POLITICAL AMENITIES.

Grey River Argus, Volume XXXII, Issue 5419, 12 February 1886, Page 4

POLITICAL AMENITIES.

[pall mall gazette.] The amenity displayed by the Venerable Archdeacon Denison, or Taunton, in relation to his political opponents, when he compared Mr Gladstone to the devil, has been carried further and improved upon by another dignitary of the Church of England. At a meeting lately held in defence of that Church in the town hall of Durham, Dr Tristram, major canon of the cathedral, told, let us hope, a not entirely sympathetic audience that whatever the burglars might be who committed the robbery at Netherby, and followed it up by murder, they were perfect saints in comparison with Mr Chamberlain. It is only right to record that to this peculiarly Christian sentiment a brother dignitary and member of the Chapter, Archdeacon Watking, gave an emphatic "No, no." The belligerent doctor, whose brain has possibly become heated by his travels in the region of the Sahara and more Eastern lands, was not, however, to be put down. " Archdeacon Watkins," said he, " shakes his head, but I say they are perfect saints." We suppose that Dr Tristram would think hanging not an inappropriate termination of the lives of the burglar-murderers, and, as he thinks their offence venial in comparison with that of Radicals, .he probably would wish to revive the obsolete punishment of hanging, drawing, and quartering to meet the exceptional case nf Mr Chamberlain and. others of the Liberal party.