The Press.
London, England, 1856-01-12 00:00:00

Vroliturial.

THE BOARD OF TRADE have published the report
of Lieutenant-Colonel Wynne, R.E., upon the condi-
tion of the permanent way and bridges of the Eastern
Counties and Norfolk Railway. Colonel Wynne
states that the under-bridges and viaducts of this
line are mainly constructed of ti►nber, or of timber
and wrought iron, upon the simplest plan, and that
upon a careful examination he found them all " in
an advanced state of decay and general deteriora-
tion":

The piles were deeply rotted between wind and water, or
where they enter the ground.; their heals decayed and the
parts exposed to the weather more or less gone ; the cap-
sills very rowili decayed, especially on their under sides,
and in some instances crushed down on the heads of the
piles; the longitudinal timbers likewise much decayed
throughout their length, and greatly gone where they rest
on the capsids. The planking of the superstructure of all
was so rotten as to make it dangerous in many places to
walk over them. _ .

All the larger bridges that I examined appeared to have
undergone repairs, and to have been strengthened, some
years since, by having half timbers added to the longi
tudinal timbers, but whether these repairs were done with
old materials or very inferior timber, the fact is that they
are now the most decayed portion of the bridges.

Extensive repairs are at present in progress, Colonel
Wynne admits, but the magnitude of the works to be
undertaken render immediate renewal hardly pos-
sible over the whole portion of the line; and hence
Colonel Wynne is of opinion that the condition of
affairs is such as to cause "the most serious appre-
hension," and to lead him to believe that the public
cannot travel over the line between London, Cam-
bridge, and Norwich "without incurring serious
risk." With respect to the permanent way, although
in not so bad a state as the bridges, Colonel Wynne
is of opinion that until the sleepers are renewed it
will he necessary to limit the speed of the trains.
The Board of Trade forwarded copies of the repor'.
to the secretary of the railway and the Mayor of
Norwich, and called upon the directors to give the
subject their immediate and careful consideration,
cud to state as early as possible to the Board of
Trade what steps they intend to pursue to remedy
the evil. This report has elicited letters from
more than one official connected with the line. Mr.
Waddington himself is far from finding fault with
Colonel Wynne, though he regards his report as
" exaggerated" and expressing undue apprehensions.
Mr. Braithwaite and Mr. Ashcroft, engineers, both
(I,iny its statements with reference ;o certain parts of
the line; while the Investigation Committee see in it
only another proof of that mismanagement and pecu-
lation with which they cha ged Mr. Waddington.
Mr. Bruce this week has published his remarks on
Mr. Waddington's answer, and reiterates his charge
of culpable negligence, or an amount of fraud, beyond
conception, but he does not materially controvert Mr.
Wadilington's statements, or shake his position.
Mn. SAMUEL WARREN, Q.C., Recorder of Hull,
delivered a lecture last week at the local Mechanics'
Institute upon "The Rights, Difficulties, Dignity,
and Consolations of Labour." The learned gentle-
man, taking his text from the opinions of Adam
Smith and Turgot upon the practical value and upon
the sacred and inviolable nature of labour to the
pour, proceeded to point out at great length the
practical meaning and consequence of the freedom of
labour in England.
MAJOR-GENERAL WINDHAM, to whom a vote of
thanks for his distinguished gallantry in the field
was given, in October last, by the magistrates of
Norfolk, has acknowledged the honour conferred
upon him in a few brief but manly words. "There
were many at the Redan," says the gallant general,
" who did their duty as well as I did—few that had
such providential protection—none that had such
reward."

MAJOR ROBERT MANLEY, of the 6th Inniskillen
Dragoons, on his return from the Crimea, was wel
corned by his father's tenantry, last week, with a
public dinner, at which a sword or honour was
presented to the gallant major by the Hon. J. Stuart
Wortley, M.P.
Loma DYNEVOR, who as Colonel Trevor in the
House of Commons has represtnted for the last
thirty-two years the county of Carmarthen, was last
week presented with his own portrait, as a mark of
esteem and respect by the gentry and inhabitants of
the county. The ceremonial took place in the Shire-

SATURDAY,

hall of Liandilo, Sir Jolm Mansell, Bart., Visconti

Emylin the Earl of Cawdor, and a numerous assembly
of the most influential inhabitants, being present.
Sir John Mansell, Bath, in an introductory address,
paid welt-deserved and high compliments to the
marked integrity and unflinching energy and impar-
tiality which for so lung a period have distinguished
the noble lord in the discharge of his parliamentary
duties, and to that active and munificent promotion
of all charities, and especially of the Welsh charity
schools in London, dispensed by the noble lord upon
every opportunity. Lord Dynevor in reply eloquently
acknowledged the honour, and begged as a
personal favour that the original signatures of the
subscribers to the testimonial might be given to him.
The portrait was painted by Mr. Lucas, and is highly
spoken of.
AT THE COURT FOIL THE RECEIPT OF RENTS due to
the estate of the late Sir William Molesworth, the
Cornish tenantry of the late baronet spoke in high
terms of his conduct to them as a landlord who never
sought to interfere with the political ()Onions of his
tenantry. Amor g other statements made, it ap-
peared that at the time of the repeal of the corn
laws Sir William did not abate his rents so early as
other landlords, but when he found the agricultural
interest did not recover its depression he ordered an
entire readjustment of his rents, and the abatemer t
to continue to the end ofthe respective terms granted.
THE BISHOP OF EXETER has addressed a letter to
Dr. Lushinzton in reference to his recent judgment
in the late Pimlico church case. The bishop, though
agreeing in the main with the opinion of Dr. Lushs
ington upon the points in dispute, takes exception to
the learned judge's decision that "credence-tables"
are illegal, feeling impelled, he. says, openly to avow
his dissent from this decision, inasmuch as agreat
doctrine of the Church is implicated. Dr. Philpotts
then enters into the question of the mode of placing
the elements before consecration, and gives his
opinion that, although the term " credence " is ob-
jectionable as applied to a second table near the
altar, he regards it as "more fitting" that the bread,
before the oblation of it is made ",by being placed by
the priest on the holy table, should be within reach,
on a sideboard or any other unpretending piece of
furniture, rather than it should be brought from the
vestry." "In the Greek Church," adds Bishop
Philpotts, "it is brought in a ceremonial manner, 1
believe by the priest and deacon, from the prothesis,
in which I see no harm." The bishop then points
out that Dr. Lushington's reliance on a former judg-
ment of Sir H. G. Fust (in the case of Faulkner v.
Lichfield) in suppert of his, Dr. Lushington's, recent
condemnation of credence tabl s was clearly un-
founded, as the question under the consideration of
Sir H. G. Fust was not whether any table within the
rails for the purpose of holding the elements before
the oblation was illegal simpliciter, but whether a
stone table, standing near a stone altar, should have
the express sanction of the court at the desire of the
churchwardens, in opposition to the will of the mi-
nister. The bishop next refers to the question of
covering for the communion-table :
To a variety of covers for the holy table, carried to a
fantastic or great extent, I am (observes 1)r. Philpotts),
speaking of myself personally, opposed in taste and judg-
ment. But I know not when or where the excess can be
said to be culpable. You cut the knot by saying there
shall be only one. Now this condemns a black cloth in
Lent no less than ever-varying exhibitions of covering. I
frankly say that I do not assent to the entire propriety of
such a decision. If anything of this sort is carried to such
an extent as the consistorial court of the bishop shall deem
inconsistent with due solemnity, that court will very pro-
perly restrain the usage. But the absolute prohibition of
all variety, on all occasions, seems to me of very question-
able fitness.

After pointing out the 82nd canon as distinctly
stating that the covering for the communion-table
shall be " a carpet of silk or other decent stuff—
tupete ex eel-leo," the bishop argues that the richest
materials in the spirit of both the Old and New
Testament would always be congrua et decora in
ornamenting the holy table in the House of God;
and in support of his argument quotes the invento-
ries of Lincoln Cathedral in the last year of Edward
VI. reign, where fourteen costly altar-cloth~, besides
silver crosses, were in use, though he would always
be inclined to leave the " sense of fitness " to parties
themselves. Finally, the bishop states that although
he regards all ornamental novelties of any kind not
proved to be in use in the second year of Edward VI.
as prima facie illegal, ho would still have the
Church's law observed, that the bread and wine be not
placed on the communion-table till the priest makes
—and in order that he may make—an oblation of
them :
To those (concludes the bishop) who direct the worship
in those noble tamales—to our deans and dignitaries—
shall I be forgiven if, wi bout making special reference to
any, I venture to address a word of reminiscence to all ?
Cathedrals are not merely places of ornate, elaborate,
sumptuous worship ; they were designed to be, they
ought to be, exemplars to the dioscese at large. Now, care-
lessness in those who undertake the duty of setting an ex-
ample of dutiful obedience to the orders of the Church, is
something worse than carelessness—it is positive neglect of