CO885(2-3) — Page 83

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the advice and consent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons, in this present. Parlia- ment assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:

I. No statute, law, rule, usage, or other authority Indemnity to the of the United Kingdom shall extend or be con- Clergy attending

Meetings for regit- strued to prevent the Metropolitan of any province lating Ecclesiastical or the Bishop of any diocese in the Colonies of Her Affairs,

Majesty, together with his clergy, and the lay persons of such province or diocese, being members of the United Church of England and Ireland, from mecting together from time to time for the purpose at such meetings of making or entering into any such regulations. agreements, or arrangements as local circumstances shall in their judgment render necessary for the management or conduct of eccle- siastical affairs within such province or diocese: Provided always that such meetings, or the regula2 tions,' agreements, or arrangements that may be made thereat, shall not obtain any force or authority from the enactments hereby made.

CONFIDENTIAL.

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The Church Question in the Colonies.

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

Reference -

C.O.

885

2 PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC-

| COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO

Correspondence,

p. 7.

Mr. Labouchere,

ON the best consideration which I am`able to give to the grave question on which you have done me the honour of consulting with me, I am decidedly unfavourable to any measure which should tend towards dissolving the connection between Church and State in the Colonies.

It is not clear to me that the three Canadian Bishops, in terms, desire this. Their petition is, that they may be empowered "to frame rules and canons for their own guidance and governance, and See, as regards the proceed to elect their own bishops." These objects Election of Bishops, may be conceded without absolute disruption from Correspondence,

the Church and State in England. Independently of other objections, an avowed separation would give rise to very troublesome discussion and agitation in this country.

p. 11.

[The Archbishop is apparently

It is shown in the able paper, signed "H. M," page

aware of the Bill brought in in 7, that the difficulties justly complained of in the

1854. Mr. Merivale tells me

that his attention had not been Colonies may be removed by an Act empowering called to it when he wrote his the clergy and laity to meet in Synod, and détermine minute.-H. L.)

upon certain rules and regulations for the govern. ance of their church, which has at present no such settled regulations in regard to endowments, patron- age, or discipline, such regulations to be submitted to the Local Legislatures and subsequently confirmed (if approved) by Parliament, or by Her Majesty in Council. It can hardly be argued that Her Majesty's Supremacy would be thus affected, unless it should be held that any law or regulation concerning the Church must necessarily originate with Her Majesty ip person. Such a measure as I have described was In substance the measure originally sketched out in 1853, of which a draft is inclosed. It received the sanction of parties who afterwards opposed the Bill in both Houses; having been in its progress

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