ditto and tracts..3,846

Total....... ..4,551 This is nearly double the amount of books, &c. issued during the preceding year, and when added to the number distributed since the establishment of the Committee in 1822, amounts to the large number of twenty-one thousand three hundred and three.

In the thickly-populated parishes which this district embraces, more, much more, remains to be done: and can only be done by those, whether clergymen or laymen, whose duty it is to counteract, by every means in their power, the pernicious influence of the blasphemous and seditious publications which have been circulated so widely in the neighbourhood of the Metropolis, as well as those atheistical and infidel doctrines which are daily disseminated by a corrupt and degraded portion of the public press, in spite of all authority, both civil and religious. The Committee, therefore, strongly recommend, as some antidote to the poisonous effects of such publications, a still larger circulation of the tracts, which are upon the list of the general

Heston.

Hounslow

Isleworth

Twickenham

Total....577

Since the utility of these libraries seems to be more generally felt and duly appreciated amongst the poor than at any former period, the Committee are happy in being able to notice the increase of books and tracts, which has been made in many of them within the last year. Indeed they are convinced that nothing but good can result from a careful selection and distribution of the books which they contain. Instead of that education and knowledge which are now given to the poorer classes being too generally perverted to base and unworthy purposes, the Committee are satisfied, from their own personal experience, and from the thankfulness expressed by the applicants themselves for the formation of these libraries, that in numerous instances they not only contribute much to their spiritual instruction and comfort, but also to the innocent amusement of many families.

3. The number of children within

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Copy of a Resolution passed April 3, the BISHOP of LONDON in the Chair.

THIS Society, unwilling as it is in general to interfere in measures which are in any degree connected with the proceedings of Government in Great Britain, or its dependencies, feel themselves called upon, with reference to the obstructions offered to the promotion of Christian knowledge in India, by the regulations now in force, with respect to an impost levied upon the natives frequenting the places of idolatrous worship in that peninsula, to resolve that it is expedient to present the following Memorial to the East India Company.

"To the Hon. the Directors of the

East India Company:
"The Memorial of the Society for
Promoting Christian Knowledge,
Respectfully Sheweth:

"That the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge, has now been established for upwards of a century, having for its object the propagation throughout the earth, of the divine religion of Christianity, upon the prin

ciples of the Church of England, as legally established in the British do

minions.

"That, among other parts of the world in which the labours of the Society have been abundant, the extensive dominions, subjected to the government of the Honourable Company, have occupied a prominent place; and while this Society humbly desires to express its gratitude to Almighty God, for the facilities of late afforded by the Parliament and Government of the country, in respect of the episcopal and ecclesiastical provision now accorded to India, the Society is equally anxious to acknowledge its grateful sense of the attention and kindness invariably evinced by the Honourable Company, in promoting its objects in that part of the world.

"That this Society, while it is duly sensible of the general protection and assistance thus afforded by the Honourable Company, is yet apprehensive that some circumstances are still permitted to exist, which have an opera

An Infant School, containing at present 91 children, has been established during the past year by the Rev. F. E. Thompson, and is supported by voluntary subscriptions.The boys of Old Brentford are included in the returns from NewBrentford and Ealing.

Two years ago an Infant School was established in this place, which now contains about 60 children; and within the last year a Sunday School has been converted into a Sunday and Daily School, supported by voluntary contributions, consisting of 30 children, 25 of whom are clothed.

tion adverse the proceedings of this Society, and tend to obstruct the good which night otherwise be accomplished.

"That among the causes which appear to offer a principal obstruction to the proceedings of this Society, is the encouragement afforded, however inadvertently, by the Company and its agents, to the idolatrous worship of the East, by means of the impost levied on the pilgrims and worshippers at the several temples, and by the revenue thence derived; the inference from which regulation of the government, is feared to have been an opinion too generally adopted by the native population, that, so far from any objection being felt by the Company, to the continuance of the idolatrous rites and corrupt practices of heathenism, it rather intends to afford

them its patronage and support, in thus being contented to derive from them a considerable pecuniary revenue.

"That this Society, fully desiring, in the exercise of Charity, to appreciate the original motives of the East India Company, in affording its sanction to the collection of the tribute in question, is yet apprehensive that the results have been, and cannot but continue to be, injurious to the best interests of Christianity at large, and therein to the object and designs of this Society in particular.

"Your Memorialists, therefore, respectfully request that the Honourable Directors will be pleased to take into their consideration the subject of this memorial, and afford such relief in the premises as may appear to be necessary.

"And your Memorialists, &c."

CITY OF LONDON NATIONAL SCHOOLS,

THE Committee of the CITY OF LONDON NATIONAL SCHOOLS cannot begin their Report of the proceedings of the last year in a manner more gratifying to the friends of the Institution, than by announcing that HER MAJESTY QUEEN ADELAIDE has condescended to become its PATRONESS, and has signified Her Majesty's intention to contribute Fifty Pounds annually to its support. Her Royal Highness the DUCHESS OF KENT, following the benevolent example of the QUEEN, has become the VICE - PATRONESS of the Institution; and the announcement of the honour conferred upon it by Her Royal Highness was accompanied with a donation of Fifty Pounds.

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the necessary alterations were made in the titles of some of the officers.

The Committee, while they advert with satisfaction to these flattering marks of Royal favour and protection, cannot, at the same time, but indulge the hope, that their beneficial influence may be widely spread, and that this most useful Institution may receive more liberal and effectual support through the encouragement afforded by such examples.

The Committee have been apprehensive that they might be compelled to give up altogether the Third School, situate in Old Fish Street, Doctors' Commons, on account of the expense attendant upon it. They trust, however, that they may not be driven to this necessity; because, although most of the children would probably receive instruction at the other stations of the City of London National Schools, it is very desirable for the advantage of the neighbourhood, that the Third School should be kept up. It is still carried on in the same premises, which the Committee now hold, as yearly tenants, at a moderate rent. The continuance of this School must, however, depend upon the support which shall be given to the Institution: if

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unfortunately, that support should not respond to the hopes and expectations of the Committee, they must relinquish the premises in Old Fish Street. For they are under the painful necessity of stating, that the income of the Charity from annual subscriptions, including the aid derived from occasional sermons, and collections at anniversary dinners, is not adequate to the payment of rents, salaries, and all incidental expenses. Nor can the expenditure be contracted within narrower limits, without diminishing the efficiency and usefulness of the Institution.

Most earnestly, therefore, do the Committee hope, that a knowledge of the languishing condition of the finances of the CITY OF LONDON NATIONAL SCHOOLS, may induce many of their well-wishers to contribute, both by example and by persuasion, to restore them to a prosperous state.

If the finances have declined, the Committee can still announce with satisfaction that, in point of number and discipline, the Schools continue to flourish; and they direct the particular attention of the Subscribers to the Second School, in Shoe Lane. The buildings, adjoining the churchyard of St. Andrew, Holborn, well situated for the convenience of a populous neighbourhood, have been but lately erected: but the Schools are in full operation and under excellent management.

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KING'S COLLEGE.

THE annual meeting of the Governors and Proprietors of this Institution was held on the 11th ult. His Grace the Lord Archbishop of Canterbury took the chair at half-past one o'clock.

After a few preliminary steps, the Report of the Council, relative to the proceedings of the past year, was read. It stated that the number of students who have entered since the opening of the College, is 764, a proof of the public approbation of the plan on which the College was founded. His Majesty (the Patron of the College) had been graciously pleased, as a mark of his

approbation of the principles on which it was conducted, to make a present to the Institution of a very ingenious model of the human frame. The Report also contained an account of the Donations and Subscriptions received during the past year.

The Bishop of Bangor moved that the Report be received. He congratulated the meeting on the very favourable account it gave of the present state of the College. The motion was put and carried. A variety of other resolutions were also agreed to; after which the meeting adjourned.

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