Untitled - Electric Scotland

LIFE OF ARCHBISHOP TAIT [CH. xiv.
closing warm discussion. It was late on the fourth day, and
thanks were expressed (I think by the Archbishop of Armagh)
for the tone which had animated the meeting, and every one
seemed pleased. New Zealand rose to second the resolution of
Armagh, and to our surprise poured forth his regrets and dis
approval in a way that shocked us. He spoke bitterly of Stanley
having declined to give the Abbey, reproached the Established
Church for trusting to an arm of flesh, and altogether spoke in
such a spirit holding up his Colonial Church as our modelthat
I could not contain myself, and spoke in severe rebuke, and
think I expressed myself as I ought. I believe the meeting
generally approved. Wordsworth of St. Andrews fully indorsed
what I said of the Established Church, and Oxford made an
apologetic speech for New Zealand.
" Thus far all had gone well. There had been ebullitions, but
the general tone was good. It was late on the fourth day the
time when we were all expected at St. James s Hall for the great
S. P. G. meeting was long past; some, as the Archbishop of Dublin,
had left when the Bishop of Capetown suddenly proposed
that the Conference should adopt the resolution of Convocation
respecting Natal. The greatest confusion ensued. He declared
that he would resign his Bishopric unless his proposal was
adopted. No one knew what the resolution which he proposed
we should adopt was. It was with great difficulty that we could
get what he wanted read. I got from him the Chronicle of Con
vocation, from which he was reading, and found that he had
omitted the first clause of a hypothetical sentence If it be
decided that a new Bishop for Natal should be consecrated. I
insisted on these words being inserted. A vote was hurried
on, and began to be taken. The Bishop of Winchester moved
that the subject be referred to the committee on the Natal
question. Capetown s friends became greatly excited. Oxford
protested that the question had been put, and that it was not
competent now to introduce an amendment. Capetown tried to
get both the resolutions passed by Convocation adopted by us.
The Archbishop (who ought, after his previous decision, to have
prevented this new question from being raised at the last
moment) thought that the Bishop of Winchester s amendment
was too late and could not be put. I besought them not to
carry so important a resolution by a ruse, but in vain.
"
Then Gloucester (our admirable Secretary) insisted that the