The Express.
London, England, 1867-02-21 00:00:00

THE NONCONFORMING DEPUTIES.

The annual meeting of the deputies of the three
denominations of protestant dissenters, presbyterial), inde-
pendent, and baptist, was held yesterday at the London
Coffee-house, Ludgate-hill. Sir Morton Pete, M.P., was
announced as the ch.drei )11, huts letter was read from the
hon. baronet excusing himself on the ground that he hml
to introduce a deputation to the Board of Trade at the
same hour as the meeting was fixed for, and requesting
Mr. C. Reed to Ineside ; and he having taken the chair
opened the proceedings by referring to the antiquity of
the association, this being, he believed, its 136th imniver-
eery. He then alluded to the success of Mr. Hadfield's
measure for the abolition of corporation oaths, and Mr.
liardcsatle's endeavours to abolish church rates, to which,
as he congratulated the meeting, Mr. Gladstone heal
by his vote last session practically given his adhe-
sion, adding that the three dissenting bodies were
opposed to any compromise, and would accept nothing
less than total abolition. He next called attention to
what had been done in regard to Mr. Coleridge 's Teets
Abolition Bill, and Mr. Bouverie's Fellows of Colleges
Bill, intimating a prospect of the union of the two bills in
accordance with Mr. Fawcett's notice of motion. On the
question of marriage, the clergy of the established church
seemed to depreciate the mods in which under the act of
parliament dissenters were married, and in many in-
stances had required persons so married to be re-married
in accordance with the rites of the church of England. In
all such cases the committee had interfered, and the cler-
gymen who had so declared that dissenters' marriages were
invalid had been reproved. He next referred to the
Dunhill-fields question, and ha expressed his
astonishment that the Ecclesiastical Commissioners,
on coming into possession of the Finabiu7 property with
its large rental, should have threatened to desecrate the
Bunhill-fields burial ground (which bad been enclosed
for burial purposes, and which was consecrated by the
interment of 1:X1,000 persons) by disposing of the site for
building purposes, unless a money compensation was paid
to them for reserving it as an open space, said the corpora-
tion of London had offered to preserve it as an open
space, and to plant it. make gravel walks through it. and
keep it in order. The question would have to he settled
by parliament, but the committee had every hope that
the proposition of the corporation of London would be
adopted.
Mr. SHEPHEAILD, the secretary, then read the report of
the committee, which somewhat more in detail described
the parliamentary proceedings of the last session on the
various questions affecting dissenters, the prospects of
the present session, the marriage question, and the Bun-
hill-fields burial ground, and congratulated the denomina-
tions on the success of measures for carrying out religious
equality, concluding with the hope that the principle of
• free church would in time be recognised by the legisla-
ture. _

Daring the rending of the report, Sir Morton Pet° en-
tered the room and was loudly cheered. He apologised
for being late, and, requesting Mr. Reed to retain the
chair, took his seat at the table beside him.
The resolution for adopting the report was moved by
Mr. S. Mosier, who intimated that although last year, in
common with other iiiii.entem he should have been dis-
posed to accept the compromise proposed, he did not
regret that it had failed, and now argued that nothing
les than total abolition would be satisfactory. He also
referred to the measure for opening the universities still more
freely than they were now to dissenters, improvised his
oonfidence in Mr. Coleridge, M.P., who had taken the
matter in hand, and his disbelief that the Bunhill.fields
burial ground would ever be allowed to be desecrated as
had been threatened, adding that the commissioners
had some justification for their demand for a money com-
pensation, on the ground that the corporation had pro-
bably made charges which, as leaseholders merely, they
were not entitled to. While desirous that all the measures
for the relief of dissenters which were before parliament
would be pressed, he trusted that none of them would be
allowed to interfere with the far more important measure
of parliamentary reform, which he regarded as paramount.
He had not much confidence in the present government as
far as their intentions were concerned ; but he had great
hopes in their squeezable qualities. (" Oh," and laughter.)
Mr. Gores, the treasurer, read the balance-sheet, show-
ing the receipts and expenditure, and that the committee
had a balance of 122/. in hand.

Mr. W. H. WATSON seconded the adoption of the report,
which was carried.

Resolutions appointing by ballot the committee for the
current year, adopting petitions in favour of the bills be-
fore parliament for the abolition of church rates and uni-
versity tests, and recommendint perseverance in the
endeavours to prevent the desecration of Bunhill-fields
burial-ground, were proposed and carried, being spoken to
by Messrs. Ellington, J. E. Saunders, Edwards, J. Carter,
and Turberville, who suggested that the proceeds of the
Finsbury estate, 60,900 f. a year, should be devoted to the
repair of all the parish churches throughout England, for
which they would be, according to the returnet as near as
possible adequate, and thus church reels might be got
rid of.

The proceedings terminated with a vote of thanks to the
chairman (Sir M. Pcto), the deputyehairman (Mr. Reed),
the treasurer (Mr. Gower), and the members of the commit-
tee, and the customary compliment to the chairman of
the day.

Lnlf DON GENERAL OMNTECS COMPANY, LIMITED.
—The directors' report to the meeting on the sth proximo
states that the result of the half•year just ended is of a
far more satisfactory character than that for the preceding
period. The revenue assets, cash and investments,
exceed the ordinary liabilities of the company by
87,6561. 15e. Id. The expenditure on capital account is
7,5001. below the amount reified by the issue of ordinary
shares The company have no loan account. The amount
standing to the credit of the general reserve fund, on 30th
June, 1866, was 300001. ; it is proposed to add thereto
out of the profits of the past hal -year, 2,5001., making a
total of 32,5001. ; the leases renewal fund amounts to
22,6561. 18s. rd. ; making together • sum of 55,156/.
18s. 6.1., of which amount there is invested in consols the
sum of 40,2767. Is. 611. 145,448(. 2s. Bd. consols), and the
balance forms part of the general cash balance of the com-
pany. The decrease in the receipts is attributable to
three causes, viz., the very unseasonable weather which
prevailed during the summer and autumn months ; the
reduction of fares made in consideration of the remission
of pert of the mileage duties, and in fulfilment of a pledge
given by the company to the late Chancellor of the Ex-
chequer ; and, Lady, to the general depression of trade
resulting from the financial crisis ; to the first-named of
these causes is. however, undoubtedly due the greatest '
share of the decre.ae. The items of expenditure differ in
no material particular (except in the charges for mileage
duty and provender) from those of the corresponding
period of 1465 ; the former difference is well understood
' end appreciated ; the latter is attributable partly to the
increaaed number of horses fed during the half-year, but
mainly to the hig:i price of barley, which prevented the
company from using that description of grain, which ia
usually cheaper than oats according to the weight.
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11, 1806.—The health or the Holy rather Is excellent, especial
sham absadoning all other remedies, he has confined Broach
entirely to Du Barry's Food, sot his Holiness cannot praise
this excellent food too tituhly."—Garette du Ina Du Barry and
Co., N' 77. Itesrentetre,t. burins, W. In Una at lA. lid.;
111 X. to la tux. «A. On—iadrentlammissikl