The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1835-02-06 00:00:00

THE LIVERPOOL: STANDARD.

THE EUPHRA'T'ES EXPEDITION.

This interesting, expedition is at length fairly afloat in oar
river, and_ will sail first fair wind, after a vexatious detention,
which we have heard with regret, renders less certain the suc-
cess of the enterprise. We trust, however; that the George,
Canning, now tying at Anchor off Egreatout Ferry, a fine ship
of .10,/ tons, on board of which the whole is embarked, may have
a qUick-passage the coast of Syria, as she Will be joined at
the. Cove of Cork by his Majesty's steamer Alban, which .will
accompany her to her destination. We are informed:that 15
officers, every one of them distinguished by eminent xcieutific,
literary,, or professional attainments; 20 picked artillerymen,
chiefly artificers, 6 enginemen, 7 Liverpool blacksmiths, and 2
interpreters, are engaged in the expedition, in all 50 persoiss,
under the command of Colonel Chesney, f the Royal Artillery.
The officer, second in command, is already in Syria, making
arrangements. At Malta a number of labourers and seamen
will be engaged. The George Canning has on board two iron
steamers in frame, the Euphrates and the Tigris, with their
materiel and ample stores, in all, probably, little short of 300
tons weight. These are made up into many packages, which
will be transhipped on the coast of Syria into small country
craft, and conveyed up the Orontes as far as it is navigable.
This river, after passing the ancient city of Antioch, falls into
the Mediterranean near the Gulf of •Scalidereon. These pack-
ages will be taken from the Orontes to Bir, on the Euphrates,
across a desert of probably 150 miles, chiefly by camels, which
carry about half a ton weight each, and may be hired on the
coast of Syria to any number, and at a trifling expense. Some
.of the heaviest articles will be mounted on carriag>s which are
taken out. on purpose. At Bir the steamers will be re-con-
structed, and the Grand Seignor and Mehemet Ali have pro•
raised their protection as far as their authority extends. ‘Ve
have picked up on 'Change Illillly ()tiler details of the Euphrates
expedition, which we defer meuriening for the present, in the
hope of au official report being soon published. We sincerely
wish success to the enterprise, but apprehend it has many diffi-
culties and dangers to encounter, as will be seen by any one
who carefully studies the minutas of evidence on steam com-
munication with India given before the committee of the House
of Commons. This vuratne contains much curious information,
and we strongly recommend it to the attention of our readers.
Mr. Fitzjames, R.N., woo goes out with the expedition, has
been veis much the subject of conversation here this week in
consequence of the heroic achievement which he accomplished
on Sunday, as reccrded in our last publication. It will he seen
iu another column that our corporation have clone themselves
the honour of conferring the freedom of the borough on Mr.
Fitzjames, and we have satisfaction iu stating that a few gen-
tlemen in our Exchange News•room have presented bun with
a splendid silver goblet, with beautifully execisted marine de-
vices, bearing the following inscription :

PEESENTED TU
Ma. FITZJAMES, lt.N.,
OP THE EL PIittATES EXPEDITION,

HIS FRIENDS, IN LIVERPOOL,
AS ,A TOKEN of THEIR ADMIRATION OF
. HIS GALLANT HEROISM
IN SAVING A DRQWNING MAN IN
THE RIVER MERSEY,,
ON SUNDAY, IST FEBRUARY, 1835,
AT THE IMMINENT. HAZARD OF HIS OWN LIFE.

We hope this goblet may long remain in the family of
" Fitzjanies" as an heir-loom, and be filled on all festive occa-
sions, like the "Blessed bear of Biadwardine."

COURT OF SESSION, EDINBURGH.

On Saturday a very important decision was pronounced by
the Court of Session, finding that the clergymen of the collegi-
ate church were alone entitled to make use of the building, and
that the magistrates, Dean of Guild, and others had nu title
whatever so us to enable them to apply. the church to secular:
or popular purposes. The. 9tteStitin is obviously one of very.
great importance. It is one 9n which a decision was very much
wanted throughout all Scotland, and .it is particularly sratif)-
ing that thiS much agitated dispute is now finally and tor ever
set at rest by a judgment of the Supreme Court—the case
being applicable to all Scotch. churches and kirk sessions what-
soever.

The cause carne before the Second Division of the Court on
a bill of interdict, which had been preseuted by the clergymen
and kirk session of St. Andrew's, praying the court to prohibit
the key of the church from being given up to the magitstrates
aiul.t.Jwii council by the beadle without the prior consent and
approbation of one or other of the clergymen.
..On the 27th October last Lord Medwyn granted the iierdict
craved, and appointed answers. On advising the hill otter; iuter-
diet with the answers,' Lord Cockburn considered the point
involved in the interdict as one of such vast moment to the com-
munity, that he reported the cause to the Second Division, and
ordered the parties to give-in eases.
The case for the clergymen was drawn up by Mr. George
Grant; that for the magistrates by Mr. Robert Thomson. We
subjoin a rapid abstract of the argument in those papers, omit-
ting, as matter of general notoriety, the were specialities out of
which the question anise.
It was argued for the interdictors, that although the presby-
terian church of Scotland denies that any place is capable of
holiness, under pretence of, any dedication or consecretion
whatsoever, still a church is substantially set apart for given
uses, and that it cannot be otherwise employed, without being
thereby illegally perverted-to ends inconsistent with the design
of its original 'construction. A church is, therefore, in the
language of the Roman law, yes 1114111ISS, and cannot be dealt
with, while it- continues in that state, as private property; nav,
the beritors and parishioners have uo farther right to the area
or its sittihgs, than a right of using them for the special pur-
pose of attending divine service.
Few decisioni are quoted on the subject, none, indeed, hav-
ing hitherto occurred, •as it has been uniformly laid down by
all institutional writers, that the custody of the key of the
church belonged to the clergymen pro tempore. 'l'here are
various statutes which presuppose this right so clearly, that no
doubt can be entertained what was the opinion of the legislators
who framed them: ' •

There is a decision in the English law books which throws a
conjectural light on the law of Scotland on the sense subject.
It appears that a vestry had been convened for the purpose of
ordering an additional key of the church to be made for the us._
of the parish churchwarden; but Sir John Nichol, the Judge in
Doctors' Commons, reprehended this proceeding as irregular,
on the express ground that the minister had, in the first instance,
,the right to possession of the key, and that nn►der him only could the
churchwardens hare it in their custody. It is ioterestmg to ob-
serve this identity in the laws of the two countries, the conflict
of which in other points is sometimes not a little embarrassing.
Such was the argument for the complainers.
On the other -band, it was contended, first, that there was
nothing in holding a district meeting for the election of that
district's 'Fown Council Representatives foreign to the interests
of the parish, or inconsistent with the proper and customary
uses of the church; secondly, that the English decision pro-
ceeded on the principle that the area was consecrated— a prin-
ciple disavowed by Presbyterians—and could not, thergfore, be
quoted as bearing upon the present case; and, lastly, that, by
'the law of Scotland, the beadle, as the officer of the magistrates,
or of the heritors, was the legal custodier of the church key; so
that there were no grounds for interdicting them from making
use of it.

The court, however, unanimously granted the interdici craved
against the Dean of Guild, beadles, and all others ; Lord
Meadowbank observing, that the clergyman was entitled not
only "to keep the keys of the kirk, but to have entrance to it at
all times, and to preach or to catechise on any day in the week,
and at any hour. Over and above this special clerical purpose,
the church could only be legally demanded by kirk sessions and
by the heritors, when met to deliberate on the poor's funds, the
repairs of the kirk, and such like parochial necessities.—Edin-
burgh paper.

We have lost one of the most celebrated literary characters,
Frederick Augustus Langheim, one of our most esteemed poets
He was a contemporary of Burgher, and very popular at that
time. .Since 18:0 he had held the post of censor of the literary
journals. He died on the 2d of Jdnuary, at the age of seventy-
seven. He was remarkable for his kindness towards young
literary men.- -,.l,etier fron
LgiVstc VA in.—Extract ofa letter from Leipsic of the.lBth
ult.:—‘The harharous music ofihe wandering minstrels is the
only noise we heard in the streets at our fair. The number of
.buyers having been very limited, prices have suffered a con-
siderable depression. Tt'sis dithrinulion is principally in cloths,
leather, and linens. The Greeks and the Poles gave large orders
fur English inanufactures,-aud silk gOOds sold well."
Joseph lionaintrie came to town from.his seat in the country
fur the express purpOse of meeting the Linke- of Leuchtenburg,
after the Prim: had visited and dined with the King, at Isis
Palace at Brighton. The alike aura Joseph Bonaparte tnet at
the house of a friend, where tie) were closeted furseveral hours.
—London paper.- .

TUE laisitst AN AT VITToitiA.—A little anecdote must here
be allowed to ha reeorded of iln Irishman, Dan. Fitzgibbon, of
th'e grenadiers, who, like the most of his countrymen, possessed
both courage and humour. Ile was placed at a bank, which he
was to fire over, but was told on no account to show himself.
Nor Dan, not taking this 'adVice, jumped upon this bank every
round he tired, to see he had hit any one. At length a Freticli-
miur short him through the back of the left hand. It was seen
that. sornethinglail .happened, and fe was asked what was the
platter. Dan, very quietly looking at his bleeding fist, and
scratching'his head witii,the other, said, • I Wish I
.k„, who
did thie.' —aimpaeynt of the 28th Regiment.
• S6VINGS BANKS INTRANCE.—There.areatpresent inFrance
seventy nine savings banks authorised by the government,-and
the council of state has under consideration tifty-two appiica-
ti:ms fur permission to establish similar institutions. Of these
establishments, thirty-six are in the chief towns of arroodisse-
xnents, and forty one in the chief towns of departMents. It
therefore -appears, that there are forty-five chief towns of de-
•partinents„which do not possess savings banks. There is an
immense tainber of depositors in the Paris savings banks, and,
on two successive days about a fortnight ago, no less than a sum
total'of 516,508 francs was paid in,