On Tuesday also Mr. Leatham brought in his resolution against
the simoniacal evasions of the law of the Church in rela- tion to the purchase and sale of benefices, and illustrated the evils arising from these evasions by the evidence recently taken before the Royal Commission. In the discussion which followed, Mr. Gladstone pointed out that the true way to deal with the evil was to consider some measure like that which Mr. Stanhope has brought in, and held that if only the clause prohibiting the .sale of " next presentations " should be passed, a very great sshange for the better would have been made. And that was the view taken by the House generally. We must say, how- ever, that/though it would clearly he a step in the right 41irectionp/to which we should give our hearty support, it would be a very short step indeed. The sale of the advowson itself often tends to precisely the same class of evils ; and what is really wanted is the transformation of the private patron into
a chief trustee, who should be conjoined. with other trustees, to prevent any abuse of his trust. If we are to take a step for- wards, why not take one long enough to extricate us from the mire
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