PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
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16
CORRESPONDENCE RELATIVE TO
VICTORIA. questions for decision in England,-which are (so to speak) of a private character, affecting only the Church itself, and of no interest to the rest of the community. These things are of no more concern to the State here than are the appointment of bishops and the rules of government in the Roman Catholic Church. In the Colonial Act to which I have already referred, and of which I append a copy to this letter, not only is the Church denominated "the United Church of England and Ireland in "Victoria," but also there is express reference to "the right of appes! (supposed to exist) to Her Majesty in Council," and "to the Archbishop of Canterbury," and "the Metropolitan of the Pro- "vince." It is also enacted that nothing therein contained "shall affect Her Majesty's right to nominate ( or appoint any Metropolitan or other Bishop of the said United Church in Victoria."
No. 13.
Encl. No. 1. Address.
(1
So far as I know, there does not exist on the part of any other "religious denomination" the slightest disposition to complain of the Church here being regarded as a branch of the Church in England. All that has ever occasioned any jealousy here is the pre-eminence which is given to it by its Bishop being entitled "Lord Bishop of Melbourne," and by the precedence which Her Majesty's instructions give to him. Both of these are incidents which, as being in no wise essential to his episcopal office, might without any difficulty be removed. If this wero done, every ground of jealousy would be removed, and nothing would be left to distinguish the English Church here, in its relation to the State and to the members of other religious denominations, from the Presbyterian or any other Churel
In conclusion, my Lord, I would express my earnest hope that by any Act which shall be passed by the Imperial Parliament, it may be permitted to the Church now known as "the United Church of "England and Iroland in Victoria," first, for the continued exercise of the powers conferred upon its bishops, clergy, and laity by the Colonial Act, 18th Victoria, No. 45, for the security of its property and for the prevention of confusion in the taking of the census, and otherwise, to retain the name schich it has hitherto harne; secondly, for securing a regular succession of bishops, and preserving the Church from being split up into a number of different parts, to receive its Bishops through the Sovereign, so that none shall be consecrated to or have the authority to exercise the office of Bishop in it, except under the licence of Her Majesty or Her successors; and, thirdly, for maintaining an identity of doctrine and worship with the parent Church in England, to have a right of appeal in all ecclesiastical causes to the supreme ecclesiastical tribunal of the Church in England.
This letter, my Lord, contains only the private expression of my own opinions and feelings; but I expect to forward to your Lordship by the next mail a petition to Her Majesty, embodying the opinions and feelings of the Church expressed by the clergy and lay representatives in an assembly which I have summoned to meet next week, for the special consideration of the subject. In this meanwhile I have thought it right to address your Lordship myself upon it, rather than delay for another month calling your attention to the several points to which I have alluded in this letter.
The great importance of the matter to the Church in the Colonies generally, and my own personal interest in its decision, will, 1 trust, be accepted by your Lordship as a sufficient apology for the length at which I have written.
The Right Hon. Lord Carnarvon,
&c.
&c.
&c.
No. 43.
(Signed)
I have, &c.
C. MELBOURNE.
Copy of a DESPATCH from Governor the Hon. Sir J. H. T. MANNERS SUTTON, K.C.B., to the Right Hon. the Earl of Carnarvon.
(No. 30.)
MY LORD,
Government Offices, Melbourne, November 24, 1866.
(Received, January 11, 1867.) (Answered, No. 11, February 8, 1867, page .)
I HAVE the honour to transmit to your Lordship, herein enclosed, an Address to Her Majesty from the bishop, clergy, and laity of the United Church of England and Legislature of Ireland in this Colony, duly met in Assembly, under the provisions of the Act noted in the margin, together with a letter addressed to your Lordship by the Bishop of Melbourne, in which he requests that that Address may be laid at the foot of the
Victoria
18th Victoria, No. 45.
Encl. No. 2. 16th Nov. 1866.
T'hrone.
I have, &c.
(Signed) J. H. T. MANNERS SUTTON,
The Right Hon. the Earl of Carnarvon,
Encl. 1 ia
No.. 43.
MY LORD,
&c.
&c.
&c.
Enclosure I in No. 48.
Bishopscourt, Melbourne, November 16, 1866. I HAVE the honour to transmit a petition addressed to Her most Gracious Majesty the Queen, by the bishop, clergy, and laity of the United Church of England and Ireland in Victoria, duly met in Assembly under the provisions of an Act of the Colonial Legislature, 18th Victoria, No. 45, expres- sive of their apprehensions and desires in respect to the Imperial legislation which appears to he contemplated upon the affairs of the Church in the Colonies.
COLONIAL BISHOPRICS.
47
As President of the Assembly I have, at their request, signed this petition on their behalf; and I would respectfully request your Lordship to present it to Her most Gracious Majesty.
I have, &c. The Right Hon. Lord Carnarvon,
(Signed)
VICTORIA
C. MELBOURNE,
&C.
&c.
&c.
Enclosure 2 in No. 43.
To HR MOST GRACIOUS MAJESTY THE QUEEN.
MAY IT PLEASE YOUR MAJESTY,
THE humble petition of Your Majesty's loyal and dutiful subjects, the bishop, clergy, and laity of the United Church of England and Ireland in Victoria, duly met in Assembly, under the provisions of an Act of the Legislature of Victoria, being the Act 18th Victoria, No. 45, respectfully
ibowoth-
That Your petitioners beg to approach Your Majesty with expressions of their devotion and attach- ment to Your Majesty's throne and person.
That Your petitioners have always claimed to belong to the United Church of England and Ireland, and that their position as an integral part of the said Church has been recognised by Acts of the Legislature of Victoria, more especially by the Act 18th Victoria, No. 45, above mentioned, intituled "An Act to enable the Bishops, Clergy, and Laity of the United Church of England and Ireland i "Victoria to provide for the Regulation of the Affairs of the said Church," which Act received Your Majesty's assent on the 25th February 1856.
That this recognition has never been supposed to confer any special advantage upon Your petitioners over other of Your Majesty's subjects who claim to bolong and are regarded as belonging to other religious communions; but that it is looked upon as placing them in a position ueither better nor worse than that of other religious denominations, by according to them, in common with others, full liberty in managing their own affairs.
That the Assembly of the United Church of England and Ireland in Victoria, constituted under the said Act, was duly convened to consider the manner in which that Church might be affected by the passing of any such Bill on the subject of Colonial Bishoprics as that which was brought before the Imperial Parliament in the year 1860.
That, after careful deliberation, the Assembly passed the following resolutions:-
1. That the tenour of the Bill introduced in the Imperial Parliament in 1866, intituled “A Bill to "remove Doubts as to the Effect of Letters Patent granted to certain Colonial Bishops, and to amend "the Law with respect to Bishops and Clergy in the Colonies," is such as to oxcite serious alarm in the minds of the members of the religious body recognized by the Legislature as the United Church of England and Ireland in Victoria, because-
(1.) The Bill tends to create doubts as to the existence of the United Church of Eugland and Ireland,
or of any branch of it, out of the United Kingdom.
(2.) It contemplates the appointment and consecration of bishops out of the United Kingdom "by "the free and voluntary consent of any clergy, congregations, and persons, without any "letters patent or Royal mandate or licence," which have heretofore been necessary, and therefore, instead of maintaining, rather tends to sever the connexion between the United Church of England and Ireland in the United Kingdon and the body of Christians in Victoria professing to be members of that Church,
(3.) It interferes with the Act of the Legislature of Victoria, 18th Victoria, No. 45, which recognises the existence of "the United Church of England and Ireland in Victoria," and contemplates its supervision by a succession of bishops of that Church.
2. That, in the opinion of this Assembly, any Imperial legislation calculated to loosen the connexion between the United Church of England and Ireland and the body of Christians in Victoria professing to belong to that Church would be highly injurious.
3. That, in the opinion of this Assembly, the principal points to be kept in view towards maintaining such conuexion are-
I. The preservation of the Church in this Colony as an integral portion of the United Church of
England and Ireland, although not connected with the State as an Established Church.
II. The appointment of bishops to the United Church of England and Ireland in Victoria according
to a uniform rule, so as to avoid the danger of several individuals claiming simultaneously to be bishops of the same diocese.
JII. An appeal in all ecclesiastical causes to the Supreme Ecclesiastical Tribunal of the United
Church of England and Ireland.
That there were in the year 1865 in the Colony of Victoria 128 churches, and 188 other places of worship connected with the United Church of England and Ireland in Victoria, and 110 clergymen officiating in the diocese of Melbourne under licence from the Bishop thereof; and in the same year more than 47,000!, was contributed towards the maintenance of the Church under the three heads of "private contributions," "pew rents," and "offertory collections," in addition to which large sums have been contributed from time to time by private individuals towards the endowment of the Bishopsic and other ecclesiastical objects.
That the members of the United Church of England and Ireland in Victoria have in time past contributed large sums for the building of churches, parsonages, and schools, the property in which is vested in trustees, under puthority of Colonial legislation, for the purposes of the said Church as now constituted.
That after Your Majesty's assent had been given to the Act 18th Victoria, No. 45, the Colonial enactment, 25th Victoria, No. 157, was passed in the year 1862, under which Act certain lands were vested “in the Bishop of Melbourne and his successors, in trust for the United Church of England and F 4
Each 2. in No. 43.
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