12° ANNUAL -REGISTER, 
probably be received by the other 
house. 
Lord Ellenborough, spoke very 
eloquently on the necessity of the 
clergy residing on their benefices ; 
he said, this was the foundation of 
the moral strength of the country ; 
which even more than its military 
strength, ought to be cultivated 
and cherished. Highly as he re- 
spected the learning of the univer- 
sities, and the science and litera- 
ture, that were taught there ; still, 
he considered the parochial in- 
struction of the clersy, of greater 
national importance. He should 
prefer punishing non-residence in 
the clergy by indictment as a mis- 
demeanor, rather than by civil pro- 
cess or specific penalty. He said, 
he should not support any future 
bills of suspension on this subject. 
The bishop of St. Asaph, after 
hearing the lord chancellor, lord 
Ellenborough, and lord <Alvanley, 
agree in disapproving of any more 
suspension bills on this subject ; 
and wishing for a general plan to 
regulate the : residence ofthe clergy; 
said, under those circumstances, he 
should withdraw his amendment, 
and agree to the original motion. 
The bill then went through the 
committee, but, upon the report 
being brought up on the following 
day, 
The earl of Carlisle said, that he 
could by no means agree with those 
noble lords, who yesterday declar- 
ed they should vote for no more 
suspension bills. This bill was 
brought forward for the purpose of 
saving from prosecutions, a number 
of innocent clergy; and he could 
not consent, to expose them again 
to similar prosecutions ; even al- 
though a, general plan were not 
1803. 
agreed to before the 8th of July: 
he doubted, whether it could be 
done within that time. As to his 
majesty’s ministers, he thought 
they could not well bring in sueh a 
measure without doing what was 
formerly in agitation, namely, as- 
signing a provision out of the public 
purse, to the inferior orders of the 
clergy. 
Lord Arden and lord Auekland, 
both agreed in the propriety of this 
general measure, which was so 
much wished for, originating rather 
in the house where the prelates sat, 
than in the other house of parlia- 
ment; they expressed a wish, that 
lord Ellenborough, whose speech 
the day before, had made so pow- 
erful an impression, would take up 
the business. 
Lord Ellenborough ‘said, that 
from his other avocations and of 
ficial duties, he could not pledge 
himself to give the necessary atten- 
tion to the s subject. 
Lord Alvanley said, the vine 
doubt he had, of the propriety of 
the measure originating in that 
house, was, that perhaps, it might 
be deemed right to make a provi+ 
sion for the inferior clergy, out of 
the public purse. 
The report was then agreed to 
by their lordships. 
The militia officers bill was read 
a second time in the house of lords, 
on the 3lst of March, and was 
committed on the 4th of April. 
On both these days it produced dis- 
cussions of considerable length. 
On the question for the second 
reading, 
Lord Caernarvon, stroiely ob- 
jected to that part of the bill, which - 
took away the landed qualifications, 
before necessary. ‘This dangerous 
experiment 
