The joint meeting of the Convocations of Canterbury and York
with the Houses of Laymen of both Provinces in Com- mittee was held on Thursday and Friday week in the Great Hall of the Church House, Westminster, under the joint presidency of the Archbishops. This meeting, as was pointed out by the Archbishop of Canterbury in his opening address, had no Con- stitutional authority whatever, and had no claim to exercise legal powers, but it was of great importance as preparing the way for a regular opportunity for the Church to express itself with one voice upon any subject which at the hour was of real moment. The first day was occupied with a debate upon the desirableness of calling together a representative Council of the Church of England. The meeting decidedthatthe creation of such a Council was desirable, but that" the question of obtaining legal constitution and authority for such a Council be reserved for consideration until after the Council has, upon a voluntary basis, come into working order " ; that in order to provide the lay element the Archbishops "should continue to
summon the Houses of Laymen pending any future legisla- tion on the subject " ; that the Council should consist of three Houses,—the Upper Houses of the present Convocations, the clergy of the Lower Houses, and the Houses of Laymen ; and that an Act of Council should require the consent of all three Houses. We agree that this Council should be seen at work before it obtains statutory powers.
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