311au1lautnns.

Tam journals have published the following extraordinary document, entitled "A Reply received by the Reverend W. R. Fremantle, of Haydon Rectory, to an A,ddress—[not published]—bearing on the 'Essays and Reviews.'" The full tale of prelates' names appended makes it all the more notable: "Lambeth, Feb. 12. "Rev. Sir,—I have taken the opportunity of meeting many of my episcopal brethren in London, to lay your aadress before them.

They unanimously agree with me in expressing the pain it has given them that any clergyman of our Church should have published such opinions as those concerning which you have addressed us.

"We cannot understand how these opinions can be held consistently with an honest subscription to the formularies of our Church, with many of the fundamental doctrines of which they appear to us essen- tially_at variance. "Whether the language in which these views are expressed is such as to make their publication an act which could be visited in the eccle- siastical courts, or to justify the synodical condemnation of the book which contains them, is still under our gravest consideration. But our main hope is our reliance on the blessing of God in the continued and increasing earnestness with which we trust that we and the clergy of our several dioceses may be enabled to teach and preach that good deposit of sound doctrine which our Church has received in its ful- ness, and which we pray that she may, through God's grace, ever set forth as the uncorrupted Gospel of our Lord J esus Christ.-1 remain, rev, sir, your faithful servant, "J. B. CANTUAR. "Rev. W. Fremantle.

"I am authorised to append the following names : C. J. Ebor, A. C. London, H. M. Dunelni C. It. Winton, H. Exeter, C. Peter- borough, C. St. David's, A. Chichester, J. Lichfield, S. Oxon, T. Ely, T. V. St. Asaph, J. P. Manchester, R. 1). Hereford, J. Chester, A Liandaff, It. J. Bath and Wells, J. Lincoln, C. Gloucester and Bristol, W. Sarum, It. ltipon, J. T. Norwich, J. C. Bangor, J. Roches- ter, S. Carlisle."

A memorial has been presented to Lord Palmerston, praying for more bishops. The project is to subdivide the large sees of London, Exeter, Durham, Rochester, Lincoln, Gloucester, and thus reinforce the episcopate by the addition of half a dozen new bishops. The memorial is signed by a large number of Peers and Commoners chiefly of the Conservative party, Lord Eversley and Lord Ebury being the most conspicuous men from the other camp.

The Commission appointed to inquire into the corrupt practices at _Berwick has made its report. It is of enormous dimensions. Berwick is notorious for its corruption, and the Commissioners report that Cap- tain Gordon, elected in 1859, was cognizant of and privy to bribery, but that Mr. Earle was not; they find that Mr. Hodgson was privy to and cognizant of bribery, but that Mr. Majoribanks was not. Mr. Disraeli is exonerated from the charges made by Brodie. The certifi- cate of indemnity on the ground that the witness has made a full and true disclosure, appears to have been given to Captain Gordon, but withheld from 1&. Hodgson and from fourteen other persons charged with bribing or being bribed at the election in August, 1859.

Some zealous friends of Mr. Cobden at Glasgow proposed to raise a fund-far him. The scheme does not seem to have met with the ap- proval of Mr. Cobden, who is recruiting his strength at Algiers, and thence he has forwarded for publication the following letter to Mr. Robert Dalgish, the leader of the Glasgow zealots :

"Algiers, Feb. 16, 1861. "My dear Sir,—The newspapers which have just reached me contain a circular issued by a committee in Glasgow, bearing your signature as convener, inviting subscriptions to a testimonial hind in acknowledgment of my recent eminent services.'

'Whilst I appreciate most cordially the friendly motives which must have prompted the gentlemen whose names appear on the committee to take this step without my consent or knowledge, I must beg them to allow me very respectfully to decline their proffered kindness. I drew upon the Government for my expenses during the time I was in Paris, and have, therefore, incurred no pecuniary sacri- fice for which I am entitled to reimbursement. As for the services which I ren- dered in connexion with the treaty, they were a labour of love for which it would be painful to me to accept compensation in any form, or from any quarter. Reite- rating my thanks for your kind intentions,

"Believe me, years very truly,

"Ric. COBDEN."

A serious charge has been made against Mr. Samuel Laing, the new Finance Minister for India. In 1852, as one of a company, he entered into a contract with a Mr. George Wythes, of Reigate, to construct a railway from Hamilton to Toronto for the sum of 328,000/. The railway cost 418,672/. It is charged that, after Mr. Laing had ceased to be a director or a shareholder, he went to the board meetings and advocated the claim of Mr. Wythes, and that Mr. Laing was all this time, while contracting with Mr. Wythes, and while presiding over the meeting of the Great Western share- holders and getting them to adopt the Hamilton and Toronto line, the partner of Mr. Wythes in this very contract. These statements are made in the report of a committee of investigation into the affairs of the Great Western of Canada :

"In the coarse of the investigation" (says this report), "it has come to the knowledge of the committee, and upon reference to his evidence it will be seen that Mr. Samuel Laing himself admits the extraordinary fact, that before the signing of the contract and the issuing of the prospectus, he (Mr. Laing) had entered into a partnership agreement with Mr. Wythes, by virtue of which he and Wythes were to share the profit or loss upon the contract between them ; so that, ut truth and in fact, the contract to make the railway was 'an agreement made and entered into between Samuel Laing, M.P., and others' as trustees for all who might become shareholders, of the one part, and the said Samuel Laing, M.P., and another, railway contractors, of the other part.' Mr. Laing being thus

confessedly the partner of the contractor, it is further charged thitt upon the

consideration of the contractor's claim by the London Directors of the Great corporate body. Western Company, Mr. Laing took the chair at a board meeting, at which Mr. Lord Far OLD seconded the motion.

Wytbes, accompanied by his solicitor—who was also solicitor to the Hamilton and Toronto Railway Company—attended, and that, after discussion on the sub- ject, this board meeting agreed to a recommendation to the Canadian directors, that unless the difference at issue could be forthwith settled in Canada the

requisite authority should be transmitted to the London board for that par- pose: e

This charge may be susceptible of an explanation, but it is one which must be met point blank without delay. It touches more than the reputation of Mr. Laing ; it touches a Minister of the Queen.

The Queen has appointed Mr. William Jenner, M.D. to be Physician Extra- ordinary to her Majesty, in the room of the late Dr. William Baly.—Gazette.

At the meeting of the Royal Geogrdphical Society on Monday next, the 25th instant, the adventurous gorilla hunter, M. du Chaim will read a paper on his late travels in Western Equatorial Africa; and Consul Petherick will take leave of the society on his departure for the White Nile.

The honorary freedom of the Fishmongers' Company has been unanimously voted to Mr. Cobden, and will be conferred upon the veteran free-trader as soon as he returns to England.

Sir William Burnett, a distinguished physician, long director-general of the medical department of the navy, and, during his earlier career, present at the battles off Cape St. Vincent, the Nile, and Trafalgar, died on the 16th, at the age of eighty-two. He had four war medals.

M. Charles Avissean, a pottery manufacturer at Tours, of extraordinary genius, and one of the modern rivals of Bernard de Palissy, has just died in that city. M. Scribe, the veteran eminent dramatist, died at two oclock on Wednesday afternoon of an apopletic stroke, with which he was seized while taking an airing in his carriage.

It is reported that the system of encamping in hats at Aldershott will be given up, and that the huts now there will be sold as "old stores." In future, the men kept there for training purposes will be under canvas. The two new iron-cased frigates will be armed with 70 and 100-pounder Armstrong guns, and the ships of the Channel fleet will have, some one, others two, 100-pounder Armstrongs as heavy bow-guns.

During the recent storms two of the Hartlepool lifeboats and one of the National Lifeboat Institution's boats, stationed at Seaton Carew, were instrumental in rescuing twenty-six shipwrecked crews, representing at least one hundred and twenty persons. The boats were chiefly manned by the same crews throughout tile arduous and perilous services.

The number of deaths in London continues to fall. Last week the number was 1328, about a score fewer than the calculated average. We may impute the decrease to the higher range of the temperature.