THE DIMINUTION OF CANDIDATES FOR HOLY ORDERS.
[To THE EDITOR OF THE "SPECTATOR."] Sra,—Referring to your paragraph on the above subject in the Spectator of July 7th, I think facts should be taken into con- sideration. So long as men who for a number of years have worked in the teaching profession, or in some other equally alien occupation, are beneficed, while curates of unblemished character and unimpeachable capability have laboured in the clerical calling for sixteen or twenty years ill-paid and un- beneficed, there will be dissatisfaction, and justly so. No man should be eligible for a living until he has worked for nine years consecutively as a curate. This would be no great hard- ship to the golden youths who have politics or county con- nections at their back. They would be favourably handi- dapped even then. I hope to see the dearth of candidates greater still until some reform is begun.—I am, Sir, &c.,
OBSERVER.
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