The Express.
London, England, 1868-10-05 00:00:00

THE PEWS.

TIl F subjects brought before the Church Congress
just held at Dublin trenched often on delicate
pound, and we can quite understand the need
there was of mutual forbearance. Wonderful
to relate, however, the discussion which caused
most commotion and raised to fever point the
blood of the disputants, was the question of pews
versus free seats. An innocent matter enough, ono
would have thought; a trifling matter, too, when
compared with the great questions now agitating
the Church of England. But who shall fathom
the depths of the clerical mind, or say what is
likely to disturb the clerical bosom ? Or perhaps
our crass ignorance prevents us from rising to the

height of this great argument, and pews may, attsr
all, in Fotuo ins vutable way, be °connected wiek the
Befonind Faith, and servo as porta preying
Protestant sheep from straying into Banish pas-
tures. We suppose that it must be so, for when
one speaker remarked that if the movement
stiemeded they would owe a lasting tribute
to the Roy. Dr. MAT it BIN, ho was greeted
with the cry of "No Popery," and when
he replied that Dr. MATITRIN had done more
to put down Popery than any other man, an up-
roar arose at which a bishop took fright, and cha-
racteristically enough, disappeared. Shortly after-
wards Dr. lit ATI] RIN himself amen, and was in-
stantly assailed with hootings and cries of "Put
' him out," "No Popery," &e. (}rest was the
din, terrible the conflict, loud the invocation of
policemen, but at last the defenders of pews re-
tired ignominiously from the struggle, and the
advocates of freedom of worship closed the meet-
ing with flying oolours. For those of us who don't
believe that the Christian religion or even the
British Constitution is founded upon pews, this
tempest in a teapot is ridiculous enough.

A EMIT has been commenced in the United
States District Court against Mr. LAIRD, the
builder of the Alabama, by the owners of the
Sonora, one of the vessel' which she de-
stroyed. It is claimed that the Alabama
was fitted out in violation of law, and that
her owners and builders are liable for damages
sustained at her lands. It is stated that Mr.
LAIRD has funds in America which are accessible,
and that they have been attached and are held
liable for whatever ho may be directed to pay. The
amount claimed is one hundred and nineteen
thousand dollars.

WE have been just told on excellent authority
that roast donkey is a capital dish, and well worthy
the attention of epicures. Wo have not the least
doubt about it, fur everybody knows that the
most tender steaks are those which have been
most beaten ; and the donkey which is beaten in
his infancy, beaten all through life, and gone-
rully beaten to death, must be extremely
tender indeed before he comes upon the table.
It is evident, therefore, that the hardhearted

little boys who spend their whole time at Hamp-
stead, Ramsgate, anti Malvern, in belabouring
donkeys, are only preparing the poor asses more
effectually for their final end. The lesson is a
wholesome one, if the donkey would but take it
and be thankful for his privilegos, but we suspect
that Jack does not appreciate this daily basting
as he ought, and would greatly prefer having so
irritating a process postponed until after death.
It is said that all suffering has its compensations,
but what compensations are there for an English
donkey :•

OUR CONTEMPORARIES.
(THIS DAY.)