The Bishop of Lichfield in his presidential address alluded in
feeling terms to the death of Archdeacon Emery, the founder of the Congress, and dwelt on the need of dividing the diocese. Turning to questions affecting the Church as a whole, he contended that if the Church were to be in harmony with progress, liberty, and knowledge we must look to the extension rather than the limitation of lay co-operation. _ In regard to social reform he held, with Robertson of Brighton, that Christianity was not sent into the world " to establish monarchy or secure the franchise; to establish Socialism or to frown it into annihilation ; but to establish a charity and a, moderation and a sense of duty and a love of right which will modify human life according to any circumstances that can
possibly arise." In the discussion on Poor Law problem the Dean of St. Paul's delivered a striking address, giving his reasons why the Church ought to support well-considered measures to check the degeneration of the race—amongst which he included the segregation of the mentally deficient in industrial colonies.
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