The Express.
London, England, 1848-12-08 00:00:00

ZILE erpreiso.

MAILS.
wistuds forthe' North America, sad the United States,
de mode up Milli( a the Mt Des.
The West India Mails, excluding hermitic* Plealitl. Hawn%
Gondar" New °dear, end Mel*, and including Wee for
Idateirs, Pon..le-Nicaregus, New armada, QM, and Pere. will
he mod.' up as the morning el the lath Ike.
The weds for Viga, LiAbon, Madeira, Cads, and Gibraltsr
will be mule up on the mardelt of the 11th Dee.
overlent melte foe Gibraltar, Malta. Grew* the baba tel
ITTPL, Alen, Ceylon, India, lieng-Koag, and Chloe, was Southway.
too. will be Dade up on (hosannas( at the Nth Dee.
The °verbose% clewed midis, eta Mereeilles. to the Moilterrsassa,
Kept, Aden. Orrice. Inds, Iluost.Kuag, be, will be made up en the
everting ot the 24th Dee.
The made tx New loath Wales, Tan Mums% Land, end New
Penland will he wade up en the evening ef tbe Id Jen.
The malls for the Wed Coast of Parka awl Madeira will M wade
sp on the ...ulna of the Id Jan.
The nails Sw Nediars, the Brazils, sad Eateos Ayres, will latt
made op as the mediae ef the 4th Jen.

MISS WATIR •T LONDON BRIGS&
T. D. —lll•••,..fit pol 11 : &P lows. • TA. •••I Ilk.
f•-.....lr—llarabag.llmar yam IN UMW" S. put O.

LONDON,FRIDAY.DECEMBER 8.
Ir will be perceived from an aivertisement which
appears in our columns this day, that the govern-
ment has determined to proceed with the Irish col-
!ogee, and that, in despite of Jolts of TUAM and of the
fors., some thousands a year are to be spent on pro-
fessors destined to instruct the Irish in Greek, Latio,
history, and English literature, logic, jurisprudence,
English law, agriculture, Irish language, and
se forth. We give the government all credit
fur its constancy. in this affair, although in
questions which involve the power to bestow
places to the amount of three or four thousand a year,
such constancy me; be very well expected. Be this
as it may, the fountains of knowledge are to be mu-
vided, and all that remains to be asked is, will the
Young Irish drink of them, or will their priests per-
mit them to quaff of a spring of which they are not
the dispensers ?
The answer rests with the Roman catholic laity of
Ireland. And that answer has far mere importance
than the fate of these colleges. For if once
it could be shown, as we think it can and will be
shown, that the Homan catholic body in Ireland is not
a mere flock of ignorant millions herding behind a
few fanatic prelates and clergy, but a large lay.popu-
lotion, with the name interest', aspirations, intelli-
gence, principles of freedom and fraternity, which mark
the lay brethren of any other sect, an immense por-
tion of the bigoted hatred and exclusive prejudices of
Englishman would vanish with the conviction.
There is no dogma more universally and
i em-
phatically preached and insisted on at present than
that religous teaching, and no other teaching, can
secure the lower and triddie classes from the conta-
gion of revolution. l'hiloisophy, or lay teaching, or
thinking for one's-self so gene'ated, is universally
stigmatised as dangerous not merely to salvation, bat
,to the conservation of social order. And when
churchmen or sacerdotal dissenters boldly declare
that instruction of any kind is poison unless neu-
tralised by a certain tefusion of religions teaching,
the middle classes, stricken by the panic of continen, el
revolution, are much inclined to accept the rule,
not so much out of regard to the religious welfare
of the population, as to the political welfare of the
state.
Now, we think this a great mistake. Religious
belief is of paramount importance, not only as a
linking on of this world with the next, and as a very
general arid powerful motive of good conduct through
life ; but experience abundantly. shows how moral,
and rational, and prudential principles serve as aids
and as supplements to religions principles. Read
Dr. AesonVe memoirs, and examine what was his
system of education. 'The principles he wished to
instil were two—those of religion, and those of homer.
He wished the boys to be Christinis, but he also
insisted on their being gentlemen. We instance Dr.
Au Lies philosophy of education, not so much be-
cause it was that of an eminent teacher of youth,
but because it is universally the English principle of
education in and out of families. Those parts of
conduct which religious motives will not reach, we
apply honourable motives to. For our own pest we
should prefer moral and rational motives to new*
honourable ones, the latter being rouserhat
attributes of caste. But that is unimportant.
What we would assert is, that however in-
dispensable religious principles may be, some other
principles are always employed in the education of
every Englishman, and, therefore, may be considered
necessary. Now, where they are perhaps meet ne-
cessary, is in the philosophy, and in the rules, of poli-
tical thinking and conduct.
The world hu been much shocked by the murder
of Count Rossi by, the Romans; and even still more
shocked, perhaps, by the whole Roman population
sympathising with and heroising the assassin. We
agree with our tory contemporaries that such a
symptom of utter demoralisation has not been
for ages displayed by any people. But what
is the people thus shown to have principles
of public conduct the most demoralised in Europe?
Precisely that people which has been most exclu-
sively reared under sacerdotal government. The
Romans, we hope, have had religious teachers enough.
Aud what has religious teaching made of them P The
worshippers not merely of revolution but of assassi-
nation. Wherever a priest-ridden people in
these times have thrown off the yoke, they
have indulged forthwith in the enjoyment
of assassination. Paris and Berlin have both
had revolutions also. Both cities are remarka-
ble for emancipation from an exclusively religious
education. In both the dagger of the assawin has
been unknown. There has been fierce, manly
fighting in both—anarchy if yen will, and great licen-
tiousness of philosophic theory—but base and san-
guinary crimes have not been committed.
\Vu shouldsay then, that for political education, other
elements are necessary, than an exclusively religious
teaching or direction. We believe, we might here add,
thatalmost all the Irish rebels, now exratingtheirsen-
tenon, were bred in religious seminaries. No country,
therefore, more than Iceland demands lay seminaries,
lay instruction. And when we say so, we by no
means wish to separate and contrast laymen and
ecclesiastics. The Irish Roman catholic priesthood
numbers a large proportion of liberal men and
even prelates who, like GANGANELLI, would be
prompt to aid the cause of secular education.
Pits IX. himself, notwithstanding his rescript,
which is nothing. but an unavoidable answer
to a captions question, is no enemy to lay education.
And, we believe, eleven of the Irish catholic prelates
are favourable to the principle of these colleges.
We have good hope.s; therefore, that the scheme of
education, persisted in by the government, will be
efficiently supported by the more liberal of the Irish
prelates and the more influential of the Roman catholic
laity ; and that the youth of that country may be en-
abled to imbibe models of admiration and principles
of conduct in schools less bigoted, sacerdotal, and pro-
vincial, than those which have hitherto tainted Irish
philosophy and politics with absurd puerility and mo-
nastic exclusiveness.

A SESSIONAL paper, entitled "Public Appoint-
ments," was delivered yesterday. It purports to be a
return "of all new places created, and appointments
made, since the 19th day of March, 1845, whether by
act of parliament or ey any other authority, and of
the names of the persons appointed to them." Cori-

ously enough, notwithstanding this, not one of the
1,414 appointees is named. They are all anonymous.
This is not the only omission. The 1,414 are stated
in a note to be "exclusive of clerks and others
temporarily employed." The word " others '
includes, we presume, all the gentlemen ap-
pointed to temporary commissionerships. that
Ingenious device for making interim provision
for serviceable partisans till something perms-
neat opens, which has been so liberally resorted
to of late years. The cost of temporary clerks " and
others," is said to be included in a sum of 21,7471.,
which is designated " incidental expenses." Again,
it is observed in a note explanatory, appended to the
I sum total of " expenses of the establishments in con-
nexion with such new appointments," that " in many
instances the total expense of the establishments in
connexion with which new appointments are made,
is returned as applying to the expense of the new ap- '
pointments only, instead of the entire establishment."
But the fact is passed over in silence that out of the
46 government offices which have made returns of
new appointments, 31 have omitted to make any re-
turn of the additional expense for establishments in-
curred in consequence of the new appointments.
There are other sources of vagueness in this return.
" All new places created and appointments made"
may possibly include new appointments to old places;
and there are certainoolonial appointmcntsenumerated,
respecting which it is not explicitly stated, whether
their salaries, are to bo defrayed by the imperial
treasury or the eolenial treasuries. From the cir-
cumstance, however, that in the Colonial-office return
care has been taken to note that when three
assistant secretaries of state with a pt kis
writer and registrar, were appointed, two assis-
tant under-secretaryships were discontinued, we pre-
sume that all the new appointments enumerated
are to newly-created places. And from the cir-
cumstance that we are reminded twice over that
the salaries of the Bishops of Newcastle and
Melbourne and of the special commissioner for the
New Zealand Company are paid from colonial and
other funds, we presume that all salaries, allowances,
and expenses to which no such notandam has been
attached arc paid out of the imperial exchequer. In-
deed, we find some of these colonial items figuring in
the miscellaneous estimates for 1848-9.
The truth is that this return is less the fruit of any
desire to obtain or afford information, than a piece of
party bush-fighting. Lord LINCOLN moved for
a return of the new places and their expense, " and
the names of the persons appointed to them," as mat-1
ter for a personal thrust at ministers in a tender point.
And ministers have contrived to make the return
after such a feahion as renders it as little available as
possible for his purpose, or for any other. Never-
theless, the tax-pas ing public may extract some use.
fed information from it, as we proceed to indicate.
Between the middle of March, 1843, and the middle
of April, 1848, there were created 1,414 new places
under government, and appointments were made to
them. The total of salaries and expenses, on account of
such new appointments, was 297,2761. The total
expenses of the establishments in connexion with sash
new appointments is returned as 630,6361. We have
already noticed thatthe total expenses of the whole estab-
liehments in connexion with the new appointments,
are said to have been returned as applying to the new
establishments "in many instances." But we have
also drawn attention to the fact that out of 46 go-
vernment offices which have made returns, only 15
have stated what the expense of the additional estab-
lishments will be. And we may add, that, among
others which have failed to make any such statement,
are the Admiralty, the Foreign and Colonial Offices, the
County Courts, and the Customs. There can be
little doubt that the numerous omissions will amply
compensate for any excess in the few statements
given. Had there not been a considerable chance of
this being the case, care would doubtless have been
taken to correct the return before issuing it.
Now 1,414 new places, meting the country one year
with another 927,9124 are a pretty considerable addi-
tion to the national burdens, and to our host of piece-
men, to have been made in the coarse of three years,
by the remnant of that party which took office with
professions of " reform end retrenchment." We rea-
dily admit, however, that the number of new places,
and their cart, are not of themselves sufficient to
warrant a judgment as to their propriety or impro-
priety. Much will depend upon the circumstance
whether these appointments have increased the effici-
ency of old departmental of government, or provided
for the discharge of any duty of government previ-
ously neglected. But it must be kept in mind that
even though all the 1,414 new places could be proved I
to be expedient or indispensable, and their services
afforded at the most moderate cost, it would still be
incumbent upon government to shew that they had
provided for them by retrenching useless expendi-
ture in other quarters, or that no such retrenchment
was possible.
It would extend this article to a most unread-
able length, and thereby defeat our purpose in
penning it, were we to attempt, on the present
occasion, to examine into the merits of all the
1,414 new places. Bat there are some of them so
glaringly indefensible u to require immediate ex-
posure. Several of the new places in the customs
were obviously required, on account of the increased
trade of Liverpool and other places, to afford mer-
chants due facilities in passing their goods. Some of
the Poet-office appointments were doubtless called for I
on account of the enormous increase of correspondence
consequent upon the adoption of the penny postage.
Others of the new places may appear upon examinee
tion to have been equally proper; but there are some
which admit of no defence.
For example, under the head of consular appoint-.
meats we find a consul for Abyssinia with 5001. a I
Tear, and an allowance of 4001. for house rent and
expenses; a vice-consul at Mourzouk with 2001.; andl
a consul at Ohadames with 5001. The ingenious
inventor of the Abyssinian consulship has been unable
to find a "local habitation" for his consul. The truth
is, that Abyssinia approa thes the Red Sea only at one
point, in the vicinity of Maesowah. Lord VALENTIA,
some forty years ago, persuaded an unfortunate
London merchant to freight a vessel to that port with
• view to the Abyssinian trade. That one vessel
created a glut in Massowah from which the
market has not recovered to the present day. The
other two places we have named are still more egre-
g_ions jobs. Mourzouk, the readers of DENHAM and
CLACPERTON may remember is an inconsiderable town
about halt-way between Tripoli and Bornou; and Gha-
dames; is a dilapidated resort of wild Tuaricks in the de-
sert a considerable way to the west of Mourzouk. Three
or four of the British expeditions engaged in African
discovery passed through Mourzouk; Ghadames has
been reached by only one European traveller; there
is no chance of either being visited by another British
subject for at lead a century to come. There three
appointments are palpably fruits of that coquetting
which is constantly in progress between a certain
association of dilettanti promoters of geographical dis-
covery and our government offices, considerably
to the increase of government expenditure, and the
impairing of government efficiency.
Turning to the Colonial-office we find some jobs
equally gross. There has been expended 1,1001. in
sending a lieutenant-governor and chairman of
quarter sessions to a colony upon paper called North
Australis, who have since been recalled because there
were no colonists, and because the place proved unfit
for settlement. There is being expended an annual
sum of 4,3751. upon a civil government staff at La-
buan, where there is not as yet a single settler ; and to
this must be added 7001. for a consul-general and his
secretary at Borneo. We are to pay 1,0001. a year to
a nondescript officer termed "manager of currency,"
at Mauritius ; and 3001. for a chaplain to preach to the
wild oxen, the only subjects of the governor of the
Falkland Islands. We are to be taxed to pay 1,3001. a
year to a lieutenant-governor of St. Lucia, though the
revenue of that colony is in excess of its expenditure,
and though its expenditure might be diminished by a
judicious re-distribution of official duties.
In the Admiralty, appointments quite as indefen-
sible might be pointed mat : for example, the sums
spent upon the additional inspectors, Who have not
prevented the dilapidation exposed to &parliamentary
committee la-t season. The Railway Commissioners'
Office, with its annualll,6ool. of salaries and 13,5221.
of establishment expenses, is admitted to be a nui-
sance that would be dear if given gratis ; and to this
must be added 3,7301., the cost of the Admiralty Har-
bour and Railway department.
These are specimens of the contents of a return
which will repay more close examination and more
detailed commentary.
it; I

To any one inexperienced in our English habits of
commercial legislation, the proceedings that occurred
in the Thamcs Police Court on Tuesday last must have