The Press. — London, England, 1853-08-20 00:00:00

*A, Lit, vids de to No. 16.—VoL. I. g4t 'puss. LONDON, SATURDAY, AUGUST 20, 1853. AT the date of the latest intelligence the note of the Four Powers had not reached Con stantinople, and Ministers are responsible for its possible rejection by the Porte, Eyler it had been offered to the consideration of Russia. The imminent occupation of Servia by Austria increases this responsibility by ren dering this possible issue more complicated. But, assuming that a pacific result is at tained, the question remains—was it attained moat speedily and permanently by pressure upon Turkey or pluck towards her invader? This question has been thrust aside by the Ministerial organ, to impute to Lord NALXES BUSY the conclusion of a convention with the absolutist powers, and its conceahueut from France. The unexpected retort that France was informed of, and had reason to be per fectly satisfied with, the proceeding thus dis torted has been mot with bravado. But Lord MAPlEsnuar is in the Highlands, and the imputation, therefore, is safe for two or three posts, the average currency of such statements from this particular mint. be the character of Great Britain and the balance of power in Europe, and the great interests of liberty and civilisation, were not deeply involved, we might say the solution of the Eastern question, as explained by Lord JOHN RUSSELL on Tuesday, was simply ridi culous. After a long and grave silence—after signifi• cant appeals to Mr. LAYARD, importing and portending great results—after a congress of the representatives of the European Powers, with negotiations and messages and notes, during the season for energetic measures—the solution is this : the united fleets of England and France, instead of moving from Besika Bay to the waters of Constantinople, may retire to Salamis and Malta ; and the armies of Russia may retire beyond the Pruth ; but neither process is stipulated for or is treated as material to the issue, which is confined to the acquiescence of the Porte in certain pro posals upon which Russia has been previously sounded, and which the Ministry have thank fully ascertained are acceptable to her. The debate on Tuesday was not, however, so pacific as the contemplations of Lord Jon RUSSELL and his colleagues. Exhausted as it is, the House of Commons evinced more spirit than its leader. Every speaker, except Mr. COBDEN, vigorously assailed the Government, and even he, the only apologist of the Ministry, received a castigation lroni Lord l'AutzturroN for supporting his aolleaguos. Sintultuneouely the spirit of tiuglan4 has shown itkolf in the LONDON, SATURDAY, AUGUST 20, 1853. tone of most of the organs of public opinion ; and it is obvious that Englishmen of the present day feel, like their ancestors, that the blessings of peace are purchased too dearly, and, cannot be seeured permanently, by the sacri fiee of national honour. Notwithstanding the Ministerial icservo, some matters of considerable it nportance trans pired through Lord Jon N RINSE LI:14 speech. It is admitted now, for the first time, that the question regarding the Sacred Places was but the pretext for Russian aggression. Lord JOHN RUSSELL states that in April last Lord STRATFORD was informed by the '1 urkish Minis ter that new demands had been made by Russia, with the ignominious requirement that they should be concealed from the know lege of Great Britain and France. Turkey, with her characteristic good faith, communi cated them, notwithstanding, to her allies. But Lord JOHN RUSSELL, Oh Tuesday did not express himself with the indignation befitting a British Minister addressing the British House of Commons as regards this discreditable at tempt. It appears, too, that what Lord JohN RUSSELL declares to be the undoubted right of Turkey to consider the occupation of the pro vinces as a eases belli was waived by that. Power under the pacific influence of Lord ABIRDIEN, a counsel of which he Is entitled to take the ehanee fruits if he dared to assume its certain responsibility. In conclusion, we learn that should the Sul tan ref Use to accept, or require any modifi cation of, the note proposed by the four Powers, the previous communication of that note to Russia tends, as suggested by Mr. LAYARD, to complicate this responsibility with conflicting obligations. The Ministers are not, indeed, absolutely concluded by their re commendations, for they have not acted in the matter as arbitrators; but Lord ABERDEEN may find himself in a position towards Russia which may be inconsistent with the liability he has contracted on behalf of Turkey. In any event, and whatever may be the issue, he and his colleagues are at length exemplifying the spirit of " self-sacrifice " in which they professed to take office. For them, their conduct of this business is a voluntary abandonment of their credit as English states men ; while for the interests for which, as Russian diplomatists, they are providing, the substantial question, as Mr. LAMED stated, is " not settled, but only deferred." PRICE SIXPENCE. it was laid down authoritatively that a chumhwarden alone could not make and mile II rate against the will of the parishioners, even though for the necessary repairs of the conse crated fabric—a ►claim to that effect having been put forward, and the state of the law being up to that time so doubtfld that Dr. Luau INUTON, in his judici►►l capacity, felt him self bound to intim the validity of the act. The ecclesiastical litigants, dissatis- nataially tied with their defeat, renewed the contest without delay. A vestry was again called in Braintree—a. rate again proposed—the pro. posal defeated—evidence of the necessity adduced—and the churchwarden, acting in this instance with the defeated minority of the vestry, prooeeded once more to collect the amount so decided upon by the usual legal means. This second question has run the gauntlet office tribunals, and is now settled in favour of the recusant parishioners, and against tho churchwarden. The consequences of this suit are prat.- tically of considerable importance, though less so than they would have been before the good sense of the parochial clergy had led them to resort as generally as they now do to less obnoxious methods of raising the needful funds for church repair. For, according to the strict theory of the law ea prsviuusly under stood, vestries had von , little tight of rofusiug to pay whatever burden might be laid upon them. It was, at least, dolibtfitl whether the ecclesiastical officer had not individually, in case of refusal, the power to tax them ; and it was certain that, in the event of the church falling into disrepair through , neglect, the whole parish might be punished for their contumacy. But the latter mode of action has long been abandoned as vexatious and im practicable ; and the former is now ascertained to be contrary to law. Hence, for the future, both in theory and in practice, every parish is allowed to decide for itself whether it shall, or shall not, keep its chump buildings in repair. But this is, in tact, though not in name, a recognition of the " voluntary principle ;" the only compulsion being that which the majority within the parish may exercise over the minority also re siding therein. Of such eompulsion it does not seem to us that members of the National Church have any right to complain. They receive value for their money. They are only doing that which, by somewhat different ma ehinery, every dissenting congregation does; for every dissenting congregation supports its place of worship by payments to which all ex• cept the poerest members contribute. The ease is different as regards dissenters. Their claim to exemption, tot a matter of right, can not, indeed, be asserted eonsistently with the theory of a national establishment ; but RS a matter of expedieney—as a means of avoiding discreditable quarrels, which often terminate iu defrat—the clergy would do well to acquiesce in, if not to demand, a change in the existing law. For how does that law operate ? Simply in the great towns, and throughout the manu• factoring districts generally (to say nothing of many rural parishes), to prevent tho levying of any church rate whatever. Voluntary efforts are paralysed by the existence Of a compulsory power. Than this, no result in physioal science is more certain ; and the compulsory power avails nothing—it is a name. not ronlity.o-3 majority of tko vestry 3053' defeat —Yrhatio . lna lawsnita nioy defeat CHURCH RATES. THE decision of the House of Lords in the long-litigated Braintree ease has established a point frequently in dispute, and which lies at the very root of the whole church-rate contra versy. It will, perhaps, be remembered that the parish of Braintree, in Essex, has for many years past acquired an unenviable notoriety in connection with this quarrel. The holy war of churchwarden against vestry was nowhere waged with more uncompro mising pertinacity. Fur be it from us to revive the memory, or to trace the successive steps, of a lawsuit, or rather of two suits closely connected, and following one on the other, which jointly have lasted without inter mission from dune, 1887, to the prompt time. The math of thew nay bo muutumut up in a single * * Mow 8y the Ant deiliiou. in ,