Proceeding on
these maxims, they introduced a Church Reform Bill, in which, perhaps,
the most remarkable circumstance of all was, that the evil which had
been the original cause of their taking up the subject at all was the
last thing settled, not, indeed, being finally arranged for four years;
while the principal detail in the way of reform which was completed in
this first session was one which, however reasonable, had hitherto
received but little attention, and had certainly provoked no great
outcry. It could not be denied that the Episcopal Establishment in
Ireland was out of all proportion to the extent of the country and the
number of the Protestant population, or of the parishes. The entire
population in communion with the Church fell short of 900,000. The
number of parishes scarcely exceeded 1400. But over this comparatively
scanty flock were set no fewer than eighteen bishops and four
archbishops; while England, with 12,000 parishes, was contented with
twenty-four bishops and two archbishops. It was proposed to consolidate
these bishoprics into ten, the archbishoprics into two, a reduction
which could hardly fail to commend itself to all. But with this
reduction was combined a variety of other details relating to the
Episcopal revenues, to the right of the bishops to grant leases, and
other matters of finance, which the ministers proposed so to remodel as
to create a very large fund to be at the disposal of the state.
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