78] ANNUAL REGISTER, 1818. 



sirable that a power should be 

 given to the king in coancil, with 

 the consent of the patron, to 

 divide the parish, with respect to 

 all ecclesiastical rights, as well as 

 spiritual duties, but without in- 

 terfering with the management of 

 the poor, or other arrangements 

 of a civil nature. 



The modes by which the com- 

 missioners would effect the pur- 

 poses of the act were threefold : 

 first, by the complete ecclesias- 

 tical division of parishes ; se- 

 condly, by the distinct division of 

 parishes, not affecting the endow- 

 ments of the present benefice; 

 and thirdly, by the building of 

 parochial chapels. In one or 

 other of these modes he hoped 

 the requisite relief would be gra- 

 dually obtained ; but it would be 

 obvious to any one who examined 

 the returns on the table, that the 

 greatest exertions of parochial 

 funds, and of private liberality, 

 co-operating with the munifi- 

 cence of parliament, would be 

 necessary to attain the object. It 

 was true that in these estimates 

 he had made no allowance for 

 those members of the community 

 who did not belong to the esta- 

 blished church ; for, without 

 meaning the least disparagement 

 to the dissenters, he thought that 

 the church, which existed for the 

 benefit of all, and derived sup- 

 port from all, was bound to afford 

 accommodation to all : and he 

 believed that a very large propor- 

 tion of those who did not now 

 attend the worship of the esta- 

 blished churcli, had not volunta- 

 rily forsaken the church, but that 

 the church had shut her doors 

 upon them. 

 It would naturally be asked, 



from what fund the ministers 

 serving these new churches and 

 chapels were to derive their sup- 

 port? For this purpose, and also 

 to assist in the repairs of the 

 buildings, it was proposed that a 

 moderate rent should be required 

 from those persons who had the 

 accommodation; and it was suffi- 

 ciently proved by the example of 

 the proprietary chapels in various 

 parts of the kingdom, that from 

 this source a very considerable 

 income might be derived. It 

 was, however, by no means in- 

 tended that the parliamentary 

 churches should be allotted prin- 

 cipally with a view to the profit 

 of pew rents ; on the contrary, a 

 large proportion of the space in 

 each of them should be reserved 

 as free seats, for the accommoda- 

 tion of the poorer inhabitants. 

 With respect to another part of 

 the subject, the patronage of the 

 intended churches, the same prin- 

 ciple of respect to private rights 

 which guided the other parts of 

 the arrangement was intended to 

 be applied to this. Whether, 

 therefore, a parish should be di- 

 vided wholly or partiall}^ the 

 presentation of the new parish, or 

 of the district church, would be 

 vested in the patron of the origi- 

 nal church. In the case of paro- 

 chial chapels, the appointment 

 would rest (as it now does by 

 law) in the incumbent of the 

 parish, who is spiritually answer- 

 able for the conduct of the whole. 

 He desired just to touch upon 

 a subject, distinct indeed from the 

 present, but naturally suggested 

 byit, — the situation of the church 

 of Scotland. This church had, 

 in proportion to its wants, equal 

 claims to national support ; and 



he 



