The Sun.
London, England, 1853-07-28 00:00:00

meet merely to exchange the compliments of
the season. They will feel that they understand
the requirements of the case before them better
than the civil and ecclesiastical legislators of this
country. Especially will they think that the old
canons, &c., of an old country may but ill befit
a new colony. They will spurn ere long a bond-
age which bears but the name of liberty, and de-
sire to convert the name into the substance. In
the course of the debate on the 22d it appeared,
indeed, that the powers really given were hardly
worthy of the name ; yet such as they were, Lord
DERBY was afraid they should be employed to de-
prive offending ministers of their benefices, and
Lord MONTEAGLE of their being held by the
Colonial Synods to include the right of discussing
matters of faith and doctrine, or of making " re-
gulations" which should have the force and
authority of canons. On the one hand
it was said, how could such powers consist
with the unimpaired Unity of the Church
and the Supremacy of the Crown ?—on the
other, how could they be withheld without reduc-
ing the New Synods to cyphers. And this is, and
will be, the ever-recurring difficulty. The advan-
tages of a State Establishment, and those of a
Voluntary Society, do not easily admit of combina-
tion. According to the habits of a community,
choice must be made between the two, and the
evils of either partially borne, in consideration of
the benefits.
Local administration of the laws enacted by
the supreme authority is the utmost that can b 3
allowed consistently with the existence of that
authority. This, however, seems quite possible
and easy without legislation. The Churchmen of
any district can meet freely with their ministers,
can consult how best to advance the interests of
their Church, can agree upon Church extension
schemes, or arrange for mutual assistance ; but
if they go beyond this they must sooner or later
come into collision with the unyielding law, which
gives the Mother Church existence. It appears
that by far the greater part of colonial clergymen
are licenced curates, whose licence can be with-
drawn autocratically by the bishop, and it is pro-
posed that the synods, with the concurrence of the
bishop, should be enabled to make regulations,
under which the bishop should exercise this
power ; and by the stress laid upon it, this auto-
cratic power of bishops would appear to be a great
grievance. It is a grievance, and a monster one,
but we are sorry to say it still disgraces the
mother country. In none of the other pro-
fessions can a respectable man be deprived
of his position, his usefulness to society, and
it may be of his bread also, but by due
process of law, and adequate proof that
he merits expulsion ; but all the curates of the
Church of England, literally, " without one if or
but," hang upon the mere autocratic will of the
bishop of their diocese ! He, without reason
assigned, against all just reason it may be, ac-
cording as the curate thinks with RIPON or with
EXETER on Baptismal Regeneration, or is guilty
of any opinion not pleasing to the right reverend
father, be can withdraw his license, and compel
him, if he preach at all, to do so as a dissenter,
and to do even that with the fate of Mr. SHORE
impending over his head. Now, the obvious
remedy for such an un-English power on the one
side, and un-English slavery on the other, is to
pass a law rendering all clergymen once licensed
free of every diocese in the English Church, and
secure against being silenced unless after a fair
trial, and for definite moral or ecclesiastical offences.
Curates ought no longer, for the honour of the
Church, and for their own honour as Englishmen,
to remain such mere slaves of the bishops. They
are clergymen in orders equally with their abso-
lute superiors, and equally with the luckier bene-
ficed clergymen ; and the law ought to secure to
them, until convicted of unprofessional conduct,
the free exercise of their profession.
In the colonies there are hardly any beneficed
clergymen at all. Stipends to licensed curates
are the general rule. Some of these stipends, are,
as the sharp fire at them this year in the miscel-
laneous estimates reminds us, paid by ourselves ;
part are paid as in Australia by the Colonial
Governments. We all know how those of Canada
are paid. Now, it appears to us that where the
Church of England. depends upon a Colonial Go-
vernment for support, it should be amenable
directly to the Legislature of the Colonies. In
Canada and New South Wales for instance,
the powers proposed to be given by this
bill ought to be sought from the Colonial Govern-
ments, and those governments should have a. full
authority to grant such ecclesiastical privileges as
they please. This appears to be merely a reason-
able corollary to the principle which conceded the
Clergy Reserves. Let the axiom be frankly car-
ried out that the colonies can best judge, not only
to what extent it is expedient for them to endow
religious worship, but also what liberties and what
restrictions they will associate with such endow-
ments. In our view, therefore, the proper " Co-
lonial Church Regulation Bill" would be one
which entrusts to the Colonial Legislatures the
power to impose such conditions, and permit such
ecclesiastical freedom, as they saw fit, in connec-
tion with the grants of money demanded of them.

TERRIFIC THUNDERSTORM.—This morning, shortly
before two o'clock, the metropohs was visited with a
storm of thunder, lightning, and rain, of such intensity
that few can recollect a parallel. The atmosphere of
the previous day, which was marked by the thermometer
at 73, toward night became very close and heavy, and
at the hour above mentioned flashes of lightning of the
utmost intensity, followed by peals of thunder that more
resembled those met with in the tropics and West
Indies than those with which the resident in the metro-
polis are familiar, became of frequent occurrence. Shortly
before three o'clock the storm seemed to have reached
its height ; and at this hour the thunder, which seemed
to shake the houses to their very founda.ion, and fol-
lowing the tremendous flashes of lightning in remarkably
quick succession, resembled the heavy fire of a regiment
of infantry, succeeded by the loud booming of artillery.
Nothing could exceed the magnificent and awful grandeur
of the scene during the vivid and brilliant flashes of
lightning. At six o'clock the storm may be said to have
abated, though the rain which had fallen the whole of
the morning in torrents continued. We have not up to
the present time heard of any accidents, though many
must have occurred, especially to those owning property
in the suburbs of London.
SUDDEN DEATH OF A GENTLEMAN.—An awful instance
of the uncertainty of human life occurred to Mr. Jere-
miah Davis, Poland-street, Oxford-street. It appears
the unfortunate man got into an omnibus to go into the
city, and when near Gray's-inn-lane, fell back and ex-
pired. Medical assistance was instantly procured, but
life was quite extinct. A shell was procured, and the
body was removed to. St. Andrew's Workhouse, for an
inquest to be held. The deceased is supposed to have
died from a diseased heart. The unfortunate gentleman
was an old inhabitant and much respected.

THE REPEALED DUTIES.—The Commissioners of Cus-
toms have caused an amended list of articles of foreign,
merchandise, which has been prepared by the Inspector
General of Imports and Exports, with reference to the
recent resolutions of the House of Commons not now
subject to duty, on importation into this country, show-
ing the denomination under which each article should
be described in the official documents to be printed and
furnished to the collectors and comptrollers and other
principal officers of Customs at the several ports through.
out the kingdom, for future government, in lieu of those
formerly in use. In transmitting this list of goods on
which the duties have been repealed, they have been
directed to observe that all description of glass is to be
entered by weight, and that bottles imported containing
goods are to be deemed as packages, and exempted from
entry for the duties.
TRANSPORTATION.—The Government bill, which has
passed the House of Lords, was yesterday printed, by
order of the House or Commons. Since it was noticed
in The Sun a new clause has been added by the Lord
Chancellor in committee, the object of which is that her
Majesty may grant licenses to be at large to convicts
under sentence of transportation; the holder of the li-
cense is not to be imprisoned by reason of his sentence,
and, if the license is revoked, the convict may be appre-
hended and committed to prison. By the bill as it now
stands, penal punishment is to be awarded in the cases
of persons liable to transportation for 14 years. The
new law is to take effect from the Ist of September next.
FRIENDLY SOCIETIES.—A bill, which has been printed,
is now before the House of Commons, to amend the
laws relating to Friendly Societies. By its provisions,
Friendly Societies may invest their funds otherwise than
as required by the 13th and 14th Vic., c. 115, that is to
say, upon the security of any rates, tolls, duties, or
assessments, authorised to be levied and mortgaged by
any act of Parliament, or other securities of any com-
pany incorporated by act of Parliament or charter, or
on policies of life assurance effected on lives of adequate
value. Societies availing themselves of this act are not
conunissionem afk,er
to invest any further portion of their funds with the
commissioners for the reduction of the national debt.
invest their funds Nvitetheelm)463binugt ofw htehnisthaecitr,
letie. also not already having an. account with the
do not exceed 200/., they m2ayaasrseuiriaontc to
s
deposit all their funds in
any savings bank.