The Express.
London, England, 1847-12-14 00:00:00

THE EXPRESS, TUESDAY EVENING, DECEMBER 14, 1847.

almost supererogatory ccaclusiveness. Several of the
bishops, he says (and, as he adds, by mistake, the uni-
versity), have required a certificate of attendance on
Dr. HAMPDEN'S lectures as a condition for obtaining
orders. The Bamptoa Lectures were published
fifteen years ago, and censured eleven years ago. In
the interval, Dr. HAMPDEN has been constantly
preaching and writing, without affording an opening
for attack to any of his watchful opponents. Such
objections as those of the bishops would destroy the
prerogative of the crown, if they were allowed to pre-
vail. Whenever any party dis►pproves of a choice,
alarm and apprehension may be said to prevaiL
The protest will probably, though a mistake on the
part of the authors, have served as a vent for the dis-
satisfaction which has been felt in various quarters to
the appointmeu4 We have no doubt that the agita-
tion will now rem, that Dr. HAMPDEN will be quietly
inducted, and that the youth of Herefordshire will
continue to hold their present orthodox opinions on
the metaphysics of theology without let or hindrance
from their bishop.

ONE of the richest specimens of cool, polished land-
lord despotism we have seen for some time, occurs in
a recent correspondence between the free church mis-
sionary in Glengarry, and Lord WARD. We had
hoped that the publication of the evidence taken
last year by the committee of the House of Commons,
appointed to inquire into the circumstances under
which sites for churches, manses, and schools had
been refused to free-church congregations by certain
landed magnates of Scotland, would have put an end
to that paltry and irritating system of persecution.
But it is apparent, from this correspondence, that the
class of unchangeables, even by the extreme process of
braying in a mortar, still flourishes north of the
Tweed.

The letters alluded to will be found in another
column of this day's publication : our readers can
form their own judgment of them. Ws are free to
admit that Lord WARD'S correspondent, the Rev.
DCGALD SHAW, is lamentably deficient in tact. Even
though it were true, it is injudicious (we say nothing'
of Christian humility) in addressing a landlord, who
is a member of another communion, to tell him that
your own flock are " the most intelligent by far, the
most pious, moral, and, in short, the best Unction" of
the people on his estate. He not unnaturnlly under-
stands this as a reflection on thet lf himse, and sands on
_ .

..efensive. The appeals to his lordship's death-bed feel-
ings are likewise calculated to irritate rather than to
edify. In thisland ofliberty,where every man may choose
his own religion, clergymen ought to be extremely
cautious of bestowing upon adherents of churches
alien to their own, either blessings or banning.: we
have known the former esteemed the greater piece of
presumption and more unpardonable offence of the two. '
In all this, however, there is nothing to justify the
temper of Lord WARD'S reply. There is nothing in-
tentionally
disrespectful in the letter of his reverend
correspondent. Ample testimony is borne to " the
high esteem and regard" entertained for Lord WARD
in the district; and the exhortation which follows in
most natural in the mouth of a man of earnest religions
impressions, even though it may be admitted to
savour not a little of sectarian narrowness. If Lord
WARD is a devoted member of some other sect,
he ought to have sympathised with en earnest-
ness akin to his own : if he is a man of the world,
disposed to think lightly of these matters, it is pre-
cisely upon such a character that it is incumbent to
show that he is cot to be ruffled by well-meant zeal,
even when it jam with his tastes. Apart, however,
from these considerations, there is one passage in
Lord WARD's letter, which, whatever may he thought
of it on the other side of the Tweed, no Englishman
can read without a strong sense of indignation.
One word more and I have done. You reside in this glee
by sufferance on my part. If there was a clergyman of the
established church here to take care of my people, I should
net Ismail you to stay here to thwart' his labours. There is
none at present, and I prefer your teaching to the know-
ledge that there is no pastor in the glen.
Anything . more disgusting than this language we
cannot conceive. The man who would banish a dis-
senting clergyman from his estate lest his teaching
should interfere with that of the clergyman of the
establishment would, if he were consistent and had
the power, banish all dissenting clergymen from the
country. The man who could pen the sentences we
have quoted has yet to learn the first rudiments of
civil and religious liberty. The man who could pen
them, challenging publicity for them, is either igno-
rant of the free feelings of his countrymen, or callous
to their indignant judgment. Lord WARD cannot
even plead in extenuation of his petty despotism,
that in the narrowness of his soul he believes the
doctrines of the free church to be either immoral or
irreligious. He admits that in the absence of an
established clergyman the labours of the free church
missionary are useful. This is to admit that in
Lord WARD'S estimation the moral precepts of the
missionary are sound, and his religious doctrines
orthodox. It is also tantamount to an admission that
there is a deficient provision in the district for reli-
gious and moral instruction. Lord WARD, therefore,
as good as declares that, to save himself expense, he
will allow the missionary to persevere in his herd
and ill-requited labours, but that if any other person
will pay a missionary of the establishment to
occupy the field, Lord WARD is ready to clear it for
him by hounding the present labourer off his estate.
There is meanness here as well as tyranny.
It is obvious, from numerous passages in the Scotch
newspapers, that the agitation for sites to the free
church is about to be recommenced. Nor can we
wonder at it, seeing that there are landowners in Scot-
land who can abuse their power after the fashion of
Lord WARD. We sae curious to learn whether men
like the Duke of BUCCLEUCII, the general tenor of
whose life has been courteous and conciliatory to all
ranks and classes, will persist in " walking through
Coventry" with his lordship. We are happy to
observe signs of grace among some of the site-
refusers, and also that the fair sex axe the first to
lead the way in receding from the false position into
which they had blundered. The factor of Lady
DUNMORE writes, by her orders, in a very different
spirit from Lord WARD to the ree kirk minister of
the Harris.
Her ladyship requests me to state that she adheres to her
view of granting only one site for the erection al a free
church in the Harris, in the rneantohilo wishieg to judge
from the effect of one to what extent further to meet the
wishes of the adherents of that church among the population.
Her ladyship extends the grant to the erection of a 1104188
and school.lvnate, if such is required. Her ladyship begs
me also to state that she has no cOjection to these sites babe
aeleckd at Hanish, or soy other central point of the Ws
Bays, lithe site which has already been granted at Finable,
is considered by you situated too far from the population as
at present locat,d. and likely to remain.
Inspired with the judicious and conciliatory spirit
of his employer, the factor proceeds to enter into a
statement of certain contemplated changes in the tar
nagoment of the estate, which may perhaps inBll4lloll
the minister in his selection of a site. Altogether, the
communication is most cheering, as evincing, on the
part of the proprietrix of the Harris, respect for the
religious liberties of the community, and a desire to
stand in such relations with her people and the pastor
of their choice as must be conducive to the comfort
g and beat interests of all parties.
ly