might be fo arranged, that as foon as Mr. Speaker had read the order of the day, Mr. Ley, the Chief Clerk of the Houfe of Commons, fhould read the oppofition and minifterial papers in fucceffion, and thus put the Houfe in poffeffion of all the arguments pro and con upon every fubject that came before them, without putting any of the honourable members to the neceffity of ufing any one faculty of their minds on any occafion whatever. All that would then be required of them would be the corporeal exercife of following their leaders whenever a divifion took place.

The duties of the members might be ftill farther abridged, and the recital of the arguments on the minifterial fide of the question alone might fuffice, if the administration of this country were endued with that "union of irresistible force with the most confummate art which fo happily characterizes the government of Buonaparte, all whofe measures are fo wife, fo juft, fo calculated for the happiness of his fubjects, and fo unexceptionable in every point of view, that nothing can ever be urged against them; and therefore, in his Council of Antients, the public orator alone peaks on the part of government, and perpetual filence is obferved by all the other members. But it unfortunately happens, that with us the cafe is juft the reverse; and that the measures propofed by his Majesty's minifters are the worst poffible in all poffible cafes; at least to reprefent them as fuch is the conftant employment of oppofition, and to hear them fo reprefented is the great privilege and delight of Englishmen. My respect for these laudable ufages induces me to recommend the continuance of arguments on both fides of the queftion.

When it is confidered how defirable and indeed necessary a relief will be given by this plan to his Majesty's ministers, who are now incapacitated from giving proper attention to the business of their several departments by day, after having been kept up debating all night; and to the members of parliament, whofe understandings are fatigued, and whofe conftitutions are impaired, by their attendance on their public duties at fuch unseasonable hours; when it is farther confidered how much more leisurely, and of courfe perfpicuously, the merits of every state measure will then be given in the daily papers, than they now are in the hafty confused notes of fleepy report ers; and how much more fatisfactory it will be to the public to read the arguments on both fides fairly and fully stated, once, and once only, than to read them, as we now do, over and over again, in the fpeeches of different perfons, till they naufeate by repetition, I truft

"The union which the world never before faw, of irrefiftible force with the most confummate art, is combined to rear this gigantic fabric; while the total deftitution of energy and genius on the other fide appears to exhibit, by fuch an unusual concurrence of circumftances, the hand of Providence in this extraordinary revolution.”Inquiry into the Caufes and Confequences of the Orders in Council, by Alex. Baring, Efq. M. P.; Introduction, p. 3-4.

this measure will be approved of by all parties, and every class of the community, and that, on the opening of the next feffion of parliament, the proceedings of the Houfe will be regulated on the fyftem here propofed. ARCESILAS.

REMARKS ON THE LETTER OF PHILO-ECCLESIASTICUS.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE ANTIJACOBIN REVIEW.
Sir,

AS you have evinced yourself a watchful and zealous guardian of the public weal, nor lefs indifferent to the cause of truth, I indulge the hope that you will allow me to refort to you for the maintenance of fo inestimable a treasure, which has been violated by fome biassed correfpondent in your publication of laft month, under the delufive fignature of Philo-Ecclefiafticus.

I poffefs neither time nor inclination to enter the lifts against fo doughty a champion of the Eftablishment, who, to exprefs his lively feelings for its interefts, fcruples not, out of pious regard for its welfare, to calumniate its most respectable and firm fupporters.

But a charge exhibited publicly against a venerable and confcientious Bifhop and his Archdeacon, for a breach of duty, is an afperfion too grofs to pafs unregarded; I am induced, therefore, to take up my pen in juftification of fuch refpectable characters, by briefly laying before you, what hitherto you are a stranger to,----a statement of facts.

Complaint was made to the Archdeacon by a parishioner of remiffnefs of duty and irregularity of conduct in his minitter, which upon investigation was difcovered, in fome trivial inftances, to be well grounded; but even these omiffions were found to proceed not from any wilful reprehenfible inattention, but from the pitiable circumftance of occational infirmity. Many letters paffed upon the fubject; and the Archdeacon, who was, at length, fully convinced that the charges took their rife not from that pure and evangelical fource from which they were declared to fpring, and finding all his efforts unavailing to effect a reconciliation, declined any farther correspondence, referring the matter in debate to the Diocefan. Upon the receipt of the charges, his Lordship loft no time in fummoning the fuppofed reverend delinquent, to afford him an opportunity of refuting them. When he was informed that it was abfolutely requifite for him to disprove the alledged accufations, to fuperfede the neceffity of an ecclefiaftical procefs, he not only afferted his innocence, but, in confirmation of it, tranfmitted to the Bishop a certificate attefted by a large majority of his parishioners in his favour, which honourable teftimony of his conduct induced his Lordship to relinquish any farther proceedings against him. But the clergyman, encouraged to make an example of his adverfary, who had publicly ftigmatifed him with repeated acts of intemperance founded in falfehood, had recourfe to the civil power for redrefs. This ftep his feelings as a man,

and his character as a clergyman, impelled him to purfue; and no doubt exifted of ultimate fuccefs, had not legal obitacles prevented the hearing of the caufe, which, of course, fubjected the plaintiff to a nonfuit.

This is a plain unvarnished tale; and, to prove the light in which this bufinefs was viewed by his neighbours, a fubfcription was opened, and a fum collected amounting to nearly 7001; not only fulfi cient to defray the whole of his expences, but alfo to afford a confiderable furplus in aid of himself and family.

VERITAS.

CLERICAL IRREGULARITIES.

May 10, 1808.

Mr. Editor, THERE is no man, not even yourfelf, nor any one of your praifeworthy coadjutors, who has a higher opinion of the generality of the eftablished clergy than I myself have; moft fenfibly therefore do I feel every thing that may tend in the flighteft degree to leffen them in the opinion of the public. It is a queftion which has been often agitated in my mind, whether the publication of fuch cafes as that related by your correfpondent Philo-Ecclefiafticus tend to the benefit of the clergy or not. I am rather inclined to the former opinion, though a fear of doing mifchief has prevented me from bringing forward feveral cafes little inferior in their evil tendency to the one alluded to. In every large body of men improper members will, through fome caufe or other, be introduced. But if the bad conduct of individuals among the clergy is to meet with no check, if the veil of Chriftian charity is to be for ever ftretched over the clerical drunkard and debauchee, it will no doubt become, nay it is already become, a cloak for licentioufnefs. But, alas! what is to be done? If the fuperiors in the church will not hear, or will not believe, complaints of improper conduct; if the individual who prefers them is to be profecuted as a libeller; to what power are we to look for redrefs? Muft not a difeafe be arrested in its courfe, because the medicine may be unpalatable, and the mode of treatment repugnant to the feelings of the patient? Would the characters of the refpectable part of the clergy be tarnished by the expulfion of their depraved brethren from the profeffion? Or is mere commiferation for the family of a drunken curate a fufficient caufe for continuing his peftilential refidence in a parish? Does any fuch caufe preferve the fubaltern officer from the fentence of a court martial? Where incumbents knowingly and wilfully appoint improper curates, their conduct cannot be held up to the public view in too ftrong a light. It is highly to be regretted that they who have the power to cenfure fuch conduct do not do it.

Two

The following fact has lately been communicated to me. very respectable inhabitants of a parish waited upon their rector to remonftrate against the appointment of a curate, who was extremely

well known to them, having been refident in the next parish for many years, and from which, on the appointment of a new incumbent, who alfo had long been his neighbour, he had been recently difmiffed. The chief caufe alledged was drunkennels, and a total want of that conduct which would make him refpected. Without deigning to take the cafe into confideration, or making the fighteft enquiry why his neighbour, who is a moft refpectable clergyman, difmiffed this perfont from his church, he, to' ufe the very words of the complainants, 'made light of all they faid,' and appointed the curate. It is very probable that this rector did not prefer a drunken curate to a fober one, and that he acted fuch a part through mere indolence. But will that extenuate his offence? Surely fome fuch man fat to Cowper for his picture of a priest prepared to make God's work a finecure. Confidering the times, and the dangers overt and covert with which our church is threatened, there is too much caufe to fubjoin the poet's pious with, "from, fuch apoftles, O ye mitred heads, preferve the

church!"

I am, dear Sir,

With the moft perfect eftcem, your obedient fervant,
F. DE COURCEY.

Ir the clergy will be guilty of fuch fuicidal acts as that here noticed by our correfpondent, they are fit fubjects for public reproof. Amicus Plato, Amicus Socrates, fed magis amica veritas. We are friends to the clergy; we are friends to the Eftablished Church; but we are greater friends to the Chriftian religion. The interefts of the laft mutt not be facrificed out of delicacy to the firft. As a body, a more correct, pious, and exemplary fet of men are not to be found in the world than the clergy of the Establishment. That among such numbers fome fhould be feen who difgrace their facred calling is no matter for furprife; but ftill the frailty of human nature forms no excufe for the irregularities of men, whofe firit duty it is to fubdue that frailty in themselves, as far as it is practicable, by the aid of religion, and to correct it in others, with the care of whofe fouls they are folemnly entrusted, and whom, therefore, they ought not only to infruct by their precepts, but to edify by their example. This fubject, however, is too important, to be difcuffed cafually, as it were. It is one of vital importance; and we call, moft ftrongly, on the heads of our church, to apply to it fuch remedy as it is in their power, and as it is their duty, to adminifter.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE ANTIJACOBIN REVIEW.
Sir,

AS I trust that upon every occafion you are well disposed to affift the public in judging "righteous judgement," and feeling as I do for the credit of my cloth, I am led to addrefs you by a few lines on the fubject of clerical inebriety, as brought forward by Philo-Ecclefiafticus in your laft Review. It there ftands as a ftigma (upon ap

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parently fair record) that a certain Northamptonshire clergyman was of an abandoned and profligate character;" at the fame time it is obferved, that fuch inftances of clerical misconduct were “frequent in the country." The latter reprefentation is furely indefenfible; and as to the clergyman in question, it was much doubted whether, if the cafe had been tried, that the inebriety and neglect of duty charged upon him would have been proved; the perfuafion of which was (it feems) what induced him, by the advice of fome friends, to inftitute a profecution for a libel at the assizes, which being out of order was foon quashed on the opening of the cause.

This bufinefs occafioned much intereft in the neighbourhood, and great preparations were made on both fides to prove and disprove. I am forry to fay, that being nonfuited it involved the poor plaintiff in expences to the amount (at least) of 8001. Yet humanity will be pleased to hear, fuch was the general feeling in his behalf, that in a few days nearly this fum was voluntarily fubfcribed by gentlemen of the county, to relieve the rector from impending distress; and it was expected that much more than was fufficient would be obtained, and difpenfed for the benefit of his family.

I am reluctant, Mr. Editor, to trespass on your time, but surely (let me add) the most respectable names in the county could not ftand forth thus to countenance an "abandoned and profligate character." It is obfervable, that Philo Ecclefiafticus fays, "The true caufe of this clergyman's incapacity arose from the effects of his habits of exceffive drinking." Now, Sir, "grofs neglect of duty" and incapacity are certainly two very different things; and the cafe is, that about seven years ago he had a fall from, or with, his horse, which occafioned fuch a violent concuffion of the brain, that it fo impaired his faculties, as ever fince to make him liable to mistakes in the performance of his duty. And fuch is the weakness of his brain fince the fall, that he can fcarce drink a glass of wine without being in a degree intoxicated. Yet the "gentleman of the county,"

That is, as to the facts at iffue. The Bishop and Archdeacon were cited merely to prove their hand-writing. And be it fo, that the only witness examined “rather established than difproved" the charge of inebriety;-on which let me relate the following circumftance. It is now about two years fince, the rector dined and fat next to me at a meeting on public business, and three small glaffes of wine after dinner was all we drank. We fat off together homewards, and parting in a few minutes for different roads, he had fcarcely left me before he fell from his horfe, and was fo infenfible as to be taken home in an apparent state of intoxication.

Sir, this clergyman, called " an abandoned and profligate character," is as mild and inoffenfive a man as can be met with. I am by no means intimate with him, living at too great a distance; and trouble you only as actuated by candour and truth, to check the fpirit of gainfaying, fo prevalent, with fome, as to the minifters of the Established Church.