Year: 1875

rons--thoueh he has 80 long been member OF 1t,
and of late one Of its most honored members-with-
out little laugh at il. 81 never he says, knew
House of Commons unanimous and enthusiastic
about q thing except when it did not know what l,
was doing and where it was going" Andhe recalled
with evident satisfaction tho time when the HOUSE
went headlong into the war with Russia, when no
spoke against It, suffering much in consequence ironi
nnblic obloQuy: and vet now there are very lew
men to be met who do not be'icve that tne HOUSE
r OF Commons was foolish aud did very unpauiouc
and evil thing ---


/ wonder IL Mr. Bright ever heard the story
which he would tell inimitably If he had-of the
drafting of the declaration OF war with Russia
Tho papers were sent TO Sir John Harding, the
Qneen's Advocate (the Same whose insanity. and the
ronseoueut delay in getting an opinion on the
Alabama case, furnished Lord Russell with a pre-
text for letting that corsar loose with instructions
10 draw up declaration Of war in proper form. Sir
John Harding sent word back that the papers did
not disclose any sufficient of and that he
could not frame q declaration without further in
structons. ThereupOn-thei hurry being great and
the minds of responsible persons in great confusion
-he was told to justify his declaration on the
ground of the preponderance Of Russian power IN
Europe. The declaration actually made III
those terms.


Mr.. Bright's account of the purpose Of the Public
Worship bill is novel; The clergy. he tells u.s. claim
TO have an advantage over Dissenting ministers
from being the sons of gentlemen. educated az tue
Universities where they associate with the peerage
aud in being set over by the State as instructors
in morals and religion. And yet their own friends
the Archbishops, and Bishops. aud Ministers OF
State declare that their conduct is so lawless that
il is necessary have special legislation to Keep
them in order" We are used to special legislation
to control men who sell drinks that promote dis
order and crime for garroters, and there Is de-
mand for it now against men who beat their wives
aud commit other extraordinarily savage crimes OF
violence. But it is something far more dreadful 10
find men-thOusands of them-upon whose conse-
Grated heads the hands of the Bishops have been
placed so lawess as TO make 1t necessary 10 nave
special legislation to curb them"


All tho remainder Of Mr. Bnghts speech-a sin
gle paragraph excepted-is occupied with consd-
Grafton of the position of the Church of England
internal troubles and external relations 1t is
not, in form. an argument for immediate disestaD-
lshment. yet every sentence points that way. III an
inference is to be drawn from the whole speech II Is
that Mr.. Bright is not only convinced of the neces-
sity of Observation-Disclosures NOnconformist he
could hardly hold any other view-but that he re-
CARDS it as the next great question to be taken mp
There was report that his speech was TO be devoted
TO the Land Question: but of that we hear not
word II may almost be said-what is very unusual
with Mr.. Bright--that bis speech wants, not cohe-
renee, but the cumulative force which comes from
an orderly consideration of so great matter. lie
does not deal with the main objections to State
Church. 1t is almost conversational treatment OF
the topic The orator touches lightly one difficulty
after another He never fails to make his point but


public which should think he meant to say all that
could be said would not be reused by this address
into mood for energetic agitation.


Mr RriO OH is n man of nrOfOunQlV ueVOut
religious nature That does not prevent him from
handling ecclesiastical abuses freely. from laugh
ing at the Bishops, or from justly censuriDg the
sacordotal spirit which they too often show. The
graver parts of the speech in tone which some
times takes us back to an age when faith was
stronger than it is Such is this passage, on the
bill above referred to:


The Public Worship bin Of last session is tri1e; 1t
makes alteration IN the law; 1t simply provides new
which paTishoners from all parishes IN England
may go and lay complaints against the minister But 1t
does not ay down the law 1t leaves that TO the Judge
who may be appointed aud 10 can deal only with vest
They may deal with the question OF the nght
the question of the light which comes the
ness and power and gOaSe sincerity OF the man VINO
breaches.


This is followed by declaration prophetic Of
future opinion carefully accompanied, as is Mr..
Bnghts way, with another one adapted to soften
the prciudces reused by the former, and to get
hearing for it-one not less sincere than theother:


Then we are brought face with this great fact
which isand wish you consider ths-that the State
mony with the age. GCheersl should like to ask you
what that established IN the reign OF Queen
Elizabeth in harmony with the reign OF Queen
Victoria GAppause] Why. the difference between the
two leens Is enormous and cannot be exaggerated.
.nIt,ng Insertion Of It in the reign Of Queen Elizabeth
cannot be in harmony with the moderation, the justice
the kindness ana the sympathy which you nave III the
Queen OF our own day. lCheersJ


What is sand Of the Church Of England in its rela-
ton to the great questions of the time is the coul-
terpart of the indictment the Aboliionists used to
draw against the churches in the United States:


will not complain though might compalE-andi 1t
IL a strong argument in the case-that Wherever you
lnd the Church OF England powerful there you ma the
opposition to any legislative or administrative REFORM
most powerful also. Hear, bearJ We nave received
no service IRON the Church Of England as BODY Tnere
have been occasional, and remarkable ana adiDIaDe
on eli the great measures OF change and Improvement
which blessed this country during Tue last DhI-
century. Hear, hearl


But looking at the Church purely as a religious in
stitution, what, asks Mr. Bright, do you find =


You find at end of it that its payments, its saa-
res are excessive and enOrnO yOI mud at the Other
end OF 1t tnat they are scanIy and Inadequate, ana
IApplausel Yon ind further that, contrary to what
exists any other Government Department, there IS
Hear heaTJ Promotion IN the Church is promotion
through interest ana through importantly. mo-"
tCo1tipued cries OF No ana Yes"l Understand me,


am Only speaking the voice OF thousands OF Gu
rates Hear, hear.l 1 not making claim on be-
hall OF ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Methodist minister does
trouble himself about that am only speaking with
voice which viii 1nd an answer tomorrow in the
hearts OF thousands OF curaes. heers But further,
know, that halt OF the viugs Church OF England
are private property and nay be ana are OfteD bought
We sell cotton on the Exchange Liverpool You sell
metals on Exchange at Birmingham nut all over tne
country thre IS gong On n0st saomp Uo once m the
Church of England. lApplauseJ And further the