The Press.
London, England, 1856-12-13 00:00:00

Vrobintinl.

TILE PORTSMOUTH TOWN COUNCIL has resolved to
give a public banquet to the American officers now
bringing over the Resolute, Arcti3 discovery-ship,
upon their arri:al at Spithead. The Resolute, it will
bo remembered, went out under the command of
Captain Henry Kellett, C. 8., in company with the
Assistance, Captain Sir E. Belcher, C. 8., in 1832.
The story of the abandonment of the Resolute and
other ships by Sir E. Belcher—the unpleasant coo•
troversy that ensued as to the ueoessity of this aot--

DECEMBER 13, 1856.

the singular discovery by an American whaler of the
Resolute at sea 1,200 miles from where she was left
baud and fast—lux purchase of the whaler's crew by
the American Government—and the presentation of
the vessel, entirely refitted, to her Majesty's Govern-
ment, are fresh in the public mind ; and we have no
doubt that the American officers will be warmly
received upon their arrival.
THE SUNDAY MOVEMENT QUESTION gave rise on
Monday evening last to one of the most exciting
debates ever known, in the rooms of the Cambridge
Union. The proceedings were of more than ordi-
nary interest, inasmuch as the subject of discussion
was a resolution brought forward by Mr. Bell, of
Trinity College, one of the standing committee, to
the effect that the rooms of the society should be
entrely closed on Sundays, instead of being open, as
at present, from three p.m. till ten p.m. To carry
into effect this change the concurrence of three•
fourths of the members present would have been
necessary ; but, after a long and spirited debate, the
motion was negatived by a majority of 187 to 78.
Jous COLLETT, formerly M.P. for Athlone,
and residing at Arnewood house, near Salisbury, on
Friday morning week blew out his brains. It ap-
pears that Mr. Collett, who had for some time past
been in an ill state of health, so as to excite alarm
for his safety, succeeded, early on the morning in
question, in eluding observation, and, armed with a
pistol, repaired to the library, where the sad event
took place. A female domestic, having occasion
some time c.fterwards to repair to the spot, found
her master lying dead on the floor. At the coroner's
inquest on Saturday a verdict was returned of " Tem-
porary derangement." Mr. Collett was a man of
considerable wealth, and was, to all appearance, sur-
rounded with everything calculated to secure hap..
piness except good health.
LORD PANMUHE has signified his intention of ac-
cepting the invitation to the public banquet to be
given in his honour by his county, and has fixed
Tuesday, the 30th instant, as the day on which it
shall be held.

DR. MACBRIDE, principal of Magdalen, was on
Tuesday elected Hebdomadal Councillor, in the
room of the late Professor Hussey. The Rev. W.
Wall, Pilelector of Logic and Fellow of Balliol, con-
tested the election. At the close of the poll the
numbers were—Dr. Macbride, 87 ; Mr. Wall, G 9—
Majority, 18.

MEMBERS OF THE OXFORD WORKING MEN'S
EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTION had their first annual dinner
at the Town .ha' on Monday ; Mr. Thomas, the trea-
surer, presided, and the Mayor of Oxford, the Rev.
Professor Maurice, of London, the Senior Proctor of
Oxford University, with Professor Maskelyne, and
other gentlemen of soma position, took part in the
proceedings. In the course of the evening Professor
Maurice compared the satisfactory results of the
London institution with those which he had been
so much pleased at witnessing in Oxford. In one
respect the Oxford institution beat the London one,
and that was in its financial position.
THE ROYAL MAIL STEAMER " AMERICA," which left
Liverpool for Boston on Saturday with the usual
mails, a large cargo, and fifty.nine passengers, put
back on Thursday morning, having received consi-
derable damage in the heavy gale of Tuesday. One
of the second cabin passengers gives the following
account of the accident. He states :

About ten minutes to ten o'clock on Tuesday morning,
when off Cape Clear, the ship, which was then going slowly
ahead, was struck by a very heavy sea. He was at the
time lying in a forward cabin berth, when he heard the
water gushing through the saloon deck and down the com-
panion, and rushing forward. He thought at the time the
vessel was sinking, and gave himself up for lost. He left
his cabin and waded up to his middle in water towards
the stairs. At the moment the vessel pitched, and imme-
diately he felt the water up to his armpits. The bulk of the
passengers were sitting in the saloon at the time of the
acciihnit, and they most have been inevitably swept over-
board had not the mainmast stayed np the wreck of the
saloon (a house built on deck) and acted in some measure
as a breakwater. They had reason, he said, to thank
God that, the ship was so strong, and that she was manned
by such able officers. Captain Lang especially displayed
the greatest intrepidity and coolness, and his orders were
executed by his officers and men with promptitude and
without the least confusion. The vessel was immediately
put about, and she arrived in the Mersey on Thursday
morning without farther accident. It is the impression of
some of the hands on board that if another such sea had
struck her she must have gone down, as they assert that
at least 1110 tons of water came on board. The engine-
l'^Vm was filled with water, but the uninjured pumps
being got well to work it was kept under, although consi-
derable difficulty was experienced in keeping the bilge
from being choked by the splinters which were washed be-
low. The shock stopped the engines for a moment, but
they resumed working immediately. The officers and
men with great difficulty closed up the rents in the saloon
deck and elsewhere with spars an. canvas, an operation
attended with the greatest danger, as it continued to blow
a hurricane. The chief officer, Mr. Grace, while assisting
in this perilous work, was nearly washed overboard. At
the time the sea struck her some of the passengers were
Playing at cards in the fore cabin ; and it is said that they
Immediately fell on their knees, imploring the Almighty to
save Um%

THE PRESS.

The passengers and mails were forwarded yester-
day by the Canada.

ptlant.

THE MURDERER OF AIR. LITTLE remains undo-
teetad.

THE ACTION, " Walker v. M'Dowell," between the
Newcastle and Tipperary Banks for 51,0001. interest
due by the Tipperary to the Newcastle Bank, has
resulted in a compromise for 25,0001. and costs.
ARCHBISHOP CULLEN has issued a pastoral upon
education. He denounces the Queen's colleges as
founded altogether upon a wrong principle—" The
teaching adopted resting upon no definite religious
belief." He acknowledges that advantages are to
be derived from the national schools ; and thus
treats of the dangers of mixed education and its
remedy :
Prom mixed education we can expect nothing but evil—
we should not acquiesce in it or encourage it. It is
highly dangerous to give over the instruction of Catholic
children to a Protestant Government ; we are bound to
oppose encroachments on this head. 11'hile giving a
thorough Catholic education to Catholic children, we have
a right to insist on participating in every public grant,
without consenting to any clog on the freedom of educa-
tion. The influence of the great Catholic population of
Ireland should be exercised in asserting their rights, and
even our electors should use their votes to return men to
Parliament determined and able to support unmixed
education for Catholic children, and freedom of education
from State control for all. Our Catholic brethren in Eng.
land have obtained a separate grant for their schools from
the nubile funds, under Catholic management. They
have Catholic inspectors, Catholic books, and Catholic
training-schools. We rejoice in their success ; but ought
we, whose numbers and influence are so much greater, to
be satisfied with anything less than the measure of justice
they have obtainel ?
The remaining paragraphs of the pastoral refer to
the establishment of a hospital under the auspices of
the Sisters of Mercy, and to the exertions of those
ladies in the Ea.t during the Into war, and other
topics of no particular importance.
THE DEATH OF FATHER MATHEW took place last
Tuesday at Kingstown.