THE BISHOP OF ROCHESTERasked the noble Earl the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Whether he has received any communication from the Prussian Government respecting the filling up of the Anglican Bishopric of Jerusalem? The appointment now rested with the Prussian Government, and the See had been vacant for 18 months, and some £15,000 was collected by private subscription and placed in the hands of Trustees. Those Trustees were five in number, of whom four were Members of their Lordships' House; and he ventured to ask the noble Earl, as one of those Trustees, whether he could give any information from the Prussian Government as to the speedy filling up of the vacancy? There was a considerable number of people in the country who felt that much advantage would accrue from the See being occupied. He (the Bishop of Rochester) felt that, in this matter, he was to a certain extent upon his honour; for, in the autumn, when the late Archbishop of Canterbury was on his sick bed, which he never afterwards left, he begged him to spare no pains to procure the filling up of this See. In Jerusalem there were many schools and an admirable hospital. Many of the Churches had representatives there, and he thought their 4 Church should not be left out. He had himself, in the course of frequent visits to the East, twice visited the Holy City, and he believed much good would result from the appointment he pressed for.
§ EARL GRANVILLE, in reply, said, that the matter was one not entirely of a political character; but he was desirous of bringing it to a satisfactory issue. He had been in communication with the German Ambassador on the subject, and had expressed his willingness to act as an intermediary. He had, however, not received any answer to his communication; but he would renew his endeavours to obtain one, and he was not without hope that the matter would be brought to a satisfactory conclusion.