THE BURIALS BILL
[TO THE EDITOR OF THE "SPECTATOR.")
Sin,—Your correspondent, "J. C. W." and other friends of Mr. Osborne Morgan's Bill seem very anxious to "point to Scotland, for proof of the fact that the absence of the English re- strictions does not lead to objectionable occurrences at funerals."
It is a strange argument that because a Presbyterian people, who are not in the habit of having any service at the grave at all, do not find any inconvenience in their practice, therefore no in- convenience is likely to arise among a people who are not Presby- terians from allowing Dissenters, who avowedly wish for services at the grave, to hold them in their own fashion in the parish churchyard. If English Dissenters would be satisfied with what satisfies all Scotch Presbyterians—silent burials—terms could easily be arranged. But it is another thing to claim the Church- yards for services not sanctioned by the Church. As a matter of fact, I believe "the English restrictions" do prevail in Scotland in the only parallel cases,—where there is a graveyard attached to a chapel of the Episcopal Communion. And I venture, for my own part, to think those restrictions most reasonable, both there and here.-1 am, Sir, &c., 78 Delancey Street, IV. W., May 4th. JAMES GAIRDNER.
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