The Sun.
London, England, 1869-06-28 00:00:00

THE PRESS ON LEVELLINO rr,

The Daily News has thoroughly taken the alarm
at the strong party which is now being formed in
the House of Lords in favour of levelling up, otir
contemporary says that it is not from Lord llarrowhy
and his friends that the greatest mischief Is
to be apprehended. The proposal of eOnenr=
rent endowment is far more dangerous thin
anything which they aro likely to suggest,
The Daily News denies that there is any eoalitien
between a portion of the Liberal party
.properly
celled and the COnSerVAtiVO4 for Pfillying. pow:
current endowment certainly the Liberal Papfity
in the Commons cannot be used for such pn!posP:
tiomo Liberals and Conservatives in the Pppef
Musa, arid q fov bishops, favour the pherne, Wit
Mr: OladiAl3ll€l Witia PR.SibIY aceept it: It is noly
for the Noneeafornia t i strengthen the bands of
tne uovernment by pronouncing emphatically
against any such proposal.
- -

The _Daily Telegraph is equally emphatic in pro-
nouncing that levelling up is impracticable, but feels no
alarm in the matter because sure that i -ill not be
insisted upon, and that the bill will become law this
session. Lord Cairns's amendments are considered
to be not at all formidable, and to some of them, at
all events, Ministers are likely to give their assent.
The moderation of his demands shews that the
Opposition have virtually accepted the bill as a
whole, and seeks now only to modify its provisions.
•

The Times denies that the question of concurrent
endowment was negatived by the nation at the
general election, and reminds its readers that the,
plan was to a certain extent sanctioned by Mr.
Bright and I\lr. Bruce in their election speeches.
The same journal commends as moderate the Duke
of Cleveland's proposal that whenever it shall be
~hewn that the Roman Catholic priest or the Presby-
byterian minister of a parish is without a suit-
able residence a certain portion of the
Church funds shall be set apart to pro-
viding him with one. The Saturday Review
is the strongest advocate for concurrent endowment
in the modified form of providing parsonages and
glebes, on the ground that it would act as a bulwark
against Ultramontanism. The Morning Star will
not pronounce any opinion on Lord Russell's pro-
posals, a reticence which is very remarkable con-
sidering that this journal has generally been the
organ of Nonconformist views. The Standard also
is cautious, but, cannot abstain from a sarcasm
'at the expense of those who denounced
Lord Mayo last year. It prefers Lord Cairns's
amendments, but would rather have Lord Russell's
than let the bill pass in its present shape. The
Morning Post is astonished at the moderation of
Lord Cairns's amendments, and sees no reason why
the Government should not accept them at once
and unhesitatingly. Not any of the amend-
ments proposed hitherto are incompatible with
the principle of the bill except Lord Russell's,
Lord Grey's, and the Duke of Cleveland's.
The Spectator says the only possible compromise
that the Government can make consistent with the
principle of the bill is to give manses to the priests
and the Presbyterian ministers if the present par-
sonages are to be given freely to the clergy. The
Economist inclines to think that this would be a
statesmanlike course, but cannot recommend it
because it would be a distinct breach of faith with the
people. The (Roman Catholic) Weekly Register
would like such an arrangement, but believes it would
be impracticable in the present state of public feeling.
The High Church papers—the Church Review and
I the Church Times—have little to say to it, but the
first would not object to it.