The Express.
London, England, 1847-12-31 00:00:00

THE BISHOP OF SALISBURY.

The Bishop of Salisbury has pablished the follow-
ing letter to the editor of the Glob*:
Palace, Salisbury, Dec. 29, 1847.—Sir,—My attention has
been directed toe paragraph in your paper of the 27th inst.
relating to myself, and asking for explanations of a supposed
Inconsistency in my conduct with regard to Dr. Hampden in
1836, and at the present time. I am far from making any
complaint of the manner in which my name is referred to ;
and, indeed, I feel that I am obliged to you for the oppor-
tunity you thus offer me of explaining what appears from
your statement, to have been the subject of unfavourable re-
mark.
The purport of the charge which I understand to bo made
against me is, that I, being now what you are pleased to call
si one of the remonstrant bishops," did, as Fellow of Merton
College, Oxford, take as active part, in 1836, in defending Dr.
Hampden. My answer to this is a simple denial of the alleged
tact I took no part whatever in defending Dr. Hampden
in 1836. Neither in writing nor by word did I engage in
any, the least, degree in the controversy then carried on. I
regarded the appointment of Dr. Hampden as Regius Pro-
fessor at that time as a most ill-advised and unhappy one—
for I was well aware of the disturbance) it would occasion In
the University and the church. As soon as I heard of it, I
expressed myself to this effect to the person who communi-
cated it to me; and whenever else I spoke respecting it, it
was in the same sense. Had there been the opportunity of
joining in any representation to prevent such an appoint-
' meat from being made, I would willingly have done so : nor
did I ever express the slightest approval of the opinions 'earl-
Ibuted to Dr. Hampden, which were at that time the subject
of debate, and to which, it was well known to all who were
acquainted with me, that my sentiments were entirely op-
But it is true that, after the appointment was made,
I could not approve either of the spirit in which much
of the agitation on the subject appeared to be carried
on, or of the manner in which it was proposed by the ma-
jority of the university to mark their disapproval of the
appointment. Many of the attacks upon Dr. Hampden ap-
peared to me to be wanting in fairneu ; and I saw that the
decision would be made, in some manner at least, under the
influence of feelings partaking more of the character of po-
pular excitement than of judicial calmness. I could not,
therefore, take any part in such proceedings, but stood al-
together aloof from all previous discussion, and contented
myself, when the statute was proposed, with giving a silent
WO against it. lam not aware that there is any Moon-
eheemey between the part I then took and my conduct on
siss_pressut occasion.
Ths experience we had of the manner in which the peace
of the church was disturbed by the appointment of Dr.
Hampden to the Regius Professorship, gave reason to appre-
hend that a similar result would follow from his nomination
to the episcopate ; and we had further reason to know with
certainty that such would be the case. I, therefore, thought
it my duty to joie with the majority of my right rev. bre-
thren in that representation to the noble lord at the head of
her Majesty's government, which is the occasion of your
remark. I must beg to be allowed to direct your attention
to the real object and purport of that representation. It was
notintended, as it has been described, as a hostile protest, or as
part of a system of agitation. But it was expressly designed to
be a private and friendly representation to the prime =miter of
dangers which we saw reason to apprehend, end of which
we were disposed to believe that he was not equally aware,
We did not assume the justice of the imputations against Dr.
Hampden; for this would have been prejudging what
might thereafter be the subject of judicial inquiry; but
we deemed the fact of the existence of such charges, Lad the
prevalence of the belief in them amongst the members of the
church, matter unfitted to be submitted to the consideration
of a minister responsible for the exercise of the most delicate
of the functions of the royal prerogative, with reference to a
proposed appointment, known to us only by publie =-
moue, and with respect to which we hoped that it
might still not be too late either for other
manta to be made, or for satisfaction to be obtalnedarr:re
points which caused anus:ince& The event - has

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