M.P.'S AND THE CHURCHES

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 788, 11 April 1910, Page 4

M.P.'S AND THE CHURCHES

FEWER NONCONFORMISTS IN NEW ; \ PARLIAMENT. '.'• \ From a. Nonconformist point of. view, the personnel of the new Parliament -is not so satisfactory as the last : (says the London "Daily News"). The number has been seriously reduced, and some of the best fighters' are among the slain. .••When Sir H. Campbell-Bannernian assembled his forces in'l9o6, two-fifths of the new.: legislators, from English and Welsh constituencies, weTo Free Churchmen, and at a banquet given to them at the Hotel Cecil immediately after the opening of Parliament'over 200 attended. In the -present Parliament the number will amount to 127. . Denominationally, the representation in the new Parliament—for. English and Welsh constituencies only—will be as follows:— . Congregationalists 52, .Baptists-15, Wesleyan Methodists 26, Welsh Calvinistic Methodists 9, Primitive Methodists 8, United'. Methodists 3. Friends 5, Unitarians' 7, Presbyterians.2. ' ' ..','-.. • The.'\chairman of .the Nonconformist group in the late Parliament, Kir'George White; the treasurer,'. Sir J. Comptiin Rickett; and the secretary,- Mr. G. Hay Morgan, have held their seats,- but the group will be deprived of tbo valuable assistance, of Messrs.. John Massie, (i. \ Hardy, F. Maddison, Qeo. Nioholls.-R. W. Essex, P. W.' Wilson, and Sir J. Duckworth, the latttt. retiring from, the contest at • Stockport on the ground of ill-health. .

On tho other hand, the group will be reinforced by Nonconformist stalwarts who have,: exercised considerable influence in : their respective denominations.' Among these are Mr. Arnold, Rowntree of York, and Mr. T. E. Harvey, - of Leeds; both- Quakers; Mr. Gerald France who, although sitting for a Yorkshire division, is a leading Wesleyan in New-castle-on-Tyne; Mr. T. Wing, a Con»regntionalist,' who put an end to the Parliamentary career of Sir G. Doughty bv a wonderful triumph at, Grimsby; Dr. Charles Leach, the. ex-Congregationalist minister, who defeated Mr. Victor Gravson at Collie Valley; the Rev. Silvester Ilonle, the only minister who retains his , pastoral office while pursuing Parliamentary duties; Dr. Christopher Addison, a Presbyterian, who ousted the Hon. Claudo Hay at Hoxton; and his neighbour, Mr. H. G. Chancellor, a, .Unitarian, who broke down the Guinness influence in Haggerston. . Out of the 127 Nonconformists returned, 21 enter the House for the first time. • :

The Jows -will number one less than in the last Parliament, their total roll being 15, of whom eight are Liberals and seven". Unionists. It is interesting to note that out ot tho 26 Wesleyan Methodists only two are Unionists, Sir John S. Handles and llr. Ebonezer Parkcs. Nine Roman Catholics were returned foi English and Welsh constituencies, tho same number as in the last Parliament. Of the latter, Mr. E. Lamb lost his 6eat, and Mr. C. O'Donnell retired, but Major Shee gained a Finsbury seat and Kir W. Dunn won Southwark. •

An interesting fact in connection with the now Parliament is that seven of its members, all of whom are Liberals, are ordained ministers, three of them having been episcopally ordained. Mr. Silvester Home, as has already been stated is in full pastoral charge, and is superintendent of the Whitfield's Centra,! Mission, Tottenham Courl Road. Dr. C. Leach resigned his pastorate at Harel court Congregational Church last yearMr. G. Hay Morgan was a Baptist minister until ho was called to the Bar; and Mr. Arthur J. Shenvell was the chief assistant to Mr. Hugh Price Hughes in tho prime days of the West London Mission at St. James's Hall. The fchroo Anglican ex-elerics are Messrs. G. Harwood, B. W. Verney, and J. T. Lincoln,