sor ; but having in one instance broken faith with
his parishioners, Oxford University, the propriety of substituting a " declaration " the latter seem to think that the Doctor means to extort the 1600/. for the subscription to the Thirty-nine Articles, now required annually for himself. Nor is this all : the College of Christ Church, from students on matriculation. Had this recommendation been Oxford, takes 3500/. a year from Kirkham parish, in the shape of complied with, it would have indicated a disposition to adopt the great tithes, and makes no return whatever for this large income. new and convenient doctrines of conformity with the spirit of So that the inhabitants pay 45001. a year towards the support of the the altered Constitution preached by the Merchant Tailors' orator; Establishment, and yet have not the advantage of a settled minister but the proposal to liberalize the University was rejected with among them,butare turned over to the ministration of curates, whom disdain, by the overwhelming majority of 459 to 57.
an advance'of101. a year in salary would induce to remove a hundred Mr. POULTER'S Sabbath Bill afforded an opportunity on Wed- miles from them any day. Lord STANLEY had sense enough to per- nesday for Sir ROBERT PEEL to evince his readiness to bid for
ceive that this was an enormous abuse, very fit for public ex- popularity, and throw overboard the straitlaced of all parties. He posure and Parliamentary interference. But Sir ROBERT INGLIS, avowed his opinion that the observance of Sunday was not a fit who professes to be anxious above all things for the safety of the subject for legislation. There was nothing remarkable in the
Church, reproached the noble heir of the house of Derby (and its speech itself: all that he said had often before been said as tithes) with acting an unfriendly part towards the Establishment. well, or better; but it was emus' r; to notice the coolness with
It would have been better, according to Sir ROBERT, to have which this champion of the Church asserted a doctrine exceed- smothered the complaints of the laity, than bring to light one ingly unpalatable to all political divines ; whose chief aim it is sample of clerical delinquency. This is the course which has been to use the authority of the temporal rulers to enforce the obser- generally adopted by the party of which the Member for Oxford vance of what they choose to prescribe as religious rites, and the University is a fitting mouthpiece; and the consequence has been belief in what it answers their purpose to represent as the true the rapid increase of Dissent and of disgust towards the Establish- interpretation of the word of God. Let Sir ROBERT act con- meat. sistently, by following out the principle he laid down in reference to The next day, Mr. GILBERT HEATHCOTE presented a petition legislative interference on these matters, and he will find it impos- from a resident in the Isle of Ely, complaining of the oppressive sible to enforce the rights, as they are termed, of the Political . manner in which tithes had been exacted from him. The state- Church. -
meats of this petition were controverted by Mr. RUSSELL, the In the course of the debate on Mr. POULTER'S Bill, Mr. AN- Member for Reading ; but it was agreed that the tithe system was DREW JOHNSTON, " the late Member for St. Andrew's," had the
becoming an almost intolerable nuisance. assurance to express his regret that Representatives paid so
Now it is not the fault of the Clergy that they are obliged to little attention to the wishes of their constituents : upon which rely for their support on tithes ; but since even the enforcement of Mr. O'CONNELL observed, that " the remark came with peculiar their equitable claims is galling to those on whom they are made, force from the honourable Member for St. Andrew's." This gave
it would indicate only a common share of prudence were they to Mr. JOHNSTON the opportunity of stating, that he had referred avoid giving unnecessary cause of offence, and to endeavour to his case to Lord JOHN RUSSELL, Mr. SPRING RICE, and Dr. earn their wages by a strict performance of duty. There are LUSHINGTON, and that it was the opinion of those gentlemen
many clergymen, doubtless, who act on this principle ; but there that he ought not to resign. But we learn from the Courier, that are some, like Dr. WEBBER, who bring discredit on the whole he obtained this opinion surreptitiously, and that it is upon Lord body o is the hierarchy by an opposite course. And yet, when an JOHN RUSSELL'S saying that he did not look upon the Appropria- effort s made to prevent the continuance or repetition of conduct tion question as a party one, that Mr. JOHNSTON presumes to keep so impolitic, so detrimental to the Church, and injurious to the his seat in violation of a distinct pledge to resign his seat when-
really conscientious minister of religion, who suffers for the delin- ever a majority of his constituents should call upon him to give
quencies of his brethren, Sir ROBERT INGLIS, and such as he, it up. He did not give this pledge in reference to one particular declare that a blow is aimed at the Church; thereby admitting, question. Had he faithfully represented his constituents on every that its grossest abuses form an integral part of the Establishment, division—were they the most ungrateful and unreasonable of and that if }cu meddle with the decayed part of the structure, you mortals—he would nevertheless, as an honest man, at one e may bring the whole of it to the ground. resign his seat, when called upon by a majority of his supporters; This is the dogma of Si: ROBERT INGLIS and a powerful section fur he ederanly promised to do so. Two-thirds of his anPPortexi Blzws or THE WEEK— East India Shippiug . 486 of the Tories. Sir ROBERT PEEL has been the opponent of ef- Proceedings in Parliament—Cheri- Reform Associations 487 fectual reform in the Church, till very lately. As Member for cal Sinecures and Extortion- Tory and Radical Means of Agita- Oxford, be was as bigoted as Sir ROBERT I NGLIs, and as deter- oftheSabbath-Notional Educe- The Real Destiuctives 488 mined a stickler for the preservation of ecclesiastical abuses. But tion-The Dublin Procession- Crimes of the Soldiery 459 he has at length discovered that this ground is untenable, and mous Subjects 478 Bellies Opera 490 that sinecures in the Church as well as in the State must be The Court 483 The Lyceum 490 given up. Be it, however, observed, that on this very important "The Country 484 Belford Regis-Tales of My Neigh- class of questions, the nominal leader of the Tory party does not Ireland 483 bourhood-Yarrow Revisited ... 491 carry along with him a numerous, active, and resolute portion of POSTSCRIPT To THE WEEK'S News— The Army 496 And this leads us to remark, that Sir ROBERT PEEL seems to Births. Marriages. and Deaths.... 485 The Gaieties 497 be still more at variance with other influential Tories, than he is Specimens of Tory Proficiency in Prices Current 487 with Sir ROBERT INGLIS. Last week we pointed out the discre- Money Market 486 pancy between his views and those of Lord WODEHOUSE in regard
— - - - to the Reform Act. The Peer looks upon the Reform Act as so essentially vicious—a measure so disastrous—that no honest
NEWS OF THE WEEK.
man can carry on the King's Government under it. Of course, as he does not wish the King to be served exclusively by knaves, THE principal subjects of discussion in Parliament this week, Lord WODEHOUSE must exert himself for the repeal of that mea- have had a close connexion with the state of religion and morals sure. But Sir ROBERT PEEL pretends to be shocked at the very in the country. On Monday, Lord STANLEY disconcerted those of thought of touching it. He avows his perfect readiness to carry on the Government in conscientious adherence to its principles. the High Church party who have been deluding themselves with He must therefore, according to the noble and powerful Tory of' the notion that he had become wholly theirs, by presenting a Norfolk, be little better than a knave—certainly not an honest petition from the inhabitants of an extensive parish in Lancashire, man.
who have just cause of complaint against their Vicar, Dr. WEBBER. Lord WINCHILSEA also is not only a dissentient from Sir Ro- This worthy dignitary of the Established Church is not only Vicar BERT'S new policy, but actually labours to get up a party which of the refractory parish of Kirkham, but a Prebendary of West- shall repeal the two great measures of the first WELLINGTON- minster, and Dean of Ripon also. He resides not among the PEEL Administration—those for the abolition of the Test Act
people, from whom he receives 1000/. a year, though under a and the removal of Catholic Disabilities. The epistolary addresses of this crackbmined but ardent Tory, breathe a spirit totally at
special engagement not to leave the parish to the care of a curate variance with PEEL'S Merchant Tailors speech and his conduct in His curate is a schoolmaster and a tithe-collector as well as a the House of Commons.
parson; the scantiness of the stipend allowed him by his sine- Again, the week has produced still another evidence of the in- curist employer obliging him, probably, to eke out his subsistence ability of Sir ROBERT PEEL to lead the discordant party which by these occupations. Dr. WEBBER has lately been endeavouring pretends to acknowledge him as its chief. It is well known that to raise the small tithes of Kirkham from 1000/. to 16001. a year,— the Duke of WELLEsovosr, with whom Sir ROBERT declares he with a view, it is pretended, to secure the interests of his succes- never had the slightest difference, urged upon the members of Oxford, takes 3500/. a year from Kirkham parish, in the shape of complied with, it would have indicated a disposition to adopt the great tithes, and makes no return whatever for this large income. new and convenient doctrines of conformity with the spirit of So that the inhabitants pay 45001. a year towards the support of the the altered Constitution preached by the Merchant Tailors' orator; Establishment, and yet have not the advantage of a settled minister but the proposal to liberalize the University was rejected with among them,butare turned over to the ministration of curates, whom disdain, by the overwhelming majority of 459 to 57.
have required him to fulfil that absolute promise ; they, and not he, or any arbiters or apologists chosen by him, being the judges of the occasion for exacting its fulfilment. As respects his application to Lord JOHN Ream L I. and the other gentlemen, there was no occasion for it. Ills course lay plain before him. It was his duty not to violate a solemn obligation. We cannot say that Lord JOHN and his co-referees acted wisely in this matter. Why should they have interfered at all between Mr. JOHNSTON and his constituents? And why, if at all, did they give an opinion on an ex-parte statement? How could they tell whether it was true or false ? They had only ANDREW JOHNSTON'S word for it,—as the public, indeed, have only his version of their opinion. The affair will not rest here. The House of Commons has thought proper not to take notice of the technical breach of privilege in- volved in calling Mr. JOHNSTON to account in the first instance. This in some sort sanctions further proceedings; and we trust that the electors of the St. Andrew's Burghs will take care that the true state of the case shall be laid before the House of Commons, and their recreant misrepresentative exposed in the face of his brother Members.
Lord BROUGHAM, in a speech of considerable ability, though somewhat prosy, has explained to the House of Peers the leading provisions of a measure he has in contemplation for the diffusion of education among the people. The main fea- ture of his plan is the establishment of a Board of Educa- tion, empowered to examine into the state of endowed chari- ties, and to compel the due application of their funds ; which, from various causes, are now to a considerable amount used for purposes not contemplated by the original donor. Lord BROUGHAM laid a series of resolutions on the table, and promised to introduce a measure founded on them. It is to be hoped that be will keep his word, and that be will not, according to his too frequent custom, consider his purpose served by merely making a speech on the subject. We observe that the Archbishop of CAN- TERBURY and the Bishop of GLOUCESTER insisted upon the neces- sity of' making religion the basis of national education ; and that Lord BROUGHAM intimated his intention of satisfying them on this point. Now, by religion, the Bishops mean the doctrines of the Church of England ; and, rather than promote instruction dis- connected from those doctrines, they would see the whole popu- lation brutally ignorant. The Dissenters, on the other hand, will not agree to the education of their children in the doctrines of the Church, though they do not insist upon training the children of Churchmen in the ways of Dissent. If Lord BROUGHAM, there- fore, really means to satisfy the Bishops, and make their religion the basis of his scheme of education, that scheme will fail. On this subject the country is now, and for many years will be, di- vided into two irreconcileable parties. There is, however, no sound reason why difference of religious tenets should interfere with a well-devised scheme of national education. It would be a very simple and easy regulation to separate the religious from the other branches of instruction. Reading, writing, and arithmetic, might be taught, and the knowledge of history and the practice of morality inculcated—all, in short, that goes to form valuable citi- zens, and the State ought to know its subjects solely in this rela- tion—without in the least degree interfering with the peculiar opinions on religion which the parents entertain, and in which they would naturally wish their children to be brought up. Every facility might be given to all in this respect, though no compul- sion were used towards any.
Lord JOHN RUSSELL was welcomed on his return to the House of Commons, on Thursday evening, with hearty cheers of con- gratulation from his Liberal friends. Last night, he gave notice that he should introduce the Corporation Reform Bill on Monday week. From the number of questions which poured in upon him from all parts of the House, Lord JOHN must have been reminded that his part of Ministerial Leader will be no sinecure.
Mr. WARD'S plan of taking the votes on Divisions may be looked upon as virtually carried. The Building Committee of the New Houses of Parliament are to be consulted, and their opinion, which is already known to be favourable to it, will be communi- cated to the House next week. No time will then be lost, we pre- sume, in erecting the new lobby, and the plan will be put into Operation in a few weeks. We were glad to see that the principle of publicity was cordially supported by Mr. SPRING RICE.
