The Bishop of Exeter, on presenting a petition from the clergy of a portion of his diocese against the Church Discipline Bill, said, he would take the opportunity of stating, in consequence of something that had occurred the other night, what was his habit with respect to the petitions of his clergy. It was his habit, when any important measure affecting the Church was about to be submitted to Parliament, to consult his 93 clergy through the medium of his archdeacons, and on a late occasion he had permitted the publication, in a country newspaper, of a letter addressed by him to one of those officers for that purpose. No opinion of his was stated in that letter, nor any bias whatever given. He begged to add, that he should continue to pursue this course, because he thought, that as the clergy hid no longer an opportunity of recording their sentiments on meeting in the two houses of convocation, they should have an opportunity of meeting, privately or otherwise, and apprising their bishops of the result of their deliberations respecting measures torching the interests of the Church.
§ Adjourned.