The Sun.
London, England, 1868-12-11 00:00:00

THE SPEAKER AND THE SHERIFF.

The row between Mr. Denison and Mr. Taylor,
High Sheriff of Notts, culminates in an extraor-
dinary manner. The under-sheriff writes to the
Speaker. The latter declines to answer him, but
acknowledges the letter to the high sheriff. The
under-sheriff then acknowledges Mr. Denison's letter
by direction of the high sheriff, and declines any
further correspondence with that high dignitary. All
this is very edifying.

MR. SAMUEL MORLEY AND THE LThERATION
SOCIETY.

Mr. Samuel Morley has withdrawn from the
Liberation Society. In doing so he says that he
thoroughly sympathises with the association in its
" endeavours to indoctrinate the public mind with
sound views as to the true and separate functions of
the Church and the State, to uphold the spiritual
nature of the Church of Christ, and promote and
stimulate the growth of a public opinion which
renders inevitable great changes in the relation of
civil government to the religious communities
of the country." But while desiring to see
the churches " disentangled from their inju-
rious associations with the State," he cannot accept
the third part of the society's programme—the
secularisation of all national property held in trust
by the churches. Mr. Morley adds that on this
account he has been compelled to disclaim sympathy
with the association, and thus has rendered himself
open to the charge of inconsistency. In entering
Parliament he is " constrained to regard questions of
religious liberty and equality, not from a limited,
or a denominational standpoint, but in connection
with a national policy and the widest interest
of the commonwealth." The work now to be
accomplished is to disestablish and disendow the
Irish Church. But he has no wish to see a similar
scheme for the Church of England. He adds : "It
is my conviction that changes are impending, but they
will come from within, rather than from without—
from the awakened intelligence and conviction of
those whose religious life will no longer bear restraint
and hindrance, and who will demand changes benefi-
cial to themselves and to the nation. It was so in
the great disruption of the Church of Scotland ;
it is so in reference to the Church of Ireland."
He points out that the advocates of Establishments
themselves desire the cessation of that in Ireland,
and to prematurely force on other changes would
retard the progress of truth and right, which is
dearer th In any increase of Dissent.
Mr. Carvell Williams replies to this letter. Not
only does he accept Mr. Morley's resignation with
regret, but he thinks it unnecessary. He denies
most strongly that the Liberation Society has a
denominational standpoint, or that it has any scheme
for the disestablishment of the English Church. Tho
society's policy is that which it has been during all
the years that Mr. Morley has supported it—the
policy of religious equality, to be enforced whenever
any suitable occasion arises. Mr. Williams does not
believe that it would be wise to wait for the esta-
blished churches to reform themselves from within,
and he attributes the improved tone of the public
mind on the matter to the efforts of the society
which Mr. Morley now finds it necessary to leave.