The Express.
London, England, 1868-12-26 00:00:00

THE WEEKLY PRESS.

The Saturday Review says that nothing could
better illustrate the total uselessness of the constitutional
rule which requires ministers of the crown to be re-elected
than the elections which have taken place this week. Nn
oyposition has anywhere been offered. Most of the
nutii,tcrs hold seats too secure to be attacked, but
&Ten where a contest might have promised a poi-
kibility of success, it has not been attempted.
Jir marking that the Judicial Committee of the Privy
Council hare reversed the judgment of Sir It.
Itillimora so far as that judgment was favourable to the
ritualist practices of the clergy of St. Alban's, the Spectator
proceeds to cdnerve that what is far more important is that
they base reversed that judgment on principles which
leave the ritual of the church as definitely and authorita-
tively clear, as rigid and inelastic, as if every pasture and
right had been enacted in an elaborate Code Ecclesiastical,
and all others had been strictly forbidden.

Irwin ELECTION PETITIONS.-The Court of
Common Pleas, consisting of Chief Justice Monahan,
Mr. Justice Keogh, Mr. Justice Morris, and Mr. Auties
Lawson (who sat for the first time) sat on Wednesday to
hear motions in relation to the election petitions. Mr.
Macdenogh, Q.C., moved, on behalf of Sir Leopold
M'Clititock, for an order directing that the trial of the
Drogheda election petition should take place in the county
of the city of Dublin, and not in the borough of Droghedi.
At the close of the argumente the Chief Justice announced
that the majority of the court were of opinion that the
motion should be refused. The venue accordingly re-
mains in Drogheda, and the 15th of January next was
fixed for the bearing of the petition. A motion was also
made for a change of venue in the matter of the Sligo
(borough) petition. The hearing was adjourned. The
court granted an application, made on behalf of the
the
against the return of Sir R. Blennerhaseett for
lhe borough of Galway, that the should be allowed to
substitute service o• the respond nt's agent,-.DwNia
ArCAST OF TUE BANQUET AND PROCESSION ON
Loan MATOR'S-DAY.-The cost of the banquet sad
cession on Lord Mayor's-day, Nov. 9, 1868, amounted to
2,631/. 6s. 9d.; of which sum the Lord Mayor paid 1,2114
12s. 11d.; Mr. Alderman and Sheriff Cotton and Mr.
Fluniff Mutton, each, 6071. 16s. 6d. ' • and the City Leads
Committee, 2001. The contract for dinner and wine
°sly, as supplied from the Albion, was 1,232/. ta 4d.
The decoras cod 666/. 194. 7d., which included 3261.
pard to Mr. Phent for upholstery ; 42L 19s. 9d. for the
loan and removal of statuary • loan and cartage of
armour, 61.145. • repairing and arranging Saga &MOW'
Ike., 271. Is.; iire of shrubs and pinata 361. ; hire of
awning, 381. ; gas and. fitting, 1421. ; carpenter.
33!. 6a. 9d.; insurance ofpictures and stet 131.175. 9d.
The cost of the on was 266/. 33., which included
the moneys paid to the several bands, banners, banner-
bearers, rosettes, scarves, allowance to troops, mounted
ponce, and gravelling the streets. The music in Guildhall,
including the band of the Coldstream Guards, the
quadrille-band, the trumpeter., and vocalists, cod
601. 19s. The bills for printing and stationery amounted to
1681. 10e., the dinner-tickets alone coating 261. The gelded
expenses amounted in the whole to 241/. 4s. 10d. These
oemprised, among other items, wands and decorations
for committee, 691. 6s. ; gold pens and pencil aims for
chairman and secretary, W. 9s. ; seal for chairman and
engraving same, 71. 7s. ; toilet articles, gloves, per-
fumery, Itc., 26/. 175.: Corps of Commissionaires, for at-
Undone. of 110 men, 101. ; refreshments for committee and
guard of honour, II!. Os. 6d.; assistant to secretary, 211. ;
inning tickets, disbursements, and preparing list of corn-
rany, 241.75. 2d. ; toastmaster and assistants, 6!. 6s. The
" men on roof," of whom there were four, to guard
against ere, were raid 21. 2s. ; and the bellringers at seven
churches received 14/. 14e. The remaining items were for
mersengeri, attendances, and general petty disbursements.
-City Prem.
LECTURES TO LADIES BY PROFESSORE( OF TNT-
TRIFITY Cousox, Lorinow.-We understand that several
professors of University College have expressed their
willingness to give courses of lectures to ladies, on the
plea which has been carried out with such swam at
Edinburgh, Manchester, Clifton, and other towns. The
lectures will be given under the auspices of an media-
tics including many influential which is at pre-
sent' being formed. It is to commence in
February with two eonress-is literary and seientille ; but
the scheme may be greatly extended next winter. As
soon as thaiL=Neents are completed, they win be
publicly
FIELD-WIZ RAGGID Scuroor..-14ve hundred
of the waifs sad strays of this great any wire yeserday
provided with a substantial dinner by the manager of
Field-lane Ragged School. • ange gatheriag it was,
consisting, as It did, of tramps,
women, and labourers out of wadi and out of heart, and
not • few broken down tradennua and gurdemen.
dinner was preceded by • short but affropriale secede, to
which nil istimed with great integer. As the funds of
this excellent institution are too crippled to permit such a
dinner being given, two lady Washers kindly collected the
nesdful feat.
Hoy= OF LORDIS.--Lord Campbell, in a speech
the other day, said Next to Guy Fawkes, the late Sir
Charles bury had been the meet eldater and bessocable
eat my of partiamenU Me senslgned the two hems to
structures where, as they coati net hear what was
on, they bad oes entselere-s4e vain& The
of Commons, Wbut a
Sales sod, had Ilidealed the eransomma
The Rowe of Lords had died away under its
FORXION-OFFICE, Dee. 22. - Thbleti
has been pleated to approve of M. Lords
Braoueerse as comied for the English Bettlemenis en the
West Comet of Africa, to reside at &into Marie de
for hie Majesty the Em of the French. The
has also Lem plewd to approve of Mr. Botha veil
Iteuchhaupt as eansul at Lamm for the North German
Confederation.- Ger.d/c.
6ULD4R DEATH OF A CLISROYMAN.-With the
despise regret we record the death of the Rev. J. C. Cole-
area, vicar of Glare, liunolk. Led Sunday weak he
preached his final winos from Work while it is dey,_for
the night onmeth In which's° man can week." He died ors
Tuesday afternooa at 1 o'clock. Deceased, who was 64
years of age, had been vicar of Chun about finuiteee yeas..