Clerical etiquette in London seems to be somewhat strict. Mr.
A. S. Herring, Incumbent of St. Paul's, Clerkenwell, in the ex- citement produced by the suffering in Clerkenwell, appealed to the public through the Times, and obtained a large subscription for their relief. Thereupon Mr. Maguire, Incumbent of Clerken- well, writes to the Times that "All the locality affected by the explo- sion is in my parish," and that Mr. Herring " has plainly ex- ceeded the bounds of both duty and necessity " in trying to aid the poor people. However,, as Mr. Herring "regrets having in- terfered," Mr. Maguire pardons him for his benevolence, which seems a little hard. Does Mr. Maguire, like Sir R. Knightly, regard a parish as a " natural " division of the soil, or does he think charity ought to be always previously tested by the theodolite to see that it is quite genuine ? Only fancy St. Paul wigging St. Peter for impertinence in helping some of his suffering brethren ! Mr. Maguire does not indeed say, " I am of Paul, and Herring of Apollos !" but this parcelling of the kingdom of heaven like a dissected map is nearly as bad. Mr. Maguire, we must add, has exerted himself most strenuously for the sufferers.
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