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    planatory note did impose upon the Bishop of Bath and Wells the obligation of examining Mr . Bennett ; and this lie had done to his satisfaction upon " all the points . " As to the motion for inquiry , he said—If we have inquiry , we ought to have an inquiry into the state and spirit of the enactments of our law ( hear , hear ) , which at the present moment are studiously framed ; by successive acts of successive generations , to . discourage bishops- —to render it almost impossible for bishops to do that which you find fault with the Bishop of Bath and Wells for not doing . ( Cheers . ) If you . " like to inquire into that subject , I shall have no objection . I am not sure that bishoprics should not be included in the inquiry , where the facilities of objection are less . ( Hear , hear . ) If any gentleman will move for that inquiry in an impartial

    spirit , and investigate the state of the law , and bring the inquiry to a conclusion , he will confer one of the greatest services imaginable on this country , and greatly contribute to the stability of the Church of England . ( Hear , hear . ) I admit there is not sufficient scope to parishioners having canonical objections to pastors placed over them . ( Opposition cheers , ) I do not want to open the door to vexatious objections . I think we ought resolutely to set bur faces against them ! but so far as canonical objections are concerned , they ought not to be left to be thrown in the lap of the bishop , and to be maintained on his responsibility . ( Hear . )

    Sir J . Pakxntgton joined with the right honourable gentleman in deploring the unfortunate dissensions by which the Church ' . of England was at present torndissensions which he was compelled to ascribe principally to that party amongst the clergy which had taken the same line as Mr . Bennett ; a line which had led to the most serious doubts as to whether the clergy inen who took it were really and sincerely ministers of the Chureh of England . Looking to the unhappy results which had taken place in our own Church , he could not but look upon it as a very great misfortune that any patron should have given a living of such importance as Frome to a person so situated as Mr . Bennett . On

    a former occasion he expressed an opinion that , the subject being once mooted , an inquiry must take place ; and from that opinion he had no intention of now receding . It seemed to him that the matters alleged regarding Mr . Bennett ' s conduct , especially at Kissingen , formed just ground for an inquiry by Mr . Bennett ' s diocesan . He could hardly believe it possible that the Bishop of Bath and Wells had not already instituted such an inquiry , but if not , he could not doubt that it would speedily be instituted . He could not , however , consent to make the judicial conduct of a bishop the subject of inquiry before a committee of the House of Commons .

    Sir W . P . "Wood supported the legal view taken by Mr . Gladstone . Several members supported the motion for inquiry . The Chancexlor of the Exchequer thought it had been sufficiently shown , that there was no ground for casting any censure on the conduct followed by the Bishop of Bath and Wells , who probably would have subjected himself to very serious legal consequences had ho hesitated to grant institution to Mr . Bennett . The appointment of a committee could lead to no practical good , but the state of our ecclesiastical law was such as must engago , at an early day , the most serious consideration of the Government . Ho trusted the motion would not be pressed to a division ; but if it were , ho should feel bound to oppose it .

    The members of the Government who spoke pleaded to be let off from a division , deprecated an inquiry , and promised that they would consider ecclesiastical law roforin ; but in vain . At length Mr . Goulbttbn caino to their aid . Ho thought that what was required was , not an inquiry into the particular case , b ut an inquiry into the law , and he would propose , as an amendment , that the inquiry be directed to the state of the law affecting the institution of clerks to benefices in the Church of England . Mr . IIoesman replied , and the House divided , when there appeared—For the amendment , 111 ; against it , 156 ; Minority against , 45 .

    It was very lato indeed , and Mr . Hhothekton succeeded for once in putting a nightcap on tho House . They adjourned at half-past ono . But , with this triumphant division list , Mi * . Horsman s success has stopped . On Thursday , he proceeded to nominate . a committee . Ho proposed—Mr . Horsman , Mr . Secretary WalpoTe , Sir Duvid Dundiw , Mr . Gladstone , Mr . Sjtrutt , Hir William Pugo Wood , Sir

    Benjamin Hall , Mr . Solicit or-General , \ Mr . Abel Smith , Mr . ' Loffcus Wigram , Mr . Evans , Mr . Paeko , 'Mr . Lnng-Hton , Mi-. Nowdogttfce , and Mr . Sliafto Adair . Bub great was his Hurpriuo and vexation , when ho found that Sir William Pug © Wood , Mr . Gladstone , Mr . Pucko , and Mr . Wigram , would not nerve . Mr . Wnlpolc , on the part of tho Govornmoni ; , said ho had done hiH bonk , and could < lo no inoro , to prevail on tho

    gonlleinon who declined . , Mr , Gr , A » B'i . 'OWB said notlifoig short of im order of tho HouHo should nmko him Hcrvc on thia committee

    and it was his intention ,. in conformity with abundance of precedents , immediately after the nomination of the committee to propose—" That the hon . member for Cockermoutb . do reduce into heads or articles the charges which , he has made in his place against Richard Lord Bishop of Bath and Wells , and do present the said heads or articles to this House / ' ( Cheers . ) Mr ; Ee&jcb thought that , under these circumstances , the nomination of the committee could not be gone on with . Mr . Sidney Heebebt said the charges had been brought , the bishop had been arraigned , and , in justice to the man so arraigned , he called on them not to shuffle out of those accusations . Sir Benjamin Hall had no intention to shuffle .

    Mr . DiseaeI / I attempted to conciliate all parties . He thought the resolution to appoint the committee was a " great mistake ; " but now the committee must be gone on with . But he recommended that the construction of the committee should be so altered , as to turn the inquiry from the conduct of the Bishop of Bath and Wells , to the existing state of the law . In this state of perplexit y ^ upon the motion of Colonel Knox , the House adjourned .

    LORD BIANDFOED S CHUECH BILL . Lord Blandfoed moved the second reading of his Bill , on Episcopal and Capitular Revenues , on Wednesday . He was met by Mr . Waxpoxe , who recommended him to leave the matter in the hands of the Government ; but , pressed by Sir Bbook Bbidgkes to state the specific intentions of Ministers , he entered more fully into the question . There were , he said , four essential points comprised in the bill—first , the abolition of deaneries ; second , the further reduction of canonries : third , an addition to the episcopate ; fourth ,

    a provision for the better management of episcopal and capitular revenues . For the first he saw no reason . With regard to the second , he thought it was extremely doubtful whether the number of canonries could be materially reduced . Parliament had already suppressed sinecures , _ and had thence obtained a fund for the augmentation of poor livings . If by this or other means a further fund could be raised whereby the third object might be carried out , he thought it would be very desirable , the episcopate not having

    increasedswith the numbers of the population and of the clergy . With respect to the last point , the manages ment of capitular and episcopal property , two principleshould be kept in view—to relieve the high officers of the Church as much ps possible from the cares and troubles of temporal affairs , and , at the same time , not to make them mere stipendiaries of the State . The spirit in which the Government would look at this question was , to see whether these great institutions could not be restored more fully to the high and holy purposes for which they were founded and endowed .

    A discussion followed , in which a variety of ecclesiastical topics were touched upon ; but , finally yielding to the generally expressed wish of the House , Lord Blandford closed with the Government offer , and withdrew the bill .

    MAYNOOTH . Another discussion of four hours has been wasted on this absurd motion on Tuesday morning . There were only four speakers—Mr . Fkesicfiei / d , Mr . Henky Herbert , Sir William Verner , and Mr . Vincent Scully , who spoke for three hours , that is , from ono until four o ' clock , the hour of adjourning morning sittings . It was observed that no member of tho Government was present . Tho motion is not yet , therofore , disposed of , and hangs over tho House , to come on again in regular course , or not , as the case may be .

    NEW ZEALAND CONSTITUTION . Tho House wont into Committee on tho New Zealand Government Bill on Thursday night . It will be remembered that last week the bill had paused through Committee as far as tho 74 th clause . On this clause , which purported to enact that upon all sales or alionutions of waste lands 5 s . per acre shall bo paid to tho Now Zealand Company until their debt' is discharged , Sir W . MoiiEBWOBTit moved to substitute another

    onjictment , to tho effect that nothing in the act , or in any future act or local law , ahull , affect ho much of tho 10 th and 11 th of Victoria , c . 112 , as relates to tho debt in question , thereby charged upon the proceeds of sales of demesne lands of tho Crown in tho colony ; in other words , that thoro should bo no alteration in thin matter . In the course of his Hpucch , Sir Willinm onterod vory fully into tho conduct of tho Now Zealand Company , winch , ho contondod , entitled them to nothing beyond their strict legal right under tho act of

    181 . 7 . Mr . AdXTONBY , at somo length , defended tho proceedings of tho Company . Sir . T . Pa kin ( Won , after hearing both Bides , thought that tho quoHtion did not boar Hufltoiently upon the bill to call for n decision of tho llouso upon it , or to justify the * ]> roponul of Sir W .

    Molesworth , which would not be ftur towards the Com pany . After considerable discussion , in which Mr v Smith , Mr . F . Pee ± ,, Mr . Mango . es , Mr . Gladstone and Mr . J . A . Smith , took part , the amendment was negatived . Sir J . Pakington moved to substitute in the sam clause for 5 * . an acre , " one-fourth of the sum paid b ° the purchaser in respect of every such sale or alieniu tion . " Sir W . Moleswobth objected that this . waa too favourable to the Company , and proposed that they should have only one-tenth of the purchase-money The amendment of Sir J . Pakington was , however ' agreed to . . '

    Mr . Gi < adstone moved to add the words , *? but so that the said payment shall in no case exceed 5 * . pe ? acre so sold or alienated . " This propositiott was negatived upon a division , by 3 L 20 to 51 . Sir J . Pakington moved to substitute for clause 4 , providing for the appointment of superintendents , a new / clause , enacting that persons qualified in each province to elect members for the Provincial Councils shall , before the election of members , elect a superintendent subject to the disallowance of the Governor within three months after the election . This clause was agreed to , and the bill was reported to the House .

    HALIFAX AND QUEBEC EAILWAY . Earl Geey moved for copies / of the correspondence on the subject of this railway . Some years ago , when ! Lord Berby was Secretary of State for the colonies , he had received an application from the North American colonies respecting the construction of such a railway as that now under consideration . With that view , he had caused certain officers to explore the Country ^ . Their report came to him ( Earl Grey ) in 1848 ; and in 1849 the Earl of Elgin , the Governor of Canada , sent over a resolution of the Executive Council of that province , proposing certain very liberal terms for the

    execution , of the work , in which , he had no doubt that Nova Scotia and New Brunswick would have concurred . But as the scheme involved a large expenditure by this country it was not considered advisable to adopt it at that time . In the autumn of last year , Mr . Howe brought over , on behalf of Nova Scotia , a proposal for a loan of 800 , 000 / ., to be raised by that colony , with the guarantee of this country , which would ena ble the colony to obtain the money at a lower rate of interest by 2 £ per cent . This proposal was acceded to by the Government , and in March of last year a notification was made to Lord Elgin and the Governors of Nova Scot ia and New Brunswick , providing that the expense should be divided among the three colonies . At the same time , it was made a condition that the line should nass entirelv through the British provinces ,

    and that any deviation from Major Robinson ' s projected line should be submitted to the Government . Various communications had since taken place , and _ a few days before his retirement from office he had been informed by a communication from tho colonial authorities that they had agreed upon the division of the expense among themselves , but that they required a different line from that proposed by Major Robinson . He was also informed that a deputation , consisting of Messrs . Hincks , Chandler , and H owe , was coming over to communicate with tho Government respecting tho matter . He had replied that the Gove * " ment waa quite prepared to consider the proposal as then made , and ho had had sanguine hopes that the arrivalI ot this deputation would have led to an arrangement ; Dut ho had been disappointed . _ , 1 'V Jl ^ iU f ^ VW *» VHUHIf / WW * J- *> -Vn- " _ j * Earl

    The Earl of Derby vaguely said that Crrey s remarks involved two distinct charges , that tho ^ substance of the negotiation had been broken off , ' and next , as to the " manner" of that breaking off . He began with the latter . Referring to tho letter of Mr . Hincks ( noticed in the last Leader ) , in which ho complained of delay , Lord JJeruy stated that Mr . Hineks had arrived in this country on we 15 th or 10 th of March , and had had frequent intorviewa with tho Colonial Secretary , but that Mr . Chandler duinou arrive till about tho 15 th of April . Lord Derby had an interview with Mr . Hincks and Mr . Chandler on the * wa of April , when " it waa for the first time ^^ V aJ ! tho tkroo pwineoB had agreed among thomadv * as tuon

    oonutruction of tho railway , " ana no ur »« » - — " to . tho colonies had decided on a lino deviating very -u . riallyfrom that first proposed . Tho lino ™? Jf ^ Zn was such , that for all practical pu rposes , it " »/?™ " * havo boon in tho U nited States ' territory . - fcl 0 >! . which Srisod at the lottor which appeared in tho P ? P 01 V . " ^ j . Ir . HiiiokB , writing twonty-fbur hours after tnw * view , complained oF delay / Lord Porbv then read omo pasnagoB from Mr . Hinckn' lottor , pubhsWl at that u ^ and complained of tho unreasonableness of that gonu ^ ^ in oxpocting an answer upon this question in s' ] lcd period . His lordship wont on to ntato that *^ Mn a Cabinet on tho 8 th of May , at winch tho V »*?™ ho fully distmsaod ; and it wan decided , that it w "" " ^ nt for tho advantage of thin country that tho ** ow ^ rtinuld aceedn to tho nronosition of tho colonies arisen

    main advantages which woujd havo » , i () original Hohomo had boon lost . This decision w ^ first instance , communicated to tho ff ° If rnorB Q ,. JLpcclflil Hpcclivo colonioH , whioliho thought was tbo mW ? mfa t ook courso , and subBoquontly to tho A ^ ntion . * din , place about ; tlio middle of tho month ( tho 20 Hi , aa ^ to Mr J . Fakmqton . ) In tho meantime , n » ou « ^ of May , in anpw ' or to an application ftom !* " ,: , / Of tho Bought to combino an mnigpration BJhonwW " do ubted proposod railway , hifl lordship nVphed , tniw i lJo be . whotlMW iho noffotiotion would load to any roimn ' QhanAiot lioved that it w \ b through thw wodium that 4 "i-

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• Citation
  • Leader (1850-1860), June 12, 1852, page 552, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse-os.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct1939/page/4/