The Express.
London, England, 1853-02-12 00:00:00

CHRISTOPHER.

The following are copies of a correspondence
which has taken Waal between Lord Lansdowne and Mr.
Christopher, M.P.:

. .
" Bowood, Feb. 6.
" Sir,—l have read with some astonishment in the
rs news-1
pape of yesterday the report of your speech at Lincoln
on Friday last, in which you are represented to have
stated it as a fact, and to have founded an argument on the
fact so assumed, that on one of the days preceding the &r-
-eunion and division in the House of Commons on Mr. Dis•
raeli's budget, on Friday, the 17th of December, there
was a large meeting of the Whig party held at Lansdowne
House for the purpose of considering what was to be done
on Lord Derby's overthrow.
" Asthere is no difference in their reports, except that
in one the Wednesday preceding is specifically mentioned
to have been the day on which this large meeting took place,
while it was only inn rr.d to have been the day in the other, '
I presume them to be substantially correct.
I beg, therefore, to state for your information, and
that of thaw whom you address, that you are completely in
error, and that there is not even the shadow of a foundation
for the fact alleged.
"No such meeting took place, no such meeting was pro-
pased to be held, and, iu the position in which I then con-
sidered myself to stand, bud any such meeting been pro-
to be held, I should have objected to its being held
pro-
posed
zend y house.
" I may further add, that although it would not have
been surprising if I had conversed on a matter of public
interest with any persons with whom I was acquainted, it
so happened that, from being confined to my room, I did
not, before I was honoured with her id.ijosty's commands
(after Lord Derby had actually resigned) to attend her at
Osborne, which I was prevented from obeying by severe in-
disposition communicate with any leading person, either
of that which you describe as the Whig or of the Peelite
party, or see Lord Aberdeen,lts I did after that event, by
her Majesty's command, at my own house.
" I hope, therefore, I may he permitted to inquire upon
what authority you conceived yourself justified in making
public a statement so entirely founded in error. I have the
honour to be, your obedient servant,
" LANSDOWNE."
Bloxholm, Sleaford, Feb. 9.
"My Lord,—Your lordship's letter, dated from Bowood
on the sth of this month, owing to its misdirection, reached
me last night. I mention this that your lordship may not
suppose me deficient in courtesy in not taking the earliest
opportunity of answering it.
" Your lordship's impression of what I stated at Lincoln
on Friday last, in all essential particulars, with a slight
variation, is substantially correct. What I stated was this
that on the Wednesday of the week during the debate
on Mr. Disraeli's budget, an influential meeting (not large,
as stated in the report) of the leaders of the whig party
took place at your lordship's house; that I was unable to
tell what occurred at that meeting, but that on the same
day Lord John Russell left town for Woburn Abbey, and
met Lord Aberdeen, who at that time was the guest of the
Duke of Bedford.'

" I am .not able, in answer to your lordship's request,
to state the precise authority from which I derived this
information, but, as it formed the topic of general con-
versation a persons of opposite political opinions at the
Carlton and Travellers' Clubs, as well as in the precincts
of the House of Common', and, if I be not mistaken, was
commented on by the public pram, I received it as a fact,
and believed it to be such till I got your lordship's letter
yesterday.
It appears from that letter that I have been under a
misapprehension as to what really took piece. I beg to
express my regret at having made any statement which
&ems to have been founded in error, and which has been
the cause of a moment's uneasiness to your lordship.—My,
Lord, I have the honour to be your lordship's very obe-
dient, humble servant, A. CzanTorass.."

CLERICAL PROTEST AGAINST THE ROTAL LETTER
ON EDUCATION.—The royal letter en education recently
issued on behalf of the National Society has brought forth
a protest from the evangelical party in the church of Eng•
land, and a memorial to the Queen upon the subject has
already received a very large number of signatures. The
memorialists, after suitable professions of obedience, submit
to her Majesty that " they are not fully persuaded in their
minds that the affairs of the society for which they are thus
required to plead, are conducted according to the true and
protestant principles of the established church ; on the con-
teary, they have reason to believe that a party in the church
who incline towards Romish errors, exercise undue intiu-
'nee in the councils of the society, and that restrictions arc
thus laid upon the clergy, and terms of union pre-
scribed which interfere with their liberty of judgment
and action. And your petitioners are further informed
that in the training, or normal colleges of the society, or in
some of them (which colleges they regret to find now, for
the first time, introduced into the preamble of the royal
letter), principles are inculcated and practices observed of a
dangerous and Popish tendency ; after which they pray
that, seeing there are many ether societies for which the
memorialists are called to plead, quite as nearly connected
with the church, but without the aid of a royal letter, and
that the National Society itself professes to be a voluntary
institution, that they (the clergy) may be permitted to un-
derstand the royal letter as a recommendation, not as a
command—that so their consciences may be relieved from
the burden of disobedience on the one hand or of insincerity
on the other."

PUBLIC DINNER TO ARCHIBALD HASTIE, ESQ.,
M.P. role PAISLEY.—Tbe friends and political supporters
of Archibald Mastic, Esq., M.P. for Paisley, entertained
that gentleman at a public dinner on Tuesday, in the Aber-
corn Assembly Rooms. Wm. Phillip., Esq., Provost of
Paisley, occupied the chair, supported upon the right by
Mr. Hestia M.P. the honourable guest of the evening,
the Right Hoe. Lord Panmure, Alexander Murray Dun-
lop, Eq., M.P. for Greenock; Robert R. Glasgow, Esq.,
sherifi substitute for the upper ward of the county; James
Coats, Esq., of Ferguslie ; and Alex. Gibson, F.sq., justice I
of peace clerk for the county ; and on the left by the Right
Hon. the Earl of Glasgow, Colonel Mure, of Caldwell, !
M.P. fur Renfrewshire ; Robert Farquharson, Esq., of
Alargue ; Henry Erskine, Esq., Bombay Civil Service;
John hi• Vicar, Eaq., of Finnart ; Bailie Jack and Bailie
Sharp. David Murray, Esq., Wm. Sharp, Esq., Thomas
Coats. Eq., of Ferguslie House, and Archibald Hutchin-
son, Esq., officiated as croupiers.
WOODS, FORESTS, AND LAND REVENUES.—From)
the 30th report of the Commissioners of Woods, Forests,
and Land -Revenues, just published, it appears that the
gross income for the year ending 31st March, 18,32, in re-
spect of the laid revenue, amounted to 297,4031. 19s. Gd.,
and the gross expenditure to 87,7151. 15s. 10d. ; the gnu
income of the royal forests and wood lands was 61,4371.5 d.,
and the gross expenditure 4926/. 11.. 7d. ; and the gross
income of the royal perks, gardens, &:., was 8,616/.175. 2,1.,
and the gross expenditure 21,25.11. 193.9 d. The total gross
income for the year on the three accounts was, therefore,
367,4891. 17s. 1.1., and the total gross expenditure
150,8981. 10r. 2d.; leaving a balance of 216,5911. Go. 114.,
as surplus income oycr expenditure.