HC Deb 15 December 1830 vol 1 cc1187-8
Lord James Stuart

having presented a Petition from Cardiff, for a Reduction of Taxation,

Mr. Phillpotts

took the opportunity to ask the noble Lord (Althorp) whether the Ministers had made up their minds with respect to the annexing of the Living of Stanhope, to be held in commendam by his right reverend relation, with the Bishopric of Exeter, as the noble Lord had declared on a former occasion, that the Government had felt it necessary to delay the issue of the instrument required for that purpose?

Lord Althorp, in answer to the question of the hon. and learned Gentleman, begged to state distinctly to the House, and he hoped it would be also clearly understood in the country, that in any step which his Majesty's Ministers might feel it their duty to take with regard to the separation of the Living of Stanhope from the Bishopric of Exeter, they were not actuated by any personal considerations towards the right reverend Prelate; and that it was not on account of the person who was to hold the Living, but on public grounds that they felt it their duty to advise his Majesty to delay the issue of the instrument neces- sary for holding that living in commendam. They considered it a gross abuse to permit a Living of such importance, and requiring the constant attention of the incumbent, to be held by any person who must necessarily reside at such a distance from that Living, and they had, therefore, come to the determination of advising his Majesty not to give his sanction to the arrangement. In doing this, however, it was impossible for the Government not. to feel that a very great hardship was inflicted on the right reverend Prelate, because it was aware that he had accepted the Bishopric of Exeter, with the understanding that he was, as had been done before, to hold the Living of Stanhope in commendam along with it. His Majesty's Ministers felt regret that the determination they had come to would produce so much disadvantage to the right reverend person who now held the See of Exeter; and he was authorized to State, that it was their intention to compensate the right reverend Prelate for this loss, by adding to the See of Exeter the first Church preferment in the gift of the Crown which fell vacant, and did not involve in its duties that cure of souls which the Living of Stanhope required, and which had been the cause o the offence taken to the late recommendation. He considered, that the step now taken towards preventing the practice of the holding of many Livings, at a distance from each other, and under circumstances which precluded the performance of the sacred duties belonging to those Livings by the incumbents, was of the greatest importance, with a view to support the Church establishment at the present moment. He was sure that, the correction of the abuses of non-residence, and a rigid enforcement of the regular performance of clerical duties, would not endanger, but promote, the interests of the Church; and it was the determination of his Majesty's Ministers, in every case where such abuses came under their cognizance, to use their most strenuous endeavours to remove or to amend them.

Petition laid on the Table.