The Express.
London, England, 1857-09-03 00:00:00

tai RELIGIOUS LIBERTY PARTY AND THE

LITZ SESSION.
(From the Liforake.)
A contemporary, in mu:ming up the general
=result of the melon just closed, applies to it the
ire phrase, "se well as amid be expected. .. We,
however, tellag our view from our steed-point es eosiser-
dal reformers, ere thankful to be able to speak more cherray,
sag to y, suresrvedly, " batter than mold have been
el=twas sot iamb to excite hapefal expectsoks whin
the sew parliament senumblet Kan veer ware nothened
spots, but against this was to ha malmned the km at Clef
leaders, and the certainty that • that end distend swim
would necertate the puttiegal mitre topics as the ANY,
to await • more auspicioas worm It wee ells Eras the
bet that • year must be last is the marks of the
Irish Disendowinent question. It WIN as certain
that the church-rate question could mat be eared,
theme weoppo must own to disappointment
yaw that there has bees
rtunity for tasting the ws as the mist,
:d that the only sign of progrem wrmesedbo has bun the
garthe gowammat to herds°, •• WA a pledge neither
sow, ser crewed heransther swelon. That the
esilt-Maysooll wevament hes mot ado mo% hot rather re-
Weilige to he regored, but is no matter for surprise,
the Lew Church party
Iffikreetookeksa sad that
irk loader, kr. OpT—ipeer, le mad the perveresst wrong-
hark the Masa The nomorthrmat of the Jew qusation
nor he iseleded ease' war pertmeass, kr the sag-
soestad sawed' et the emeserirerty in the Cerement
might le hem aired boverage to the bill through the
Leeds. Ntbeleek ewer t to be mush closer
hand then rues • met ago.
at
We will not aismal enr chagrin at Nay smell. of the
seireities on the illogrm Daum and on the vote of
10,0001. for church-building in Wain. As to the last, we
wet make up our minds to improvement next year, frothed
mar be difficult; but, in regard to the second, we can but',
be at oar watch-tower to preveut say repetition of the grunt.
The pretext that the crown is a great London Issulterd, sad
le thereon charged with landlord remondbilithe, is speaker
easegh to be put forward to come much .as pedals net
it lea pretest is gown by tha fact, that there is no deign of
speeding the wasp on the spots where the mows—that
Is, the
.pubile—groperty is situated ; sad that the
pretext is uaiirly ear, Is proved by the emir
save` appropriation of the whale mum to one religioss
body, while both the mosey of the property, and the tenants
and Ropier's to be benefited, , e darn commenter. Tr
the Hones of C 01111030113 bar r inetinetive use that there
meet he • drawing of the line seetewbsee, end we judge that
tte earmerser remarks—on the rose Mght=of the
reiniateriel job for buyiag, with the cash of stay-at-kw
• Oaos of worship for ant licit and fashicaehle
tilbaemakt* will ...roe sa a wholesome laws to oor
. .

This areci7enta—aTilly ones we can recal—to
be reaped on the shady side of our retrospect. What is
theeepir mere I First, there ia the 'belie= of " Ministers'
wary" In Ireland, which haa become an accomplished het.
This is a valuable precedent, for it is the extinction of an
ecolseimlial impost without say sort of comperestion, and a
recognition of the piano's that, while the establehment
remains such, it must " cut its coat according to its cloth,"
and mike what le known ea church property do the work of
church tang We will add the enforced &handsomest of the
Edinburgh Annuity Tax Trandormation (not Abolition)
Bin, sea good thing following upon the passing of the Ind
mewing ; hasionuch mthe defeat of bad immune paves the
way for the success of better, and the avowed voinnternam
oft ought not to be satisfied with anything short el
that white has been won by the las decided voluntaryism of
Rom, Cstlsolie Ireland.

English dissent has to thank the Liberation of Rapes
*defy One a entetantial pin in the character given to the
Banal Ade Amendment Bill. Noe should members of the
church of Inglaisd be less grateful. Prelatic deumptions, In
cenneelon with the laying oat and conescration of burial
pounds, end clerieal unecrupulourned in catching at fune-
ral ken have of late shocked churchmen 111. much as they
have annoyed &renters. Something considerable has new
been done in the way of checking the evil. We are prodded
from the design, of episcopal wall-builders, and of aided
fee-seekers, end epiacopliens will be likely to suffer far kr
from the caprices, or cenecimations obstinacy, of their spiritual
"pastors sad masters." We have net Sanbed the work of
build reform, but we have progressed splendidly since we
set about it.

—The ;aim hes all but fshed rep those strongholds of
beery injustice and antiquated absurdity, the Ecclesiastical
Cairn Thu placing of the whole of the testamentary
brawn tithe country, and of questions of marriage and
thence, la the hands of secular tnlmals, taken away from
those courts that which keeps them alive. Thum is hem an
a/vintage grater than b apparent on the =rime. This
revette church setableihment with the purely secular
, nJthe country beefed welepiaialcal pride, him nurtured
eadedastial functionaries, he. facilitated ecclesiastical job-
hMg, end has kept up the ecciesisatical melee and prejudice
wMoh ere contributory to the lifeblood of the eatablishinent.
At length it is to be put an end to, sod that le to be rejoiced
oar, as the destruction of another of the many hake by which
shineh and Mate hare been kept together.
Norm any eine observer here billed to discern, In the
arena attitude of parliament in empect to the establishment,
• sure sign that a change I. bring wrought in public senti-
ment, fatal to that setabliehment's perpetuity. The Howse
of Commons has napped its lingers at the bishops, in the
natter of consecration, as no House of Common. in our time
ben done before; end, even In the Lords, the prelates hare
been uedsniably snubbed. Henceforth, we take it, the rights
and privileges of the clergy will be put in one wale, and the
slights of the people in the other, and the Bide which kicks
the hem will herejuatice done it in unwonted meaeure.
There has, it is true, been a wenn, yielding to church
pressure Is the passing of the Divores Bill ; but let It be
noted that the connexion has been made with tindiegnised
Munson, and has been accompanied bye compenainey
provision which, theoretically at lent, takea eerily more thee
le given. A. the necewity for bringing the question between
the law and the clergy to a dedeire Isere did not in this inane,
appear to be
hungparliamen has put off the evil day; but
events are the period when the battle must be fought
out. Meanwhile the stirring of the question has probably
dons more to promote non • Brastianism among the clergy
and to excite in their minds longings lifter free-churchism,
than anything which hoe neared in modern times. The
anent generation of claire had no adequate idea of their
real peeitinn, and the emphatic dicta of the Attorney-
Oeneral, .not the disquisitions of the secular preen, will open
the sae of hundreds of earnest men to the fact that they ate
verily in the house of bondage.
tie far, therefore, onr experience of the new parliament
has justified the expectations excited by its appointment. It
has perceptibly helped forward the enter mime of the religious
equality party, and there ate signs that it le prepared. under
competent guidenceend with due external preware to go further
in the mere direction. Let us hope that by next session our
Indian empire may be tranquillised, and the national energies
be leg dineugaged for carrying on climatic reforms. But we
have seen that, even amid the horrors of war, the canes of
religious liberty may be advanced. We will hope, too, that
within six 131011111., our most important parliamentary friends
will have resumed their place at St. Stephen'a. John Bright,
at beat, will be there, and that lea most hopelbl commence-
inn. This year we hen witnessed more than the little we
expected. Let our hope. of the mad be higher, and may the
lane realise our hope I

A general public prayer meeting on account of
the calamities in India was held at fie instance of the local
clergy in the Town-ball, Birmingham, on Tuesday evening.
Upwards of 3,200 persons were present, every mat being
filled and large numbers standing. The Rev. Dr. Miller
;mailed, and was surrounded by the Revs. W. Cockin, 0. 8.
8011, J. B. Gabriel. E. H. Gifford, B. Lillingshm F. Mono,
J. B. Marsden, J. Eagles, and a very large body of the local
clergy. Au addrees was delivered by the chairman, sad
prayers offend by the Revs. F. Mow, W. Corkin, George
Perlin, and E. Lillingston. Portions of Scripture wen yowl
by the Rem J Engles and E. Lillineston, and hymns give*
out by the Revs. T. St. Hill and H. S. Humphreys. The
whole proceedings were very itopreesive. The chairman stated
that the Hon. and Rev. G. M. Yorke, the rural deco, who
wee announced to preeide, has lost a nephew before the
walls of Delhi, the son of the Hon. and en. Arc.hdasces
Henry Yorke.

BANKRUPT MF.,4 ERRS OP PARLIAMENT.—AO in-
stance having occurred of a member of ?attended becoming
bankrupt, the law on the subject. which is by no menu
understood. should be known. By the 62ad Geo. 111.,
c. 144. it is enacted that a member becoming bankrupt Is
incapable of voting or sitting for • year, unless within that
rime the proceedings are superseded or the creditors paid the
full amount 0f their debts; and the entering into • boodwith
two suretiee for the payment of disputed debts, if reseeded,
is to be eonsidned am payment. If within • year the fist is
twit eimeneded, nor the debts told, upon • artifices from
the sammisismor to the Speaker the seat of the member is to
be isekerei carat. The act in question has reference to
puttee heemelme henloopt steer their election u members of
BRIOIRIPONO.—The town continue, to fill with
Vitae het there te room enough and to spare for hundreds
of mem us laid eat patrons have ne reason to fear either a
seat of eacemmerhelea or high prices. The shooting seam
ice a thee beep heeler away from Brighton ; hot our ham
limb hire es that hardelea fee homes are more rife than
ever kr the whew Neese, whkh we may expect will be a
bridged Mea, mhos Wed we experience • drawback by the
&Wen le lele, imp mazy faarillea that
were le the balk el emeeiee to 4.4 r... dm winter into
=dl aminelee, imam to what took plus daft, the
law, elite was • surifialaie thawbaak to the
adiNlaill Maim fa laistiaa•—wry' Oaras.