The Express.
London, England, 1852-03-24 00:00:00

PARLIAMENTARY COMMITTEES.

RAILWAY AND OTHER RILLS ON sTANDINO ORDERS.
EASTERN UNION ItAlLWAT.—Yesterday the :select
committee on standing orders decided that the standing or.
der might be dispensed with in the case of this company's
bill for arrangements so t capital, preference shares, and
debts, use of London and Blackw.lll, and lease, sale, or
amalgamation with the Eastern Counties Railway; and',
that the parties be permitted to proceed with their bill. I
NORTH AND SOUTH WESTERN ♦ND BRIOIITON AND
HOVER JUNCTION.—The standing orders were dispensed
with in the case of this line for a railway from Croydon to
Wandsworth, and the parties permitted to proceed.
CORGIS AND MACRYNLLETH Itattway.—The standing
orders were dispensed with in this case.
VALE OF NEATH RAILWAY.—The committee to which
this company's bill for extensions, and also the bill of the
Worcester and Hereford Railway, is referred, met for the
first time yesterday in committee-room 4, and proceeded
with the first-mentioned bill. The members being Mr.
Childers, chairman, Col. Peel, Sir It. Booth, Sir A.
Campbell, and Mr. Johnstone.
In Mr. Bernal's committee the preamble of the Barnsley
Gas Bill was declared proved.
Select committees were sitting yesterday with closed
doors on the Laws of Slortmain, Ventilation and Lighting
of the House, and on the Preserved Meats in the Navy
questions.

FOURTH GENERAL REPORT OF THE ECCLE-
SIASTICAL COMMISSIONERS FOR ENGLAND.
The following extract embraces the matter of ge-
neral interest iu this report, the rest of the document being
a narration of schemes and of territorial arrangements :
To the Right lion. her Majesty's Principal Secretary of
State for the Home Department, &c.. &c.
The Ecclesiastical Commissioner for England submit, in
accordance with the provisions contained in the 2Gth section
of the Act 13 and 14 Viet., c. 94, a report of their proceed-
ings for the year preceding the lit of November now last
pest.
The commissioners in their lest report adverted to the de-
falcation of their late treasurer and secretary. They have
now to state that, during the year which has since elapsed,
they have received the legacy to which reference was then
made, and also a stint of 2,01. remitted from abroad, in
futther diminution of the debt due to the commissioners.

The commissioners stated in their last report that they
had taken preliminary steps fur procuring the septennial
return, contemplated by the Act ti et 7 Wm. IV., cap. 77,
of the revenues of all the archbishoprics and bishoprics
of England and Wales. This return, which includes the
year 18.50, has been since received, and has been laid before
the House of Commons, in compliance with two addresses,
dated respectively the th of June, ISIO, and the 10th of
February, 1851. (Sec l'arinunentary Paper, No. 400, of
Session 1854
The necessity for these septennial returns in future has
been superseded by the provisions contained in the Act 13
it 14 Viet., cap. 94, which require that every bishop there-
after appointed should receive the fixed annual income ai-
-1 signed to his see, without reference to the actual produce of
its revenues.

The commissioner., having taken into consideration the
best mode of carrying out the last-mentioned provisions,
have passed a scheme, which has since been ratified by au
order of her Majesty in council (Appendix, No. 1, No.
1548, p. 61).
The provisions of that scheme apply to all archbishops
and bishops succeeding to their sees upon avoidance. hap.
pening after the Ist of January, 1848, and take effect from
the commencement of their respective incumbencies. With
respect to any other isichhishop or bishop, the commis-
sioners are only empowered to regulate the income of his
see, according to the provisions of the same act, upon the
expression on his part of a willingness to accept a fixed an-
nual income. The commissioners have received applica-
tions from several bishops who are desirous of availing
themselves of those provisions.
A considerable number of proposals has been made by
the lessees of estates vested in the commissioners, either for
the purchase of the reversions of or for the sale
of the leasehold interest in such estates. As the
circumstances to which these proposals relate are very
different, the commissioners have not deemed it expedient
to lay down any definite general rules, but in considering
them have felt it to be their dut7, in ordinary ewes, to pay
due regard to the recommendations in the report of the
committee of the House of Lords in the last session of par-
liament in relation to this subject. It may be well here to
observe, that the Act 13 and 14 Viet., c. 104, founded upon
that report, which gave power to ecelesiutical corporations
to sell to their lessees the reversion of, or to purchase the
leasehold interest in the estates belonging to such corpora-
tions, does not apply to that portion of church property
which is vested in the commissioners.
The tool number of benefices permanently augmented by
the commissioners, up to the Ist of November last,
amounted to 820, with an aggregate population of
12,281,599; and the sums now payable by the commissioners
in augmentation of the incomes of these benefices, exclusive
of the value of land and tithe rent-charge actually annexed
in certain cues, amount in the aggregate to 44,7411. per an-
num in perpetuity.
By the aid of benefaction from private sources the com-
missioners have been enabled to form the districts enu-
merated in the Appendix, No. 14, p. 68, under the Church
Endowment Act (6 and 7 Vict., c. 37), by which an aggre-
gate population of nearly ?1,000 have been provided with
pastoral superintendence.
The total number of districts constituted under that act,
up to the let of November last, amounted to 233, with an
aggregate population of more than 826,000. Of these dis-
tricts 158 having been provided with churches have become
new parishes, under the 15th section of the act. The sums
now payable by the commissioners in the endowment of
these districts amount in the aggregate to 32,806 per an-
num, increasing from time to time se churches are pro-
vided, to a maximum of 31,0861.
It will be seen, therefore, that the permanent annual
charge upon the commissioners common fund, in respect of
augmented benefices and districts constituted under the
Church Endowment Act, amounted on the Ist of November
last to 77,6601.

REVIVAL OP THE ANTI-CORN-LAN ASSOCIATION
IN ClLAsoow.—At a preliminary meeting of the directors
of the Glasgow Anti-corn•law Association, held on Friday
afternoon, a resolution, on the motion of Alexander Gra-
ham, Esq., was unanimously agreed to, by which the
director, of the association were empowered to revive it on
the basis of its original constitution, and to take such mea-
sures as might appear necessary until the question of free
trade is finally settled. It was also agreed that the Lord
Provost should be requested to cell a public meeting of the
citizens at an early day, in order to bring the present posi-
tion of free trade before them. The question of agitating
for parliamentary reform was mooted by several of the
speakers, hut the expediency of such a course in connexion
with the specific object of the association was considered by
the majority of those present so exceedingly doubtful, and
it was therefore resolved that, in the public meeting to be
called, nothing pertaining to political institutions should
Is' introduce 1. The meeting then adjourned.— rakriutinin
Afereury.
MINISTERIAL DIFFICULTY.—Soine doubt appears
to he entertained at present, as to whether the Earl of
Derby and his colleagues are Protectionists in, or Protec-
tionists out and out.--eunch.

Ihe
eroregus.