r House, and in calling for its
condemnation. A controversy thereupon arose between the two houses which
was kept up with untiring energy by the Lower House, until the
convocation was prorogued in 1717 in pursuance of a royal writ; from
which time until 1861 no licence from the crown was granted to
convocation to proceed to business. During this period, which may be
regarded as the fourth distinguishing period in the history of the
convocations of the Church of England, it was usual for a few members of
the convocation to meet when first summoned with every new parliament,
in pursuance of the royal writ, for the Lower House to elect a
prolocutor, and for both houses to vote an address to the crown, after
which the convocation was prorogued from time to time, pursuant to royal
writs, and ultimately discharged when the parliament was dissolved.
There were, however, several occasions between 1717 and 1741 when the
convocation of the province of Canterbury transacted certain matters, by
way of consultation, which did not require any licence from the crown,
and there was a short period in its session of 1741 when there was a
probability of its being allowed to resume its deliberative functions,
as the Lower House had consented to obey the president's schedule of
prorogation; but the Lower House having declined to receive a
communication from the Upper House, the convocation was forthwith
prorogued, from which time until the middle of the 19th century the
convocation was not permitted by the crown to enjoy any opportunity even
for consultation. The spirituality at last aroused itself from its long
repose in 1852, and on this occasion the Upper House took the lead. The
active spirit of the movement was Samuel Wilberforce, bishop of Oxford,
but the master mind was Henry Phillpotts, bishop of Exeter. On the
convocation assembling several petitions were presented to both houses,
praying them to take steps to procure from the crown the necessary
licence for their meeting for the despatch of business, and an address
to the Upper House was brought up from the Lower House, calling the
attention of the Upper House to the reasonableness of the prayer of the
various petitions. After some discussion the Upper House, influenced
mainly by the argument of Henry, bishop of Exeter, consented to receive
the address of the Lower House, and the convocation was thereupon
prorogued, shortly after which it was discharged concurrently with the
dissol