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" It will hardly be believed, that in the splendid city of Cal- 

 cutta, the head of a mighty Christian empire, there is only one 

 church of the establishment of the mother-country, and that by no 

 means conspicuous either for size or ornament. It is also remark- 

 able, that all British India does not afford one episcopal see, while 

 that advantage has been granted to the province of Canada; yet 

 it is certain that from the remoteness of the country, and the 

 peculiar temptations to which the freedom of manners exposes 

 I he clergy, immediate episcopal superintendance can no where be 

 more requisite. From the want of this it is painful to observe, that 

 the characters of too many of that order, are by no means credit- 

 able to the doctrines they profess; which, together with the unedi- 

 lying contests that prevail among them even in the pulpit, tend to 

 lower the religion and its followers, in the eyes of the natives of 

 t every description. If there be any plan for conciliating the minds 

 of the natives to Christianity, it is so manifestly essential it should 

 appear to them in a respectable form at the seat of government, 

 that I presume all parlies will allow that the first step should be 

 to place it there upon a proper footing. Since my return to Eng- 

 land I find that an episcopal establishment for India, upon a very 

 large scale, has been publicly recommended by the Rev. Dr. 

 Buchanan. Were its expediency in other respects agreed upon, I 

 fear the present state of the revenue in that country would render 

 such a serious addition to the expenditure unjustifiable; but the 

 maintenance of one bishop could not reasonably be objected to ; 

 for, with a revenue of eleven millions, it becomes a duly to appro- 

 priate a part to religious purposes, and not a mere consideration 

 of eligibility. 



