The Express.
London, England, 1856-05-31 00:00:00

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LONDON, SATURDAY, MAY 31.

•
*T the present moment the sod important &mese
el the empire, the diocese of London, is suffering
seder an episcopal eclipse. If ever there was a
Bishop whose irritable and incessant activity pervaded
every portion of hie spiritual dominions, it was cer-
tainly Cesium JaN35 of Ixor4Do3. It is a matter, no
doubt, of great regret that this estimable prelate is
disabled by incapacitating infirmity ; but if there be
any truth in Episcopal theory, it is a matter of some•
thing more than regret. A great diocese is practically
anbishoped. The metropolis and its border districts
are in a state of prelatical destitution. It is a ease
of urgency—a ease of extreme spiritual need. It is
the case of a passenger ship without a surgeon—a
court without a judge—a sure of mule without an
incumbent. Moved by this alarming state of things,
Lord BLANDFORD asked Lord PALUZLITOIt, Kt long
ago aa Friday week, whether there was any intention,
in any quarter, that anything should be done. Could
Buffragu Bishops be appointed—meld that long dor-
mant datute the 26th HENRY VIII. be roused
up from its sleep of three centuries P The answer et
the oracle was Delphic in its solemn ambiguity. "The
matter was one of great difileulty. The sebjest (a
subject which ever since Euratom's days bas hew
on and off in comes of dimension) was under thedeli
beration of her MAJUTT'S Ministers." This 'adieus
" deliberation • of Ministers is playing the game of a
subtle adversary. It is curious to remark how the
demand for more Bishops, originally raised by the
High Churchmen, is urgently pressed by them when-
ever a Ministry of their own inclining is in office,
and hushed as soon as a decidedly Liberal Minister
I. in power. Hence they have kept quiet on the
Epiecepets question in the hope that Lord PAINED,-
area's Ministry would be speedily turned eat.
They do not want young sad hale Bishops, is Ise
of old and infirm, unless the new are to be d
their own party. And they are powerfel fin
obstruction through the organisation d the Us.
don Church Union, in the councils of Alb Idled
Bishop of OMIORD reigns paramessat The Blab"
Oi OXFORD is anxious to throw sew iNvellibeset he
can in the way of placing episcopal appilants at
reedit in the hands of the Crowe. Bedies• by pre.
venting lay legislation during the present session, he
expects to repeat his anneal faros of submitting the
question to Convocation before it is discussed in Par-
liament. "The woman who deliberates is heti" and
the liberal Pautaa who merely "deliberates •on
the present condition of the Bpimoopate, places the
interests oldie Church at the wary of the Bishop of
Ozroan.

Fortunately for those interests the (meths
of Lord &Amman ham met with a more satis-
factory answer from another quarter, in the
shape of a very edmirable pamphlet from that
vigorous and valuable church dignitary the Dean of
Bturrou Dr. Buior, in thissmaterly performaace,
este out by girls, a few short bet sionolueive roma.
he thinking that the revival of the set of HURT
Via, and the appoints's' of Bergen Bishops se
that Let directs, would provide no effectual remedy
for the meths Kendal He then moor& to rem
oiler the recommended°n of the Chancery Cora-

inbelosern in their final report of 1846, that a panel
statute aboald be "framed enabling the Crown to
nominate a coadjutor, with a right of samemice,
wheasver a Bishop repaired such aid by mama of
advanced age and protracted infirmity, and should
be reedy to ~reader o portion of his episcopal
imams le femur of such coadjutor." To this
waggestion Dr. ELLIOT objects, and es we think
unanswerably, that when a owe of proved prelatical
incapacity mime, it is to the last degree mnremonable
that the powers of the law and the Interests of the
Church "should wait ca the winless's. of a Bishop
'to surrender a portion of hie episcopal revenue.'
The law should be so framed 'as to compel a reluc-
tant Bishop to do so.' " Again, why should the
only cane contemplated be that of a voluntary pea-
ties em the part of the Bishop for the 'asides(' of a
coadjutor P Finally, why a coadjutor at all P What
madams is the coadjutor to receive from the Ambled
Bishop? " Why is the younger sad more active
mans with unimpaired powen of Riad. with all the
advantages of personal knowledge et the clergy and
poop* to be deprived in any degree of the authority
and of the resources towards 'maintaining order and
elleisaey urns the clergy:of the diocese with which
the law, to that end, has so munificently endowed
the Bpiecopate P" This reasoning mesa to es

What, then, is the true remedy P A very simple
one. Let the Bishop, when incapacitated from up
sad ininsity, have the eau power of retiring cm s
Mb passion, which the Judge has in a similar am
The largo and rapidly iocrung fluids in the Mods
of the Church Estates COOliiilliOSON would supply
without any difficulty the memo of prangingh
pensions as might be required. It in we might
bops, set too much to upon ben the Bishops of
on, Church that they would, generally speaking,
show no urossonabls reluctases to avail themselves
of the mans dna offered of escaping, in cases of
proved lability, from the prawn of duties which
asset, if they have any Importance at all, be left
undischarged without serious responsibility. But
Bishops are, after all, bet men 1 sad annatimon
it is to be feared, not very wise ones. We mat
act omit to provide for such case as that of the
Bishop of BANGOIL There is, indeed, se Dr. ELLIOT
naiads us, a statute actual in existence, the 4 mg
7 Vie., c. 62, (ranted to meet the use of a Wasp
incapacitated "by mental infirmity or lunacy." Are
the friends of my Lord of Buena aware of this
MAP as is the ream of their nou.isterforesa the
falai that a life protracted beyond ths verge of
fourscore should enjoy among other immuoities that
of sarostranced ',temperance is speech sndconductP
If so, we think they are wrong. There are limits to
the respect paid to age, and thee. limit. are passed
when age has erased to respect itself. A Prelate
whose talk is of " rods and foolscap*" has, we nay
charitably hope, so far lapsed into second childhood
as tribe brought without violater seder the operation
of a statute which, to save the Church from sandal,
would remove from the exorcise of his sacred fuestioas
any Bishop labouring under the distressing taint
of " mental iolineity." Bat there are other ease
to provide for besides those of msutal Is-
fleshy. Love of power, tenacity of Gifu Inability
to pensive the growing infirmities of age—
all these might operate to prevent a Bishop hem
availing himself, is due tau of the bassvolest pro.
vision of a retiring pansies. Provision must be
aide kw lush emedsgeseise se these. The Data of
Brunei proposes to seat thus thus :—" Let a
rural statute be famed, midis' the Crown to