y of state.

A complaint arising from the miscarriage of a letter addressed to the
catholic prelate as bishop of Melbourne, and a dispute in reference to
precedence, in which the metropolitan of Sydney and Archbishop Polding
were concerned, also called for a final adjustment of the various points
at issue, so far as they could be settled by the state. The
lord-lieutenant of Ireland, willing to conciliate the catholics, had
recommended the secretary of state to recognise the style of their
prelates. Earl Grey regretted that the lordship ordinarily pertaining to
a barony had ever been conferred on colonial sees. He, however, finally
arranged that the protestant archbishop of Australia should rank above
the catholic archbishop, and the protestant bishops before the catholic,
throughout the colonies; that the titles of "your grace" and "my lord"
should be accorded indifferently to both classes of bishops, but that
the government should not, in official correspondence, recognise any
title complicated with the name of any city or territory within the
British dominions, not authorised by letters patent from the crown. Thus
neither side could claim the victory, more being allowed to the
catholics than they could expect as a religious denomination; while the
territorial honors were conferred exclusively on the nominees of the
crown.

On the disruption of the church of Scotland the members of that church
in Tasmania were involved in serious disputes, which terminated in the
resignation of several of their clergy, and the formation of separate
congregations. The free and residuary Assemblies opened a correspondence
with the colonies, demanding to know to which part the colonial ministry
adhered. The opinions of the local clergy were divided; but they
concurred in a general expression of regard to the principle of church
independence, and their satisfaction that they themselves enjoyed the
liberty for which their brethren were obliged to contend,--thus leaving
to inference their religious connection, and giving no ground to call
in question the ecclesiastical status and revenues conferred by the
church act. This answer was considered by the free church evasive; and
its more ardent supporters on the spot pronounced the course of the
local presbytery jesuitical and dishonest. They affirmed that the church
of Scotland alone was entitled, by colonial law, to state support; and
that the retention of its emoluments was a virtual adheren