The Express.
London, England, 1868-08-20 00:00:00

LOW CLERICALISM.

WE had always thought the right of private
judgment was the special heritage of Protestant-
ism, and that in consequence perfect freedom of
discussion was the privilege as well as the duty of
Protestants. It seems, however, that we are mis-
taken. The Rock newspaper, an ultra-Evangelical
and ultra-Protestant journal, informs its readers
that it is a very improper thing for " an inter-
" meddling laity" to criticise sermons, and that
" too many of our critics in their irreverence and
" disrespect on this question seem to forget that
" the clergy are set in authority to teach them,
" and that they have no authority to teach
" the clergy." This is High Church doctrine with a
vengeance, this is an assertion which might be
reasonably expected from Dr. Marmnso, but which
coming from the Rock is very like an imperti-
nence. Ever since its commencement this journal
has spent such ability as it possesses in an inquisi-
torial criticism of clergymen. If a man preaches
in a surplice, if he intones the prayers, if he uses a
hymn book in his church which has not received
the imprimatur of the Rock, or if, as sometimes
happens, he is

of that honest few
Who give the fiend himself hie due,

he is forthwith denounced by this Low Church
organ as a Romanising pervert, an infidel, or an
atheist. The Rock uses language familiarly
known as "Billingsgate" in its denunciations
of the clergy, the .Rock criticises High
Churchmen and Broad Churchmen without
mercy, and yet the Bock is bold enough
to declare in a leading article that the laity have
no authority to criticise the clergy. The simple
truth is that preaching is supposed to be the
special forte of the Low Church clergy, and there-
fore to comment upon sermons is to criticise them.
We may say what we like about Roman Catholics
or " insidious and deceitful Ritualists," we may
mare what suggestions we please as to the Jesuit-
ical purposes of High Churchmen, but to say that
an Evangelical clergyman preaches his congrega-
tion into a bad temper is to trench on privileged
ground, which no profane footsteps are permitted
to tread.

REPRODUCTIONS OF WORKS 'OF ART OP ALL
COUNTRIES.

The following correspondence between the
Prince of Wales, president of her Majesty's Commis-
sioners for the Paris Exhibition, and the Duke of Marl-
borough, Lord President of the Council, has recently been
laid before parliament in the 16th report of the Science
and Art Department:
" Marlborough House, March 12, 1888.
"My dear Duke,—During the Paris Exhibition a con-
vention was entered into by several prinoes of the re•gning'
families of Europe, whereby they peed mutually to assist
the museums of Europe in procuring casts and copies of
national objects for the promotion of art. I cannot doubt
that the museums in this country will derive benefit front
this convention, and will be able to make a return to fo-
raga countries for the advantages which they may afford.
I therefore transmit to your gracel as Lord President of
the Council, copies of this convention, and I request that
you will have the kindness to inform me whether you see
any objection to the Lord 'President acting through the
Science and Art Department in this country for theepur-
pose of giving effect to it so far as the United Kingdom is
concerned.

" Your grace will perceive that the object contem-
plated by the Convenbon is identical with that for which
an annual grant of money has been made for many years
by parliament to the Science and Art Department, and it
is hoped that, by the aid of this Convention, far greater
fit6l,' will be obtained for the interchange of works of
art between this and other countries than have hitherto
existed.—Believe me, my dear duke, very sincerely yours,
" ALBEST Enwrap, P.
" His Grace the Duke of Marlborough, Lord President
of the Council."

The Duke of Marlborough, in his reply, . dated 10, St.
James's-square, March 14, 1068, after reciting the object
of his royal highness's inquiry, says :—" I be lEsanyi: to
inform your royal highness that I shall have in
acting in the manner proposed so far as the institutions
under the Science and Art Department are concerned,
and that when called upon I shall be ready to communi-
cate with other authorities having charge of objects of
art in the United Kingdom, with the view of obtaining
any
triesfacilities which may be required by foreign coun-
."

The following princes have already signed the Con.
vention :

Great Britain and Ireland.—Albert Edward, Prince
of Wales; Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh.
Promia. —Frederick William, Crown Prince of Prussia.
Here.—Louis, Prince of Here.
Saxony.—Albert, Prince Royal of Saxony.
Prance.—Prinoe Napoleon (Jerome).
Belgium.—Philippe, Comte de Flandre.
Enema. The Ceearewitch ; Nicolas, Due de
Leuchtenberg.
Sweden and Norway.—Oscar, Prince of Sweden and
Norway.
Italy.—Humbert, Prince Royal of Italy; Amadeus,
Duke of Aorta._ _ _

_
Austria. Charles-Louis, Archduke of Austria
Rainer, Archduke of Austria.
Denmark.—Frederick, Crown Prince of Denmark.

General Lord Napier of Magdala, accompanied
by his son and Colonel Dillon, have arrived at the Hotel
Bristol from the Camp of Chalons.

" •r.

OULAONTEMPOItAIVES.
OBIS DAO.

THY OPPOIIMON WOMBS IN PRANK.

Referring to the success of M. Ori'vy's candida-
ture for meddle:tricot of the Jura, the Times remarks
that although ht,,Cleivy may not be anti-dynastic, be is
the determined adversary of imperialism, and as snob his
victory may almost be described as portentous.
The fact, says the IMity sew, that in the departmentof the
Jura the Opposition—or, as the Comet i itttiennel insists upon
calling him, the Antidynastic—candidate has polled two
votes to every one given to the nominee of the govern-
ment would be very remarkable, and call for elaborate
explanation, if it were true, as M. Magna would have us
believe, that everybody who subscribed to the recent
loan thereby gave a practical vote in favour of the
Emperor. There is no reason to suppose that the in-
habitants of the department of the Jura were lees for-
ward than other Frenchmen to seize the advantages of
the imperial loan. The security was good, being that of
France herself, and the interest much more than could
he got elsewhere, and amongst prudent investors these
two considerations take precedence of all others. There
_ _ _

is no reason why a tradesman of D6le or Poligny should
miss a profitable outlay in one week, because in the next
he was going to iota against Riot.
The Bter infers from this and other ebullitions of the
public mind, that pokitioal feeling in !ranee is alive, and
that its manifestations are bolder and more striking than

usual. Whatever changes may be impending, the Sear
cannot overlook the extraordinary success of the loan, but
thinks that the confidante it exhibits is in France itself
rather than in any ruler or form of government.

111 IRELAND.

Remarking upon the striking difference of feeling mani-
fested towards Mr. Scully and Mr. Pigott respectively by
their Irish tenants, the Daily New contends that the
most absurd explanation of the difference which could be
offered is that which the theory of race supplies ; the sim-
plest, nearest, and most obvious is, that the difference is
lather in the landlords than in the tenants. It is univer-
sally admitted that Mr. Scully's case is an exceptional one.
lie had treated his tenants not only with harshness, but
with a wild inconsiderateness which even Irish experience
can scarcely parallel. Mr. Pigott, on the contrary, is an
exceptionally good landlord, and sudden evictions are un-
known on his estates.

The Time* insists that these Tipperary outrages must
be ascribed to exceptional causes, and not be taken as
hearing in any way upon the general relations of land-
lords and tenants. The immediate occasion of the crime
in the present instance is certainly an outrage on all
reason, equity, and good feeling. Mr. ecully proposed for
the acceptance of all his tenants a new form of lease,
which would certainly have defined the relations of land-
lord and tenant, but which would have attained this
simplicity by abolishing every right or privilege of the
tenant. The consequence was that a long-standing
personal animosity was inflamed to passionate hatred,
and hatred, at an unhappy opportunity, broke into
murder.

BASLWA.Ir YIBIKANAOLICENT.

The Pest submits a variety of

mili-

tary, and commercial—why the railway system of Great
Britain should be transferred to the direct management of
the state. Such an arrangement, with other collateral
advantages, would be a step in advance which might prove
of equal or even greater importance than the adoption of
the penny postage.

The 21,1egraph says that, in penning his remarkable ad-
dress to his constituents, Lord Elcho forgot the French
proverb, gui e'rxrues s'aemse. His elaborate apology for
steadily voting with Mr. Disraeli, while sitting on the side
of Mr. Gladstone, is, perhaps, the most original manifesta-
tion yet received of a painfully original intellect. But he had
to perform a difficult task. He had to show that though
appearances were against him he was perfectly justified
in what be bad done. The Telegraph, however, thinks it
would have been better to have put a bold face on the
matter, said nothing about the past, promised nothing for
the future, and simply claimed re-election as a matter of
course. But his lordship has not a talent for silence, and
he has damned himself by a vindication.