A NATIONAL VALHALLA.
[To Tar EDITOR or THE " SPECTATOR:] Sra,—A short time ago .I read in the Spectator an appreciative notice of the late William Booth. Are we to take it that this and similar notices in other periodicals are a sufficient testi- monial to the devoted labours of this great Christian P ei; • Tog Oaartos ms Taxeld T13 BpoTois xdpis
Surely William Booth deserved at least a commemorative tablet in Westminster Abbey, if we are to be reminded there of the great men of our country. And yet, unless this pro. posal is taken up by the laity, it will not be accomplished. It was pitiful to read in some Church papers, at the time of William Booth's death, a laboured recognition of his work for Christ, and then, at the end of the notice, a reminder of how he had offended against ecclesiastical etiquette and tradition!
When one wanders through Westminster Abbey and thinks over the lives and actions of the men whose names are there commemorated, one cannot at the same time help thinking of other names which, though they surely deserved it, meet with no mention. I hope that it was through an oversight on my part that I failed to see the name of Florence Nightingale when I was there a short time ago. On the other hand, I saw recorded there the name of a man who devoted his life to petty party politics, even to the narrowing of his patriotism. I heard, too, a joke passing between two men while they 'surveyed his memorial and made some reference to Guy Fawkes !
The Church of England would best meet the evil cry of Disestablishment by showing a spirit more national in its interests, less narrow in its limitations. Cannot a few Churchmen be found to propose that. the allotment of memorials in Westminster Abbey be placed in the hands of a carefully chosen. committee ? It would be futile to raise this proposition in Convocation, which, with its overwhelming majority of dignitaries, would be quick to resent any sug- gested infringement of the "rights" (in Christ's church !) of a high ecclesiastical functionary. It would be fatal to make it a party question in Parliament. —I am, Sir, &c., .
[We'bold that the inestimable honour of burial one. moun-
t relent in Westminster Abbey should be bestowed on the widest national grounds, and that the question of Churchmanship or Nonconformity should not be considered. But it is on these wide and comprehensive lines that, in our opinion, the Dean and -Chapter act. They act, that is, with a full sense that they are trustees for the nation as a whole, and give their decisions accordingly. We cannot imagine a committee which would be better qualified or likely to give better decisions or make fewer mistakes than they do.—En. Spectator.]
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