[These relate most probably to the palatine rights of the Bishops of Durham, granted by Egfrid, King of Northumbria, in 685; when he gave to St. Cuthbert all the land between the Wear and the Tyne, called "the patrimony of St. Cuthbert," to hold in as full and ample a manner as the king himself holds the same. This donative, with its ancient customs and privileges, was confirmed by the Danes, and afterwards by William the Conqueror; in addition to which, the latter made the church a sanctuary, and the county a palatinate. Its bishop was invested with as great a power and prerogative within his see, as the king exercised without the bounds of it, with regard to forfeitures, &c. Thus it was a kind of royalty subordinate to the crown, and, by way of eminence, was called _The Bishoprick_. For an account of the ancient customs connected with the cathedral, our correspondent is referred to the curious and interesting work of Davies of Kidwelly, entitled, _The Ancient Rites and Monuments of the Monastical and Cathedral Church of Durham_, 12mo. 1672, which has been republished by the Surtees Society.] Replies. CONVOCATION OF YORK. (Vol. iv., p. 368.) This body (of which I am a member) ought to meet on the same occasions with that of Canterbury; but owing to the neglect or the wilfulness of its officials, many omissions and mistakes occur. I have heard a commission to _further_ adjourn the Convocation, from a day to which it previously stood adjourned, read the day _after_ that on which it ought to have assembled, but which day had arrived and passed without any one recollecting the fact! Our Convocation appears at no time to have acted a very prominent part, though its constitution is far better fitted for a working synod than that of the southern province. In the latter the _parochial_ clergy are so inadequately represented as to be much outnumbered by the _dignitaries_ appointed by the crown and the bishops; but in York there are _two_ proctors chosen by the clergy of _each_ archdeaconry and peculiar jurisdiction, and _two_ by each cathedral chapter; thus affording a complete counterpoise to the deans and archdeacons who are members _ex officio_. Another peculiarity in the Convocation of York is, that it assembles in _one_ house, the bishops commonly appearing by their proxies (priests), and the archbishop presiding by his commissioner, who is always the dean, or one of the residentiary canons of York.