Fine day though showery. Attended Divine service at the Portland Street Chapel. Mr Aspland officiated, and delivered a lecture rather than a sermon. It was the first of a series of four designed to review the history of nonconformity in Great Britain. This is the year which closes the second century since the great ejection of the Clergy from their livings for a refusal to abide by the conditions imposed upon them by the reactionary parliament of Charles the second, Mr Aspland clearly and strongly recapitulated the chief events of the struggle from the day of the revival of the book of posts to the final ejection in 1662. He was calm and quiet impartial but not less decided in his judgment. Towards the close he signified his good will to the present Established church, at the same time that he spoke quite strongly of the late judicial proceedings against the Authors of the book called Essays, and reviews as boding no good to the presentation of the Institution. For that now its safety depended upon the toleration within its bosom of differences of opinion. I followed the discussion which lasted none that an hour with continued interest. And I shall try to hear the rest of the series. Went out early to pay a visit, but I failed in that, and then walked across the easterly end of Kensington gardens home. On entering my house I found a telegram to me by the Canada, from Mr Seward announcing the fall of New Orleans. On going upstairs I found Sir Charles Lyell talking with Mrs Adams, about the cause of the London Times on American affairs and the singular way in which its statements are always contradicted by the event next announced. Its confidence last week as to the impossibility of accomplishing the capture of New Orleans and the Mississippi view might for what he knew be dissipated tomorrow. To this I smiled and answered that I had news of the event by telegraph in my hand. This seems to me the finishing stroke of the rebellion. All that is now needed is judgment and patience. We had to dine with us Mr and Mrs Horker, who are just from Rome on their way the United States by the Steamer of Saturday.100