*THE ARCHBISHOP of CANTERBURYMy Lords, I beg leave to move the Second Reading of the Suffragan Bishops Bill. The old Act governing the appointment of Suffragan Bishops is the 26 Henry VIII., c. 14. In that Act it is provided that any bishop having a diocese in England may select two spiritual persons, and submit their names to the Crown, and authority is then given to the Crown to choose one of these two persons, and to give to the one so chosen the style, title, and dignity of Bishop of a See, chosen out of the list which is contained in the Act. Having done this, the Act goes on to direct that—
The King's Majesty shall present every such person by his Letters Patent under his Great Seal to the Archbishop, signifying and declaring by the said Letters Patent the name of the person presented, and the style and title of dignity of the bishopric whereunto he shall be nominated, requiring the same Archbishop to whom such Letters Patent shall be directed to consecrate the said person.It has been accordingly interpreted that it is not possible for the Crown to give the rank, title, style, and dignity of Suffragan Bishop to anyone who is a bishop already, because being a bishop already, it is impossible to issue letters patent requiring that the person shall be consecrated. He is consecrated, being a bishop, and cannot be consecrated again. This is obviously nothing more than a legal technicality. It is not my business to go into it further. I am content to accept that this must be taken to be the meaning of the old Act, but it is evidently quite an unnecessary restriction. There is no reason whatever why a man who is a bishop already, should not, if he is a fit person for it, be chosen to be a Suffragan Bishop. There is no reason why a bishop in one of the Colonial churches should not come to England, and be a Suffragan Bishop in one of the English dioceses. There are several precedents for bringing home Bishops from the Colonies, and putting them into Sees here in England, and there is no reason why there should be the power of doing that, and yet no power of bringing them home and appointing them Suffragan Bishops. It is very often very convenient to select a man who has been a bishop 1358 already. In many cases he knows more about the work he will have to do, and that is a great advantage in choosing him. It is of real value in the present day to bind Colonial Churches with the Churches at home as closely as possible. No one can help feeling that whatever tends towards the unity of the Empire is a thing to be very much desired on all accounts, and the unity of the Church of England is a very strong link to bind the Colonies to the unity of the whole Empire; and I think, therefore, that, on the ground of principle, there can be no objection to this short Bill which I have now introduced. The operative clause in the Act is simply this, that—Notwithstanding anything contained in the Act passed in the twenty-sixth year of King Henry the Eighth 'for nomination and consecration of suffragans within this realm,' it shall be lawful to nominate, present, and appoint as suffragan bishop a person already consecrated as a bishop, and in that case the letters patent presenting him shall not require his consecration.My Lords, I now move the Second Reading of this Bill.
§ Read a second time.