The Sun.
London, England, 1859-12-23 00:00:00

DEPUTATION FROM THE PEACE

SOCIETY TO LORD T. RUSSELL.

A deputation from the Peace Society waited, by
appointment, upon Lord J. Russell, at one o'clock
yesterday, at the Foreign-office, to present a memo.
real on our present relations with China. It con-
sisted of the following gentlemen :—Messrs. Wm.
Janson, Wm. Allen, Thos. Binns, Richard Barrett,
Joseph Cooper, W. E. Corner, Robt. Charleton, W.
Holmes, John Jones Edmund Fry, Revs. George
Rose, Jabez Burns, D.D., James H. Wilson, W. H.
Black, &c.
The deputation was introduced by Dr. Hodgkin.
Mr. Richard read the memorial, which, after de-
precating the manner in which the mission for the
ratification of the Treaty of Tien-tsin had been con-
cluded, expressed an opinion that it could not " be
deemed unreasonable that the Chinese authorities
should resist the passage of so formidable a force
into their inner waters, to convoy a professed
ambassador of peace; a force which they could
hardly have regarded in any other light than as a
menace and an affront, adapted, if not intended, to
lower the dignity of their sovereign in the estima-
tion of his own subjects." The memorialists add
that they "are convinced that your lordship will
lend no sanction or support to the immoral doc-
trine promulgated in certain quarters, that whe-
ther we were right or wrong as regards the quarrel
at the Peiho, it is necessary that we should inflict
summary vengeance on the Chinese, in order to
maintain the prestige of our arms in the East."
They also say, " they cannot conceal their appre-
hensions that large military successes in China may
lead to consequences. which it is impossible too
strongly to dread and deprecate. The authority
of the• Chinese Government has been already griev-
°Tilly shaken by internal convulsion; and should a
fresh assault from without lead, as may be justly
feared, to its being still further impaired, we may find
ourselves under the same alleged necessity' of mak-
ing territorial conquests in that country, which has
been so often pleaded in excuse of our aggressions in
India, until we have beCome entangled is a web of
complications and responsibilities, as regards the
Chinese empire, where it would be equally difficult
to advance or recede without danger and dis-
honour." In conclusion, they pray that Govern-
ment may " send instructions to our officials in
China to avoid further hostilities with that coun-
tr-y, and to adjust our relations with the Chinese
Government on those principles of dignified con-
ciliation and forbearance which will be far more
worthy the character of a great Christian nation,
and more likely to extend our true influence in the
East, than any mere triumphs of brute force, how-
ever startling or decisive."
His lordship received the deputation with great
courtesy, but said he could not admit that the
memorial gave a correct statement of all the facts
of the case.

BANNS FEES AND MA.RRIAGES IN
GLASGOW.

A correspondent of the Glasgow Herald, in a letter
on the subject of marriage proclamations, lays :
"In no other town or parish in Scotland are the
banns fees so enormous as in Glasgow. And as
these fees do not now, as of old, go to the support of
the poor, but to the aggrandisement of comfcrtable
supernals, a stout stand out should at once be made
against such a wholesale system of spoliation.
Sveral presbyte-ries in Scotland have of late dis-
cussed the proclamation of banns question • but our
Town Council should seriously think of what they
now encourage by allowing the present shameful'
fees to be exacted year after year. To my knowledge
there are several couples living in concubinage be-
cause of the high rate of banns fees. What labour-
ing man is able to pay Bs., and is. additional for
filling up this schedule, besides £3 35., if in the
Barmy Parish, and £2 25., if in the City, Gorbals,
or Govan ; and this, mark, for shirking the dis-
tinctly specified number of Sabbath-days,both by
the civil and ecclesiastical statutes nd if his ,
bride resides in a different parish, these spoils are
doubled. The finishing stroke would be the better
of reform. Every minister should know who and
what the parties are whom he intends to join in
marriage. Instead of this, it is notorious that (as
the end of this month will evidence) ministers,
both of the Establishment and Dissenting, try to
get hold of couples all and sundry, and invest the
business with a commercial mantle--allowing their
servants the chance money' given at the door by
the best man,' in lieu of regular wages ! This ac-
counts for the multiPlicity of weddings at some
ministers' houses. The majority of the couples
they know nothing of, nor of their antecedents;
neither do they belong to their churches, nor to any
church whatever. Stricter discipline on this head
would have a beneficial effect in many ways.
Doubtless it is but just that ministers should get
a con-si-der-a-tion' for work performed; but let
poor Betty' have her regular wage, and let the
best man not be reminded, when the knot is tied,
that his ' chance money' must be forthcoming at
the door. If the ministers knew the parties or
something about them, or if they were seat holders
or members of their churches, it would put an end
to all indiscrimination."

ENGLISH NERcHANTs TRADLVG
WITH MEXICO.
♦

Subjoined is the reply of Lord lohu Russell, as
Secretary, of State for Foreign Affairs, to the me-
morial addressed to him for protection for the
interests of the English merchants trading with
Mexico:—

"Foreign Office, Dec. 16.
" Gentlemen,—l am fully aware of the evils which the
present pssition of affairs in Mexico must inflict upon all
merchants interested in the trade of that country. In-
structions have been repeatedly given to protect the persons
and property of British subjects residing in Mexico, and
her Majesty's Charge d'Affaires is active and zealous in
carrying those instructions into effect. But unhappily, a
civil war rages in that country between two parties, who,
only intent upon destroying their adversaries, . have very
little respect for the rules of justice or the safety of pro-

party. • .
" It is difficult to say which is the de facto Government,
and while Great Britain and France acknowlege the autho-
rity of the President who has possession of Mexico, the
United States' Government recognise another President
ruling at Vera Cruz. Her Majesty's Government arc en-
deavouring to come to some understanding with other
Powers respecting the advice to be offered, and you may be
assured that no opportunity will be lost of interfering by
counsel with a view to bring about a termination of tho
present devastating and sanguinary war.
" Your representations, as expressed in your present me-
morial, shall be transmitted to her Majesty's Charge-
d'Affaires at Mexico, and he will be instructed to use every
exertion to promote the security of commercial dealings.—
I have the honour to be, gentlemen, your moat obedient
humble servant,

"J. RUSSBLL.
Messrs. N. M. Rothsehihl and Sons, and others."

THE RELIGIOUS DISSENSIONS IN ST. GEORGE'S
ix Tun EAST.—Yesterday evening a meeting of the vestry
of the parish of St. George in the East was held in the
board room of the workhouse, Mr. Barrett in the chair. The
vestry clerk reported that he had that morning received the
following letter from the Rev. Hugh Allen, M.A., the after-
noon lecturer of the parish :—" St. Jude's, Whitechapel,
Dee. 22, 1859. My dear sir,-1 request you respectfully to
inform the vestry that it is my intention to resign the lec-
tureship of St. George in the East on Monday week, the 2d
January next. Permit me at the same time to say that I
shall ever retain a most grateful sense of the kindness of the
vestry to me during the time I have held the lectureship.—l
am, my dear sir, sincerely yours, Hugh Allen. W. L. Howell,
Esq., Vestry Clerk." Mr. Churchwarden Thompson moved
that the letter be entered upon the minutes of the vestry,
and gave notice that at the next meeting he should move
that the office bo declared vacant, and that such measures
as might be deemed necessary should be adopted. Mr.
Stephens said ho could state to the vestry that Mr. Allen
had received from Mr. Cadman, the rector of St. George's,
Southwark, an intimation that ho was about immediately to
leave for the rectory of Trinity district, St. Marylebone, to
which he was some time since appointed by the crown.. I
to proceed to the rectory St.
consequence of this communication Mr.
George's,AlleSnouwthaswoabrkb,get!
which the Lord Chancellortherea.son
of had
the
resignation,
him,,r.
Howell,witut
delay. That was
veodwinfmgintoMr
tvheerra vestry
11,
resigningclerk,
the aom] ectet e
ofr hpea
rhi
sag
crleecreki
ad-
vanced age and failure of sight, which prevented him from
fulfilling the duties in connection with his other engage-
ments. He added that he had held the office for 31 years.
THE KING OF THE SANDWICH ISLANDS.--Mr,
Manley Hopkins, the Hawaiian Consul General, thus ex-
plains the recent attempted assassination of his secretary by
his Hawaiian Majesty :—"ln September last, his Hawaiian
Majesty was visiting the Windward Islands of the group,
accompanied by the Queen, his private secretary, Mr. Neil-
son, his medical attendant ; and my brother. From causes
believed by the community to be without the slightest
foundation, the King became jealous of Mr. Neilson, and
discharged his pistols at him, wounding him severely.
Struck with immediate contrition at the unmanly deed he
had been guilty of the King's impulsive nature led him,
besides making every possible reparation to the wounded
man, to propose abdicating the throne, that ho might become
a commoner, amenable to the laws of his own country. His
subjects, native and foreign, perceived in such an act the
worst possible consequences to the islands. The steps made
in moral and commercial advancement during the enlight-
ened reign of the present king would be lost ; and to Great
Britain the 'foreign influences which might bo urged upon
any change of government would be highly detrimental.
The Sandwich Islands are the central caravanserai of the
Pacific for the commerce, which will increase, between the
western coast of America and China and Japan. It is satis-
factory to learn by the mail received to-day that remon-
stances made to the King have inducsd him to reconsider
his intention of resigning the crown."