The Lord Chancellor's Burials Bill passed its second read- ing
on Thursday by a majority of 25, 126 voting in favour of it, and 101 against it. The debate was in one sense a good one,—i.e., the two Archbishops and Lord Derby made admir- able speeches ; but the opposition, led by the Bishop of Lincoln, which relied a good deal on a hasty resolution passed by the Lower House of Convocation against the Bill, was ineffably weak, so weak, that answering it is like beating the air ;—there is nothing to answer. Lord Cranbrook tried, of course, to make believe that the Bill would attack the rights of property,—which are held much more sacred by the House of Lords than any religious principles,—and failed. Bishop Wordsworth said the Bill would, perhaps, prevent him from consecrating more church- yards where it was probable that the air would be disturbed by heretical and evil doctrines; but even that terrible possibility did not deter the Peers from passing the Bill. The Bishop of London had the good-sense to support it, while the Bishop of Bath and Wells gave his vote to the opposition. Lord Selborne had hardly anything to answer when he rose to reply. Not the less, there were 101 stout Peers who were "non-content."
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