Vranintial.

Mr. Gladstone has been doing missionary work in the West, with great applause and success ; speaking in behalf of the Society for the Propaga- tion of the Gospel in Foreign Parts. On Monday, he was in the morning at Mold in Flintsthire, setting forth the objects and advocating the claims of the 'Society ; and in the evening he performed the same function in the Collegiate Institution at Liverpool. At Mold the Bishop of St. Asaph presided over the meeting ; at Liverpool the chairman was the Bishop of Chester. Mr. Gladstone enlarged on the greatness and solidity of the works accomplished by the Society : he showed that its revenues have increased from 6000/. to 60,000/. since in 1831 the Parliamentary grant was withdrawn ; and he encouraged his hearers to expect that a similar increase will follow from the stimulus imparted by the withdrawal of the Queen's letter. The resolution he proposed stated that the growth and organization of the Colonial Church are an encouragement to the Society to persevere in its own special work of following the British emigrants and settlers with the ministrations and ordinances of the British Church.

" Now, this great work of emigration, what is it? It is, at any rate, one of the most marked characteristics of the nineteenth century. It had even reached, a few years back, the enormous amount of 400,000 souls, carried annually from these little islands to settle in all the known quarters of the globe ; about 1000 souls every day passing from among ourselves—from the bosoms of our families—from close tie and kindred with us, to found or to join new communities. Now, is that a work of slight moment ? Is that a work of slight meaning ? Is it not the truth that within the lust two cen- turies Europe has made as it were a great spring outwards ? Various coun- tries attempted to appropriate large portions of the fertile but up to that time unoccupied spaces of the earth. We were not the first in the field ; there were other countries that then had either greater power or greater op- portunities; Spain and Portugal, in particular, appropriated to themselves vast regions beyond the ocean. France likewise was at least our rival in that respect. We were in the race, but we were by no means the foremost in it. It has, however, continued ; and how do these matters now stand ? What has Portugal now to do with the colonization of the world ? What has Spain to do at this time with the colonization of the world? Whet has Germany or Italy to do with the colonization of the world ? What has that great, powerful, civilized, and enlightened people the French nation, our present neighbours, and I hope to continue our friends, what has that great nation to do at this moment with the colonization of the world ? Undoubtedly, she occupies a foremost place in the ranks of civilization ; undoubtedly, she has important duties to diecharge in reference to her own people and in reference to Europe ; but it is plain, from experience, that colonizing is not the function which it has pleased Providence to commit either to that country or to any other muting the leading and most powerful European nations. And yet has colonization stopped ? It has stopped in the states which were founded from theft sources. They appear to carry within them no principle of vigour and elas- ticity. But when you look to those which have sprung from the loins of England, how marked is the difference ! Not two hundred and fifty years have elapsed since a few British settlers landed in Virginia ; now the inha- bitants of that vast region are thirty millions of men. You know them in the relations of commerce ; you see how proudly their ships ride upon the 'waters ; you know their wealth, their enterprise ; you know the progress they have made ; and you know that progress continues at an undiminished rate ; you know, also, they are children sprung from the loins of England. Nor is it only so in the United States ; it is the same thing in your Colonies. Instinct with the principles of freedom, they are full of the same vital energy, the same tendency to rapid extension : and, looking at the lessons which experience has already given, the results already at- tained, it is not, my Lord Bishop, I believe, presumption, but it is -simply availing ourselves of the instruction that the actual state of the world affords, if we say, it is plain that the function of colo- nizing this earth upon which we live, of adopting its waste spaces, has been committed to the race to which we belong ; and a large and cora- numding share in it belongs to the Crown, the state, and the people of Eng- land. Now, does the fact carry with it no copsequence ? It seems plain that all over the world great cities and empires are growing up with a rapidity never heretofore witnessed. In Australia, almost a nation has been formed within the space of little more tha'n fifty years. There is not the slightest sign that, in regard to this progress, it has reached or that it is approaching to its term. You have rather to expect, if anything, an ac- celerated rate. More and more human beings are produced upon the earth; more and more expansion is given to commerce ; more and more wealth is generated for the comfort and enjoyment of man. Teeming cities will ho reared where now is a houseless wilderness, or green fields perceived and wide crops of corn waving in places that are now waste and barren. The material progress of the earth seems to be the decree of Providence in this our day. The changes that have taken place in our own commercial legis- lation have a moral as well as a mercantile bearing ; and there cannot be a doubt, when you see those figures so rapidly rising which indicate the mag- nitude of your trade, that in every million added to that trade there is a moral and spiritual purpose of Almighty God, because it means the opening of fresh opportunities for making known to mankind the inestimable bless- ings of the gospel."

In applying these considerations to the functions of the Society and the duty of the British community, Mr. Gladstone pronounced an opin- ion against giving permanent pecuniary assistance to the Colonial com- munity for the sustentation of its ministers ; the true principle being that only temporary aid should be lent for that purpose. He showed that great progress had been made, and greater progress might be looked for, under the influence of self-support and self-government.

It will be remembered that the Court Pidaided over by the Archbishop of Canterbury, which was held at Bath in August last, in the case of Ditcher v. Denison, made a declaration to the effect that the doctrines of the Archdeacon's sermons were repugnant to the 28th and 29th Articles of the Church of England, and that his Grace allowed the Archdeacon till the 1st of October to revoke his errors. It was at the same time in- timated, that if no such revocation were made and delivered into the Re- gistry of Bath and Wells by that time, sentence in the case would be dc- livered on the 21st of the present month. In compliance with this de- claration of the Court, the Archdeacon filed, on Tuesday the 30th Sep- tember, a paper of extreme length, in which he defends the soundness of his doctrine, and cites a number of Protestant authorities in its behalf. Towards the end of the paper, the Archdeacon says-

" The defendant begs, however, respectfully to say, that as it is not his duty to contend for language only, apart from its substance—if it can be shown to him that the language which he has employed in teaching the doctrine of the Lord's supper is in one or more particulars open to just exception, as conveying that doctrine under any aspect new or strange to the Reformed Church of England—the defendant will be ready to alter his language to such extent." The document concludes as follows—" All which the defendant submitting respectfully to the consideration of the Court, has; now only further to say, that it is not in his power to make the revocation required of him by the Court."

The Chancellor of the Exchequer has been rusticating in Radnor- shire. The annual show of the county Agricultural Society, on Wed- nesday, gave occasion for a little speechmaking. At the dinner, in the Farmers' Clubhouse, Knighton, Sir George Lewis took the chitin In replying to the toast of his health, he referred to a statement in the public papers that the Chancellor of the Exchequer had employed 5,000,0001. of public money to influence the return of Colonel Fremont. This statement had been gravely put forward by some portion of the public press in the United States, and from those newspapers transferred— perhaps not with equal gravity—to the newspapers of this country. He must confess that, in his ignorance, he had been under the impression that the loan of 5,000,0001., to which reference was made, contracted in the latter

• part of May last,. was for the purpose of defraying the remaining expenditure of the war by bringing home our armaments by sea and land : but it appear- ed that he was mistaken, and that that sum was intended to secure the re- turn of Colonel Fremont to the Presidential chair of the United States. (Laughter.) He remembered among the traditions of contested elections, that at an election in Yorkshire each of the candidates was said to have ex- pended from 20,000/. to 40,000/., which had always been considered enor- mous; but such an expenditure shrinks into nothing as compared with the sum of 5,000,0001. to secure the return of the President of the iJuited States. But the Americans have very elevated notions. In comparing their lakes with our lakes, they say that ours are but as mere mud-pools, and that the Thames is but a mere brook in comparison with the Mississippi or the Missouri ; and so it may be presumed, they measure their expense of con- tested elections by a similar standard, and think nothing of applying the sum of 5,000,000!. to the return of a candidate for the Presidential chair. But however that might be, he could say that if the return of Colonel Fre- mont were to depend upon the application of this sum of 5,000,000/., he would not recommend that gentleman to be very sanguine about his success. (" Hear, hear !" and laughter.)

In proposing "Prosperity to the Society," Sir George dwelt chiefly on the peace lately concluded, with the view of showing that a peace which at the outset has been unfavourably regarded by both parties to the peace has invariably proved advantageous to both in the end.

"The late war was terminated by a peace in which the terms of the treaty were—I will not say dictated, but at all events prescribed, by England and France, acting in concert 'with Austria. It is a matter of fact that the treaty was founded upon a draught which was prepared by France and England, which was tendered by Austria to Russia in the form of an ulti- matum, and to which Russia assented. We may therefore say with truth, that the terms of that pacification were prescribed by France and England and accepted by Russia. But compare this treaty with the pacification effected on the least prosperous period of our annals—I mean the disastrous war against our American Colonies. That unfortunate struggle resulted in the independence of the United States being extorted from us by force, without our reserving to ourselves any advantageous condition. Again, we made what was at the time considered a very humiliating peace with France and also with Spain. In 1782 the treaty of peace then made was con- sidered very disadvantageous to England, and very wise statesmen antici- pated that the glory and power of England had suffered an eclipse which might end in a long and perhaps permanent obscuration. Yet we find that the prosperity of England rapidly increased after that peace ; that it tended to the advantage of England ; and that at the outset of the war of the French Revolution, the resources of this country were never greater or the spirit of her people higher—that we entered into the struggle with the powerful Re- public of France not doubtful as to the issue. These are instances showing that treaties of peace which have been considered disadvantageous to Eng- land, at the time, have in the end conduced to the public good."

The annual meeting of the once-renowned Bucks Agricultural Society was held on Tuesday. The Duke of Buckingham, who presided, com- mented on the changes that he had seen in the land since, twenty-four years ago, the Society was founded, under the patronage of William the Fourth ; on the progress of agriculture, and especially of the manufac- ture of implements. Mr. Disraeli was there, and he made two short speeches, without any political allusion. He echoed the praises which the Duke bestowed on the Bucks Agricultural Society, and did dot fail to state that he was "one of the original members." He urged the farmers to look to individual exertion.

"They could not conceal from themselves that their soil was now subject to unrestricted competition. The time had passed when they could enter onto any discussion as to the policy or impolicy of such a state of affairs, but they would be madmen if they were to shut their eyes to it, and did not resolve to meet such a state of circumstances by the only means in which they could be successfully encountered and triumphantly vanquished—namely, by the continuance of that energy and enterprise which for years had dis- tinguished the efforts of the farmers of this country."

The Wigton District Agricultural Improvement Society held its show last week at Wigton—" decidedly the beat the Society has yet had the good fortune to hold." Mr. Philip Howard presided over the convivial section of the festivity. In the course of the evening, the chairman' as in duty bound, made several speeches. Among his topics were the fraudulent adulteration of bread, which he trusted would attract the at- tention of Parliament ; the reduction of our cavalry regiments from eight to six troops ; and Lord Stanley's agricultural speeches.

Lord Stanley, said Mr. Howard, mode a speech on general agricultural subjects ; but he had omitted to look near home, and see that part of the surface of the county of Lancaster was overrun with rushes—to see that vegetation in the neighbourhood of its large towns was much impeded by that circumstance, which would be obviated by the plain and salutary me- thod of draining. He felt sure that those gentlemen of the Manchester School and others, who sometimes attacked the farmer, would not take it amiss if he said that he thought their own county of Lancaster admitted of

some agricultural reform in that respect. (Lau, )

The Earl of Albemarle reappeared as the advocate of harvest-home re- form at Winfarthing, Norfolk, on Tuesday, and delivered one of his cha- racteristic speeches. He expressed his gratification at the progress which has been made in checking the system of largess, and appealed to the wives of labourers to make their husbands more comfortable at home, and thus wean them from the public-house.

The funeral of Lord Harding°, which took place on Wednesday, has been briefly but sympathetically described in a paragraph communicated to the journals.

"Between Tunbridge Wells and Penahurst is the quiet and pleasant vil- lage of Fordcomb. Its new and beautiful church is in the Norman style of architecture, and was built chiefly bythe pious munificence of the late Lord Hardinge, on his return from Tia . Here, on WecIpeaday last, the mortal remains of that lamented nobleman were interred. The funeral ceremony was private and unostentatious, in accordance with the express desire of the deceased. The immediate relatives followed from South Park to Fordcomb, and were there joined by many friends of the late Lord. The only insignia seen were the baton of a Field-Marshal, and a sword, the present of the late Duke of Wellington in 1815. The mourners were the Honourable Charles now Vis- count Ilardiege, Sir W. C. James, Bart., Sir Charles Hardinge, Bart., Co- lonel Hardinge, R.A., (brothers of the late Lord,) the Earl of Ellenborough, Lord Dynevor, Viscount Gough, Major-General Cunninghame, Colonel R. B. Wood, Mr. 0. A. Wood, Mr. Wooclgate, Sir Richard Airey, Lieutenant- Colonel Addison, and others. Lieutenant-Colonel the Honourable A. E. Hardinge, being abroad on public service, was unavoidably absent on the solemn occasion. Many of the inhabitants of the neighbourhood were pre- sent, poor and rich, so well known and highly respected was Lord H.ardmge in the county of Kent; and long will his name be cherished there, for truly was Henry Viscount Hardinge the poor and industrious man's friend."

Major-General Baron Stutterheim reviewed the German Legion, at Colchester, on Tuesday, for the last time. The troops went through the manceuvres of a sham battle in Wyvenhoe Park. At its close, the regiments formed in solid square with the General in the centre, and from this post of vantage he made them a speech.

Thanking them for their good behaviour, he said that he thought he should still be united with a considerable number of them, and for a longer period, as it was his intention to go out to the Cape ; considering, as he did, that it was a sacred duty to stand by them so long as he saw he could do anything to promote their welfare. The conditions under which they would be allowed to go to the Cape were now known to them. They might accept them, or they might not ; it was entirely a matter of their own free choice. None of them would be forced to go, and none of them should be per- suaded to go. For himself, he considered those conditions were of a very favourable kind, inasmuch as they would afford every man among them an opportunity of gaining a free and independent subsistence. To those who should not decide on going to the Cape he had to say farewell. But he urged them only to decide after the most mature consideration. He begged of them also not to squander away their money, for it would be able to procure them some comforts wherever they might go. Those who went to the Cape would be guaranteed the sum of 61., as mentioned in article 12 of the conditions, 21. of which would be advanced to them in England for buying little ar- ticles of necessity. Though they had not been allowed the opportunity of proving their devotion to her Majesty on the field of battle, he would ask them, as they were about to leave England, to give, with a full heart, and while they still held their swords in their hands, an enthusiastic cheer for Queen Victoria. [The troops answered with prolonged cheers, which the Baron himself led.] From his heart he thanked them again for their good conduct. They were an honour to their fatherland, and it ought to be proud of them.

They gave three cheers for the General; and when with much emotion he told them that he commanded them no longer, many of the soldiers were moved to tears.

A sum of 250/. has been raised in Gloucestershire on behalf of the Hardwicke Reformatory. In acknowledging the receipt of that sum, Mr. Baker describes to his brother Magistrates the object of his labours, and offers some facts to show how far they have been attained. • "As I have before stated, my object has always been not so much the mere reformation of individual boys who have fallen into crime as the pre- venting others hitherto uncontaminated from catching the infection. It is known to all who have studied the subject, that boys almost always learn crime from other boys. I do not mean to deny the existence of a 'Fa-

but I mean that such are extremely rare, if not altogether extinct, in any but extremely large towns. All the boys in this county who have had any education in crime have learnt it from boys under sixteen. Lord Stanley has lately called attention to one of the grand desiderata in the statistics of crime—namely, the making a distinction between premeditated and casual offences ; the one proceeding from evil inten- tion, the other from a mere weakness in resisting sudden temptation. Offenders of the latter class will always exist so long as human nature con- tinues to he weak ; but if we can give them at the same time a proper pun- ishment for their weakness and an opportunity of leading an honest life for the future, we shall have done much. Offenders of the former class are rare, unless they are corrupted and trained by skilful hands, or have had long time to harden and train themselves. If, then, we can clear the county of old trained thieves, and can prevent the casual offenders from continuing long in a course of crime, we shall have done much to abolish the class of premeditating offenders. Now let us see what has been the pro- gress of the work hitherto." The figures show that the "instructors in crime" have been pretty well eliminated from the district. Whereas less than two years ago there were known to be nearly twenty boys under fifteen who had been twice or oftener convicted, there are now, only three who have been twice convicted.

The herring-fishery at Great Yarmouth this season has been exceed- ingly successful : the boats have brought in a daily average of 1,320,000 fish.

The Birkenhead dock works are to be extended by deepening the great pool at Wallasey. The cutting of the first sod of the South Devon and Tavistock Rail- way was performed last week. The line starts from the South Devon near Plymouth.

Bicester and the vicinity have been visited by numerous fires, which have destroyed much farm-produce : they are believed to have been wilfully caused, in revenge for the introduction of threshing-machines.

Wilson, a soldier in the First Dragoon Guards, quartered at Exeter, has killed Shaw, a comrade, by striking him on the head with a poker. Shaw, however, was the aggressor ; half-intoxicated, he struck Wilson in the face. Five lives have been lost at Mr. Williams's distillery at Worcester. A large vat had been emptied of spirits, and orders were given to clean it. A man entered the vat after water had been agitated in it and run off—he fell senseless; four other men, who successively entered to render aid, all suc- cumbed to the influence of the carbonic acid gas which had been diffused by the agitation of the water. A hole was bored in the side of the vat, and air forced in ; so that after a time persons were able to descend and bring out the sufferers—too late ! all the five were dead.

It appeared at the inquest that two of the sufferers had been warned not to enter the vat : a foreman told them, after he had tested the air with a candle, that they would not return alive if they entered ; yet the unfortunate men soon after got into the vat. The verdict was "Accidental death."

At Dunkirk Colliery, near Ashton-under-Lyne, on Tuesday, part of the roof fell in burying six miners. Four were taken out dead ; the fifth sus- tained two fractures, and the sixth was not hurt at all.

Penning, a signal-man at Romford, was killed by a train on Monday night as he was about to move a signal. It is said that the signal-post was in dangerous contiguity to the rails.

Yet another poisoning by mistake ! At Wadworth, near Doncaster, Mrs. pashley went to a shop for a pennyworth of paregoric for her child; by mis- take she was supplied with laudanum, and the child died after taking it. A Coroner's Jury expressed their " dissatisfaction " at the loose and incautious manner in which the laudanum was dispensed.

A dreadful calamity occurred at Brynmally Colliery, near Wrexham, on Wednesday morning. While upwards of two hundred miners were at work, the pit was flooded by water bursting in from an old working. The colliers hastened to the higher levels, and most of them escaped; but when they were mustered fifteen were missing—if these poor men were not drowned they must have hurried to levels where there was no ventilation : there is no hope of their survival. It is supposed that a month will elapse before the pit can be cleared of the water.