The Express.
London, England, 1863-04-17 00:00:00

THE BISHOP OF LINCOLN AND THE BISHOP

OP NATAL

The following letter has been addressed by the
Lord Bishop of Lincoln to the clergy of his dices..:
" Deanery, Liooolo, April 13, 1863.
"Reverend sod Dear Brethren, —I have abstained hitherto,
even when addressed on the subject, from any public ex-
pression of opinion on the recent works of the Bishop of

I was unwilling, on the one hand, to abandon the hope,
that a candid investigator of truth, on closer examination of
the grounds of what appeared tome, for the moot part, very
hasty and ill-considered conclusions, might be led to retract
publications which have filled his friends with sorrow, and
the church of which he I a minister, with alarm. And os
the other, I had some right to ert that a bishop of our
church, to the doctrine arid discipline of which he is bound
by the most solemn obligations, • unhappily compelled by
the exigencies of his investigations to entertain convictions
inconsistent with his profession at ordination, and ooefee-
sedly at variant,' with some of the odioes which he is to
use himself and to edam on others, would hesten to free
himself from responsibilities which, one would think, can
no looger either be discharged conscientiously or evaded
honourably.
"Bishop Colenso has taken neither course. He considers
it his duty to God and the natioord church, while retaining
the episcopal commission which he has received, and the
bishopric which was founded only ten yen since for very
different purposes. to persevere in his endeavour to disprove
the historical truth of some of those books of the canonical
Scriptures, all of which he once declared that he believed
unfeignedly, and the uofeigued belief in which be has still
to require from each one whom he ordains.
Ido not suppose that there is in this diocese a single
clergyman who sympathises with Bishop Ookuso, or with
his views ; but I feel it doe to you and to myself alike, to
mark as well my sorrowful disapprobation of such conduct
on the part of a brother bishop, as my entire disapproval of
opinions maintained by him in his 'Commentary oo the
Epistle to the Romans,' and its hie two parts of • The Pen-
tateuch sod the Book of Joshua critically examined,' by
directing you hereby not to allow him to mss the word
and eacniments in any of your churches.—Believe me to re-
main your faithful handmaid brother, "J. Lnicout."

Tag DIVISION ON THE BUNIALS 1861
Sir Morton Peto's bill was thrown out by a vote of 236 to
156 ; this year the present bill, which was the offspring of
the Hoar of Commons' committee, met with only 96 sup-
porters. In the " noes" of Wednesday are to be found the
names of several of the accustomed supporters of " libera-
tion" measures in parliament. It is understood that the
bill was of too moderate a character for a large section of
this party, and hence the small number of its supporters,
and the apparent anomaly of ecclesiastical radicals and tones
uniting to defend it. The conservatives " whipped" hard
to defeat the measure ; the liberal party used no efforts to
procure the attendance of members.
Tan AMALGAMATION OF CITY AND METROPOLI-
TAN POLICL—The opposition to the proposed measure of
Sir George Grey for amalgamating the Metropolitan sod
City police is by no means confined to the City, but is
extending throughout the metropolis. At the meeting of
the representative vestry of St. Marylebous, held yesterday
at the court Louse, Mr. Churchwarden Matthews in the
chair, resolutions were presented fr.m so association of
ratepayers, stating that they had heard with feelings of
apprehension the intention to amalgamate the City of
London police force, now under the control of the ratepayers,
with the metropolitan police. That they regarded such •
measure as repugnantto the spirit of bad institutions,
and dangerous to public liberty. They, therefore, called
upon their representatives to nee their efforts to prevent
this absorbtion of a responsible institution into the hands of
the government ; and further to consider the expediency of
placing the whole of the civil defence of the metropolis
under the control of a board elected by the ratepayers.—
At • full meeting of the vestry of St. James., West-
minster, held yesterday at the Vestry hall, Piccadilly, Mr.
Box, churchwarden, in the chair, after the usual routine
business had been transacted, Mr. Medwin proposed the
following resolutios :—" That this vestry,in new Of its.
former decision that it was most desirable to obtain for the
parish of St. JAW/40.11 and the City of Westminster the
benefit of municipal imaitutious, and especially the metro'
and regulation of its polies cannot bat regret the attempt
now being made in the House of C,omniona, and by the
Home Secretary, to deprive the City of London of their
privilege, and that such steps be taken to prevent this result,
by petitions and otherwise, es may seem expedient." Mr.
Watkins seconded the motion. Several other members of
the vestry having spoken io favour of the meolatiou, it was
put from the chair and unanimously adopted. A committee
was then appointed to prepare a petition against the pro-
posed amalgamation, and the borough members were also
requested to vote spinet any bill having that object in
view.

-- •
THZ CLOSINO OF PUSLIC-HOURES ON SUNDAYS.
—Last evening a numeroualyattended meeting of working
men, in favour of Mr. Someds bill for closing pablic•hoosea
on Sundays, was held at Taylor's Repositor► Newington;
Mr. Bormoad le the chair. The Chairman mid they anion°t
preseet so Sebbaterians, but they looked upon t►e question
in a axial light ; sad the promoters of the meanie( believed
that in advocating the movement they were beet promoting
the happiness of thousand'. Numerous addresses were de-
livered, and resolutions in favour of the bill adopted.