The Express.
London, England, 1855-10-23 00:00:00

LONDON, TUESDAY EVENING, OCTOBER 23, 1855.

fallen in battle. The sympathlise of Galwaymen with that
noble regiment are thus namiatakably esprmard, and I hope
that is the valour that has bees everywhere displayed by
the 88th, composed as that corps is, in a great mean's,
of natives of this bounty, we see duly a sample of the ma.
duet that the Galway Regiment will, whenever the mow
don requires it, display under the standard of the odours
this day presented. Tour ladyship concluded your impres-
sive address by invoklap God's blueing upon the colours. I
am sum that prayer dads an echo in the hearts of all hero
present. No valour, no marina, no discipline, ma &veil
but with the Divine blessing—that blaming I trust may rest
upon oar arms abroad, as well as upon the colours aronsid
which the Galway Regiment will henceforth be format.
Lady tilaaricarde, allow awls conclusion to thank you is
the name of the regiment for the honour you bees this deg
dose us, and also to impress the satiate/Mom it has gives us
that this serenade' has been visited by so numerous and
fair as assamblega."

DRAMA.

STRAND.

A burlesque wit the play of Nitocria was produced
at this theatre last night. It was as eneoseefial as the author
Gould kayo wished. The andlesme. we. la the bin of all
possible humour, and applauded the smallest approxima-
tion to wit with an sung, which showed that they were
willing to be pleased. There was some " excellent fooling "
by the gentleman who played the part of Nitocris. The
action of the piece fellowed that of the play at Drury Use
pretty closely, and the situations translated into burlesque
ware slaver, and thoroughly appreciated by the audience.
Aocustoon as the play-going public have been to the bur
lenses by Planehi, the warailleation of the author fell
rather wildly upon the mend ear. Neverthebms, the ad-
mirable acting of the wheaten carried the pine .hroogh
triumphantly. The principal actors wen called for at the
end of the parformaaos, and whoa they had withdrawn a
similar call was made for the author, Mr. C. J. Collies. The
I play is likely to hays a good run.

THE ABOLITION OP CHURCHNATBS.

The following address " to the opponents of church
rates throughout the kingdom " has just been issued by the
executive committee of the Society for the Liberation of
Religion from State Patronage and Control :
" The attempt to abolish church rates having been de-
feated by the obstructive tactics of opponents no longer able
to maintain their ground by force of numbers, the bill tot
that purpose will be again istrodated early neat session, and
be pressed with increased energy and determination.
" The &skive majorities by which the Rouse of Commons
bss weabsio=todly alarmed the ptlnciple of church-rata
abaci* which has takes plies in the views of
Waft pUtloiaas, both liberal and conservative—and the
111111~011 everywhere prevalent, that there must be an
early settlersast of the question, justify the belief that the
labour sad Saftifloell or many pest years are about to be
rewarded with 'acme But it num* be concealed that, as
the scedist approaches its tanniaation, Its sorority in-
mate' that without great public pressure, either the
law remain uniatired (or some time longer, or an at-
tempt will be node to perpetuate church yetis in • new
and sore tolerable form. Hesse, while it is on all heads
allowed that the law ought not to remain fa its pretest
state, Mr. Maddox@ would stop short at the abolition of the
impost in the large towns,- Mr. Packs would relieve dls-
ieSton from a part, and Dr. Phillimore from the whole of
the rate, and so impose an hummed burden oa the iodif-
forest or irreligious portion of the community; while the
Archbishop of Canterbury would also tan churchmen ex
elusively, but only when they constitute • minority, and
after a renewal of parochial struggles, which will be
helghteascl in Wendt, by the importance of the base to be
dstaratsad.

Minemeions, however unsatisfactory, unquestion-
ably tidiest. decisive progress. And to what are they
attributable ? Daubtleta, to a very large *Meat, to a grow-
ing asses Mae injustice of lasing nes for the support of m-
ligieue institutions of which they disapprove, or from which
they receive no benefit ; bat probably in a larger degree
to the establishment of the prineiple, that the majority of a
vestry may legally refuse to make a church rate—to the
inmeasiag extent to which that right is befog exercised—
sad to a rionsciousnein of the feet, that the prole:I/scion of
the straggle is doing serious damage to the church establish-
ment

" It follows, that if church.rate abolitionists would drive
their now yielding opponeau to ax absolute surrender, they
must yet more powerfully exert that kind of influence which
has already wrought so important a change of sentiment and
policy. The last plea urged in favour of retaining shush
rates is, that they are objected to only is a comptratively
small number of places. It is not denied that they are un-
just, bat it is contended that there is no need for extinguish.
lag them where they are ',ideally sabmittei to.
" There is bat one effective way of replying to reasoning
so shortsighted and onstatestaanlike. There mast no longer
exist a plauible ground for such essertions, or a pretext for
each unsatisfactory remedial mesearee. As there are in
almost all parishes men who conscientiously object to com-
pulsory payments for religious purposes, and who have long,
however silently, felt them to be oppressive, so in all those
parishes there mast now be an immediate and decided de-
monstration against their sontinuance. The time was when
the inhabiteats of the small towns and the rural parishes
might, without dereliction of duty, leave the agitation of the
question in vestry to populous and inileential districts.
These districts have done their duty, and with adequate re.
salts, hat they are now met with the plea that church rates
ought not to be abolished merely at the demand of the large
towns; or that, at least, they may with propriety continue
to exist in other localities, where they have been levied
without any manifestation of hostility or impatience.

II wb , therefore, there is a parish in which there is
a body of dissenters or other opponents of church rates,
however small, who have not yet agitated the question in
be vestry or at the poll, an opportunity is presented for
swelling the steam of opiates against the suction. When
silence is regarded as consent, it is time to speak, and to
speak in unmistakeable terms.
" Minorities no longer have an exams for aequieecenee in
the feet that they are such. Church rates must now be
opposed even where there is but little hope of suctuefel
opposition, that t►e voice of dleoontent may be heard iy
parliament and the government. To defeat a church rate
on a poll is, of course, the most valuable result of an
agitation, bat the mere fact that rates are unceasingly con-
tested, apart from the Mae, has a powerful influence.

" Bat it is not always needful for the prevention of
church-rata levies that they should be opposed by a sudority.
Valid church rates can he made obly by a strict observance
of the law ; and experience has shown that the blundering
and ineompetesee of parochial officials frequently render
it may for a few clear•headed and determined indi•
viduala to thwart all efforts to make or collect a rate.
Such a mune of action is neither illegal nor factions.
' After the decision of the Roused Lords (in the Braintree
ease), the majority of soy vestry has a right not to agree to
a abareb rat*, and so to prevent a church rate from being
reeled at all in the parish. Even when the vestry is other-
wise unanimously for the rate, any one dissentient rate.
payer eon now honestly, and without the imputation of
agitating against a law, contra the rate at every stage,
compel the exact forms of striking, amassing, and collecting,
use all hie influence against the rate, and entertain the
hope of one dayearrying a majority with him. Such is the
existing right of the majority, and of the individual:*
"It is felt that is mine place, It will not be possible to
act ea them recommendations without a temporary disturb-
. .

saes of good feeling, and loss and discomfort to ;seine indi-
viduals, to which, under other siircainstanoes, they need sot
be exposed. But such a policy is a necessity imposed upon
as by the upholders of • bed system, who will abandon it
only whim its retention is demonstrated to be impoerible.
Government, and not a few politicians, wait to have aboli-
tion' tweed epos them; and a large body of churches**
will be glad to be furnished with a sufficient reason for
assisting to the extinction of a system which they are not
yet prepared totally to condemn.
" To facilitate compliance with the reoommesdations now
gives, each information and legal advice as may be required
for assiesefully coaducting vestry contests will be cheerfully
afforded. New tracts, handbills, and other sublioatiose
have been prepared. Fall publicity will be given to such
facts as should be widely known, for the baton/ittos and
ewnoaragemest of the opponents of church rates throughout
the psalm And ears will be takes to ensure that what-
ever is dose in the parishes shell, so far as possible, be made
to have its legitimate inflames in the Rouse of Commons. ,
Let, thee, trees who hitherto have dose nothing ia
opposition to church rates in their own parishes feel sdelb'
effort to be a serious duty, and task to impart that feeling'
to others. And whet. snob rates ere happily no born
levied, there let it be the aim of the friends of religious
liberty to see their imams's:* to mare similar results in
neighbouring wishes sad towas, and throughout the
cosstry.
"Oa behalf of the executive coeasslttes,
" J. CLRVILL WILLIAM, tlecretaly.
"2, Berjeanta'-ins, Fleet-attest, Oct., 1866."