The Upper House of Convocation is still in a very
helpless -state of mind about the diocese of Natal. The Bishop of Oxford proposed yesterday week a resolution to the effect that " in the judgment of this House, the acceptance of a new bishop does not impair the connection or alter the relations existing between the members of the Church in the province of Natal and the 'Church of England, provided (1) that the bishop be canonically consecrated according to the use of the Church of England, and (2) that there be no invasion of the title- of the Bishop of Natal conveyed by Her Majesty's letters patent." This resolution was carried by 6 to 4, the Bishops of London and St. David's vigorously resisting it, — after which the worthy but weak Archbishop of Canterbury said " he did not think the resolu- tion an encouragement to the Church of South Africa to appoint anew bishop ; if he had interpreted it in that way, he could not have supported it." How does his Grace think that the Bishop of Oxford, who represented the Dean of Maritzburg's party, viewed it? The Archbishop votes for a resolution which, in answer to an eager question as to whether the questioner might do so and so, replies, " If you do, I shall like you as well as ever," and he does not think this any encouragement to act in the manner proposed. If that were the answer to a request, let us say for a kiss, would the Archbishop have thought the young lady so replying encourag- ing or not? But then, of course,. Archbishops do not think of matters so profane.
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