FREE CHURCH COUNCIL

Otago Witness, Issue 2870, 17 March 1909, Page 25

FREE CHURCH COUNCIL

♦ LONDON, March 10. The Free Church Council approved 'a resolution in favour of Welsh Church Disestablishment during the present parKamentary session, and affirmed the necessity of the Free Churches continually engaging in politics. ! Dr Clifford's resolution attributing the failure of the educational concordat" to the exorbitant demands of the Anglican leaders, and, condemning the system of "contracting out,"' was carried. Only 60 delegates favoured the secular alternative. • LONDON, March 'll. ' At the F.ree ~ Church" Conference,^ the R-ev. Joseph Hocking made , a violent attack on Roman Catholicism. He alluded to the statement that there were now 131 monasteries and nunneries in Great Britain, as compared with 70 in 1851, and bitterly attacked the newspapers -on the ground that they favoured the Catholics. Tumultuous scenes . followed, owing to Mr Hooking accusing prominent Free Church politicians of opposing the proposal for a Government inquiry >into the conventual institutions in Great Britain. The Council finally decided that Mr Hocking's speech should be publi.sh&d as a pamphlet and sold broadcast for a penny.