New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1909-04-11
* A NJ Y - III E. N T II Il
LONDON NOTES
Canon Henson'S ReUOlt- A Comedy
Of Manners.
London. April 2

elsewhere. will leave behind him challenge 20
ecclesia steal law. As of the Canons Of
Westminster. he has been responsible to the
Dean Of the Abbey, and neither the Bishop Of
London nor the Archbishop OF Canterbury has
had authority for disciplining him; and rec
tor OF ST Margaret's he has held what is known
IS royal peculiar and been virtually law
unto himself. Being at liberty 10 preach what
he liked at Westminster and TO do what he
pleased In the metropolis he fancied that he
enjoyed equal liberty out OF London. He has
been warned that he must establish in the
courts his right 30 preach in a Nonconformst
chapel in the provinces when the regular in
cJlrnbent Of the parish by interposes OBJ
3ections. He had promised 10 preach at an an
niversary service Of the Digbeth Institute in
Birmznrham. which is a centre Of Nonconformist
or Free Church activities. The vicar OF St
Gabri els, the Rev. W. H. Cariss, within whose
parish the service was to be held, appealed TO
Bishop Gore 10 prevent an act which would de
grade the Canon's orders and position in the
English Church. The Bishop. being one Of the
broad minded preates in the Church, looked
upon the affair as "a great bore" but felt
Obliged TO take his law from Phillimore who
had declared that it was not competent to any
Clergyman to officiate in church chapel within
the limits OF a parish without the consent Of
the incumbent. Accordingly, he served Canon
Henson with an Inhibition" forbidding him to
preach from the Nonconformist platform The
Canon. being a born fighter, deied the prohibl-
ton and preached the sermon
Bishop Gore. in the correspondence with canon
Henson. has imposed his own restrictions upon
the controversy to be brought out in the courts.
He has declared that he had desire to raise
.1,e question of a clergymans right TO preach at
Nonconfor7nist gatherings or chapels. He had
done this himself. and had invited Nonconform-
fs+s 10 address meetings of churchmen. The sole
-,of7- at issue was the right Of the incumbent
AZ the parish TO protest against such services
and 10 1,rohibit them by appeal to ecclesiasti-
cal law The Bishop, instead Of rebuking the
incumbent for clerical intolerance ard snubbng
MIN for meddlesome activity, recognized his
right TO silence the Canon within the territorial
Jurisdiction OF the parish. PhillimoTe's dictum
and the validity of Anticipated parochial pro-
Ecr3Ution will have 10 be tested in the courts
when Canon Henson returns from America: but
he is not likely 10 lie awake many nights over
the triviality OF such prosecution AS born
coutroversialist with abnormal appetite for
anything dry and fImy. he viii revel in the
prospect Of thrashing out this detail Of friendly
cooperation with fellow Christians. Bishop
core. meanwhile VIII have meagre consolation
in the reflection that he is vindicaing the terri
1orial rights OF every vicar, whether narrow
minded or tolerant. While he has confessed
that the controversy is "a great bore" the world
will never know what he thinks Of the mental
and moral calibre Of tia uncompromising vicar,
81 Birmingham.
The strike at Ruskn College. Oxford. has been
E students rally in defence Of e principal
do7ved with the Incompatible gift OF arousing
enthusiasm Mr. Denis Hird has been clergy
man. an author, a trade unionist. a temperance
agitator. a college lecturer and a socialist. and
tie students supported at Oxford by the labor
unions have listened TO him to inspired
oracle and have become violent psrtisans. When
tie council responsible for the management OF .
the college decided that the discipline was lax
and that thorough change OF administration
vas necessary the students broke out in re-
volt refusing 10 attend lectures or to receive
coaching from tutors, and threatening TO desert
Ire Institution If their beloved leader were re-
moved The council has persisted In displacing
ale principal, but It has denied the various
.ta-g-s brought against it. such as the exclu-
For of sociology from the curriculum. the in
r-s-u1-ioa Of more conservative teaching and
sa-1nronises BY which official recognition OF
raa college by oxford University might be Sc
cared. The strike has been decisive proof OF
effective discipline and there has been little
"a the vagaries Of the mob OF students 70 IN
diea-c that men of the lowIiest origin were
Eenefting by the hunanizing influences Of good
letters and scholarship. The Oldest tradition Of
home and training school Of poor students OF
humble birth. The foundation Of Rusdn Col
lega has been a beIated attempt TO render
scholarship truly democratic, and the present
conflict has been a deplorable sign Of failure
and Generalization. The wagon "hitched to g
star has been upset.
Mr. Hubert Henry Davies has the French idea
Of the comedy Of manners. There must be the
sIenderest possible plot in order that the risks
Of his being taken seriously may be minimized-
There must also be the maximum Of persihage,
SC that farcical situations and incidents may
60 OF with sparkle and froth His new COM
edv. sBevis' at the Raymarket. has little
action that the story be told IN few SEN
fences with the certainty Of being considered
trivial It is also amusing from beginning TO
END. the dialogue having freshness and vivacity.
although the farcical expedients are stale and
fhe characters conventional. The theme is the
sordId influence Of money in English society.
The Marquis OF Bewdley, silly young fellow
with 9 title and no money is egged on by q
nlercenary mother and equally worldly uncle
10 marry q well lowered bride. Mrs. Ppm, a
matrimonial broker, with expectations Of lib
eraI commission from side from the
other facilitates q match between the penniless
r.eer and Miss Hopkins the daughter Of q mill
.ana5re brewer This social business goes
f,rfsBfv for a while and then is interrupted.
The brewer resents the attempts of the smart
relations TO bleed him IN the settlements. The
daughter refuses the peers offer when she finds
ont that her money is wanted not her own
pretty self Mrs Pym arranges a meeting OF
the high horn Bewdleys and the berry Hop
.,inSes At her cottage. and the bride agrees to
an aroag4Tnarr the sake Of pleasing her