Thai House of Lords has approved the new Union of
Benefices and Disposal of Churches (Metropolis) Bill, as received from the Church Assembly. The purport of the Bill as described in the first half of the title was scarcely discussed, and is presumably accepted as reason- able. As was to be expected, the clauses dealing with the sale of the sites of city churches aroused the old oppo- sition. It is curious to find the Ecclesiastical Authorities urging the practical (by no means purely materialist) view, while. the " City " takes up the fight for sentiment and ideals. Little was said about the use of consecrated ground or the desecration of graves. Lord Marshall made more of the right of the citizens to keep what their predecessors had paid for in the days of Wren, and Lord Crawford urged the artistic and historic value of what might be thrown away. There is hardly a street in the city which does not change its aspect almost from day to day : these churches almost alone record the permanence of London. The Bishop of London pleaded that he and his Successors would be hampered at every turn if they tried iconoclasm, and certainly the number of people to be persuaded would alarm most Bishops who. sought powers under the Bill. But the far-reaching recommen. dations of Lord Phillimore's Committee are still regarded as in enaces.
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