The Press.
London, England, 1858-01-30 00:00:00

3),alu anb polite.

A CURIOUS POINT OF CHURCH DISCIPLINE is now
being inquired into by a commission under the act is-
sued by the Bishop of Exeter. The inquiry was opened
last Monday at Plymouth, and relates to the following
charges brought against the Rev. W. J. St. Aubyn,
rector of Stoke Damerel—viz., that he, Mr. St.
Aubyn, baptised Mahmoud Effendi, late major in the
Turkish army, without having previously given notion
to the bishop of the diocese of his intention to
administer the' sacrament of baptism in this case,
which was alleged to be in contravention of a rubric
in the Book of Common Prayer, which provides,—
When any such persona as are of riper years are to
be baptised, timely notice shall be given to the bishop, or
whom he shall appoint for that purpose, a week before at
the least, by the parents or some other discreet persons,
that so due care may be taken for their examination
whether they be sufficiently instructed in the principles of
the Christian religion, and that they may be exhorted to
prepare themselves with prayers and fasting for the reeeiv-
ing of this Holy Sacrament.
The circumstances connected with this case have
excited a great deal of interest in the neighbonrhood
of Plymouth and Devonport. Mabmoud Effendi
was affianced to the daughter of an English army
officer. They were parishioners of Stoke, and
desired to be married at the parish church. The
Turk professed to be a Christian at heart, but on
application to the surrogate for a marriage licence,
he was told that the chancellor of the diocese
declined to allow a licence to be granted. The banns
of marriage were then called in the parish church by
Mr. St. Aubyn, the rector, upon which the Be,. Jas.
Bliss, the curate, who had previously told the rector
that he thought the marriage ought not to be
solemnised, rose in the church and publicly forbade
the banns. This led to an angry correspondence
between the rector and the curate, and reference was
also made to the bishop, who was informed by the
curate that Mabmoud Effendi was, by common
report, a Mahomedan, and after other letters had
passed, the bishop sent to Mr. St. Aubyn a notice of
inhibition against the marriage. Meanwhile Mah-
moud Effendi bad desired to be baptised by the
rector, and the sacrament of baptism was accordingly
administered to him after the afternoon service at
Stoke Church on Sunday the 20th of December. On
the following morning Mr. Bliss, being informed of
the fact of the baptism, withdrew his objection to the
marriage (not being prepared with the bond required
by law), and the marriage was celebrated. Intima-
tion of the fact being given to the bishop, his lord-
ship determined to issue the commission as above
stated. The comml--' after hearing the evi-
of • that there

dence, stated that they were _ opinion
was sufficient prirni•facie evidence to justify the
bishop in a prosecution of the case in the ecclesiasti-
cal courts.

A SINGULAR BANKRUPTCY CASE came on for inves-
tigation before Mr. Commissioner Pane on Thursday
last. The bankrupts, Henry and Cheslyn Hall, were
attorneys, of New Boswell•court, but had been made
bankrupts as cattle-dealers, of Neasdon, in Middle-
sex. The case, which has been before the court
upwards of eighteen months, owing to the length of
time occupied by the bankrupts in preparing their
accounts and making out their bills of costs, now
came on for decision on the question of certificate.
Taking the assets at 25,0001., the liabilities appeared
to be about 150,0001. This enormous deficiency
was attributed to the bankrupts entering into exten-
sive speculations as breeders of stock, and had they
confined themselves to their business as solicitors
they would have done well, for their professional
earnings in five years had been 32,0001.—upwards of
0,000/. a year—and, deducting the charges, leaving a
clear net earning of 14,0001. The principal creditor
on the list was Sir Charles Rushout for 09,000/. In
the course of the examination the bankrupts ad-
mitted that from 1847 to 1850 they had rendered no
account to Sir Charles Rushout, and that when they
did render one they struck a balance against them-
selves of 22,8011.:—
It now appears it was not a true account. There were
several omissions in it discovered by the accountants,
Messrs. Turquand and Young. The balance against us
was not 22,8011., but 63,0001. 11,0001. consisted of stock
sold by me standing in the name of Sir Charles, as
executor for Lady Cockerell—her maiden name was Rush-
out. That stock was, I believe, sold to pay the debts,
legacies, ,tc., under the will, the amount of which 7 do not
recollect.
The bankrupts further admitted that they had ren-
dered no account of the application of these 14,0001.,
and that they had also sold out other stock, which
they had paid to their own account
Sir Charles with. Sir Charles

evidence, said that of one sum
their care, 20,0001., the bankrupts ,
more than 0,0001. Mrs. Dalgleish,

who had been waiting in court

forward and said that she

bankrupts. There never was
less and cowardly fraud as
been the victim. The further

was then adjourned until W 4

• . "
• ' • •• •'•'• ' • • • • I u .• • • • • 7 7 "s far W - • • • •••••• ••• ••••••••S 0. 0..4
.
. . • • • •

,ccount and not debited
iarles Ru.hout, in his
sum he hod intrusted to
rupts had " stole " a part,
lgleish, another creditor,
art all day, here stepped
111
B wished to oppose the
is a case of such heart-
that of which she had
her hearing of the ease
'ednesday nest.