THE BISHOP OF LONDONrose to move for copies of Reports of Committees of the Convocation of the province of Canterbury, presented to the Convocation. The right rev. Prelate was understood to say that one of the Reports to which his Motion referred related to certain reforms or changes in the present constitution of Convocation, suggested with the view of enabling that body to treat, with the fuller confidence of the Church, of such matters as Her Majesty might be graciously pleased to submit to its deliberations. The changes in question were not really changes, so much as they were a return to the rules for regulating the proceedings of both Houses of Convocation which prevailed in former times. The recommendations contained in the Report were made by a joint Committee of the two Houses, in which the most perfect unanimity existed on the subject; so that in case Convocation were permitted to meet for the despatch of business, there was no fear of its being again disturbed by those dissensions and contentions which were the principal cause of the discontinuance of its action in the last century. The Committee did not feel itself at liberty to enter 493 into that most important part of the subject, namely, whether there should be introduced into Covocation the lay element, so as to make that body a representation not of the clergy only, but of the laity, or rather of the Church of England at large. A great complaint was made that Convocation, as at present constituted, was not a fair or adequate representation even of the clergy, and therefore, whilst fully sensible of the vital importance of the question affecting the representation of the laity, the Committee felt that it was one that ought to be determined by Convocation in its reformed or remodelled state, should it hereafter be allowed to meet. The next Report, included in his present Motion, touched also upon a most important and difficult question—the modification of the rules and ordinances of the Church, so as to enable her to extend her boundaries, and to minister more efficaciously and effectually to the spiritual wants of our growing and ever increasing population. He would not now enter into the recommendations of this Report, but he was bound to say that they had all been agreed upon by the Committee of both Houses of Convocation, consisting of men of different shades of opinion in ecclesiastical matters, with something very nearly approaching to perfect unanimity — certainly there was not one point of vital importance on which there was the least divergence of sentiment. The discussions —amicable conversations they ought rather to be called—were, in fact, carried on in a manner that afforded a very hopeful augury for the future; and that ought to go far towards mitigating, if it did not entirely remove, the apprehensions which many serious and well-intentioned persons entertained of the danger that was likely to result from the revival of the synodal action of Convocation. Not a single expression had fallen from any one member of the Committee that could give ground for apprehending the recurrence of anything like polemical controversies. The members of both Houses had reason to be grateful to the most rev. Prelate for the patience with which he had listened to them, and for the impartiality he had displayed—for the most rev. Prelate, if he had been favourable to the revival of the synodal action of Convocation, could not possibly have acted with more fairness. If Her Majesty should be graciously pleased, with certain restrictions and limitations, to revive the synodal action of Convocation, 494 the repetition of the scenes which led to its suspension in the last century would be effectually avoided; and if at any time any member of either House transgressed the bounds of propriety, or forgot the restrictions imposed by the Queen's writ, Her Majesty, as the head of the Church, could put a stop to any irregular proceedings, by the exercise of her Royal prerogative, in proroguing. He rejoiced that the acrimonious feelings which formerly prevailed had been gradually disappearing; and he hoped that at no very distant day the Church of England would again be allowed to enjoy the privilege which was enjoyed by every Christian Church but itself, and be enabled to meet in synod for the regulation of its own concerns. While the Scotch Presbyterian Church, the various Dissenting bodies, and foreign Protestant Churches, had such a power, the Church of England alone was debarred of that which he considered to be essentially necessary to her well-being; and he must repeat his hope that the tone, temper, and universal harmony which prevailed at the recent meetings of Convocation to which he had referred, would have the effect of disabusing the minds of those who had hitherto been led to look with disfavour upon the restoration of the Church's privilege of synodal action. The right rev. Prelate concluded by moving an Address for—
Copies of the Three Reports made to the Convocation of the Province of Canterbury by Committees of the Upper and Lower House upon Clergy Discipline, the Changes required in the present Constitution of Convocation, and Church Extension.Motion agreed to.