The Express.
London, England, 1864-02-06 00:00:00

that our own peculiar interesta are to be the
I measure of our duties. A plain declaration to
that effect, made in time, might be of immense ser-
vice to smaller States, who are, perhaps, too apt to
think that when one of them is oppressed by a
stronger neighbour England will not be the last
power to help them, and in that belief, it may be,
neglect to make arrangements which would ensure
their safety. But coming at the last moment, a
few months after public promises of help, its only
effect is to cover us with shame, from which the
policy so glibly charged with selfishness would at
the least have saved us.

Without asking Ministers to disavow principles
in which they have been trained, the country is
entitled to require them to take exact account of
the circumstances in which the country is planed.

The memorable declaration of Lord Paucsarrox,
made last July, and which survives Mr. GLAD.
Bronx's ingenious explanation, was undoubtedly
made in the confidence that our allies, or a certain
number of them, would be ready to maintain their
own work. But events are making it plain that
we cannot count on their cooperation in any cause
which promises to bring them no profit. France
will fight for a frontier, for a colony, for influence,
or even for glory, but not for treaties, which her
Government is very apt to discover are "impotent
works." Russia has enough business on band at home
in repressing Poles. Austria, once the bulwark of
Conservatism in Germany, is borne away—it is the
excuse of her statesmen—by a revolutionary
German movement. And the King of Pavane is
bent on showing that the rapacity of FREDIRICK.
the GREAT is not inseparable from his militazy
genius. It is to the honour of England that
among such neighbours she is " isolated." But it
is not for our honour to engage in undertakings to
which no single Power is equal, and it is high time
to look facts boldly in the face, and substitute for
an impracticable and barren policy of meddlesome-
ness one of dignified and intelligible reserve.

LATEST INTELLIdANtE.

ITALY.

The Unita Italiona of the 2nd publlahes an ar-
ticle under the title of "Military Force of Austria
in Italy," and signed "Giuseppe Miumitti." The
writer endeavours to prove that, in a war against
Italy, Austria could not bring into the field more
than 160,000 or 170,000 men at the moat. Italy
could oppose to them, he affirms, a force of
300,000 men. In consequence, the article termi-
nates with the cry of "To Venice ! with purely
Italian forces I To Venice ! for Italy and for
Poland I"

(MIMI 711.1191•300
THE WAR IN BLESWIG.
HAMBURG, FEL 6, U. 90 Lc
No news from the theatre of war has been re-
oeived here for the last three days.

It is stated that the Prussians have formed a
cordon in Sleewig, and allow no war intelligence to
pass.

Severe Sghting is supposed to be going on, as
numbers of wounded are oonstantly brought into
Rendsburg. . ---

HAMBURG, Fn. 6.

making gsticoessful defence. If the weather in
fileswig is like that in Paris to-day--heavy snow
thawing u it falls—the German army must be in
a most uncomfortable position.
The robbery of the Duke of Brunswick's diamonds
has beoome complicated by a new incident. Since
the jewels were taken from Shaw's person they
have remained in custody at the Correctional
Police. After the condemnation of the guilty party

the duke applied for the property, but could nut
obtain poaseesion of it, in consequence of an oppo-
sition having been lodged in the name of the
reigning duke, who claims a great part of the
jewels as belonging to the crown of Bruns* ick.

A telegram received here from Kiel, dated yes-
terday evening, says : " The hilly ground in front
of the whole Miasunde line has been taken by the
Prussians.
" The Austrians have advanced to Jahrdorf."

~a 2~~

_lOll3O
9 I): A y
Uer ‘ip
• I FEBR Aity 6. 1864.

CONVOCATION 07 THE PROVINCE AT
CANTERBURY.

Yesterday the convocation of the province of
Oriaterbury assembled at Westminster.
His Grace the lunhbidlop of Canterbury having opened
the semion in the Upper House went to Queen
Asses Bounty Mice, but am it was understood th►t so
actual bushier was to be thinaseted, only two other pre.
later were present. His Gees the Par meter? declared the
Convocation adjourned until the 19th of April, and ordered
that that decision should be communicated to the Lower
House.

In the Lower 8011914 although it had been generally under-
stood that no laminas would be transacted, there was an
unexpectedly large mater 01 proctors and dignitaries in the
Jeroaalem Chamber. . .

The Ven7Arclade;eon Districos gave mottos that "at the
earliest opportunity after the reopening of Coeval:slim, he
should move that a eommittee of that house be appointed
to consider the relations between the church and the Com-
mittee of the Privy Council on Education, and to report the
same to that hones." The you. gentleman also gave natio,
of a motion for the reoognition of the ancient rights of
PrlebYters, " especially in cares of doctrine, eocksiastisal
discipline, and ritual."
The Rev. Chatteellor ILtanntoexan gave notice, for the
venerable Archdeacon Thcep, " That his Grace the Presi-
dent and their lordahipe of the Upper Horne be requested
to join in an humble address to her Maio* y, praying that
her Majesty will commaad her Majes/ye sad the Carer-
either printers to print no more mphesr cif the Book of Com-
mas Prayer otherwiae than in confoemity with the bathe-
rimed copies commonly called ' the sealed book,' depmred
by the authority of parliament in the INwer of Los and
other plans. •
A number of petitions were presented in reference to the
burial savior, church discipline, and disarm synods.

A report, occapyiig-11pages TiTttki;;nbject of the bond
servios oan only be briefly sumlnarised. It starts upon the
broad facto of the right of Christian burial to all baptised,
" unless they die excommunicate, or have laid violent hands
on themaelves." The difficulties of the clergy 1161114 it pro-
em& to my, from the terms " unhaptisod," " excommuoi-
oats," and " have laid violent hoods on themselves '-" all of
which dialealties are soamised in detail, though it is re-
marked that the demand for alimonies to the cyder has

mainly arisen from the term " excommunicate." It dose
not appear expedient to the committee to omit porticoes
of the text, to change expression, to substitute another
form, or portion of • form, for the regular memos ; to
011014 a declaratory Rubric, or one giving the clergy • dis-
cretionary power, or to repeal maw 68. The true remedy
for the alleged difficulties is the use of some godly die-
oipffec b means of the church's courts. After an elaborate
Meta retrospect of the question ia its present
legal position, the committee conclude se follows :—Your
committee, havingdZwtuo three principal facts, which
are the result of the :—" 1. That the came, oat of
which the alleged ties in the use of the order for the
Burial of the Dead have arisen, are for the most part cases
of scandalous immorality of life. 2. That the legal machi.
eery for dealing with all such cases by the oonrt spiritual,
first by way of admonition of the offender, second by way of
excommunication, is complete. 3. That no civil penalty or
incapacity, save only that of impe+emoe.t for • term not
exceeding six mouth', is allowed by the present We—
they confidently recommend :—" The exercise of spiritual
discipline, with modification of the existing law, as the
legitimate sad effective remedy for alleged difil.
oulties in the um of the Order for the Be-sal of the
Dead, sad for the reproach and 'modal which the neglect
of inch discipline has entailed opera the cher* ; but, in
the judgment of your committee, it is essential to the re-
storation of spiritual dieciplum to remove all manner of
eivil_penalty or incapacity whatsoever from connexion with
the beaten°, of excommunication. The practical result
of such • state of the law would be that an evil liver
might be excommunicated, so as to satisfy the excep-
tion of the itubrk, and ff he died unsbeolved, or in de-
fault of such absolution, died ' sad no man able to testify
of his repentance' (ethos lxviii.), bit body would be ia-
i matter of civil t4ht, in the raToohiel burying
groundd as
without the service of the church. Bat, even in this
case, let it be observed that in such withholding el the err-
vice, however solemn the entrain against sin, the aura
' yet prom:moss no judgment touching the final 'tete of the
departed, es neither does she in the case of the unbaplised.
inasmuch as the service is withheld from them, not as lost,
but either as not patted into or as rightly oat off from the
unity of the chureL Is conclusion, your committee would
submit, that even if it were capable of proof that the griev-
ance upon the clergy of the alleged difficulties in the use of
the order for the burial of the dead is as pest asigis repro-
mated to be, it would ill become the clergy to propose on
this sesoent to surrender any portion of the Book of Com-
mon Prayer, which is the common inheritance of laity sad
clergy alike. Your committee are not aware that them is
any sufficient evidence to show that a desire exists on the
part of the laity, or any considered and concerted wpm
on the part of the clergy, that alteration should be made
in the Book of Common kieyer. The ravine would appear
to be the fact And they desire to record their judgment,
that, seeing these things are so, it is not the duty of ammo-
cation, in a matter so pave in itself, and foU of such grave
consequences to the chureh at large, to address itself to any
such undertaking. la recommending, in place of any such
course, restoration of spiritual discipline, your committee
are persuaded that any such restoration must be gradual ;
administered at no private discretion, but by competent
tribunals, and according to fixed lees ; and they cherish the
hope that, when the bearings of this question are clearly
understood, the lay members of the church will cordially
co-opus's in such restoration, as cotici4 ri
to the best in-
terests, temporal and spiritual, of the to the glory
Almighty God, and the advancement of truth.
A long disorsiou sassed at the conelteion of the report.
The Rev. Dr. JILT gave notice of a motion for the ear-
liest sitting of the house after the find day. of Lent for the
consideration of the report, and a transmission of it officially
to the President of the Upper House.
The Teo. Archdeacon Denison moved that the report
be printed and circulated among the memhers of the Lower
Howe. _ _

The Bev. Sir Hwy Taozreon suggested a eoefereses
with the Upper Hoene.
Ultimately Dr. Juz gave nodes d a mastics to the effect
that "This house do meow in the reeesonssodstion of the
oaannittee on the buziel of the dead."

The Vim. Archdeacon RANDALL read for the Chairman,
who ass officiating r pro-Prolocator of the house, • report
of the commutes appointed to consider the question at
clerical enteeriptioa, and whether there are any grenade
for objecting to the preset role of subscription as dein-
wore to the clergy ; end further, whether It might be im-
proved without endangering the definite faith of the Church
of F.agland." The oromittee de net recommend an
alteration in the subeniptioo to the Thirty-nine Arline' or
the Thirty-sixth Cur ; bat with regard to the &intrados
of assent and consent required from beneficed dormer
ealy—a cleclaratiou the terms of which have at beet an ep.
planar of going beyond the declared purpose of the sot—
** committee ere of opinion that the form of declaration
in section 4of the rid act might be brought into wore close
t with the general previsions of the act Iby being grueseritZed : " A. 8., do here declare 'my sefeiga
ed
resat unto, and approbation of,' she book intituled the
' Book of Common Prayer and Administration of the Seers-
meets mid other Rites and Ceremonies of the Church accord-
ing to the use of the Church of England ; together with
the Psalter or Psalms of Devitt, ported •• eb.y are to be
sung or said le Churches ; sad the Form or error
of making, oedaining, sod consecrating of Bishops, Priests,
and Deaccas.' And I do also here declare my re-
gent to ' the ase of all sad everything re-
tained and prescribed in and by the rid book." Boelt
an alteration might, is the judgment of the commit-
' tee, be made without endangersg the definite faith of
the Church of England, and might obviate the objections
which are sometimes taken to the terms of the present do.
olearico. The committee are also of opinion that that
portion of the act which requires leerier to repeat their
reading of the Common Prayers with declaration of their
assent thereto every mouth might advantageously be re-
pealed, inasmuch as it appears to the committee that there
no longer exists any resort why lecturers should, in
this respect, be placed in • different prince from
incumbents of perishes." The Vegetable Archdeacon
Randall gapve notice that be should move that the re•
commendation of the committee be adopted by that house.
The Venerable Archdeacon Drier gave settee of the
following amendment :—"That so roach of the report as
suggests an alteration in the presser rule of subscription
be sot 'proved by this house." He asked leave to add
Canon Wordsworth's name to the committee.
Agreed to.
The Von. PRo-Psowarros read • communication front
the Prolocutor tendering his migration.
This letter, which seemed to take the members by sur-
prise, was ordered to be entered on the minutes, and the
prorogation then took place.

MITROPOLITALIC RAILWAY SCHRUM. —The Belo=
Committee of the Rowe d Lords, appointed last verb=
oa metropolitan railway oommuoioatton, express bait
opinion that in the preset sessiou, and also In ray sue.
sending are, • Wiwi committee should be appolated
' before the snood readies of the bills for the
different schemes for the construction of lines of railway
within the metropolitan railway district, which may then
be before the holm. The committee add that it mould be
&shah= that the Baird of Trade should make, ems &flat
the oommenowneat of each session of parliament, • gem'
report relating to all proposed railways or worß cas-
tigated with railways, which affect the metropolitaa
railway ding, and that the report shooll be referred
to the committee. And farther, that miaow
should
meats be made between the two hansom of pan
liaramt, that all bills preposlms to machos the mostnie.
tiro of railways within the metropolitan railway Astrid
should originate in ate house, sad should be grsisped
together, and referred to the same select cormattlem There
is also one very important recommendation is the moot*
which is to the sired that ia ovary bill for insides e",y
work la the ceastradiee of whisk sempalssey pewee le
eves to take thirty or more berm =Wilted by the labour-
leg aimed in any oae parbb or pies*, a elastic be beerted
=l ine that the campanile 164, sot lam lima her we
any soak meow, =eke kaown their Will-
the, at totiZtag.
OLOYfI v. Piammoory Am) OvEnsa—We nodos-
e:sad that this sass, although is the present list, will sot
come on for trial until after next Trinity Tenn, in maw
Queers of • committee sow =Miss abroad taking midair,
la sapped et the clehmem