20 AUGUST 1887, Page 2

On Thursday evening, Mr. W. H. Smith announced in the.

House of Commons that the Government, while recognising the importance of the measure, had been compelled to abandon the Tithes Bill. We cannot help again expressing our extreme regret that this course should have been found necessary. The spread of the tithe agitation In Wales renders legislation on the subject of the very greatest moment. No doubt the Bill will be passed next Session ; but before that time the Government will have been forced to deal at a disadvantage with a very delicate and difficult problem, that would have been completely set at rest by the passing of the Bill. Much as we approve of the Allotments Bill, it would have been better to have sacrificed that measure rather than the Tithes Bill.