Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1916-07-31
CHURCH TO RULE SELF
English Church, However,
Would Acknowledge States
Power Of Veto.
FOR STATE AND CHURCH

| Correspondence OF The Associated Press)
London, July 2l.--Home rule for
the Church Of England, in distinction
from state control of the legislation
of the convocation OF Canterbury, and
yet the acknowledgement of the
states power OF veto, are the chief
points in the report Of the committee
appointed three years ago by the
archbishops OF Canterbury and York
to consider problems OF church re-
form.
The committee was appointed to
consider what changes are advisable
in order to secure In the relations
Of church and state a public express
sion of the national recognition of
religion"
The popular criticism that the
Church of England does not repre-
sent the mind of the English people
is frankly admitted as a fact in the
report. The latter reflects in other
ways the manner in which the leaven-
ing influences Of democracy have
been at work during the war.
The committee proposes that its
recommendations shall be effected
through the establishment of church
council, consisting of three houses
bishops, clergy and the laity, In TIE
house Of clergy the paroehial clergy
would have a majority, while for the
house OF laity system Of representa-
ton is suggested with special meas
ures for insuring that mot less than
per cent" OF its members shall be
drawn from the working classes, and
that there shall be an infusion OF uni
versity teachers and students.
Power of Bishops.
Special provisions are recommend.
ed looking to the preservation OF the
uncontrolled powers Of the bishops
in regard to. all matters OF doctrine
and to the end that Legislative meas
ures affecting formalities or services
must be initiated in the house Of
bishops.
As to the method in which the
states control over legislation by the
church council should be exercised
the proposal Is made that every
measure passed by the body should
be reviewed by a special committee
Of the privy council.
In case a measure Is deemed % re-
quire parliamentary sanction. the
proposal is that both the measure and
the report should then be laid be-
fore both houses OF parliament. Be-
fore the measure may be submitted
for the kings consent, 1t may lay
on the tables of both houses Of
parliament for forty days, and then
only in case no resolution recon-
mending against this course-submit-
ting it to the king-are passed.
Some interesting points are raised
in the portion OF the report under
Reservations and Appendices"
signed by various members of the
committee. H. E. Kemp supplies a
memorandum on the aloofness Of the
working classes from the church.
which he finds partially accounted
for by the conviction that 1T Is a
moral policeman used in the temporal
interests Of the property classes
and that the moral teachings Of the
church Is against progress" Doug
las Eyre considers It Essential for
the church frankly to claim the
power, subject to the constitutional
safeguards referred to in the report,
to make complete and effective rear
rangemeuts in connection with
ecclesiastical property, the condi-
tons Of its tenure and also in con-
nection with patronage" He adds
that the church had far better make
up its mind = = before parliament
is approached, that it needs an entire
RECONSIDERATION