ENGLISH NOTES.

Wellington Independent, Volume XXVI, Issue 3179, 21 April 1871, Page 3

ENGLISH NOTES.

The Bishop of St. David's created much surprise in the Upper House of Convocation yesterday afternoon by I announcing that, in consequence of the resolution which was carried by their Lordships on Wednesday, with regard to the exclusion of Unitarians, he had determined on resigning his position as one of the revising company, of which he had been the chairman. He thought that (he qualification for revision of the scriptures should be one of scholarship alone In fact it was undesirable to have all the translators of one mind in regard to doctrine. The Bishop of Gloucester and Bristol and others expressed their regret at this determination, and the Bishop of London moved a resolution tending to show that the motion of yesterday was one essentially calculated to avoid sectarianism. The Bishop of St. Duvid's was at the same time urged to withdraw his resignation, but he absolutely declined. The Bishop of London's resolution was then carried unanimously. Professor Fawcett was the only member who went into the lobby on Thurspay night in support of IVIr Taylor's motion ; and the fact of the hon. gentleman being blind, and there being no member to guide him through the passage, created some merriment. Sir Robert Peel created a bit of a sensation by some characteristic remarks He said that Mr Gladstone's speech of the other night as good as implied that the marriage of the Marquis of Lome, a member of the House of Commons, and the son of a member of the Government, had been arranged at the direct instigation and with the advice ol her Majesty's Government. With some vehemence, he declared that the marriage was an impolitic one, and that as a loyal subject of tbe Queen he did not like it. He ventured to wish the Royal Princess all happiness in her mavriago, but he was sure that the country would be of the same opinion as himself — that it was an impulitic marriage, and he for one would

infinitely have preferred to have seen the daughter of the Queen married to the son of a royal or princojy family instead of accepting the hand of the son of a member of her Majesty's Govern met upon the advice of Her Majesty's Government. Few of our readers are perhaps aware that since the discovery of the Gunpowder Plot in 1005 it has always heen the custom to search beneath the Houses of Parliament just before they are opened. This now ancient ceremony was duly performed on Thursday week by a party of her Majesty's Body Guard of Yeomen, under the command of Captain Morley, the Exon on duly, accompanied by the officials of the House, Marshalmen, &c. The procession by lantern light through the vaulted chambers, with the antique costume of the Yeomen of the Guard, had a very picturesque effect. — " Times." I have received this mysierious communication, which I do not profess to understand : — " I cannot refrain from telling you that in the respectable South London district, a house, being empty and in wretched repa ; .r, became suddenly handsomely furnished with almost now goods, and bills announcing the sale of the contents by auction, without the slightest reserve, and by order of the proprietor, were freely posted about as far as South Norwood and Croydon. VJany came from these localities. There was likewise a policeman to keep order in case the bidders should fall out. The result I need not tell you ; but the public looked at the whole proceedings with a very jealous eye, and the effect was not what the proprietor expected." Can anybody down Camberwell way throw a light on this mystery ? — " South London Press."