The clergy have, we think, some grounds for their new
grievance against the Government, which was the subject of discussion in the Upper House of Convocation on Thursday. They are as dependent upon agricultural prices as the farmers, and they are notoriously suffering as much hardship, yet they are excluded from the Rating Bill. That is very bard lines. The matter was brought before Sir Michael Hicks- Beach by the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Bishop of London, and the Ecclesiastical Commission, and the Chancellor of the Exchequer substantially admitted the justice of the complaint. He said, however, that be could do nothing until the general reform of the rates, when the position of the clergy would be carefully considered. As a matter of fact, we presume the Government were unwilling to increase the difficulties in the way of their Bill by stirring-up the question of tithe, upon which we fancy many of their own supporters are not com- pletely "sound." At least we begin to hear landlords ask why they, and they alone, should be compelled to pay the stipends of the clergy ? They know why well enough, and in cooler moments will admit that they obtained their pro- perties subject to that burden, but they do not for that reason feel that it has no weight.
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