The Express.
London, England, 1857-12-25 00:00:00

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LONDON, PRIDAZ DICIERIB U.

Wz hare seldom known so marked a Ciarrus
DAT as this of 1857—50 marked, not la lessexiso
with the private feelings of those who ores esiebrate
leg it, hot with its own theory and peedlar sersio.
dom. There hare beset many Clielsimis Days
within oar experience on which we &odd sir ink
from wishing a merry otmersanee of it to our
neighbours generally. Some which we may re•
member during the late wars of NAPOLEON, and
sheer since which occurred in IPOSSOiII of
distress, and more then one, perhaps, within
the last seven years, were es little merry
to the general public as the present, which
overtakes us when many thousand, of families are
in mourning, when a great mercantile convulsion has
just pair over us, and when a very large proportion
of the manufacturing elms are out of work, and in
trouble accordingly. It is not the amount of per.
oral and social suffering which distinguishes this
Christmas Day from all others that we hare known,
but the remarkable aspect of the fortunes of the
Christian religion, as it is understood among us. No
doubt Christendom thought the world was coming
to an end at the time of the Reformation, ss it had
thought more than once before, and may yet think
again ; and when we now observe the strange for-
tunes of Protestant Christianity in all the quarters
of the world, we must remember, not only
that there have been previous alarms, but that
such crises are always instructive in con-
vincing as of our prejudices, and in enlarging
our views. When Protestantism was completely
and steadily established in our ia'and, we 'opposed
that ell was settled, and that our faith would treed
till it comprehended the whole world. Untaught by
our difficulties with the Catholic question, we were
admired by the disclosures cuerioned by the ap-
pearance of VON RANEE'' " History of the Pope,'
and especially by MACAULAT'9 well-sustained state-
ments, in his review of Rsnite's work, of the
stationary or declining fortunes of Protestantism
throughout the world. That was in IMO, and we
hare since had repeated occasion to see and admit
that the position and provers of Pritestantinn, is
relation to other Christian faiths, and olChristianity
itself in regard to the world at large, are by no
means what we and our fathers supposed when home
was or world, and we knew little of what was going
on between our own shores and the ends of the earth.
The war which eared upon the dispute about the
Holy Places was a broad hint to us to endeavour to
en
things as they are ; and now there is no diree-
tir L. watch there is not
abundant feed foe thought for those who keep
Christmas Day r something more than a holiday.
It moot be every Englishman's duty to attend to the
hrs. All the leading religions of the world are so
far Implicated with the polity in which each exists,
that good citrons" most keep watch upon the reli-
gion and the polity together; es we Englishmen do
in guarding our Protestant liberties of thought and
speech. We need not add that every religious
man mast feel the deepest interest in the condition
end prospects of the faith he protegees. To every
Christian citizen among us, therefore, the state of
Mirrors most, from its singularity, make this
day one of the most remarkable in the whole series
from the Reformation till now.

In Europe there is either a serious lapse into •
condition of ecclesiastical despotism and sei vitalist
or a draggle is impending which will be much ram
the Reformation conflict over again. The Austrian
Concordat is rendering life intolerable to the Pro-
trews who live within its limits. foundering the
diffealties about baptism, marriage, burial, and
verities acts of eitisenship, it may be safely said that
the present state of Wisp cannot last. Some
pennon emigrate, seam tarn Catholic, some turn
Protestant; bet the eteditione imposed are imprac-
ticable, sad disruption of some kind meat ensue.
Then there are the struggles for end against ealesiaa-
dad eameaehment Is Piedmont and in Belgium, and
tyranny is Italy asdag against Christianity altar.
thee ; and the "eldest am of the Church" is Francs,
and the "dear daughter of the Church" in Spain,
showing with all their might, that devotedness
to the cause of Christman= tends neither to just,
good and brave government, nor to personal recti-
tude and parity. Far away to the north, again, webers
soma Protestant Sweden a total misunderstanding,
so it mese to as, of Christian liberty,-, bigotry and
clerical predominance which make us wonder how
Sweden ever came by its reputation for Prates-
teatime, or how the people there an accept the
glory of their Protestant sovereigns, amidst so pro-
head a dierelish of the religiose liberties for which
their heroes contended. (hi the shores visible from
oar own cliffs we sue the struggle going on for cede.
skulk& domination. On the one hand there are the
French schools, and on the other the Irish, where
the Roguish influence is endeavouring to supplant
every other; and incidents are for ever occurring in
England which prove that the old tyranny still
hopes to reinstate itself through the sensibility
of women and the imagination of childhood, and the
weakarawe of effeminate and unripened men,
Truly, the Christian condition of Europe in 1847 Is
very unlike what was expected by Christendom
three centuries ego. On that Christmas Dsy Queen
ELIZABETH'3 reign was five weeks old. Whet wield
she and her Protestant subjects have said to truth a
state of the churches, three hundred years after, as
we see to-day ?

Turning to Asia, whet do we see there? Was
the condition of the Christians in the dominions of
the forte ever practically worse than it is now?
Thom who are surprised at the question had better
make sure that they know the facts of the Musul-
mano temper and conduct in Asia Minor, and ell
across from the Tigris to Jerusalem. The old Ca-
tholic missions have dissolved into nothing, from end
to end of Asia, or have been transmuted in Pagan
countries into 'some Warm quid, like the new re-
lieu of the Chinese rebels. We need only just
refer to India, where tens of millions of
our fellow-subjects regard us as lost idolators,
and tens of thousands have this year shown
us how they abhor the religion which has es,

fated before their eyes for two centuriee. The
year of the Indian Mutiny is one which tells too
plain a tale of Christianity in Asia to itied esplana-
des or comment.
In Africa we have seen cause of alefarnate hopes
and than, since the abolition of the English slave
trade; and we have made many attempts, more er
less wise, and with varying success, to Christianise
the negro. Thai's/ has added largely to our know-
ledge, and has shown ground for good hope, though
. .

peerrlag that an intolerant Mohammedanism prevails
awe exteaeively, to the very heart of Africa, than
we were aware of. 1)r. HARTY* cheered us some-
what ; and Dr. LIVINGSTONE elhilLTßOd as
and we felt justified in anticipating alt man-
ner of good by means of commerce introducing
civilisation, and civilisation Christianity. Bat
• dreadful blow fell almost es soon as our hopes
took form. The blow was dealt by the same " eldest
sea of the Church " who extinguished the more
elaborate liberties of France before he revived the
slave trade in Africa. Under a transparent disguise,
he has struck a bargain with slave traders to supply
hie eoloaies with able-bodied negroes, under the
wane of immigrants ; and, before the first care
was oat of sight of land, the savage tribal wars run
mensenced, which had been converted into indus-
trial intercourse by the long and anxious efforts of
Christian agents. The fact that the African slave
trade hos been re-opened by one of the leading
Powers of Europe (under whatever pretence) is a
sufficient reply to all inquiries as to the prospects of
Christianity in Africa in 18.57.
Nowhere is the spectacle stranger than in America.
The old Spanish countries go on much as they did,
we suppose, with their great cathedrals, and their
swarming priests : bat in the great Protestant Re-
public there are stranger novelties. In one section
of the Federation, the religion itself is cut up to
match the polities and morals of its disciples, instead
of those disciples professing, like their forefathers,
to reform their morals and conduct by the Gospel.
As we showed the other day, instead of following
their LORD in affording deliverance to the captives,
they blot out the negro from the company of cap-
tives to whom their LO•D promised deliverance.
Further west, there is the monstrous spectacle of the
Mormons--a community claiming to be Christian
while overlaying Christianity with their gross and
sordid superstition. Another oddity is in prepara-
tion ; an intended State where the population is
almost entirely Indian, and a peculiarly wild class
of Indians, who, if Christianised at all, will pew
bably prefer the Mexican type of the religion.
Looking at these things, and hearing something of
the clamour of hostile churches in the older States,
it is not a little perplexing to decide what are the
prospects of Christianity in America.
If this eummary stood without comment every
reader could doubtless find the appropriate consola-
tion, and apply the fitting moral for himself. The
church of CEERIST was never moredivided, it is true;
and the prospect of its prevalence was never more
uncertain : bat the more evident such facts are, the
clearer became the ditty, and the fairer the promise
of the awe. There is one universal language waft
men which all understand, and which is everywhere

welcome—that is what we are accustomed to
call Christian goodness. This is a power in oar
hands which ad never fail as, and of which neither
Popes, nor false prophets, nor recreant " sou of the
" Church" can deprive as. Let our tree of life be
known by sound good fruits; and there is no fear
but that all the world will be glad to gather them,
and grow their own tree from ours. The experience
of year after year, century after century, confirms
this old lemon, so long ago taught on the Mount.
Without it, this Christian anniversary of 18,57 wadi
be full of sore amassment and perplexity. With it.
there is nothing to fur—except, indeed, our own
unworthiness of es groat a task and so bright a hops
as we lay claim to in virtue of We day.

fwo caws appeared in our columns yeeteedgy
which ought not to be passed by without a word of
comment. In both the conduct of the Pollee wag
more or less seriously involved. The tint case was
that of HUGH BEADY, a police constable, convicted
this day week of a most atrocious assault on a re-
spectable German resident in the cut of London.
named Digualcs RATIRIEN. The circumstances of

this smealt were almost incredibly disgraceful in an
officer entrusted with the responsible and difficult
duty of keeping the peace. RATeovir had taken his
wife and a young female friend of her's to Highbary
Barn one day last summer. They did not return till
a late hour. Just before they reached their own door
RATRGEN left his wife and her companion for a
short time, and during his absence BRADT, the
constable of the beat, came up, abused both the
women as common prostitutes, and threw Mrs.
RATRGEN'I shawl over her bead. The wife made an
outcry, the husband came up; the policeman treated
him as though be were a mere brothel bully, and
followed up the party to the door of their own house,
which was does at hand. Arrived there, RATIMEN,
justly indignant at the outrages and unprovoked ill-
treatment of which his wife and her companion had
been the victims, declared he would take the police-
man's number. While he was standing in the passage
of his own bowie for this purpose, BRADT rushed
upon him, and with his truncheon committed on the
man a most brutal, cowardly, and murderous assault.
This was not all. He had the hardihood to take his
victim into custody, and to prefer against him a false
charge of usaalt. The police magistrate =fortu-
nately pee credence to BRADT. The ease was sent
to the Besaions, where Bantu= was formally pro-
secuted for the assault. His cowardly and perjured
assailant again appeared to support the false charge
sgaiut him. Fortunately, however, the case was
tried by an able judge and an impartial jury, and the
result was the instant acquittal of ItAreueN and the
substitution of the policeman BRADT as defendant in
his place. The facts having been clearly brought
home to him, BRADT was at once convicted, and on
Wednesday last was most properly sentenced by
Mr. CIIIMIT to two yearn of hard labour in the
House of Correction.

The other case was less atrocious, bat almost
equally calculated to give rime to very serious mis-
givings. Police-constable MocK, at two o'clock
last Wednesday morning, brought a couple of
women to the station on the charge of having
annoyed gentlemen in Piccadilly. A short
time afterwards the police sergeant, on going his
rounds, found the man drunk on his beat, and had
him detained at the station. In the morning he
was allowed to appear at the police court to support,
if be could. kis charge against the two women. He
did this by deliberate perjury. He swore to the
truth of his former story, and was contradicted in
every word of it. Another policeman, whom be
called as a witness, declared that the women in guts_
tion, whom he had observed throughout, had annoyed
no one, and spoken to no one. This man deposed that
no complaint had been made, and in fact that no foot
passenger had gone along that side of Piccadilly
during the time spoken to by Mmes. Monk then
gave the address of a gentleman who had,as be swore,
complained to him. No such person was to be found
at the place specified. In fact, it was clear that the
scoundrel had, when drunk, got the women locked up
on a chain charge, which, when sober, he did his
utmost to support by perjury. For this offence, Mr.

BLOOM inflicted the penalty of only one month's ha-
prissament. This was manifestly insufficient. How-
ever laniably melbas a police isigistrus may be in
ifonstittting himself the moot scavenger of ota.
streets, he must not forget that literfr are liberties to
protect se well u proprieties to educe.

Taken se a whole, we bear willing testimony to
the generally excellent conduct of the Metropolitan
Police force ; but such cases as those of BRADT
and NIONK imperatively demand the most signal
and exemplary punishment. If men armed with
exceptional power for the preservation of the peace
are to abuse that power for the wanton perpetra-
tion of outrage or petty tyranny, and to justify that
abuse by perjury, there is an end at once both to
security and personal freedom. A worse offence
against Society can hardly be committed than that of
the official guardian of the peace who, to screen his
own violence against those whom he is bound to pro-
tect, falsely locums them on oath before the tribu-
nals of offences they have never committed. If
police magistrates let these kind of offences go com-
paratively unpunished, because the victims are low
people or social pariah., they are not only doing
grave injustice but committing a great mistake.
Brutality screened by perjury is a dangerous
weapon to let loose in London streets. The street-
walker is the victim to-day ; it may be the matron
to-morrow. It wee so in Mrs. RATIMEN.B case; it
hu been pia many others. The wholesome severity
of Mr. CREASY fa the true way to meet this abomi-
nation ; when Mr. BZADON next has to deal with a
cue of this kind, let him profit by the example set
at the Middlesex Sessions.

LORD P,

APPOINTMENTS.

AMOtbir sad mar BM seeereda,
Ma IMO "Oa must kb the rotten cheese.

Mr. William Arta. Tollemache has been ap-
pointed by Lewd Palmerston, with whom the pa-
tronage lay, to the vacant Treasurership of the Kent
County Courts. Mr. Tellemache is a cadet of the
noble home of Dysart. At the rate at which the
noble viscount now appropriates every vacancy at
his disposal to the aristocracy, their families, re-
tainers, and servants;—at one time giving the
Stamp Distributorship of Manchester, worth 1,0007.
• year, to an Hon. Mr. Howard ; then the govern-
ment of Nova Scotia to Lord Mulgrave ; and now a
County Court Treasurership (7001. a year) to Mr. Wm.
Augusta. Tollemache, there will warmly be a post
left for his humbler and more subsertient sad sore
easily satisfied followers. The conventies of the
member for Grantham to Pahnerstocifist at the
general election may, perhaps, account in some mea-
sure for this last appointment, which is as discre-
ditable to Lord Palmerston personally as it is un-
satisfactory to the Liberal party. The late Mr.
Coppock's funeral, we may add, does not take place
until t3aterday ; so that Lord Palmerston bas lost
no time, and shwa small delicacy in the affair ; but
the late Mr. Coppock was not connected with any
noble house, and the feelings of his family are not,
therefore, of any concern to great people.

bt Court.

WINDSOR, Dsc.24.

The Queen rode out on horseback this morning,
stisaded by the Hoc Wary Ballast end the Equerries in
Wang,
The Prince Consort went oat shooting.

Ooveraor Virodehoass had ea Interview with Mr. Beadier,
Watchers yesterday, at the Colonial-oltre.

looms sad Vl;oloateas Palmerston and Vieconateas
Jocelyn left Lanka yesterday for Headlands, Hasa
Despatches for the Hamm of Canada were seat yester-
day trots the Colanal-efles.

Her Royal Highness the Dueller of Cambridge
as terminal a Went 4.4. .i arm, se Me *Aug% m IL•v,
LA maw.

His iieelleney Fenn Khan visited several
pheisgrapha ralletios yesterday =arsine, sad later in the
lir bed la %tanker with the Heti of Claredoo at the
Feettlep-e•es. The Itectillemeytetersed to Clerldge's Hotel
te iiserte, rid remised kw the evening.
The Marquis of Breadaftene has left town to join
the Ilowidswas et Untie Zoom Hawicktibe.

The Beal and Countess of Munster have left town
for Ways Cagle, Scotland.

Coal Germanston and the Hon. Mr. end Mts.
Fronton sad family have Wt Claridgie Hotel for Dover, on
tleelr way to the Contioest.

Lord Onuatley met with a serious accident while
shooting ta the weeds at essattley Hall last week. During
the pessakars of atb Avg, cos of the patty, shooting
bock at • rabbit, lodged ssvmsl shot in hie lordship's leg..
Mahal assishot• was kaassdiately procured, tad the nabi.
lard Is gabg as is favourably as ma bs ripsaw.
Lord sad Lady: Southampton have left the
Clarends• far Whittistuary Lodge, Northamptooshira.

The Count de Bonneval and Count de Prime
have arrived at the Brattaerkk Hotel, St. Jamie, boat the

Bir William JoURN will pan a portion of the
bonds". at Atookartiotra Park, in Someroetahlro.
The Right Hon. W. G. Ilayter hu left town on
as intorosting via to bin ocatolitonto.—Post.

Mn.s Deiglas Baird has left Claridge's Hotel fee
Pala

Lady Clarks Fitzroy died on Wedneoday night
et Left Sires Bellode residence fat (haven-pain.

Ear ledrhip wee confined the week before Ist, sad up to
a few days balk appeared to be progressing favourably. Her
ladyship was daughter of the late Mr. Jams Ballots,
of Whittiagham Cud., N. 8., end the Lady Eleanor Bal-
four, and married, in 1847, Lord Augusts Charlie Lerma
Fitzroy, second eon of the Duke of Grafton, by whom the
Warta lady haves a youthful family.

MCTINT ON BOARD A BUPA'! ISHlP.—Yegfrir-
day, the ship Atka Kerr, of Belfast, Captain Winter, bound
from Ardroasan to Norfolk, Virgil* United &Mu, put
tato thin port, the crew being in • state of mutiny. The ship
left Amber= on the 27th ult., and had prooreded to sea a
considerable distance, when the mew refried to proceed far-
ther on the voyage. We have learned from her owner, 111 r.
ham Barnett, that the !seamen had been pall, se nesiii, in
monthly advance notes. and that the vessel had not proosoded
far to sea when sign of mutiny were evidenced among the
crew--indeed, some of them, it appro. Wend her with the
determination of not proceeding on the voyageln We con-
verted with some of the seamen lest eight. the pol
• and the mom intelligent among them AMA that the
Allan Kerr le abut 23 yews old. All the moor on hoard
believed her hull to be emend, but when elm wa• able dap at
era they fund her rißgialt and pomp. got into each • state
as rendered her completely unseaworthy. AU the " fuse
matle hands,- in ibis mete of things, paned aft, and told
Captain Winter that they wield not proceed on the voyage,
but that they would 4' work" the skip into the assist
British part. Captain Winter asked them if they worsened?
to which they replied that they would not proceed farther
on the voyage. The course of the camel was immodbeoly
altered. and to arriving in Belfast, yesterday, the mama
wore von Into custody. The cue will be Imulapaid tl
the po to.day.—Yertbers WAig.
TILE NORTH dIt!NTRY SHIPOWNERS AND SEAMEN.
—Probably never aims the repeal of the corn and navigation
laws Us the •Wndan of the north-east porta bus In such a
depressed ea at the mount time. Shipping fie se-
verally slack at this time of the year, bat this season, on m-
ount of the law rate of feeights, as hassenne amount of tow-
n/Ire le la up, and a 'number of
sevenamas Mime ussmp=Mpl!tul also is at
stud, and nuelers of Sap carpenters are out work. The
docks and shipbuiklitur yards present • strum contrut to
anything that km been whams-a to at least ten years, and
R is *del to ese so many able-bodied and intellimut work-
able sausterisg about the quay sad squares of ilbx, pets ler
fillassa. The men, as might be expected from their dm.
motor. ccedoct themselves with exemplary patience, and se •
slam they will niftier grievous want before they make their
cenditkin known. But everyone is hopeful that with the
tars of the year trade will end is way into its old dowels
=ad that the shipping interest oil speedily revive.—
Growdete.

CONVICTION OF A?I INCENDIARY. —The men
Pollak town of Solanowo yam some months linos doeiroyed
by flre. An bbabitant of the place, a blacksmith. nemed
irgelt, bee jut beet tried and condemned to death no the
author of that eateetrophs. tits house had bee' nisi for
debt, and wee about to be *old, when, out of revenge, be met
ere to it, sad the. mused the destrucrion of the whole town,
and the Ices of a comber of