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Leader (1850-1860), 19th February 1853, Edition 1 of 1, Page 176, Untitled Article

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      vindicating themselves from Mr . Lucas ' s keen syllogism . Granted that Mr . Lucas did not meet the real question —that he did not prove England to be without sympathy for Roman Catholic martyrs ; hut what a triumph in debate to have made himself the legitimate hero of it . Lord John , smiling softly at Mr . Lucas's oratory—and it is creditable to Lord John that he never misses a chance of encouraging rising new men , and that on this occasion he called the Tablet ' s "leader " " very able "—was evidently as perplexed as Wurmser , when young Napoleon left off defence and attacked ; " the fellow" was a fool , but then the audacity was a

      hit—the Wurmser had at once to change his tactics and play just the opposite game he had arranged for himself . In point of fact , Lord John , with all his vague declarations of indiscriminate liberalism , was vexed , showed his vexation in a curt , dry manner , and made a speech by no means such as the House had expected , and such as would suit the occasion , even supposing Mr . Lucas had not carried war into the Exeterhall camp . Was it not preposterous to have Lord John vindicating Whig foreign policy while Lord Palmerston was in the House , in office , sitting exactly behind the speaker ? It was as if Charles Kean

      were to offer the part of Macduff to Macready I You could not help , while you listened , feeling the incongruity of the arrangement ; and very likely Lord Palmerston felt it most keenly of all , though Lord John went out of his way to compliment " my noble friend" ( whom he had nevertheless turned out ) upon his foreign policy—in what ? In speaking in favour of the Roman Catholic Relief Bill ! But Lord Palmerston would not be bottle-holder to Lord John ; he would have his say , and did ; and the House ( then full again ) roared with laughter and delight , and voted that Lucas was a clever fellow , but that Palmerston was the cleverer , and that the Tablet had been demolishederased . Lord Palmerston ; s so popular with members ,

      and has such a knack of showing up individualities ; and his clever , telling speeches , which only answer and never propose , are always received with acclamation , even by the men who know the thorough sham of Palmerstonian intervening liberalism . But on Thursday he was only answering Mr . Lucas ; and assuredly it was as ludicrous as the viscount proved it , to represent Lord Palmerston as caring one curse about Protestantism as opposed to Catholicism . " The idea I" was the tone of the reply ; and the gay , lively , easy , and free , ever juvenile Whig , got precisely the laugh he had bid for from that intensely proper and Protestant House . Mr . Lucas chose the wrong Whig in holding up Palmerston as the religious zealot ! As he so humorously looked—but so periphrastically observed —the idea ! " A Stranger . " Saturday Morning .

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      MEETING OF CONVOCATIONTliE two houses of the Clerical Parliament have agnin met , and transacted business , at least one of them . But by far the most important part of their proceedings , at least as regards future success , was the presentation of the Address to the Queen . The two Houses met soon after ten ; the Upper in the Bounty Office . The first proceeding was the presentation of a report , read by the Bishop of London , which had been prepared by the committee appointed to consider the question of discipline among the clergy . It was ordered to lie on the table ; and afterwards to bo printed . This report points out the unsatisfactory state of the law , especially as regards expanse and delays attending prosecutions for schism , blasphemy , smd heresy ; and suggesting a new Court of Appeal in such cases —• namely , the Queen in Chancery , with power to refer the ease to the Court of tho Archbishop mid certain judges . The right of the colonial bishops to Hit , in Convocation , or rather the competence of Convocation to decide on that right was discussed . The Bishop of Cape-Town petitioned tho Upper House . He said ho hud not been cited , and prayed to bo permitted to nit , either with or without a citation . The Vicar General , to whom , at tho last Hitting tlie matter had been referred ,

      stated that , in his opinion , tho Itishop hud no right to sit an a Hufliiigan of tho noo of Canterbury . It was argued by the Bishops of Oxford and Salisbury that the House had power to decide the question ; anil by tho Bishops of JKxeter and London that it had not . The discussion was intorrupfwl by the deputation to the Queen ; but , after that event , tho Ilouso anno to a decision . A good deul of discussion wan expended on the exact , form of resolution which would meet the case . Tho lirnt , resolution simply asserted that the Bishop nh'iul < l establish his cluiin to he cited in a court of law before tho House could net . Then \\ w Bishop of Exeter moved , That this Mouse having taken into its conudurution tho petition of Hoborfc Lord Bishop of Capetown , doe » not deem v-v ] t competent to mftk © < wiy

      order in the matter to which the pntyer of the petition refers . " But this was going too far in the other direction . It was held that the former implied that the House might deal with the question at a future time ; while the latter implied that the House never had or would have the power of dealing with it . In this dilemma * a second amendment was devised and carried unanimously . It was as follows : — " That . this house having taken into consideration the petition of Eobert Lord Bishop of Capetown , does not feel itself competent to entertain the prayer of the said petition , namely , either to direct a proper citation to be issued to such petitioner , or that he be allowed without such citation to take his place as a suffragan bishop in the present convocation . "

      But the House did more substantial business than this . A great deal of discussion arose on the resolution offered by the Bishop of Exeter that a committee be appointed to inquire into precedents with regard to the voting of unbeneficed curates at elections . This committee was considered to be illegal , and the Bishop of Winchester moved , as an amendment , that the inquiry be remitted to the Vicar General . On a division , the amendment was lost by 6 to 5 , and the committee appointed accordingly ; but the Archbishop declined to associate any members of the Lower House on the committee .

      Subsequently some discussion took place on a petition of a clergyman at Bristol , complaining of the law which compelled clergymen to marry persons on a registrar ' s certificate ; but no action was taken . The Bishop of Oxford observed , that at the last adjournment a question which was strictly and purely legal arose , as to whether or not the prerogative of the Archbishop enabled him to determine upon a prorogation with or without the consent of his suffragans . Several of the bishops had felt it their duty on that occasion to enter a protest against the Archbishop's

      proroguing without the assent of his suffragan bishops . He ( the Bishop of Oxford ) was one of those who did not admit the right claimed by the President , but it was very unpleasant to him to protest against his Grace ' s power , and he wished to ask whether it might not be possible to avoid the necessity of such a course , and to accomplish an adjournment without either the appearance of any dissent or any alteration of the legal right . He would suggest whether this might not be done by one of the suffragan bishops moving an adjournment , which the President might take as a motion and allow to be carried .

      The Archbishop said he was not prepared to surrender what he believed to be a right which he had received from his predecessors . The Bishop of Oxford would move that his Grace be requested now to sign the schedule , so as to leave matters as they wer \) before . The Archbishop . —I think the best way will be to let matters stand as they are . After some observations with reference to the

      prorogation from the Bishop of Salisbury , the Bishop of Oxford handed in the following protest : — " We , tho undersigned , pray your Grace to cause your registrar to enter on tho records of tho Convocation our humble protest and declaration that , while wo willingly assent to your Grace ' s prorogation of this session of Convocation , wo do not assent to any claim on behalf of tho Archbishop to resolve on proroguing this synod sine consensufra trum . "

      The protest was signed by tho Bishops of Oxford , Exeter , Salisbury , mid Chichcster . Tho Lower Ilouso had all day lon g been discussing its own powers with respect to the right of n committee to sit during tho recess . A committee had been appointed ; tho Archbishop had never sanctioned it , ho it had never sat . In tho midst of their discussion , they were summoned to hear tho fatal sentence of " immediate" prorogation ; ami so parted witli their business left unfinished . Both Houses stand prorogued until the 18 th of August .

      Tho reception of Convocation by Queen Victoria was a striking proceeding . On arriving : it Buckingham l ' alaee , the dignitaries formed in due order and procession .. Tho Queen was surrounded by all tho state of her court . The members of the Convocation enieredin the following order : — Tho Archbishop of Canterbury ; the Chaplain to his Grace ; the Vicar-General ; the Registrar ; the Apparitor-General ; the Bishops of London , Winchester , Salisbury , ( Word , Chiohenter , Llandaft ' , Peterborough , and Worcester .

      The Rev . Dr . ' IVncook , Dean of Ely , Prolocutor ; and a numerous body of members of the Convocation , ineluding tho Rev . Dr . Wilson , Arehdeueon Harrison , Arohdmoon Hale , Rev . Dr . Russell , Lord Saye and Sele , Dr . WonlmvoHh , the Dean of Worcester , tho Denn of Norwich , the Dean of JJrintol , Rov . Mr . Majendle , Rev . J ) r . Spry , tho Dean of Winchester , Archdeacon Penfeon , fclio Archdeacon of Jfyth ,

      The Archbishop of Canterbury having advanced near the Queen , read the address , and kneeling , presented it to Her Majesty . The Queen returned the following most gracious answer : — " I receive with , cordial satisfaction the assurances of your loyal and affectionate attachment to my Throne and person . - " " It is my earnest desire to promote the welfare and happiness of all classes of my subjects by continuing to them the blessings of peace abroad , and by assisting to extend at home the holy influence of religion , which is the only sure foundation on which national prosperity can permanently

      rest . " I thank you for the sympathy which you have expressed in my sorrow for the recent loss of the most distinguished of my subjects , and I appreciate the value which you attach to that high sense of duty by which he was invariably inspired . " I rely with confidence on your assurances of your desire to preserve harmony in the Church , and increase its efficiency while maintaining its doctrines and my supremacy unimpaired , and I pray that the blessing of God may attend your endeavours to extend widely throughout aU classes of my peop le the inestimable benefit of pure and deeply felt religion . " Both Houses then retired .

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      LETTERS PROM PARIS . [ From our own Correspondent . " !* Letteb LX . Paris , February 15 , 1853 . Yesterday ( Monday ) Bonaparte opened the session ^ of the Legislative Corps , in person , at the Tuileries , with the following Speech : — " Senators and Deputies , —A year since I called you together in this place to inaugurate the Constitution , promulgated in . virtue of the powers which the people had conferred on me , Since that period tranquillity ha 8 not been disturbed ; and the law , in resuming its empire , has allowed the return to their homes of the majority of the

      men who were made the subjects of necessary severity . The riches of the nation have reached to such a point that the portion of it which is vested in moveable property , tlie value of which can be estimated , has been , augmented about two milliards . The activity of labour has been developed in every branch ' of industry . The same progress is being realized in Africa , where our army has just distinguished itself by heroic successes . The form of the Government has been legally changed , and without any shock , by the free suffrage of the people . Great works have been undertaken without the creation of any new tax , and without a loan . Peace has been maintained without weakness . All the Powers have recognised the new Government . France has now institutions which may defend themselves , and the stability of which do not depend on the life of a man .

      " These results have not cost any great efforts , because they were in the minds and for the interest of all . To those who would deny their importance , I would reply that scarcely fourteen months ago France was delivered up io the hazards of anarchy . To those who may regret that a wider field has not leen given to liberty , I would reply that liberty has never aided in founding a durable political edifice ; it is merely the crowning-point of the edifice when consolidated by time . Let us , besides , not forget that if the immense majority of tho country has confidence in the present and faith in tho future , there still remain incorrigible individuals , who , forgetful of their own experience , oftheir past terrors , and of their disappointments , obstinately persist in paving no attention to

      the national will , deny impudently tho reality of facts , and , in tho midst of a sea which every day becomes moro and more tranquil , call for tempests in which they would be the first to be swallowed up . Theso occult proceedings of the different parties servo no purpose but to show their weakness ; and tho Government , instead of being disturbed at thorn , only thinks of governing Franco and tranquillizing Europe . For this twofold object it is ( irmly determined to diminish tho expenses and tho armaments of tho country , to devoto to useful purposes all its resources , and to keep up with good faith the international relations , in order to prove to tho memt incredulous that when Franco expresses her formal intent ion to remain at poaeo she may be believed , for sho in strong enough not to deceive uny

      ono . " You will soo , gentlemen , by tho budget which will bo presented to you , that our financial position Iihh never boon better for ( ho last twenty years , and that tlie public rovomio has increased beyond all provision . . Nevertheless , tho ell ' ectivo of tho army , already lessoned by IIO . OIM ) men in the course of the last jour , in about to bo immediately reduced by y (> , ( K )() moro . " Tho majority of tho uicaMiircs which will l > o presented to you will not go hoyond tho circle ! of necessary exigencies , and that is tho most favourable indication of our Hituution . People arc happy when ( lovernmonU do not , ( iml it necessary to resort to extraordinary measures .

      " Lot hn therefore ( bank Providence for tho visible protection which it Iuih accorded to our effort h ; lot , iih pornovero in this course of iirnnieiHH and moderation , which roiiMHurc . s without irritating , which load * to good without violence , and ko prevents all reaction . Lot , im always reckon on ( Jod ami on ournHven , as well as on tlio nmtutil support , which wo owo to ourselves ; and lot , uh bo proud to seo in no short a time this great country pacified , prosperous at homo , and honoured abroad , "

      Never was any Itoyul Speech , never was nny President ' s McKsage , more tsolmr In expression , more roKorved in form . It imlinttcM tliwf ; the tmrukcr bntv enough on hia hnn < ln nnd to spnre , t » id U scarcely < lis » ouocl to launch jufco . any now advoUturoH , To wltifllwo tllto

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      176 THE LEADER . [ Satukpa ^

  • Citation
    • Leader (1850-1860), Feb. 19, 1853, page 176, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse-os.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct1974/page/8/