The Express.
London, England, 1851-03-27 00:00:00

PRUSSIA.

The Roman catholic bishop+ are either actually appointed,
in the first illAtiltlee, by the government, or they are elerted
by the chapters, whose election is subject to the approba-
tion of the sovereign. In the German provinces this is
universally the ease, as it was through the whole of the
empire ; and the kings of Prussia, us they acquired pro-
vinces in which there were Roman catholic bishop, entered
upon and exercised the rights which devolved to them
from the preceding sovereigns of that faith. Upon a see
becoming vacant a commissary is sent to the chapter,
bearer to it of a letter from his Prussian maje3ty, by which

it is directed to proceed canonically to the election of a new
bishop, and the name of a person it stated to them, and
they are informed that if it is made in his favour it will be
agreeable to his majesty. This recommendation is
uniformly conformed to. The chapter is aware that, as his
majesty's approbation of their choice is indispensable, the
surest male of obtaining it will be to make tha election

.. .
reetimmentlisl, otherwise the persons successively chosen by
them would be exposed to endless rejections. 'the instru•
went by which the chapter declares its choice is transmitted
to the minister of the interior; if he approves it, it is sent,
through the minister for foreign affairs, to the Prussian
agent at Rome, who sends to Berlin the institution of the
new bishop, when it is granted by the Pope. It is indis-
pensably necessary that the elected bishops should be eon.
firmed by the Pope; and in many canonical cases, such as
want of qualifieations, &e., his special leave is equally
necessary for them.
This government has always chosen to transact its affair'
at that court by an agent of its own, resident there, and
has never consented to a nuncio being sent to it.
There neither exists, nor ever has existed, any concordat
between the court of Berlin and the Pope; although the
King of Prussia, as far as the written law is concerned,
is regulated respecting the spiritual affairs of his (lerman
Ilomun catholic provinces by the German concordats; and
as to those of his subjects formerly Polish by concordats
existing with the former sovereigns of Poland. A great
variety of deviations from them, however, have arisen in
practice, and the court of Rome has tneitlyaccelled to them.
The state in which this government has found the spiri-
tual affairs of its Roman catholic subjects in the provinces
late a part of the French empire, and which it has ac-
quired on the leR hank of the Rhine, is such as to render
it indispensable that it should enter into a negotiation with
the court of Rome respecting them, and a Prussian minister
is actually there for that purpose. In this state of Altars
those provinces are left wholly out of view in the present
answer., and, circumstanced as they are, no authority
could have been derived front them, had they been brought
into it.
All the convents in the Prussian dominions, such as they
existed in 1810, were suppressed in that year, and the
state took possession of their property. At present there
exist no convents in this kingdom, except some very few,
and very smally endowed, in its I'olish territory. so per-
sons will be allowed to take the vows in them in future,

and they will he incorporated into each other by degrees,
as their present members are reduced in number, until
they finally expire. The Grey Sisters, the Compassionate
Brethren, and the Crsulinc•s, are maintained, and a small
portion of the revenues of the suppressed convents have
been assigned to them. The two former of these orders
devote themselves to the service of the hospitals, and the
latter is solely occupied in education. The members of
these orders cannot at once bind themselves by religious '
vows for life. They may, at the age of twenty, take vows
fur three years. I% hen that time is expired they may re-
new them fur the like period. At the end of the second
period they may repeat them for a third of equal length ;
and when this is completed they are then at liberty to
I bind themselves by such vows for life.
In Prussia the royal family have long been Calvinists.
Before the conquest of Silesia, with few exceptions, the
subjects of the monarchy were Lutherans and Calvinists,
but chiefly the former; but as the state is now consti-
tuted, at least two-fifths of the population are Roman
catholic,. The members of these different churches
are capable of holding all employments, civil and military,
under the state ; and, it should appear, all persons holding
tho Christian faith, as established and recognised in any
of the European states, would be comprised in this capa-
bility :—A case of exclusion would arise in that of a person
pror.xsing doctrines under which his oath of fidelity to the
I sovereign could not be deemed valid.

SAXONY.
No catholic bishops have existed in the kingdom of
Saxony for several centuries. The individuals of that re-
ligion in Saxony, who have been invested by the Pope with
the episcopal dignity, do not wear its insignia and habit in
any part of this country, and that dignity is not (*Wil-
lie'', connected with the ecclesiastical functions which they
may have to exercise; fur instance, that of apostolic vicar,
who is always presented by the king.
After the system of equality established in Saxony, since
the treaty of Posen, between the catholics and protestants,
and which was extended under the foreign administration,
to those professing the Greek religion, the individuals of all
these confessions enjoy equal rights in the state, and are
equally capable of holding civil and military offices.

The income of the catholic clergy in Saxony is charted on
the royal revenue, except in Upper Lusatia, the only pro-
vince of the country where that communion puoseross en-
dowments and lauded property.

CANADA COMPANY.

Yesterday a general court of proprietors watt held
at Canada House, St. Helen's-place, for the election of a
deputy-governor and three other directors, and an auditor.
Cu ARLES FRA NKA, EMI., the goveruor,ru the chair.
The directors' report for the year ending the 31st of De-
cember last stated that
" The directors have much satisfaction in referring to
the great increase which hut taken place in all branches of
the company's operations during the year lhal, as shown
by the accounts now read. The prosperous state of the
province, and its growth in population and wealth, have no
doubt contributed materially to this result. It is however
to the mode now adopted for disposing of the lands of the
company by way of lease that the directors attribute in a
very great degree the present satisfactory position of the
company's affairs. A very interesting statement has lately
been received from the commissioners, showing the work-
ing of that system as regards the crown reserves lands
leased, which have been abandoned and resumed by the
company ; from which it appears that of 41.179 acres so re•
sumed, representing a value when originally leased of
26,0621., 34,;i26 acres have been since se-leased at a value
representing 26,3011., being an increase of 3,675/. upon those
st dispesed of; at the same time 6,6-12 acres, the remainder
thereof, have been sold for 4P47/., being an advance
of Itl2l. upon the price of those sold, showing an improved
value obtained upon the whole of those lands of 4,3271.
The total quantity of crown reserves land., taken up under
ten-year leases has been 230,600 acres; of this quantity
30,2117 acres have been resumed by the eompane, 41,179
acres of which have, as has been shown alcove, been re-
disposed of at a greatly enhanced value. It further appears
that the lessees of 5.464 acres and of 43 town lots have exer-
cised their option of purchase at a time which upon average
would be about six years before the termination of their re-
spective contracts, and have converted their leases into free-
holds for the suns of 3,318/., which has been paid down.
The object the directors had in view in adopting the leasing
system was to snake the conditions fur the disposal of land
as beneficial to the settler :IS to the company, being fully
impressed with the belief that it was only un terms of mu-
tual advantage that any such plan could be carried out suc-
cessfully to any great extent. The directors have no wish
that the company should derive advantage by a sacrifice on
, the part of their settlers of the fruits of their industry, in
consequence of their inability to complete the 'purchase of
the lands held by them on lease. On the contrary, their
hope is that every settler may be able to avail himself of the
option allowed him during the terns of his lease, and, so far
as it is in the power of the directors and their commis-
sioners, no pains are spared to promote this result, and
• to afford all reasonable futilities to their settlers ; among
• others, has been the establishment of the • settlers?
savings bank account,' whereby the settles on the com-
- patty's lands, and they only, are at liberty to deposit any
monies they have to spare in the company's hands, and aro
I allowed interest at six per cent. per annum therecm, the
object being to encourage their settlers to accumulate
; money for completing the purchase of the lands held by
them on lease • and the settlers have largely availed them-

selves of the advantage thus offere6, the aVARS..% the 31st
of December lost, a 00000 tinting to no les: a sum than 10.4891.
Steps are elm coostantly taken in Canada to remind the
lessees of their plpition. The last notice to those whose
leases expire in 18.3 was issued in February last, and
was in the following terins:—• Notice to Canada COM.
pany's Leowees.—The Canada Company taku this oppor-
tunity to again call your serious attention to the enn-
dition of the lease issued to you—particularly to the
covenant, which requires, after all others are fulfilled,
that you should. on ur before the expiration of the term of
ten years pay the amount of purchase money men-
tioned in the lease, if you desire to exercise the right roc-
served to you ; if you do nut punctually do this, all your
rights and interests in the property wilt laconic absolutely
forfeited. If you cannot yourself furnish the requisite
purchase money, we would urge you to find some person
who would advance the required money, or purchase your
iniprovements, so that you may ware the benefit of them -
but you must take care that no transfer is attempted with-
out the company's VIVIISCIIt, and that it must tie completed
before the expiration of the term of lease.'
" The following is a statement of land sold and leased in
the year :
" Sales.—Crown reserves, 2,401 acre., at an average of
13s. 9d. per acre ; Huron tract. 111,376 acres, at an average
of 13s. 2d. per acre; total, 12,789 acres, producing 8,4771.
currency. 13 town lots in Guelph, lot-educing 4331. ; 6 town
lots in the Huron tract, producing 111[1.; total, 9,170/.

. . .
" ILML,I'A. —Crown mum", in,134 uenw, producing an
. .

. - .
annual rental of 8121., valued when leased at Its. 3X per
acre on :metwe; Huron tract, 91,371 :tyres, producing an
annual rental of 3,1148/., valued when leased at Ins. 2d. per
acre 1111 average; 43 town lots, pnalueing nn annual rental
of 311.; total, 113,i08 arms; total, annual reutal, 4,4341.
Total sold and lewasl, 12n,t*tti
. .

•
" Receipts in Canada in the year 1840.—Purchuse money
of land sold, 10,2601. currency; Lille receivalge, 14,7114/.;
rent, 13,1771.; interest, 8,8811; transfer lees, 22:d.; timber
cot, 3111.; whams" repaid, &c., 1,3481.; total, 49,0434

currency.
The cost of management hl4 year in London was
2,2241., and in Canada, 4,3611., besides the income tax paid
here, and the asses,mi sit and road tax in the colony.
" The debtor and creditorgencralatatement showed a total
of 970,001/., in which the land Imams' tar 10 years, 513,476
acres, npri,ents :460,071/., and the $10,190 acres undisposed
of, 310,100/. The surplus ~f assets, including the land, is
estimated at 527,630/. The capital of the company is
2411,7371., and the amount raised on debentures. 133,2001."

After mum conversation, during which several gentlemen
expressed illenrwlve, highly satisfied with the report, tho
report was adopted unanimously, thanks were voted to the
govcraor uud the hoard, and the meeting adjourned.