in better times and not adapted for narrow inconieB ; to keep in 

 repair the chancels of churches reared at no pennrious scrutiny 

 of nicely calculated less or more, to maintain the larovision for 

 divine service, to head local subscriptions, to dispense an 

 abundant charity. Their incomes wane and their professional 

 outgoings wax each successive year of their distress. Mean- 

 while rates fall upon them with increasing severity, mocking 

 their position by their assessment upon an income which they 

 have long ceased to receive. 



Naturally glebe livings are difficult to fill, when the incumbent 

 has to draw upon his private income for the privilege of per- 

 forming his spiritual duties. As a dignified ecclesiastic said to me, 

 " I have to hawk about my livings in the advertisement columns 

 of the newspapers." One so-called benefice has remained vacant 

 for three years. The proper form of advertisement for a glebe 

 living in the midland counties would be — "Wanted, an expe- 

 rienced farmer, with capital and in holy orders, to take a farm 

 of 500 acres, with rectory attached." More than once I heard 

 the expression, " If I had not private means I should starve." 

 Nor was this a figure of speech : it represents a grim fact. 



Before illustrating by examples the effect of agricultural 

 depression upon the incomes of glebeowners, let me advert to 

 a point which has impressed me forcibly. It is the immense 

 difficulty of collecting accurate and clear statistics which shall 

 be unmistakable in their effect. The return of Episcopal 

 patronage, to which I have before alluded, is a case in point. 

 Upon its results it might be argued that glebe-livings have only 

 depreciated 25 per cent. There is nothing in the return to 

 support this conclusion. It must be remembered that there has 

 been no good agricultural season since 1874, and that, if 

 the depreciation had been calculated on the last twelve years, 

 instead of the last six, the amount would be far greater. Also, 

 there is no return to show whether the income of these livings 

 is derived wholly from glebe or wholly from tithe or from both ; 

 or whether the value has been increased by such windfalls as 

 sales of land to railways, or wayleaves to ironstone com- 

 panies — accidents which do not affect the question of the 

 effect of agricultural depression, but which have saved 

 several glebe incumbents from comparative ruin. Also 

 it is often almost impossible to estimate the net value 

 of a glebe-living at any one moment of time. If the land has 

 been in hand for a year, or has been relet on the condition that 

 for six months it should be rent-free, or an arrear has accumu- 

 lated, or a sum is given back which varies every year in amount, 

 what figure is to be returned? No single column will give 

 even an approximate idea of the value. Some figure must be 

 set down ; the figure chosen is generally the ratable value of 



