Lord Shaftesbury has so far left the Bishops "a discretion"
in relation to the Public Worship Regulation Bill, that he allows them to decide any issues on which both parties agree to abide by his decision without appeal, only providing that any decision arrived at by the Bishop shall not be held to determine any question of law so that it might not be revived again. Also, if the Bishop declines to receive a complaint, he must state his reasons in writing to the complainant, and an appeal is then per- mitted. Security for costs to the amount of £100 are to be given before an appeal to the judge is allowed, the intention being apparently to weight the recourse to a proper legal tribunal with heavy costs, and so to encourage the disposition to abide by the Bishop's discretion. The effect of that provision will be, we fear, to give the rich the means of securing a legal judgment, and to leave the poor in the hands of the Bishop,—not, on the whole, a "happy thought." Laymen with means are sure to manipulate the simple equation, Judge's discretion —x = Bishop's discretion, in other words, x = Judge's discretion — Bishop's discretion, by suggesting a value for x very much higher than 1100 ;—so that if they can secure the value of that difference for only 1100, they will think it an excellent bargain.-
