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The Convocation of tlie prelates and clergy of the Province of Canterbury resumed its sittings on Tuesday, and continued them to-day. Two subjects of general interest have occupied the attention of both Houses—the alterations in the 29th canon, and the Essays and Reviews. On the latter subject the proceedings have been volu- minous.

It was on Tuesday, the first day of the session, that Archdeacon Denison read the report agreed to by the committee appointed for the examination of the volume of Essays and Reviews. The report stated that the committee had carefully fulfilled their allotted task, and con- sidered the following to be the leading principles of the book: " That the present advanced knowledge possessed by the world in its `manhood' is the standard whereby the educated intellect of the indi- vidual man, guided and governed by conscience, is to measure and determine the truth of the Bible. 2. That where the Bible is assumed to be at variance with the conclusions of such educated in- tellect, the Bible must. be taken in such cases to have no Divine authority, but to be only a human utterance.' 3. That the prin- ciples of interpretation of the Bible hitherto universally received in the Christian Church are untenable, and that new principles of inter- pretation must now be sabstituted if the credit and authority of the Holy Scriptures are to be maintained." The committee find that: "In many parts of the volume, statements and doctrines of the Holy Scriptures are denied, called into question, or disp iraged; for example:—' (a) The Reality of Miracles, including the idea of Creation as presented to us in the Bible." (b) Predictive Prophecy; especially predictions concerning the incarnation, person, and offices of our Lord.' (c) f he Descent of all Mankind from Adam." (d) The Fall of Man and Original Sin.' (e) The Divine Command to sacrifice Isaac.' (f) The Incarnation of our Lord.' (g) Salvation through the Blood of Christ." (h) The Personality of the Holy Spirit.' (i) Special or Supernatural Inspiration." (k) Hisorical facts of the Old Testament, including some referred to by our Blessed Lord himself.' 2. It is urged that many passages of the Holy Scriptures may be understood and explained upon the principle called ideology" by which is meant that the reader is at liberty to accept the idea of characters and facts described in the Holy Scriptures, instead of believing in the reality of those characters and facts. 3. It is maintained that the creeds of the Church, whether regarded as confessions of faith or as ' instruments fur the interpretation of Scripture,' may now be pat aside as no longer suitable to the present advanced intellectual condition of the world. 4. Liberty is claimed for the clergy and candidates for holy orders to subscribe articles of religion, and to use formularies in public worship with- out believing them according to their plain and natural meaning. 5. Attempts are made to separate Christian holiness of life from Christian doctrine. We notice in many parts of the volume the absence of the spirit of humility and reverence with which human reason ought ever to approach the study. of divine truth ; we notice also a confusion of the dictates of the natural conscience with divine grace, and in some places a substitution of those dictates for divine grace. It appears to us that whilst the professed intention of the volume is the free handling, in a becoming spirit,' of religious subjects, the general tendency and effect of the volume is unduly to exalt the authority of human reason, to lower the authority of revelation in regard to things divine and spiritual, to unsettle faith, and to consign the render to a hopeless scepticism. We have appended two schedules, A and B; schedule A, containing the advertisement 'to the reader,' as prefixed to all the editions of the bock, and referred to in the prece- ding paragraph of our report ; schedule B, containing passages denying, calling in question, and disparaging statements and doctrines of the Holy Scriptures, with citations from and references to those parts of the Holy Scriptures, and of the formularies and Articles of the United Church of England and Ireland, to which such passages are contrariant."

The schedules giving extracts from the seven essays occupy many closely-printed pages, the Scripture references and extracts from the formularies of the Church being in parallel columns.

It was then resolved that the report, as printed, be distributed to all the members of the Lower House. Several notices of motion were given, and a small debate arcse on the propriety of the course pursued. On Wednesday, the acting Prolocutor, Archdeacon Bickersteth, carried to the Upper House the report of the Lower House appointed to consider the volume entitled Essays and Reviews, and received the permission of their lordships to act upon it. The Lower House accordingly proceeded to " act" on Thursday, before an audience of distinguished " strangers." Mr. Denison moved, "That it is the opinion of this House that there are sufficient grounds for proceeding to a synodical judgment on the book entitled Essays and .Reviews." He contended that the question before the House was, not whether it would be expedient to pass a synodical judgment, but whether there were grounds for such a proceeding. He begged the members to say "Ay or No" to his motion.

Dr. M'Caul seconded the resolution, made an attack upon the book in question, and declared it merited condemnation. The Rev. Sir Henry Thompson moved an amendment, stating that there were sufficient grounds for a synodical judgment, but adding that the House could not recommend the passing of one. This was set aside as improper. Canon Wordsworth moved,

"That the Ecclesiastical Courts of this realm are the proper tribunals for the trial of heresy. That in the ordinary exercise of its functions Convocation is a deliberative assembly, and not a judicial tribunal; and that if in any particular case, such as that now before this House, it proposes to enter upon any delibera- tions with the view to perform a judicial act, and to pronounce a synodical sen- tence upon a book, it ought first to consider whether a license from the Crown may not be requisite for that purpose. That a respectful communication to this effect be sent to the Upper House."

He supported it by a speech which amplified its provisions, but the amendment being objected to, it was withdrawn. The Archdeacon of Stafford moved, and the Archdeacon of Sarum seconded, an amend- ment :

" That in the opinion of the House there were sufficient grounds for proceeding to synodical judgment with regard to the Essays mid Reviews, but at thC same time thought it was not expedient to revive the power of synodical action under the existing circumstances of the Church."

Several gentlemen spoke on this point, and shortly after six o'clock the debate was adjourned. The Upper House has discussed several subjects of religious in- terest, and both Houses have agreed to an amended form of the 29th canon, relating to baptism. '

The Lord Mayor gave a dinner, on Tuesday, in honour of the pre lates and clergy of the Church of England. The Archbishop of York was present, but his brother of Canterbury was unable to attend. The most noticeable speech was delivered by the Bishop of London, in answer to the toast, " The Bench of Bishops and the Clergy." A few years ago, said Dr. Tait, the toast would have been " The Bishops and the Working Clergy," a formula which he was now glad to see dropped ; but now both the bishops and clergy showed a cordial sympathy for the work which was committed to them. It was to their being a united body, helping and co-operating with each other in that work, that they owned any influence they possessed in the country. Some were disposed to think that they had too much precedence given to them. It so happened that, according to the constitution, they were much honoured on occasions like the present, and they found that, on most occasions when the clergy were brought forward, it was the pleasure of Englishmen to be kind to them, and to do them honour for their own sake. Thought some persons were inclined to grudge them that honour, still, on the whole, the country acquiesced in it. There had been times when the country had tried others. They had tried their Roman Catholic brethren in ancient times, they had tried the Presbyterians as well as other independent brethren, but somehow or other they had come back to them, and the only trial they had not made and did not seem inclined to make, was that adopted on the other side of the Atlantic, viz. not setting one above another, but allowing all to stand upon an equal platform. He believed that the clergy of the Church of England understood more distinctly every year what their duties really were, and that they ought to conciliate and obtain the good-will of the people among whom they dwelt.

A superintendent of a mission, the Reverend Thomas Waller, has " suffered" at Pallaskenry, in Limerick county. He and his readers had put up placards containing texts of Scripture from the Roman Catholic version of the Scriptures, which for ten days remained un- disturbed; but, in consequence of an address from the altar on Sun- day week, they were on Monday torn down, the windows of the build- ing were broken, and the Scripture readers were violently assaulted. The police were unable to protect them. On Tuesday the war raged with increased fury. Mr. Waller had placards put up again, lie

and the readers were assailed with missiles of all sorts, pelted with stones, and covered with filth.' The police asked the clergyman to. remain in a house while they implored the priest to quiet the mob. He indignantly refused that sort of protection, and, trying in vain' to get his horse to move against the shower of missiles, lie walked, through the crowd and was struck with a stone on the head, which, nearly knocked him senseless. The police afterwards declared that if lie had then fallen they could not have saved his life, for the mob would have trampled him to death. He was cut in two places 011 the head.

The Society of Arts held its annual dinner on Wednesday at tire Crystal Palace. The Earl of Elgin presided, and of course made some interesting observations derived from his experience in China. He said :

"To be successful in extending their trade into newly-opened countries, such as China and Japan, it was important that British manufacturers should send to those countries articles suited to their wants. He remembered United States manufacturers supplying Canada with articles in which they could not compete with the British in their own country. The reason was that the articles of the particular class to which he alluded, sent by British manufacturers to Canada, were not suited to the requirements of that country. In one of the able letters written to the Times, there was an observation which made a great sensation when it was published. It was that there were four hundred millions of blue cotton trousers in use in China and that we ought to have the supplying of these garments. (" Hear I" and laughter.) Articles were now made by the Chinese because they did not set any value on their time, which we could make cheaper for them. We ought to render their time valuable by purchasing from them articles which would be useful to us, and in that way we should benefit our own manufactures."

Earl Granville made some serious and some amusing observations on the Exhibition of 1862 :

"Having been connected with the last Exhibition, he had not doubted that the time would arrive when there ought to be another. It had been stated by the illustrious Prince, who was the promoter and projector of the Exhibition of 1851, that it was to give a picture of the condition of mankind; and that such exposi- tions, held from time to time, would show how the exertions of mankind were operating in the great work of civilization. (Cheers.) The sound judgment of the Society of Arts in respect of the forthcoming Exhibition was proved by the guarantee list, and by the fact that there were applications for three times the space which the Commissioners could by possibility give. There was another circumstance which showed that the time had arrived for our repeating the ex- periment of 1851. They were informed that it had been the intention of the Emperor of the French to have an Exhibition if England had not come forward and claimed the year 1862. There was one point which had been carefully considered by the Commissioners—namely, whether it would be judicious to very much restrict the scale, and in that respect have the forthcoming Exhibition inferior to that of 1851; but they came to the conclusion that, not only for the credit of the country, but also having regard to the pecuniary risk of those who signed the guarantee, if they went to work at all, they should go in for success, and not for failure; and they did go in for success. (Cheers.) There was every reason to anticipate that they would not be disappointed when they remem- bered the success which attended the former effort, and when they recollected that since 1851 there had in this country been a great increase in the number of those capable of enjoying such an Exhibition. The foreign Powers had come for- ward with great willingness, and appointed some of their most distinguished men to aid in making this great undertaking what it was intended to be. He would observe that it was the wish of the Commissioners that, as far as possible, the leading men of the different manufacturing districts should take upon them- selves the duties and responsibilities connected with the contributions from those localities, which they must be more fitted than any other persons to dis- charge. He hoped that the Exhibition of 1862 would be a great national com- memoration. (Cheers.) It had been the custom of all countries to have great commemorations. The Greeks had theirs, and in the House of Commons the name of Isthmian games ' was applied to a national festival, more usually called 'the Derby.' (Laughter and cheers.) He hoped he should not lower himself in the estimation of the company when he confessed that very few events more engaged his attention than that. (Renewed laughter and cheers.) The same might be said of some of his colleagues, and a Cabinet meeting on the much-vexed question of the Galway contract was postponed for two hours that they might go to 'the Derby.' (Cheers.) Coming back to more serious mat- ters, he thought that everything went to show that the Exhibition would be a success, and that in every respect it would prove a credit to the country which' in 1862 would offer its hospitality to all the nations of the earth." (Cheers.)

A Conservative candidate, Sir John Dalrymple Hay, is already in the field in anticipation of the issue of a writ for an election at the present borough of Wakefield. He agrees with that section of the Conservative party who think it would be unwise to turn out the Government of Lord Palmerston before the Opposition is powerful enough to take their place.

The Court of Divorce has been occupied by some very unpleasant cases this week. In one a Captain Hill petitioned for divorce on the ground that his wife had committed adultery; her alleged partner in guilt -being a clergyman. But -the evidence, far from sustaining the charge, proved detrimental to the petitioner, and his petition was dismissed. A second case arose on a petition from a Mr. Compton. In this case the co-respondent was a Captain Baring. Mr. Compton married, in 1840, a Miss Turner, then sixteen years of age. .Nine years afterwards, Mrs. Compton went on the stage as Miss Wyndham. Her sister, Julia Turner, then under the protection of a gentleman, took apartments in Piccadilly, and Mr. and Mrs. Compton came to live in the same house. The parties did not live happily ; Mrs- Compton went frequently to parties at Richmond and elsewhere, and thus became acquainted with Captain Baring, with whom she is now living. It was contended on one side that Mr. Compton had nen.- leeted his wife, and that he knew of the status of Miss Turner; and on the other that be had acted properly and had endeavoured to pro-. tect and shield his wife. The whole story was very painful. A jury gave a verdict for the petitioner: damages, 600/.

- A jury has given 13,0001. damages against the Great Northern Railway Company ! The action was brought in the Court of Queen's Bench by Mrs. Pym, the widow and executrix of her late husband, on behalf of herself and nine children, to recover damages in conse- quence of Mr. Pym having been killed through the alleged negligence of the railway servants.

On the 23rd of April, 1860, Mr. Pym was a passenger in the Manchester express train, which left King's-cross station at ten o'clock in the morning. It consisted of engine and tender, eight carriages, and two break-vans, the deceased being in the Bradford carriage, the fourth from the tender. On arriving at the crossing at Hadfield the train oscillated violently, and the Bradford carriage fell over upon its side and was dragged a considerable distance. Mr. Pym was thrown upon the line, and sustained such serious injuries that he ultimately died. The accident arose from a portion of the rail snapping in two, and the fractured pieces were exhibited in court. On the morning of the occurrence workmen had commenced relaying the whole crossing, in consequence of orders received a day or two before, but they had only removed a part of the ballast when the Man- chester express arrived, and several other trains had safely passed over the line during the morning. It appeared that two or three months previously the rail in question—a double-headed "wing rail," and of the ordinary dimensions—was found to have a longitudinal crack at one end, and a similar crack in the flange at the other. A workman got rid of the second crack by knocking off the flange, and then re- fixed the rail, turning the unworn side upwards, and placing the end with the remaining crack in a siding; but the part from which the flange had been taken still remained as part of the main line. The negligence imputed to the company consisted in using a rail in such an injared and weakened state, which was not equal to the traffic it had to bear. Mr. Pym was a Hertford magistrate pos- sessing an unencumbered income of 3700!. a year, and at the time of his death had only reached his forty-first year. He left a widow and nine children, the eldest of whom being thirteen, and the youngest only two months, and having died without a will the bulk of his property went to his eldest son. Mrs. Pym had a jointure of 10001. a year, and each child 1001. during the mother's life, but at her death it went to the eldest son. On the question of pecuniary loss it was shown that the children, with the exception of the eldest son, could not be brought up and educated in the manner in which they would have been had the father lived, and that the widow .would not be able to maintain the position which she formerly occupied. For the defence it was contended that the state of the rail did not render it unsafe, and that the rail was perfectly equal to the strain to which it was subjected. A considerable number of engineers of eminence were called in support of this view of the case ; and it was shown that, with the weight of the Manchester express, the rail could not have deflected more than one_twelfth of an inch, while it would deflect three eighths of an inch before it would break. In the present case nothing but the leap of the driving wheels to a considerable height could have fractured the rail.

The jury, after a brief absence from court, found a verdict for the plaintiff—damages, 10001. for the widow, and 1500/. for each of the eight children. The eldest son, who inherits the bulk of his father's property, was excluded from the estimate of damages. 'One Romoli, a sculptor, sued Mademoiselle Tietjens to recover 371., the cost of a bust. It turned out on examination in the court that, in order to assist. a struggling artist, the lady had, at considerable inconvenience, sat for her bust, and when it was finished Romoli sent it his bill ! He was non-suited.

William Mabe, formerly butler to Lord Saltoun, sought to recover by an action in the Court of Queen's Bench damages for a wrongful dismissal and an assault. Mabe entered the service of Lord Saltoun in September, and was summarily expelled in November. There was a marriage-feast in honour of the wedding of Lord Saltoun's sister. Towards evening tire unhappy Mabe was observed to fall at full length on the stairs, was heard to speak in a familiar tone to the ladies, and to stumble in the drawing-room. Lord Saltoun challenged him with being drunk, and Mabe retorted the charge. He appealed to his lordship's factor "as a gentleman,", and when the factor's opinion agreed with that of the peer, Mabe declared the factor to be drunk and no gentleman. The upshot was that two labourers were sworn in special constables, and Mabe was removed bodily from the place. Hence this action. The jury found for the defendant. Lord Saltoun declined to apply for costs ; and Lord Chief Justice Cockburn said he thought it was just one of those faults into which a man might fall in a moment of temptation, and he hoped it would not pre- judice the plaintiff in his prospects in life. It was admitted that Mabe understood his duties perfectly, and was a most excellent servant.

Newton, Crane, Barker, and Debock, the persons accused of being concerned in the great silk robbery, have been tried at the Central Criminal Court. The jury acquitted Mr. Newton, the silk manufac- turer, Crane, the porter, and Barker, and found Debock guilty. The principal offenders, however, are Agg and Hunter, who have fled from justice. It has been proved that Mr. Newton bought the silk in the regular course of business from Agg, and paid the regular price. Debock was sent to prison for eighteen months, with hard labour.

Higgins and Devereux, the two men charged before the Dublin Commission Court with a singular fraud, have been tried and found guilty. It appears that in a cause entitled "Foote v. M`Gregor," a sum of 500/. was lodged in the Court of Chancery in London. This sum Maria Higgins had power to dispose of by will, provided sire vied without issue. A will was propounded by the prisoners, Charles Higgins and Henry William Devereux. It was proved to be drawn up in tire handwriting of the latter, and on the 21st of August, 1358, Ile appplied for administration to the COurt of Probate in Ireland. Ultimately letters of administration were granted by the Court of

i Probate in England, and on the 25th of March, 1859, the sum of 5001. was paid. These proceedings were taken on the allegation that Maria Higgins was dead. Her " mortal remains" were supposed to be " waked" in a house in Bishop-street, she being at the same time alive and well, and residing in the city at Haddingtou-road-terrace. A coffin was obtained with an inscription on the lid, setting forth the name and age of tire lady. There was a funeral, with a hearse and two mourning coaches, and the remains were interred with all due solemnity in the Roman Catholic cemetery at Glasnevin. The bereaved widower had crape on his hat, and otherwise mourned in an exemplary manner. But the secret was disclosed, and the police inspector found nothing in the coffin but a bag of sand and some loose clay. The prisoners were sentenced to two years' imprison- ment.

The police believe they have obtained a clue to the murderer of Mrs. Halliday, the wife of the parish clerk at Kiugswood. They have become possessed of a, packet of papers which belong to Johann Carl Frantz, of Konigstein. There were several letters in the packet, one of which was addressed to Mademoiselle Tietjens. This was a begging letter, and was signed Adolphe Krohn. Steps have been taken to trace the men to whom these purport to belong. The chase is very close, and new information respecting the movements of the murderers is obtained every day. Some thieves broke into a silk mill at Congleton, and carried off upwards of sixty-nine pounds of thrown silk. Two; seen to leave tire premises, were pursued by Constable Taylor, overtaken, and seized. A struggle ensued ; and as the thieves were rapidly getting the worst of the encounter, one drew a knife and stabbed the con- stable seven times. It was feared he would die. Four men have been arrested on suspicion.

Three military officers, Captains Ford, Park, and Rawlinson, set out in a yacht for a pleasure excursion on Lake Windermere. A squall capsized the boat. Captains Ford and Park, thrown into the water, strove to swim ashore, but sank and were drowned. Captain Rawlinson held on to the boat, and stripping off his clothes succeeded in swimming ashore. Four serious tires occurred in London on Monday. One, at the house of Mr. John Dickeuson, in Upper Brook-street. The inmates were asleep, and were only aroused by the loud knocking of the police. No life was lost, but Mr. Dickerison's house was nearly destroyed, and Lord Cranworth's house was damaged by water. At a fire in Whitechapel, four lives were saved from impending death by the gallant exertions of Samuel Wood, conductor of a fire-escape. The third fire broke out in Little Pulteney-street. Here seven lives were saved by conductor Robinson. The fourth fire destroyed several floors of a large house on the Middlesex side of London-bridge.