The Sun.
London, England, 1852-05-11 00:00:00

recollection of their Lordships that in 1850 he bad in-
troduced a Bill into the House for the purpose of regu-
lating the court of last appeal, the Judicial Committee
of the Privy Council, in all cases where the question of
doctrine should come before them. The important pro-
vision of the Bill was ►that the Bishops should deliberate
thereupon, and communicate the result to the Privy
Council ; that the Privy Council should be bound by
that opinion to decide whether the doctrine was true
doctrine and consistent with the doctrines of the Church
of England. The Bill had not been favourably received
by their Lordships, and he had suffered last year to
pass, contenting himself with only giving an intimation
that he did not altogether let the subject cease. It was
one of such a nature that it ought not to be suffered to I
rest much longer undetermined. All he intended
to say on the present occasion was only that
early next session, if it pleased God to spare
him, he intended to introduce a Bill, different ,in
one important point from the former one, because it did
away with the objection that had been made, still con-
tending that the question of doctrine should be referred
to the Bishops or to the Upper House of Convocation;
that their opinions should be communicated to the Judi-
cial Committee of the Privy Council, but that it should
not be binding upon them, but merely communicated to
them in the way of advice. That was obviously a very
important alteration, because it was objected that the
former Bill was an invasion of the jurisdiction of the
Court. He mentioned the matter now that the Govern-
ment might have time to consider the question, and make
up their minds how far they would sanction the prin-
ciple. He did not think it right to put a question di-
rectly to the Noble Earl at the head of the Government.
Ile wished merely to express an anxious hope, which was
shared with him by many others, that the proposition
would receive the favourable consideration of those with
whom, after all, the decision must rest. The matter had
been incorrectly placed upon the minutes of their Lord-
ships' House, for he certainly had not intended to put a
direct question to the Noble Lord at the head of the
I Government.

The Earl of DERBY thanked the Right Rev. Prelate
for not having brought forward the subject as a direct
question, which it might have been inconvenient to ex-
press an opinion upon, with regard to the course which
her Majesty's Government might think it right to adopt
upon a Bill not then before the House. Such a course
would lead to a❑ inconvenient precedent, and, in the po-
sition he was at present placed in, he was certainly un-
able to express an opinion with regard to the course the
Government might take, without consulting his col-
leagues upon both the principle and details of toe Bill. If
he rightly understood the Right Rev. Prelate, he pro-
posed to leave the jurisdiction in the same hands us it
was at present, and did not propose to interfere in any
way with the opinion and decision of the Privy Council,
but he proposed that the Bishops—as their Lordships
sometimes acted i❑ calling in the Judges to direct their
opinions and judgment—should be called upon to give
their opinion, when the question arose upon matters of
doctrine, to say what was essentially doctrine, or heresy,
or error. Although he certainly could not pledge him-
self as to the course he would pursue ; yet, if he
was not mistaken, he recollected a proposition of some
such intermediate step between the Bill of the Right
Rev. Prelate of 1850 and the total rejection of the mea-
sure having been made to their Lordships. Still he was
of opinion that where a question arose of what was false
doctrine or heresy, the opinion of the Bishops upon such
points—although they might not he entitled to decide
what was doctrine—yet their opinion and judgment must
be most valuable upon such questions, as they must
have long and deeply studied it, in directing the judg-
ment of the Privy Council to a final decision. Further
than that he did not think the Right Rev. Prelate would
wish him at present to go.—(Hear, hear.)
ECCLESIASTICAL MUNIMENTS.
On the motion of the Bishop of SALISBURY, the
House went into Committee on the Ecclesiastical Muni-
ments Bill,
After a brief conversation it was agreed to send the
Bill to a Select Committee.
BURGHS IN SCOTLAND BILL.
On the motion of the Earl of MINTO this Bill was
read a second time.