The Express.
London, England, 1866-01-03 00:00:00

LIFEBOAT SERVICES.—During the storms of
the past 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 £21,374 in the same period on its lifeboat establishments,
in addition to granting £4,960 for rewards for saving lit. and
exercising the lifebosta.
The committee of the Institution earnestly APPEAL to the
public for ASISTANCE, to enable them to meet the continued
heavy demands on the institution's la lifeboat Stations.
Contributions are received b 7 the London and Country
Bankers ; and by the Secretary, Richard Lewis, Tag., at the in-
stitution, 14, John-street, Adelphi, London.
JOHN BROOPEN.

ORIGINALGOLDORAIN MANITFACTORY,
16, IttNRIETTA-STIXCT, OOVXNT-OA&DLN.

JOHN BROGDEN'S GOLD CRAMS.

JOHN BROODEN'S GOLD OL• ARD C RAINS.

JOHN RROGDEN'S G OLD ALBERT CHAINS.

JORNEROGDICNIGOLDBROOCHCHAINS.

MESSRS. WATHERSTON and SON,
Goldsmiths and Jewellers,
Have Ready for Inspection a Great Variety of JEWELLERY,
of the latest Designs, suitable for
WEDDING PRESENTS and NEW-YEAR'S GIFTS.
It Pa East, S.W.

LONDON must have a SUPPER and MUSIC
ROOM for Gentlemen.—Remember, we wait for yon at
..RVANS," after the Covent-garden Pantomime, Ind the
Theatres.

Eh erirrefixi.

H4pI4R.T..

TM BIOTHICIC SAM. Mews. Sothern, &let-
down, and Compton ; Misses Melly Moore, Snowdon, &c.—
OILMM IN THI RAYIKARKST. Meagre !Wren & D. Ilsher ;
Musa Keeley, Howard & Wright.—And SHOCKING 'VENTS.

PRINCHSB"B.

THIS snainto, twirl ToliaTiiii—After whirls IT IS
NEVI(E. TOO LATE TO MEND. Mmes. Vining, G. Melville,
T. Mead, D. Murray, b. Callum; F. Villiers, J. G. Shore, G. Mur-
ray, end R. Delimit ; Misses L, Moore and K. Rodgers.

LYCII7II.

Tun; Emma, THE ILLUBTSIOIIB STRANGKIL Mr. H.
Widdicomb.—TßZ MAST= OF RAVENSWOOD. Mmes.
Pechter, Jordan, Vella. Emery Widdicomb, Fitspip.taick, Evans;
Mesdames Taman. Elsworthy, Lavaca, C. Leclerr.4.

lIRITANMA.

Tins Evans°, OLD DADDY LONGLEGS AND SIR REGENT
CIRCUS; OR, THE RACE FOR THE GOLDEN APPLES.-
11. and Mdme. Stertzenbach.--Mgnor Benni—Olmar.--Elbower
of Golden Rain.—And JESSIE, THE MORMON'S DAUGHTER.

RIGH2vAiTis AT LONDON-11E1KM

& Afterneos, SL 36a.
TO4IOLIOW Morilog, 3k. 67= —Afternoon. 4k is o.

LONDON. WEDNESDAY. JANUARY 3.

Ir is to be feared that the Anglican clergymen
who for the last few years have taken so much
trouble to bring about a union between the Church
of England and the Russian and other Orthodox
Churches of the East have not gained much by the
recent meeting in London. We speak with diffi-
dence because all our knowledge of the facts is
derived from Prince ORLOFF'S letter published in
the Moscow Gazette. That publication was in
itself a breach of the understanding upon which the
meeting was held, and the statements of the Prince
have been objected to by more than one of the
Englishmen present. It is not surprising that the
author should have fallen into inaccuracies when
describing English persons and English ways of
feeling. But we may accept his authority when
he speaks of the disposition and spirit with
which he and his countrymen, Count ALEXIS
TOLSTOI and Father POPOFF, met their
Anglican friends. To many Englishmen
it will seen strange that seventy or eighty private
members of the English Church, with a couple of
Bishops, should of their own mere motion under-
take to open negotiations concerning a matter an
important as a union with a foreign State Church.
We are not told how these gentlemen could recon-
cile it with their position as members of a national
establishment to make advances of this kind with-
out first obtaining the sanction of some competent
public authority. It would certainly be new to
most Englishmen to learn that the Bishops of Ox-
FORD and LINCOLN had any right to engage the
Church of England, the constitution, doctrines,
and rites of which are fixed by Parliament, in
transactions of such a nature. Prince ORLOFF
informs us that he told the English clergymen
present that the subject was "altogether unknown
" to the Russian public," and we may say the same
for that of this country.
Prince ORLOFF is careful to let it appear that at
the meeting all the eagerness was on one side, and
all the caution on the other. Being desired
by the Bishop of OXFORD to "say a few words,"
he observed that he could only speak in a
private capacity. This was only respectful to his
own country and Government, and when the Eng-
lish account of the conference is published, we hope
it will be found that our own Bishops made
similar reserves. Prince ORLOFF further remarked
that the Russian clergy were always inclined to
promote " the establishment of a common Chris-
" tian Church," and prayed for it every day.
They would always, he said, be prepared to sift
the points in dispute between the two Churches.
This was all the Prince felt at liberty to de-
clare, even as a private person, in the way of
concession. We believe that Archbishop
MANNINO might say as much for his
Church. The remainder of the Prince's
remarks were of a sedative character. The Patri-
arch of the Russian Church, he said, was of opinion
that the question was most grave and difficult ;
and that it ought to be closely investigated and
slowly matured. The practical propositions which
the Prince concluded by making were—that the
Anglican clergy should publish books to show that
their Church is not Protestant, but Catholic ; that
some English clergymen sympathising with the
change should be stationed at St. Petersburg and
Moscow ; and lastly, that the matter should not
be precipitated, but that the seed should now be
sown, in the hope that future generations might
reap the harvest. Nothing certainly could be more
modest than these expectations. There is here
nothing like • presumptuous anticipation of the
designs of Providence; and we must entirely acquit
the Russians of wishing to force their communion
on us by unseasonable importunities.
The attitude of the Anglican clergy present, if we
may implicitly trust the Prince's report, was very
different from that of their foreign friends. Bishops
WILBERFORCE and TERROT were far from satisfied
with the prospect of delay. Instead of contenting
themselves with preparing the ground and leaving
the harvest to future generations, they desired to
proceed at once to realise the fruit of their labours,
in the intercourse of the two Churches by the cele-
bration of the LORD'S Supper. But nothing came of
their proposal to this effect. No resolutions were
passed, and the prayers which were °tiered up are
said to have had " a purely spiritual," that is, we
suppose, an unecclesiastical character. Prince
ORLOFF concludes his letter with a remark that the
matter has nothing to do with politics, "though if
" a reunion were effected, the interests of Russia
" and England in the East might possibly become
" identical "—a strange interpolation, which can
hardly have escaped the vigilance of Mr. LLYARD.

Now that the Russian aide of the cue has been
heard, and we understand something of the hesi-
tation and reluctance of the orthodox to have any-
thing to do with us until we have vindicated our