The Bishop of Capetown has been deterred by the protest
of the Bishop of Loudon, and by a further protest written by the Archbishop of York, against proceeding with the consecration of Mr. Macrorie as schismatic Bishop of Natal. Indeed, it appears that his consecration was never intended in any English diocese, as it was thought that a legal question might be raised under the statute referred to by the Bishop of London. The proposal was to have this slightly questionable consecration,—like the question- able marriages of old days,—performed in Scotland, and the Primus AA the Scotch Bishops were assembled together to deliberate on the proposal on Thursday, at the Bishop of St. Andrew's, Perth,—when a telegram from Bishop Gray, who appears to be at length either staggered, or held back by more
prudent men, advised the episcopal conspirators to delay. The most extraordinary part in the whole matter has been acted by his Grace the Archbishop of Canterbury, who, in his place in Convocation, expressed his strong disapproval of the proposal to consecrate a new Bishop for Natal ; but who has since been won over by Dr. Gray and Dr. Selwyn into various words of sanction, and even a private reply to the Primus of the Scotch Episcopal Church that he "saw no objection to the consecration taking place in Scotland, in accordance with the request of the South African Bishops." But he, too, now recommends delay. It is evident that all parties attach the greatest importance to the decision of the Archbishop, or rather to his indecision. If consecra- tion can make the judgment of a weak, amiable man who does not know his own mind for many months together, a matter of high import, it is a pity that the same ceremony does not make it also a little more decided.
