The Express. — 1866-12-17 (London, England)

NIISAAL OF PROVOST 31ARSHAL RAMSAY. —The unceremonious ignoring of the bill of indictment for murder preferred against Provost blarishal Ramsay, at the St. Thomas-in-the-East Circuit 'ourt, must by this time be known to our readers in England. Ramsay has since been dismissed, not simply from the police, in which he held the appointment of inspector for the precinct of St. Catherine, but from the puolic service. To Ranisay's friends this is a cause of much disappointment, to the "upper" awl the "governing and property" classes, it appears an outrage towards as man who played such a conspicuous part on the side of "loyalty" during the late " rebellion ;" to all right thinking and honest men, however, it appears, as it appeared to his Excellency the Governor, " inexpedient" that one whose name is so singe • larly immortalised as is that of Ramsay in connexion with ' Morant Bay, should be retained in the public service. This, as punishment for all that he has done, is little enough ; but there are men who think it hard that even ' thus much should have been meted out to him.—Kingsten ' (Jamaica ) Morning Journal, Nov. 24. THE CHURCH IN JAMLIC t. —There is something significant of the future in church history in this colony, manifest in a circular from the acting financial secretary to the several clerks of the vestries throughout the island. The parishes are henceforth to be relieved "of the expenditure heretofore incurred by them for ecclesiastical purposes." Henceforth dissenters, Roman catholic', and Jews who do not attend the State church are not to be called upon to contribute of their means for the purposes of that church. Is it too much to hope that the day is not far distant when they shall be relieved of the glaring injustiee of having to support the church itself ? It is considered, and considered justly too, that " the congregations attached to the several churches and chapels of the island may with propriety and advantage be called on to contribute the funds " for all objects of church expenditure, except the repairs of the buildings. Is this not simply fair? Have not the people of all other creeds and denominations to provide and keep up their own temples for the worship of God ? Have they not to meet all the expenditure incidental thereto? Why, then, should they contribute for the purposes of other chinches in which they have no faith, and from which they derive no benefit There is nothing like having a ' strong government, guided by a firm hand." It is able to do justice in matters which • liberal government would not dare to broach. To all who are unconnected with the established church the course determined on by the government will give • comforting assurance of the future.—Kingston (Jamaica) Morning Jawed, Nov. 24. It ieunderstood (says the Sunday Gazette) that prosecutions are forthwith to be commenced against the incumbents of churches in the diocese of London in which extreme ritualistic practices are observed, the prosecutions to be undertaken by laymen, and to be in every way independent of the Bishop of London, except that they will be commenced in the consistorial court of his diocese. The cases will be proceeded with under the Church Discipline Act, and as the commissioners appointed by the bishop will have no difficulty about proof of the matters submitted to their consideration, they will be sent by letters of request to the Court of Arches. Whatever the decision of the Dean of the Court of Arches may be, there will, as • matter of course, be an appeal to the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council, by which body it may be hoped the disputed points may be set at rest.