A very important little debate took place on Monday in
the House of Lords, on the subject of Mies Burdett Coutta's petition that the money she has given to our Colonial Churches, 17,500/. for the Bishopric of Capetown, 17,500/. for Adelaide, Australia, 15,0001. for British Columbia, 10,000/. for archdeacons in the same colony—in all 60,0001., shall be devoted to the purpose for which it was given,—namely, the support of churches in those colonies subject to the discipline of the National Church and to the supremacy of the Queen, and not to free churches governed by ecclesiastics without appeal to the tribunals of this country. The Bishop of London was heartily in favour ,of legalizing a connection between any Colonial Church which chooses still to belong to the Church at home, and that Church ; and he stated that theChurch Missionary Society is also veryfavour- able to this course. He pointed out that the new questions which have arisen with respect to bishoprics patented since a free legis- lature has been given to the colonies in which they were created, are after all not more than 18 out of 40, and in the other 22 the bishoprics are still perfectly valid. Earl Grey and Lord Houghton took gene- rally the same line. The Bishop of Oxford of course regarded any imposition of the authority of our tribunals on the Colonial Churches as mere imposition of moral "fetters," and Earl Russell was in the highest degree reserved, talking round the matter and expressing no opinion. The Archbishop of York gave notice that he would move for a select committee to consider the connection between the Colonial Churches and the Church at home, and would move the reference of Miss Burdett Coutts's peti- tion to that committee, and this course will probably be agreed to.
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