The Bishop of Fernspresented a petition from fifteen townships in the dioceses of Ferns and Leighlin, signed by 500 Protestants, praying, that the Bishop might be empowered to allow of the erection of district churches within their bounds. The right reverend Prelate stated, that the churches were much wanted for the accommodation of the people of these townships, and that he was well disposed to accede to the wishes of the petitioners, but was prevented by a provision in the late Act of Parliament, which provided for the building of new churches. By that Act, the places attached to a district church must be in the same diocese; in this instance, some of the townships were in the diocese of Ferns, and some in that of Leighlin. The consequence was, that although he himself had the two dioceses, he could not comply with the request of the petitioners; and he had, therefore, a Bill in his hand, to amend the Church-building Act, so as to put it in his power to gratify the wishes of the petitioners.
§ The Bill laid on the Table, and read a first time.