has been exemplified in the presentation of a bandsome piece of plate, by the latter, to the Rev. A. Bassett, on his relinquish ing the curacy of Erlestoke, after a zealous and faithful discharge of his duties for a period of more than twenty years.

LIBERALITY. We have, within a very short period of time, had occasion to mention the princely donations of Lord Rolle to various charitable purposes ·- -1000l. to the fund for the relief of the Irish clergy; 1000l. towards establishing a chaplaincy in the Devon and Exeter Hospital; 500l. to the Lunatic Asylum; and, in addition to these and various other munificent donations from the same source, we have great pleasure in recording the following: -Some time since it was thought expedient to erect a new church in a distant part of the parish of Ilfracombe, called Lea; to this object, besides presenting a handsome screen, his lordship subscribed, we believe, 2001. When the church was completed his lordship visited it, accompanied by Mr. and Mrs. Drake, of Springfield, who had been greatly instrumental in promoting the building of the church, at which time his lordship was informed that 9001. was required for an endowment, previously to its consecration, of which little more that 400l. were subscribed. His lordship, without further solicitation or consideration, asked for pen and paper, and gave a check for the difference. What adds to the munificence of the gift, and exhibits his lordship's generosity and warmth of heart, it should be observed, is, that his lordship has no property whatever in this place. When shall we hear the like amongst the (falsely called) Liberals?-Western Luminary.

HAMPSHIRE.

sub-committee of the Portsmouth District Church-of-England Society, comprising the parishes of Warblington, Havant, Bedhampton, Farlington, and Hayling (north and south), was held at the Assembly-room, Crown Inn, Emsworth, on Monday, Feb. 15th; G. A. Shawe, Esq., vice-president, in the chair. The subjects discussed were, the advantage to the members of the church of England of associating, for the purpose of mutual conference and assistance at periods of difficulty, and also resisting any uncalledfor aggression; and, the means of alleviating the present distress of the clergy of the church of Ireland. The meeting was severally addressed by the Rev. Messrs. Mountain, Norris, and Alder, by Captains Bigland and Pierson, and by Messrs. Baines, Loftin, Smart, Harrison, and H. Stevens. At the conclusion a considerable addition was made to the sums already collected in those parishes for the Irish clergy.-Standard.

The radicals mustered their forces at a vestry held on the 20th of January, at All Saints' Church, Southampton, and managed to adjourn the granting of the church-rate for All Saints' parish for six months, Notices were sent round very privately by the liberal (!) party the night preceding, and a more factious course could not have been pursued. One man, receiving eight guineas for two pews in holds, was the most strenuous in opposithe church, attached to two houses he tion to the rate; and yet this man calls himself a conscientious dissenter. We need hardly add, that the pews have no money of his embarked in them, but are allotted for the use of those living in the houses alluded to.-Salisbury Herald.

From some informality in the holding of the above meeting, it was necessary to call another for Friday, when several hundred staunch churchmen attended, and the rate was granted without a division, and scarcely any discussion took place. The Rev. J. Shadwell (the rector) presided, and the business soon terminated. At the last meeting the churchwardens' accounts were gone into, and almost every item, right or wrong, objected to, and several customary charges disallowed. Our readers will scarcely believe, that although this meeting had its hundreds, the former numbered only fifteen votes for the motion now so triumphantly carried.— Ibid.

The corporation of Yarmouth, Isle of Wight, have determined to appropriate the whole of their property in building and endowing a church.-Ibid.

KENT.

A vestry meeting of the inhabitants of St. Paul's, Deptford, was held on Thursday, Feb. 5th, to make a church-rate of 2d. in the pound. After the motion for the rate had been made, the anti-church party moved an amendment, that no rate should be granted. Upon a show of hands being taken, there appeared a majority of ten in favour of the amendment viz. twenty-five for the rate, and thirtyfive against it. The church party then demanded a poll, and, at the close of Friday evening, the numbers were, for the rate 182, against it 84.-Times.

At the late meeting at Leicester, in aid of the Irish clergy, the sum of upwards of 9001. was actually collected in the room, to which a considerable addition is expected to be made. The Duke of Rutland delivered a most admirable speech on the occasion. Earl Howe also was present, Lord Charles Manners, Sir George Beaumont, Mr. Butler Danvers, Mr. C. Packe, and many others of rank and distinction in the county.

OPENING OF A NEW CHURCH AT OLD DALBY.-The Rev. W. G. Sawyer, B. A., of Balliol College, and rector of Old Dalby, (son of the late Admiral Sir Herbert Sawyer, K.C. B.) has recently erected, at his own expense, a new church in his village. The structure is gothic, with turretted tower and handsome vestibule at the north entrance; the interior is particularly neat, and a small organ, the present of the rev. gentleman's sister, is at the west end. It is well pewed, and supposed to contain about three hundred sittings. The new church was opened for divine service on Wednesday, Feb. 3rd.—Oxford Paper.

MIDDLESEX.

THE CORPORATION OF THE Sons of the CLERGY.-The election of poor clergymen with good characters and large families, to partake of Dr. Taylour's, Mr. Myddelton's, and Mrs. Ann Cam's benefactions, the present year, will take place in May next. Blank petitions may be had at the Corporation House, Bloomsbury-place, London, between the hours of 11 and 3.

At a meeting of the National Society for the Education of the Poor, &c., &c., holden at the Central-school, Westminster, on the 3d instant, there were present the Lords Bishops of London, St. Asaph, and Llandaff, Joshua Watson, Esq., Rev. Dr. Walmsley, Rev. H. H. Norris, William Cotton, Esq., and Rev. J. C. Wigram.

PARISH OF ST. GEORGE IN THE EAST, MIDDLESEX.-The following is the result of a poll of this parish for a church-rate of 1d. in the pound :-For the rate 526; against it 303; Majority for the rate, 223. On Friday, the 29th Jan., the Rev. William Yate, of the Church Missionary Society, was honoured with a long interview with his Majesty at Brighton. The King was much interested with the information which he received from Mr. Yate respecting the state of New Zealand, to which important mission that clergyman is upon the eve of returning.

Bishop Corrie landed in good health at Madras, on the 23rd of October.

CHURCH COMMISSION.-The following are circular letters recently addressed by Mr. Murray, the secretary of the Church Inquiry Commissioners, to the members of

by the churchwardens of St. Mary Abbotts, Kensington, which was resisted on the ground that, being a retrospective rate to reimburse, it was illegal, and could not be enforced. After hearing Dr. Addams against the allegation, and in support of the rate, and the King's Advocate and Dr. Haggard contra, Dr. Lushington said, that it had been decided in the courts of law and equity that no rate to reimburse churchwardens was legal, and that, as an ecclesiastical judge, he was bound to abide by those decisions, whatever difficulties might occur in applying them to some cases. He was aware of the difficulties in which parishes were placed in respect to church rates, which were avowedly of a retrospective character; but he could not make the law, it was his duty merely to pronounce it. It was the province of the legislature to apply a remedy, if a remedy was required. He should therefore admit the first four articles of the allegation. He would observe, however, that if the items of the rate, which were retrospective, should prove small in amount, he should not quash it; but if they formed a material part of the rate, the strong inclination upon his mind was, that he should not be able to enforce it.

ECCLESIASTICAL COURT. The bill which was brought in by the Lord Chancellor on Friday Feb. 12, is for consolidating the jurisdiction of the several ecclesiastical courts in one civil court, under the authority of the crown, and to amend the law in divers matters ecclesiastical. The leading object of the bill is, therefore, to sever matters which are of a purely ecclesiastical or spiritual character from those of a civil nature. It is intended to abolish the jurisdiction of all the ecclesiastical courts in England, and all others, so far as relates to testamentary, matrimonial, and generally all civil matters; and to establish one central metropolitan court, to be called "His Majesty's Court of Probate," to which it gives jurisdiction over the effects of all persons deceased (that is, as to personal property,) providing also that all wills relating only to real estates shall be registered. There are various provisions for the continuance in the court to be created, of the modes of proceeding now in practice in the ecclesiastical courts of Doctors' Commons; but all questions of fact are tried and decided by issues to the courts of common law, and the verdict of a jury. It transfers to the court of Chancery all tithe causes; it abolishes all criminal proceedings ecclesiastical, suits of defamation, suits for incest, all" ‘pro salute animæ," all church

to

rate causes, &c. It provides for the summary adjudication of all questions relating matters of a strictly ecclesiastical character by the bishop of each diocese, with assessors. It regulates the payment of the judges and all officers of the new court by salary, establishing a fee fund for all payments. It provides compensation for all registrars and others, whose offices are abolished by the bill, and for the admission of the practitioners in the abolished courts to the metropolitan court. The bill also abolishes all sinecures, and provides that all duties shall be discharged by principals, not by deputies. It provides further, that there shall be but one appealviz., to the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council.-Times.

CHRISTENINGS AND BURIALS for 1855. -In the 97 parishes within the walls of the City of London, there have been 963 christenings, and 970 burials ;—in the 27 parishes without the walls, 4654 christenings, 3658 burials ;-in the 24 out-parishes in Middlesex and Surrey, 17,019 christenings, 13,376 burials ;—in the 10 parishes in the City and Liberties of Westminster, 3492 christenings, 3411 burials. Total, 26,128 christenings, 21,415 burials.— Decrease in the burials reported this year, 264.

NAVY CHAPLAINS.-A new order in Council bas, within the last few months, been passed, for the admission of chaplains into His Majesty's navy. The following regulation is therein :-"No person shall be appointed a chaplain in the royal navy who shall not have been regularly ordained deacon and priest of the united church of England and Ireland; or whe shall not have been graduated at the university of Oxford, Cambridge, or Trinity College, Dublin; or whose age shall exceed thirty-five years; or who shall hold any benefice with cure of souls; or who shall not produce testimonials, from two beneficed clergymen, of his good moral and religious conduct; or who shall not have been examined by some competent person, to be appointed for that purpose by the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty, and be reported by him to be in every respect a fit and proper person to fill with respectability and advantage to His Majesty's service the situation of chaplain. Gloucester Chronicle.

THE CHURCH. By an account recently rendered to the Marylebone vestry, of the receipt and expenditure of the district churches in the parish, it appears that the receipt of St. Mary's pew rents, from 1824 to 1835, were 11,189., and the expenditure 11,7861.; All Souls' pew rents

from 1825 to 1835, 10,250l., and the expenditure 10,771.; Christ Church pew rents, from 1825, and burial fees from 1827 to 1835, 7101., and expenditure 92821.; Trinity pew rents from 1828, and burial fees from 4830 to 1835, 90287., and expenditure, 75861. Receipts in the total, 37,5681., and total expenditure, 39,425., leaving a balance against the parish of

1857l. There is no church-rate in St. Marylebone, the district rectors being paid 5001. per annum each out of the pew rents. -Standard.

PENALTY ON CORPORATE OFFICERS ATTENDING DISSENTING PLACES OF WORSHIP. By 10 Geo. IV., c. 7, s. 25, it is enacted, that if any person holding any judicial or civil office, or any mayor or other corporate officer, shall, after the commencement of this act, resort to or be present at any place or public meeting for religious worship, in England or Ireland, other than that of the United Church of England and Ireland, in the robe, gown, or other peculiar habit of his office, or attend with insignia, or any part thereof, of or belonging to such office; such person, being convicted thereof by due course of law, shall forfeit such office, and pay for every such offence the sum of 1001.

NOTTINGHAMSHIRE,

NOTTINGHAM CLERICAL SOCIETY.-At a meeting of the clergy, held in the vestry room of St. Mary's, Nottingham, on Wednesday, January 13th, 1836, (the Venerable the Archdeacon Wilkins in the chair,) it was resolved unanimously-1. "That a society be formed, for the Deaneries of Nottingham and Bingham, which shall be called the Nottingham Clerical Society.'

-2. That it shall consist of all the beneficed clergy and licensed curates within the said Deaneries."-3. "That there shall be four meetings in the year."

4. "That at all such meetings, matters be discussed connected with the profes. sional duties or functions of the clergy."

5. "That at the meetings in January or July, business connected with the Societies for Promoting Christian Knowledge,' and the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts,' for Translating the Scriptures into Foreign Languages,' and the Bible and Prayer Book Association,' take the precedence of other matters of consideration."

The object of this society is, in the first instance, to support the church, by upholding the great institutions for the promotion and discussion of her faith; and next, to draw together more closely the clergy of the establishment, and afford

them an opportunity of benefiting by a mutual and stated intercourse with each other.

SHROPSHIRE.

The parishioners of Ellesmere, in Shropshire, presented to their vicar, the Rev. J. A. Cotton, a service of plate, compris. ing a splendid salver and other articles, weighing 400 ounces.-Salopian Journal.

SOMERSETSHIRE,

CONVOCATION OF THE CLERGY. — A meeting of the clergy was convoked, in this city, on Monday, Feb. 15, by the Archdeacon of Bath, for the purpose of petitioning the King to issue his licence to the Convocation, to despatch the multitude of business relating to the church to which that body is alone competent, in order to the more complete and extended adaptation of the establishment to the exigencies of the times, and the spiritual necessities of a population so greatly increased. The clergy of the deanery of Bedminster have since met at Bedminster, for the same purpose as that of the meeting to which we have now referred.- Bath Chronicle.

An appeal to the Christian public is being made, for the purpose of erecting, at Frome Selwood (a manufacturing town containing a population of more than 12,000 souls), a plain church, appropriated solely to free sittings, and capable of containing 500 in the area, and allowing the power of erecting galleries to accommodate 300 more. Upwards of 13001. have been already contributed; a sum more than sufficient for the unadorned structure they contemplate, but which is quite inadequate to their wants, unless they are able to endow the church with a suitable stipend for the officiating clergyman. There are two churches in the town, but the free sittings in both do not amount to 600.

SURREY.

:-“

A committee of gentlemen have presented to Mr. Hobson, the late senior churchwarden of Christ Church, Surrey, a valuable and massive silver waiter, bearing the following inscription :-" Presented, January, 1836, to James Eland Hobson, Esq., late churchwarden of Christ Church, Surrey, by the inhabitants whose names are inscribed at the back hereof, for his zeal and liberality in providing for their accommodation in the parish church, during unprecedented difficulties, in the years 1833 and 1834, after two unsuccessful attempts to obtain a church-rate." The presentation was accompanied with a speech, in which the claims of Mr. Hobson to the gratitude of