The Press. — London, England, 1857-05-09 00:00:00

MAY 9, 1857. expenditure, and a complete revision of our system of taxation. - - - - - - In conclusion, the address discards the notion that 'numbers have been returned as support.-brs of one man, pledged to uphold his policy, foreign and domestic, whatever that may chance to be : You are expected to act for your country—not for a party ;to look to measures—not to men. We entertain a confident hope that if the measures to be proposed by her Majesty's Ministers are not such as you can conscien tiously support you will oppose them, and look fur other leaders. Of this we are assured, never had any Legislature such power for good or evil as that now placed iu your hands. Mn. COBDEN has addressed a letter to Mr. Alex ander Laing, manufacturer, of Hawick, in acknow ledgment or a copy of resolutions passed at a public meeting in that town, expressing sympathy with Messrs. Cobden, B ight, and Gibson, on their recent defeats at Huddersfield and Manchester. Mr. Cob • den, who writes from Midhurs►, April 80, says that far more has been inferred from his accidental defeat at Huddersfield than can be fairly attributed to it : I had no connection with nor claim on that borough, and no acquaintance with its inhabitants beyond that which I formed in almost every considerable place in the kingdom in the course of the free•trade struggle ; and Mr. Akroyd, the elected member, is as sound a free-trader as myself. The invitation to become a candidate, which emanated from a public meeting, did not reach me till after my opponent, who occupied an influential local position, was already in the midst of a canvass from door to door throughout the borough—an ordeal which I at once declared I could not go through for all the seats in Parlia ment—and his success was insured against all possible opposition, no matter from what quarter it might have come. In fact, my entrance upon the contest was at the time simply and solely a mistake, but, owing to the cir curnstances under which it was fallen into, it involved no blame or serious responsibility to any one But let it not he supposed that I am so unreasonable as to feel aggrieved by the result. I should be about the last man living to be justified in giving way to such a feeling. I have hal more than my share of the honours of political warfare, and why should I expect to escape its reverses. For personal reasons it is convenient to toe at present to be relieved from the duties of Parliament. I must confess, however, at the same time, that there never was a moment when, on public grounds, I would have more gladly taken my seat in the Flouse of Commons. The Catholic electors of Leeds also forwarded an address, in which the following passage occurs Entertaining a grateful recollection of the many and successful services rendered by you to the great principles of civil and religious liberty throughout your brilliant career in Parliament, and by the influence of your name on the large number of tho-e who have espoused the Liberal cause in England, we feel it a duty imposed upon us by the present crisis of public affairs to render to you our most sincere and hearty thanks for the labours you have undergone and the real you have displayed on behalf of that cause in which we, a.nong many others, have so deep and important an interest. Mr. Cabilen replied : It is true that I incurred some little obloquy in certain quarters by opposing the Ecclesiastical Titles Bill in 1851, but I did so in consistency with that principle of religious liberty which has always been the maxim of my political life, and which I apply alike to all denominations. Had the measure ati:•cted the church government of the Wesleyans, the Independents, or the Baptists, I should have equally opposed it. That bill was a resort to the civil power for penalties to prevent a religious community from carrying out an organisation which they consider needful for the full and free exercise of their faith—an organisation, be it rernembereti to our humiliation, wWeli is in force in every other country, in some, as in Prussia, with the co-operation of the Government, and in others, as the United States, with its neutrality. Such a recourse to the secular arm in matters of opinion is to my judg ment to return to the persecuting policy of the dark ages; for whether we seek to thwart the free exercise of religious faith by the dungeon and the stake or by the milder penalties of an Eeelesiamical Titles Bill, the principle is the same, modified though it be in its action by the spirit of the age. THE BTsHOp or• VicroniA, at the annual meeting of the Church Missionary Society on Tuesday, moved the following resolution : That this meeting, while it would express its deep con cern at the late manifestation of a fanatical and sanguinary spirit amongst the revolutionary party in China, snil also at the infraction of pear , ' 'f Anton, as well as the late events in Turkey and Tends, w nevertheless, remem• ber that the God of notions has °lien, in the history of missions, overruled the darsest providences for the fur therance of His truth, and would cherish the hope that lie will yet cause the late wide dissemination of Ilia holy Word in those countries to hear fruit, and make the wrath of men and the diplomacy of Governments subs , 2rvient to the entrance of Gospel light. In supporting the resolution, the right rev. prelate adverted to the present state of affairs in China, and strenuously defended the course adopted by Sir J. Bowring : It appeared to him (tile bishop) that England had a mission to fulfil in extending commerce, civilisation, and Christianity, and it was utterly impossible that she could THE PRESS. do so without occasionally adopting severe measures. Sir Jahn Itowring went out to China, he believed, with the intention of pursuing a pacific policy, and with a desire to improve the condition of the Chinese as far tot possi.le. Therefore, he felt convinced that Sir John Bowring ought not to be blamed for what had recently occurrf d in China. Lord Dalhousie and Lord Canning went to India with the fixed determination of preserving peaceful relations, but circumstances compelled them to deviate from the course they had previously determined upon ; and so it would frequently be, while England was fulfilling her mission. THE GOVERN3IENT SAVINGS-BANK BILL was dis• cussed on Wednesday at a crowded public meeting of trustees, managers, and actuaries of the var.ous savings -banks, held in the vestry-room, St. Clement Danes. Mr. C. E. Lewis, trustee for St. Clement Danes Savings-batik, in an able address, stated that the written opinion of all the leading managers was that if clauses 2 and 3 of the Government bill were cat•riel in their present shape they would be utterly destructive of local management. They were equally opposed to the reduction of the present maximum of accounts; but on that point a letter had been received from Mr. Tidd Pratt, stating that the Government would give way : Mr. Gladstone's Savings-bank Bill in 1851 gave the most minute and specific information Wit-h regard to the regulations which the Government wished to enforce, but the present bill went to exactly the opposite extreme. It left everything vague—everything, in short, to be enacted by the Comptroiler•General—and that, too, without giving any power of appeal from his decision. It was not treating the public with proper respect to withdraw an elaborate bill like Mr. Gladstone's because it was objected to, and then to bring in another which gave the Government officials power to enact what they pleased. What reason had they fur such excessive trust in the Government? The Government by its manipulations had made a clear deficit of 5,0.)0,000/. on the savings-hank account, whereas the total amount of private defalcations did not exceed 250,0001. Nay, more, it had come out in relation to the bank in Cuffe-street, Dublin, that a Government official had actually advised the bank to go on, though insolvent to the extent of 500001. He (Mr. Lewis) believed that a system of Government superintendence and audit, with severe penalties on trustees who (lid not do their duty, would meet all the requirements of the case. In those instances in which frauds had occurred, they had been rendered practicable by persons professing to be trustees and nDt acting. Make trustees in every case a reality, and fraud would be all but impossible. Above everything, let the Government deal with the question and have done with it. These continual agitations were most disastrous. During the last ten years, notwithstanding the increased popula tion and the greater wealth and prudence of the people, the amount of deposits had actually remained stationary whereas it had doubled itself during the previous ten ',ears, and during the ten years before that. Such was the pernicious result of these perpetual agitations. He begged to more the following resolution : That clauses 2 and 3 in the proposed Government Savings•hank Bill ( viz., giving too indefinite and uncon• trolled powers to the Government) aro likely to be destruc tive of the system of local management of savings•banks, which the Chancellor of the Exchequer states it is desirable to maintain and support. The resolution wa3 carried with only one dissentient, and a deputation appointed to wait upon the Chan cellor of the Exchequer. TIIE EQUALISATION OF Poen RATES was discussed at a public meeting in Southwark on Tuesday last. Sir Charles Napier and Mr. Locke, the borough members, were present, and addressed the meeting in favour of the movement, and promised to it their support in Parliament. Several resolutions were passed pointing out the inequality existing. Where the wealthier parishes were paying only in the pound, the poorer districts were rated at from 3s. to 44. (lil. in the pound. The next day a deputation from the East-end clergy held an interview with the President of the Poor law Board upon the subject. Mr. Bouverie heard the deputation out, and in reply said that first, as " a matter of justice," the richer parishes of the West end would object that they were compelled to support the poor of the East-end ; that it was only a question of "shifting the burden ;" secondly, that local rating was the best check against extra. vagance, because practically those who administered the rate felt that they were spending their own money, whereas if they had the privilege of putting their hands into the pockets of the whole metropolis no such security against extravagance would exist; and finally, that an average metropolitan rate would soon pave the way for a notional rate, and that no one wished to see adopted. With respect to what were the intentions of Government on the question, he was unprepared to say. He was not prepared to initiate any parliamentary action in the matter; and if the question came before the house, Government would then decide upon the course proper to pursue. A crowded meeting was also held on Thursday evening at the London Coffee-house, Mr. Alderman Sydney in the chair, when various resolutions and a petition to Parliament in favour of the equalisation of rates were carried. ~a ttropolitan. THE MAY Mmrixds this week have comprised the Home and Colonial School Society, the Wes leyan Missionary Society, the Protestant RAorma tion Society, the Jews Christianity Society, the Prayer Book and Homily Society, the Condon City Mission, the English Church Mission Society, and the Sunday School Union. The annual reports of these excellent societies exhibited in every case satisfactory proofs of the advance of each society in public estimation, of increased resources, and of an extended sphere of duty. THE BRITISH AND FOREIGN BIBLE SOCIETY held its fifty-third annual general meeting on Wednesday, at Exeter hall, the Earl of Shaftesbury presiding. The Rev. Mr. Baird read the report, which detailed the operations of the society in France, Belgium, Holland, Germany, Sweden (where the labours of the society had received a rapid and unanticipated development during the past year), and Russia. But in the latter country the circulation was confined to the Protestant community, the Synod of thu Greek Church having prohibited any circulation amongst members in communion with that Church, and in districts over which they had spiritual con trol. A short time since a large quantity of copies of the Scriptures were sent to St. Petersburg, the duty on which was 4131. An appeal was made to the Emperor to forego the duty, to which his Majesty readily assented, thus becoming a liberal contributor to Vie funds of the society. In Turkey a copy of the Scriptures had been eficialy pre sented to the Sultan in his great council chamber by the agent of the society, this important event having been brought about by Lord Stratford de Redcliffe on the suggestion of the Earl of Shaftesbury. The Sultan had not received the Bible in idle curiosity, for it was weal known that portions of it were by his desire read to him every day, and that he took a deep interest in its contents. In India, China, and other parts of the world the operations of the society had been eminently successful. THE Emu. OF CARNARVON presided at the Clerken well Ragged School meeting on Monday evening, and delivered an able address to the ladies and gentlemen present. These schools have been highly successful. The noble chairman, after the secretary had read the report, said that he presumed there was no one present who would expect that he should enter into any discussion on the merits of these schools. On that question they were all agreed and prepared to lend them their support : It was very easy to start upon any vast scheme of use fulness or labour. They had, on the one hand, when they undertook anything new, the difficulty which necessitated it, and which no doubt looked larger to them from its very nearness; and they had, on the other hand, to stimulate them to overcome it, all the bright hopes of the future. But it too frequently happened that, when they found their work accomplished and the institution flourishing, they withdrew from it that support and countenance which they lent it in its early struggles, and thus in course of time it fell into decay. Ile hoped, however, that each would not be the case with respect to these schools. The result of the working of the schools and their auxiliary agents in this direction was a cheering one, and it was also satisfactory to find that they were able to reclaim so many children from poverty and suffering, and to enal•le them to take their place in the honest part of the com munity, and not less satisfactory to learn haw, through the agency of these children, they influenced their parents for good. In France they had a claws of persons known as the dangerous class. and its history was a miserable one. Fatherless or motherless, it began personal vice as a system, awl ended in turbulence, sedition, and anarchy. The vicious seed sown in the neglect of their parents flowered in their youth, and in their manhood ripened into crime. As yet we hail no such class in this country, bat the way to prevent its growth was to take these children whi!e their temper was h et flexible and give it an inclina tion in the direction of honesty, good order, and religion. ARCHDEACON MANNING was duly installed on Tues day at the Roman Catholic church of St. Mary, Moorfields, in the presence of a large congregation. For some time past the Very Rev. Dr. Manning, who, before he became a priest of the Church of Rome a few years since, w•ns a beneficed clergyman in the Church of En•*laud and Archdeacon of Chichester, has been at Rome perfecting himself in all the details of the ecclesiastical system of the Roman Church, and has now received from the Pope the appointment of a canon and provost of the church in Horseferry road, Westminster. On the presenta tion of the rev. gentleman for installation he was received by Cardinal Wiseman in his robes, and by the priests aod other officers of the establishment. The service was conducted in Latin. The new pro vost promised, according to the forms of the Roman Catholic Church, canonical obedience to " His Eminence the Cardinal Archbishop of Westminster," and was then formally admitted to the possession of Lis new dignities. LORD JOHN EttssEr.r. attended the annual Field lane Ragged School meeting on Wednesday, and in moving the adoption of the report observed with respect to the object of such societies, the question A 453