The Express.
London, England, 1866-01-10 00:00:00

LIFEBOAT SERVICES.—During the storms of
the put year the National Lifeboat Institution, by its life-
boats and other means, contributed to the saving of 707 persons
from different wrecks on our coasts. The institution also ex-
pended F 21,374 In the same period on its lifeboat establishinents.
In addition to granting £4,950 fur rewards for saving life and
exercising the lifeboats.
The committee of the Institution earnestly APPEAL to the
public for ASILSTANCE, to enable them to meet the continued
heavy demands on the Institution's 153 Lifeboat stations.
Oontributions are received by the London ant Country
Bankers : and by the Secretary, Richard Lewis, Esq., at the In-
stitution, le, Jobn.atreet, Adelphi, Ludo's.

JOHN BROGDEN recommends the public to
hays the carat gold stated on the Invoice. " Fins gold
and pure gold." u applied to Jewelry, being a delusion. JOHN
BROODKN'S GOLD CHAINS are sold upon this principle only,
and at manufacturer's prices. llanitory, Ilk Henrietta.
street, Covent-garden, W.C. This tstablishment 4 closed at 8,
and on Saturdays at 1 o'clock.

MESSRS, WATHERSTON and SON,
Goldsmiths and Jewellers.
Have Ready for Inspection a Great Variety of JEWELLERY,
of the Latest Dation, suitable for
WEDDING I'IXSZNri and NEW-YEAR:3 GIFTS.
IL Pall-suall East, S.W.

TURTLE, TURTLE, TURTLE.
Clear, Thick sod Invalid TortJe Soups always ready at
• ST. JAMILTS-11ALL. liegentetreet, PlcmdMy.—W. DONALD,
proprietor.

LONDON must have a SUPPER and MUSIC
BOOM for Gentlemen. —Remember, we wait for you at
..KVANS," after the Coventsaidea Pantomime, sad the
Theatres.

eke ((r rregilS.

TO 0011.11.23PONDENTS.
Avertlecenente intended toe " The Express " London Evening
:OMmost be at the Mee, 10, bouverleatreet, by Two
on tie day of publication.

HAYMARILIT.

THIS IMMO. BROTHER BAIL Messrs. Sothern, Buck-
and Compton; Mime Nelly Moore. Snowdon Ac.—
Buck-
done,
IN THE HAYMARKET. Mews Perron & D. Fisher ;
Mime Keeley, Howard& Wright—MY HUSBAND'S GHOST.

PRINCW3TB.

THIS ivinnws, QUIET LOEDI ',fig.—After which 2T TS
DEVER TOO LATE Tit MEND. Mews. Vining. G.
I. Mead, D. Murray, b. Canaan; F. Villiers. J. 41. Above, O. Mur-
iel, and B. Cathnirt ; Minim L Moore and K. lodgers.

LYCIIIIL

TRW Rresoita, THE ILLUSTRIOUS STRANGER. Mr. 11.
Wlddicomb.—THE MASTER OF RAVENSWOOD. Mews.
Pechter. lardca, Veils, Weary, WISEWomb, Fitzpatrick Erase;
Madams Taman, Itswartbk Wreak C. Leclarcq.

sarrAinciA.

TUB MMHG, OLD DADDY LONGLEOS AND SIR. REGENT
CIRCUS; OR.. THE RACE FOE THE GOLDEN APPLES.—
M. and !Adm. Stertsonbeen.—edigner BevanL-01mAr.—Shower
of Golden Raln.—And JEBEL; THE MORMON'S DAUGHTER.

HIGH WATCB AT LONDON-DEMO&
Tine DAT Morning. 8. lOor Afternoon. Bb. 42e.
TO-nOnnOrr -. Yoruba& 9b. Ifts Afternoes. 9i2. 49..

LONDON, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 10.

IT is always a ground for regret when the
conduct of an important religious contest is dis-
figured by a display on either side of hasty and
inconsiderate violence, whether in speech or action.
In matters of this kind we have little sympathy
with that sort of controversial feeling which can find
nothing but enjoyment in seeing its opponents
putting themselves in the wrong. The cause of
truth is rarely furthered by human passion, and
the momentary triumph which may follow from
a loss of temper in an adversary is dearly pur-
chased by the deep-seated ill feeling which such
an outburst frequently leaves behind it. We can
readily imagine that the numerous friends of
Bishop COLENBO in this country will have read
with instinctive pleasure the description which we
printed yesterday of his first Sunday in Natal.
We have carefully abstained throughout the
course of the proceedings in the cue from
expressing any desire for the victory of
either party. As politicians we have but
one object, and that is that the Episcopal ,
Church of South Africa should be left to settle its
own affairs in whatever way it may think best.
There are some persona, indeed, for whose
judgment we entertain a high respect, who have
looked at the question from a wholly different point
of view. In their eyes the success of Bishop
COLENSO has been identified with the cause of
free thought. Whether they are right or wrong in
this conclusion does not seem to us a matter with
which, as secular journalists, we have anything to
do. The promotion of freedom of opinion in this
or that religious body is, as it seems to us, no
more a functiou of the State than the promotion of
any particular set of opinions. What the
community in its corporate capacity is alone
concerned with, is to take care that the liberty in
question is not fettered by any external restrictions.

So longs& its furtherance or its limitation is secured
only by conscientious sanctions the State has no
right to trouble itself about the matter. Freedom
of association is as much a part of true liberty as
freedom of thought, and if any particular body of
Christians thinks fit to make the holding of cer-
tain articles of belief a necessary condition of mem-
bership it has a right to do so, which can only be
limited by its own act in claiming any peculiar
privileges at the hands of the State. Regarded in
this way, the truth or falsehood of Bishop
COLENSO'S tenets becomes of no importance except
to himself and to the Church in which he bears,
or claims to bear, office. We are simply anxious
that the South African Episcopalians should be left
to settle for themselves the position he is for the
future to hold among them. We are quite willing
that the religious independence of the colonies
should precede the political, and that the South
African Bishops should enjoy the same freedom of
action as was claimed a short time since by their
brethren in New Zealand.

We should have been glad, therefore, if the
importers., Wine which the Bishop's return to Natal
has raised had been fought out with equal courtesy
and good feeling by both parties. If the account,
however, in the Times of Natal is an accurate
statement of what occurred on Sunday, the 19th
of November, this wish has by no means been
realised. Nothing, indeed, could have been in
better taste and temper than the demeanour of
Bishop COLENSO. His patience, foroearance,
and single-minded perseverance in what he deemed
his d.ity, are above all praise. We are sorry
that he was not met in a similar spirit.
That the Dean, who denies that Bishop
COLENBO has now any jurisdiction within the
diocese of Natal, should protest against what he
considered an intrusion into the cathedral church,
was perfectly natural ; nor are we prepared to
find much fault with the original intention on the
part of the cathedral officials of keeping the doors
closed against the Bishop's entrance. A simple
protest, to be followed in due time by appropriate
legal action, would have been more dignified, and,
we should think, equally effective, but in a position
of so much difficulty it would be unfair to cen-
sure the preference of an alternative course.
When, however, Bishop COLENSO had obtained an
interim interdict from the Supreme Court of the
colony, foroidding the closing of the cathedral, it
was obviously the duty of the churchwardens to
let the matter rest until they had taken the proper
steps to obtain a reversal of the prohibition ; and
so far as these gentlemen were concerned, they
appear, at least in the morning, to have acted in
this spirit. The church was opened, the protest of
the churchwardens read, and the Bishop entered.
tinder these circumstances, the natural course,
we should have thought, for the Dean to take
would have been to absent himself during the de
facto presence in the cathedral of the Bishop,
whose de jure claim to officiate there he denied, and