THE STATE OF THE CHURCH IN THE COLONIES. (Hansard, 25 July 1839)

The Archbishop of Canterbury

having presented petitions from the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge, and from the Bishop of Australia, having reference to the present state of the Established Church in the colonies, and the petitions having been laid on the Table, went on to say:—Both these petitions complained of the neglect that had taken place in making adequate provision for religious instruction, and this more particularly in the more recent settlements. In New South Wales, although such large numbers of the most abandoned of the population were yearly sent there, hardly any provision was made for their religious and moral instruction. Again, in those colonies in which the negro population had been recently emancipated, no care had been taken to make future provision for diffusing amongst them the blessings of religion, but in almost appeared that such a deficiency had arisen in this respect, that they had been deprived of half the benefits of their emancipation. The petitioners demanded an adequate increase in the number of the bishops and clergy in all the colonies; and implored the Legislature to take efficient steps for the protection of Church property in the colonies. In these prayers he cordially agreed with the petitioners, and he thought that there was no duty more incumbent on a Legislature than that it should take care that the subjects of the State were properly instructed in religion. Divine Providence had given to this country most extensive colonial possessions, but we had entirely neglected our first duty, namely, the diffusion of the gospel in them. In this respect he could not help feeling, that Catholic States had set an example which it would have been well for Protestants to follow. This neglect was particularly obvious in the present awful state of the convict population in New South Wales, completely destitute 745 of religious instruction. But in none of our colonies was the means of religious instruction increased in proportion to the spread and increase of the population; on the contrary, in most of the colonies provision had formerly been made for this purpose, but recently, in many instances, the lands which had been granted were most improperly and unjustly withheld. At present, the chief means of religious instruction in the colonies was provided by the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts, which expended between 30,000l. and 40,000l. a-year for this purpose. The Bishop of Australia stated, that in New South Wales and Van Diemen's Laud there was the greatest deficiency in the number of churches, and that some years ago the proceeds of the sale of certain lands were directed to be devoted to this purpose, after a certain portion had been set aside for the maintenance of the present churches; but for some time no portion of this grant had been so devoted, and the lands were refused to the Church. The authorities in that colony paid comparatively little regard to the diffusion of religious instruction, and refused to make any adequate provision for it. He trusted, therefore, the Legislature of this country would not let the present Session pass over without interfering in this subject. The Church in Canada had been treated with similar injustice, and had been, to a considerable extent, deprived of the reserved lands, which had been granted for the purposes of religion. This was an act of the greatest injustice, and against the first principles of sound and true policy. He was convinced, that the diffusion of the true Protestant faith in Canada, in connection with the Established Church, would do more than anything else to pacify that country. The Church, however, had been deprived of the means of making those extended exertions there which she was so anxious to make, and which the exigencies of the case so loudly called for. A matter of such extent and importance ought not to be left to any one Secretary of State, who had already too much business on his hands to give this sufficient attention, and who might be misled by interested or prejudiced persons. He earnestly requested, that her Majesty's Government would give their support to the Established Church in the colonies, and that it should be placed in a fixed 746 and settled basis, so that its wants might be supplied as they arose, and that the Church, so far from being deprived of the possessions which were formerly awarded to it, might receive further provision for extending religious truth. The most rev. Prelate concluded by moving for papers relating to the dissolution of the Church corporation in New South Wales.

The Marquess of Normanby

fully admitted the necessity of providing for religious instruction in the colonies where it was required. In regard to the colony in question, he would shortly state the circumstances under which the grants of land formerly made to the Church corporation had been discontinued, and the corporation itself dissolved. In 1829 Sir George Murray (then Colonial Secretary) notified to Governor Darling, that his Majesty did not intend to continue the grants of land to the Church corporation, and that the corporation itself should be put an end to. In 1831 came the decision of the judges of the Supreme Court, which, however, was not, as the most rev. Prelate seemed to suppose, to the effect that the charter could not be abrogated except by Act of Parliament, but that it could not be abrogated by the mere instruction of the Crown to the Governor, without an Order in Council. The Order in Council passed in 1833 to that effect; but in the meantime the grants of land had ceased, according to the instruction of Sir George Murray before referred to, as the instruction of Sir George Murray, on the demise of the Crown in 1830, contained no power to continue them. Since that period religious instruction had been provided for persons of all religious persuasions, in the proportion of one half by the State and one half by the contributions of private individuals. And however the most rev. Prelate might object to the division of this money among the different persuasions, there could, at least, be no complaint on the score of the amount, nor had the State shown any indisposition to contribute. The total amount of money provided in the manner before described for the purposes of education in the colony since the dissolution of the Church Corporation was 35,793l., of which sum, 11,913l. had been appropriated to the Church of England, 5,400l. to that of Scotland, and 5,650l. to that of Rome.