"AN EXPERIMENTAL SYNOD."
[TO THE EDITOR OF THE " SPECTATOR.1
SIR,—Might not the "practicable expedient" required to meet the difficulty of the franchise be found by giving a vote to every parishioner paying the voluntary Church-rate P Let there be such a rate in every parish which desires to have a parish council, and to elect delegates to represent it in the Ruri- decanal, or next superior council. Would not such a plan supply a sufficiently satisfactory solution P —I am, Sir, &c., RANDOLPH EDDOWES HEALEY. St. Thomas's Rectory, Lower Crumpeall,November 30th.
[As a positive test, it would do very well, but it must be supplemented. It would be impossible to disfranchise the poor, and again, there are a great many parishes where at present, for special reasons, no voluntary Poor-rate is raised,—other methods of raising money proving to be much more convenient. Would. such parishes consent to an inconvenient mode of raising revenue, only as an iudirect means of supplying a basis for the franchise P Even if they would, the difficulty as to the poor is a substantial difficulty.—ED. Spectator.]
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