The morning star and Catholic messenger., 1873-08-17
Death Of Two Distinguished Engii.hmen.

UOaLh OF Two UlbLuSul8neO GnAubnmeu
The English House of Lords recently
lost, within the space of four and twenty
hours, two of its most distinguished de-
bateTs, the Bishop of Winchester and Lord
Westbury. Intensely antagonistic as re-
CARDS tone OF thought and frequently pitted
ip debate against each other, there was
this point of resent blance between the two
men that together with the highest powers
there was something in each of them,
whether we choose to call it the individn-
alty or the eccen,ricity of genius, which
was the cause of Il certain diminntiOn of
success. The Bishop of Winchester indeed
rose early to the episcopal bench, but if it
had not been. for kind of mistrust, in
spired perhaps by the very brilliancy of
his qualities, he would doubtless have at
tanned to the very highest dignity in his
profession. So too Sir r. Bethel, after he
had worked his way while etill young and
entirely unassisted to the very first place
at the Chancery Bar, had to wait an uuus
ually long time before he reached the
WOolsack, which he was subsequently
obliged to leave while his colleagues were
still in office, in consequence of vote of
censure passed by the House of Commons
on proceedings in which he was not an ac-
tive agent, but which it was considered he
ought to have prevented. Beyond this
slight want of completeness in their ca
reers, and the coincidence of their deaths,
Bishop and the exChancellor, unless it
was q certain righteousness of expression
which characterized both. But the Bishop
was smooth and persuasive; the ex-Chan-
cellor equally smooth but caustic; all the
more bitingiy caustic because he was too
smooth. Nor was he at all particular as to
the dignity or position of those whom he
made the subjects of his stinging irony,
which even the Bench was sometimes made
to feel somewhat acutely when he was still
practising at the Bar. History or legend
reports that on one occasion Mr.. Justice
attributed-had to request Sir Richard Be-
thell to "deign to address the court at all
events as vertebrate animals, and with ut
least that amount of respect which Heaven
might be supposed to show to n black bee
tle." But in spite of the vitriol which dis
titled from his tongue his character was
by no means really acrid. He never nuIs-
ed his grievances, or kept alive the memory
of a quarrel, and was always ready to do u
good -natured action if he could not refrain
from bitter word. The official career OF
Bishop Wiiberforce will of course be more
directly interesting to thosa who belong to
his communion !; the labors of Lord West
bury concern us all, and leave no little
fruit behind them. lie was one of the
| earliest of our law reformers the first at
tempt at improving the law of transfer of
land; and the first reform of the Bank
| TupICy 80 lar as IL Is SaOollsneu-anu Cue SlIC
| of equity jurisdiction to the county courts
which might be turned to great deal
more account than it is at present-are all
owing to his initiative. Lord Westbury
married second time only a few months
ago. The cause Of his death appears to
have been an affection of the spine which
produced excruciating tortures during the
earlier stages of the attack but which was
painless towards the end. The Bishop OF
Winchester's death was instantaneously
sudden. AS he was canteTing along q stretch
of turf behind Lord Granville on an animal
which had been chosen for it's steadiness
and sure -footedness, a slight depres ion in
the ground brought the horse to it's knees,
and the Bishop was thrown forward on his
head with great torce-his hat being com
pletely crushed-and turned completely
over, the body lying with its feet in the di-
rection towards which they were riding
The medical evidence at the Inquest at
tributed the death to dislocation of the
neck. DR.. Wilberforce will be long regret
ted by n wide circle of private friends; by
the public for his eloquence in the House
and on the platform; and by society for
the charm of his companionship and the
brifiiancy of his conversational powers.