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

9PENING OF CONVOCATION.

St. Paul's Cathedral was well filled yesterday morning
when the Convocation of the Province of Canterbury was
opened. The bishops were attired in their episcopal
habits and Convocation robes, the minor clergy in their
gowns and academical hoods. The Bishop of London,
attended by the Rev. Prebendary Moorhouse, the Rev.
W. F. Erskine Knollys, M.A., and the Rev. E. H.
Fisher, M.A., were received at the Chapter House by
Sir Travers Twiss, Vicar-General, by whom he was
presented with the commission which appointed his lord-
ship President of Convocation during the vacancy of the
see of Canterbury. At the west entrance of the cathedral
the bishop was met by the dean and canons, and con-
ducted up the centre aisle, accompanied by the bishops
and clergy who were present, to the dean's stall.
The litany of Convocation in Latin having been
read, and the anthem " Oh, pray for the
Peace of Jerusalem" sung, the Very Rev. Dr. J. A.
Jeremie, Dean of Lincoln, delivered the usual Latin
address. After paying an appropriate tribute to the
memory of the late Archbishop of Canterbury, and
referring to the changes recently brought about, the
Dean remarked that undoubtedly a great crisis
bad arrived in which all churches would have
to bear their part. It would be idle to expect that
the Church of England would escape from trial. In days
gone by she had'passed through many difficulties, and she
would no doubt prove strong enough to contend
against any storm that might rage, if free from internal
weaknesses and dissensions. Allusion was then made to the
several deaths of eminent members of Convocation since the
last meeting in St. Paul's three years since, amongst whom
were Dr. Longley, Archbishop of Canterbury ; Dr. Jeune,
Bishop of Peterborough ; Dr. Hampden, Bishop of Here-
ford; Dr. Milman, of St. Paul's, the Rev. Canon Hawkins,
and the Rev. Sir Henry Thompson, and the hope was
expressed that in the deliberations upon which Convoca-
tion was about to enter, it would be borne in mind that
humanly speaking the very existence of the Church
depended upon the wisdom with which they were con-
ducted. The " Gloria in Excelsis " was sung at the
close of the address, and the benediction in Latin pro-
nounced by the Bishop of London. The formal business
connected with the opening of Convocation was then pro-
ceeded with in the Chapter House. From this place the
clergy were admonished by the President, in Latin, to with-
draw under the direction of the Dean of St. Paul's to one
of the chapels of the Cathedral, where they formed them-
selves into a Lower House to'choose a Prolocutor, and to
consider other matters incidental to the next meeting in
the Jerusalem Chamber.

The Dean of ST. PAUL'S presided at the election of a
Prolocutor, which took place in the chapel. He announced
that he bad received instructions from the President to
proceed with the election of a Prolocutor, and he would,
therefore, call for any nomination that might be made.
The Dean of CANTERBURY rose to propose the re-election
of the Ven. Edward Bickersteth, D.D., Archdeacon of
Buckingham, of whose unwearied diligence, unim-
peached impartiality, and unvaried courtesy, he spoke in
the highest terms.

Canon SEYMOUR, in seconding the motion, said it had
been arranged that Chancellor Massingberd should pro-
pose the re-election of Archdeacon Bickersteth, and that
Mr. Woodgate should second it, and it was only in the
contingency of the absence of both these gentlemen that
he had been called upon. (At this moment Chancellor
Massingberd entered the chapel—a circumstance which
created some laughter.)
There being no other candidate, the Dean of St. Paul's
declared that Archdeacon Bickersteth had been unani-
mcusly elected.
The PROLOCUTOR then rose, and was received with loud
cheers. In the course of his speech he said there were
many things which might probably engage the attention of
the new Convocation. Among them would be a moderate
extension of the Episcopate, either by a division of
dioceses, or the introduction of suffragan bishops ; the
maintenance of diocesan action by the application of
diocesan synods to the National Church ; the employment
of lay services in the ministrations of the Church ; and
the more extended representation of the parochial clergy,
now daily increasing in numbers and influence. He pre-
sumed, too, that the relations between the united
Churches of England and Ireland might be thought of.
Whatever might be done by the State to despoil the
Church, the State could never despoil her of her spiritual
inheritance.

It was then arranged that the Dean of Biy and Arch-
deacon Denison should present the Prolocutor to the Arch-
bishop of Canterbury for his confirmation of the election.
The Convocation was then adjourned until the 2nd of
February.

From a return of poor rates and pauperism,
printed by order of the House of Commons, we gather
that the number of paupers in receipt of relief
on the last day of the last week in September
was, in 1860, 842,860 ; iu 1867, 872,620 ; and i❑ 1868
927,239, showing for the present year an increase of 6.5
por cent. in 1867, and of 10 per cent. in 1866. This does not
include paupers in lunatic asylums wad vagrants.

In the Court of Probate and Divorce yester-
day, before Sir J. P. Wilde, the case of Hunt and another
v. Anderson, came on for consideration. Sir R. Col-
lier, Sir John Kerslake, Q.C., Mr. Turner, and
Mr. Lopes, were counsel for the plaintiff; and Mr.
Hawkins, Q.C., Dr. Spinks, Q,C., and Mr. Searle,
for the defendant. On seeing the array of counsel in the
case, Sir J. P. Wilde (addressing Sir Robert Collier) said
Mr. Attorney-General, are you in this case ?—Sir Robert
Collier, pointing to Sir John Kerslake, replied—" This is
the Attorney-General; I am not yet sworn in." Sir John
liaralako then opened tne case for the