The debate on Dr. Cameron's motion for the-Disestablishment of the
Scotch Church resulted in a very large majority against Dr. Cameron, the English Disestablishers being apparently
unwilling to meddle in so thorny a question as that affecting the relative rights of the three Presbyterian Churches of Scotland in the scanty revenues of the Scotch Establishment. Dr. Cameron's resolution was rejected by 237 votes-against 125 ; majority, 112. Mr. Gladstone spoke towards the close of the debate, and de- clined to vote either for- Dr. Cameron's resolution or for Sir D. Carrie's amendment —for Dr. Cameron because Mr. Gladstone was not anxious to dictate to Scotland what the Scotch ought to do in relation to the Church Establishment, and for Sir 1). Currie because his amendment seemed to imply that the wishes of the people of Scotland could not be expressed by the votes of the Scotch Members on this very motion, whereas Mr. Gladstone maintained that the Scotch votes on Dr. Cameron's motion might at least contribute to the elucidation of the question as to the drift of the wishes of the Scotch constituencies. Altogether, the debate, which was not nearly so good as that upon Mr. Finlay's Bill, appeared to prove, first, that the Scotch Members themselves are by no means very certain as to the balance of opinion in Scotland ; and next, that English Disestablishers are disinclined to entangle the. English question with the Scotch.
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