Grants have been made by the Trustees of First Fruits, from July 1786 to July 1806, 7acto Churches 210," Houses 209, Glebes 73. N. B. These Grants were made for the whole Kingdom at large, Reside in or near Parish, + Non-resident. 8 Duty elsewhere. These tables afford the most complete view of the state of the Church in Ireland, that we have been able to collect from the Report. They are, nevertheless, to a certain degree, imperfect and incorrect. They are imperfect, inasmuch as in sundry instances no Report of Churches, Glebe Houses, or Glebe Lands is annexed to the names of the benefices: yet, we are not certain that these benefices are absolutely destitute of such conveniences: and in other instances there are traces of Glebe Lands, and other ecclesiastical property, rot at present in possession of the incumbent, though understood to have belonged formerly to the cure. We have also included in the column of Glebe, portions of land however small, and, in fact, too small to be of value: which tends to ren der the provision for the incumbent of more apparent extent, than the reality will justify. These tables are also incorrect, in as much as in a few instances, where Churches and Glebe Houses, are reported "building," we have included these in their respective columns, as if they were finished: we have also marked the newly appointed incumbents, as if they actually resided; as they are mostly directed to reside, and it is hoped they will comply with that duty. A few Cathedrals and some chapels of ease, where they supply the place of parish Churches, are included among the Churches also, which tends to encrease the apparent number of those edifices. There are also Impropriations in some places, which we have not distinguished; neither have we marked those cures, the income of which is too small to support an incumbent: for these particulars; and for some others; such as which of the unions are episcopal, and which by order of council, the Cathedral establishments, and a few besides, the Report itself must be consulted. The number of Benefices formed into unions, also, occasions variations in a few instances: as some unions have several Churches. Nevertheless, these slight imperfections detract but very little from the value of these tables, which offer the general result, as near to the truth as could be expected on a first essay of the kind; and where various manners of drawing up the particulars have been adopted by the Bishops, who transmitted them. Board of First Fruits, under the provisions Answer. The Regulations directed by the of the statutes in the several cases, for applying the funds applicable to the purposes of building Glebe Houses, and of acquiring and improving Glebes, have been found, in general, to be effectual to these purposes; and the chief thing that appears to be requisite is, that these funds should be made adequate to the exigencies of the Church in Ireland. But where the Incumbents pay no regard to an injunction to build, something seems to be shops and Bishops, for applying a remedy. wanting to the powers vested in the ArchbiIn all such cases, after two years possession, if the Benefice be of the yearly value of £150 per annum, or of three years possession if of £100, the Bishop is empowered, with the consent of the Lord Lieutenant, to sequester a fourth part of the profits of the Benefice, till a sum not exceeding a year and a half's income be received, which the Archbishop or Bishop shall cause to be laid out in building, improving, &c. Besides the length of time it must take, including the expences of the sequestration, to collect this fund, and its inadequacy, when collected, to build a Residence suitable to the Benefice, and to make necessary improve ments, instances have occurred in this Docese, in which the Incumbents have express. ed a determination to force the Bishop to themselves from all trouble and all the risque have recourse to this remedy, as exonerating responsibility on him; a consideration they of building, and throwing all the labour and think well worth the temporary deduction from their income. If the powers were to be extended to the sequestering a greater proportion of the profits, and to two years income, this remedy would be more efficacious. 1 Something also seems to be wanting to the powers on which the Board has formed its Churches. By a statute now in force, the Regulations for building and rebuilding Trustecs are restricted from granting any money for building or re-building Churches, except where no public service has been performed for twenty years and upwards. In this Diocese are Churches threatening ruin, for the re building or thoroughly repairing of | which no adequate fund can be expected to be raised by a parochial cess, from the small extent of the parishes, or by contributions, from the poverty of the Parishioners. In all such cases, might it not be expedient that the Incumbent and Churchwardens, with the sanction of the Archbishop or Bishop, should state to the Trustees what proportion the parish could afford to contribute, at a moderate cess, towards the re-building or effectually repairing the Church, and that the Trustees should be empowered to give whatever sum might further be requisite, within the extent of what they usually grant? for an Act either to unite or disunite parishes, notice should be served, as in the former case, on the Impropriators, Patrons, and Incumbents, of the application, and of the day on which it should be taken into consideration, that they might submit their objections, if any they should have, to the Lord Lieutenant and Council.-T. L. Meath. The bishop of Kildare has no residence in his diocese. There is extant in the registrya map of lands, belonging to the bishoprick, in which seven fields, viz. No. 1, 2, 5, 6, 7, are marked "Mensal Lands," and contain 67 acres and 1 rood; but, by a modern admeasurement, the same fields have been Further: There are instances in which it found to contain, of plantation measure, 72 would be highly expedient to change the site acres 3 roods. In the above-mentioned old of the Church from where the ruins of the map, a field, adjoining the cathedral preold Church are to be found, to a more conve- cincts, or church-yard, is distinguished by nient situation, and in which the wishes of being entitled "The Palace," and it is there the Protestant Parishioners coincide with stated to contain 3 acres and 2 roods; but, by those of the Incumbent and the Ordinary. the modern adımeasurement, it is no more But the consent of the Patron and of the thau 3 acres. These lands were formerly and Proprietors of land within the parish being a still are intersected by roads, and there have legal requisite, and they either being absent been no traces known of the palace in the from the kingdom, or opposing the wishes of memory of the oldest inhabitant of the town, the majority of the resident parishioners, no The bishop of the diocese has not the power, Act of Council can be applied for to change by virtue of any existing law, to charge upon the site. Might not the clause requiring the his successors any sum adequate to the buildconsent of the Proprietors of land be restricting of a palace, by reason of the tenuity of ed to resident Proprietors? And might it not be sufficient to serve notice on the Patron, Cathedral church of St. Bridget Kildare, that an application for changing the site of of which the members are the Rev. Dixie the Church is intended to be made to the Blundell, D.D. Dean; William Maunsell, Lord Lieutenant and Council, and of the precentor, of which precentorship the corps day on which it is to be taken into conside-is Carne, a vicarage; Arthur McGuire, chanration, that he may have an opportunity of stating his objections, if any he have; the Lord Lieutenant and Council to judge of their validity. Another great evil is felt in this Diocese from a similar provision, as the Law now stands, relative to the uniting or disuniting of parishes. The previous consent of the Patron and Incumbent is an essential requisite towards applying for an Act of Council in either case. In this Diocese are upwards of 45 parishes in the hands of Impropriators and Lay Patrons, exclusive of the Livings that are in the gift of the King, either with very sinal Vicarages endowed, or without any stipend whatever allowed for cure of souls. An arrangement of these parishes, so as to form them into perpetual Unions, for the purpose of procuring residence, supporting the churches, and the advancement of Religion and morals, is absolutely essential. But the necessity of procuring the previous consent of the Impropriators and Patrons stands in the way of the Bishop, in limine, and if they refuse that consent he has no remedy. Might it not be sufficient, in all such cases, that on the application of the Archbishop or Bishop to the Lord Lieutenant and Council, the bishoprick. cellor; John Bayly, Treasurer; the corps of At Lea, two miles from Portarlington, there is a decayed old church, which can scarcely be prevented by ordinary repairs from falling. It is inconveniently situated for the town, and equally so for the numerous Protestant inhabitants of the country. By a decree of deprivation, the laws do not allow the benefice to be sequestered; and the incumbent, if he be indiferent both to duty and character, which will generally be the case when the matter comes to this extremity, is encouraged to litigate and protract proceedings, however certain he may be of defeat, as, in most cases, he will retain more revenue, than the suit will annually cost him. I believe the laws in being, if duly enforced, are sufficient to prevent unions, perpetual or episcopal, from being improperly made, and for preserving our churches from dilapidation; but I do not think that they are equally sufficient to preserve our Glebe Houses from the same. The statute, which is our chief guide, 10th W. III. сар. 6. though it might perhaps meet the evil of the day, is not applicable to our present circumstances.-A. dilapi dates; if the successors B. & C. do not repair, D. has no remedy against C. unless he can prove in whose incumbency the dilapida tions were incurred; and the building becomes a ruin, or is to be repaired by D. wholly innocent of neglect. If this act were repealed, and we were left to the common law as practised in England, which includes the lapse of time, as well as neglect of incumbent as articles of dilapidation (that is, it makes the revenues of the church, ut all times answerable for the support of its buildings); I know not that we should want any other regulation. In this country, the prac tice has frequently been to allow the lapse of time to operate against the successor only: even the ambiguity of the fact often entails expense on the successor, which properly ought to belong to the predecessor. plurality of voices, at a late vestry, it has therefore been determined to change its site, and to rebuild it still farther from the town, by which means Portarlington, containing about 1,500 inhabitants, will be in a worse state than it now is. In Portarlington there are two chapels and two schools, endowed by the Earl of Galway, in 1702: one chapel and school for Protestant French refugees, and the like for the English Protestant sottlers and native Irish, on his estate. A rent By the 1st of Geo. II. c. 15, the shortest charge of £40 per ann. was settled on each time in which a bishop can by law enforce chaplain; £20 per ann. on the English the building of a Glebe House, is ten years; schoolmaster, and £12 per ann. on the the accomplishment of it will generally take French master; and the bishop of Kildare, twelve years. I never have heard of a single the diocesan, and his successors, were ap-instance of this law being enforced through pointed trustees for ever. The chapels and all its stages; the reason is manifest. schools with their endowments, were accordingly conveyed to the bishop for the time being, and shortly after, because there were many French Protestants in the place, a pension of £50 was granted to the French chaplain for the time being, which is enjoyed to this day. When the chapels were conveyed in trust to the bishop, they were newly built; repairs were little thought of; and the fund provided for that purpose, was only a fine of £20 to be paid on the demise of each of three lives, on the perpetual renewal of which the lands charged with the above rent of £122 are held for ever. At present, there is one. sum of £20 in hand, which bears interest; but as the two chapels are absolutely in ruins, and must be shortly altogether abandoned for want of necessary repairs, the bishop considers himself (so far as the buildings are concerned) incapable of fulfilling the purposes of this trust. The rectory of this parish is appropriate to the dean and chapter of Kildare. The vicarage is endowed with one-third of the tythes: part of the town of Portarlington, situated in the King's county and parish of Clonchorke, must also be considered on this occasion. The ancient site of Clonchorke church is too remote from the town, which contains a great number of boarding-schools, kept by very respectable persons, for childre E. Leightin and Ferns. of both sexes, and serious inconveniences To give a fair view of the state of the must arise to such seminaries of education, if Diocese of Killaloe, it is necessary to state, the children be debarred from the exercise of that a very large proportion of that Property public worship. CHARLES Kildare. which was intended as Provision for ClericalIf the result of the present commission of Duty, has passed into the hands of Lay review should be in favour of episcopal au- Persons; which has so reduced the incomes thority, there yet will be wanting power suffi- appropriated now to the incumbents performcient to enforce residence to effect, so long as ing the duty, that a consolidation of several there may be three appeals against the decree Vicarages has been found indispensably neof the bishops's court, viz. to the Metropolitan;cessary to furnish the means of support-N to a Court of Delegates; to the King in council. The protraction and expense of such proceedings must greatly discourage the bishop from embarking in the contest: to which may be added, the total neglect of a parish for years, an evil of serious and extensive consequence. I must further observe, that, on a 14. 16. 17. 18. are Rectories in private patronage; the Incumbents have no duties to perform; they are performed by the Vicars endowed.-The Incumbents of the Unions 13. 15. 20. 21. 22. are the Vicars endowed of most of them, and receive a very small income out of each. CHARLES Cashel. influence of improving views and habits, manifestly now progressive.-CHARLES Cashel As long as the particles which constitute the Benefices of this Diocese yield such scanty profits, and so few comforts as they do at present to the respective Incumbents, I do not conceive that any Dissolution of Unions, or other Distribution of Parishes would be expedient; except perhaps in the single instance of Beagh, which is at too great à distance from Ardraham, to which it is united, for the Parishioners to attend the Church there, or even for the Incumbent The Unions of Parishes which form the Corps of Dignities and Prebends in the Cathedrals of Cashel and Emly, as in other Cathedrals in the Province of Munster, are of so ancient date, that they cannot now be traced to the period of their institution. Such Unions seem to have been always viewed differently from the Unions of Parishes unconnected with Chapters; for, though there existed the Stat. 2. G. 1. c. 14. which had provided for the dissolution of Unions in general, it was yet found necessary to pass the Act 21 G. II. c. 8. to meet the particular Law of Unions which are the Corps of Dig-residing in the Parish of Ardraham to disnities and Prebends, and to give a power in such cases to disappropriate Parishes lying remote from the Parish, which was to remain as a part of the corps of the Dignity or Prebend. In that Act it was made the condition of such disappropriation, that another Parish, at least equal in value, and lying contiguous or convenient, should be added in the place of the Parish disappropriated. charge the occasional Duties at Beagh. These two Parishes are moreover divided by the intervention of the Parish of Kilterton, a particle of the Union of Kilmacduagh; and the Parishioners of Beagh attend Divine Service at Gort, where the Church of Kilmacduagh stands, and are rated in parochial cesses by the Churchwardens of Gort, as of that Parish, I think a portion of Kilterton, adjacent to Ardraham, should be exchanged for Beagh ; or a perpetual Curacy established at Beagh. This condition has rendered it impracticable, in most instances, to dissolve these Unions, and to make new arrangements The Union of Kilcolgan, comprehending which would seem to promise advantage to eleven Parishes, is supportable only by the the Public, and a greater ease in the perform- consideration that, multitudinous as it is, ance of Clerical Duty. CHARLES Cashel. one hundred and twenty pounds annually is the extent of needy support which it supplies The change which has taken place in the to the Incumbent.-Leitrim is a Parish suf circumstances of the Country, has, as it ficient as to local extent and population to should seem, brought about a corresponding stand by itself; but under its present circumchange in the conduct of the Bishops. The stances, and under its long-inherited disposinumber of Benefices has greatly increased tions towards the Church in respect to Parowithin a few years by the dissolution of such chial Dues, it cannot be separated from Unions, and is yearly increasing. It is rea- Lichmolassy, to which it has been long sonable to attribute this to a scuse of duty in united, and leave a competent provision for the Bishops, who have abstained from making the Incumbent of Lichmolassy and BalinaEpiscopal Unions, when the causes, which kill, who ought to reside in or near the Town the Law points out as the proper foundation of Portunida; and where indeed the Earl of for making such Unions, have ceased. I Clanricarde, the chief landlord, has expressthink there is reason to expect, that Episcopaled to me a zealous desire to promote the buildUnions will hereafter be much less frequently made than heretofore. If however, any new Regulations should be deemed necessary, I recommend that the consent of a Superior should be made necessary to give validity to an Episcopal Union. It is not to be denied, that there are circumstances in the Church Establishment, which, in theory, must be viewed as defects; but it is not so certain that these are found, in practice, to be attended with the evil consequences which might be expected from thea; and there is much reason to question whether, in attempting to cure these defects, much more serious inconveniences would not be let in. I am of opinion therefore, that it is not now necessary, and that it would not be expedient to alter the Laws affecting the Established Church in Ireland. I entertain no doubt that its discipline and general condition will be found to iniprove daily under the operation of the existing Laws, and the ing of a Glebe House, and promised an accommodation, as far as twelve acres, towards the accomplishment of it. Many new arrangements of Parishes,_highly advantageous and conducive to the Establishment of the Pratestant Church, might obviously be made in the Diocese of Clonfert, were the Government to extend to it the same policy under which it has been pleased at different periods to regulate, I believe, every other Diocese in Ireland: namely, to enable the Bishop, by granting him a Compensation, to restore the Quarta Pars (or certain portions of Tythe due out of different Parishes), or rather grant them (all Tythes being originally the property of the Diocesan) to the officiating Parochial Incumbents. Of such a measure, the first result would be to release the Diocesan from the necessity of employing a TytheProctor; or, as it happens in some cases, the Incumbent wishes to become tenant to the Quarta Pars, from trafficking with one |