New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1909-10-24
ANGLICANISM
Lord Halsbury at SscGmseG-
DiseHdOzcment ImprGcticable.
London. October 9.

London. October 9.
II anybody Las mastered the secret OF
perpetual youth it is Lord Halsbury.
With q full muster Of bishops, deans,
canons and controversialists at the
Church congress in Swansea. the veteran
Lord Chancellor has displayed more en-
thusiasm and zeal in defending the in
terests Of the Establishment than the
youngest among them. His argument on
the English Church's title TO its endow-
fnents was prefaced by the terse remark
that the nation had fallen on times
when voices were denouncing ''the right
OF anybody TO anything" The validity
os its title, he asserted, was based on
the sanctity Of property, and could be
proved as easily and as surely as the
right OF any private person TO property
rightfully belonging 10 him.
This declaration was reinforced with
cumulative proofs that the endownents
lad not come from the State and could
rot be taken away by legislation; that the
ChUrch's rights had been proclaimed In
violable in Magma Charta; that an I'M
broken continuity had been maintained
from the founding Of the See Of Can
terbury 10 the reign OF Henry WILL
when nothing but those excrescences,
the monasteries, had been disturbed;
that there never had been either gen.
ersl national establishment Of religion
Or & simultaneous endowment Of the
Church; that the property OF our re-
ligsous body had not been transferred
70 another, and that irrevocable gifts
from private benefactors could not be
,Ellenated and redistrlbuted without mon
Igtrous inequity. Rounds OF applause ac-
.companied the veterans vigorous sum-
ming I'D OF the case for inviolable en-
6ownents, and under the genial influence
cf his benignant good hunor tho most
timorous Churchman began TO have q
sense OF security against radical raids
and ''.Sonconformist predatory warfare.
Lord HaIsbury estimated the revenues
CT the English Church from endowments
end tithes at 100000 annually ana
commended that the members OF the COM
mission would have 10 make UP the enor-
NOUS deficit IL the Establishment were
plundered and desDoiled by a tremendous
act Of sacrilege. II uthes were taken
sway, property owners on whose pos
,~sgions the fixed charges were levied
would have a superior claim, and tho
endowments generally could not be re-
distributed for the enrichment OF other
religious bodies. This opened the way
for the conclusion, emphasized by the
BISHOP of Bristol, that the aim OF the
Disestablishnent movement is 70 allen
ate the endowments and revenue from
religious purposes altogether. The a.,
s1Irnent Of these keen controyersial!sts
was that the liturgy wss established by
the act OF uniformity, but not the Eng
ush Church herself by any law before
during or after the Reformation, and
that her possessions, revenues and tenn
poralities we're hers by the most ancient
right known IN the land.
Lord Halsbury has as much refine
ment OF reasoning as Lord Halifax
or Lord Hugh Cecil In splitting hairs
over the connection between Church
and State, and, az old as he lie,
he rivals them in ardor as an &C.
oiesiasticaI lawyer. Yet when the last
sgeS1 Ia his poIemics is said 10 remains