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affift in the good works of education and fcience, that were going on there, but, in fact, contributing, by their example, to retard. He did not mean to say, that all the fellows of colleges aged in this improper manner, but several did. Very many fellows of colleges, he must do them the justice 10 fay, led exemplary lives, and were worthy, ftudious, and learned men; but he thought thofe who poffeffed livings would do more fervice to their parishioners, if they refided lefs at the univerfity and more in their own parithes. The pretext of a defire to comply with the ftatutes of their refpective colleges, was but a fhallow cover for the practice of those who neglect the duty of their offices as paftors of flock, to live in the univerfity, and be useless members of it. They had much better be away.

Earl Grovefnor gave an account of the practice of fellows of the King's college, Cambridge; he stated the number of them, and the regulations which had obtained within thefe ten years refpe&ting their livings, which they had restrained themselves to, merely livings within twenty miles diftant from the university. His lordship fupported the words of the

claufe.

The Bishop of Norwich circumstantially enumerated the number of fellows belonging to each college in Cambridge, and described the fort of livings that came to their lot, fhewing that the colleges had very few good livings in their gift, and that most of them were, as the noble Lord had stated, reftrained to within twenty miles of the univerfity. His Lordfhip gave a high character of the conduct of all its officers of every defcription, and faid, for difcipline, regularity, learning, and every branch of science, he was perfuaded the univerfity of Cambridge never stood higher than at present.

The Lord Chan ellor faid, he differed entirely from a rev. Prelate who had lately fpoken (Bishop of Oxford) refpecting the fellows refiding in their colleges The rev. Prelate was for driving as many of them as he could from the university. Now, his wifh was to keep them as much as poffible at the univerfity. The more learning and fcience there could be collected at each, that of Cambridge and that of Oxford, the more advantageous would it be for each of thofe highly ufeful and glorious inftitutions.

The Bishop of St. Asaph faid, certainly, if the fellows of colleges did fpend their time in college merely in foaking port and reading the newspapers, as had been faid, it was ex

tremely

tremely wrong; but he fhould hope the practice was not general.

A variety of other obfervations were made upon different parts of the claufe.

The Bishop of Durham faid, he had been an Etonian, and he well knew the prefent mafter, and could anfwer for his being an excellent and moft refpectable character, well entitled to the benefit of the claufe.

The Bishop of St. Asaph faid, he had no objection to exempting the master of Westminster fchool, but he had, to exempting the ufher. The former was appointed by the Dean, but he had no authority over the uthers; and it was not impoffible for a master of Westminster chool, who him-' felf appointed his ufhers or affiltants, to abufe that power, and make nominal ushers, merely to entitle those nominal ulhers to exemption from non-refidence.

It was answered, that it was not probable that any mafter of Westminster-fchool, who muft himself be a refpectable and unquestionable character, would be guilty of so grofs an abufe of his office and his power.

All the Bishops objected to the different perfons who they thought ought not to be among the lift of pofitive exemptions, but to be obliged to obtain licences from their diocefans, and by that means fubject the grounds on which they requested fuch license to the cognizance and difcretion of their Bishops. At length the Committee divided on the words " ог ufher." Contents that it stand a part of the claufe) 19. Not con

ten's 19.

Having gone through the claufe, the Bishop of London propofed a provifo to be annexed to the claufe, or to follow it, the effect of which was, that each non-refident was to state to the Bishop, that during his non-refidence a curate or curates would be refident on his benefice to perform all the clerical duties of the parish, and that he or they were to receive an adequate compenfation out of the income of the living, of which adequacy the Bishop was to judge, and fuch curate or curates was not to be abfent from the cure, or non-resident, but in fuch cafes as the Bithop fhould think fufficiently fatisfactory to justify his confent to his or their non-refidence.

Lord Auckland and Lord Alvanley fupported this amendment, declaring feverally, that they could not have been fatisfied in agreeing to the whole of the claufe just gone through, if they had not believed it would have been followed by fome fuch provifo as the rev. Prelate had propofed.

The

The Lord Chancellor faid he had great doubts whether fuch a provifo would ultimately be neceffary. He knew that there' was a bill in preparation on the exprefs fubject of establishing a better provifion for the inferior clergy, and refpecting curates and their refidence. With regard to the provifo, he might, after due time for his confidering it, bring his mind on another day to agree to it, and he would endeavour to do fo, but it had not been heard of before that day, and to prefs it now would be to take the Committee by furprize, Befides, it need not come in juft in that part of the bill, but after fome fubfequent claufes, which it would more properly follow; he requested, therefore, that the right rev. Prelate, who had done himself the highest honour in enforcing refidence in his own diocefe, would confent to withdrawing it for the prefent.

The Bishop of London faid, he took no credit for his conduct in the refpect to which the noble and learned Lord referred; he had merely done his duty; and he had not the fmallest doubt, but that every one of his reverend and learned brethren would have acted in the fame manner under the fame circumstances. It certainly had been efficacious, and produced beneficial advantages, as there were at prefent one. hundred more refident incumbents in his diocefe than he found when he first was appointed to it. With regard to the provifo, out of refpect to the noble and learned Lord, under the idea that it was hereafter to be attended to, he would readily withhold it for the prefent.

The claufe was then agreed to.

The next claufe was to enact, that perfons entitled, under 23 Henry the Eighth, to privilege of non-refidence until forty years of age, are not to be entiled till after twenty-fix.

The Bithop of St. Asaph objected to this on the ground, that men of twenty-fix, who had livings, could not at that age be fuppofed to have acquired a fufficient thare of theological learning, to qualify them for a due performance of the facred duties of their clerical chara&er, and that they ought to be allowed to continue longer refident at the university, where they might acquire much theology from the valuable volumes to be read in the various public libraries. If they went to their livings, they would perhaps take no books with them but a Latin Dictionary, a Lexicon, a Concordance," and fome hodge-podge popular expofition of the Bible. They could acquire no more theological or literary knowledge, than they carried with them to it; when they went to their liv

ings at a distance. At the univerfities they had every affift. ance and improvement, he therefore would move to omit the words, "twenty-fix years," in order to infert the words. "thirty years," and then their Lord/hips would have cut off ten years out of the forty, granted by the old act of Henry VIII. His Lordship moved accordingly.

Lord Alvanley faid, four years were not worth contending for, and therefore the claufe had better stand as it did.

The amendment was then negatived. On a divifion,

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The Committee went through the next claufes. That, enacting," that no penalty fhall be recovered by execution against the perfon of a fpiritual perfon, where they can be recovered by a fequeftration of the profits of the benefice;" and that enacting, "that archbishops and bithops may, on petition, and fuch proof as may be required by fach archbishops, &c. grant licences in cafes enumerated in this act," with but few obfervations; and as the next claufe, enacting, that licences may be granted in certain cafes, and that fpiritual perfons aggrieved by refufal, may appeal to the archbishop," was likely to occupy a good deal of remark and time, it was agreed, on the fuggeftion of the Lord Chancellor, to order the Chairman to report progrefs, and adjourn till the next day-Ordered.

As foon as the Houfe was refumed, the Chairman reported progrefs, and afked leave to fit again. Ordered. Adjourned.

HOUSE OF COMMONS.

THURSDAY, JUNE 16.

The Speaker took the Chair at half paft three o'clock. A meffage from the Lords announced to the House, that the Lords had agreed to the Sheernefs pier bill, and feveral private acts.

Daniel Parker Coke, Efq. took the oaths and his feat for Nottingham.

The Houfe refolved itself into a Committee to confider the Act 42 Geo. III. regulating workhoufes; and on the House refuming,

Mr. Coke reported the opinion of the Committee relative to that act, and moved for leave to bring in a new bill' to amend it, and to make additional regulations relative to VOL. IV. 1802-3. relieving

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relieving the poor of the expence attending the erection of additional workhouses.

On the motion of Mr. Wickham, the Houfe went into a Committee on the bill for empowering the Commiffioners of the firft fruits in Ireland, to lend out a fum of money, intereft free, for the purpose of improving the Irish parfonage houfes.

Mr. Wickham explained fully the nature of the bill, and ftated that there were in Ireland no less than 2246 parishes, and only about 500 glebe houses, and that one of the principal objects of the bill would be to procure at least an additional number of 600, befides the reparation of the prefent ones.

Colonel Bagwell faid, that he thought much praife was due to the hon. Gentleman who had thus patronized the clergy of Ireland, and brought forward the prefent bill, as he for one was fully convinced of the neceffity of the mea. fures propofed, and highly approved of the manner by which the remedy was to be effected.

The Chairman reported progrefs, and the report was ordered to be received the next day.

Mr. Alexander prefented the report of the Committee of Supply, finding that the fum of 20,0001. fhould be provided for the improvement of the roads and bridges in Scotland. The refolutions were agreed to, and a bill ordered to be brought in agreeably thereto.

Mr. I. H. Browne, Sir W. Pulteney, Sir James St. Clair Erfkine, and the Lord Advocate of Scotland, were appointed to prepare and bring in the fame.

Mr. Vanfittart prefented an account of the annual increase of the confolidated fund.

The militia transfer bill was read a third time and paffed. On the motion of Admiral Berkeley, the order of the day for the third reading of the woollen clothiers' bill was deferred till that day fe'nnight, under the hope that the minutes before the Committee on that bill would be printed by Monday next.

Read a third time, paffed, and ordered to the Lords, the Irifh fhip burning bill.

An officer from the inspector of exports and imports, prefented at the bar feveral accounts, purfuant to order.

Deferred till next day the further confideration of the report on the militia pay bill.

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Read a third time and paffed, the Eaft India fhipping bill.

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