STATE O THE CHURCH. The Commissioners appointed to inquire into
the " State of the Established Church, with reference to Ecebsiastival Duties and Reve- nues," have made a further report. In order to obviate the objections of the clergy in the diocese; of Llaudatf, they have abandoned the proposition in their last report to unite the sees of Llandaff and Bristol; and as the plan of annexing the city of Bristol to the bishopric of Bath and Wells excited much dissatisfaction in Bristol, the Commis- sioners now recommend- " That the city and deanery of Bristol (with the whole parish of Bedmin- ster) should be united to the diocese of Gloucester ; and that a house should be provided, in some convenient situation near the city of Bristol, so that the Bishop of the united diocese may reside alternately there and at Gloucester. This arrangement will reader it necessary to augment the income of the Bishop beyond what might otherwise have been required.
" We recommend, as consequent upon this arrangement, that instead of the new Archdeacoory of Cirencester' ;proposed in our last report, an Archdeacoory of Bristol should be created ; and that the parishes of the united diocese should be divided, in convenient' proportions, between that Archdeaeonry and the Archdeaconry of Gloucester. " 1Ve recommend, further, that the future Bishops of the united diocese should he elected alternately by the Dean and Chapter of Bristol and the Dean and Chapter of Gloucester ; and that the mode of confirming such acts of the Bishop as require confirmation under the Chapter seal, should be determined upon by the Commissioners, subject to the approval of your Majesty in Council.
Some additional changes iri.the incomes of the bishoprics are men- tioned in the following passage.
" The vacancies to which we have adverted in the sees of Durham and Ely, affiwd an opportunity of carrying into effect many of the changes which we recommended in our former reports. From information received since the date of our last report as to the probable future proceeds of the property be- longing, to the sees of Durham and Ely, we are led to believe that, if the future income of those sees be reckoned at 8000/. and 55001. respectively, the fund intended to provide, either wholly or in part, for the smaller bishoprics, will receive annually from Durham about 12.0001. and from Ely about 5000/. Un- derstanding that the see of Bristol will become vacant, we recommend that the bishopric of Ripon be created without delay, and that an income of 45001. per annum be assigned to the Bishop of that see. The Archbishop of York, whose consent to this arrangement has been signified to us, would thus be relieved of a considerable part of his too extensive and laborious diocese; and portions also of the diocese of Chester, which are most inconveniently situated with respect to the episcopal residence, would, with the consent of the Bishops of Carlisle and Chester, be detached from that diocese, and placed under the super- intendence of the Bishops of Carlisle and Ripon respectively. " We further recommend, that, with the consent of the Archbishop of York and of the Bishops of Lincoln and Norwich, which have been signified to us, the counties of Huntingdon and Bedford, with those parts of Norfolk and Suf- folk which were specified in our First Report, and the small portion of the county of Cambridge which is now in the diocese of Norwich, should be forthwith annexed to the diocese of Ely, and the county of Nottingham to the diocese of vacancy of the see of Bristol will render it necessary to provide for the administration of that diocese. With the consents of the Bishops of Salis- bury, Oxford, and Gloucester, we recommend that the proposed union of the city and deanery of Bristol with the diocese of Gloucester, and the transfer of Dorsetshire to the diocese of Salisbury, and of Bel kshire and Buckinghamshire to that of Oxford, be carried into effect as soon as passible."
The following is the mode of augmenting, the incomes of the smaller out of the proceeds of the larger bishoprics, as finally proposed by the Commissioners. They recommend-
" That in order to provide for the augmentation of the incomes of the smalltr bishoprics, such fixed annual sums be paid to the Commissioners out of the revenues of the larger sees respectively, as shall upon due inquiry and considera- tion be determined on, so as to leave as an average annual ineOlne 01 the Arch- bishop of Canterbury, 15.0001 ; to the Archbishop of York, 10,000/. ; to the Bishop of London, !I1,0 01.: to the Bishop of Durham. 8,000f. ; to the Hishop of Winchester, 7,000/. ; to the Bishop ef Ely, 3,500/. ; to the Bishop of St. Asaph and Bangor, 5,200/. ; and to the Bishops of 11'orcester and Bath and Wel's respectively, 5,01,0/. " Vett out of the fund thus aecruing, fix, 41 annuli payments he made by the Commissioners, in such instances, and to such untnt, as shall be in like man- ner determined sin ; so that the average annual incomes of other Bishops respec- tively be not less than 4,0001. nor more than WOOL " That at the expiration of every seven years, reckoning from the first day of Janteuy le:37, a new return of the revenues of all the bishoprics lie made to the Commissioners ; and that thetenpon the scale of the episcopal payments and receipts he revised, so as to preserve, as nearly as may be, to each Bishop, an amount of income equivalent to that which shall have been determined, in the first instance, to be suitable to the circumstances of his bishopric ; and that such revised scale take effect as to each see respectively upon the then next avoidance thereof."
None of these alterations are to take place in the see of any Bishop who was in possession of the same on the 4th of March 1836, without `,his consent. It is also proposed- " That no ecclesiastical dignity, office, or benefice, be in future granted to any Bishop to be held in commendant ; but that such of the endowments of certain Prebends in the cathedrals of Lincoln, Lichfield, Exeter, and Salisbury, as now belong to the Bishops of the respective dioceses, continue annexed to the respective sees.
" 'filet fit residences be provided for the Bishops of Lincoln, Llandaff, Rochester, Manchester, and Ripon; and that for the purpose of providing the Bishop of any diocese with a more suitable and convenient residence than that which now belongs to his see, sanction be given for purchases or exchanges of
house or lands, or fur the sale of lands belonging to the respective sees; and also, where it may be necessary, for the borrowing, by any Bishop, of a sum not exceeding two years' income of his see, upon suet': terms as shall appear to be fit and proper ; and that the Governors of the Bounty of Queen Autte be em- powered to lend money, upon mortgage, to such Bishops. " That so much of the summit of 90001. tecoveled by the late Bishop of Bristol for damages done to the episcopal residence at Bristol, and of its accumula- tions, as may remain after deducting pct per expenses, together with the money
arising from the sale the site of such residence, if sold, he applied to the purchase or erection of a residence for the Bishop of the see of Bristol and Gloucesee."
To.. Future extent of each diocese, and the parishes, towns, and cities . it t t contain, are particularly described in the Report ; which indeed I t .5 out a new ecclesiastical map of England. The Report is dated • 20:h Alay 1836, and signed by
" W. CA NTVA R, J. RUSSELL,
COTTENIIA NI, C. J. LONDON, E. Elton, J. Litecor.sr, LA NSDOWNE, J. H. GLOUCESTER, iiA R 'LOWRY, T. SPRING Ries,
MstotounsE, H. Ilonnorse.
HEnnewr JEN NEU."
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