quence? It may seem scarcely right to give expression to such painful thoughts; but where is the wisdom or the benefit of sitting mute or blindfold, to let destruction come upon us still more easily, while all who think are more or less aware, in reality, of dangers which increase upon us, by reason possibly that none will hazard an exposure of them for the end of warning? There may be little danger, at this precise moment, that "any project so inordinate" as the particular bill here examined "can pass into a law;" and yet there might be valid reasons shewn, why it were far from wise to feel too confident even of that. The premier has recorded his opinion, and in his place in parliament, that “it is NOT the duty of the government to give ENCOURAGEMENT to the ESTABLISHED CHURCH; "* how many stages of descent may lie from such an avowal to acts of positive hostility? At all events, it is advisable that we should be prepared to look our prospects in the face. Let any scheme of education be adopted upon the principle of that proposed by the Lord Brougham and Vaux, and farewell to the wholesome and preserving influence of the established clergy of the land! What then may be expected has been told already. And now, having fulfilled my promise, I take my leave of a peculiarly unwelcome subject, and remain, my dear Sir, yours very sincerely, M. BRAINTREE CASE.-CHURCH RATES. It has been reported that this case has been given up. But this is not the fact, nor is there the least change of purpose in the promoters of the suit. What has led to the report is this, that Lord Denman lately announced the determination of the Court of Queen's Bench not to take any case out of its turn. Now the Braintree cause un fortunately is the 154th on the list, and in all probability, therefore, will not come on before next Hilary Term. This is very much to be • There can be no mistaking the evidence on this point. On Friday, March 30, the Duke of Wellington is reported to have said (and reiterated) that "he feared the policy of her Majesty's government was not to encourage the established church; and that, he must say, was a most material alteration in the fundamental policy of the government of this country; and he must also say, was most sincerely to be lamented by every friend of the constitution, and of the peace, order, and happiness of the community." To this Lord MELBOURNE replied-not on the instant, but on the following Friday, after a week's reflection, and under circumstances which exclude the theory of misreporting-to this effect. "The noble duke had said, that the government did not encourage the established church. Now he (Viscount M.) did not consider that the government was bound to give encouragement. The language which he held was, that it was the duty, as it was the intention, of government to support, maintain, and defend the protestant church of England as established at the Reformation, and the church of Scotland as established by law. If the noble duke meant by encouraging the church, the appropriation of greater revenues to ecclesiastics and for ecclesiastical purposes, out of the capital and wealth of the country, he thought that it would require serious consideration before his proposition could be agreed to." At what state of mind must a man have arrived who could venture to utter this audacious sophistry, concurrently with the proposal by his cabinet, of all church resolutions now in hand? regretted, as so many other places are looking to the event of this case, but it has nothing to do with any change of intention in the friends of the church, who are just as confident of the ultimate result as they have ever been. CHURCH OF ENGLAND IN NORTH AMERICA, (From u printed paper forwarded by a Correspondent.) It is wished to draw the attention of all persons interested in the welfare of the church to the following statement, extracted from the Annual Report of the Incorporated Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts, for the year 1837. "In North America, the circumstances of the clergy have been materially affected by the withdrawal of the parliamentary grant, from which the larger portion of their salaries had been defrayed. And it was not until the strongest remonstrances had been made to government, both by the colonial authorities and by the society, that an arrangement was effected for the payment of three-fourths of the original salaries to all missionaries employed previously to the year 1833. According to the terms of this agreement, government undertook to pay the reduced allowances of the missionaries in Nova Scotia from an annual parliamentary grant; and in Upper Canada, from colonial resources, upon condition that the society should pay the like allowances to the missionaries in Lower Canada, New Brunswick, Newfoundland, Cape Breton, and Prince Edward's Island. This arrangement has afforded temporary relief to the more urgent wants of the North American colonies; but it has given a heavy blow to the cause of religion, and inflicted severe injury upon upwards of a hundred deserving clergymen, subjected unexpectedly to the loss of a large proportion of their incomes. "And this provision, it will be observed, is contingent upon the lives and continued services of the missionaries engaged prior to the year 1833. At no very distant day the whole sum now contributed from the public funds will be withdrawn, and the support of the clergy in British North America, if any support can be afforded to them, must be supplied from other sources.' (Report, p. 19.) " It is, moreover, understood, that government has no intention of appointing a new bishop of Quebec, but proposes, as a substitute for such appointment, the payment of 10007. a year to the bishop of Montreal; that is to say, of the salary formerly voted to him as archdeacon merely. Such being the actual condition, and such the prospects (if the threatened blow be not averted) of the church in our North American colonies, it is respectfully suggested whether all means ought not to be used for bringing the state of the Canadian church under the notice of parliament. The time for voting the colonial estimates in the house of commons is now drawing on; and the subject of the grant for the Canadian church will, in all probability, come under discussion in the debate which may be expected to arise upon that occasion. It is known that several members of parliament are deeply interested in the question, and would be glad to be supported by petitions from the clergy and laity; and the writer of these suggestions has communicated with the secretary of the Society for Propagating the Gospel, who is favourable to the adoption of the measure here proposed. The success which, under the blessing of God, has attended the exertions made by the church to recover the Bishopric of Man, is an encouragement to similar zeal in other cases. ECCLESIASTICAL INTELLIGENCE. ORDINATIONS. Bishop of Exeter, Exeter Cathedral April 22. Bishop of Ely, St. George's Church, Hanover Square......... May 27. The Bishop of Winchester will hold his next Ordination on Sunday, July the 8th. The Bishop of Worcester purposes holding a General Ordination on Wednesday, the 25th of July next, being St. James's Day. No Candidate will be received for Deacon's Orders whose age shall exceed thirty years. The Bishop of Hereford has signified his intention not in future to ordain any gentleman seeking to enter into holy orders after he shall have attained thirty years of age. Camb. Christ's Camb. Ely Catherine Hall Camb. Winches. W. Iremonger, Esq. The Rural Deanery of Cricklade. The Mastership of the Cholmondeley Free Grammar School, Wilts Salisb. Preb. in Sarum Somerset B. & W. Mrs. Brown. Chute V. CLERICAL APPOINTMENTS. Head Master of the Collegiate School, Leicester. Sunday Evening Lecturer of St. Mary Redcliffe, Bristol. Chaplain to Nacton House, Woodbridge Union. Rural Dean of the Deanery of Kineton. Head Master of Sedburgh Free Grammar School, Yorkshire. Chaplain to the Winchester Union Workhouse. Domestic Chaplain to the Marquis of Queensbury. Head Master of the Endowed School of Ballyroan, Queen's Rural Dean of the Deanery of Cricklade. Domestic Chaplain to the Dowager Marchioness of Queensbury, |