The Sun.
London, England, 1829-12-16 00:00:00

CHURCH REFORM.

,f; LITERATURE.

• • --
THE Colllt ANNUAL FOR 1830.. since we selectede work
fk
Mr. Mood , , Itis not very long
, of a. highly respectalie, zealous, and sound-
.. is- the most inveterate--the most
:enious-- minded Clergyman of the Establishment, as the
tite most original punster, we ever • '
and of, ground-work some detailed observation upon
The greatest masters in-the art sink -"the interesting theme of Church Reform. The
0110:thir. • before
'guess him.- Even Swift and columns of a newspaper are, however, so rarely
kbelais, with all their relish for a pun—to per- I devoted to 'discussions of this grave complexion,
trate.. which and extended to such a length, that we almost
(however indifferently), they
iuld L L doubt of our having succeeded in conciliating,
-Put. themselves and- their readers to the
iatest - • as we could have wished, the attention of our
Possible inconvenience—are children readers. But, so persuaded are we of the abso-
stipaietl. With. Mr. Hood. He alone is worthY lute necessity of a general interest being created
ri stand forward 2
so his age, like the giant Anak in this great question, that, at the risk of he-
: °t.ng the Philistines, as the incarnate personi- ing deemed " wilful trespassers" upon the privi-
-I°n of a The Englishlanguage, •
pun. in leges of newspaper readers, by thus abridging
s hand their daily allowance of " intelligence, techni-
s) assumes the most grotesque air and 0
3111°Ii ; liable andcally so called, we are again about to advert to
ithfull ' e ductile as wax, it receives
i it. We should not despair, indeed, were we
_,e
,IY: every impression that he chooses to 1
I under an obligation to do it, of convincing even
34: O i is.. We are decidedly of opinion, that those, - who peruse our " folio of four pages,"
ever •
. .Imperfect and progressive other depart- ; with no other view than that of pleasantly whil-
entss. . .
of literature may be, the author of ing away an idle hour, that this very amusement
Wh; • -
uns.and Oddities" has carried the art of of theirs is nearly connected with " Church
annin I Reform,"-strange as the idea may seem. Our
gias far as it, will go ;, in short, to those
ttrenre liMit i argument would be this—the character of our
s of good sense, " quos ultra citra- I
tie, ne • .. . • 1 Establishment is immediately, and most power-
' cOnizitere rectuni." i
In- iiis.: Comic
wain _ • Annual, . decidedly the most these realms—and with the subsistence and jute-
,g,of the whole lot; Mr. Hood has not grity of Protestantism are associated those of the
til es'
thee(' himself a punster, but a wit, and a liberty of the press. Nevertheless, we should
pan''at ' ibe sorry to believe that any merely temporary
iei 1-...,5s great practical acquaintance with life, i .
I views operated upon the mass of our friends, or
.84taled and flavouredwithanexquisite sense
,i. ti.„,, ,
that they could be otherwise than desirous of
"e -ridiculous• We know few things even
440.6 s
Our • - our Paper, from time to time, reverting to this
111,,..! most sterling and classical writers of . tberne, when once a little serious reflection shall
, 1
).7 "rtsauperior-to the adroit good-humoured have convinced them of its importance, in a far
sronest.
he . sarcasm of .the" Letter on Emigration," more exalted sense.
Allust -
- ratton to which is-Worthy of the. subject, We now, therefore, select a layman's work for
text` t°' this, inclinedrank 4, consideration ; declaring, from the very circum-
)oe sari, Sf we are to Number
stance of its being such, an inference in proof
A which -a sarcastic knowledge of woman
0
"nanitest-• •"•together with of what we formerly stated—namely, that there
throughout, - existed in clergy and laity an impression of
esspirit, freedom and neatness ofversification.reform less invidious term, renova-
. ,,
.Pillory is a broad, diverting extrava- tion) being necessary, and that the period had
'444'iti the style of O'Dohertv's admirable arrived fOr setting about it. We do not mean
iltewsss,, to affirm that a single clergyman or a single lay-
si-Fa .in . Blackwood ; and is assisted by a
"jood'en • • man are to be taken as representatives of the
~ t._ graving irresistibly ludicrous in its nature.
popular opinion. Most certainly they are not.
k Y.P, le's Miscellany," inn hich a fat, broken- But whenever two sober, shrewd, and Calm-
neell,snub-nosed ,
i,,,_ , retainer of the law is march- judging men, both lovers of order, both affec-
gg. At, t
1- he head of some half-dozen or more bur- tionate and loyal members of the Establishment,
at% 1
th .usiy..dis--,
posed delinquents, cannot even be having, and well knowing that they have, inter-
sorght of, much less seen, without an in- ests opposed to thote of anarchy, liberalism,,
, 4.4kary and irreligion, chaPenge attention in publica-
n of the risible muscles.
A ~.._ tions, calculated at the first sight to cast upon
A 4 ;Nursemaid, accustomed to the care of Cha-
mfer"' s them suspicion and evil surmises, and which, a
lueli .3 a most sarcastic hit at the but too-fee- little time back, would have been held to he
bipedt negligence of this class of domesticated rash and dangerous, we think we are well justi-
8* Our very limited space will not permit fled in concluding, first, that the necessity of
us, to s
oth enlarge, as we could wish, on the numerous imperative •
doing something has become ,.. and,
secondly, that they were sure of having. with
-peasetlnerit4 of this entertaining, and in many re-
, sri • them a large portion of the national sentiment.
Ch.,.i..._. gknal production ; we must therefore
That necessity, we ourselves are persuaded, has
s'''.4, it with hearty recommendation to our
'ager a become imperative. There is no view of the
self". s to purchase it, and judge for them- question which does not show it to he so. It
". 'the
It n following is a specimen of its hu- is called for by an examination of facts. It is
surons prose : countenanced by the general voice—as strongly
evinced in the tone of even our most unbending
, :, Squameash Flatts, 9th Nov. 1827.
~,- bear Brother,—Here we are, thank Providence, safe periodicals, much rather of the more moderate
--sa 4, s
'ie.- sa, and in the finest country you ever saw. At part of the press, and by the frequency and earnest-
e_knosseat I have before me the sublime expanse of ness with which the conversation of thinking per-
-ll:'m..sash Flatts—the majestic Mudiboo winding through sons is directed to this very point. If Lord Mount-
. .-v ttudat!—with; the magnificent range of the Squab
7411AtaAn! in ..*.tt distance. But the prospect is impos- cashel, by his sweeping, indiscriminate charge
1.,1)1e' to describe in a letter ! I might as well attempt a against Church functions and functionaries, has en-
_kar aina in a pill-box! •We have fixed our settlement abled his distinguished opponent to retort upon him
;:t t left banks of the river. In crossing the rapids we with deserved severity, and to exhibit them in a
3' Zest of our heavy luggage and all our iron work; but
•
kneat good fortune we saved Mrs. Paisley's grand piany very different light, he has been so far from dis-
hW sthe children's toys. Our infant city consists of three proving the propriety of renovation, in given
rutl, and one of clay, which, however, on the second instances, that it only becomes the more evident,
agitinq Z.gle ground landlords. We have now built it up from the very insufficient defence they have
:We could- 'O4l things considered, are as comfortable as been able to draw, even froth the acute Bishop
Is„d„s rcSect---antl have christened our settlement New
•••", in
Gas of • compliment to the old metropolis. Wehave of Ferns, whom we may thank for the guidance
hoe- the log-houses to ourselves—or at least shallhehas
ht b us
1 fiylnea we have built a new hog-sty. We burnt down yet corrigible points.
rat one; in making a bonfire to keep off the wild Mr. Hull, whose book we have hinted at,
44,,,7S 414 for the present the pigs are• in the parlour. entitles it, "An Inquiry, concerning the Means
4144 our rooms are rather usefully than elegantly fur-
d. We
.have gutted the Grand Upright, and it makes
4 1,40._. . lave and Expedience of making Changes in the
,
o,a, ~lent cupboard; the chairs were obliged to blaze at Canons, Articles, ,
or Liturgy." He eommences I
I,
,autWatiacs,—but, thaak Heaven, we have never leisure with a chapter upon " The General Principles of
. .vil, anti so do not miss them. My boys are con- Union," quieting the fears of any who may be
s„-'7"•-...., ,and will he well when they have got over some awk-
-te aced • - • prepared to enter upon the perusal of it, mis-
a. little silts in loping and felling. Mrs. P. grumbles
01_ s but, it is here ustom to lament most when she is in trustfully of his design, by the good motto, My)
tiletiruidst. of comforts. She complains of solitude, and stisxcztct stissts-Esscs, the spirit of which appears to
asst,ske could enjoy the very stiffest of stiff visits. The "Pervade his work ; for, however, his readers may
essra.: we lighted a fire in our new abode, a large serpent differ from him in judgment, as upon a question
, ;;;1_ d, wn the chimney, which I looked upon as a good
of this nature, it is quite certain many will, all
'
'l_. However, as Mrs, P. is not partial to snakes, and
. „.(enteat Is supposed to attract these reptiles, we have dis- must, we think, concede to him the praise of
7,.niist with fireb ever since. As for wild beasts, we bear simplicity and sincerity. " Articles and Creeds,"
• (141,.owling end roaring round the fence every night from it is his opinion, " are not the means of inaking
. b,,
_riettil day-light, but we have only been inconvenienced of one mind all the members of the Church:
ti:iub ~lien. The first time he came, in order to get rid of
but the feelings which would most lead us far
he nit* peaceably, we turned out an old ewe, with which
Was Well satisfied; but ever since he comes to uses regular away from such condition, and induce and en-
. trive.,k-work for his mutton; and if we do not soon con. able us to bear with the ignorance (2f others,
eto cut his in t, i acquaintance, we shall hardly have a sheep however paillful and inexplicable to ourselves.,,,
:40._*e flock. It would have been easy to shoot him, The necessity of some articles, at the time when
our
Well provided with muskets, but Barnaby mistook
--me r
41 eillnain of gunpowder for onion seed, and sowed it hardly be disputed.
our own were framed, can
pit- T the kitchen garden. We did try to trap him into a The Church had then been but newly reformed
lli-.but after twice catching Mrs. P. and every one from the errors of the Catholic Religion ; and it
fise
olsldren in turn, it was given up. They are now, was essential as well for
priest
as people, that
.4,
_eve r, perfectly at ease about the animal, for they never
hers pecific character should be limited and de-
•
abi.Y.ut of doors at all ; and, to make them quite comfort-
-46:. I have blocked up all the windows and barricaded the fined: so that her redintegration to primitive
eanf: We have lost only one of our number since we doctrine and practice might be placed beyond
gii,,, '___l4inely, Diggory, the market-gardener, from Glas- all question, and her " ensign lifted up from
sun; s,llO went out one morning to botanist, and never afar." The object of their framers seems to
had pack. lam much surprised at his absconding, as he have
nethinbeen to exclude,
decidedly and peremp-
ts. ga spade bat
to go off with. Chippendale,
141rPenter was sent after him, but did not return; torily, some with whose faith she could have
Isis
. Gregory,tl,e the smith, has been out after them neither part nor lot, but to open the door as
her,_ two days. I have just despatched Mudge, the wide as possible to others, not substantially
19on"aisa, to look after all three, and hope he will differing from herself. In doing this, however,
s„„ give a good account of them, as they are the
it does not seem to have occurred to them, or,
. d.7't useful men in the whole settlement, and, in fact, in-
-I)4eP!ileable to its very existence. The river Mudiboo is at least, influenced their decision, that the
beep and rapid, and said to swarm with alligators, though I single article, designed to render the system of
orl!oaeard but of three being seen at one time, and none. the Church palatable to one mode of belief,
t,„la;. se above eight en feet long ; this, however, is imma- loses its effect, when combined with those which
,s, a', as we do not use the river fluid, which is thick and
. itYi but draw ail our water from natural wells and tanks. are equally intended to conciliate others: vor
I:liski,enotis springs are rather common, bet are easily distin- that it at once creates a reason for one or more
s 4e4 by containing no fish or living animal. Thcse, of those others not conforming. In one word,
uWeverWhich swarm
art harmless~
..ti and may be safely used for culinary purposes.
defeat this intention ; and that, whilst only one
4611, I-know of no drawback but one, which, I am
anaguiue, may he got over hereafter, and do earnestly hope definition can scarcely be stated, in . which all
ief",,a6tsise,if things are no better in England than when 1 shall really concur, much more improbable is it,
aft'
_Y,ou, and as many as you can persuade, will sell off all, that assent (in the proper sense of the word) will
s' 'me over to this African paradise." be yielded to thirty-nine.
liisis postscript to the letter says.that:the four men had been
that by wild beasts, that the Mudiboo had overflowed, Neither did nor could the Reformers or
ILL; the Setrampash Flans were converted into a swamp, Master-builders of our Zion, legislating, at a
- that they were all coming back as fast as they could. period when the people, possessing little learn-
ing or intelligence of their own, were willing,
and even glad, to receive the authoritative dicta•
tion of those whom they venerated, for the
noble lead they had taken in the vindication of
Christian truth, and, when within the Church,
might be found abundantly adequate accommo-
dation for the people's wants,—neither did they,
nor could they, we say, anticipate the time when
the laity should vie with the clergy in scriptural
and general learning ; and assert, upon high
* In the book reviewed, articles of faith and creeds are
properly assumed to be necessary at all times, but as means
of preserving the peace and extending the usefulm ss of the
Church. It is also assumed that they ought to be made
as few as possible, and to establish points of high and equal
importance, p. 13. And ought also to be such as to leave
the right of conscience as free as possible, while they con-
fine within proper limits the right which individuals might
else exercise to teach in the congregation certain erroneous

The Marquis and. Marchioness of TA VI-
Zuelc, Lady BUTE, Lady DUDLEY STEWART, the
Lftess of MORTON, Lady HENRY FITZ ROY and family,
jar j"UltucE, Sir LAURENCE and Lady PALE, Lady But.-
Colonel and Mrs. LESLIE, Mr. and Mrs. JOIINES
klp T, Colonel and Mrs. Iltitt.zn ELYIIINSTONE, Mrs.
a„141.9), and the Very Rev. the Dean of BRISTOL, are
gi the late arrivals' at Torquay, which fills fast, and
tts promise of a gay winter season.
DUBLIN. •
1 -BLIN.—At twenty minutes past nine
L°.;'k on Friday morning, her Grace, accompanied by
t;e" PauntiOß brother to his Excellency the Loan
ttatielENANT, arrived •at the harbour of Howth. Her
e was received at the pier-head by Sir EDWARDt.4. Secretary to the General Post-office, who presented
4Ptain STEVFNS commanding his Majesty's packet the
on beard' of which her Grace and his Lordship
i ett,barked, and proceeded to Holyhead. It
ct;-Pected that her Grate will return to Dublin Lefore
ristmas.

opinions.

ground, the right, within certs; 1 limits, of privets ' and the si- if of religion itself', we conscientiously
judgment: and when again varieties of Christian believe, pet,,ai.. a vastly wider sphere than it
sentiment 'should spring . in .a.- great ' degree ; - does or can under present circumstances.
from the positive necessity of seeking else-; As to the mode of proceeding, it would strike
where for spiritual advantages dented by us that a commission to the Clergy should con-
the circumscribed means of the National , mence it. The Clergy have a more intimate
Church. Such is, in fact, our present acquaintance with time structure and bearing of
position :—A large body of competent judges our Canons, Articles, and Liturgy, than the
has, brought its sagacity to bear upon our Ar-ILaity. They have watched, and can appreciate
tides, with a proportionable variety of cOnvic- their effect. They have a much greater know-
tion : and the difficulty, of course, became ' ledge of man's moral nature than others, as phy-
-1
greater of maintaining in their place these dis- i sicians of his physical. They are, for the most
tinctive symbols. On the other hand, the Church's part, well educated—have the sense of Christian
moral, and local position, its inadequacyto meet I responsibility constantly before them ; and
the wants of the people, and its actual, though finally, have formed their individual detailed
undesigned, repudiating of them, to become the opinions upon such subjects.
members of other religious societies, are indis- Still, as they are most truly described to be
posing many (how many it is painful to think) trustees for the _people, the revision of whatever
to submit to articles, which, under the circum- they may agree upon should be with the lay
stance of a more universal conformity, might have body, either acting under commission or in
been quietly borne. Let another thing be added. their ordinary legislative capacity. Thus not
In the scrutiny which has recently been bestowed only would jealousy be avoided, and the charge
on most points of our political and religious eco- i of professional bias be silenced, but the resources
nomy, the proprieties and duties of the clerical i of intelligence, and good feeling throughout the
function have come under revies- : and it has , body politic, be brought to bear upon a subject
not escaped the observation of the sagacious, of common and paramount moment.
that they, of all men, should be exempt from the We were somewhat startled at Mr. Hull's 4
dilemma of . either diverting their labours and ' allusion to the doctrine of the Trinity, but our
zeal to temporal offices, or of engaging in spi- doubts how far what he said was consistent with
ritual, under suspicion, however vague, of inte- the full belief in that doctrine were presently
rested views. Mit the generality of the clergy ; solved when we considered the whole book taken
do not subscribe otherwise than with integrity of . together, and more particularly pp. 54 and 55.
purpose we verily believe. We believe them to The notions pressed in that book are entirely
be convinced, as we ourselves are, that, if a sys- consistent with a sincere and practical belief in
tern is to be drawn out of the Scriptures, and set the Trinity. We lay a stress upon the epithet
in order by human words—that of the Church of I practical, because it accurately defines Christians
England is, upon the whole, excellent—and that lof that class who discover the truth of this doc-
I
in subjection to it, a great mass of good may trine, in their personal conviction and spiritual
be accomplished by the conscientious minister. being, heartily and affectionately embrace it, and
But the question is, whether, in these advanced would only abstain from the use of terms not
and unprecedented days, still more good might found in the Bible, inadequate to convey clear
not result from two things—transferring to the notions, and far more apt to raise discussions,
Canons all matters of municipal or corporate re- than to calm into conviction. Can we quarrel
gulation, as they may be termed ; and widening with them for this ? alas ! the records of our
the range, by lessening the number, and the pro- Christian disputes, (Christian disputes !) but
positions, of such of the Articles as literally relate two plainly testify that words, not things, have
to doctrine : if not, indeed, as we are disposed been the pivots of disagreement and disunion ;
to contend, it would be an unspeakable gain to and that the more we refrain from the use of
"faith, hope, and charity, to do," altogether our own, and trust to those of inspiration, the
substituting Scriptural for human declarations. nearer do we approximate to oneness of faith,
How unperemptory, with one or two exceptions, and " love unfeigned."
and yet how holy and edifying, is our Liturgy ! We will not now enter further into the " In-
It embodies all that the serious Christian can quiry," our object being, not so much to ana-
reasonably desire. Without pronouncing upon lyze its contents, or dilate upon the merits of a
disputable points, it satisfies by its very gene- single work, as to direct the attention of our
r ility and spirit of attraction, and pastoral affec- readers to the great theme it takes up ; and
tion. And it might naturally be asked, why happy shall we be if that object be obtained !
any other standard of fellowship should be required, We may just add, however, before we conclude,
especially since experience has testified that the that, like many other earnest writers, our author
strictest standardhasn athadtheeffect ofpreventing is too deeply interested in his subject to pay the
difference " within " the Church, and many, attention that a less zealous inais would give to
who are " without," from entering her courts. the dress of his work—which, after all, ls but
If, however, we arc not ripe for resolving all our the dress. His propositions, which, individually
articles of faith into one, simply declaring our taken, are for the most part both true and im-
concurrence in the doctrine of the Liturgy, it portant, and many of them original and striking,
may nevertheless be adviseable to modify the sometimes want the connecting links that would
form and substance of the subsisting ones. give them congruity and integrity. Sometimes,
Neither Mr. Hull nor ourselves undervalue also there are trifling inaccuracies of phrase,
Articles. We are only desirous of having it con- and an occasional opinion we might be disposed
sidered whether the boundaries of our good to controvert, though not with any certainty of
Church might not be enlarged and the spirit of being ourselves right. But we might borrow
pure religion and undefiled," promoted by a the words of our own Bishop Taylor, and say,
judicial revisal. The great difficulty lies, as we " These things are not so much as the fringes
formerly observed, in preaching, or the per- of the garment of the body" of truth ; and un-
sonal addresses of the Clergy to their congrega. affectedly thank Mr. Hull for his volume.
tion. These require to be controlled, lest they • Mr. Hull considers it questionable how far creeds
become (what time merely liturgical service would should form part of the service for morning prayer in
not) sources of variance between the members of Church, as due attendance on that service is in itself a re-
duction of our creed into practice, and theref?rre of more
different congregations ; and may, possibly, need
worth for the purposes of a creed than a repetition of that
a more detailed check than such as we have been creed. And the knowledge that the creel will be re-
proposing, though we should think that even for peated, keeps many individuals out of the Church walls
these, negative rather than positive laws would who might else enter them, and when there unlearn their
be ..convenient laws, simply prohibiting- what errors. What creeds contain, and of what use they may
be, is set out on pages 177 to 182, and on page 226.
ought not to be affirmed from the pulpit. ..------_
Our author's second chapter is upon alters,
lions in the Prayer Book, which itself answers
all those who would contend for its unchange-
ableness : and he exemplifies his views, by re-
ferring his readers to the amended Prayer Book
of the American Church, of which we would also
strongly recommend the perusal. No man will
affirm, we think, that the changes in it have de-
ducted from that character of sanctity, and
sound wisdom, which has justly placed it amongst
the finest of human composition. To ourselves
it would seem as if much, which was once, with
sound discretion, made part and parcel of it,
but, by change of circumstance, had become
less apposite, were then taken away, and the
fabric, without any violation of its essentially
ancient and reverend features, not only reno-
vated to primitive strength and usefulness, but
even enlarged and improved. Should it be in-
convenient to any to procure the American
Prayer Book, Mr. Hull's work, which has a
chapter devoted to a minute examination of its
contents, may be profitably consulted instead.
We will merely observe, by way of preface to
such an employment, and to disarm the preju-
dice that is indisposed to believe any substantial
improvement likely to come from the Western
Continent—that scarcely a point has been -
achieved, which is not in fact traceable to re-
corded English discussion upon English land.
It is proposed, next, that to effect the neces-
sary changes there should be " a review of our
Articles and Liturgy, by commission to that
effect, if obtainable from the Crown; and if
not, by a Committee of Religion in the House
of Commons." And an interesting and, cer-
tainly, very instructive summary is added of the
proceedings, which, at various periods of the
English Church, and under different aspects of
our political history, have taken place, for the
accomplishment of this very matter. At the.
present moment, few timings can more sensibly
affect the heart of the anxious member of the
Establishment than such a record. We are
greatly mistaken if it will not shew him the
better principles of human nature, and the
worthier dictation of religiOus wisdom, at every
convenient opportunity asserting their rights
against an unwise, though often honest, adherence
to what is falsely called consistency ; a too sensi-
tive dread of change, and a persuasion that " the
thing which is, is the thing that ought to be."
He will perceive, moreover, in the traCcs of op-
portunities lost, which, it is now but too evident,
might have been improved to noblest purposes,
no dim or doubtful warnings against time mis-
chief of bringing to the discussion of these vital
questions any other than a candid, forbearing,
quiet spirit, tempered by fear of God, and hearty
love of man.
“ The Church of Christ," observes the book
before us, " does not require, ft it in way sanc-
tion, all the distinctions which now so unhappily
prevail amongst Protestants." In this we
fully concur ; and convinced, as every thinking
man must be, of the evils of " Christ divided,
for practically he is so, where they subsist, we
gladly catch at any probablei The Duke of CUMBERLAND returned to h.
remedy, and would i
risk something to put it n But residence at Kew on Monday evening, from a visit to h:
to operation.
we cannot honestly attach the term " risk " to
MaJaszY, at the Royal Lodge in Windsor Park.
the measure proposed ; a fel .. • 1t
!v naigo be offended, Prince LEOPOLD entertained a select party t
but many more, would be utisfiect and benefitted ; clinner Yesterday, at his residence at Claremont.

EAST INDIA HOUSE.-(THIS DAY.

A Quarterly General Court of the Proprietors of India
Stock was held at the India House this morning, for the
purpose of declaring a dividend on the Cap tal Stock 01
the Company, from Midsummer last to Christmas next.
The Court was made special, fur the purpose of submit-

ting for confirmation an alteration in the by-laws.
JOHN LOCK, ESQ., in the Chair.
The minutes of the last Court were read.
The CHAIRMAN informed the Court that, in consequence
of the non-arrival of the accounts from India up to May,

182 S, which had not yet been received, the general ac-
counts of the Company's affairs could not be made out.
In answer to an Oservation from Mr. Dixon, the
Chairman stated, that instructions had been sent out to
the Indian Government to use all possible despatch in
sending over the accounts.
Accounts of Superannuations, cost of Volunteers, &c.
Were presented.
The CHAIRMAN informed the Court that the Board of
Directors bad come to a resolution respecting the dividend.
The SECRETARY read a minute of the last meeting of the
Board, at which a resolution was passed to declare a divi-
dend of 51 per cent. for the current half year.
The CHAIRMAN—IS it the opinion that this dividend be
agreed to ?
The dividend was confirmed.
THE BY -LAWS.

The CHAIRMAN informed the Court that it was made
special to confirm the proceedings of the last Court for
altering the by-laws.
The SECRETARY read the minutes of the proposed
alteration. It ordains that all bills and resolutions intro-
duced in either House of Parliament, having reference to
Indian affairs, shall be placed en the proprietors table for
their information.
The Court confirmed the resolution.
PENSIONS AND SUPERANUATIONS.

General THORNTON rose to explain some miscon•
ception in his motion of the last Court, and moved a re-
solution to the effect that printed returns should be made
of all pensions and allowances granted by the Company.
The CHAIRMAN thought the return unnecessary, as
such a statement had already been made out.
Mr. HUME said he thought it would be more politic to
have all the accounts Fublished, as any attempt at conceal-
ment would lead to a suspicion that all was not right ; and
as the conduct of the Directors, and the afftirs of the Com-
pany, would soon become a subject of investigation in Par-
liament, it would be well to have every thing understood
out of doors. _ _

Mr. DIXON remarked, that if the affairs of the Com-
pany were to be made public, there was no knowing where
such a course would stop.
The CumamAN again said, all the information asked for
by the motion was already before the Proprietors.