The Express.
London, England, 1853-02-16 00:00:00

TALLOW MARKET.-THIS DAY.

The market continues to advance, with an improving
demand. Town T.illowle quoted 435. 6d. nett cash; Peters-
burg Y.O on the rpot, 445. 6d. ; January to March, 4b. 6d.;
Oct. to Dec. (new), lb. N.

BOROUGH IMP MARKET.-THIS DAY.

'dews. Pattenden and Smith report that the demarct
continues active for both new and old Hops, with an up-
ward tendency in prices.

COAL MARKET.—THIS DAY.
Eden Main, 184. ; Walls End Braddyll's, 181. ; Walls End
Haswell, 195.; Walls End Heston, 19a—Ships at market,
54.

SAMBRE AND MEUSE RAILWAY.

We extract the following passages from the repot t
of the directors :

" At the last general meeting of the proprietors of this
company, the directors, in a report extending beyond the
the usual length of such documents, fully explained
position of the company at that period—the difficulties to
he surmounted—the circumstances causing or contributing
to them—the necessity of yielding to the importunity of the
Belgian government, and the parties intereved in the rail-
way, who urgently pressed for the enforcement of the con-
dittoes of the concession (the penalty of confiscation having
in feet been incurred)—ihe liberal assistance proffered by
the Belgian government—the advantages to the proprietors
in providing the new capital amongst themselves—the entire
failure if all efforts made ti induce them to contribute fur-
ther to the undertai: ing—the arrangements which under such
circumstances the directors were enabled to make with Mr.
Brassey for the completion of the trunk line—and, lastly,
the terms on which the fund', necessary for the branches
ceuld be raised in Belgium. Their report will now there-
fore be confined to the usual account of the ordinary pro-
ceedings of the ha:liyear as affecting the traffic of that por-
tion of the line already completed, which will be stated in
Mr. Shewerd's own words, and to the extract of tho En-
gineer's Report on the progress made in the new works,
which is appended. The proceeds of traffic have sufficed to
meet all the necessary expenses in waking the line, and
efficiently maintainiug the permanent way ; and, alter
paying the interest Cue on debentures and the preference
capital, leave a Wane°, on the 31st December, of 3,6611.
9s. Ild., to be carried forward to the nt xt account. 3,6211,
of the debentures were paid off prior to the 31st December,
and converted in effect into a per cent. debt,
instead of 10 per cent., the remaining 12,9161.
will fail in on the 15th of August, thus reducing
the interest from 1,8.531. 1 Is. to 1,0191.108.8 d. per annum.
The summery of the tr dfic receirs since the opening of the
line is as follows : 1819, 7.63ih. Os. 7d. ; 1850. 10,0131.
'is, Ill.; 1831, 11,7311. lie. 63.; 1832, 14,726/. 33. 91.
Two miles and a half of new line from Walcourt to Siien-
tie us were opened, for passenger teethe only, on the nth
November Int, and the directors hope that the section of
'he line from Siienrieux to Cerfontaine will be ready to
open during the summer. Mr. Braisey has contracteti to
complete all the works urn the main line by the Ist May,
1851. In eanformity with the plan proposed in the lest re-
port, contracts have been entered into for the completion of
•he branches, upon which the contractors are now actively
employed. The sum to be paid for the redemption rf the
bonds issued for this purpose is 22,5001., or 900/. per annum,
during o period of 53 years; the first pay ant to be made Cu
the Ist Jan., 1856." EX1'1:1, :

A
et-; •

v;4;%

-i

IM I'EItIAL PARLIAMENT
HOUSE OF LORI)S.—TULSDAY. Fen. 13,
The Luau Cuarroxicia took his seat at t o'eleelt.
Ph. I 1 [IONS PK ESEN Is ED.
Tua CXONTAL PALM:X.—By the Earl of WICKLOW,
from a place in Ciieneall, against the opening of the Crys-
tal Palace on Xlllld4ro.
CONSULIDATID ANNVITILI IX
plate in Wicklow against this tax.
Ur tvanstre Tam.—By Lord CAMPBELL, from the
PrOfTht sad Town Courted of Edinburgh ; and the Mar-
ask, of LANSISJWN E, from a plats in Scotland, Belfast,
Amoy, and another place in Ireland, agaiost University
tests.
tam. PAP 114.4 —TIF Lord STANLEY of
A LI) re It LE Y, and Earl W A LDEGRA E. from places not
heard; and the Marquis of LANSDOWNE, from the So-
osety for the Diflosion of Useful Knowledge, in favour of
the free distributioa of parliamentary papers.
BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE.
Lord RELIk.soALE moved the fudiwitig alteration in
standing order, No. led : In line 34 of the said order, leave
out " Proxy fur the ass of each proprietor," and iusert
" form of prosy, with proper iustructions for the use of
the same ; and the same form of prosy end the same in.
etruetiasi, and none other, shall be sent to every such ',re-
porter ; but r.o such form of proxy stall be stamped, nor
shall the funds ut the company be used for the stamping
any proxies, del t the company shall at a general meeting
determine tofu raise. in which ease a stamped proxy shall
be sent to each proprietor, with curls instructions as afore
said."
Agreed to.
CANADIAN CLERGY RESERVES.
The Bishop of ENE CER moved for-1. Petition to ler
Majesty on the stil•jsct of the clergy reserves in Canada
from the Bishop of Montreali and the clergy, &c., of that
diccese, in the year 1840; also, 2. The lion-reereet Oaretle
of Canada, of May 8, 1849, or any other document in the
Colonial-ottics, containing copy of an address to the Gover-
nor-General of British Norta America, from the ltomish
prelates and clergy of Quebec, its the year 1849, and of the
&newts- of hie excellency to that address ; also, 3. A list of
the bills reamed by the Canadian parliament, whether re-
served or not, in the year 1819, mid a statement whether,
and which of the same were disallowed by her
Majssty ; and ale s, 4. Copy of any official letter from the
Lord Bishop of Quebec to his Grace the Duke of New-
castle, one of her Majesty's principal Secretaries of State,
on the matter of rleroy reserves in Canada. He felt that
Ise owed some exploitation for venturing to bring this
subject before their lordships' house at the present time.
It might seem otrAage that he was net content to wait
for the arrival of that bill en the subject which was to
be iutrodueed in the other house of parliament that
evening. He thought their lordships' house had a right to
express, he would not say complaint, but certainly surpriss,
that the suture had not been introduced there. It ema-
nated from that °thee of which the noble duke below him
was at the head, and they might have hoped that he would
himself have brought it leeward. Their lordship were no'
overburdeued with business in the early part of the session ;
and in any matter in which the interests of religion were to
deeply cuncerued, it might have been hoped that the
bishops would have had an opportunity of expressing their
opinions early; far it was very possible that their lordships
might have received some instructioas on the subject from
that bench. He understood that the bill did not contain
any provision which could not have been considered in that
house, and that there was nothing in it which interfered
with the rights of the 'louse of Commons. If he might
conjecture the motive for its being brought forward in the
other house, it might be that it was supposed it would have
a better chance of success there. But thee. were not the
chief reasons why he ventured thus early to call the
attention of their lordships to this subject. It was
most remarkable that this bill bad been brought
forward without the colonies having the slightest
motion that any such measure was intended. The
whole history of the measure in the colonies had induced
them to believe that it was impossible that it could be intro.
duced without their having had en opportunity of tepees-
sine their opinion upon it. Last year, her Majesty's late
t returned an answer to the address of the
Wee see Amustity of Omsk, saying that they could
not erection the Ws which bad been introduced. They
were teld that this was the resolution of the late govern-
meat, who wore impressed with a sense of what they owed
to the best interests of the colony and of the empire. But
it was soon afterwards found that the administration which
had shown such readiness to do the colonies justice weeks-
placed. They had, however, the fullest confidence that no
other course could be pursued by their successors in office,
for they saw that the new government had for its head •
nob!, earl w brae whole life had been engaged in upholding
the proteetaat religion, and supporting the institutions of
the country. After entering into the history of the question
the right rev. prelate proceeded to say—by the eonstitn-
tional act parlismeet and the crown guaranteed to
the protestant clergy that "in all time to come "
those were the very words—there should be that provision
for the protestant religion in the provinces of Canada.
Unfortunately the provision was not sufficient to supply
churches for the increasing number of inhabitants, and the
natant' consequence vastest a godless population arose—a
population that had ceased to have any feeling-of attach-
ment to the church, because there had been no means of
extendisg to them the great plan of the English parochial
system. The result was that an agitation sprang up; hat
theft was no agitation whatever in Lower Canada till the
end of the year 1849; and it was sorely too much to my
that they ought to sacrifice to an sgitation of three years'
dilation the claims of reason and justice, and the public
faith of the country. In the Upper Province the agitation
had existed a little longer; but me late as 1846 the
principal leader of it declared that it was inv
possible to reconsider the question, for it most
be looked on as finally settled. (Hear, bear.)
Were their lordships, then. prepared to accede to the prin-
ciple, that an agitation of four years ought to be allowed its
denude? That would be rather en awkward precedent.
Canada was not the only country where agitation prevailed.
It was sometimeto be found nearer home. He (the right
reverend prelate) hoped that the government was prepared
to maintain the church of Ireland; but they would awn-
redly acid greatly to their difficulties in doing so, if they
gave this encouragement to those who were clamouring for
Its destruction. (Hear, hear.) The noble duke (the Duke
of Newcastle) amid that this was a question wady for the
Canadian legislature to deal with; but that Ireland,
being Represented in the English parliament, mut
be content with the decision, of parliament. Now
if he (the right rev. prelate) chanced to be an Irish Ro-
asanist he should exult at the prospect of the puce-
dent that was proposed to be set, and still more
so at the radon given for it. Were any of their
lordships prepared to advise their sovereign to violate
her coronation oath, in which she had sworn to maintain
inviolate the rights of the church of England and of the
presbytery of Scotland, not only in these islands, but in all '
the dominions belonging thereto? It had been said that
this oath did not bind her Majesty in her legislative cepa-
city ; but the truth was, if plain words were to have a
plain meaning, and if they traced the history of the oath
itself, they would find that that was precisely the capacity
in which it did bind her. (Hear, hear.) Would they go,
then, to her Majesty and recommend her to assent to a
measure which would have the effect of extinguishing all
the provision which had been made for the church in Ca-
nada? If there were no stronger reason against each a
step, they would find reason enough if they only looked at
the position of the Roman catholic church in that country.
The whole provision made for the protestant church, at
least In the upper province, was only 20,0004 a year, and
there was a regulation that of that fund no clergyman should
receive of it more than 1001. spear. Surely it was of the
highest importance not to withdraw that small assistance
Miss • poor but lacreasing church in the face of a powerful
and wealthy community like the Roman catholic body.
Why the estates belonging to St. finlike, lad given to
them, too, by the British government, were worth 60,0001.
Were there, then, any reasons why the possessions of the
Roman catholic church should be held more sacred than
those of their own ? It was quite true that, by the treaty
of 1763, the faith of this country was pledged per the
maintenance of the Roman catholic religion ; and he hoped
that nothing, not 'even the provocation of confiscating the
lossessions of the protestant church, would ever induce their
ordship to be consenting parties to a breach of that faith.
But then the faith of the men of England was no lees
pledged to the loyalists of Canada, who had been obliged
to ay from their country to a land where the thought
they had found a home, and, what they valued more, an
altar. (Hear, hear.) Ile rejoiced to point to the example
which had been set us by a country which had sprung from
ourselves—thet tilted States of America. They w ere not bound
by the treaty of 1763 to respect the church endowments ;
but they bad nevertheless regarded them as sacred. Almost
the only endowments for religious worship that were recog-
nised by the state were these for the members of that
church, which was in communion with the Church of Eng-
land. In the city of New York there was an ancient en-
dowment by the mown of England, which was now worth
3,000,000 dollars, sad that was still enjoyed by the mem-
bers of the Anson= church. In the state of Vermont.
there having lessis as body of churchmen, the state occupied
the ludo asaw bet at length, there was one established
in that Mehl . (Hear, hear.) The church immediately
took prossoffisp at law to recover its rights,
and the courts allowed the claim. (Hear, hear.)
Why then were they to be told that England was to be the
country that was to be the first to say that the property of
the church should be taken away from it ? Ile thought he
had made out a case which the noble duke would say was at
least sufficient to Iced him to great the papers that he mend
for.
The Duke of NEWCASTLE was not about to complain
of the coarse which the right reverend prelate had thought
it his duty to take on the present occasion. At the same
time, their lordships would recollect that at the present
moment not only was there no measure before them, but
probably at that very moment a right honourable friend
of his was stating to the other Louse of parliament
the details of the measure which the government was about
to introduce. The right reverend prelate had throughout
his speech argued as if the measure they were about to in-
troduce was one, as he termed it, of confiscation. Before
be went into that subject, he would notice a remark of the
right reverend prelats—that the measure ought to have
been first introduced int r their lordship.' house.
be admitted there was no direct parliamentary
requiring it, he believed precedent would have
justified the cosine government had pursued; end, if he
wanted • further reason, it would Le found in the attitude
of the benches of that house at this period of the session,
when but few of their lorileMps gave their attendance.
He (the Duke of Newcastle) centei.ded that this
nausure was not the consequeuce of successful agita-
tion, hat of the great principle that sellgoverement could
act be withheld from the colonies without great detriment

from •

to this country. He should abstain as much as passable
from going into the deeds of the measure until it came be-
fore their lordship., but he should then show that from Int
but one course and one view bed been taken in this
coontry, and that there was neither brooch of faith, ate
contheation, nor sacrilege in the matter. With regard to
the arm asked for he would my, in refernice to the letter
of the Bishop of Montreal, that he hail read it with all the
deference due to the high character of that right rev. pre-
late, and he found in it many assertions he could not admit,
and • amounts which it would be his duty on a future occa-
sion to controvert. The right rev. prelate spoke of this
measure as one of sacrilege. If sacrilege was not • ques-
tion of degree but of principle, and if this measure were
one of sacrilege, what was the measure of 1840 ? This
mea-ore only proposed to take the power of legislating with
regard to the clergy reserves from one body and
give it to another. Tie act of 1840, which the right
rev. prelate supported, devoted • large portion of the
reserves not merely to other purposes but to secular pur-
poses. Moreover, the late government proposed to sanction
a redistribution, which must necessarily be adverse to the
church of England. Ile said, therefore, the right reverend
prelate was as guilty of sacrilege as they would be, even if
they confiscated these reserves. The whole querion in-
volved in the measure suss, whether this was to be a colo-
nial or an impelial question If they gave the colony re-
spoesible government, was this to be an isolated measure
which they were not to meddle with ? The Bishop of Mon-
treal said the clergy wished to re-open the act of 1840, but it
could not be re-opened fur one purpose and held to be final for
another. The whole question now stood on different grounds
from the grounds stated by the right rev, prelate, and be
felt confident their lordships would came to the conclusion
with him, that this question must be settled at once, and in
the way proposed by her Majesty's ministers. The right
rev. prelate dwelt on the coronation oath. If this measure
passed her Majesty would have precisely the same veto on
the coniscation of the reserves as she had now. Then the
right rev. prelate entered into a comparison of the condi-
tion of the church of England and the church of Rome.
lie had greatly exaggerated the wealth of the
Roman catholic church in Canada. It was precisely on the
same footing, as regarded being dealt with by the colonial
legis‘ature as the clergy reserveswould be if this measure
passed. The treaty which was referred to went
fur little more than to protect the worship
by the rites of the Roman catholic church in Canada.
The right rev. prelate was mistaken in the use he had made,
in his argument, of the fast that the Roman catholic church
had been partially maintained in Canada by tithes. These
tithes were not levied, as in England, upon the whole
community, but solely upon the Roman catholic commu-
nity and, in fact, when a Roman catholic changed his re-
ligion, immediately he was entitled to refuse the further
payment of tithes. And in tipper Canada, upon tithes
being abolished by the legislature, the Roman catholic
church received a grant out of these very clergy reserves ;
and was receiving 1,6)01. n-year out of those reserves, at
this moment ; so that so far, that church stood
.

on the same' footing as the church of England.
There had been great mystification and misrepresentation
on this subject which it was to be hoped the discussions
about to take place in parliament would remove ; and great
as was the firmness of character distinguishing the right
rev. prt late, he (the noble duke) did trust that the right
rev. prolate would find reason to change, to some extent,
the views be had expressed. At all events, he trust( d many
of the right rev. bench would agree to look at this ques-
tion, not as affecting the church of England alone, but as a
great national and colonial question. He did not admit
the soundness of the argument which was based upon a
state of things in the United States ; and at any rate he was
satisfied that if men were frankly and freely left to manage
affairs of that kind as being completely in their own jurls-
diction, they would be much more likely than if the con-
cession was extorted to deal fairly with prier engagements.
It was clear that in such matters the British parliament
could only act on the clear principle of colonial self-govern-
ment in all questions of internal administration; and even
without reference to the result, which he did not admit
would be unsatisfactory, be should be prepared to take that
course which her Majesty's government were about to take
in this direction. Of the importance of discussing the ques-
tion fairly end candidly there could be but one opinion ;
and it was obvious that the issue would depend entitely
upon the conciliatory tone and feeling adopted in both
houses.

Lord DESART regretted the unavoidable absence of
Lard Derby on this occasion, that noble earl having been
very anxious to make some bservations on this miner. He
(Lord Desert), for his own part, begged to thank the right
rev. prelate for having called attention to the question, for
it was wry desirable that the publioshould be made sensible
of what he could not but regard as a great blow at protein
testis= in Canada. He said this, because it bad been
made a secret that thew who were advocating the resump-
tion of the clergy reserve,, welly hatinnled to divert the
fund from ecclesiastical purposes altogether; and it was on
that ground that Sir John Fakington, in the despatch re.
fined to, had declined to entrust the disposal of the fund
to an rccidental majority in the Canadian legislature. It
was generally supposed, in diecussiog the matter in this
country, that a large majority of the Canadian legislature
was in favour of the disturbance of the settlement of 1840;
but it was overlooked that those in favour of the settiement
were the members from Upper Canada; sad those were the
members whose opinions should miry the most weight, for
those who represented the Frank awl Raman catholic po-
' polation had no interest Is dm esoilhanienes of the reserves;
and it was also to be elterned dal the practical minority
represented a numerically larger onnatintency than the ma-
jority.
The returns were then ordered.
THE MERCANTILE MARINE LAWSt _ _

In answer to a question pat, pursuant to notice, by Lord
COLCRINITIS, whither it WY the intention of the present
government to lay before the house any consolidation or
amendment of the laws relating to the Mercantile Marine,
such having been the intention of the late government,
Lord STANLEY (of Alderlsry) replied that Mr. Card-
well had given notice of his intention to state to the House
of Commons the view* of the government on that subject ;
and therefore, for the present, he (Lord Stanley) thought it
would be inexpedient to answer the question.
Their lordships then adjourned.

HOUSE OF COMMONS.—TuzaDAI, FEB. lb.

The Srsairm took the chair at the usual hour.
Several private bills were introduced.
ELECTION COMMITTEES
Sir J. TROLLOPE brought up reports from the general
committee of elections, nominating the committees to sit on
the petitions in the came of Bridgnorth, Tavistock, Lan-
caster, and Canterbury; *saunas lan boos already pub-
lished.