Untitled - Electric Scotland

1866-68] A CONVOCATION COMMITTEE 393
difficult conjunctures he had to deal with ; and therefore,
if it
should appear that any phrases in this resolution are stronger
than would naturally have been used by me as conveying my
known opinions, I beg it to be understood that I concur in
the general expressions of admiration for that courage and good
ness,
acts.
whilst
. . .
1 reserve
We are,
to myself the right of criticising
and have been always, anxious
such
that
these difficulties should be settled, but we feel they are so great
that a rash step would do more harm than it would possibly do
good. These difficulties are, as has been stated by the Bishop
of Oxford, even connected with the canonicity of the proceedings
themselves ; they are also complicated by being mixed up with
a number of legal constitutional questions. We, of course, are
bound by our office, even more than the members of the Lower
House, to weigh
steps which shall in any way conflict either with the law of the
all these difficulties. Wre
are bound not to take
Church or that of the State. . . . Therefore that slowness which
the outer world has been disposed to interpret as marking a want
of sufficient care and anxiety on this matter, has really arisen
from the greatness of our desire to take no wrong step on a
matter of such importance to the interests of the Church." l
The Committee was appointed, with the Bishop of
London as its Chairman. On June 3Oth, 1868, the Com
mittee presented a report, which concluded as follows :
"
With regard, however, to the whole case, with its extreme
difficulty, the various complications, the grave doubts in reference
to points of law yet unsettled, and the apparent impossibility of
any other mode of action, we are of opinion (i) That substan
tial justice was done to the accused ; (2) That, though the
sentence, having been pronounced by
a tribunal not acknow
ledged by the Queen s Courts, whether civil or ecclesiastical, can
claim no legal effect, the Church as a spiritual body may rightly
accept its validity."
Bishop Tait dissented from this conclusion, and pre
sented a separate report.
"
Independently," it said,
"
of my views as to the general
1 See Chronicle of Convocation, Feb. 21, 1868, p. 1295.