The session of the Church Congress began at Rhyl on
Tuesday. We have discussed at length elsewhere the facts set forth by the Bishop of St. Asaph as to the comparative numbers of Church-people and Nonconformists in Wales, but must note here the truly astonishing letter addressed by Mr. Gladstone to the Bishop on this subject. The Bishop pointed out to Mr. Gladstone that, taking the Nonconformists' own figures, they do not number more than 46 per cent. of the population, and asked him how it was possible to reconcile this with his statement that "the Nonconformists of Wales are the people of Wales." To this, Mr. Gladstone in effect replied by saying that 20 per cent, must be taken off the 54 per cent. assumed by the Bishop to be Church-people and not Nonconformists, because of the Welsh population, 20 per cent., or one-fifth, belong to "the classes." If this deduction is made, the Nonconformist portion of the population
of Wales becomes 55 per cent., instead of 46 per cent. In case our readers may disbelieve that Mr. Gladstone could possibly have written thus, we quote his actual words. After declaring that he cannot recede from the statement challenged by the Bishop, when that statement is "considered as a broad and large statement of a substantial truth," he proceeds :—" I had already drawn a distinction between the many and the few,' a phrase perhaps less invidious than that of the classes and the masses. Among the few, I understand the Church largely to preponderate. If I estimate the 'classes' at 1-5 of the population. the per-centage becomes (for the masses or the people ') 46-80 or 55-100." Here is a denial of equal. rights with a vengeance. Rich and poor are not to be treated alike, but the opinion of the masses alone is to count, on a matter which concerns the rich quite as much as the poor. As a matter of fact, there are a very large number of well-to- do Nonconformists in Wales ; but even if Mr. Gladstone were right in his facts, his principle of excluding the voice of 20 per cent. of the population because they happen to be rich, would remain the most marvellous piece of practical politics since the days of Robespierre. He can hardly think that the well- to-do have no souls ?
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