and holding the balance of power, some concession to it early became inevitable.

§ 15. In 1833, accordingly, a bill was introduced in parliament, for the suppression of ten sees, and of the various chapters, in Ireland, as soon as the termination of existing incumbencies should render the several preferments vacant. By this measure, the country was to lose two of its archbishoprics, Cashel and Tuam, the province of Munster being intended for the eventual superintendence of the see of Dublin, Connaught for that of Armagh. These latter arrangements have actually taken effect, the archbishops both of Cashel and Tuam having died. The mass of property to be set at liberty by the suppression of so many sees was to find a substitute, in the first instance, for the vestry cess, an impost analogous to the English church-rate, but applicable to more purposes'. Thus the land was to be relieved from a burthen under which it had been inherited, bought, and granted immemorially, at the expense of the church. Other objects, far more defensible, to be gained by the suppression of so many sees, were the improvement of small livings, the building of churches, and the supplying of suitable glebe-houses. These objects, however, were obviously of remote attainment, the first thing in view being the immediate abolition of the vestry cess, and as no see was actually vacant to meet its demands, the new board must begin operations by borrowing money, which episcopal estates, when

7 The estimated amount of income to be provided on the abolition of the vestry-cess was 60,000l. a year. The means reckoned upon as eventually available for meeting this claim, and the other objects contemplated by the bill, were 155,000l. a year. The whole amount

of income receivable by the established church of Ireland appears to be under 800,000l. a year. The number of parochial benefices was reckoned at about 1250. Respecting the number of protestants, very different statements were commonly made, Romanists, undoubtedly, being desirous of estimating it as low as possible: protestants were thought to rate it somewhat too high. They made it in 1832,

1,269,288. This population, which is peaceful and thriving, resides chiefly in Ulster, a province which, being largely colonised from Scotland, comprises a large body of dissenters. It appeared, however, by official inquiries, instituted in 1834, that Irish protestants under-rated their number. This was found to be 1,516,228. Of this number 852,064 were of the established church, 642,356 were presbyterians, and 21,808 were of other protestant sects. The Roman catholics were 6,427,712. Belonging to the establishment there were found 1338 churches, and 196 other places of worship.

placed at liberty by the deaths of incumbents, would have gradually to repay. This and many other objections to the plan were pressed with great vigour and ability upon its supporters but all such efforts were vain. The measure was carried, and thus ten Irish prelacies were placed under a rapid process of abolition: an evil that may be found of considerable magnitude, when the people shall generally become sensible of their error in adhering to religious opinions incapable of a confident appeal to Scripture, and even now of some account in a country suffering from the want of resident proprietors; because it greatly diminishes a class of landlords whose residence is a matter of duty. How far the government might have been blameable in thus yielding to the duress impinged by its Irish supporters, cannot, perhaps, be accurately estimated by the present generation. There was undoubtedly a most difficult and painful choice of evils. The conspiracy against every thing protestant which raged through the south and west of Ireland was so fierce and uncompromising, that nothing short of a civil war seemed equal to its suppression, and many persons accordingly of good information, who grieved over the extinction of ten sees, doubted whether the sacrifice was not absolutely necessary to allay the furious opposition that assailed the vestry-cess.

§ 16. In 1835 a plan for the more advantageous disposition of English dioceses was brought forward by a board of commissioners appointed by the crown to consult upon reforms in the church. Some of the dioceses were of inconvenient extent, while others might be enlarged without any unreasonable call upon the attention of a single prelate. The most eligible mode, unquestionably, of dealing with such anomalies would have been the erection of new bishoprics in addition to all those already existing; efficiency of supervision and reference obviously depending very much upon the number of individuals employed upon such duties. But an increase in the number of sees, with bishops admitted to parliamentary rank and privileges, would have been found impracticable from the temper of the times. To institute, however, permanently a secondary order of prelates, with civil distinctions inferior to those of the first order, would have been to endanger these

advantages altogether, and thus to risk the church's dignity, efficiency, and independence. It was, therefore, determined to make as good a provision for existing difficulties, as the times allowed, by uniting two of the smaller dioceses with others contiguous to them, and by founding in their places two new dioceses in the populous districts of northern England. The dioceses most eligible on all accounts for such union were those of Bristol, Llandaff, St. Asaph, and Bangor. It was eventually determined to unite Bristol with Gloucester, and this arrangement, by the death of the late learned bishop Gray, has actually taken effect. Eventually the two north Welsh dioceses are to be united. The sees most disproportionably burthened with business were those of York, Lincoln, and Chester. To diminish this evil, new sees are to be founded at Ripon and Manchester, each of these towns being sufficiently well seated for the heads of new dioceses that are much needed, and each of them being furnished with a collegiate church suitable for a cathedral. Ripon has actually been converted into an episcopal see; Manchester waits for a vacancy before it can gain that advantage. Large portions of the great and inconveniently arranged diocese formerly under the see of Lincoln, are to be transferred to neighbouring bishops who have smaller cures; while the bishop of Lincoln himself undertakes the supervision of Nottinghamshire, heretofore under the see of York. Various other arrangements, advantageous in themselves, but unfit for particular description in a work like this, are contemplated by this plan of diocesan reform, and many of them have been carried into operation. Among the features of the plan is the excellent one of assigning to all the bishops adequate endowments, and hence of rendering it no longer necessary to make up episcopal incomes by means of commendams. For rendering this arrangement permanently satisfactory, nothing more is required than the transfer of estates of a certain estimated value, from the wealthier sees to those that are newly founded, or need augmentation. Such transfers of income are made, at present, in most cases, by means of money payments, and at the outset of a great national change, there might be little or no choice in the case. But a stipendiated prelacy is new to the constitution of Eng

land, and all approaches to it any longer than necessity requires, are likely to bear injuriously upon the whole ecclesiastical establishment.

§ 17. In 1836 was passed an Act for the Commutation of Tithes into a variable rent-charge. The ancient tithe endowment of the church had long been violently opposed in many quarters, often palpably from interest. By objectors whose motives were above suspicion, it was considered very injurious to the religious interests of men, by producing serious disagreements between pastors and people. That such objections to it were not without foundation is unquestionable, but they were grossly exaggerated. A very large proportion of the most obstinate contentions to which clergymen were exposed by the tithe system arose from persons who had lands but not residences in their parishes, and who, therefore, had especial facilities for shifting stock, and managing crops, so as to baffle the tithe owner. Many others of his more acrimonious opponents were dissenters; so that really the spiritual evils arising from this most venerable of clerical remunerations were much smaller than persons imperfectly acquainted with rural affairs commonly believed. But although religion suffered but slightly from the tithe system, it brought clergymen into disputes as to the value of their property, which were commonly a great drawback from their personal comfort, and for which their previous habits generally fitted them very ill. The tithe commutation was, therefore, a boon of considerable value to the clerical profession upon the whole. It cuts off, however, from the church that prospect of improved income which the progress of national prosperity and enlightenment may open. Had a similar measure been carried into execution some centuries ago, commuted tithes in the present age would be little else than a quit-rent. It also acts unequally, from laying down the principle of estimating tithes according to the net receipts of their several owners upon an average of seven years, to be computed backwards from Christmas, 1835. Thus properties will become permanently chargeable with this payment, in proportions varying according to the laxity or strictness used by individuals within a small specified term. § 18. In 1838 an act was passed to restrain pluralities. A

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clamour against them, more or less violent according to the circumstances of the times, had been raised almost uninterruptedly downwards from the Reformation. Men commonly did not stop to consider the poverty of the great majority of benefices, the small extent and population of many parishes, and the justice of enabling clergymen to fill a middle station with comfort and respectability. Nothing was thought of but the advantage of obtaining for every parish efficient clerical services, and the expenditure of a well-conditioned family. Those who accurately know the church are well aware that both these unquestionable advantages cannot be attained with any certainty, in a very large proportion of cases, from inadequacy of endowment. The Pluralities Act, accordingly, merely forbids those indiscriminate accumulations of preferment by which some few persons of great interest had hitherto abused the law. No clergyman but an archdeacon can take in future more than two benefices of any kind. A reservation was made in favour of archdeacons, because their office, although highly useful, is generally requited by a very trifling payment, seldom enough to cover the expenses that it entails. Two parochial benefices also are not to be taken when distant more than ten miles from each other, nor where the parishes contain a large population, nor when the joint incomes exceed the yearly value of one thousand pounds. Thus all the most objectionable facilities of the old system are effectually removed, and the reasonable expectations of the clerical order receive that fair attention to which every class of men is justly entitled.

§ 19. In 1840 an act was passed for the reduction of cathedral establishments. Great clamour had, at intervals, assailed these also, ever since the rise of puritanism. That they might, however, be rendered highly serviceable to the church, is obvious. They might serve for the encouragement of ecclesiastical and religious literature, for making needful additions to the incomes of parochial ministers inadequately remunerated from their cures, and for providing with refuges in old age deserving clergymen grown unequal to more active duties. All these services have been rendered by cathedral preferments, though far less frequently than either justice or expediency required. But even if abuses of chapter patronage could hereafter