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    to stare as an instance of the disproportionate payment of churchmen in Ireland , that the landed property of the Arch * bishopric of Armagh , if let out on the principle that - other laws could provide ,

    would amount to 150 , 000 / . a year . This was in ract a principality , and many German principalities bad no such revenue . He would now state further , why he wished to move for a committee . In the

    year 1806 , the Duke of Bedford required returns by the bishops of the Value- of livings , &c . ; a very large volume was returned , but So imperfect , that little use could be made of it as to church or state . Several years afterwards the government called for similar returns ^ they were laid ou the table in 1821 ; questions were put

    as to the number aud state of the parishes , their contiguity , &c . ; , but the inquiry stopped at the most important point , for the bishops were not asked the amount of their revenues ; of the 1200 or 1300 returns required , only 400 were complied with . He would not say whether a commission ought to have been then appointed , but it was clear that he could not now

    rely upon the returns * x > f-the clergy , and therefore the greatest advantage might be derived from-the appointment . of a committee at present . He then referred to a letter from the Archbishop of Armagh in the year 1320 , in which that prelate stated the lamentable decay of churches in ruins , the destruction of glebes , or the

    appropriation of them in the hands of individuals , from wham they could not now be recovered . Such a state of circumstances , he contended , was a sufficient ground for the appointment of a committee , and that was the more necessary on Account of the inaccuracy of the returns of 1819 , when of 1289 benences required , only 40 O made

    returns . . He now came to a very important point of what he had 16 propose . He would submit that no- « ees which became vacant should be filled up until they were reduced to one archbishopric

    and four bishoprics . In this ; he wasguMed by the'Articles of the Union , which allowed only that number of Irish Spiritual Peera inj the House of Lords , and therefore he thought he wa ^ nafe in taking that number a » a fair criterion . -He wna

    certain tjiat number t * f bishop * , wouid b& sufficient to take the ^ charge of between 400 , 000 and 500 ^ 1 ) 00 ^ people q and , that proportion of prelates ts > the population * of % m same faith was ; greater than it * any otoer ^ ewntry ^ mctyt wrlmps Te ^ Mpih SpMh . One biahop was quite epoughta ta ^ charge of about £ 00 , 000 souls ,-with ih ^ aid ; * £ bis : inferior clergy . a He now came / ta a very imp ^ aot polttt ofc ^ change widchbbe contemplated ^ aud it was * that ? a « thfi ) deans . and chapter * ba 4

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    no doty to perfonn , they should be allowed to die off . He knew a difficulty presented itself with respect to the equalization of the benefices in Ireland . But that diftU culty was not so great as it at first appeared . The patronage was no doubt b ?

    many considered as a vested right * but perhaps a better understanding of the subject might cause the difficulty to be considerably diminished . The Honourable Member then read a statement of the patronage of % h& parishes in Ireland as fellows ; - — . r : In the gift of the Bishops . ? 1 , 391-Do . of the Crown ..... 293

    Total in the Crown and Bishops 1 , 684 In lay hands . . * . 367 In the University ... 21 Inappropriate and vacant , and without Churches or . Incumbents . . . . 95

    Total number of parishes in Ireland 2 , 24 ft Total number of Benefices in 1818 1 , 289 By this statement it appeared that the Crown had the patronage of 1684 parishes . He contended that the case was virtually so , for if the Crown did not appoint the bishops , the bishops could not : make , the nomination , and if the . bishops did not

    make the nomination , the Crownrwould of course appoint , so that the patronage was really vested in the Crown , which materially lessened the difficulty as tod the equalization of benefices by Parnawenu There , was one subject remaining , and that , was with regard to tithes , in his view ol a commutation of tithes , he did not think : that ; an individual v * ho had mo

    duty to perform * should be in the receipt of 1000 / ,, 2000 / . or 3000 / . a yeari but what he wiahed waa , ihat the pronta of the : auperfluoufl bishoprics aud of i the deans , and chaptera should / orm a fun ^ at the direction of ; j Parl ^ imeni for the ipro-r portionate remuneiTatjon of the ptergy Also thae the holders « hould commute

    thek T tithes at twelve , or mmt& $ t * y » aiw purchase , instead ofc ; twetrty-nve ^ which would , be giving a ^ fon d to thp landholders , while ther : e wer ^ ample funds ! for the fiup ^ poKV ot the lS » ta ^ Ushmeut . As to tte

    lay , ijmpropriat < a ; 9 # of who , < n chQm were sey . em ] huudrfidair ( Aietrnint ^ re » ts « hould be aa good a 3 If ? ttey Vrere « oWl ia . public market -or by yx \ fal * : \ c 0 n&Tmi . &fin& actual # nthreat ; iwj ^ iirfrittged ai ^ on , vehat ipjus ^ ice could beifdone ^ £ i « n aropie pto ^ Qri ^ wuld ba realized to the Ghfirch to defr « fctt ?* t § ifeft » ii ^^

    lOC ^^^^ ' ^ pllflA beiaoy afe ? ere PC < 6 MIW ) 2 i ^ mM - fie MM ^ # te ^» l ) nflt touaaj flfeaejrwaijon Wfaif ^ ir JtodM ^ fo rtb r and irtiicb kad ct ^ n : b # te ' UrgeA b ^ isome of

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    Intelligence . —Irish Church EstablUhpient . 187

• Citation
  • Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), March 2, 1823, page 187, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse-os.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct1782/page/59/