The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1866-12-18 00:00:00

ADDRESS TO S. G. 0." FROM OCCUPIERS
OF LAND IN WILTSHIRE.

An address, signed by seventy-five occupiers of land
In Wiltshire, whose average occupations scored a thou-
mad acres, has been presented to "8. 0. 0 "(tie Rev.
Lord 8. CI. Osborne), thanking him warmly for his late
letters against the ritnalistid prattles*. "We alm
desire to deck*" they add, 'our •larm at the tone of
the letter which bee, in emasequeom of this protest,
been addressed to your lordship by the Bishop of Salis-
bury, and we would express our fall belief that if iho
doctrines inculcated in that letter were to be generally
adopted by the clergy throughout our diocese, the eon.
sequences to the cause of real scriptural religion must
be serious indeed."

To this uddrints fiord Sidney Godolphin Osborne bas
returnod ths following reply :
To the Gentlemen who igalle signed so address, being
nosepiets of land in Wiltshire, to the Rev. Lord Sidney
G. Gebouw.

Ossetemitst,-1 have had placed in my hand' the
addren you have signed, conveying to me your warmest
thanks for the timely protect I have make against the
inroads now being attempted upon the Protestant faith,
by the Introduction of doctrine' and practices which are
plainly repnenant to the teaching of the Established
Chureh. My attention has been called to the fact
that it is signed by occupiers of laud in number
seventy-nye, whose average occupations exceed 1000
acres. lam also assured that it would have been early
to have obtained the cignateres of four-fifths of the
laity of that part of the County of Wilts, and I am
ached to conclude that this addrees is in itself auflicient
evullenee of the feeling entertained on the subject.
Gentlemen, I Peg to thank you heartily for the
honour you thee do me, by this appreciation of my
action in the matter. I most also add, that quite
irrespective of apy personal feeling, I am most grateful
for the powerful expression of opinion, in aid of a
cease, not only yours and mine, but that of every true
Protestant in the kingdom.
Believe me I can quite sympathis with your feelings
as to the tone of the letter, addressed to me by the
Biehop of Salisbury • as, however, I have already
publicly given 'repro:slot to my own opinion on it, I
am sure you will acquit me of any falling short in my
duty to you, if I do not now, enter again on • subject,
for many reasons most distreseing to myself.
You will easily understand bow painftll it was to me
to enter on such • controversy with one I should have
wished to have submitted to, as my Bishop; I could
only have viewed with the deepest pain, anything
which would disturb the affectionate friendship which
existed between us, and which I yet trust may survive
all the irrits..ion natural to this painful controversy.
I cannot but feel that our Church, the Church of our
forefathers, is at this moment on her trial. No human
institution, even when founded on divine teaching, can
escape all imperfection. It must, however, have struck
you, as it hae myself, that of late the attempt made on
the pretext of improving our church has been one with
no aim to fit hor the better to meet the growing letelli-
genco, the increased coriptural knowledge of the day
but to revive errors in doctrine and prorate from which
she was purged In a far darker age, and to restrict rather
than entourage her dependence on the love of her
people, as proceeding from a sense that what she
teaches is only that the Bible enjoins,
rbir religious liberty—freedom to read our Bibles,
and submit our Pools to that Bible teaching, which wants
only God's help, never refused, to give us the ehristian's
rule of life and his hopes beyond ic—ls indeed endangered
when the minister of our Ghureh's services claims to be
the priest to tbsolutely rule what we are to believe. It
is a libel on your intelligent)* to argue that where you
and your forefathers were bred to meept the Prayer-
book and the teaching of the pulpit as helps to the
knowledge yourselves could gain from the scriptures,
you are now to bow to the rulee of a so.called church
faith, making you as children put to school to a parish
priest, to accept as true that which you were reared to
heti. veil fahe ; to render yourself subjects to the
spiritual despotism of men rather 8 an partakers of the
glorious liberty which the gospel gives to you, to a 0
straight to the pure teeeping of Dud.
I earnestly praY that the epitit you have shown in
this matter may be yet proved te be that of the great
mar of the people of this country. No body of men
have more opportunity to protest ageing this attempt
to undermine the principles of our Church, and to take
steps to oppose it in your own separate localities, than
yourselves.
I did not seek the 'lmport you haw. so kindly given
me. I accept it as the usurers* that you will your-
selves continue earnest in that good cause which ahsli
not went all the aid I can give it.
Earnestly praying you may yet flud in our Church •
sober and truthful guide in the prinelplee which should
regulate your daily life, affording you all the real means
of grace and the one true hope of glory,
Believe me, Gentlemen, your faithful servant,
Durweallon, Dee. 6,1866,

8. G. Ossoixs.

The Earl of Shaftesbury hemiily endorses 8.0.0's
statements end opinions on the ritual question. He
can foresee the time when, If matters be allowed to go on
unchecked, • prodigious ethrt wiU be made to get rid of
both the nemlican Choreh and the Churoh of Rome.
The declaration of the Lord Bishop of Salisbury and the
lettere of Dr. Pusey, if carried into elect, would lay ua
hapue.s at the feet of our spiritual advisers, every right
of private judgment would be taken away, and
we
_should have to aeknowledge,.. as it
,7cr•

a Gol in every member of- 'the priesthood
"It ls said—and truly said—that the laity have
the power in their own bands' for its suppres.
sion. No doubt; bat will they OM. forward
and exercise it 1 Will they address their
bishop., memorialise their clergy, leave no abuse
unnoticed, sustain one another, and sink all minor
differences to sittsseive the Common canes? If they
wllldó this, we shall feel secure. If, from a variety of
moons, they decline to do so, a miracle alone and
nothing lac will save the Reformation in Great Britain."

THE OUTRACE ON A CHILD NEAR WA REHAIL

The Society for the Protection of Women and
Children having called the attention of the Home
Office to an anonymous letter in the Daily Telegrapk,
making a charge against the Magistrates &Ming at
Wareham, mad tbe society expressing the opinion
that their decision bad been improper in dismissing
amen charged with violating a child under six year.
of age, the magistrates were requested, on Nov.
22nd, to report upon the facts of the case. The
report was at once made, refening the Home
Secretary to the answer signed by one of the magic.
tratm in question, which had been published in the
Daily Telegraph of Nov. 6th, as well as in the
county papers, to the effect that no practiced
evident,' had been procurable against the man
charged, inasmuch as the chid could not be induced
to speak on the subject The Home Secretary,
reuogoiliog the impossibility of having promeded
under those circumstances, expressed his wish that
the child should be examined again, if there was
any probability of her being more inclined to tell
what happeoed. The following correspondence has
since taken place :
"December 4th, Hid&
"Sir,—ln reference to your letter of Nov. 77, exprelog ss.
Er. Walpole's desire that the magistrates of
Wareham should have the child Ellen Allen examined
again if they should think there was any chance of her
being more likely to tell what happened, I beg to stale
that Superintendent Foam, under the &nation of the
Chief Constable, has reported to the following effeet That the police, retaining possesion of the linen, have
mimic the ease occurred, been seeking to obtain further
evidence, bet that nothing has been learned which
would justify them in applying for • warrant against
the a eged offender, nit there have been two or
three persons to the child's parents:stating that they had
been sent from London to inquire about the case ; the
last about • month sines, stated he was sent from the
Howe Office. He had the child called oat of school, and
who told Superintendent Eels, they
questioned her touch against the wish of her musts.
had avoided any
eonversation relative to the case, fearing it might injure
the ehitd's mind. Superintendent Fake flu tier
state, that he Lae men the parents recently, and they
think that before strangers stie would refuse to answer
any questions. Under these circumstances the magi'tratos, baring no moral doubt aa to the guilt of the
alleged offender, still retain the opinion on which they
meted on July 24th—' That it would be useless mushy
to frighten the child by entering formally upon the
case.' They will of coursed° their best to carry out
Mr. Walpole'. instructions, should he wish that
farther examination should take place. I beg leave
farther to subniiton behalf of my brother magistrate,
Itodgett, and lapel/. that we are perfectly ready
to put up with ordinary misrepresentations of sourly-
mous writers. But that now an eatablished society has
chosen to believe 11111 11000,ISIOUS letter in the Daily
Telegraph. rather than the signed answer which imme-
diately appeared in the same paper, and that nine days
alter the publication of the answer, the society oedema
the statement, if not the calumny, of the letter, by for-
wardingto the Home Office a complaint of our conduct,
we very respectfully hope that Mr. Walpole win think
fit, ex preamelly, to exonerate us from the chaige.
"I am, Sir, your obedient Servant,
"Ocivia W. FAaan.
"The Right Boa. IL WaddingtOc.'.

"Whitehall, 10th December, las&
"Sir,—l am directed by Mr. Secretary Walpole to
aelnw".lodits the receipt of your letters of the 291 Nov.
and 4th Doe., respecting the ease of Ellen Allen. Kr.
Walpole re. ets that there is so little probability nf the
enda of justice being attained, but considering the
decided opinion which you hare fit. ated ' that it wont
be useless; cruelty to frighten the child by entering for-
mally npnn the ease.' Mr. Walpole would not be justified
In pressing you to lake any further proceedi 112. in the
loaner, and he haa gLrat pletspre in directing no to
court, to you and to your Kotler oq musk., his
amok,' for ,t our et, ntion to th., coo, and the
seuranrc that in Li. judgment you aro in no rospeet to
bloom for thi4 toucan age of justice.
"I ant, em, your obedient
"H. WA DDISOTON.
"Oliver W. Ferrer. Seq..