THE WELSH CHURCH BILL.
[To THE EDITOR OF THE "SPECTATOR." I
SIR,—Fortunately the House of Lords has thrown out the Welsh Church Bill, so that the advocates of Concurrent Endowment have an opportunity of securing further con- sideration for their project, which has already received the support of the Unionists in the House of Commons. Speaking in the Upper House on Thursday, the Bishop of St. David's said that, in his judgment, the way is open for constructive statesmanship to grasp the problem of Disestablishment in England and Wales on the lines of true national religion and of religious equality. I believe that his lordship is quite right in his opinion that if they had a poll of the people of Wales there would not be a majority for the secularization of the endowments. The Archbishop of Canterbury was too optimistic when he said that Welsh opinion is shifting and may swing right round. The number of petitioners in Wales against the Bill confirms the opinion which I expressed long ago in the Spectator that the Church is entitled to a third of the ancient endowments, apart from all endowments acquired since 1664.
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