England in danger of a despotie ment. Did the writer never hear of Jesus College, Oxford, as a small illustration of the nonsense of his assertion? With regard to the rest, it contains observations worthy of the deepest attention of Englishmen. We are told that we are a mongrel lot. Yet, how The Times, when it suited it, arrayed Saxon against Celt! We are informed that we have no nationality, no country; that we are fast submitting ourselves to Imperial des Government. Yes, there is truth in this; but it is a melancholy Governtruth. There is a little truth sometimes in these articlesenough whereon to hang an untruth. "Wild," says Fielding, in his life of that "great" personage, "always kept to as much truth as possible in everything, and this, he said, was turning the cannon of the enemy upon themselves." If, then, it be true that we are in process of imperial enslavement, we ean understand why we have left Poland to her fate, and are about to put the final seal on that act-or rather series of actsof incomparable baseness. Again, our probable enslavement may be referred in great measure to our selfish disregard of liberty in a nation that cried to us for aid, and with whom, when they had thought or leisure to look around them, the people of this country felt a generous sympathy. The Poles are under the sway of Russia, Prussia, and Austria. They have been overrun by strangers. Half of Europe was in arms against them, banded in greed and cruelty-the other half looked on the murderous deed with apathy, or at best a tepid interest. But, says The Times, Let well alone. "Why should we be called on to do for others what we have long ago resolved not to do for ourselves?" Since the Poles ask to have fair play ---to be strengthened against a combination of Russia, Prussia, and Austria, it follows that what we have resolved not to do for ourselves is to resist Cossack and German domination. We fear there is too much truth in this proposition, but in a far different sense to that which the "leading" journal tries to deduce. England is fast becoming enslaved. She is yielding all for England is which she has fought; and Alma, Balaklava, Inkermann-those fast becom ingenslaved boasted tourneys-have been in vain. We are yielding our and fast "provincial privileges," we are denying our nationality, we are fast preparing ourselves for the fate of Poland. Then will our degraded nobles learn too late the value of what they have given up to the wiles and treason of a few oligarchs. Then will the horrors of war be brought home to our people. Unlike Poland, we shall deserve no sympathy. We shall have acted the part of for the fate of Poland. preparing The cold, insolent Dives. A nation bloated with prosperity is like an individual. Generosity, justice, all the finer, younger feelings, are destroyed. England, as represented by The Times, is like a rich sensualist feeding at a table placed in the bay-window of a club, enjoying himself the more because of the poor shivering wretches eyeing him without. Can we forget the letters of " PIMLICOLA,” in The Times, about the poor Poles, who, he said, disturbed Eatonsquare, by begging applications, just as he was about to devour his muffins and read his Times, by the hissing uru at breakfast? Do we forget the cold, insolent sneers and witticisms of the encers, &c., vulgar, heartless writer? The purpose is manifest-it was to prepare for the present onslaught. Let it be remembered, too, how, a few days since, The Times described the murder of Poland. None could do it more graphically-the knout, the noose, the chains, the gaoler, the hangman and the spy; the army of Circassia or the Crimea arrayed against ourselves (for England has fought what remains of Poland, through the insane obstinacy of our rulers), and Siberia in the background. Such has been the doom of Poland. With this the Ministers of England have once, twice, and thrice connived. We have already paid an instalment of the penalty. There is more yet to pay, in tears, in blood, and the treasure we love so well. of the heartiess Times writer against the Poles. The rulers of England Lold the position of accomplices in the murder of Poland. But, says the sneering mouthpiece of Britain's decline, to strike a blow for Poland, nay, to say a word for her, would be "a vain attempt to rectify history. The ground is lost to the man of action." What has the man of action to do?-To loos after his ledger, and read his Times, and see his birthright depart from him? To furnish his armies, his navies, his wealth, to make terms at a congress of foxes, where he. too, is a fox in all but cunning? "He has his own work to do, which presses hard enough, and leaves no room for antiquarian enterprises." Yes, in one sense, it is an antiquarian enterprise; for, if we measure by the guilty deeds and sad events, even of the last two years, the time is long enough. The enemies of Poland, of liberty, of truth, of England, may well taunt and ridicule the friends of Poland. Where were they in the beginning of the war? Why go through the farce. now of appealing to Palmerston? It is too late, until England shall be herself assailed. It may then be finally too late both for herself and Poland. Willingly would we abbreviate our remarks upon the reprebensible article in The Times, whose sentiments are not more iniquitous than its exccution is bad in point of cleverness. It says we could not "ascertain Poland." It is untrue. Were it not untrue, why should The Times give itself this systematic trouble? The Times, after more facetiousness about the Jews, speaks "of a war of most serious dimensions looming upon us in another part of the world." Should such a war ensue, the people of England may thank for it The Times, Bonaparte, and their Ministry. All that we can say is, that war with all Europe would be a boon and a blessing in comparison with that struggle. The Times likens the idea of rescuing Poland from her enemies to "extracting a pound of butter from the mouth of a dog." We wish it joy of the comparison. and mo rality! Th Tes an advo care of O The article then finishes by abuse of M. Kossuth-the voice of Pimlicola is heard in defence of muffins and meanness, smug, oily selfishness, and buttoned breeches-pockets. The Times The Times always thought Kossuth's cause--what? Hear it, reader, and hold your sides for laughter. "Immoral!" We are in the midst of starving virtue, it says. We have enough merit, suffering and genius, for home-consumption. Here, in the midst of masters. corruption, "private life in this country," it adds, "abounds in heroes and martyrs in, as we believe, much better causes. All around us men of considerable talents, and not without the stirrings of a generous ambition, are suffering obscurity and want, and are leaving that inheritance to their children, because they will not truckle to party, because they will not suppress their political or religions convictions, because they will not do homage to some petty tyrant, or to some local oligarchy." Where are they? Shall we look for them in Printing-house-square-in the House of Commons, or among our corrupt constituencies? Let us borrow the lantern of Diogenes from The Times.-Morning Advertiser, 17th March, 1856 CATHEDRAL ABUSES. CHESTER CATHEDRAL A MODEL' WE consider the cathedral system to be a legitimate subject for public consideration, and, doubtless, the Cathedral Commissioners think so too, for they have expressly informed us, in their Report, that it is not to be taken as their final report, but simply as a throwing out of the evidence so collected before the public mind, that the subject may be ventilated, as the phrase now is, and so lead to suggestions and improvements, preparatory to their final report. It becomes, therefore, the duty of the public to be somewhat acquainted with these church matters; and in our selecting the Cathedral of Chester for that purpose, it is merely to give "a local habitation and a name' to our observations. It is not to point to it as a horrid monster." If we wished to exhibit something monstrous, we might lift up the veil off others; but we take Chester as an ordinary and moderate type, just as a lecturer on botany might take up a plant at hand for the information of his auditors; not showing it as the object under discussion, but as one of a genus-a simple specimen. Some of its noisy admirers would hold it up as a MODEL. Be it so the greater the necessity of accurately examining it, as any imperfection in it would be reproduced in all cases after the same pattern. We observe there is some quarrelling in the local papers about a bone, with pickings on it, which the wrong dog has run away with. Of that we know nothing, we say nothing: it is to the regular system, as exemplified in this model cathedral, we would direct public attention. Arduous duties per a" Dean" of Chester. DEAN. We see, by the Report, its Let us begin with the head of gold-the office of Dean-and compare its income and its duties. income is £1000 a-year certain. hundred or two more, so much the better he may keep them; but it must not be less; that is the minimum guaranteed by the Ecclesiastical Commissioners. Now, what are the duties? You will say these are onerous formed by enough for one poor dean-two choral services daily, and one early service, not choral, every week-day, making twenty services in the seven days! But, happily, these are not all laid on one pair of shoulders; there is a regular paid staff of canons major and minor, of singing men and singing boys, to perform all these services in the presence of the dean. And as to sermons, how many do you think are delivered? Just one sermon every Sunday morning! Here are the worshippers assembled at the tolling of the bell, twenty times a-week; and only on one single occasion is there any exposition of the word of God—if the Commissioners' Report speak truly. We ask, seriously, is not this a substitution of high-wrought psalmody for the preaching of the gospel? And yet this is to be our model in cathedral reform! Of these sermons, how many fall to the dean's share? We may compute this without being present. His legal residence is eight months. He has, we acknowledge, the credit of constant residence; but as he has a living elsewhere, we think, in common decency, we ought to allow the four months' of supererogation for residence there. However, take it at the twelve mouths, and how many sermons fall to the dean? Remember that there are three other clergymen always present-a major canon and two minors-and we may presume they share in the labours of the pulpit; so that by a little sum in arithmetic we may find out that thirteen is the probable number. If he had a parish or district and congregation to visit, and curates to pay out of his stipend, with pulpit and parochial work for himself and them, he might not be overpaid; but as merely the presiding deity, or superintendent of sixty-six other individuals, who complete the number of the cathedral staff, there is a disproportion between the income and the duties not consonant to the exigencies of the church at large. Yet this is to be our model of reform! We opine we could improve on this model. Read the following advertisement, cut out of The Record of the 4th January, 1855:-"The wife of a clergyman who has been obliged to relinquish his profession in consequence of loss of sight, is desirous of making an engagement in a religious family as daily governess. She has had much experience in tuition, and is competent to teach Latin, French, German and Italian, together with music, writing, arithmetic, the use of the globes, &c. Terms would vary according to the number of pupils and the distance from town. She would have no objection to teach young gentlemen who may be preparing for a public school." If there must be deaneries at £1000 a-year, let them be reserved for poor clergymen like this, visited by Providence with affliction, and disabled from duty as a parochial clergyman, who would require but the use of his ears, which Providence had left him, in the discharge of his daily duties as a dean. Common honesty would point to this as an improvement; whereas our model would show us always the priest and the levite passing by on the other side. There can be no greater stain upon our church than the fact, that there are no means within her system |