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with an ecclesiastical district, assigned out of the two parishes, for his special charge and pastoral superintendence.

In the earnest desire to accomplish these objects, the present appeal is made to the piety and charity of the land-owners and others of the two parishes, and to other benevolent individuals who may be disposed to promote the good work. The inhabitants within the district, it may be proper to add, consist principally of cottagers, and of farmers of small occupations. It is estimated that for the erection and the completion of the building for divine service, a sum of not less than twelve hundred pounds will be wanted.

The endowment, to secure the important benefits contemplated, ought not, it is considered, to be less than one hundred pounds per annum, certain income. Towards this amount, the incumbents of Mayfield and of Buxted have (in addition to their subscriptions) declared their readiness to charge themselves and their successors to the extent of fifty pounds per annum, provided an equal sum per annum can be obtained, in permanent income, from other quarters. For this latter purpose a gross amount of nearly one thousand pounds will probably be requisite.

A residence house for the minister, is further, in the highest degree, desirable; but it is considered that the immediate objects of the present appeal ought to be, in the first place, the building and the endowment.

UNIVERSITY OF LONDON.

MR. TOOKE intends to bring the question of a charter for this university before parliament, stating, however, that as there is to be a board in London for granting medical degrees, the university does not wish to grant degrees in medicine more than in divinity. In the writer's opinion, there can be no use in the older universities opposing this, and no harm can possibly ensue to them from the charter's being granted. Their graduates will then put Cambridge or Oxford after their name; and if the London degrees are more highly esteemed by the public, be it so. But, having said this, as far as respects the universities, he cannot help adding that surely Mr. Tooke's wish must be to make degrees and universities universally ridiculous. Just imagine an university where the civil law professor could not get a class, and where, consequently, no degrees in divinity, medicine, or law, are to be granted! An university! The degrees then are to be in arts. Now what is the corpus academicum? There being no faculties of divinity, or medicine, and practically none in law, it consists of three gentlemen, the professors of Greek, Latin, and mathematics, (all certainly of high character and attainments,) but still three only. So that, in order to get better dividends to the proprietors of the university, three gentlemen are to be allowed to create B.A.'s and M.A.'s by wholesale! These gentlemen would be the first to say of themselves, for such a purpose, "Tres sumus imbelles numero;" and it is really hard alike on them, and on all degrees, and all universities, for such absurd proceedings to be tolerated.

SOCIETY FOR PROMOTING CHRISTIAN KNOWLEDGE.

[THE following letter came too late for Correspondence; but its most respectable writer has a just claim to its insertion.-ED.]

SIR, AS at the last general meeting of the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge I was precluded, by a point of form, from offering my sentiments

• This important point shall be brought before the public shortly.-ED.

on one part of the Minutes which had just been read, I have to request your insertion of the substance of what I then intended to say.

Nothing can be further from my intention, nothing would give me more pain, than to be the author of a schism in the venerable Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge. I venerate her for the labour of love in which she has so long been engaged; and I am deeply sensible of the blessings which, under the Divine Providence, she has, for more than a century, diffused over Great Britain and its dependencies. I say, with great sincerity, "The Lord prosper her; we wish her good luck in the name of the Lord."

But I cannot help thinking that the society, in one of her late resolutions, has acted with too much precipitation, and without that courtesy to the great body of her subscribers, to which their number justly entitles them. I allude to that resolution which constitutes the society her own bookseller-which determines that a separate establishment shall be formed, and a superintendent appointed for the purpose of printing, publishing, and selling the books and tracts admitted into her catalogue; thus dissolving the connexion that has so long subsisted between the society and the house of Rivingtons.

I contend that sufficient notice has not been given to the subscribers at large of this so important a resolution-a resolution which changes not "a fundamental rule," but the very constitution of the society. It is perfectly nugatory to rely on the letter of Rule ix., and to abandon the spirit. Allow that previous notice was given. To whom? To the casual attendants in Lincoln's Inn Fields. The resolution itself was passed in a meeting of fewer than one hundred; while the great body of subscribers consists of fifteen thousand! The diocesan committees had no regular notice of the proposition; the public at large none. Are these 15,000 to be concluded by the vote of fewer than 100-150 subscribers by the voice of one? Would they, had they had previous notice, have agreed to convert the society into a joint-stock trading company?-to degrade the prelates, the nobles, the clergy, the gentry of the land into hucksters of tracts at so much per hundred-to undersell the regular bookseller, and to add a few pounds to the society's funds? At best a hazardous speculation! For, will the new establishment cost nothing? Will the superintendent act gratuitously? Will there be no outlay, or no risk? I do not lay much stress on the hazard which the subscribers incur of being liable to the debts of the society, now that they are a trading body, as I earnestly deprecate and think it highly improbable that such a diaster should ever occur; but it is not impossible. The expenditure of the society is nearly commensurate with her income; and, when called upon for any new exertion of her bounty, (a call to which she always readily listens,) is compelled to recur to her funded capital. But under any " untoward event," are the subscribers to be called upon to make good the deficiency, or (to use the words of the prospectus of many a bubble) are they "liable only to the amount of their subscriptions?"

I think the subscribers at large may complain of the want of courtesy towards them in not being informed of the society's intention to dissolve the connexion with Messrs. Rivingtons; and I doubt whether, generally, they' would approve it. The family of Rivingtons have been connected with the society for upwards of seventy years. The committee themselves declare, "that they had no fault to find." Surely on this point the subscribers at large ought to have the opportunity of declaring their opinion..

St. Saviour's Grammar School, March 5th.

LANCELOT SHarpe.

VOL. VII.-April, 1835.

3 N

DOCUMENTS.

ABSTRACT OF THE FIRST REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONERS OF CHURCH REFORM.

THE Commissioners commence their report by stating that, with the exception of a subject to which they advert in a subsequent part of their report, they have hitherto directed their attention to that branch of the inquiry which stands first in his Majesty's Commission, namely, “the state of the several dioceses in England and Wales, with reference to the amount of their revenues, and the more equal distribution of episcopal duties, and the prevention of the necessity of attaching by commendam to bishopricks, benefices with cure of souls.

In order to present to his Majesty their suggestions upon this subject in the most convenient form, they have arranged them under the following heads :Territory, Revenue, and Patronage.

I. TERRITORY.

Under this head the Commissioners state that the map of England and Wales, marked according to their present ecclesiastical divisions (and forming appendix Nos. 3 and 4 to the report), will exhibit the great inequality which exists between the different dioceses. This inequality, though diminished, was far from being remedied by the erection of new sees at the Reformation;* and the inconveniences resulting from it have been greatly increased by the immense and partial growth of the population.

That although various circumstances render it impossible to establish a perfect equality of dioceses, they are of opinion that the disparity which now exists between them will admit of considerable diminution.

That the extent of episcopal duties, while it increases in some degree with the population, is also materially affected by the number and distance of benefices within each diocese. It is not, therefore, to population alone that they have deemed it right to look on the present occasion. Attention must likewise be paid to other local circumstances.

They are not prepared to recommend any increase in the total number of episcopal sees; but are of opinion that by the union of certain existing bishopricks, of which the combined duties will not be too onerous for a single Bishop; by the erection of two new sees in the province of York; and by the transfer in some cases of a district from one diocese to another, an arrangement may be made for the general performance of episcopal duties more satisfactory than that which at present subsists.

Under this head the Commissioners proceed to submit to his Majesty the following propositions, subject to such modifications as, upon further inquiry, may appear to be advisable :

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1. That two new sees shall be erected in the province of York; one at Manchester, and the other at Ripon; at each of which places there is a collegiate church, well adapted for a cathedral.

2. That the diocese of Manchester shall consist of those parts of the county of Lancaster which compose the deaneries of Amounderness, Blackburn, Leyland, Manchester, and Warrington, and which now form part of the diocese of Chester.

3. That the diocese of Ripon shall consist of those parts of the county of York which compose the deaneries of Richmond, Catterick, and Boroughbridge, in the diocese of Chester; of the deanery of Craven, and of such parts of the deaneries of the Ainsty and Pontefract, in the county and diocese of

The bishopricks of Chester, Peterborough, Oxford, Gloucester, and Bristol, were erected in the reign of Henry VIII.

York, as lie to the westward of the following districts, viz., the liberty of the Ainsty, and the wapentakes of Barkston, Ash, Osgoldcross, and Staincross.

4. That to the diocese of Carlisle shall be added those parts of Cumberland and Westmoreland which now form part of the diocese of Chester; the deanery of Furnes and Cartmel in the county of Lancaster, and the deanery of Kirkby Lonsdale in the counties of Lancaster and York, also in the present diocese of Chester, and the parish of Aldeston in the county of Cumberland, which is now inconveniently situated in the diocese of Durham.

5. That, further, with respect to the diocese of Durham, that part of the county of Northumberland called Hexhamshire, which now belongs to the diocese of York, shall be transferred to that of Durham; and that a few insulated parishes in Yorkshire, now belonging to the diocese of Durham, shall be transferred to that of York or Ripon, by which dioceses, under the proposed arrangement, they will be respectively surrounded.

6. That to the diocese of Chester, reduced according to the foregoing propositions, shall be added those parts of the county of Salop which are now in the dioceses of Lichfield and Coventry, and St. Asaph; and which must then be included, with the remainder of the diocese of Chester, in the province of York.

7. That the county of Nottingham shall be transferred to the diocese of Lincoln from that of York, which diocese will then consist of the whole county of York, except the parts which are to be included in the dioceses of Carlisle and Ripon.

8. That the diocese of Lincoln shall in future consist of the counties of Lincoln and Nottingham, which latter county will then be in the province of Canterbury.

9. That the sees of St. Asaph and Bangor shall be united; and that the diocese shall consist of the whole of the two existing dioceses (except that part which is in the county of Salop,) and of all those parishes in the county of Montgomery which now belong to the dioceses of St. David's and Hereford. One advantage which will result from the union of these two sees will be the opportunity afforded of applying a part of the impropriations, which constitute nearly the whole property of the bishopricks, to the augmentation of poor and populous vicarages in the united diocese.

10. That those parishes in the county of Hereford which are now in the diocese of St. David's, and the deanery of Bridgenorth, locally situate between the diocese of Lichfield and Hereford, shall be added to the diocese of Hereford; that those parishes which are in the county of Worcester and diocese of Hereford shall be transferred to the diocese of Worcester, and those which are in the county of Montgomery and diocese of Hereford, to the diocese of St. Asaph and Bangor.

The Diocese of Bristol presents a peculiarly inconvenient arrangement. It consists of the city of Bristol, with some adjacent parishes, and the county of Dorset, which is separated from the seat of the bishoprick by the county of Somerset.

We recommend, as a more convenient arrangement, that the county of Dorset shall be transferred to the diocese of Salisbury, and that the remainder of the present diocese of Bristol, consisting of the city of Bristol and its adjacent parishes, shall be united to some other diocese.

Two modes of effecting this object have suggested themselves to us. The first, which is that of uniting the bishopricks of Gloucester and Bristol, involves this objection, that the great and populous city of Bristol would no longer be the residence of a Bishop. The other is that of uniting the dioceses of Bristol and Llandaff, the latter having no house of residence for its Bishop. If this plan be adopted it cannot be denied that the interposition of the Bristol Channel between the two divisions of the diocese will produce some inconvenience, and that the Bishop will be resident at a considerable distance from

the greater part of his diocese; but under all the circumstances of the case we are prepared to recommend

11. That the sees of Llandaff and Bristol shall be united, and that the diocese shall consist of the city of Bristol and adjacent parishes, now in the diocese of Bristol, and of the present diocese of Llandaff, with the addition of those portions of the county of Monmouth which are now in the diocese of St. David's and Hereford, and of certain parts of the deanery of Brecon, now in the diocese of St. David's.

We further propose,

12. That the diocese of Gloucester shall consist of the county of Gloucester (excepting those parishes which are now in the diocese of Bristol, and that part of the deanery of Campden which lies to the north-east of the Chapelry of Snowshill), of the deaneries of Malmesbury and Cricklade, in the county of Wilts, now in the diocese of Salisbury; and of the parishes of Red Marley, Stanton Saint James, Chaseley, Eldersfield, Bushley, Bredon, with Norton and Cutsdean, Overbury, with Washbourne, Teddington and Alston, Sedgbarrow, and Iccomb, now in the county and diocese of Worcester.

13. That the diocese of St. David's shall consist of the present diocese, except those parts which are to be transferred to the dioceses of St. Asaph and Llandaff.

14. That the diocese of Worcester shall consist of the whole county of Warwick, part of which is now in the diocese of Lichfield and Coventry; of the county of Worcester, excepting the parishes transferred to the diocese of Gloucester, and of that part of the deanery of Campden which is to be taken from the diocese of Gloucester.

15. That the diocese of Lichfield shall consist of the counties of Stafford and Derby.

16. That the diocese of Peterborough shall consist of the counties of Northampton, Rutland, and Leicester, the last county being added to it from the present diocese of Lincoln.

17. That the diocese of Ely shall be increased by the counties of Huntingdon and Bedford, now in the diocese of Lincoln; by the deaneries of Lynn and Fincham in the county of Norfolk and diocese of Norwich; and by the archdeaconry of Sudbury in the county of Suffolk and diocese of Norwich, with the exception of the deaneries of Sudbury, Stow, and Hartismere, which will remain in the latter diocese.

18. That the diocese of Norwich shall consist of the counties of Norfolk and Suffolk, with the above-mentioned exceptions.

19. That the diocese of London shall consist of the metropolis and parts adjoining, namely, the city of London and county of Middlesex, the parishes of Barking, East Ham, West Ham, Little Ilford, Low Layton, Walthamstow, Wanstead St. Mary, Woodford and Chingford, in the county of Essex, all in the present diocese of London; the parishes of Charlton, Lee, Lewisham, Greenwich, Woolwich, Eltham, Plumstead, and St. Nicholas Deptford, and St. Paul Deptford, in the counties of Kent and Surrey, all in the diocese of Rochester; the borough of Southwark, and the parishes of Battersea, Bermondsey, Camberwell, Christchurch, Clapham, Lambeth, Rotherhithe, Streatham, Tooting, Graveney, Wandsworth, Merton, Kew, and Richmond, in the county of Surrey, and diocese of Winchester; and the parishes of St. Mary Newington, Barnes, Putney, Mortlake, and Wimbledon, in the county of Surrey, and in the peculiar jurisdiction of the Archbishop of Canterbury, together with all the extra parochial places locally situate within the limits of the parishes above enumerated, except the district of Lambeth palace, which shall remain in the diocese of Canterbury.

In arranging the diocese of London, our great object has been to bring under the jurisdiction of the same Bishop the metropolis and the suburban parishes; and in assigning the boundaries of the diocese we have adopted

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