In our first leading article we have written about the
astonishing debate on the Prayer Book Measure in the House of Commons on Thursday, December 15th. We have pointed out that the wholly unexpected rejection of the Measure was brought about by the votes of members representing Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland. There was an actual English majority for the Measure. It may be said that the discounting of . votes which did not represent English constituencies but defeated the Measure is a merely particularist or separatist argu- ment. We must admit a certain logic in that objection. Since the King and Parliament are the acknowledged heads of the Church of England, all members of Parliament have an equal right to bestow their votes as they please. And it is true that an Established National Church must, in theory, be co-extensive with the nation or lose its right to be established. Yet it must be remembered that there is an Established Church in Scotland which comes to Parliament for various sanctions, and members for English constituencies never impose a veto.
