THE BISHOP OF OXFORD.
Oxford, 19th October 1852. Snc—I should have been content to leave unnoticed the objection of your correspondent "Q." to an expression in my former letter, had his own ver- sion of the story been, as you believe it to be, "strictly accurate." But, appealing as he also does to the authority of those who were present at the meeting in question, I must still contend that both you and your corre- spondent are mistaken in saying that the Bishop advised his friends "to support Lord Derby," or that he "recommended him as a Protectionist" at all. The only advice given by his Lordship was, as I understood from those who were present at the meeting, that a certain other candidate should not be brought forward in opposition to Lord Derby. This advice was indeed given on a ground of expediency, but not, I must beg leave to repeat, "on the expediency of supporting the Protectionist leader." Perhaps I should have originally added, "as a Protectionist" : but I thought my meaning was sufficiently clear; and moreover, that would have implied that the Bishop did recommend his friends to support Lord Derby ; whereas the fact was, as I understood, that he only advised them not to oppose him to no pur- pose. My only wish in alluding to that part of the subject was to defend the Bishop from a charge of inconsistency which I felt he did not deserve.
I am, Sir, your obedient servant, A RESIDENT M.A. [This ingenious defence must close the controversy. Perhaps the Bishop himself now regrets, as his friends did from the beginning, that he interfered at all.—En.]
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