The Express.
London, England, 1868-12-17 00:00:00

THE EXPRESS, THURSDAY

tionality or their " church." has bee. their only
title to relief. At was Trona Irmo ealergee
the number of his little guests, and provides them
not only with plenty to eat and drink, bat with
a choice of pretty gifts to cheer sad solace their
young hearts and imagination'. without forgetting
to feed their famishing mouths and warm their shi-
vering limbs. The Society, which has been founded
in London after Vlcroa linoo's example, makes
out an excellent case in its behalf, in calling
for " the support of all who can feel
" for the miseries of the ragged and half-
•' starved aluldren of this vast metropolis."

" The amount " they say, " received in
" answer to our public appeal, in December,
" 1867, was about 1,2001. The sum expended in
" grants to various localities where groat distress
" prevailed during the first six months of this
" year was 8441. The number of dinners given
" during the same period at 37 dining-rooms
" opened in connexion with our society was
" about 83,000. The weekly dinners wore re-
" sewed in October last ; and since that time,
" grunts to the amount of 3021. have been made,
" representing nearly 30,000 dinners. The total
" stun disbursed has, therefore been 1,1461.,
" and the total number of dinners has

" been 113,000." If there are any ob-
jectors disposed to sneer at the operations of this
society as empirical, and to ask what they do with
the poor children after they have filled their
mouths and between the weekly dinners, we can
only say that the simple act of giving them a
weekly dinner does not prevent other charitable
societies or agencies from doing more and bettor
for them not only once every week, but all the
week through. In the work of charity, as
in other enterprises, there is nothing like •
division of labour. The Children's Dinner Society
undertakes to do one thing, and does it well and
thoroughly ; the names of its founders and trea-
surers
are a guarantee for this, and they will be re-
cognized as names associated with all manner of
good works at home and abroad. There is, we must
confess, a common sense in this Children's Dinner
Society which seems to us to recommend it particu-
larly to public favour. Sectarian charity is too apt
to forget that it is not enough to stuff starving
children's mouths with texts and tracts, and that
before religion or even morality can be taught
with advantage, something of a healthy tone must
be imparted to the little stomach by a wholesome
meal. Children cannot live on pious abstractions ;
and when they are pining for meat and broad
surely it is an impious mockery to offer them a
atone—or even a heap of stones in the shape of a
chapel or a church.

OUR 00141TEEPORARUIR.
tripe DAY.) •
Oro aim onomoo.
The Tines rookotko thss Mao dflioulty of dioon-
downoot Um la Ilb• dalanaboatiaa of aba baits apes
will* the Farb= of acobaladical peopasty reserved for
the ais of tie dissatabliabad abolish 'doll Da bald. abd

three trusts mud be Maid solely with relwesee to the
wides of the Emilish churchmen of Irdwat These an
the molts to whisk an examination of the problem
before the legislature amen to bed, and the quo-
te= immediately arise—who are the skerelimen of
Inland, end how are their wishes to be sombined l' The
Timm wirers the first question by observing that those
whose wishes must govern the dadieetios of the reserved
funds of the Irish Church are the 700,080 Irishmen who
declared themselves to be such in the census of 1881.
With regard to the second question it must be solved by
the imperial government and the united parliament, with
such light as to the wishes of Irish churchmen as they poe-
ms. The duty of the English legislature at this Juncture
is to consult Irish opinion as it exists, and not to shrink
from defining the doctrines and worship of the disestab-
inked church of Ireland by reference to the established
church of England, if such be the desire of Irish church-
men.

FOR 2111 FIRST LORD OF TIM ADDIZALTT.

The Daily Nora lays that Mr. Childers will be at no
loss to signalise his occasion to power by building the
right ships, in tho right places, at the right times ; by res-
cuing tho royal dockyards from jobbery and extravaganos;
by appealing, within prudent limits, to the competition of
private enterprise ; by presenting to parliament intelli-
gible balance-sheets ; by preferring, whether in ships or
. . . .

;hips' companies, qualiyto quanity ; in short, by giving
the country its money's worth, in a concentrated defensive
organimtion, and in the adequate protection of its world-
wide commerce, while not overburdening the navy list
with gallant officers pining for employment, and with
hulks which are only serviceable for firewood, or which,
instead of rotting in ordinary, might be much better em-
ployed as training ships at the great centres of a maritime
population.

011101 AND

The roa thinks that amongst the important questions
awaiting solution by the new parliament there are few of
much greater oonsequence than that of the repression of
crime and the management and reform of the criminal
dames, and recommends a careful consideration of the mg-
potions offered to the Home Secretary by Sir Walter
Crofton.

ITFMKNY AND 011110011.

The Digraph expresses a hope that the Greeks may be
promptly undeosived as to any likelihood that they will
be backed by the great poison in their reinstall°e to the
demands of Turkey. The Tderreph does not esclude Russia
from the survey ; but Russia knows when she can eocroech
with safety to herself ; she bides her time—and that time is
not yet.

EICOLD3H

I 1 CHINA.

In the opinion of the Star thel details of the Yang-chow
affair which h►ve been reoeived by the last overland mail
are not reculated to improve its opinion of the manner in
which our diplomatic representatives in China comport
thenisilves when a local disturbanco takes place, or to
make it regard with satisfaction the principles which re-
gulate our political or rather physical action iu the far
klaffit.

TUE =SLIM LN SPAM.

The Bereld thinks that the attempt at a sew revolution
in Spain would have been moat disastrous had it suc-
ceeded. As it is, it must be a boron both to the people
and the government of Spain. It teaches the former the
hollowness of the pretensions of the republican party it
reminds the latter of the danger of keeping the nation
much longer in suspense as to its future, and the form of
government under which Spain is to settle down into
order.

the !Wirt.

WINDSOR CASTLE, Duo. IG.

The Queen, accompanied by Princess Louise and
Prince Leopold and attended by the Dueher el Rot.
burghs, drove out yesterday afternoon, and her Majesty
walked and drove in the grounds this morning, attended
by the Dueller of Roxburghe.
Her Majesty has visited Pitmen Christian daily, at
Frognaore.
The Crown Prince and Prairies of Pruasia dieirwitli
Prince and Princess Christian of Schleswig-Holstein last
evening. at Frogmore.
The Crown Prince of Prussia went to London to-day,
and visited his Excellency the Count and the Counter
Dernstorff, at the Prussian Embassy, and remained to
luncheon. His royal highness honoured Lieut.-Colonel
Marshall and the officers of the tad Life Guards with his
company at dinner in the evening, and afterwards re.
turned to Windsor Cattle, attended by Captain Von
&Malaita

The Duke and Duchess of Argyll and Lady Edith Camp-
bell arrived at the Castle this afternoon, and the duchess
had an audience of the Queen on her appointment as
Riatress of the Robes. The duke and Lady Edith Camp-
bell were also received by the Queen.
The Duchess of Rozburghe and the Dean of Westmin-
ster and Lady Augusta Stanley have left the Castle.

The Hon. MaryLascelles his sucoeedod the Hon. Emily
Cathcart as Maid of Honour in Waiting.
Mr. Stephen Smith, of Covent-garden, has had the
honour of submitting for her Majesty's inspection a
Racing Plate for Hong Kong, designed by Mr. W.
Armload.

Despatches were received yesterday at the Colonial
office from the governors of Prince Edward Island and
Malta. Despatches were sent to the governors of the
West India Islands and the Australian colonies.

A meeting of the Royal Commission on Military Educa-
tion was held yesterday at the War-office. Present:
Lord de Grey, Lord Northbrook, Lord Eustace Cecil,
M.P., Lieutenant-General Sir I). A. Cameron, K.C.8.,
Brigadier-General Lefroy, Major-General Raythorne, Dr.
Butler. Rev. W. C. Lake, Lieutenant-Colonel C. C. Ches-
ney, and Lieutenant J. W. Homier, the secretary.