The Express.
London, England, 1867-09-24 00:00:00

LONDON, TutSDAY EVENING, SEPTEMBER 24, 1867.

THE AMERICAN PRESS ON THE ALABAMA
CORRESPONDENCE.

The New York journals of Sept. 11 and 12 dis-
cuss the now correspondence on the Alabama clues •
tion.

Tho Tribune comes to the conclusion that

The United States and Great Britain are so nearly
Weed that no insuperable obstacle appears to a speedy
adjustment of the difficulty.

The Journal of Commerce says :

The British government is anxious to get rid of the
claims. They are a owls of formidable proportions.
It pleases England to be quiet. She is like a retired
athlete, weary of the rough sports of the arena.
But fighting is quite in the line of the United
States. No love of ease, nor consciousness of
old age and weakness, but only the laws of inter-
national comity, restrain the Union from seizing and over-
running Canada. While it is for the interest of England,
clearly, to adjust the Alabama claims with as little delay
as possible, the United States find it to their advantage
sot to bony up the settlement. For our side the case
is improved by procrastination. The anxiety of England
grows in proportion to the indifference of the United States.
We can get far better terms from her now than we could
have obtained last year; and she will doubtless be
willing to pay more liberally next year than at present.
The United States gain by waiting, because at any time
the claims can be converted into a good cause of war, and
the British eolonies taken as anindemnity or receipt in full.
This is the state of facts, as it is reoognised by the people
of the United States and Great Britain, though no hint of
it is afforded by Secretary Seward or Lord Stanley. While
the United Statesioccupy this vantage ground, they are yet,
we think, not only fair, but truly magnanimous, in offer-
ing to refer all the questions at issue to an umpire by
whose decision they agree to be bound.

THE CAPE OF GOOD HOPE.

(REUTSVIS Exraggs.)
PLYMOUTH, Sgrr. 23.

The Colenso controversy appears to be carried
on as warmly as ever at Natal. The Lieutenant-
Governor and Mr. Keats are said to have attended
the services of both parties. Of the seventy young
people who were confirmed by Bishop Twells just
before his leaving for England, it was asserted
some had previously been confirmed by Bishop
Colemso, while others were stated to be consider.
ably below the age at which young persons are
usually admitted to that rite in the English
church. In the case of the Bishop of Natal
verrus the Rev. J. H. Wills, the Bishop
had applied to the Supreme Court for an
interdict against Mr. Wills preaching in the
diocese without the applicant's license. The hear-
ing of the application was before three judges, the
I Chief Justice,Mr. Justice Connor, and Mr. Justice
Phillips. The Chief Justice was for granting the
application ; his two coadjutors were against doing
so. The Chief Justice argued upon the principle
that the court, being a supreme court exercising the
powers of every superior court in England, was
competent to deal with any case brought before it,
ecclesiastical or other, and was bound to support
the applicant in the exercise of any power apper-
taining to him as bishop of the English church, ex-
cepting such as the privy council had de-
clared the crown could not confer. Mr. Justice
Connor assumed exactly the opposite ground,
and a correspondent of the Cape Arfpu says with
a happy stroke of wit, quoted a law case in the
early Christian Church, reported in the Acts of the
Apostles, xviii., 12, following the example of
Gallio, and driving the bishop from his judgment
seat, for he would be no judge of such matters,'"
certainly not, because he careth for none of those
things.' Mr. Justice Phillips said the Privy
Council had decided that letters patent could not
create ecclesiastical jurisdiction in a colony having
a legislature, and he held therefore applicant to
have "no control or authority whatever over re-
spondent." It having been declared that notwith-
standing the oath of canonical obedience of the
Bishop of Natal to the Bishop of Cape Town, as
metropolitan, no jurisdiction by compact or voluntlry
submission was thereby obtained, how could
there be any between bishop and priest when there
was none between metropolitan and suffrage= I
Had the applicant come before the court, not as
bishop, but as trustee of the cathedral church, he,
Mr. Justice Phillips, would have had little or no
difficulty in deciding that the courtmust supporthim
against the indecent intrusion of which he com-
plained. But taking the case as brought before him
he could given relief. Mr. Wills hasreturned tothe
Free State. The bishop had noted an appeal, but it
would not be prosecuted. The Rev. F. S. Robin-
son had been staying in Durban, and holding ser-
vices there. Her Majesty's ship Jumna left
Simon's Bay August 9, arriving in Algoa Bay
August 11, en route for Bombay. Her Majesty's
ship Mullet was at St. Helena August 28.