The Sun.
London, England, 1850-12-30 00:00:00

THE BISHOP OF LONDON AND

THE REV. MR. BENNETT.

On Saturday the preliminary proceedings for depriv-
ing Mr. Bennett of the incumbency of St. Paul's,
Knightsbridge, and the chapelry of St. Barnabas, Pim-
lico, were commenced on behalf of the Bishop of London.
It will be recollected that Mr. Bennett, in his letter to the
Bishop of London, stated that '' if his Lordship would
not allow him time to make the desired alterations in his
mode of conducting the services at his churches,
he had no alternative but to place his living
in his Lordship's hands." This part of his letter
the Bishop considered as a formal resignation,
and intimated to Mr. Bennett that he accepted it.
A few days afterwards the Bishop made arrange-
ments for the future performance of the services
in the churches, and informed Mr. Bennett of the
nature of them. The Reverend Gentleman then de-
clared that he had not resigned at all, and, morever, that
it was not his intention to do so. The Bishop informed
him that he had resigned, and that he should, therefore,
insist on his giving up the two churches. Mr. Bennett,
however, stoutly refused to do so, and the matter is now
to be brought into the Ecclesiastical Court; and, from
the nature of the evidence which will Le brought for-
ward, it is likely to be some years be fore it is finally
settled, as Mr. Bennett and his friends are determined to
appeal to every court open to them should the Bishop
succeed in the first instance.

several of the most eminent ecclesiastical lawyers who
have been consulted on the matter maintin that Mr.
Bennett cannot be said to have resigned until he executes
the formal dead required in such cases, a course which
ho is nut likely now to adopt.
The proceedings taken by the Bishop of London are
under the 3d and 4th Viet., cap. 86, secs. 3 and 4, which
is as follows:--

" And be it enacted that in every case of any clerk in
holy orders of the united Church of England and Ire-
land who may be charged with any offence against the
laws ecclesiastical, or concerning whom there may exist
scandal or evil report, as having offended against the
said laws, it shall be lawful for the bishop of the diocese
within which the offence is alleged or reported to have
been committed, on the application of any party com-
plaining thereof, or if he shall think fit, of his own mere
motive, to issue a commission under his hand and seal to
five persons, of whom one shall be his vicar-general, or
an arch& aeon or rural dean within the diocese, for the
purpose of making inquiry as to the grounds of such
charge or report. . . . That it shall be lawful for the
said commissioners, or any three of them, to examine upon
oath all witnesses who shall be tendered to them for ex-
amination, as well of any party alleging the truth of the
charge or ri port as of the party accused, and to all wit-
nesses whom they may deem it necessary tosummon for the
purpose of fully prosecuting the inquiry and ascertain-
ing whether there be sufficient prima facie ground for
instituting further proceedings. . . . . And when
such preliminary proceedings shall have closed, one of
the commissioners shall opbnly and publicly declare the
opinion of the majority of the commissioners present at
such inquiry, whether there be sufficient grounds for
further proceedings."
Should the commissioners decide that there is ground
for:further proceedings, the Bishop may, with the consent
of Mr. Bennett, pronounce sentence at once; but as Mr.
Bennett will not submit to this course, the matter will
have to go before the Arches Court. In the meantime,
the services at St. Paul's and St. Barnabas' will be, per-
formed by the curates.
Both the churches of St. Paul and St. Barnabas were
built and endowed by the Rev. Mr. Bennett, the former
of which is worth 1,0001. a year, and the latter 350/.
It is stated that the Reverend Gentleman has expended
upwards of 100,000/. in the building and endowing the
churches and schools of the districts of St. Paul and St.
Barnabas.

THE ~VNGINE-DBIVERS' STRIKE.—Do not the men
see that the inevitable result of all these strikes will be that

it will encourage railway directors to initiate hundreds of new
hands, even at some temporary expense to themselves, in
order that the supply of engine-drivers may exceed, and not
as ❑ow fall short of the demand. And who will sufter then?
Not (Oily the present body, who, we think, are extremely
well oft; but the whole of the increased class together, many
of whom will ever be thrust out of employment, and prevented
bout regainiEg it, by the competition which undue numbers
R ill induce. Let the present body of drivers be advised. For
. _

their own sakes, they ought at (mice to retrace their erroneous
steps and make honourable peace with their employers.—
Builder.

APPREHENSION OF A RUNAWAY COLLECTOR..--
Mr. John Hyde, aged 29, collector of debts, &c., Norfolk-
street, was brought before the bench, charged by Mr. Hum-
phrey, John Eyre, and others, trustees under the will of the
late Mr. Newbould, with fraud. A warrant for his appre-
hension was taken out, and on Thursday police detective
White apprehended him walking in the streets of Glasgow.
He had about BO( 1. in his possession. When placed before
tF e bench, Mr. Raynor said that be was not prepared to go
into the evidence against the accused, for he had only that
moment been brought into the police-office, ard, therefore,
he would ask for him to be remanded till Monday next.
The application Was granted, and the prisoner was removed.
—Sheffield Times,