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

PRICE 4D. STAMPED, SD.

_DEP UT 4 TION FROM

THE PEACE

SOCIETY TO LORD J. RUSSELL.

A deputation from the Peace Society waited, by
appointinent, upon Lord J. Russell, at one o'clock
yesterday, at the Foreign-office, to present a memo-
rial on our present relations with China. It con-
sisted of the following gentlenien :—:Messrs. Wrrn.
Jonson, Wm. Allen, Thos. Binns, Richard Barrett,
Joseph Cooper, W. E. Corner, Robt. Charleton, W.
Holmes, JOhn Jones Edmund Fry, Revs. George
Rose, Jabez Burns, 1).D., James 11. Wilson, W. H.
Black, Sze.
The deputation was introdueed 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 hail been con-
dueted, 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 die-nity of their sovereign in the estima-
tion of his am 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 Pam, 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-
°may 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 in 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-
try, and to adjust our relations with the Chinese
Government on those principles of dignified con-
ciliation and forbearance which will he 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-
everstartlin g 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 MARRIAGES IN

GLASGOW.

A correspondent of the Glasgow Herald, in a letter
on the subject of marriage, proclamations, says :
"In no other town or parit in Scotland are the
banns fees so enormous as in Glasgow. And as
these fees do not now, as of old, go to theisupport 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.
Several presbyteries 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 shamefnl
fees to be exacted year after year. To my knov.hedge
there are several couples living in concubinage be-
cause of the high rate of bannsfees. What labour-
ing man is able to pay Bs., and ls. additional for ,
filling up this schedule, besides £3 35., if in the
Barony 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 ? And 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 hest lieu or rc yrilar wager t 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
chirch 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 wor.z: 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 NEI;pIIANTs TRADING

WITH MEXICO.

Subjoined is the reply of Lord John 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 :

"Foreicen. Office, Dec. 16.
" Gentlemen,—l am fully aware of evils which the
present position 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'Afthires 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-

perty.
" It is difficult to say which is the de facto Government,
and while Groat Britain and Franco 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 are en-
deavouring to come to some understanding with other
Powers respecting the advice to be offered, and you maybe
assured that no opportunity will be lost of interfering by
counsel with a view to bring about a termination of the
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 most obedien
humble servant,

"J. RUSSELL.
3 Messrs. N. M. Rothschild and Sons, and others."

THE RELIGIOUS DISSENSIONS IN ST. GEORGE'S
IN THE EAST.—Yesterdity evening a ruzeting 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. Tho
vestry clerk reported that he had that morning received the
following letter from the 11ev. Hugh Allen, M.A., the after-
noon lecturer of the parish :--" St. Jude's, Whitechapel,
Dec. 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 2tl
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. IV. 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 ho should move
that the office be declared vacant, and that such measures
as might bo deemed necessary should be adopted. Mr.
hadt ephen Stephens
receivedsaid
fromhe could state
Cadman,
theh e
Southwark, an intimation that he was about immediately to
f
leave for the rectory of Trinity district, St. Marylobone, to
sa that 111 r.
George's,Alln
which he was some time since appointed by the crown. In
vestry
rectoro
consequence of this communication Mr. Allen was oll.ged
without
which the Lord Chancellor had nominated him,
Mr. Howell,
delay. That was the reason of the resignation.
h had received from Mr. I
the vestry clerk, read a letter e
hclerk, wing to ad-
Verrall, resigning the office of pans _ g
to proceed to the rectory of St. George's, Southwark, to
fulfilling the duties in connection with his other engage-
ments. Ile added that he had held the office for 31 years.
THE ICING OF THE SANDWICH ISLANDS.--Mr.
yawed ago and failure of sight, which prevented him from
Manley Hopkins, the Hawaiian Consul General, thus
the m group,ue
s
accompanied ex-
plains the recent attempted assassination of his secretary by
his Hawaiian Majesty :—"ln September last, his Hawaiian
sgo naj,eisi
believed by d
h a
tysmedical s
tb visitingyle
aeot he the
m Queen,t yto b
his privatee
withoutsecretary,
the
slightest-
foundation, the King became jealous of Mr. Nelson, 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 he 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 be 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."