CO885-(2-3) — Page 82

CONFIDENTIAL.

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PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

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C.O.,

Reference :-

on behalf of which he pleads, would not gladly see granted to any other religious denomination.. That the Bill is the result of a long and careful delibera- tion by the members of a Conference of the clergy and laity of the Church of England in Victoria, convened by your memorialist for the express pur- pose, and that the provisions of such Bill have received the almost unanimous concurrence of the laity as well as of the clergy within the Colony. That, consequently, the disallowance of such Bill, should it unhappily be disallowed (which your memorialist prays the Almighty it may not), in addition to the great inconvenience and prejudice necessarily consequent thereon, will very greatly discourage and depress the hearts of those Her Majesty's faithful subjects and fellow members of the Church of England within the Colony, who would fain look up to Her Majesty as the great friend and nursing-mother, as well as the carthly head and governor of their common and most holy

Church.

And your Memorialist, &c.,

C. MELBOURNE.

London, December, 12, 1855.

I HAVE thought it well to reprint the Bill of the Session of 1854, which bears a close resemblance to the one prepared by Mr. Merivale, and which failed

in the House of Commons. Mr. Merivale's plan only differs from this one in subjoining a clause preserving the powers of the Colonial Legislatures.

(Signed) H. LABOUCHERE.

Colonial Office,

December 26, 1855.

· 885

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PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC- COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO

A Bill to relieve the Clergy of the United Church of England and Ireland resident in the Colonies from any Disability as to the holding of Meetings in such Colonies for the Regulation of Ecclesiastical Affairs therein.

Whereas by reason of the laws, statutes, and ordinances which affect or bind the Bishops and clergy of the United Church of England and Ireland, → doubts may exist whether the Bishops and clergy of the said Church resident and performing spiritual duties in the Colonial Possessions of Her Majesty can lawfully hold or be present at meetings of the Bishops, clergy, and lay persons professing to be members of the said Church in any Colony, for the purpose of agreeing on rules and regulations touch- ing ecclesiastical affairs; and it is expedient that uch Bishops and clergy should be relieved from any such disability: Be it declared and enacted by the Queen's most Excellent Majesty, by and with

[347]

Preamble.

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the advice and consent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons, in this present. Parlia- ment assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:

I. No statute, law, rule, usage, or other authority Indemnity to the of the United Kingdom shall extend or be con- Clergy attending

Meetings for regit- strued to prevent the Metropolitan of any province lating Ecclesiastical or the Bishop of any diocese in the Colonies of Her Affairs,

Majesty, together with his clergy, and the lay persons of such province or diocese, being members of the United Church of England and Ireland, from meeting together from time to time for the purpose at such meetings of making or entering into any such regulations. agreements, or arrangements as local circumstances shall in their judgment render necessary for the management or conduct of eccle- siastical affairs within such province or diocese: Provided always that such meetings, or the regula2 tions,' agreements, or arrangements that may be made thereat, shall not obtain any force or authority from the enactments hereby made.