es 0f1 er ' Chisneelloriwould hava, ieTPecta- 45 brittlin'tkoposition WI
.' to(b4elkeesittdelyientbrtaineil '011ie entire abOlitiOn of th0 "iili ii tiep fahefrof if udicaar, fagrtitol iiaeg.igra0f4.,Ati.,, Ily, ? : I 3 s ylt• ated in
cti .
Projeet4 oilrefeikoV,e-,Ox 'CO* the demand' o .' - jeyln- . g by
xefniktilnim ' Monti' ) 1.6 is net long, siiiSa j . . ;,of the
d
tare,:bi,the assimilation of 1,4,x0.441 ItiP fli ef thl) Coania aof Common Law. -Silekt-eRui4144P11, .) 1.itl ls 01.: isted irialgootland, and the• example has been reeen* trdlowed anceessfally in the United States of America. Whether the reform ultimately carried will be one of a partial or of a subversive 'kind, it is likely at the church patronage annexed to the Great Seal will be liberated.
Already, indeed, the ecclesiastical portion of the remains of the
official leviathan may be considered to have been bespoke by the Royal Commission for subdividing the large parishes of England into smaller independent ones, with a population not exceeding 4000 souls. In spite of numerous public grants for the building of churches, aided by munificent private donations, the deficiency still appears to be great, both from the inquiries of this Commis- sion and the elaborate report of Mr. Tremenheere on the condition of the mining districts. Further aid from Parliament, however, it is held to be vain to expect, so long .as the Church is in posses- sion of funds sufficient for ita own exigencies ; and it is under this impression that Lord Ashley's Commission, in its second report, has recommended the sale of the ecclesiastical patronage of the -Lord Chancellor.
r It appears from the report of the Commissioners, that 600 new
-churches are required ; the erection of many of which need not *cost above 35001. each, or altogether 2,100,0001. The number of livings in the gift of the Lord Chancellor is 777 ; of this number, 447 vary in value from 2001. to 12071.; the rest are below 2001. a year : the aggregate value of the Chancellor's patronage is esti- mated to be 200,0001. per annum. The right of presentation to these livings, it is suggested, might be offered to individuals who from residence or the ownership of property are interested in their :spiritual welfare, and who might be induced to become purchasers On the condition that the purchase-money should be invested in the parochial endowment of their incumbents.
But if the fund accruing from the sale of this class of advowsons
eheuld be found inadequate, an additional resource is open. The First Lord of the Treasury administers extensive church patronage in right of the Crown. Both the Archbishops and all the Suffragan Bishops are of his nomination; he fills up all vacant Deaneries and several Canonries ; and annually, on the average, three or four benefices fall vacant, of which he has thepresentation. Why so much Church patronage, it may be inquired, in the dispensation of A Minister whose functions are political ? The incongruity ap-
pears greater than the exercise of spiritual patronage by the lord Chancellor. Originally, the chief Judge in Equity was mostly an ecclesiastic. Cardinal Wolsey, and Bishop Williams so recently as Charles's reign, are familiar instances : the subordinate officers were also churchmen ; and it was to enable the Chancellor to re- munerate the services of 'these officers in his court that certain
benefices were placed at his disposal. Such, at least, is the ex- the sake of completing their education and moving in good somety--or planation given by the Commission in tracing the origin of the en- are intellectually incapable of any greater effort—retire from residence.
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