ted to both houses early in the present session,
when it appeared that the inquiries of the committee had been threefold:
first, their recommendations referred to the ecclesiastical division
of territory, and the revenues of the different sees; secondly, to the
cathedral and collegiate revenues, which it was desirable should be made
more useful for the church establishment; and, lastly, the residence
of clergymen on their benefices. During this session Lord John Russell
introduced into the lower house a bill founded on those recommendations,
which regarded the new modelling of the episcopal sees in relation to
territory and income; and at a later period, another measure was
brought in, providing for the suppression of cathedral and collegiate
preferments, and sinecure benefices. A third measure was likewise
brought into the house of lords by the Archbishop of Canterbury, to
carry into effect the recommendations of the commissioners regarding
pluralities and non-residence.

The bill concerning the territories and revenues of the diocesses, or
the established church bill, recited those parts of the reports of the
commissioners which set forth the proposed alterations among the sees,
and deductions from their revenues. The first of these reports had
recommended a different territorial arrangement of diocesses, with
the view of making them more equal; the suppression of two sees; the
erection of two others, those of Manchester and Ripon, in their places;
and that the revenues of the sees--the two archbishoprics, and the sees
of London, Durham, and Winchester excepted, should not exceed L5500,
nor fall below L4500. The second report proposed that the diocess
of Bristol, which, according to the previous recommendation, was to
comprehend part of the diocess of Llandaff, should be united, as far as
respected Bristol, with the diocess of Bath and Wells; and, as far
as respected the remaining portion of the see, with the bishopric of
Gloucester. It was further proposed that the Isle of Man should be
united with the bishopric of Carlisle. With regard to the revenues,
the second report recommended that the income of the Archbishop of
Canterbury should be reduced from L17,000 to L15,000; of the see of
London, from L12,200 to L10,000; of Durham, from L17,800 to L8000; of
Winchester, from L10,700 to L7000; of Ely, from L11,000 to L7500; and of
Worcester, from L6500 to L5000. The excess produced by these deductions
was to be divided am