Cinuten rates have again attracted the lively attention of Church-

men. An archdeacon of the diocese of Exeter has appealed :to his bishopfor "a declaration of opinion"—not the only appeal he has re- ceived—and Dr. Philpot's opunon, it will be seen from his letter, is not that held by Mr. Disraeli. He says :—

" What that opinion would be if the question were asked under the same state of things as existed in past generations, it is hardly necessary for me to

consider. I look at the problem actually presented to us, and so looking, I ant anxious to secure all that sound principle demands, without insisting upon alb which we may think desirable, nor even all which most of us may think reason- able.

"The principle-to be contended for, and never by us to be abandoned, is the- rmion of Church and State in every nation calling itself Christian.

"This indispensable object would seem to me to be insured by retaining, church rates as the legal instrument of providing for the maintenance of the edifices and churchyards, even if the support of the special services of the Church were no longer insisted upon. "To require the maintenance of these edifices as a standing monument of the nation's faithfulness to God, is not open to the most specious, and therefore the

most effective, argument commonly used for the abolition of church rates—

namely, that such a charge is inconsistent with the rights of conscience; for very many are thus made to support a system of doctrine and of worship to which

they are conscientiously opposed. Whether this argument is reasonable or not L forbear to inquire; I would rather seek to render it inapplicable. This would be accomplished by acting on the very aim* expedient which I have suggested. Forthus the great national object would be secured, without leaving any griev- ance of which any reasonable man could complain.

"I rejoice in thinking, too, that all which we should find practically necessary would be obtained. For the necessary charges for public worship are not of a. formidable amount, and those which are unnecessary—such as for organs, for lighting, warming, and the like—may be (shall I be afraid of saying ought to be?), no longer demanded of those who cannot enjoy the use of them.

"In examining the list of strictly necessary charges, the first particular is at once the largest and most important—the supplying the elements at the Holy Communion. But this, I hesitate not to say, is most unfit to be made a charge on any inan. None but those who actually communicate ought to be, I will not say compelled, but permitted, to contribute. In the Primitive Church, to make offerings of bread and wine, out of which the elements were taken, was a privilege,. from which all but the faithful were strictly excluded; and it appears from the rubric at the end of the Communion, in the first Book of Common Prayer of Ed- ward VI., that the earlier reformers were careful to observe the same principle.

That rubric ordered that 'the pastors and curates shall find at their cost sufficient. bread and wine for the Holy Communion, and that, in recompense of such. costs

and charge, the parishoners of every parish shall offer every Sunday, at the time of the offertory, the just value and price of the holy loaf to those their pastors, and curates, in such order as they are wont, and that one at least of that house in every parish to whom by course it appertaineth to offer for the charge of the Communion, or some other whom they shall provide to offer for them, shall re- ceive the Holy Communion with the priest.' Thus careful, I repeat, were our reformers that the offering of the elements should not be made by those who are not communicants.

"To carry out this principle in consistence with our present object,the simplest

and easiest method would probably be, to take the cost of the bread and wine out of the moneys collected at the offertory ; and we need not doubt that devout communicants would offer somewhat more largely in consideration of this charge. "The other necessary expenses are really very small; and these, as well as those which are not strictly necessary, might be safely left to voluntary contri- bution. Some charges are made by the State for its own purposes, such as pro- viding and keeping registers, and making returns of the same, which the State itself would, doubtless, provide for. "In conclusion, let me add the expression of an earnest hope that in any mo- dification of the existing law on church rates which shall now be adopted, the enforcement of them would be transferred from the ecclesiastical to the temporal courts. Common prudence, and the manifest interest of peace, demand the transfer."

In a postscript he says:—" I have omitted one consideration, which, however, strongly commends the measure above stated to my own acceptance. It leaves no ground for exemption in favour of any ; for it recognizes a common duty, resting on a principle which none ought to evade. I have also omitted all refer- ence to the course to be adopted for ascertaining from time to time what repairs of the churches are really necessary, and by what authority they are to be ordered. These are matters which must be left to the judgment of Parliament."

The liberal members of Parliament who think with Mr. White, were summoned to a meeting on Monday, but in the interim they thought better of it, and the gathering was postponed.

It is now broadly stated that the Galway Packet Company have succeeded in entering into a contract with the French Government to carry the French mails—" the most complete accord now subsists between the Galway negotiators and the French contractors." Why does not Galway seek aid from South Carolina and the seceding states, by boldly beginning the "direct trade" so eagerly yearned for in Charleston l'

A Russian colonel, employed on the military works at Zamosks, killed, in a fit of passion, "several peasants," on property he received from the State. Sur- prise and satisfaction is expressed that the homicide was remitted to a court- • martial, and that the finding being too lenient, a fresh court was held which resulted in a conviction. The explanation of the surprise is that, "in the time of the Emperor Nicholas, the colonel would only have received a reprimand." i

The King of Holland, n a touching address to the people' calls on them to make throughout the kingdom, on the 19th, a collection for the sufferers from the inundations. The last accounts from the country districts are more satis- factory. The Rhine had fallen, and was free from ice between Arnhem and Wyk, and the Wahal was also subsiding.

Spain thinks of abolishing passports. In the Cortes, last week, the President of the Council said that a committee of the Chamber had advised the abolition of such documents, and that lie approved of their recommendation, but that as the 'matter specially concerned the Minister of the Interior, who was absent for the present, he had abstained from taking any resolution." A complete change in the garrisons of the French colonies is to take place during the present month, and several detachments of marines have received orders to prepare to embark, to relieve those sent from France in the year 1857. In consequence of these orders the steam transports Seine and Sevres are to sail, the first for Bourbon, with 500 marines, and the second with a similar detach meat for Senegal. All the ships of war and frigates in this port are henceforth to be kept in a state of preparation to sail at a short notice. The Emperor Napoleon's late concession to British subjects in respect of

pass- ports being restricted to persons arriving in France direct from England.Eng- lishmen entering France from Italy require a French visa. At Civita Vecchia no Englishman going to Marseilles is received on board a French or Italian steamer unless his passport has been visdd here, or bears a French visa, bonpour un an, the term of which is not yet expired. Beggars in the streets of Turin are, at this day, more unfrequent than in the London thoroughfares. Everywhere, at Parma, at Bologna, in Lombardy, in Tuscany, you behold the signs of a corresponding improvement. From Turin to Milan, from Milan to Florence, from Florence to Naples and Palermo, you may see the people rising from its abjectness precisely in proportion to the time it has been in the enjoyment of free existence. You may reckon the effects of twelve years, two years, three months' liberty.—Letter fives Turin. A correspondent of the Independance Beige states that the Duke of Malakoff has demanded for Algeria a senate to be named by the Emperor, and an elective representation on the model of the Australian institutions.

The Principality of Monaco was founded in the 10th century, and has re

i - mained until now n the Grimaldi family. The father of the last reigning Prince was a .peer of France, with the title of Duke de Valentinois, and usually resided in Pans. The pricepaid for this acquisition is reported to be about 160,0001., and France has obtained thereby forests said to be of much value and in good condition. The timber will be of use for the French navy, and it is stated that

• building-yards will be forthwith established at Villafranca, between Nice and Memos—Times.

Mentone was formerly the most important town of the Lilliputian Principality of Monaco, which itself was an enclave in the Piedmontese territory:. It mid a population of 43000 souls, is a seaport, and enjoys, like Nice, a delicious climate and a fertile soil. In March, 1848, and after thirty years' squabbling with its princes Mentone and its annex, Roquebrune, followed the example set by more importsint capitals, rose in insurrection, separated from the Principality, un- furled the Italian flag, and declared themselves "Free Cities," under the protec- tion of Sardinia. It is but justice to the "Free Cities" in question to say that they committed no aggression on their neighbours, and recognized the French Republic. Apparently all they wanted was a quiet life and a good fishing season. They governed themselves municipally on cheap terms, and went on very well until their tranquillity was suddenly disturbed on the 1st of April (a most appropriate day) by the unexpected visit of the ex-Prince Regnant Charles III., who doubtless thought his beloved subjects were pining for him. He showed himself in the streets in cocked hat, sword, spurs, and decorations accompanied by a few fol- lowers, and proceeded to exercise authority. The worthy inhabitants of Mentone were indignant, and poor Prince Charles would have been roughly handled by them had he not been saved by half-a-dozen Sardinian gendarmes. They took him to their guardhouse for the night, then put him on board ship for Nice, here he WAS detained a few days and finally set free.

The Court of Assizes of Hainault tried a Trappist monk, whose real name was Robyn, though in the convent he was called Brother Hugo, on a charge of setting fire to the convent of Forges, in October last, by which the church was entirely destroyed and other buildings extensively injured. Hugo acknowledged his guilt from the first, and stated that he had committed the crime in a fit of pas- sion after a sermon by Father Bernard, in which the preacher was especially severe on those members of the order who transgressed the rule of aleace. As Hugo was a notorious offender on that point, he regarded these censures as espe- cially directed against himself, and he determined to revenge himself by burning the convent and all its inmates, if possible. That same day he sst fire to the building in three places. Fortunately, the prisoner's object was but partially ac-

eomplished, as the greater portion of the buildings were saved, and no lives lost. The jury, after a short deliberation, brought in a verdict of guilty, and the Court condemned the prisoner to death, and ordered that his execution should take place at Charleroi.

A 31. Kervigan has just published a work in two volumes, entitled "England as It Is," the result, as he tells the world in his preface, of his observations dar- ing a sixteen years' residence in that country.- I extract from a highly favourable review of his performance in the Gazette de France the following specimen of the accuracy of this gentleman's observation:—" The administration of justice in England is the worst in the world. The judges, generally ignorant men, are always liable to dismissal; they are dependent at once upon the chances of elec- tion and the caprice of power.' After bringing to light this gem, I think it quite unnecessary to notice the abuse of English institutions in general which recom- mends the author to the Gazette de France, and I leave his "magisterial lucidity" and "communicative indignation" to the admiration of the disciples of that Jour- naL—Letterfrom Paris on the Daily News. A revert Irons Malta states that at twenty-three minutes to one on the 9th i of February, at noon, a severe shock of earthquake was felt, which lasted nearly a minute. The motion was horizontal, and attended by a load rumbling, and also a crackling noise. The wind was from the south-south-east. Very many of the inhabitants of the four cities rushed to the streets and open spaces, and there re- mained until about two in the morning, when, by order of the Roman Catholic bishop, the churches, as announced by the noisy ringing of bells, were thrown open, and to which the most devout thronged, to offer up thanksgiving to the Almighty that no loss of life had occurred. A lying of the Governor's palace, and some few eminently situated houses in La Valletta, received slight damage in their walls, and some dilapidated tenements in the country have also suffered, but none seriously.

The Viceroy of Egypt's little son Toussoun Pasha, having now attained the mature age of seven years enters upon the enjoyment of a separate establish- ment of his own. Towards its formation he has already been presented with a couple of Circassian female sieves, while the English nurse under whose charge he has hitherto been is about to be discharged. M. Pierre Leroux and his family, who for some years have been residing at Jersey, have returned to France.

The Queen, in appreciation of the important and philanthropic character of the work of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution, has signified her intention to become an annual subscriber of 501. to its fends.

The Prhice of Wales has presented 1001. as a prize to be shot for at the next meeting of the National Rifle Association. M. Bonaparte-Paterson has been unanimously chosen a member of the Paris Jockey Club.

Eight men, the other day, were engaged in the dockyard at Sheerness, on an elevated platform, in turning a crane for lifting a boiler weighing twenty-eight tons. The platform broke. Two of the men were killed on the spot, one has since diedtthe remainder were more or less injured. Cause of the accident: the "bracket,' on which fellthe greatest strain, WAS faulty, and it broke. A jury found a verdict' of Accidental Death, but they also found that the "traveller" was not strong enough, and that there was not sufficient control over its working.

As an amendment to Mr. Locke King's motion, Mr. Griffiths is on Tuesday next to move that, considering that the object of the proposed bill involves the practical adoption of a principle which has generally been considered as opposed to the spirit of our Parliamentary constitution, namely, the uniformity of the county and borough franchise it is not expedient to reduce the county franchise below 10/.

A proposition has been made to her Majesty's Secretary at War by Lieutenant- Colonel Palmer, one of the verderers of Waltham Forest, for the formation of a volunteer encampment upon Wanstead Flats during the months of June, July, and August ; the forest extending from that spot for about fifteen miles in the direc- tion of Epping. If this suggestion should be carried out the newly-funned volun- teer rifle corps in the vicinity of London will have the opportunity of going down there for one or two nights in the week, acquiring a knowledge of night duty by posting sentries, pickets, outposts, &c. ; and, as the days will be long at that season, an hour's field exercise might be obtained after six o'clock in the evening and before eight in the morning, without inconvenience to any one. The Forest- gate station on the Eastern Counties Railway abuts upon Wanstead Flats, and may be reached in fifteen minutes from Shoreditch, about the same tinie from Kilbum by the North London line, and from the River Thames by the North Woolwich Railway in fifteen or twenty minutes.

Our readers will learn with regret the death of Dr. Donaldson, of Cambridge, at the comparatively early age of fifty years. His attainments in comparative philology place him in the front rank ot British scholars, and his independence of mind and breadth of scholarship won him friends and admirers from all classes. Admiral Sir George Mundy, a veteran sailor of the old wars, a comrade of Nelson, Collingwood, Hood, and Fellow, a combatant at the Nile and Cape St. Vincent, died on Saturday.

The Court of Probate has been occupied for many days with a will case, Talbot and Traherne versus Traherne and others. The object of the suit is to vindicate the memory of the Reverend Mr. Tralierne, the testator, and for this purpose two wills have been propounded, and evidence taken at enormous length. Mr. Thomas O'Hagan is now the Attorney General, and Mr. Lawson the So- licitor General, for Ireland. Miss Fray, a person notorious for her litigant propensities, brought an action in the Court of Common Pleas against Colonel Hicks, the Governor of White- cross-street Prison, for ill-treatment while she was confined there for debt, arising out of her actions at law. Miss Fray's case, however, could not be sus- tained in any particular, and the jury stopped the case with a verdict for the defendant.

In a Lenten pastoral which was read in the Roman Catholic churches in Dublin on Sunday last, Dr. Cullen says:—"As secret societies are the cause Of the greatest evils to religion, tending to promote impiety and incredulity, and most hostile to the public good, the Roman Pontiffs Benedict XIV., Pius VIL, and Leo XII. have solemnly excommunicated all the children of the Church who engage in them. Hence no Catholic can be absolved who is a Freemason, a Ribbonman, or enrolled in any other secret society."

The rate of mortality continued to fall up to the end of last week, when the number of deaths was 1459, still 100 above the calculated average. The teM- perature having fallen, the rate of decrease may be arrested. The inquiry into the causes of the accident on the South Western railway con- tinues. A great deal of evidence has been taken, bat it is too early yet to trace the cause ot the calamity or mete out the responsibility.

From a return of the number of fires during 1860, we learn that there were no fewer than 1056, exclusive of tires in chimneys. There was a decrease of 33 as compared with 1859, an increase of 274 on the average of twenty-seven years. In 8e8 cases the sufferers were not insured! Only Isi lives were lost through "inability to escape."

The commission on the plan of constructing a naval port at Spezzia has just sent in its report to the Minister of Marine. Parliament will be asked to vote fifty million lire for the preliminary works, which will be commenced next month. Fifteen millions more will be demanded for the construction of three floating batteries and five plated frigates.

A return has just been issued to the House of Commons showing the gross public income and expenditure in the year ended the 30th day of September, 1860, and also in the year ended the 31st day of December. The total revenue of the year ended the 30th of Septem- ber was 70,809,9761. 3s. 9d. ,• the total expenditure was 72,145,8321. 58. 8d.; showing an excess of expenditure over income of 1,335,856/. Is. 11d. In the year ended the 31st of December last, the total income was 71,967,494/. its. 8d.; the total expenditure was 7'2,578,632/. 6s. 6d. showing an excess of expenditure over income of 611,137/. Us. 10d. The balances in the exchequer on the 31st of December were, at the Bank of England, 4,125,4551. 113. 10d.; at the Bank of Ireland, 1,124,9351. 19s.

The Navy Estimates for the year 1861-62 are now before us. They show that the customary paragraph in her Majesty's Speech has not been without a meaning this year, at any rate, and that they have been "framed with a due regard to economy," the total vote being less than that of last year by a sum of more than 800,0001. The seventeen votes into which the navy estimates are divided amount in the aggregate to 12,029,475/. of which 10,431,632/. is for the effective service, the remainder being for half-pay, pensions, and the conveyance of troops. The votes for the effective service are • thirteen in number. We will give them in a tabular form, and after- wards refer to each in detail :—

Wages to seamen and marines ... ...f3,122,580

Victuals for ditto ... - ••• ... ••• ... 1,828,259 Admiralty Office ... ... ... ... ... 161,157 Coast Guard Service, Royal Naval Coast Volunteers, and Royal Naval Reserve ... ... ... ... 253,422 Scientific Branch ... ... ... ... ... 63,851 Her Majesty's establishment at home ... ... ... 172,947

Her Majesty's establishments abroad ... ... ... 33,640 Wages to artificers, &c., employed on her Majesty's esta- blishments at home ... ... 1,112,126 Wages to artificers, &c., employed on her Majesty's esta-

blishments abroad... ... ... ... ... 67,828 Naval stores for the building, repairing, and outfit of the fleet, steam machinery, and ships built by contract ... 3,489,477

New works, improvements, and repairs in the yards, &e. ... 469,835

Medicines and medical stores ... ••• ••• 66,000

Miscellaneous Services ... ••• .69. 90,510 Total ... -.X10,431,632 The first vote, for the wages of seamen and marines, is less than that of last year by 354,177/. The principal saving is effected in the vote of 1,882,592/. for the wages of 47,000 officers, seamen, and boys. Last year 54,000 were voted, the total sum required first for wages, and subsequently for increase of pay to officers, being 2,241,945/. It must not be understood that these 47,000 constitute the whole strength of our navy. 2000 officers, seamen,. and boys, at an expense for wages of 107,033 are required for Surveying, Troop, and Store ships. This item is almost identical in amount with that of last year—in every case, indeed, where we do not express the contrary this may be under- stood. For 2,000 boys in training-ships, 19,2634 is required, for 4,000 officers, &c., employed in the Coast Guard service afloat 154,915/. (a decrease being shown here of nearly 10,0001.), and for 4,000 officers, &c., for the Coast Guard service on shore, 182,3691. The total num- ber of men and boys thus required is 59,000, the total number for last year being 66,100. The total number of marines required is 18,000, the total sum asked being 448,772/. 10,000 of these men are for ser- vice afloat, and 8,000 for service ashore. The vote for victuals does not require much examination. It is 129,8281. less than it was last year. Passing over the third vote for the Admiralty Office, with the remark that an increase of 877/. is to be observed here, we come to the fourth vote of 253 422/. for the Coast Guard service, Royal Naval Coast Volunteers, and the Royal Naval Reserve. A saving of 34,3031. is effected in this vote. It may be summarised as follows :—For the Coast Guard service, 145,142/., this sum being of course independent of that voted for wages to the coast guardsmen under the head of wages to seamen and marines; for the Royal Naval Coast Volunteers 28,2801., and for the Naval Reserve, 80,0001. The vote for the Scientific branch, though very interesting in its details, can hardly claim much attention from us at present, being un- important in its amount, the succeeding two votes having nothing re- markable about them. In the eighth, however, we notice a very im- portant reduction from the corresponding amount for last year, no less than 328,555/. being saved here. This vote is for the wNres of artifi- cers employed in her Majesty's establishments at home. The saving is effected in the item for "naval yards, including yard service afloat, and teams?' This item, which was 1,317,727/. for the last year, is 1,011,2511. for that ensuing. For the item, "victualling yards, in- eluding hoys," the amount is 45,565/., nearly the same as the corre- sponding sum in the last estimates.

There is an increase in the cost of the medical department from 8764/. last year to 14,2391. this. The item for the transport depart- ment is trifling. The marine infirmaries require 38911., and the police divisions, embracing naval and victualling yards, and medical estab- lishments, 36,774.

Vote 10 now claims our attention. This vote amounts to 3,489,4771., and, is in excess of its predecessor by 285,0431. Of this 2,019,935/. goes to the Storekeeper-General's department ; the Controller of the Navy spends 1,441,1821.: 685,400/. in steam machinery, a saving of rather more than 100,0001. being effected here, and 755,782/. in pay- ments to be made in 1861-62 on account of ships or vessels building or to be built by contract, this sum being rather more than 100,0001. in excess of the corresponding item for the previous year.