RESOLUTIONS
kespecting
THE IRISH CHURCH,
to be
PROPOSED BY MR. WARD,
On Tuesday, 27 May 1834.
Resolved,
1.—That the Property now held by the Irish Church, whether consisting of
Bishops' Lands, Glebes, Tithes, or any other species of endowment, is the Property
of the State, and ought to be preserved for such purposes as the Legislature may
determine.
, f2.—That in the opinion of this House the Protestant Establishment in Ireland,
as now established by law, exceeds the spiritual wants of the Protestant Population,
to which standard it ought to be reduced.
S.—That, with a view to effect this reduction, the principles of the Irish Church
Reform Bill of last year be extended, and the Ecclesiastical Commissioners
appointed by that Bill be empowered to act as Trustees for the whole of the Church
Property in Ireland, including Bishops' Lands, Glebes, Tithes, and every other
species of endowment.
4i.—That out of the Fund thus created, the Commissiomers shall issue to
every Archbishop, Bishop, Dean, Rector, Vicar, &c. the full amount of the Sums
which they are now entitled to receive during the term of their natural lives,
they continuing to discharge their ecclesiastical duties as at present, where
required.
5.—That upon the death of the present Incumbents, no issue shall be made by
the Commissioners for any future Incumbent, in any Parish where the registered
number of the Protestant Inhabitants does not amount to One of the
whole Population.
6.—That upon the death of any Bishop whose See does not contain
Parishes, each having a Protestant Population consisting of One of the
whole Population, no issue shall be made by the Commissioners for any future
Bishop; but the See shall be annexed to that adjoining See by which the duties of
episcopal superintendence can be most conveniently discharged.
7.—That out of the Fund arising from the Bishops' Lands, Glebes and Tithes,
thus gradually falling in, the Commissioners be enipowered to extinguish all private
rights of Presentation, by buying up the Advowsons, where they are the property of
individuals ; but that the Advowsons now in the gift of the Sees shall only be retained
bv them where, the Livings are retained, and shall drop without compensation wher¬
ever the Living is extinguished by the want of a Protestant Congregation.
8.—That a discretionary power be given to the Commissioners in cases where
the number of resident Protestants falls short of that proportion of the whole Popu¬
lation fixed by the Fifth Resolution, to assist such Protestants in keeping up the
performance of Divine Service, by an advance from the general Fund, not
exceeding £. 150 annually, a Return being made to Parliament of all such cases as
may occur.
9.—That the provisions already made for the sale of Bishops' Lands, the repair¬
ing of Churches, and the commutation of Tithes into a Tax upon Land, shall not
be affected by the present Resolutions.
10.—That the surplus Fund remaining in the hands of the Commissioners be
applied, either in the promotion of Education or in the employment of the Poor, or
in making a provision for the religious instruction of the People by the Ministers of
every branch of the Christian Church, or in such other purposes of public utility
as Parliament in its wisdom may think fit.
0.35
