28 MAY 1870, Page 2

Mr. Watkin Williams moved on Tuesday night a resolution in

favour of the Disestablishment of the Church in Wales. He based his case, not on the alien character of the Church, but, on the Fontrary, on its ill-success as an establishment in Wales in spite of its being regarded with considerable honour and reverence. He maintained that this was due chiefly to the fact of Establishment, to which Welsh Christianity has always been bitterly averse, and he showed by elaborate statistics how rapidly the influence of the Church has fallen off during this century and that of the Dis- senters has gained ground. Between 1801 and 1851 the popula- tion in North Wales had increased 63 per cent., while the number of Church sittings had relatively decreased 72 per cent., and that of Nonconformist sittings had relatively increased 960 per cent. Mr. Gladstone admitted this, but referred it to the unwise Church policy pursued towards Wales in promoting clergymen and, bishops who do not understand Welsh, and in discouraging Welsh services, and formerly even the translation of the Scriptures into Welsh. Mr. Gladstone ridiculed the notion of piecemeal disestablish-

ment, contended that the real question at issue was the disestablish- merit d the Church not of Wales, but of England, and added with emphasis, We are not prepared to enter on any crusade for that `purpose, and we cannot go in that direction.. ...We do not intend to do so. We deprecate it, and .should regard it as a national mischief." That is satisfactery, and it would be still more so, if the Government would seriously undertake before long to carry a popular reform of the National Church, so as to avert even the cry for disestablishment.