THE NEW BISHOP.

Timaru Herald, Volume XLIII, Issue 3966, 24 June 1887, Page 4

THE NEW BISHOP.

The new Anglican Bishop of Melbourne seems to have put his foot m it pretty considerably. A section of the educationists of Victoria have been successful m keeping off the Council of the Melbourne University Dr Hearn and other professora, on the ground that, being financially interested, they ought not to be on the governing body ; and, the opinion being largely expressed that it is equally undesirable that heads of colleges aid schoolmasters, whose professional succef.a is dependent on the standard (if examination and the nature of examinations prescribed, should be represented, Dr Leeper (Warden of Trinity College) recently resigned his seat as a life member of the Senate. "What has concerned the public " (writes the Sydney Morning Herald's Melbourne correspondent^ " about this matter is the alliance of Bishop Goe with a section of the Presbyterians, and the unaccountable vacillation he has shown. Before Dr Leeper resigned he called on the Bishop, explained to him the reason of his resignation, and advised him to steer clear of party feeling. It was understood that Dr Goe would decline to be nominated at this early period of his career m the colonies. After a week's interviewing, however, Dr Morrison (Scots' College) and his friends succeeded m inducing him to change his mind, and his candidature was publicly annonnced. The comments of the Daily Press warned him of the false position m which he had allowedhimself to be placed m coming forward as the nominee of a party, and m a cause from which only the influence of his high office could avert defeat. On making this discovery he at once withdrew from the contest. But m the same afternoon of the withdrawal the announcement of the candidature was continued, with the addition that the question of the position of teachers was not intended to be raised. The Bishop, however,is still the nominee of the schoolmasters. After his withdrawal it was Dr Morrison, Dr Efearn (who is pining to regain his influence m the Council), and Mr Way (of the Wosleyan Grammar School), who induced him to come forward for the second time. They continued to do this by skillfully appealing to the Bishop's denominational sentiments. It was represented at first that he had to oppose a Eoraan Catholic conspiracy m the Senate, and when this clumsy fiction was exposed he was informed that hiß opponent was a Freethinker. This deliberate untruth seems to have prevailed, and the Bishop apparently believes that ho is fighting the battles of religion m some way or other that he does not quite understand. The facts, however, which have come before the public, have widely damaged his influenci;, reputation and preatigo. By espousing tho cause of a party and by allowing himself to bo dragged into it for a second time against his own inclination, he has lost ground which it will take him long to recover. Unlike Dr Moorhouse, he can be made to yield to pressure." It is rery doubtful if the new French explosive, melinite, which has been adopted m France, is not likely to be more dangerous to themselves than to their enemies. f Xhe disastrous explosion of a charged shell, which occurred at Belfort, is said to havo been occasioned by chemical action being set up inside the shell, owing to tho interior of tho Bhell not having been thoroughly dried. Tho ordor has since gone forth for the destruction of all shells charged with melinite. It is known how liablo all chemical explosives aro liable to bo effected by damp. One he;tra occasionally of fjuns being ripped m Englo.id by nitrous powders, and it is bolieved tlint nitrous powders which have become damp and have dried again, acquire quite a different explosive force to that thoy had before.