The Express.
London, England, 1847-12-13 00:00:00

THE EXPRESS, MONDAY EMING, DECEMBEO,

deed la the first instance, and ennuis, only are to be I
filled up by election of eabsoribers, as in schools of
the first dam. In schools adopting the third clause,
non-emitlents may be named lay members of the com-
mittee, and the vacancies are to be filled up by Oleo-
tion of the rest of the committee, until the bishop of
the diocese directs that the subscribers shall exercise
this privilege. And in the lowest class of schools,
adopting the fourth clause, the committee is to oozing
of the clergyman of the parish and his curates, or, in
case of the absence or incapacity of such clergyman, of
his officiating substitute, and resident laymen sub- '
scribers of twenty shillings yearly to the school, to
be named by the officiating minister, the vacancies in
this body to be filled by election of subscribers to
the amount of ten shillings annually. It must be I
admitted by every impartial member of the church,
that ample security for full influence and authority is
given by these clauses to the parochial clergy. In
every class of schools, they are guaranteed the ex-
clusive control of the moral and religious instruction.
In every clue they are chairmen of the school com-
mittees. In every class the final decision of question.
relating to religious instruction belongs to the
diocesan.
These clauses, though set forth officially in a mi-
nute of the 28th June last, have really been acted upon
by the Committee of Council since the spring of 1845.
It was found necessary, about that period, to attach
certain conditions to the grants made to church
schools by the committee. It was found that in
many such schools, nominally connected with the
National Society, the terms of union on which such a
connexion is based, had been entirely departed from. I
The clauses in question were framed with the co-ope.
ration of the officers of the National Society, and, of
course, approved by them. Their object was to
secure, in schools receiving public aid, substantial
compliance with the terms imposed by the National
Society as conditions of union with that body. The
want of each security had early become apparent in
' the unwise and mischievous clauses inserted in school
' deeds, by local bigotry or indiscretion. In many cases
the parochial character of such echoole was sacrificed:
To use the words of the secretary's letter to the Lich-
field Ward :

The mansgentent' being confided to clergymen of seve-
ral surrounding parishes and their successors, or even,
though rarely, to the trustees of the church, though rtuident
in different and rem:4e parte of England, or to the patron
of the benefice, even when the patronage was vested is •
nonresident corporation; or, in rarer cases, to municipal or
other officers, without any other provision as to their qualifi-
cation ; or power was given to some person or persons to
appoint managers without any definition of their qualifies.
twos ; or a school erected in one ecclesiastical district hu
been under the superintendence of a clergyman in another
ecclesiastical district, who has resisted all interference with
management by the parochial minister.
In other eases, much more serious encroachments
of the clergy were to be met and prevented. In
many schools, laymen were altogether excluded from
the management, by the terms of the school deed.
This was in direct contravention of the rules and
spirit of the National Society, one of whose great
objects was to unite the laity of the church of Eng-
land with its clergy, in educational efforts. In other
cases, it was attempted to invest the bishop with a
power of absolute decision on all questions relating
to school management, as we have mentioned
above. All such attempts are paralysed by the
clauses of management, of which we have
given an outline. The Lichfield Board, in their
letter, call the attention of the Committee of Council to
the terms of the minute containing these clauses. The
secretary is instructed, in communicating with appli-
cants for aid to Church of England schools, " to re-
commend the adoption of" such of these clauses as
may appear moat suitable to the character and means
of the school-district. They, no doubt, insinuate by
their reference to the word in italics, that they ought
not to be compelled to adopt any of these four claim s.
It is unfortunate that the Committee of Council should
be so curiously delicate, and almost squeamish, in its
language. If it had " insisted on" or " required,"
instead of recommending these clauses, the promoters
of Church of England schools would have known
the absolute conditions on which aid would be granted.
As it is, a tenable plea has been suggested to clerical
intolerance, and a great deal of correspondence has
been rendered necessary. After all, the phrase re-
mains. Applicants are still only recommended. It is
' true they get uo aid, unless they comply with the re-
commendation. It would be well, perhaps, to settle
the point, once for all, by a new minute, putting into
formal terms the condition which, practically, the '
committee already insists on. This course would
have the further good effect of checking the overbear-
ing spirit of a certain portion of the clergy, who would
fain get the education in church schools entirely into
their own bands, reckless of the very just lay
jealousy that would certainly be awakened by such
attempts, even in zealous and attached members of
the Church of England. The Committee of Council
can hardly use too decided a tone in those of its
minutes whose object is to prevent such grasping
clerical usurpations. The utmost participation of the
laity in church education mutt be secured—not only
recommended, but insisted on.

ALTHOVGH free trade 'and its supporters do not
form that class of weak enthusiasts whose convictions
evaporate with their spirits, and who require the voice
of prophets or of leaders to raise them from fits of
periodical despondency, nevertheless, the good cause
has need of being encouraged now and then with the
old trumpet notes, which first awaked and heralded it
to triumph. Although the more rational and experi-
enced and advantageously placed of the party can
entertain no doubt of the soundness and sacredness, as
well as the final prevalence of those principles, still
in these times of strait and suffering, the humble
operative, curtailed or threatened in his earnings, has
need of being warned against the interested sophism
of free trade having stopped his mill, or stolen his
employer's capital. One rejoices, therefore, to hear
once more the voice of COBDEN resounding through
these districts, and bringing, as of old, enlightenment,
encouragement, and hope.
Mr. COBDEN had the trying duty of acquainting
the electors of Stockport that the interest of the liberal
cause induced him to take his seat for the West
Riding. In performing this duty, he represented his
option as not any gratification of pride, for a member
of the House of Commons was no longer measured by
his constituency, but by his personal and intellec-
tual weight. In his case, indeed, the moral asser-
tion was perfectly true. And he still proved him-
self the representative of the cotton districts, by
tracing how peculiarly the present distress weighed
upon them—how little free trade had to do with disas-
ters arising from mere failure of crops—how certain
the already returning tide of prosperity was to repair
suffering, with the aid of that free trade which sent
food from abroad, and at the same time opened mar-
kets there.

Mr. COBDEN disposed very simply and plainly of
the BENrincx and STANLEY sophism. tie showed
that, but for the repeal of the corn-laws, neither
Russia nor America could or would have sent us its
stores of provisions; and that no temporary abolition
of duty would have done this—nothing less than the
certainty of &fixed low duty could have induced Russia to
undertake thetransport from the interior of those stores
of corn, which took years to reach the foreign market.
Mr. ConnEN's lately acquired local knowledge is thus
already tamed by him to good account. Not only
is he enabled to illustrate from experience the
invaluable effects of the repeal of the corn-laws,
but it is also in his power to refute the great stand-
ing arguments of the anti-free-traders—viz. the want
of reciprocity on the part of foreign powers. Mr. Cos-
DEN
instanced the case of Russia, where each exorbitant
duties were still levied on our twist; but then British
twist, nevertheless, could not be done without. He
then pointed to America and its improved tariff, and
stated that, "during nine months of this year, 50,000
more packages of manufactured goods were sent from
Liverpool to America than during the same period of
last year."
The war and "national defences" cry formed another
of Mr. COBDEN'S themes, and he did summary justice
by it. We had spent since the war six hundred mil-
lions sterling in warlike armaments, a sum nearly
equal to the national debt! And we were now going
to spend more, in the same feeble, fretful, cause-
less way. It is clear that the fortifications
and increase of the army people will have to
do battle with RICHARD COBDEN before they ever
encounter JACQUES FRENCHMAN. For that gentle-
man has evidently returned from his great tour of
Europe with the conviction that the mustachioed
gentlemen of the Seine, the Danube, and the Volga,
mean us no harm ; on the contrary, that they are me-
ditating free trade with us; and that, instead of cast-
ing cannons and drilling soldiers to meet them, it
would be far wiser to open our porta, sad give up

affecting fan and jealousies, which in twelitY we do
not entertain.
. the days.
generally cii
-,y circles,

Qn the evening of Thursday and . of J?ri-
dav and Saturday. reports were get, cinielate.4
in Paris, and obtained credit in many cies, that a
ministerial crisis had occurred, in consequence of the
turn which the question of mediation in Switzerland
had taken, and more especially from the effect of the
declaration of Lord Palmerston and the withdrawal
of England from the proposed conference. One re-
port was that M. Guizut proposed an intervention in
conjunction with Austria, supported by the
advance of a large army upon the Swiss fron-
tier ; that in this he was opposed by M.
Duchatel, and not supported by, the King ; that
in consequence, after many fruitless remonstrances
with his colleague, and a long discussion at a cabinet
council, the President of the Council had resolved to
resign. On Saturday afternoon, however, these re-
ports began to subside, and were succeeded by others,
to the effect, that notes had been received by the
Minister of Foreign Affairs from the three northern
powers, declaring that these powers more than
ever persist in their resolution to intervene in
the settlement of Switzerland, proceeding in the
same manner as in the Netherlands in 1831:
first, by protocols; and having recourse, if
necessary, finally, to armed force. It is added,
that the three powers have selected Neufchaad
as the most eligible seat of the proposed congress,
that the French government has assented to these
propositions, and that Austria has appointed the
Count de Colloredo, and Prussia General Radowitz,
as their representatives at it. The represeatative of
Russia has not been announced; but it is understood
that France will not be represented by M. Bois le
Comte, iu consequence of the rancorous personal ani-
mosity excited between that minister and the Presi-
dent of the Diet. M. Lagreuee is mentioned as the
representative of France.
All this is not inconsistent with the assertion In the
semi-official journal, the Conserrate"r, that the me-
diation would proceed notwithstanding the with-
drawal of England.
The Journal des Dilate observes an obstinate
silence respecting the effect of the declaration of Lord
Palmerston, in spit. of the daily taunting. and pro-
vocations of all the ether Parisian journals en this
question. It is certain that something is concocting
in the Hotel of Foreign Affairs as a countermove to
the declaration of the Fetlish minister, which at the
moment was regarded to have checknasted M. Guizut
in the Swiss game.
By royal ordonnance, dated the 10th, M. Piscatory
has been appointed ambassador at Madrid. The
following diplomatic changes are confirmed by royal
ordonnance:—M. Bacourt, minister at Washington,
to be minister at Turin; the Duke of Glo,ckeber•g,
minister at Madrid, to be minister at Lisbon; the
Baron do Varennee, minister at Lisbon, to be minister
at Copenhagen ; M. de Belleny, minister at Copen-
hagen, to be minister to the Germanic On:federa-
tion ; M. Pageot to be minister at Washington.
The report we have already given of the overtures
made by Abd-el-Kader to the government is con-
firmed. An express was sent to Paris to ascertain on
what footing, if at all, the Emir was to be treated
with, or on what conditions his submission should be
accepted, if offered. The Duke d'Aumale and General
Lamoriciere had gone to the frontier of the colony,
near where the dens of Abd el-Kader was established.

The Madrid mails of the 3rd, 4th, and sth have
arrived. In the division on the address it was ob-
served that General Hoe de Olano voted in the mino-
rity, against the cabinet. M. Salamanca abstained from
voting. The discussion on the address in the senate
bad not yet closed. M. Martinez de la Rosa had been
elected as a deputy.
The Madrid mails of the 6th, due in Paris on Sa-
turday, did not arrive.