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who, under a protestant establishment, are allowed to make and to administer the laws, ought to submit to some test of their determination, inviolably to maintain that establish

ment.

Lord Holland entered into a long and minute historical defence of the catholics, and concluded with giving his hearty concurrence to the motion.

Lord Auckland thought that the catholics of Ireland should be satisfied with the concessions already made to them. If they saw no term to their demands, the house should see some end to their concessions. The present was the point, in his opinion, at which their lordships must make a stand.

Lord Grenvile shortly replied, merely to complain of his having been misrepresented by some noble lords. They might mistake his words, but they could not well misunderstand his actions. Their tenor on the present subject could leave no doubt as to his sincerity.

The house then divided on Lord Grenville's motion, Contents, 74---Non-Contents, 161---Majority against the motion, 87.

HOUSE OF COMMONS.

TYTHES IN IRELAND.

March 7. Mr. Parnell presented a petition from the freeholders of the Queen's County, praying for a commutation of tythes. He observed, that the freeholders of that county amounted to 4000; that this petition expressed the unanimous sense of the county, being no party business whatever; that it was signed by several beneficed clergymen, and that every clergyman with whom he had conversed on the subject had declared his decided approbation of the object which the petitioners sought. He trusted, therefore, that the petition would meet with that attention from the house to which it was entitled, for he was convinced, that no measure that could be proposed would tend more effectually to allay the discontents. in Ireland, than the commutation of the tythes of that country. Under this impression he gave notice, that if his Majesty's ministers should not take up this subject, he would, on an ́ early day after the recess, move that the petition be referred VOL. I. S

to a committee of the whole house: he would delay his motion, because he understood that several other petitions of a similar nature were in preparation, and particularly from some of the grand juries. The petition was ordered to lie on the table.

TYTHES.

June 9. Mr. Parnell, understanding that the subject of a commutation of tythes in Ireland, was under the consideration of his Majesty's government, withdrew his notice of a motion on that subject.

Mr. Fitzgerald (of Kerry), wished to make some observations on this occasion, but was prevented by the speaker, on the ground of irregularity.

June 16. Mr. Fitzgerald rose to make his promised motion to refer to a committee the petition from the county of Kerry, praying for a commutation of tythes. He presented this petition, not only in consequence of the wish expressed by his constituents, but also from his own sentiments on the subject, confident as he was that some measure must be ultimately adopted upon it, if it were wished to restore and preserve the complete tranquillity of Ireland. He defended the county meeting, at which this petition originated, from the censure of having been the cause of the agitation of the public mind in Ireland upon this topic, declaring that that agitation had preexisted for a considerable time. He entered into a description of the evils of the present system, of which a great majority of the people of Ireland, and even of the clergy themselves, were fully sensible; but concluded with observing, that as his Majesty's ministers had intimated their intention to take the subject into their serious consideration, in the interval between the present and the next session of parliament, he should not press his motion any further, than to allow it to be the vehicle of any observations which it might be thought desirable to make upon the general subject.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer availed himself of the opportunity afforded him by the Hon. Gentleman's motion, distinctly to state that it was the intention of his Majesty's government seriously to consider this business, of the importance of which they were completely convinced. He had already paid considerable attention to it himself, but he re

gretted to observe, that the farther he went into the examination, the more arduous did the task appear, and that the undertaking of applying a remedy to the evil, appeared to be beset with difficulties almost insurmountable. He repeated, however, that every effort should be made to remove them.

Mr. Parnell expressed his satisfaction at the sentiments which the house had just heard from the Right Hon. Gentleman.

Mr. Ponsonby concurred in the satisfaction expressed by his Honourable Friend, but was far from thinking that the difficulties in the way of some arrangement by which the grievances complained of might be removed, were so great as were imagined.

General Mathew stated, that he held in his hand a petition on the subject from the county of Tipperary, but that after what had fallen from the Right. Hon. Gentleman opposite, he should refrain from presenting it.

Sir G. Hill was anxious to know, whether or not his Majesty's government intended to take into their consideration the commutation of tythes in England as well as Ireland. He deprecated any interference on this point in the one country which did not extend to the other.

Mr. Herbert recommended in very strong terms, the measure of a commutation, which he was convinced would not be attended with any insuperable difficulty, and which he was satisfied would be as acceptable to the clergy, as to the laity. He knew several instances in which clergymen had declared to him, that they would be willing to abate a sixth of their clerical revenue, if it could be collected with more facility, and in a manner less repugnant to their feelings.

Mr. Burton was by no means of opinion that this was an easy subject. In that part of England where, for many years, he had been engaged in the discharge of his professional duties, the adjustment of tythes had ever been attended with more complication and difficulty than any other matter which had fallen under his notice; and he had just been told by an honourable friend near him, that in the county of Devon a very vigorous, attempt which had been made to arrange the commutation of tythes had been abandoned, on the expe rience of the impossibility of success,

Mr. Sheridan trusted, that the people of Ireland would not relax in their petitions to parliament on this subject, fully convinced as he was, that whatever might be said by his Majesty's government, it was to parliament alone that eventually they must look for redress. He completely differed from the honourable and learned Gentleman who had just spoken, with respect to the nature of the difficulties by which this subject was surrounded. In his opinion they were difficulties which a little attention might obviate. In cases of inclosure they were obviated at present, and he could not conceive why the principles which applied to inclosures might not be generally diffused over the whole system of the country. After some further discussion, in which Mr. Rose, Mr. Bastard, Sir W. Elford, Mr. Fitzgerald, and Mr. Lockhart, participated, Mr, Fitzgerald withdrew his motion.

HOUSE OF lords.

June 28. Lord Harrowby rose to make a motion in regard to those incumbents whose benefices were so small as to render it worthy the consideration of the legislature. In the reign of Queen Anne, it had been estimated, that there were upwards of 5000 livings in this kingdoin under 50. per ann. This return had been made at the tine, and might now be resorted to, but it would require another return to be made to judge properly of their situation at this day. He shewed that the right exists, whereby the bishops might order a return to be inade of all the livings in their dioceses generally. He thought that some assistance might be afforded to poor beneficed clergymen, and after the return made, it might be proper to consider how far the legislature could extend the desired. relief. He then moved that an address be presented to his Majesty, praying him to put in execution the 45th of the present reign, whereby the bishops may be directed to make a return of all livings under 1507. per ann---(Ordered.)

PROCEEDINGS IN THE DIOCESES.

THE PROVINCE OF CANTERBURY

Contains the Bishoprics of Bangor, Bath and Wells, Bristol, Canterbury, Chichester, Ely, Exeter, Gloucester, Hereford, Lichfield and Coventry, Lincoln, Llandaff, London, Norwich, Oxford, Peterborough, Rochester, St. Asaph, St. David's, Salisbury, Winchester, and Worcester.

THE DIOCESS

Contains three parts in four of the county of Kent, and about one hundred peculiars in the different dioceses. Charged in the king's books 26821. 12s. 2d.

ARCHBISHOPS DURING THE PRESENT REIGN.

Dr. Thomas Secker, dying in the month of August, 1768, the Hon. Dr. Frederic Cornwallis was translated from the bishopric of Lichfield and Coventry. Upon whose death, in 1783, Dr. Moore, bishop of Bangor, was consecrated, who dying in 1805. was succeeded by Dr. Charles Manners Sutton, bishop of Norwich, and dean of Windsor.

ARCHBISHOP OF CANTERBURY, PRIMATE OF ALL ENGLAND, AND METROPOLITAN,

The Right Hon. Charles Marmers Sutton, D. D. Member of the Privy Council, a Lord of Trade and Plantations, Trustee of the British Museum, Governor of the Charter-House, Visitor of All Souls and Merton Colleges, Oxford, and Patron of King's College, Nova Scotia; President of the Corporation of the Sons of the Clergy, President of the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts, and President of the Bible Society.

By an ancient privilege of this see, wherever the archbishop possessed either advowsons, or manors, such were considered to be in the diocess of Canterbury, and wholly exempt from the jurisdiction of the ordinary of the diocess in which they were situated.

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