The Express.
London, England, 1865-03-23 00:00:00

REPORT OF THE CHARITY COMMISSIONERS.

This morning was issued the report of the
Charity Commissioners for Brew' and Wales for the year
1861. The special applications for the intervention of
the oomminionere with respect to " very Tarim "
endowments, *options to increase. The average num-
ber of such applications received daring the years
1861, 1862, and 1863, was approximately 1,239. The
additional number narked daring the past year has bees
1,369. Within the year 1,728 orders bad been mad*. The
commissioners speak highly of the benefits they have bees
enabled to confer upon numerous charities by the exercise
of the jurisdiction newly extended to them by the Chari-
table Trusts Act, 1860. Notwithstanding the great
facility of appealing from the orders of the rostrata-
siocers, no instance has hitherto occurred of revisal
or varieties. At the ekes of the year the total
amount of various stocks vested in the of trus-
tees of charitable funds was 2,085,2811. 3a. 7d., held by
them upon 3,586 socounte, for the esparatecharities to which
they belong. 377 charitable foundatices, either newly
created or not previously recorded, have been brought under
the observation of the oommiaaioners daring the past year ;
sod 14,277 returns of woo:into of the reoeipts and expeadi-
tore of charities have been received. The coniroissioners
remark :—" It would be very satisfactory if the treatises ben
such fouedations, cossidering how largely their advantep
may be promoted by the publicity of their administration,
and the justice with which information may be expected
from themselves as to the discharge of public trusts under-
taken by them, would more readily comply with the law
which requires from them for such purposes these yearly
returns." The completion of a general digest of endowed
charities is now complete for 15 counties; and also as to the
parochial charities of the cities of London and Westminster.
" It will be for parliament to determine." say the commis-
sioner, "upon the expediency of causing the digest to be
printed, either on its completion for separate counties, or
after a greeter @sierra= of the works, if it should form a
sufficient estimate of the value of such a record."

THE POBLIO-NOUSZ CLOSING Ac-r.—lt appears
from a parliamentary return issued this inorniog that up •
the preseot time the following towns have adopted 1
Public-house Closing Act, 1864, viz., Manchester, Preston,
Great Yarmouth, Birmingham, Brighton, Salford, Sag'
borough, Bittiogbourne, iddlesborough, Macclesfield,
Bradford, Henley, Hereford M,
Penzance, Walsall, Biegley,
Suederland. Bolton, Plymouth, Kiopton-upon-Hall, Hali-
fax, Wenioek, Oldham, Bodmia, Grimsby, Devoeport,
Bristol, West Hartlepool, Huddersfield, sod titockport.
The foregoing are given In the order of time in which the
act was adopted by them.
The Scotsman publishes a history of the Edmunds'
rasa, founded on various official reports issued at intervals
during the last eight months, and which are now being sifted
by the Lords' committee. Our oontecuporary, summing up
the details, says :—" It will be seen that there is some-
thing uneetiefeatory or unexplained as to the oenditions on
which Mr. &Bonn& was appointed to his hest ethos; but
on that point all judgment should be swerved till we know
the dotal*, of Mr. William Brougham. Meanwhile two
points seem elear—that the pecuniary transactions Weiss
Mr. Edmunds and Mamas. William and James Brougham, of
which we have not yet full explanatioe, had reference $0 •
debt of Kr. Jams. Sloughs= ; sod that, beyond having
signed a document as security for his brother more than 30
years ago, Lord Brougham knew nothing of all thee* cam.
pliceted matters, and has derived nothing from them bat a
vast amount of annoyance sad the liability to pay another
man's debt."
A meeting of the London Diocesan Home idission
was held yesterday at Willis's Rooms, the Bishop al
Loedoe in the 'heir. After the reading of the repeat hie
lordship adverted to the eperstioes of the evreasty. and
showed that though to a large extant it was of an exesp-
ticeal character Is order be met the wants of a doetwatisg
population, yet the tesdesey of its work was to become
permanent sad to dovetail itself lido ear ordisary parochial
system in the shape of new slunsiess sad separate.
The meeting wee aloe addrweed by the Duke of Marl-
borough, the Bishop of Ely, Cason Boyd, and edam
" Europe and the New World," says the Morn-
ing Poet, "have equal nose to lament the e.
prematur but
not unexpected death of Professor George Phillips Hoed,
the widely-lumen director al the Observatory al Harvard
College. and the astroweser-Isairid of the Rebel Oates.
honour
of the mail whisk toek mg le Ms the Idelseel
honour of the Royal Astroeowicel eaelety ef Reglesd—lhe
gold medal—bee. 'Labially, wowed esether, se Its aim
to oar shores, which bee resweyed to the eras sod* she
record of the professor% untimely sad insalissausted

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