The new Vice-Chancellor of Oxford, the Reverend Dr. Gilbert, was
duly installed into office on Saturday.
The precedence of title in the united diocese of Bristol and Glou- cester has been settled in the most fair and impartial manner; viz. the Bishopric of Gloucester is to take precedence, being nine months the more ancient see. The arms of the two sees are to be borne per pall on the same shield.—Burrow's Worcester Journal.
During the recent progress of Bishop Phillpotts through Cornwall, a circumstance occurred at St. Ives, which has occasioned a very strong sensation in that town. It seems that the curacy of St. Ives has for
the last three years been served by the Reverend J. Malkin, a gentle- man of highly-respectable character. But, notwithstanding the gam- rai propriety of his conduct, secret slander worked its loathsome course, in the shape of a private charge to the Bishop ; and ort Mr. Malkin proceeding to meet the Reverend Prelate, as was his duty, at Lelart,
his Lordship told him he had some serious charges to make against him; and of these a most important one was, that he, the curate, was in the " habit of attending a conventicle." To this the curate replied, that he had not been to a conventicle for the last two years. His Lordship then said, he had been informed that his wife and family went to these places. The curate rejoined, that he could not dictate to his wife, or
prevent her attending occasionally a Methodist meeting, if she felt in- clined so to do. Dr. Phillpotts then expressed himself to this effect : " If you cannot command your wife and family, Sir, not to visit such places, you arc not fit to be a minister of the Establishment." The curate thus publicly addressed by his diocesan, with the honest indig- nation of a liberal and conscientious mind, said, " My Lord, I received
this gown from your Lordship's hands, and I now return it to you
without a blemish." The inhabitants of St. has have subscribed for a handsome piece of plate, of the value of forty-five guineas, to the curate ; and a deputation waited upon the Bishop with an address, signed by several hundred persons, praying that Mr. Malkin might be restored to their church. The Bishop received them in his courtier- like manner, but refused the prayer of their petition. The whole business has since been submitted to Lord John Russell, where it at present rests. In the mean time, we cannot help calling the recollec- tion of our readers to the fact, that Dr. Phillpotts on his last visit to this county, in his charge, publicly invited the Methodists to commune with the Church, to unite their flocks, and become parts and parcels of one religious union.—Felniouth Packet. [The Standard is in the habit of claiming the Methodists as virtual members of the Church : how does it reconcile the conduct of Dr. Phillpotts in the affair above- mentioned with this notion ? It seems that one of the Standard's favourite Bishops denounces a clergyman whose wife goes to a Metho- dist chapel,] It was mentioned lately that a Church-rate had been refused at Tiverton; but it appears that the Church-party, not content with the declared state of the poll, demanded a scrutiny ; the result of which is the increase of the majority against the rate by seven votes.
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