" The fixed resources of the clergy," says the author of " Commen-
taries on Ireland,*' " are abundantly sufficient for the church without
either tithes or church rates. 'According to a return made to parliament on
the 30th of March, 1830, the lands held by the several bishops (except-
ing the bishop's of Down, Raphoe, and Dromore) amount to 489,141 Irish
acres ; and adding to that quantity, for the three bishops, who have not
made returns of their lands, 30,000 acres (being less than the quantity of lands
annexed to three sees certified to be of equal value), and 82,645 acres
(being the amount of glebe lands returned), the church appears to possess
602,645 acres. Valuing the land, on an average, at £1 an acre [per an-
num], which is making an ample allowance for wastes, the rents would
be more than sufficient to provide incomes for the bishops and clergy on
the following scale: — 4 archbishops, £4,000 each; 18 bishops, £3,000
»Qcli : 1,200 beneficed clergymen, on average, £300 each ; 670 curates,
[the number returned in 1828) £l.% each.*'

The number of the Catholic clergy was stated, in 1821, at 1,994,

rheir support is derived from voluntary contributions, and from fees ; and

heir provision is truly surprising, considering the poverty of the people,

tDd how much is drawn from them in rent by the landlords, and in tithes.
or the support of the Protestant clergy. The average stipend of a priest

ogether with his curate, is stated at £150 per annum. Bishop Doyle

tated his own income to be generally between £450 and £500 a year,

nti that many other bishops' received more..
