THE REV. JOHN RUSSELL. 20 



/ 



commanding him, at his peril, to attend his next 



triennial visitation at T , on a given day. 



This step on the part of the bishop, it should 

 be premised, took place at the time when he 

 was engaged in the great Gorham trial ; a case 

 which the Judicial Committee of the Privy 

 Council decided against him by an overwhelm- 

 ing majority, Knight Bruce being the only 

 legal member of the committee who did not 



■-&' 



agree with that decision. So marked a judg- 

 ment in favour of Mr. Gorham, who had been 

 the object of a long and harassing law-suit 

 without, as was then believed, due and reason- 

 able cause, gave rise, of course, to strong 

 comments on the part of the Liberal press ; 

 which, adding fuel to the fire, brought down a 

 certain amount of obloquy on the bishop's name. 



Just at the time when the result of this trial 

 was in every man's mouth, the visitation at 



T took place. On the appointed day, the 



bishop having delivered his charge, the apparitor 

 then proceeded to summon the clergy severally 

 by name ; and as each came forward to answer 

 the roll-call, a pause and dead silence ensued 

 when the name of the vicar of St. B. was twice 

 called without any response. 



"Is the churchwarden of St. B. present?" 

 inquired the bishop in a solemn voice. 



On which a hne old-fashioned yeoman, of 

 portly figure and ruddy countenance, stalked up 



