Mr. Alderman BRIDGES said a few words in support of the grant.

Mr. EVANS observed, that as £500,000 was a sum so much below what was required for the purpose, it might be fit, if possible, to devise some other mode of supplying the remainder. He was also in favour of some provision to regulate the choice of the officiating minister.

Mr. W. SMITH said, that the fact of the increase of Dissenters had been taken for granted, but he had neither yet seen nor heard any proof of it. In a country parish with which he was well acquainted, although there was no Dissenting meet ing-house within a considerable distance, the Church was entirely abandoned, for no other reason but because it was badly served. On the other hand, in the city he represented (Norwich) there were 37 Churches, but a greater number of places of worship belonging to Dissenters than perhaps in any town of equal population. They were large, and better filled than the Churches, but not because there was any want of the latter. He did not mean to say that the smallness of the congregations in the Churches was at all owing to the defects of the Clergy of Norwich, who were, in fact, a most respectable body. He believed it arose from accidents belonging to the place. On the subject of elections, and the assertion that they were innovations on the Church, he could not help saying that he apprehended that it was a mistake. An Hononrable Gentleman on a former night had spoken of the degradation of the Clergy of the Establishment by elections; but their utility was far more important, and their true dignity depended upon their utility. He (Mr. S.) thought that a portion of election ought to enter into the appointment of the ministers. No such thing as election by canvas from house to house was known among the Dissenters; they were chosen without any such degradation, and if this mode of solicitation were adopted with regard to the Lectureships in the Church, it arose from the parties not knowing how to set about their task in the best way. With respect to the sum required, he (Mr. Smith) complained that no means had been taken to ascertain whether the money could not be properly obtained from other sources; and when it should appear, after due inquiry, that the Church property could be better employed, he would vote for the grant; till then he should think that the £500,000 ought to be applied to the relief of the burdens of the people.

Sir R. FERGUSON referred to the course that had been pursued in a part of Scotland with which he was acquainted. The Church there was too small for the grow

ing population, and first one Chapel of Ease, and subsequently two others, had been raised by subscription among the inhabitants.

Mr. BIRCH opposed the grant, referring to the state of Liverpool as far as related to Dissenters and places of worship.

Sir 1. COFFIN. I shall vote for the grant of £500,000, for this reason-I have seen such an increase of devil-killers in this country-I mean the Methodists-that unless we keep those Methodists out of our chapels and out of our houses, the Church will be overthrown. These Methodists are such rooting fellows, that they get into our very cellars, and the consequence is, the prostitution and dishonesty of our servants. I have seen it from experience.

Mr. BUTTERWORTH rose, amidst cries of Hear! and said he should vote for the graut, not on account of the increase of Dissenters, but on account of the increase of infidelity. He was sorry to have heard the other night a most respectable Society - he meant the Home Missionary Society-spoken of in a harsh way by an Honourable and Learned Gentleman (Dr. Lushington) whom he did not then see present. He knew that Society to be a most useful and meritorious body. He knew that it sent missionaries to instruct the people, into hamlets where there were no Church of England or any other ministers. He was most sorry to hear the ridicule with which religious subjects had been treated. If the Bible were true, (and if it was false, all they were doing was a farce,) nothing connected with it should be treated with ridicule; for such a tone taken by persons of weight and character in that House, did more harm than the publications of Carlile and people of that description. He should support the vote on account of the increasing population of the country, and because he approved of the Liturgy of the Church of England, which he thought was founded on the doctrines of the Bible. He thought, however, much more good might be done if they gave the subscribers to the erection of Churches some share in the nomination of the ministers. He knew a friend of his who had subscribed £1000 to the erection of a Chapel, and was now unable to enter it, because the character of the minister was not what that of a Church-of-England clergyman should be. The Hon. Member for Midhurst (Mr. J. Smith) had said, he thought the money would be better applied to increase the number of Schools than that of Churches. He was as zealous a friend to schools as the Honourable Member could be, and certainly every suggestion that fell from that Honourable Gentleman (Mr. Smith) was

worthy of the fullest consideration; but he thought nothing would more conduce to the increase of schools than the adding to the number of places of worship. No one who regularly attended Churches, would be found deficient in education; and all those who supported Churches, would be found disposed to favour education. He was sorry, however, that some gentle men, in the course of the debate on this subject, seemed to think that they could not support the Church without casting reflections on other persons. Though he was attached to the Church, he knew many Dissenters as useful members of society, as loyal and meritorious, as any men in the kingdom.

Mr. T. WILSON said, the proper question for the House was not whether there were Churches enough, but whether the Churches that existed were fitted to the congregations they ought to hold. There certainly was no want of Church-room for the rich, who had pews attached to their mansions, or acquired by purchase; but in the Churches of our ancestors there was no provision for the poor. There were a few solitary seats in the aisles, that might, perhaps, hold the tenants of the workhouse, but were not adapted to the general accommodation of the lower classes. To supply this defect was an object well worthy the attention of Parliament.

The House then divided-For the original motion, 144 Against it, 30Majority, 114.

-

The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER moved the Order of the Day for going into a Committee on the New Churches Bill.

Colonel DAVIES said he presumed it was intended to take the discussion on a future stage of the measure, and he hoped it would be brought forward at an hour sufficiently early to obtain a full consideration.

The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER Isaid he was quite prepared to accede to the proposal of the Honourable and Gal. laut Gentleman.

Mr. JAMES said he should not be able probably to attend on a future occasion, and, therefore, he must beg leave to state his objections now. And first, he must protest against the uncharitableness of alleging, that all those who thought with him were hostile to the Established Church. In that religion he had been born and educated, and that religion he should continue to respect; but he was decidedly opposed to spending the public money on such purposes, whilst such ample revenues remained in the hands of

the Church. How was it that the Dissenters were able to build chapels and meeting-houses for the maintenance of religion? Are the Protestants less zealous? He believed the fact was, the exertions of the Protestants were mainly impeded by ecclesiastical regulations. He would mention a circumstance illustrative of his opinion, which had occurred in a town in which he had lived for some time-he meant the town of Liverpool. There was in that town a Reverend Gentleman of the name of Bragge, who had been regularly educated at Oxford, who built a chapel at his own expense. He was a most excellent reader and preacher, and consequently was much followed, and brought about him an extensive congregation, from which he derived a handsome property. This vocation he continued to follow for the space of twenty years, when the then Bishop of Chester sent to him, telling him he would be very happy to come and consecrate his chapel. Mr. Bragge was a clever man, and very respectfully declined the honour. Shortly after the Bishop proceeded against him for a violation of his clerical functions for preaching in an unconsecrated chapel; in consequence of which Mr. Bragge took out a licence as a Dissenting clergyman, and continued to preach for many years the doctrines of the Church of England; but when he subsequently died the chapel became the property of his heirs, and now it was a sugar-house, and at present a boiler stands in the place of the pulpit. It was, therefore, with these feelings he objected to the present proposition; and his hostility would not be diminished in the least, even if the people were in affluence. But how very different was now the case, when every thing the people see, every thing they taste, every thing they smell, nay, the very air they breathe, is taxed, and the light of heaven itself is excluded from their dwellings. He should, therefore, move as an amendment, "That this Bill be committed this day six months."

Mr. HUME Seconded the Amendment. He thought there never had been a mea. sure so ill-timed, and particularly after the statement that no part of this money was to be applied for three years. Let Churches be built by those who require them, and let the existing regulations with respect to building Churches be revised, and then there will be no necessity for calling on the public money. The Honourable Member then referred to the Church at Newington, and wished to know whether any power had been given to the Commissioners to increase the assessments?

"

The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER

said the Honourable Member seemed to confound the Commissioners appointed in 1816, with the Commissioners of the Newington Church. All he knew was, that four or five years ago, there had been some squabbling on the subject, in which he had taken no part whatever.

Mr. BRIGHT wished to know what would be the amount of the drawback on the building materials.

The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER presumed that the drawback was not on the Churches, but the buildings. He knew there had been some drawback on stone, but it was not considerable; and now it was extiuct altogether.

Strangers were then ordered to withdraw for a division.

At the suggestion of Mr. J. WILLIAMS, Mr. JAMES withdrew his Amendment, and the House went into a Committee. The Bill went through a Committee.

JUNE 4. The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER moved that the Report on the New Church Bill should be brought up.

Colonel DAVIES rose to oppose the motion. He adverted to the returns laid upon the table of the House to shew that even under the late erections no attention was paid to the accommodation of the people. He instanced the populous places of Manchester and Bristol in support of that inference. He assured the House that he could have no hostile feelings towards the National Establish ment, of which he was a member; but he at the same time felt persuaded, that in guarding against such an unnecessary waste of the public money, he best proved his respect for its character. He then moved, as an Amendment, that the Report should be received that day six months.

Mr. LEYCESTER supported the Amendment. It was pastors and priests that the people wanted, and not edifices of brick and mortar. The people sought for spiritual bread, and the Right Hon. the Chancellor of the Exchequer truly gave them a stone. He objected to such demands from a richly-endowed Church upon their Dissenting brethren. It could leave no other impression on the people but the cupidity of our Establishment.

Mr. B. COOPER defended the Bill, on the ground of the accommodation in Churches, which was wanted, and the supply of which was the best method to wean the people from attaching themselves to Dissenting congregations. He heard with regret the terms of profligate expenditure of public money applied to the measure. That appeared to him most extraordinary language-only appli

cable to brothels. If the law permitted Dissenters in that House, good sense and good taste should induce them not to speak in such unmeasured and inappropriate language.

Mr. HUME deprecated such, language as was spoken by the Honourable Member in his concluding sentence. The Dissenters were, forsooth, to evince good taste and judgment in not protesting against the profligate demands of an Establishment which fleeced and domineered over them. No man was to be tolerated in his sentiments unless a High Churchman. These were opinions, he could assure the Honourable Member who spoke last, no longer listened to in the growing liberality of the age. If he wished to obtain a character for the National Church, he must make the Clergy effi cient; and the best and only way to make that Clergy efficient, was to reduce their allowances. He was quite satisfied that the House need not vote a single shilling of the public money for this purpose; but that the whole of the sum necessary might be contributed by private individuals. No parish in England ought to receive the smallest portion of the grant, unless it was proved to be unequal itself to the expenditure. It was in vain to build Churches, unless Clergymen were provided calculated to give satisfaction to their congregations. The Bill would tend, not to the increase of religion, but to the increase of patronage. Nothing could be more dangerous than a servile clergy, who would attend to their temporal interests, and not to the spiritual benefit of their flocks. On these grounds he protested against the measure. had been said by an Honourable Gentleman, that it was a popular measure. He had never heard that assertion made before, either in or out of the House. If Members expressed the same opinions in the House that they did out, he was persuaded that a large majority would have declared against the Bill.

Mr. B. COOPER explained.

It

Mr. CARUS WILSON supported the Bill. He contended that the measure was highly acceptable to a large majority of the community. Large sums of money could not be better applied by Parliament than in the support of the religion of the country.

Mr. LEYCESTER explained.

Mr. GURNEY was apprehensive that the money would be unequally and partially distributed.

The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER observed that, as in the former case, the Commissioners would, no doubt, exercise a sound discretion in the distribution of the funds entrusted to them.

Sir J. NEWPORT complained of the inconsistency of giving the money altogether in England to a Protestant population, while in Ireland it was only lent, and was repaid by Catholics. He was apprehensive the grant would be abused here, as similar grants had been abused ou the other side of the channel. It was extraordinary that Gentlemen should get up day after day and claim for the Church of England the praise of liberality to Dissenters, while they saw how much more liberal the conduct of France and Hungary was with respect to those who differed from the Established Religion of those countries.

Mr. V. FITZGERALD denied the inconsistency described by his Hon. Friend.

Mr. GRATTAN took the same view of the subject as his Honourable Friend the Member for Waterford.

Mr. PHILLIPS adverted to the petition presented yesterday to the House from Manchester, and declared, that it appear ed to him most disgraceful that there should be no grants for the erection of Churches in Ireland, where they were so much wanted, while such large sums were voted for their erection in England, although it was evident that in many parts they were not wanted at all.

Mr. MONCK would support the Bill if he thought it necessary for the Church, but he was persuaded that it was not so. He expressed his regret that the Church of England was unpopular, principally in consequence of the character of the Clergy themselves. No man could think more highly of their attainments than he did, but he thought they were greatly deficient in zeal for the spiritual welfare of their flocks. This appeared to him to be the marked distinction between them and the Dissenters. Adverting to the application that had been made of the inoney already voted, he exposed the absurdity of building Churches in rich parishes chiefly, and neglecting poor parishes. This absurdity was in a great measure attributable to the regulations of the Bill. He wished the patronage should be in the hands of those by whom the Church was built. If Methodists were allowed to build Churches and have the patronage of them, it might be the means of bringing back a respectable body of Dissenters to the Church. He was certainly disposed to vote for the postponement of the measure.

Sir ISAAC COFFIN: "I say, Sir, let us go on, and have the Churches."

The House then divided :-Ayes, 42; Noes, 9.

The Report was then brought up and read a third time.

MISCELLANEOUS.

D.

LITERARY.

It is the intention of Mr. Worsley, of Plymouth, very shortly to publish a second editition of Lectures on Nonconformity, the copies of the first edition having been almost all engaged by subscribers; he has collected much additional matter, with a view farther to illustrate the subjects he has treated of, from Mosheim and other writers on Ecclesiastical History, and intends to add a twelfth Lecture, shewing "That the extreme corruption into which the Church fell was foreseen and foretold by the apostles; that therefore instead of being an argument against our holy religion, it is an evidence of its divine origin." It has been intimated to Mr. W. from highly respectable quarters, that the work would be acceptable to our tract societies if it were at a somewhat lower price: he would be happy to receive any proposals of this kind prior to the work going to press; the next edition will be 12mo. It is his intention also to publish two separate discourses "On the Corruptions which originated from Pagan and from Jewish Origins."

In the press, and in a few days will be published, a Tale for young persons, entitled, My Children's Diary; or, The Moral of the Passing Hour,-in one vol.

12mo. "The author of this little work has not intended it for very young children. She had in view in its compilation chiefly to amuse and engage the attention of those from ten to twelve or thirteen years of age. And especially to those who have younger brothers or sisters, she trusts it may be found useful."

Glasgow Prizes.

Glasgow College, May 1, 1824. THIS day the annual distribution of Prizes was made in the Common Hall by the Principal and Professors, in presence of a numerous meeting of the University, and of many reverend and respectable gentlemen of this city and

neighbourhood,

We observe the following names among

the successful candidates.

Mathematical Class,-William Gaskell, Warrington.

Ethic Class,-Henry Green, Maidstone; William Gaskell, Warrington; William M. James, Merthyr Tydfil.

Logic Class,-Essay, during the Christmas Holidays, On the Difficulties of acquiring Attention, William Ainsworth, Preston; Seniors, Weatherly Phipson, Birmingham; John Cropper, Warrington; Juniors, William Ainsworth, Preston; Thomas Muir, Muir Park, Glasgow.

Also, admitted to the Degree of Master of Arts-Edward Hawkes, Namptwich; William Lake, Liverpool.

Batchelor of Arts,-Samuel Allard, Bury.

Royal Society of Literature.

THE General Meeting of this Society was held May 6, The President, the Bishop of St. David's, took the Chair. The Secretary, the Rev. R. Cattermole, brought forward the Annual Report of the Society's proceedings. It announces the election of the ten Royal Associates; the names of whom will be found Mon. Repos: p. 253. These ten have been presented with his Majesty's annual bounty of a hundred guineas each. His Majesty has also placed two medals of the value of fifty guineas each, at the disposal of the Society, which for the present year have been adjudged to W. MITFORD, Esq., for his History of Greece, and to Signor ANGELO MAI, for his literary discoveries in the libraries of Milan and the Vatican. The Honorary Associates of the First Class, elected for "their eminence in the pursuit of literature," who remain on the Society's list, after the nomination of those noticed in p. 253, are as follows:BERNARD BARTON, R. DUPPA, Esq.,

LL B.; Rev. T. D. FOSBROKE, M. A. F. S. A.; W. JACOB, Esq., F. R. S.; Rev. S. LEE, M. A., Prof. Arab. Univ. Camb.; Rev. J. LINGARD, D.D.; Rev. G. MILLER, D. D.; T. MITCHELL, Esq., M. A.; J. MONTGOMERY, Esq.; Rev. J. PARSONS, B. D.; Rev. R. POLWHele, M. A.; Rev. A. REES, D. D. F. R. S. F. L. S.; P. F. TYTLER, Esq., Sec. Litt. Class, R. S. E.-Gent. Mag.

FOREIGN. PRUSSIA.

New Common Prayer-Book.

From the Prussian Duchy of Saxony, June 23-One of the most important

events in the affairs of the Evangelic history of the Protestant religion in geChurches of the kingdom, and in the Prayer-Book, which originated with his neral, is undoubtedly the new Common caused a new edition of this PrayerMajesty himself. The King has lately Book to be published, in which some passages are altered from the former edition; ; it is also rendered more comof verses from the Bible, and prayers plete by the addition of a greater number which may be used alternately with the formulary in the Liturgy. The King has also had an extract made from the Liturgy, for those clergymen in town or day in several Churches, or who have no country, who have to preach on a Sunleast when they are straitened for time. choirs to sing, that it may be used at

The limitation of divine service to an hour is explained, to include only the reading of the Liturgy, the hymns sung by the congregation between that and the sermon itself, but not the hymn or psalm before the Liturgy; and that after the sermon, with respect to the wishes of the congregation, if decidedly expressed, are to be complied with: it follows, of course, that when the sacrament is adtion of the time has no respect to that ministered after the sermon, the limita

ceremony.

The Minister for Ecclesiastical Affairs has notified these changes and explanations of the new Common Prayer-Book and at the same time acquainted it with to the Consistory of the Duchy of Saxony, his Majesty's pleasure respecting the introduction of the New Prayer-Book.

GERMANY.

Reformation of Jewish Worship.

Cassel, June 28.-A new regulation for the religious worship and instruction of the Jews contains the following articles: