The Express.
London, England, 1867-11-20 00:00:00

THE RTTIJAL HECTiNG.

The Standard sympathises very fully with the objects of
yesterday's meetingin St. James's Hall. "We have always,"
it says, " claimed fair play for this young and active school
of churchmen, but they seem so particularly well able to
take care of themselves that we have no desire to see them
additionally strengthened. To attempt to crush them by an
alteration of the Prayer-book was to invoke on their side
the co-operation of churchmen of all grades of opinion
outside the school of which Lord Shaftesbury is the chief.
With great respect for the earnestness and zeal of
the Evangelical party, we cannot recognise the de-
sirability of narrowing the liberties which the Eng-
lish church allows to her sons. To thousands of
them her catholicity and comprehensiveness are among
her chiefest recommendations, and we hold it to be far
from a venial fault that any attempt should be made to
alter her standards of doctrine for the exaltation of one
party at the expense of another. It is not enough that the
ritualists are to be brusght to book for violating the law as
it stands, but an attempt is made to procure the alteration
of the law, so that it may be quoted against them upon
another point wherein at present they have ample legal
warrant. This is the very tyranny of religious partisan-
ship, and we trust that its result, as shown in the alarmed
attitude of the High Church party,may teach Lord Shaftes-
bury and his friends a lesson of wisdom and charity for the
future."

The dresses of the ladies at the opening of the
Corps Legislatif were of the most elegant description.
The Empress wore a dress of white embroidered Patin,
trimmed with velvet, a Marie Antoinette mantle of black
lace, a broad sash of black velvet, and a velvet bonnet.
The Princess Mathilde was dressed in a satin robe, ores.
mented with golden buttons and delicate coloured velvet
Itrimmings ; and the Princess Murat in a light green satin
robe, covered with white lace. The Emperor wore the
uniform of a general of division ; and the Prince Imperial
WY is a black velvet dress, with red stockings, and having
the Grand Cordon of the Legion of Honour.
HOSPITAL FOR DISEASES OF THE THROAT, 32,
Gomel-weang, W.—During 'the week ending 16th
November 346 patients were under treatment, of,whom 33
were new cases.

~`~ ~'

LATEST INTELLIGENCE

THE HI7RRICANE AT THE ISLAND OF

ST. THOMAS.

New York papers, with dates up to the 9th
inst., have come to hand to-day. By one account
from the island of St. Thomas it would appear that
280 persons perished in the Rhone, namely, 132
officers and crew and 148 passengers. Another
account says that only 12 passengers are known to
be saved, and that most of the crew of the Rhone
were lost; and a third account, that 25 passengers
were saved.

The Hampshire Independent, published this
morning, states that the dreadful anxiety at
Southampton amongst those who had friends
on board the Royal Mail packet increases in
intensity. The docks and Royal Mail Company's
offices have been besieged by anxious inquirers,
chiefly women. The Mayor has called a public
meeting of the inhabitants of the town and neigh-
bourhood to-morrow to aid him in collecting a sub-
scription for the relief of the widows and fatherless
children. Clergymen of tho town arc busy in ascer-
taining the number of women that are likely to be
made widows, and the number of children that will
be rendered fatherless by the dreadful calamity.

THE CONCORDAT WITH AUSTRIA.

The ludependance Beige says :

The Austrian government appears to be determined not
to allow the Concordat to remain in its present form. The
new representative of Austria at Rome. M. Crivelli, has
received instructions to obtain a formal answer from Car-
dinal Antonelli as to whether the Holy See is disposed to
agree to a modification of the Concordat in relation to
marriage and public schools. If the Secretary of State
should reply by a non possumus, M. Crivelli is directed to
inform the Papal government that the Austrian cabinet
will take steps to modify it in concert with the Reiclismth.
It is stated that the Austrian government will support in
the Upper Chamber the bills on civil marriage and public
instruction as they have left the Second Chamber of the
Reichsratb.