MEETING OF CONVOCATION.

Lyttelton Times, Volume II, Issue 80, 17 July 1852, Page 4

MEETING OF CONVOCATION.

[From the " Times," February 5.]

Yesterday having been appointed for the assembling of the Convocation of the Clergy, a large number of the elected and ex officio members attended at the Jerusalem Chamber, Westminster Abbey, it having been generally believed among the members of the body and the Church that the Synod would declare its sitting en permanence.

The hour of meeting was fixed for 12 o'clock, but long before that time a very large assembly of clergymen had,taken place. A few minutes before 12 o'clock his Grace the Archbishop of Canterbury arrived at the Chamber. He was attended by Sir John Dodson, Queen's Advocate and Vicar-General of the province of Canterbury ; Mr. F. H. Dyke, her Majesty's Proctor and Principal Registrar of the province of Canterbury ; Mr. F. Kny vett, his Grace's secretary, and liis chaplains. The most rev. Prelate was attired in full archiepiscopal robes. The members of the Upper House present were—the Bishops of London, Win Chester, Oxford, Exeter, Chichester, Lichfield, and St. Asaph.

The Lower House assembled at the same hour. Among the members present were Archdeacon Denison, M.A. ; the Archdeacons of Bath, Barnstable, Bristol, Maidstone, the Revs. J. Slaney, Dr. Moore, Dr. Spry, Dr. Mill, G. E. Gillott, M.A., D. C. Majendie, R. W. Huntley, E. Goddard, J. Yardley, T. Mills, U. A. Woodgate, T. Randolph, and the Rev. J. Harding.

As soon as his Grace the Archbishop had taken the chair, the Lower House was summoned to prayers, and after the Church service had been read by the Bishop of Oxford, the Latin prayer was read by the most reverend Chairman, which having been concluded, the Lower House left and proceeded to its own chamber.

The Bishop of London said he had been deputed to present petitions from several dioceses, praying that Convocation might sit for despatch of business. His Lordship .then laid on the table seven petitions.

The Bishop of Exeter, after some prefatory remarks, presented five petitious.

The Bishop of Chichester said he had several petitions to lay before their Lordships, and as the objects of the petitioners were fully set forward in the several documents, he did not feel called upon make any observations. His Lordship then laid on the table eight petitions. The Bishop of Llandaff then presented one, the Bishop of Oxford two, and the Bishop of St. Asaph one.

While these proceedings were going on in the Upper House, nearly 30 petitions were presented by different members of the Lower House. The prayer of the petitioners was for the restoration of the synodical functions of the Church.

After all the petitions had been disposed of a very animated discussion, in which the Bishops of London, Exeter, Chichester, Winchester, St. Asaph, Oxford, and Lichfield, took part, occurred, it being suggested that ah address to the Queen, praying for license to meet for despatch of business, should be presented to her Majesty, but, after about one hour's debate, The Archbishop of Canterbury appealed to his Right Rev. brethren to forbear pressing the subject at the present moment, when so few of the Convocation properly understood its functions. However much synodical action might be desired, he (the Most Rev. Prelate) did not think that any good would accrue from petitioning her Majesty, for he felt quite certain that hi the present state of the Church, and its multitudinous divisions, the prayer would never be granted. The Very Rev. W. Rowe Lyall, D.D., Dean of Canterbury, Prolocutor of the Lower House, then appeared at the bar of the Upper House, and presented an address agreed to by the Lower House, to the effect that the House had received numerous petitions praying for the revival of Convocation. The Prolocutor in addressing the Archbishop, said that the Lower House entirely concurred in the prayer of the petitions, and he was desired by the members assembled to request that the Upper House would take the subject into its consideration.

After hearing the address read,

His Grace the Archbishop said that they would receive the address, and that it should have their best attention.

The Prolocutor and the members of the Lower House then retired from the bar, and proceeded to their own chamber, and were about to enter upon further business, when

Mr. James Barber (the apparitor of the province of Canterbury) summoned the members of the Lower House to appear before the Archbishop and the members of the Upper House, whereupon

The Prolocutor followed by the members of the Lower House, again proceeded to the bar. Upon their arrival,

The Archbishop of Canterbury commanded Mr. Francis Hart Dyke to read the followingdocument :—

" We, John Bird, by divine Providence Archbishop of Canterbury, Primate of all England, and Metropolitan, President of the present provincial Synod or Convocation of the Bishops and Clergy of the province of Canterbury, do by this present writing continue and prorogue the said Sacred Provincial Synod or Convocation, and continue, and prorogue all and singular the certificates or returns already made and delivered, and all others which have not yet been made and delivered in the same state in which they are now, until Thursday, the 19th day of August next ensuing, to a certain Upper Chamber, commonly called the Jerusalem Chamber, situate in the Deanery belonging to the Collegiate Church of St. Peter, Westminster, with further continuation and prorogation of days then following and places, if it shall be necessary to be dr. ne in this behalf.

"J, B. Cantuar."

At the reading pf this document the greatest surprise was expressed, and many of the assembled members did not hesitate to say that the proceedings were illegal, but, of course, there was no appeal.