On Wednesday the Government assented to the second reading of
Mr. Hayes Fisher's Church Patronage Bill, the object of which is to give the Bishops of the Church more power to refuse to allow unfit presentations to livings, and to remove incumbents who are not doing their duty properly to their parish. The bitter Nonconformists opposed the Bill because they disliked to give any power to the Bishops to reform the Church without abolishing the Establishment ; while other Radicals objected to any interference of the spiritual rulers with the laity of the Church. The second reading was, nevertheless, carried by a majority of 61 (179 to 118) to the great disgust of that party in the State which is now moving heaven and earth to obtain the right of the congregations to elect their own clergy. That is a system which has been tried on several Church of England livings, and almost always with the worst results. Congre- gationalism suits an Episcopal Church about as well as the election of officers by the regiment snits the discipline of an army.
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