"other affairs, he can have been induced to adopt "courses inconsistent with the principles which "appeared to me to guide his conduct in this. "But even could I suppose such a conviction "effected, I should think it certainly not the less "incumbent on me fully to represent, in its just "colours, that portion of his Ecclesiastical Ad"ministration which, having had the opportunity "of closely observing it, I thought strongly "marked with every quality by which the true "interests, not merely of the National Establish

"ment, but of Christianity itself, can best be ❝ promoted.

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"P.S. I must also record on this subject that "for which I have sufficient authority to induce my own entire belief; that, at a Meeting of the Right Reverend Bench, convened to determine "on the conduct proper to be pursued with "respect to the Bill, the Bishop of Norwich alone "professed his approbation of it, and his deter"mination to support it: but this I should never "have learned or suspected from any the slightest "change in the conduct or language of the Arch"bishop of Canterbury."

LETTER II.

MR. BENTHAM to MR. SMITH.

« DEAR SIR,

Queen Square Place, Westminster, Feb. 1818.

"I HAVE to acknowledge the favour of your very obliging Letter. So far as concerns the Archbishop, it is truly gratifying to me to see "the account I had received from unimmediate, "so fully confirmed by such respectable, as well as "immediate, evidence. At the same time, in

regard to the general result, I wish it were "in my power to indulge in any such comfortable "view, as that which, it seems to me, you have "taken of it. Concurring with every thing you

say with regard to the Archbishop,-still, in the "state of things, as reported by you, I am unable "to see any such security, as you. (it seems to me) "not only have seen, but continue to see in it.

"What you count upon (so it seems to me) is "in the first place, absolute security as against "statute law; in the next place, like security as "against common law.

"Neither against the one nor against the other scourge, is it my good fortune to be able to see "any such security for you: and the liberty I "take of mentioning the matter here, is ac

C

companied with the less hesitation, because, though, perhaps, not exactly relevant to the purpose of my first Letter to you, it is com"pletely so to the purpose of the present work.

"1. First as to statute law. As to bills, upon "a careful search among the House of Commons' "papers, I find two, and no more than two, "both of the year 1813: one, the original bill, "date, June 15; the other, the amended bill, "date, June 23. One you speak of, of course the "latter, as rejected;-of course in the Lords: re

'jected, in the manner you describe. This re'jection-what then is the peccant matter by "which it was produced? A comparison of the ❝amended bill with the act will shew it. In the "bill it is the clause, by which, to the repeal of "the particular act, which pro tanto, is by that "clause accordingly repealed, is added a sweeping "clause, repealing so much of the said act of "the ninth and tenth of King William, and of all "or any other act or acts of the English, Scotch, "British, Irish, or United Parliaments, as im

poses penalties on those who, &c.-(except, &c.) "Having this sweeping clause in it, the bill was "rejected. The act which afterwards passed, and "which we have, has no such sweeping clause.

"Nor yet was the clause got rid of in the ordinary way, by amendment; instead of this, the "whole bill, as it stood, was thrown out: an in"timation having, however, been previously given

"-and that, as it should seem a secret one"that, provided this obnoxious clause were omit❝ted, another bill might be less unfortunate.

"Now, Sir, on the subject of this manœuvre, "I will venture to submit to you an observation or ❝ two.

"In the first place, that sweeping and com"pletely tranquillizing clause, for what cause was "it not permitted to stand? For this cause, or "for none: because in the pre-eminently learned

eyes in question, even as against statute law, it "would have rendered if not security too secure, "at any rate tranquillity too tranquil.

"To leave you still in a state of insecurity, "anxiety, and dependance-either this was the "object of the veto, or it had none. In the sta"tute book is there any other statute, by which

punishment, in any shape, is attached to the "sort of act in question? If, yes, here then "the persecuting intention stands confessed. Is "there no such statute? Then is the omission "useless and indefensible.

"So much for the design. Now as to the "mode.

"This clause being then, by the persons in "question, let us suppose, regarded, at any "rate professed to be regarded, as improper, " or at least as needless, then why not get rid of " it in the ordinary way? For what cause decline getting rid of it by an amendment? Sir, I will

assign a cause: let any other supposable cause "be found, I will acknowledge my mistake. Sir, "it was the fear-the well-grounded fear-of that "sentiment, which would be the necessary result "of their being seen to do that, which in fact, they were doing.

"To neither of the pre-eminently learned per"sons in question, would it have been agreeable "to see his name upon the journals, in quality of "mover of such an amendment: an amendment "" by which the mind of the mover would thus "far have stood depicted upon record, in its real "colours. No: they insisted on your doing against "yourselves, what they were ashamed to do: they "insisted on your employing your own hands in "cutting the ground from under your own feet.

"Speaking of the persons in question, on occa"sion of the penalties in question,-after saying, "disapproving the sweeping repeal of all the "statutes, by which the penalties, &c.' were imposed, preferring (you add) that they should be "described and repealed nominatim.

"Pardon me, if in this word preferring, I see the "source of a misconception, which it seems to me necessary to obviate. An intimation, which by implication, this word presents to me, as likely "to convey, is-that, between the courses thus "put in opposition to one another, there existed"at any rate in the learned eyes in question-some "natural incompatibility: that of these same two