BISHOPRICS BILL.—LEAVE. (Hansard, 1 May 1877)

MR. ASSHETON CROSS,
in redemption of a pledge which he gave last Session, rose to move for leave to bring in a Bill to provide for the foundation of four new Bishoprics in England. He did not think it would be wise to have a very large number of new Sees created all at once. It would take some time to raise the requisite funds, and it would not be well to have a large number of Bishops with a small amount of income. He had, therefore, thought it right to raise the minimum amount of income to £3,500—a limit somewhat above the one fixed for the new Sees of St. Alban's and Truro. He proposed to provide at present for four new Bishoprics, making, with the two previously created, six altogether, a number which would probably be sufficient for the wants of the Church for a considerable period of years. It 181 was necessary that the four new Sees should be formed in the most populous parts of England. He proposed that the first of them should be the See of Liverpool, taking in the West Derby Hundred of Lancashire. It would be separated from the diocese of Chester, and attached to the Province of York. The second would be formed out of the southern part of the diocese of Ripon, where there was a growing population, leaving York untouched, leaving the division of the diocese of York for future subdivision. Various plans had been proposed as to whether the cathedral city should be Wakefield or Halifax, and no doubt there was a great deal to be said in favour of both towns. It was therefore intended to leave it to Her Majesty in Council to decide whether it should be at Wakefield or Halifax whenever the sum of money required was forthcoming. The third new See would be formed from the counties of Derby and Nottingham. There had, he believed, been a great wish to have new Sees formed out of the dioceses of both Lichfield and Lincoln; but the Government did not see their way to create two additional Sees for that part of England, and therefore they thought it better that the counties of Derby and Nottingham should be joined, so as to constitute one See, at present. Although that might cause some disappointment, especially to persons in the diocese of Lichfield, where there was a great desire to have another See for themselves alone; yet, looking at their great zeal and their willingness to sacrifice their own personal feeling for a great object, he believed they would be willing to accept that arrangement. That See would, of course, be in the Province of Canterbury. The fourth new See would be constituted out of the county of Northumberland, and for its formation the Bishop of Durham had made a handsome offer. On that occasion he need not further explain the measure, but trusted he had said enough to induce the House to consent to the introduction of the Bill.

§ MR. BERESFORD HOPE
expressed his thanks to the Home Secretary for having so quickly complied with what was the general wish of all who desired the prosperity of the Church—namely, an increase of her episcopal system. That wish had manifested itself with singular rapidity and unanimity through- 182 out the country; and it had been met by the right hon. Gentleman in a way which would make his name grateful to all who had the well-being of the Church at heart. The right hon. Gentleman proposed to raise the minimum sum for each new See from the £3,000 of St. Albans and Truro to £3,500 with a house. He felt bound to say that in accepting that Bill under the regulations which the Government proposed, rather than lose it altogether, he and those for whom he spoke, gravely doubted if that alteration of the amount was desirable or not. Looking at all the circumstances, he thought it would have been better to have left the lower figure as it stood in the cases of Rochester and Truro. If £3,000 was sufficient for a Bishop charged with the care of the southern part of the metropolis, and bearing the historical title of Rochester, it could hardly be too little for the Bishops of such new Sees included in that Bill as Newcastle or Southwell. He should be glad to know where the cathedral city of the See to be formed out of the counties of Derby and Nottingham would be. [Mr. ASSUETON CROSS: Southwell.] He approved the choice of Southwell. The ancient Collegiate Church there would form a suitable cathedral, and the choice would compromise the rivalry of the two county towns, Nottingham and Derby. Personally he must say that he did not think this diocese was most judiciously formed. He would have preferred only giving East Derbyshire to Southwell, retaining the rest of Derbyshire in Lichfield, so as to retain the north of that county and all Staffordshire under one Bishop, and consolidate Salop under Hereford. However, he acquiesced another point on which he desired to receive some comfort and assurance was that the Bill should contain some provision, however rudimentary, for the chapters in the new dioceses. Without the addition of a chapter on the constitutional complaint of each diocese, the measure would be a great gain, but with that addition it would be a much greater gain. If a provision of that sort were introduced, those who did not like the Bill would not dislike it more on that account, while those who liked it would probably give it a still heartier support.

MR. ASSHETON CROSS
said, he knew it was a matter of great interest, 183 and he ought to mention that the Government had decided that as the new diocese of Rochester would contain so large a portion of the South of the Metropolis they had determined that the designation of the future Bishop should be Bishop of Rochester and Southwark.