The Express.
London, England, 1868-09-21 00:00:00

OUR CONTEMPORARIES.
(THIS DAY.)
--...4.-._

TEI mann Pr marg.
The Tfrnes expects very little euniiitance on the
'part of the Spanish government. Out CCM 'ry com-
ments at mate Yoga on the mem latices'. • whiz&
has lately existed between the Queen of Opals} and kka
Emperor Napoleon, and which has given rigs to a report
of an offensive and defensive alliance between the two
sates, and of a Bourbon restoration at Naples.
As the French monarch has allowed Papal rule to thrive
under his protection'till he must be justly bold myopia's
for its worst abuses, 80 the Queen of Spain may naturally
have attend bonen that her policy nimbi with the Em-
peror's approbation and sanction. Queen Isabella was
expected to go book at once from Biarritz to Madrid.
Were the gates of her capital closed against her as thaw
of lame were against Tarquin on his return from Ardea,
could her Bourbon Majesty reckon on a Bonaparte march.
ing le/011/ the Pyrenees to play the part of PODBOOA in her
behalf P

TEM MIX CIRJSCII

The Daily News regards the report of the Royal Coen-
minion as a monument of conscientious but wasted labour.
The House of Commons has taken the matter into its own
bands; and the country will presently deal with ft on
principles and aims very different from thole which, in
accordance with their instruction'', the commissioners
were bound to regard. Whatever may be thought of the
scheme in Irish ecclesiastical circles, it is scarcely within
the field of serious political discussion. It is as obeo-
lete as Lonl Ltuaell lately found Mr. Pitt's plan of paying
the priests to be.
The Post, while urging that nothing bat disestablish-
meut will meet the came. admits that the report will supply
to the opponents of ibeeetablialunent very specious reasons
for opposing the measure by which Mr. Gladstone pm-
poets to deal with the existing evil. With this report in
their hand•, the conservatives will point to what the Irish
church might be, and, whilst losing sight of what it i. and
has been, will plead for its preservation.
While regarding the recommendations of the commi.-
ftionets as ruperseded by recent events, the Triegraph re.
rogidies anal that is valuable in the report itself. Its
information as to the property of the church is pertioularly
welcome at the present stage of the discussion.
It is obvious to the Star that no serious meaning can be
attached to this shiftless plan which leavio the funda-
mental evil in the ecclesiastical settlement of Ireland
untouched. The national church property is still applied
to the use of a small and insignificant sect. It matters
not to liberals whether the Primate of Ireland gets
15,000/. a year or 5,000 f., or whether the Bishop of
Derry gets 13,00 W a year or 3,00 W. In either case there
is a grow and outrageous anomaly, an absurdity, and a
wrong. Neither can the plan bandy the protestant fer-
vour of thoise who, like Mr. Oathorno Hardy, profess
their determination to uphold "the light of the Reforma-
tion•' in Ireland. The commi-sioners formally propose to
extinguish the light of the Reformation, and that, too, in
those very places where the church population, being least
numerous, are least able to col e with the initial diffi-
culties of the voluntary system.