EUROPEAN NEWS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 621, 19 May 1870, Page 3

EUROPEAN NEWS.

(From the Spectator.") Lord Carnarvon brought up the question of our relations with the American colonies. In a very temperate but telling speech he sought tQ prove that the Colonial Office, in devolving on the Government of Ottawa new and. heavy responsibilities, in witfidrawing all British- troops, and in allowing Ottawa to assume a kind of position in diplomacy— settling fishery questions, for example — is acting on a settled purpose or desire to induce the Dominion to withdraw from her connection with Great Britain. After Lord Granville had in the airiest manner denied everything, Lord Monck, late Governor- General of Canada, declared that in his opinion, as in that of the late Sir G. C. Lewis, this country would be better off without the self-governing colonies. That is an ominous speech, Sir G. 0. Lewis's writings being to a certain number of Whigs what those of the Early Fathers are to Anglicans, comments almost as sacred as their text. So also was the speech of Lord Ly veden, who, though scarcely a statesman, himself, has a trick of thinking as Whig statesmen think, and who evidently would be rejoiced by a separation. The Bishop of Exeter's speech in the Upper House of Convocation was a very manly explanation of the mistake into which he Had been betrayed when he withdrew his essay from future editions of "Essays and Reviews." He declared that he did not mean that stop either as in any way the expression of his own regret at having participated in the volume, or of blame on any of those who took part in it. He had never been responsible for anything except his own esßay, and the statement made at the beginning of the volume that great advantage was to be derived from "the free handling of religious subjects in a becoming and a reverent spirit." He intimated that for. this reverent and becoming spirit throughout the volume he did feel responsible, and that he was ready to answer for it, but as to opinions, of course he was in no way responsible except for his own. He maintained that the book had been productive of very great good, though no doubt also of evil. He maintained that it had answered its purpose in making young men feel at liberty to * express grave doubts which formerly they had suppressed at great peril to themselves. But he thought the book's work was done, and "a t^S that '■ might be allowed to Frederick Temple ~ might not therefore be allowed to the Bishop of Exeter." We confess we can't see it. It was as bad for Frederick Temple to give authority,— if he did give authority, — to any theological tenet he thought false and dangerous, as for the Bishop of Exeter. It is as harmless for the Bishop of Exeter to publish his creed within the same boards as other and very different creeds as for " Frederick Temple." After all, you can't divide a man into two. The apron and lawn sleeves may

come off " Frederick Temple," but the^ishop won't come off with them. ' Some carious statistics of the (Ecumenical Council haye been published, ftom which it would appear that of the 764 prelates in the Council, no less than 276 are Italian Bishops, though Italy represents little more than the tenth part of the populations of the Catholic world, while France has only 84 Bishops, with a Catholic population one-third as large again as Italy. The British Bishops again are 35, though representing a Catholic population not mtich more than a fifth of that of France. The purport of these statistics appears to be to discredit the Council as a representative body. But Who ever dreamt fttat §H<& SB Z™~' copcu assenuuy count ever be in oar sense of the word representative ? It is. the idea of the Eoman Episcopate Ifcat the Bishops should teach the Church, not gather tip and advocate the opinions of the flocks over which they rule. Grace is immanent,—such is the theory,— -in the sacerdotal order of the Church, and most of all, of course, in those who are set over the other priests. The supernatural element is derived from the laying-on of hands, not irom the extent of the constituency. There is no more that 28 'representative ' in the true Eoman theory of the episcopal order, than there is that is hierarchical in the notion of the House of Commons.