Page:A contribution to the settlement of the burials question.djvu/15

11 On the whole, the points to be borne in mind by all who desire to act fairly and impartially in the matter are:

1. That to take away the churchyards from the exclusive possession of the Church would be to act upon a principle unknown hitherto in England to the Legislature, and which must lead to the eventual secularization of the churches likewise.

2. That any relief given to non-Churchmen must be given so as to include non-Christians, who have national rights as much as Christians have.

3. That it cannot be right to relieve a grievance of one portion of Her Majesty's subjects by inflicting what would be felt to be as great, or a greater grievance, upon another, not less numerous portion.

4. That the provision of Cemeteries as the future national burial places is an obvious and easy method of removing entirely the grievance complained of, without doing any injury to the Church of England, or wounding the feelings of her members.

5. That it is to be presumed that the great bulk of the non-Churchmen of England will be glad to have their grievance remedied in a way palatable to the feelings of the members of the Church of England, rather than in one calculated to produce a lasting irritation.

6. That it would be a most unstatesmanlike and short-sighted measure to remedy a very limited evil by the introduction of a principle capable of unlimited application.

It has been the object of the writer of the foregoing pages to avoid everything of a controversial or irritating nature, and to treat the subject with impartiality and truth. As a member of the Legislature, he feels that it is his duty to consider the rights of those who are not members of the Church of England as much as those of Churchmen; but