The Sun.
London, England, 1869-02-25 00:00:00

SPIRIT OF THE PUBLIC JOURNALS.

The Times thinks that moderation is a quality which
is little esteemed by the representatives of the clergy in
Convocation. An overwhelming majority of the Lower
House decided that the address proposed by the bishops
was insufficient, and must be amended. The purport of
the " rider" thus adopted was, at least, simple. It
besought the Queen to refuse her assent to any bill repeal-
ing any parts of certain statutes affecting the rights and
privileges of the clergy, and, further, to refuse her assent
to any bill alienating to secular purposes ecclesiastical
revenues. It was to no purpose the Dean of Ely remarked
that such an addition would jeopardise the Crown, since
it prayed her Majesty to put herself into conflict
with Parliament. What is the jeopardy of the Crown
to an Order whose own temporal privileges are in
jeopardy? "Better jeopardise the Queen's Crown,"
cried one archdeacon, " than destroy the Church."
We know what " destroying the Church " means. There
is no question of the liberty and freedom of action of the
disestablished and disendowed Irish Church. Has it any
faith to preach? It can preach it still. Would it prose-
lytise ? It may proselytise, and no one can have a pre-
tence of interference. But it is proposed that endowments
improperly bestowed should be resumed. It is suggested
that the empty pomp of precedence should be abolished.
These projects are sufficient to arouse the passion of an
Order. It matters not what course the Upper House may
adopt with reference to the " riders" fastened upon
their address by Canon Selwyn and Archdeacon Denison.
We hope for their own sake they will refuse to assent
to these wild additions ; but, however that may
be, this manifestation of opinion by the representatives
of cathedral chapters and parochial clergy must teach Mr.
Gladstone how vain have been his untiring efforts to win
for himself the co-operation of the main body of the
English clergy. No man has ever striven after this object
more earnestly than he. Through good report and evil
report he has endeavoured to obtain their approval. His
attitude towards them has been one of profound humility.
It has been a source of sincere sorrow to him that the
humblest country curate should denounce his policy.
He must now, like a resolute surgeon, proceed to per-
form his duty to the nation, unmoved by either the
scolding or the supplications of the patient or his ill-
judging friends.

The Standard thinks that the parliamentary government
of the army is marching on apace. There is a well-known
reply of Sidney Herbert's to a question touching military
discipline, asked by some ardent Reformer in the House of
Commons, " Sir, I would beg to remind this House that

the discipline of her Majesty's army is in her Majesty's
hands, and that this House has no control over it."
That theory was fully accepted by military men, and
the general understanding has been, that when
once Parliament had passed the Mutiny Act,
and voted the supplies for the year, its control of mili-
tary discipline was practically as well as theoretically
over, until the question of the army must again come for-
ward, when Parliament should be asked for the renewal
of the Mutiny Act and a fresh grant of supply. But it
cannot have escaped notice that of late years there has
grown up and rapidly increased a tendency on the part of
Parliainent to interfere in matters relating to the disci-
pline of the army, by questions put to the Secretary of
State for War, or motions placing on record the opinion
of the House. But a point has been reached now at
which that parliamentary interference is likely to
become very much increased, for the independence of
the Commander-in-chief, in whom has hitherto
been vested the maintenance of the discipline of
the army, virtually received its death-blow at the
hands of Mr. Cardwell on Wednesday night. The signifi-
cance of his answer cannot be overrated. He said that
the Duke of Cambridge is not Commander-in-Chief, but
Field Marshal Commanding-in-Chief, and that he holds
this title and appointment, not by warrant, but by what
is technically called a letter of service addressed to him,
by command of her Majesty, by the Secretary of State for
War ; that the authority of the Secretary of State for War
is supreme, and can be brought to bear on minor promo.
tions, and—mark this—that he " entirely agreed in the
opinion that it ought to be brought to bear upon matters
connected with the discipline of the army."

The Post thinks that Lord Shaftesbury's Ecclesiastical
Courts Bill is completely deficient. It provides for some
useful reforms in respect of bishops' registers and appari-
tors, but all besides is positively bad. But a glaring defect
in this bill is that while it entirely alters the procedure in
suits against the clergy, it does nothing to amend the
confessed defects of the Judicial Committee of the Privy
Council as the supreme appellate tribunal in cases of
religious doctrine. Indeed, it is not difficult to see
that the bill is in every respect a party measure,
intended, under cover of a thorough reform of the
Ecclesiastical Courts, to provide a cheap and easy
way of harassing clergymen who do not succeed
in pleasing everybody ; for while all the anomalies of the
jurisdiction of the Judicial Committee remain unredressed,
the procedure in the courts below is rendered even more un-
fair and vexatious than it is now. It is perfectly monstrous,
in these days when toleration is more widely claimed than
ever, and when large-heartedness in all matters of reli-
gious opinion seems to be the only clue to peace and good-
will, that facilities should be multiplied by which persons,
in no way interested beyond the indulgence of party
spirit or litigious propensities, should have it in their
power to maintain in defiance of their bishop a succession
of paltry persecutions against clergymen with whose reli-
gious views or practices they do not agree.

The Herald believes that Sir Massey Lopes achieved a
great success on Tuesday night. As an independent
member, he moved for a royal commission on local taxa-
tion, supporting his motion by an array of arguments and
figures which carried the House with him, and extorted
acknowledgments of his candour and ability from speakers
on both sides. At the outset he disclaimed all desire to
import into the debate anything of a party character,
rightly treating the subject he had undertaken to handle
as one which involved a generally-felt grievance, for the
removal of which he trusted rather to Igeneral recognition
of a just demand than to any accidental or fortuitous con-
currence of less worthy influences. The event shewed that
he had judged wisely. Early in the evening Mr. Goschen
rose and proved, to his own satisfaction, that there would
be some undefined and indefinable impropriety in referring
a question of local rating to a royal commission, and
that, therefore, the evil, though admitted, must continue
unredressed. At the close of the debate, however, Mr.
Gladstone had to explain away the effect of his colleague's
speech, by putting a construction upon it of which no one
else had thought it capable. As understood or interpreted
by the leader of the Government, the speech was nothing
more than a protest, on behalf of the House of Commons,
against delegating its own right to take the initiative in
matters of taxation to any other body. This single
success of Sir Massey Lopes is the more important,
coming as it does, upon the heels of other movements in
the same direction. A few months ago Mr. Goschen
himself directed attention to taxation in the metropolis,
and drew a tempting picture of the wonderful things
that might be done with a local income tax of a
penny in the pound. Since then the metropolitan rate-
payers have made their discontent audible, complaining
that their burdens had nearly or quite reached the breaking
weight. Concurrently with these, we have had agitations
for the equalisation of rating by an extension of the rating
area ; an idea with which Mr. Gathorne Hardy's Act has
made the public mind practically familiar. Last year Mr.
Percy Wyndham struck the first blow at the unjust exemp-
tion of metalliferous mines from local burdens, and several
of the speakers on Tuesdav the
,tivie are
of feeling that the time has come when the
indications
r5„...1. ur local imposts should be closely watched, and
their incidence should be fairly distributed.

The Teegraph says that the Ministerial policy on the
subject of the Irish Church will soon be fully discussed.
Mr. Gladstone at the time opposed the Appropriation
Clause, and his published speeches chew that, in this
respect, his sentiments remain unaltered. Ills view is,
that, considering the particular circumstances of Ireland,
there ought not to he any preference or priority of
religicus communions. The disestablishment which he
proposes is absolute and total. The State shall cease to
contribute, or to enforce and assist the levy of contribu-
tions, for any denomination whatever. Not merely the
endowments of the Establishment, but also the grants to
the Roman Catholics and to the Presbyterians, are to
cease altogether. Consequently, if Mr. Gladstone's policy
be accepted, the phrase "surplus revenue " ceases to
have any meaning. There can be no such revenue,
simply because he proposes that, subject to an ample
and liberal provision for life interests, not one
farthing of money shall hereafter be raised or collected,
under the authority of the State, for either Churchmen,
Pomanists, br Presbyterians. That the great reform now
meditated does present serious difficulties, no one who has
studied the subject will deny ; but the attitude of the
country, the temper of Parliament, and the disposition
of the Ministers are all in favour of a soberly considered
and satisfactory solution. The Government is firm and
resolute in its policy of making the disestablishment and
disendowrient complete, and it will extend that rule to
all religious communions alike; but on the other hand, the
Cabinet is prepared to deal liberally with the possessors of
vested interests, and to include in the measure important
_economical reforms. Probably some of the most vehement
antagonists will be converted at least to acquiescence when
they come to study in detail the opus magnum of Mr.
Gladstone.

The First Lord of the Admiralty has issued a
minute ordering that all officers shall he found punctually
it 410:jots at 14 eau.

PARLIAMENTARY PETITIONS.

_.r_

.che first report of the select committee of the House of
Commons on public petitions includes a variety of
subjects. First and foremost on the list come the several
petitions for the reform of the Reform Bill, and these deal
with four questions—the adoption of the Ballot, the nomi.
nation of candidates, female suffrage, and alteration in the
ratepaying clauses. Next in order come the petitions re-
specting the disendowment of the Irish Church. The
number of petitions in favour of the measure
are 45, the signatures 16,848'; the committee, however,
believe that in some cases several names are in the same
handwriting. The Tiverton and East Devon Chamber
of Agriculture have presented a petition for the establish-
ment of county financial boards, while from Scotland and
Northumberland come petitions for alteration in the Duty
on Degs Act. We are glad to find that the petitions for
the repeal or reduction of the fire insurance duty are
numerous, and still more numerous are those for an altera-
tion in the law of licenses (beerhouses). The latter are
thirteen in number, andome from all parts of the country.
The poor law, the bankruptcy law, the foreign cattle
trade, appeals for the extension of the Harbours and Passing
Tolls Act are numerous; while we are not surprised to find
the grievances of merchant seamen have been brought
under the notice of Parliament. Irish railways occupy a
prominent place, the petitions for consolidation amounting
to thirteen. Among the very latest petitions is one for an
inquiry into the proposed roadway on the Thames Embank-
ment. Less reasonable is the 121st petition on the list, in
which Mr. Morrison, of the College of Health, Eu ston-
road, " believing that vaccination is very injurious to the
system," prays the House that the vaccination laws may
be repealed.