On the debate of Monday night, which closed with the
first reading of the Welsh Church Disestablishment Bill,—no- division being challenged,—we have commented at some length elsewhere. Mr. Lloyd George's vehement speech did his cause nothing but harm; while Mr. Balfour's and Mr._ Jebb's extremely temperate and very wise speeches presented a very striking contrast to the rash and angry tone of the- Welsh Radical. Mr. Bryce's defence of the Bill can hardly- have been to Mr. Lloyd George's liking. It was, as usual with- Mr. Bryce, sober and reasonable in tone. But, curiously enough, he assumed that because the Church of Ireland had grown and prospered under Disestablishment and a very liberal Disendowment scheme, the Church of Wales would grow and prosper under Disestablishment and a most parsimonious. Disendowment scheme, which gives no help to the formation of a Church fund, and deprives all those curates who are not- paid by the Ecclesiastical Commissioners, of every shilling of compensation. For the general principle of Disestablish- ment, Mr. Bryce made no defence at all. He assumed that as self-evident.
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