ST. STEPHEN’S AND ST. GEORGE’S-IN-THE-EAST.

Mr. Danby Seymour having inquired, whether the Government intended to take any steps for the relief of parishioners from Romanising incumbents, Sir G.C.Lewis is reported to have said-

“I am not aware that it would be possible to lay down by law any such definition as the hon. gentleman points to, and the Government are not prepared to introduce any Bill such as he has described. (Hear, hear.) If he himself should with to produce a bill on tho subject, I shall be extremely delighted to find that his ingenuity has been able to frame such a measure as will draw a line between the extremely obscure limits he has pointed out. (A laugh.)”

No doubt the Home Secretary is quite right; and theological discussion in Parliament is to be deprecated. The House of Commons, open to all sects, should be influenced by none. St. Stephen’s cannot consistently legislate for St. George’s-in-the-East. Than being so, what are the parishioners of St. George’s-in-the-East to do? If they cannot be enabled to dispense with the services of a Tractarian fanatic, and do not choose to grin and bear them, they have no resource except to hiss them. If Parliament cannot help people, it is not wonderful that they should help themselves, although by means which are popular and ungenteel. It may be irreverent to express disapprobation of an officiating clergyman; but the desecration is initiated by the parson who turns his Church into a theatre. The Rev. Bryan King should leave off playing at Mass, and then his flock should cease to hoot their pastor.

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