The Express.
London, England, 1850-02-09 00:00:00

ciety and with it the church would Wass
any participation la the said grant. As the
whole meaning of the council would evaporate,
Were it were something more than • mere body of
clerks entreated with the payment of (wrath morales,
and with nothing else, the council must abdicate its
functions, and the government plan falls to the ground.
The anneal grant may, perhaps, continue tor a short
time to be voted, but row that the church has refused
to core for its share, the great reason foe its Anther
continuance will be gone. proportion of the grant
absorbed by the other religious bodies is so small com-
pared with that taken by the church, that a modifica-
tion of the amount of the grant would be required im-
mediately ; and when it iscoosidered that this secession
of the largest religious body in England is a complete
denial of the principle upon which the grant is ad-
vocated—namely, that a system of government super-
vision of education ma be introduced, which will
succeed to a certain degree in bringing ell emits
within its influence—the ground is taken from under
the feet of its advocates. _ _ _

We are far from gating these facts with any W-
intered intention of rejoicing over the failure of the
government scheme. On the contrary, we cannot but
feel some regret that a plan, the details of which have
been worked out with admirable diligence and talent,
should have failed from circumstances over which it
had no control. But what are we to do? In
spite of all the efforts of government, it is
clear the sectarian influence is too strong to allow of
the existence of a government plan of education. It
may be very desirable that all recta should content to
sacrifice something, for the sake of producing a great
national benefit; but if they will not do this, there is
nothing more to be said. The government may
choose obstinately to continue the grant, and will per-
haps be able to find means to spend it. It may sue•
card in getting hold of deserters from the opposite
camp, and keep up a show of success. But it is
evident to any one at ho has read the speeches
delivered on Thursday, that state education
will be as unreal a thing in England,
as the state church in Ireland. Even sap-
pcstng that the government should succeed in build-
ing schools, with the management clauses inserted iu
the trust deeds in every parish in the kingdom, can
they prevail against the influence of the clergy and
'bompel the children to be taught ? Certainly not.
The buildings might be as commodious as the Irish
churches, but they would surely be as empty. Some'
future traveller, pleased with the architecture of the
school-houses, struck with the intelbgtnce of the
masters, enchanted with the completeness of all the de•
tads of plan, would still b utterly confounded at the
desolate appearance of these quasi halls of learning.
He would be startled at such substantial preparations
made for hypothetical students—this converse of the
Barmeeide's feast. He would reason with himself, like
the traveller in Moore's " City of Hindustan,"—

But what is this ? I, wondering cried,
As I walked that city fair and wide,
And uw in every marble street
A beautiful row of butchers' shop.,
What means for men who don't eat meat
Tnis grand display of loins and chops
In vain I asked, two plain to see
Teat nobody dared to answer me.
- - - -

We are constrained then, by the force of facts, to
declare the government plan a failure. Education,
it appears, must submit to the general law of the
nineteenth century. It must be left free and unlit.
cumbered with suite superintendence. It must claim
that freedom which is claimed now in every depart-
ment of the body politic. It behove. then the com-
mittee of council to consider whether the changes in
the circumstances will not necessitate en abandon-

meet of their functions ; and it behoves all the lovers
of education to unite to mature some plan by which
the greatest amount of intellectual culture should be
obtainable, under conditions of perfect independence
of the state.

IT is five•and-twenty yeses since the floors of
the House of Commons were invaded by the squires
in top-boots, riding-whips, and pig-tails. They
were a jolly, blunt, thick-headed, good-natured,
pert-wine-consuming race: stanch tories and church-
and-king men, ignorant and speechless, but with a
good share of independence and sterling honesty. The
ex-member for Colchester, whose recent retirement
from parliament caused the election in that town of
yesterday, was among tke list of them. In the forty-
fifth year of his age, and in the full bloom of dense
toryism, he was elected for his county town, being
one of the best justices in those parts ; acd he has
continued for a quarter of a century to represent Col-
chester respectably, dozing away his evenings in the
house when not otherwise engaged, voting with
his patty whenever required, and never troubling
the reporters on any occasion except one, when
he was confidently believed to have been the
author of a speech, stated to have been delivered very
late at night, by " an hon. member on the back
benches, whose name we did not know, and whose
remarks we could not catch."

Lord JOHN MANNERS, who has been sent down to
stand for Colchester, is a striking calmest to all that
Sir GEORGE SMYTH was. The knight-errant of
" Young England," is the hero of a sort of aristocratic
socialism, which a few well-meaning dreamers are
striving to elevate from a fancy to a principle. Lord
JOHN Manners represents the very antipodes of
everything that Sir GEORGE SMYTH typified and
personated :—chureh and state, ancient Institutions,
good old times," pig-tail and powder, every one
of which seem to tremble before the Quixotic re-
vivers of medieval customs, monastic confederacies,
crows and crucifixes, and the ancient " Books of
Spate." Lord JOHN MANNERS is to his party hat
tale" Phonetic Nuz " was tot he press; whilst the
mud of Sir GEORGE SMITH, we will be bound to
say, might have been measured, every inch of it, by
the columns of the Standard, and would never have
been found to deviate one hair's breadth from that
I Praise and proper gauge.
But "so wags the world." We in London, who
see a few things from our place behind the scenes,
ars not always so surprised at these changes and
rotations as some people may expect in us. But
what most the Colchester people think of seeing side
by side two such differing representatives of the same
party? How do they swallow the change from
the old-established faith in pig-tails to the new
creed of croziers and cricketing, ceremonials and
leap-frog P We fancy we see " the gaping rustic,
stare aghast "as this new school of political phi-
losophy is presented to them. It was somewhat
hard of the Carlton to inflict it upon Colchester,
where it is by no means likely to be un-
derstood or appreciated. Essex folks are not
generally thought to have much genius for this
sort of thing. The church there is too cozy
and comfortable to trouble itself with Puseyite
innovations ; and the people of that district have not
yet by any means arrived at the point of enlighten-
ment which enables them to attach importance to
Lodi Orman.
By such festivities, however, the Carlton, if we r

to jags from their 'pape_re, intend b celebrate the
return of Lord JOUN MANNERS to the House of
Commons. They are in =daisies at the idea, that
after signally lading to secure a seat for himself from
any great constituency, each as Liverpool or London,
Lord Jous MANNERS has a chance of slipping into
Colchester. " His accession to parliament," says the
iforningllerald," will be a matter of real importance,"
and then it observes—with a hard hit at some one

---
belonging to its party :—" In him we feel we have
got above the region of the prosers, the triflers, and
the twaddler—that we are listening to a man
of :iiense and 'genius, and what in more to a man
whose aims are noble and whose prineVes are
sound."

Poor Mr. Digium ! Hard is the fate of the m

who u to be thus set np and knocked down by his
own friends lost as it may snit their convenience or
caprice. Hard is it that not only are the battles of
rly to be fought nightly in public, but that the
battles for the leadersfiip are to be fought u well.
What an the odds upon BENJAMIN against the " man
whose aims are noble and whose principles are
sound P "

Dissatisfacuon" invariably follows defeat. The pro-
tectionists us enraged at th4r recent signal disoom-
iltures in Lords and Commons, and hence this setting
up a new leader. Their little victory of yesterday
will afford them but a small balance of consolation.
The liberal candidate—considering he did not spend a
shilling, and did not throw himself into the struggle
till too late to hope for sumo—polled a very name
roan constituency.
Unless Lord .Tomc Miami; prove himself in the
house to be what he hes not succeeded in proving out
of it, Protection, it it does not expire from sheer in-
anition, will die out—like may a better oauee—for
the want of a head.

ECCLESIASTICAL REVENUES.
REPORT OF COMMISSIONERS.
The following ii2pati document, being the
first report from the and Capitolar Revenue
Conanshnionen, was resonlay
TO THIS MORIN 4 NOVI' axcazinser ltabtaTT.
We, your Majesty's sommithosen appointed by a
commission bowies date the fish day of January, 1819, "for
the purpose of Inquiring into the prams system of haft
and mangiest the real property of the church Ise Saglaad
and Wales, batmen to the archbishops end bishops, to the
cathedrals and iesibegkte churches, and the several members
thereof being a:operations sole, and to the several minor
ooporations aggregate within the mid cathedra* end also
that vested in theaidealtatieal eosanderionen for England;
end for asessiderfag bow, and by what system of manage.
mint, such property can be rendered most productive and
beneficial to the said church, and most conducive to the
spiritual welfare of the people, dee regard being had to the
just and reasonable claims of the present holders of such
property, under lease or otherwise ; and also for considering
whether any and what improvement can be made in the
existing law and practice relaying to the incomes of the said
archbishops and bishops, and of the several members of
chap'er, dignitaries, and officer@ of the said cathedrals and
=rit• churches, so ea best to secure to them respectively
bls•vad of delimiting annual incomes,"—humbly pre-
sent to your Majesty this our First Report.
On certain important portions of the subjects referred to
is your Majesty's commission, the voluminous evidence
already in existence afforded us much valuable information,
but we have felt ft our duty to eadeavoer to obtain further
pirthulan as to the present condition of church property
from the several ephoopel and capinlar bodies, is well as
from the ecclesiastical commissioners for England; and from
some of there bodies we have received very elaborate returns
as to the nature and extent of their estate", and the mode in
which they are leased and managed. We have also received
much useful evidence from lessees and others interested in
or acquainted with church property, who have appeared
before us.
The real property of the church belonging to the several
&uses of dignitaries and corporations mentioned in your
Mai- sty's commission may be stated shortly to consist of
houses, lands, manors, mines, minerals, and tithes, or tithe
rent-charges.
The pm. at system of leasing and managing such pro-
perty differs little from that which has prevailed for many
ages • and its origin and nature, as well as the objections to
which it is liable, were fully reported upon by the committee
of the Rouse of Commons on church leases in 1839.
The tenure of such property generally is by !este, either
for three lives, renewable at the dropping of any one life ;
for twenty-one years, renewable at the expiration of every
seven ; for thirty years, renewable every ten; or for forty
years, renewable every fourteen; and in such leases
a rent, usually little more than nominal, is reserved,
and a fine varying in different cases (being, in fact,
the principal source of emolument to the lamer) is payable at
each period of renewal. Power has been obtained under
special acts of parliament, and aloe under the Leasing Act
posed in the fifth and sixth years of your Majesty's nigr,
tor granting leases for ling terms of years, for building,
mining, and other purposes. Some portions else of the pro-'
pert yof the church are let at rack rent, and others are in
hand.
With reference to the terms upon which renewals of leases
are effected, it appears that the church realit ordinarily
tram one fourth to one third enly of the rack-r, atal value of
its estates, the remainder being in the hands of the levees;
and that the fines arc calculated so as to allow the lessees a
return varying from five to tea per cent. There is little
doubt that, under a different plan of management, the
antes might be made to produce a much larger income for
the church, and at the same time be held upon a tenure more
acceptable to the lances.
Very opposite opinions are entertained as to the rights
and claims bath of lessors and lessen. On the one hand, it
is assumed that the church may propetly let all its !ewes
expire ;on the otter, that the lessees may justly claim a
perpetual renewal of the advantages they have hitherto
practically enjoyed.
We shall not discuss the comparative soundness of either
view, inasmuch as we are unanimously of opinion that there
are reason, of policy and prudence for continuing, as a ge-
neral rule, the present relations of the lemon and lessees of
church lands ; and we have therefore applied ourselves b
the task of showing how the actual system may be modified
s • as to be advantageous to both parties.
We think that as a eeneral rule, the fee simple in the
landed property should remain in the church, but that a
right of perpetual renewal 'Mould be secured to the lenses
upon the terms hereinafter mentioned.
We mey state, that, in considering what was reasonably
to be expected from the lessees ee an equivalent for the boon
emeeded to them of a right of perpetual renewal, though
we approached the subject from different points of view, and
adopted various processes of reasoning and calculation, yet
we arrived at the same conclusions as to the relative propor-
tions of interest which it appeared right to assign to the
church and the lessees respectively, in the future dealing
with the estates.
We ultimately adopted, and are now prepared to recom-
mend, the following propositions for the future management
of church estates, to come into operation at the nest accruing
period of ren,wal.
FARMS AND LANDS (Excitarvz OF MANORS, HOUSE rat).
?MITT, MINIS, AND WOODS) HELD ON LEASES FOR
TEAKS.
We have already adverted to the different views taken
by the church and the hams of their respective rights.
On the one hand, if the church were to enforce the utmost
rights which it could claim, it might ran out the leases, and
at their expiration come into poseention of the rack rent,
but without any intermediate fines.
On the other hand, the most that the lessees could claim
would be the right of perpetual renewal upon the present
easy terms.
As an arrangement fairly intermediate between these
extreme*;
Wpropose :
I. "
That, as a general rule, with respect to 21 years leases
of farms and lands renewable every seven years, the church
should continue to renew, and that the lessee should have a
right of perpetual renewal on the following terms, viz.:
(A.) Tint henceforth a septennial tine should be paid to
the church, calcul eted at the same rate of interest as
at present, but only on half the annual finable value;
and that at the end of the now existing term an an-
nual rent should thenceforth be paid to the church
equal to the other half of the annual finable value.
We may, in other words, express the arrangement thus,
vie.: That as to one moiety of the annual finable value, the
church should, as it were, run out the lease ; and as to the
other moiety of the annual finable value, the church should
renew the lease upon fine calculated at the same rate of in-
terest as septillions.
From the mass of evidence before us we conceive that it
would be necessary to make an exception to this rule in cer-
tain &striae—in the dioceses of York, Durham, Callas,
and Ripon, In which, after due inquiry, the usual selling
price of a renewable lean, Dave 171 years to run, should be
found to have been two thirds at least of the slue of the
See. In those districts we propose that the church should
renew upon fines calculated at the same rate of interest as at
present, as te two thirds of the annual finable value, and
should, at the expiration of the now existing term, receive
an annual rent equal to the remaining third of the annual
Amble value.
ll.—That the following alternative arrangements should
be admissible.
(B.)That the portion of the annual value towhlch the
church would be entitled as rent under the foregoing
plan at the end of the existing fourteen years lease
should be discounted, and converted at a rate of interest
of three undone-third per cent.(being the ordinary rate
of landed investment) into a less rent, to commence
immediately.
(C.)—That in lieu of paying the half fine and this lad-
mentiostad immediate rent the lessee continue to pay
the whole tine septennially, as at present, and a
smaller immediate rent; the rent being converted
into fine at the ordinary rate of money biterest. of four
per ant.
(11.)—That the future payments by the lessee, whether
fine or rent be converted, at the above-mentioned
rates of intaest respectively, into one immediate
rent.
valuations should only take place once in 21
years, instead of septennially, as at present and that both
the fine and the rent payable should be increased or dimi-
nished propottionably according to the valuation; such
valuation to be made by two surveyors, one to be chosen by
each party, with an umpire previously to be appointed by
some government board, power being given to the parties to
agree to resort to this umpire in the first instance.
We conceive that this Warsaw of the interval between
successive valuations will afford ample enceuregcment to
ordinary improvements.
With regard to extraordinary improvements, power should
be given to the lessor and lessee, with the sanction of some
central board, to enter into reasonable arrangements.
It may be convenient, before proceeding to the practical
application of the foregoing propositions, that we should
premise :
let. That a septennial fine of 1801., the first payment
being made forthwith, is equivalent to a perpetual
rent of 251.(i.e. 24.99111, the rata of interest being
assumed at four per cent.
SOW a septannialylne of 761. is equivalent tea perpe-
tual annual rent of 121. 10s., and a septennial Rue of
1001. is equivalent to a perpetual rent of 181. 13e. 4d.,
and so in proportion.
2nd. That a perpetual rent of 1001. to commenter 14 year
hence is equivalent to a perpetual rent of 031. [63'1871.]
to c :rumen*, immediately, interest being here calcu-
lated at the before-mentioned rate of three aid one third
per cent.
Consequently a perpetual rent of 501., to commence 14
years hum, is equivalent to a perpetuareat of 311.10 e.
to commoners immediately.
perpetual rent of 331.6 e. 8d„ to commence 14
years beam is equivalent to a perpetual rent of 211. to
commence immediately.
Applying these principles :-
Ist. To the °seamy one in which the fines equal one and
a half year's annual value, zed, suppotins •
_lease of
which fourteen years ls unexpired, and the UAW° "I"
1002.
The present septennial fines of 1601. paid to the lessor, the'
shush, are equivalent to a rent of 251
According to the proposed plan the lessee would, under
Proposition 1., hale the right of perpetual renewal upon
the following terms ; via.
(A.) 261. fine, to les paid every seven years, the first
payment to be made immediately, and 601. rent to
commenee fourteen years hence.
Under Proposition 11. thelollowing alternatives would be
admissible viz.
(DJ A septennial Sae of 761., and sll.los. rent in
prineenti;