The Express.
London, England, 1848-02-17 00:00:00

eiriwrg•

MAILS
The overlend mails for Gibraltar, MeltA,Greeoe, the lon;an Islands
eire pt, Adel:, Ceylon, Inilia, Ilungsliong, and China. mg Southampton
will be mod' op on the morning of the :nth February.
The overhand Oast I made, on Marseilles, to the Mediterranean
Kenn, Aden, Ceylon, I tpliv, I l,ng Hong, he., will be made up on tht
mning of the 24th February.
The malls for British North America, Bermeda, and the Untie.)
states. will be made up on the evening of tbe 23:h February.
The mails toe oporio, Lisbon, Madeira, Untie, anti Gibraltar
will lie made op ea the moronic of the 27th February.
The mails foe w south Wake, Van inemen's lAnd, and New
Zealand will be made up on the evening of the filth February.
The moth, for the Went rout of Africa and Madeira will be made
up ain the evening of the February.
The Wert India Mails, including ilermuda, Nemesia, Ilavanna.
Honduran, New 0d0m.% Vera Crux, Tampico, anti Porto Rioo, tund
ezeluding those fur Madeira, Jacmel, Clirthegena, Santa
(Inver, Panama, Wen Coast of South America, and St. Juensle-
Nicaragua, will be made up on the morning of the 3rd Match.
The made tar the !fragile, the River Plate, Moot. Video, Pernam-
buco. Bahia Madura, and Ituctive Ayrce, will be made up on the
evening of the eta Match.

W COARESPUNDENTS.
TEE nnmb•r of SCAMPS issued :0 the DAILY NEWS
by the attilwritiee of the 84min-office, during the year 1847,
was
From JAN. 1, t 3 DEc. 31, 3,447,009
Thix, we beli-xe, ix within eight per cent. of the number
leaned to C.., 31orning Herald, Morning Chronicle, and
Slanting Post, ALL PUT TOORTHEIL

In whlitim to the shove, issued to the DAILY NtWS,
Morniiw there were issued fur the Eneminy Edithm,
TII E ItX. I' it LSS,
From JAM. 1, to DEC. 31 778,714

Which wag mnro,wn believe, than were maul c.h:. to the
Globe or Slandard, Evening Papers.

•.• rolentlaraner, I..mded tor Th. Enema." loartota orestor paper. rarer
at tbaciace. Pa tlonvert.stotee. lay Tarn... Awe tat tee 41,, et publication.

111';!I %/ATVS LT LONDUN 11:1140C.
T4te• 1,44-0,14.4 g. 4. min-y.O Atterua.4.l2
T0.,10....4-11.4raisa, IS Boa past I; Anem... N or. pa. I.

LONDON, THURSDAY, FEB. 17.
Tint petition which the Bishop of EXETER pre-
sented to the House of Lords on Tuesday night was
reasonable enough in its request, though it scarcely
went to the root of the grievance of which it com-
plained. In asking fur the relief of deans and chap-
ters from the penalties of prenau.dre, denounced by
the act of 23 HI.NRY VIII., in the event of their re-
fusing to obey the letters missive of the crown, the
petitioners merely complained that a law should be
left on the sti.tute-book, which, if enforced, would un-
doubtedly be a most anomalous species of tyranny and
oppression. It is, however, difficult to discover what
their real object was. When an extravagant or ins
appropriate po,alty is attached to an act of non-
feasance or misfeasance, the lepeal of the punishment
does not legalise the breach of duty. If the pre.
I nutnire elms' of the act of HENRY VIII. was l
an-
nulled, the catlneral bodies would still be bound by
very sufficient it gal compulsion to elect the nominee
of the crown. We suspect that the Buckinghamshire
clergymen wished to secure to deans and chap era
an exemption from legal constraint, as welt as
an immunity from extravagant and obsolete cruelty.
llf this was their object, their petition did not go
1 far enough; but in its terms it is fairly entitled to
consideration. If we were to recommend a compli-
ance with its prayer, it weu'd be rather with a view
to the credit of the law than to the security of future
recusants. We hold a martyrdom by prenotare to
be an altogether impossible event in the present day.
The nominal existence of such a penalty only tends
to give elelat to the dilettante dall,yings with martyr-
dom of prudent confessors, who take care nevertheless
to keep on the windy side of the law.
I If the B i -hop of EXETER, on presenting the petition,
had confined himself to supporting its player, it may I
be supposed that little discussion would have arisen ; '
but the bishop, as might have been expected, availed
himself of the opportunity to enter upon the cognate
question of confirmation, and to discuss the recent
judgment of the Court of Queen's Bench. Professing
to be anxious to maintain the supremacy of the
crown, he nevertheless hoped that the judicial cha-
racter of confirmation would hereafter be established,
and that the conscience of the archbishop would no
longer be coerced by law. Probably the acute bishop
was aware that by granting the prayer of the peti-
, Boners no practical result would be obtained; and,