There was an amusing little discussion in the Commons on
Thursday, on an important point of ecclesiastical administra- tion. Mr. Howorth thinks that Bishops should retire when they grow old, and asked Mr. Smith if he was aware that three Bishops were over eighty and two over seventy-seven, and whether he would introduce a Bill compelling them to retire. Before Mr. Smith could answer, Mr. Johnston jumped up to ask if he was "aware that the hon. Member for Midlothian was--." The Speaker, of course, cried, " Order!" and silenced Mr. Johnston ; but his intended argument was, as against Mr. Howorth, really quite complete. It was evidence that age has nothing to do with vigour. The Commons begin to show the old democratic jealousy of anybody who is inde- pendent of them. Mr. Howorth wants power to dismiss Bishops, and Mr. H. Fowler, in a subsequent debate, claimed the right to review the conduct of Judges, on the ground that they are paid out of the Estimates. We wonder if, when the Queen is eighty, a Bill will be introduced to dismiss her, as being altogether too venerable for English endurance. Observe that all this goes on while the Liberals plead Mr. Gladstone's age as a reason for following him. Mr. Smith, after laughingly declining to discuss Mr. Gladstone, said that the oldest Bishop happened to be the most active, and referred Mr. Howorth to the Act allowing Bishops to resign.
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