Lord Grey is a very able man, but there is
no man of his ability whose lead is so inauspicious ; and we hold that his usual destiny,—to initiate a thoroughly unwise movement, for which, nevertheless, many very plausible and even wise reasons can be assigned,—has attended him in the foundation of a league for the defence of the Church of England, the object of which is to urge politicians of all parties to refuse their support to any candidate who will not pledge himself "to resist the projects of the Liberationists." The friends of the Church are encouraged to "form societies in the different constituencies for the purpose of demanding from every candidate an assur- ance of loyal support to the Church of England." This appeal is signed by three Dukes,—the Dukes of Westminster, Bedford, and Somerset,—by Lord Selborne, Lord Halifax, Lord Mount- Temple, and various other Peers, and by Mr. T. Hughes, whose name is for Liberals in itself a host. There are, besides, some very ambiguous Liberals who have given in their adhesion, like Lord Fitzwilliam, Lord Fortescue, Mr. Bonverie,—who has hardly ever missed an occasion of assailing a Liberal cause for many years past,—and Mr. kf'Cullagh Torrens, who follows close in the steps of Mr. Bouverie. We have given our reasons elsewhere for thinking the whole movement a very serious mistake in the true interests of the Church. In truth, Lord Grey has followed the Tory lead in what he has done ; and the Tories, we may be sure, thought less of the Church (which, as they well know, is not yet threatened, and cannot be seriously threatened without a special dissolution ad hoc) than of the immediate exigencies of the Tory Party.
