New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1854-11-28
ETHICAL REFORM IN BRITAIN.

chants, It's tapers it's forms and ceremonies and
the Low Church with its rigid simplicity is, as
the Bishop of Exeter correctly phrases it, moth
ing else than the old quarrel between Anglican
ism and Puritsnism, or as We prefer to name it,
between the Aristocracy and the mddle-class.
That the early success of Puseyism has been
stayed, Notwithstanding the strong professional
leaniDgs of the Clergy toward it, is mainly due
to the fact that its practices and prOcliyities ran
counter to the ideas and tendencies of the mid
die Glars.
In 1886 Gil Ecclesiastical Commission was es-
tablished to equslize the incomes ofthe clergy and
to reduce such aristOcratic anomalies as that Of
tie Bishop Of London with an income of G7O,OOO
while numbers OF country parsons were "pissing
rich on $40 year. also to suppress sineeure
rectories and prebendal stalls The subsequent
acts sgainst holding of pluralies and absentee
ian of ncumbents were called for by the same
persuasion in the public mind that the Church
nee ded setting in order" The exposure, FIVE
and four years ago of Bishop after Bishop, by the
Radicals, Mr. Horsman and Sir Benjamin. Hall,
for their infdelity to the Ecclesiastical Commits
ances their sharp eyeto their own concerns in the
prosecution of which the Bishop of Gloucester
dropped the unlucky expression, that he "knew
"nothng of moral obligations" were too ap-
pallipgly true not to be felt in every fibre of the
establishment. The Liberal Press held up the
Episcopal 9elinquents to public reprobation, aud
thus let the Bishops know that the middle class
AZ. 30 10 thag darHs Of
common honesty and fair-dealing which were cur
rent in business and commercial life. About the
saue time, Dr. Winston, head master of ROch-
ester Grammar School, published his cele-
brsted pamphlet, Cathedral Trusts and their
"Fuflment," 10 which he brought to light
the fact that the Dean and Chapter Of Rochester
had appropriated to themselves the moneys of
which they we're Trustees for educational pur.
poses, although each had taken solemn oath to
observe the statutes of the Founder, and more
over, that there were thirteen other schools ia
the Kingdom in the same melancholy predsa-
ment For this, DR.. Winston was dismissed
from bis situation by the Dean and Chapter. His
case was taken up by the liberal members Of
Parliament, and again the Press lent its pow.
erful support to DR.. WhistOns cause. 10
the end, the Bishop of Rochester reinstated
DR.. Winston and appropriated the future in
come to its rightful purposes, although in so do
ing the Bishop passed sentence of cOndemna
ton on himself be having been the visitor Of the
charity, and having previously refused to inter-
fere in the affairs Of the trust. The town Of
Rochester, and the general British public, gave
DR.. Winston a handsome pecuniary testimonial,
(slO, O0O) to indemnify him against bis heavy
legal expenses, aud to testify their gratitude 70
him for his courageous vindication of the rights
of the Burgesses to a free education for their
sons, against the power Of a wealthy ecclesiasti
cal corporation. The recent establishment Of
standing Board Of Charity Commissioners to su.
perintend the administration Of public trusts. Is in
part due to the revelations of DR.. Whiston's
pamphlet.
The exclusive conservatism Of the two great
National Universities Of Oxford and Cambridge
has not availed to preserve them from an influx of
the whole middleclass and their profaning liberal
deas. One of the last acts Of the last session of
the present Parliament was to throw open the
doors of Oxford University to that section of the
middle class who dissent from the Established
Church. Twenty years previously the House of
Lords had the courage to throw out similar bill;
but what might safely be done in 1884 could not
in lc54, and the Bishops did nothing to prevent
the measure passing into alaw. The Universities
have lot been able TO preserve intact their time
honored but harrow educational base. In lo43
Cambridge took the lead in instituting new
IT. O
Oxford followed the next year with a scheme
slightly lees liberal. Such steps had long been
demanded by the middle class. University and
Kings Colleges had been established more than
twenty years ag0 to meet their dem ind for
a more extended educational scheme. Tue more
recently founded Queens Colleges in ireland are
analogous institutions and occupy much the same
position toward the Dublin University tina. Lon
don University does toward Oxford and Cam.
bridge. The rapid spread Of such institutions as
Schools of Design Engineering, and Agricultural |
Colleges, sufficiently attest that the exclusive
basis of the dead languages, and mathematicsis
radically out OF harmony with the wants and
proeliyities Of the middle Glass; and that the an.
Gent system derives its support from the class
above them. The spendthrift habits of the men |
Of the old Universities have been loudly con- |
demred of late years, by the mddle-class organs,
whenever the suit ola long suffering trade Iman has
given them occasion Of comment; and acting upon |
this conpulson, the Dons have since done some
thing to fetter the credit system; and. the same
act that threw open Oxford University to the
dinenters, revived tho system Of private halls, !