THE CHURCH, HER RICHES, AND THEIR DISPOSAL.
—The Rev. the Earl of Guildford has resigned the great benefices of St. Mary's, Southampton, and Alresford, both of which he has held for more than half a century. That those interested rnay not, in the presentation of his successors, be taken by surprise, it is quite as well that public attention should be at once fixed on the actual or contemplated vacancies, particularly after the recent instance of nepotism, which has so seriously diminished confidence in the Sumner family; and that legislation is not yet in a state to deal efficiently, and in despite of episcopal jobbery, with parishes so overflowing with wealth and popuatation. It is now, it will be recollected, upwards of a year since, in compliance with an address to the crown by the House of Commons, a royal commission was issued to consider and report on the best mode of subdividing large parishes. In substitution of such a report, a bill for the purpose of empowering the Church Building Commissioners to subdivide parishes was prepared by the commission; and this bill, it is added, has been in ths hands of ministers since the commencement of the session. Had such a measure now been law, it would have been unnecessary to watch, with any misgivings, these vacancies. But, as in dealing with them, everything at present depends on the determination of the Bishop of Winchester, in whose gift they are, it is indispensable to apply the pressure of public opinion to the cases. The wants of St. Mary's, Southampton, are, however, so great and so obvious as somewhat to diminish public anxiety on its account. Dr Sumner can hardly avoid a thorough division of that parish, and a better appropriation of its large revenues; and it is understood that when examined before the Sub-division of Parishes Commission, his lordship expressed himself fully sensible of what was necessary to be done for the church therein. Lord Guildford, after providing, in his fashion, for the cure of the 20,000 souls in this parish, has, since 1798, pocketed not less than £2,000 a-year from that parish; and as its rector he has the patronage of South Stoneham, worth £500 a year, to which he very considerately presented a nephew; who, in his turn, has in his gift two subordinate ecclesiastical districts—viz., Pear Tree Green, and St. James’, West-end. It is, therefore, next to impossible that the imperfect breaking up of this parish, which has already commences, will not be completed, now that there is an opportunity. It is for the somewhat lesser living of Arlesford that danger may be feared; lest, from its comparative want of prominence, the catastrophe of its vacancy should be again the institution of another bishop's son. This is what is dreaded. Though in popular language Lord Guilford is said to be rector of Arlesford; in point of fact, he is rector of Old Arlesford, rector of New Arlesford, and rector of Medsted; all three distinct parishes, with separate churches and globes, and two of them having also parsonages. Now this union of three parishes has not, as is generally the case, been caused by their poverty. It has rather, perhaps, arisen from their wealth; for the tithes of Old Alresford have been commuted at £744 a year, and it has besides a glebe of thirty or forty acres; New Alresford tithes are worth £240 a year, with a glebe of twenty acres; whilst the tithes of Medsted are valued at £581, and it has a glebe of seven acres; in all, the value of the three livings, with surplice fees, and Easter offerings, can hardly be less than £1,800 a year. The union of these benefices appears to have arisen partly from their richness and compactness, but more from the affection of the successive bishops of Winchester, in whose patronage they all are, for their sons and their daughters. On the ground, therefore, of episcopal precedent, an apprehension that on this vacancy the three livings will be again delivered over to a bishop's son, is not at all unreasonable. Nor are other reasons wanting for their fears. First, the Bishop of Winchester has three sons in the church, to two of whom the benefices would be acceptable. Secondly, the principal parsonage —that of Old Alresford—is a very desirable mansion for livings yielding so handsome an income as £1,800 a year, and, in short, it is too good a country seat, we fear, for the livings to be separated. And, thirdly, in giving these parishes to his un-beneficed son, now waiting impatiently in Farnham Castle for some such windfall, the Bishop of Winchester would only be doing for him what he has already done for his to beneficed brethren. For, on turning to the ‟Clergy List,” it will be found that the bishop gave to his son, Rev. John Sumner, Buriton with Petersfield, worth £1,100 a year; to the Rev. Robert Summer, Calbourne with Newton; and that, when he had the opportunity, he did not separate the rich benefices of Alverstoke from its four subordinate incumbencies; West Meon from Privett; or Meon Stoke from Soberton; though the revenues, the population, and the spiritual condition of those parishes all strongly invited their diocesan to do so. It may, however, be urged that the combined population of the Alresford livings does not require the separation. To this we reply, that an adherence to the ancient parochial distribution of the diocese of Winchester, and the religious and educational wants of its inhabitants, do require it. A century of union has all together failed to produce good fruits in these parishes. It is, therefore, time to try the effect of separate incumbencies and responsibilities. In spite of the exertions of a praiseworthy curate, the people of New Alresford are in a most depraved condition; and the inhabitants of Medsted are even in a worse plight as to morals; for they are not only habitual poachers, but, though thirty miles from the sea, occasional smugglers.