The Express.
London, England, 1867-07-27 00:00:00

THE EXPRESS, SATURDAY EVENING,

JOHN BROGDEN.

ORIGINAL GOLD CHAIN MANUFACTORY,
ie, lIENRIVITA-STREET, COVE 'Cr-SLAM!.

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(PRIZE SIEGAL AWARDED,.
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ether mum
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Also Allen's Barrack Furniture estalivnie of Portable Bed-
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Bit 2.AKF AST.-E PPS'S COCOA.

BROWN and POISON'S CORN FLOUR
for CHILDRIMS DIST.
To obtain extra profit by the sale other kinds are sometimes
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Itto ehn eleoll, dined by the makers on
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each packet

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palace paraftin candles, lc 61. ; sperm, Is. 64. and la
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hest Cole 141, 44. ad. per gallon ; for cash, at 11. P. DAVIIO3 and
•OWS, 03, Bt Martin's-lane, W.C.

tive measures which ignore the Concordat alto-
gether, or set aside every one of its provisions,
and reduce it to a dead letter. The Minister of
Public Worship bad proisisid on behalf of the
G overnment to enter into negotiations with theCoert
of Rome, but the Committee recommends immediate
and independent legislation, without reference or
recourse to the Holy See. This is a decisive blow
to the Clerical party, and though the Upper Cham-
ber may possibly step in between the Government
and the Reicharath, the Concordat is assuredly
doomed. We heartily congratulate the Liberal
majority in the Reichsrath on their firmness in
adopting the report of their Committee, and we
are inclined to doubt whether M. nz Bern is
very seriously annoyed by their decision. Between
the Government and the Parliament there can be
no other difference on such a point than a differ-
ence of appreciation as to the mode and opportu-
nity of doing what both must equally desire.
After all, summary legislation will save the Holy
See some trouble, for the Court of Rome always
accepts accomplished facts. It would be imperti-
nent to suggest to M. DE Bann that the interests
committed to his charge have much more to fear
from the support of the Clerical party than from
its enmity.

A CORRESPONDENT of the Daily News, who
signs himself " A Barrister," calla public at-
tention to a fact which has for some time
excited no ordinary surprise, and sonic
disagreeable speculation. In nothing, perhaps,
has the present Government been more for-
tunate than in the amount of legal patronage
which has fallen to its lot. It has been able to
reward its supporters with the Chief Justiceahip
of the Common Pleas, the appointment of Chief
Baron of the Exchequer, the Chancellorship and
Chief Justiceship in Dublin, the Presidency of
the Court of Session in Scotland, the appointment
of two Lords Justices and one Vice-Chancellor,
I besides other minor offices. No one will venture
to deny that these vacancies have been filled
up with a single eye to the public service,
or that those who at present hold the great judi-
cial and legal offices under the Crown are worthy
of those who have preceded them. In addition
to this, it must be admitted that almost all
who have retired from office have been rewarded
in a manner which befits their long and distin-
guished services, as well as " the honour and dig-
" pity" of those who confer such distinctions.
Chief Baron Poi.Loex was created a Baronet, the
President of the Court of Session and Sir
noon Cantu were raised to the Peerage, and Sir
RICHARD KINDER.SLEY was made a Privy Coun-
cillor. To the considerate propriety which has
marked the conduct of the Government in respect
to these veteran magistrates and eminent
lawyers there is only ono exception, and that is
the ease of Sir WILLIAM ERLE, who has sat for
more than twenty years on the Bench at West-
minster-hall. Of all his brethren he has received
no mark of distinction whatever ; and yet, if
there over was a man who deserved well of his
country, that man is Sir WILLIAM ERLE. To
eulogise him would be an impertinence ; it only
remains to unite with the legal profession in ex-
pressing surprise that he should have been treated
in so exceptional a manner, and to indulge in a
hope that so singular an omission may be reme-
died.
But the conduct of Lord DERBY towards the
ex-Chief Justice of the Common Pleas is much
more than a matter of private feeling. There is
no subject upon which the public are more deeply
interested than the constitution of the Court of
Appeal in the House of Lords. Hitherto the
House of Lords has strenuously rejected all at-
tempts to render the House as a legal tribunal
more satisfactory ; and at the present moment the
extreme age and serious infirmity of several of the
legal Peers render this tribunal especially obnoxious
to criticism. In the great case of OVERZND, Gun-
nar, and Co. it may have been observed that the
legal Lords consisted only of the CHANCELLOR,
Lord CRANWORTH, and Lord COLONSAY. The other
Equity Peers were engaged elsewhere, and therefore
the chances are that this great case will be
decided by fewer judges than would have sat had
it been before the Privy Council. There is no
such galaxy of lights as Lord BROUGHAM, Lord
CAMPBELL, Lord COTTENTIAM, Lord ST. LEONAIDEI,
and Lord Kincianowx, to preside over the judicial
deliberations of the House of Lords. Lord Wasr-
BURY is no doubt a host in himself, but he is a
purely equity lawyer. At all events there is no
tribunal in the world which would willingly dis-
pense with the assistance of such a lawyer as Sir
WILLIAM ERLE, nor is there any suitor who
would not hail with pleasure and satis-
faction his presence on the seat of justice.
If it could be said that the energies of the ex-
Chief Justice were exhausted, or that he desired
retirement—although most men would regret the
absence of all acknowledgment of services so emi-
nent—still the public would feel neither surprise
nor disappointment. But strange to say, the pre-
sent Government has furnished conclusive proof
that it labours under no such misconception. As
our correspondent points out, the Government has
not scrupled to request his services upon two most
important and laborious commissions, and the
manner in which he discharges the duties thus cast
upon him, in addition to the duties which belong to
him as an cc-officio member of the Judicial Com-
mittee of the Privy Council, proves that in energy
and ability Sir WILLIAM ERLE is not less remarkable
than he has shown himself during the last twenty
years of his life. There seems, therefore, no
plausible reason which can be assigned why the
ex-Chief Justice of the Court of Common Pleas
should not be employed in those functions which
the study and practice of a lifetime have emi-
nently fitted him to fulfil. Few—very few, are
the men fitted to sit as judges in the Supreme
Court of Appeal of the kingdom ; and therefore
it is neither wise nor, indeed, very decorous to
reject the services of a man who is capable of
undertaking such duties, and of discharging them
to the great advantage of the public and to the
honour of the country.

The report of the Irish Commissioners of National
Education for the last year, which hu just been issued,
shows an increase in the number of schools in operation as
compared with 1865, the numbers being 6,372 and 6,453
respectively, while the number of scholars has decreased
from 922,084 to 910,819. This decrease is ascribed to emi-
gration, though the commissioners allude to " other causes
in 1866 calculated so affect the attendance." One model
and 51 ordinary schoolhouses are being erected, and 12
vested schools were opened during the year. On the other
hand 75 were struck off the roll. The commissioners re-
ceived 226 applications for grants tc new schools, of which
they complied with 159. Thirty-four of the patrons or
managers of these new schools were protestant', 107 Ito-
win esthetics, 12 presbyterians, and 6 of other denomina-
tions. There are 171,279 protestant pupils on the rolls,
and of these 152,412, or 89 per cent., ►ttend mixed
schools.

A letter appears in the Times to-day giving a
shocking account of some of the casual wards in country
towns, purporting to bare been written by a clerk out of
employment, who started six weeks since into the country
to look for work. The officials, be s►ys, were kind, and the
food wee good, but the 91th of the places, which be de-
scribes is detail, would be alistat too bed fee dep.