The Express.
London, England, 1861-10-15 00:00:00

TABLE-TU'RNING IN SPAIN.

In the Sit'cle we find the following narrative of
a strange scene (for the 19th century) which lately took
place in Spain :
"The church of Spain has °puled a grand crusade
against spirits, which do not get on well at present in the
Peninsula; spirit-rappers, table-turners, and even simple
spirits, are hunted down as they merit. The Inquisition,
while waiting until it can apprehend them bodily, which
seems rather difficult, seizes and burns any journals,
books, and reviews on the subject that may
circulate in Spain. Oa the 9th inst., at half•peal
10 in the morning, on the esplanade of the city
at the place where prisoners condemned to death are usually
executed, there were burnt by order of the Bishop of Bsr-
celoua :SOO volumes or pamphlets more or less infested with
spiritism, which had been seized ►t a!bookseller'e. This
auto-da-fil was presided over by a priest in his sacerdotal
robes, holding a cross in one hand, and a torch in the other.
A notary and his clerk charged to dons op a minute of the
transaction, and a head clerk of the custom-house, stood by
the side of the priest, while three men stirred up the fire,
and kept it in a blaze. When the 3(X) volumes were con-
sumed the priest sod his acolytes retired amidst the hoot-
logs of an immense crowd which filled the esplanade,
and while the people assembled cried with all the strength
of their lungs, . Down with the Inquisition !' the bookseller
was able to approach the pile and gather up a few handfuls
of this burlesque auto-da-V. This is all that remains to
him of his 300 volumes. Thus a somber of books have been
burnt, and the question now is what is to be dose with those
who have read them o How will the Inquisition proceed in
their ease! Doubtless they will not be burnt, for, alas !
the times would no longer permit it, but beware of retails.
tion ! Under any circumstances, it is not us who would at
the present moment like to amuse ourselves with table-
turning in Spain."

" You are already aware," says a Berlin letter,
"that the Polish deputies have resolved to take no part in
the coronation fetes. This resolution was adopted in a
meeting of Polish landowner+ and influential persona, at
which several Polish members of the Two Chambers were
also present. On the same occasion a proposal was made to
organise a national demonstration against the curonition,
bat it was not adopted."
The Espero of Turin states from Rome that the
Pontifical government, finding itself powerless against
Father Passaglia, whom General de Cloyon has pledged
his honour to protect from all annoyance, vents its ill-
humour upon the friends of the ex. Jesuit, by having their
apartments searched, and themselves in many cases
arrested. The Abbe Simonetti, professor of theology at
the College of the Propaganda, and attached to the sacred
Penitenzeria, is of the number. According to the Even;
all his papers have been seized, and be himself conveyed to
the prison of Termini.

A correspondent of the Ind( petulance Beige states
that the new King of Madagascar, Kaduna 11., is about to
send an embassy to France. It will consist of ten of the
native nobles and the military governor of Emyrne.
Commander A. B. Wake has been appointed
naval mail agent on tho Southampton station. .

New-place, Stratford-on-Avon, the spot on which
Shakspeere passed the last twenty years of his life, and
where he died, ts not only fur peremptory sale on the 25th
of this month, but the attructioe of its " extensive frontage
in the centre of the town" is held out invitingly to specie
ktive builders. Mr. J. O. Halliwell urges upon the wealthy
admirers of the immortil bard to purchase the pro-
perty, the sum of 1,500/. being probably enough
to secure it. "1 propose," he says, "as soon as
the subscriptions are sufficient to cover the etpeoses of
purchase, to transfer the property to the corporation of
Stratford-on-Avon, but on the express conditions that the
public be sleep freely admitted, and that no erection of
any kind be ever permitted in the gardens. This is the
grand thing to guard against—to prevent the spot being
mimed and cockoeytied. Some years ago it was proposed
to raise a monument her. to the memory of the poet —just
as if Shakspeare wants any monument but that of his works.
The only monument I should erect would be one outside the
gates of New.place, recording to posterity in enduring
marble the honoured names of the 15 through whose inter-
position the sacred spot was preserved."
THE STAR OF INDIA.—Out of the sixteen ordi-
nary knights already nominated to the exalted Order of the
Star of India only one (Harris) is an Englishman. There
are four Sootehmen, Clyde, Clerk, Marina, and Ruse ; two
Irishmen, Gough and Lawrenoe . • three ifshomedans, Tayi-
net Ali Khan (Hyderabad), Sekunder Begun (Bhopal), and
Yoosuf Ali Khan (Rampool) ; three Behnke HU:ideas,
Sciudiah, Holkar, the tlincowar ; three Seiko, buleep
Singh, Rumbeer Singh, and Narendur Singh. Should the
three lieutenant-governors be added to the list, as to sup-
posed, they will not increase the number of Englishmen,
seeing that of them one is an Irishman and two sae Scotch.
insp.— The Lahore Chronicle.

MUTH OT SIR J. HAIILYN WlLLlAMB.—Weregret
to announce the daub of tier James Hemlyn Williams, Bart.,
for some years M.P. for Carmarthenshin, which took place
at his residence, Clovelly-court, Bideford, on the 10th inst.
The deceased baronet, who was born in 1790, married, in
mai, Lady Mary, daughter of the tint Earl of Fortescue,
sad was therefore brother-in-law of the late and uncle of
the present earl. The first baronet was James Hammett,
Req., who assumed the name of Hamlyn, and the svcond
baronet took the additional surname of Williams. The de-
ceased was the third barouet. He is succeeded in the title
and estates by his brother, Rear-Admiral Charles Hamlyn,
who was married in 1843 to the youngest daughter of Sir
Nelson Rycroft, Bart.
A DRILL SIBOBABIT SHOT BY A VoLUNTERR
ILIFLEnAN.—On Saturday evening a great deal of excite•
meat was created among all classes of people in the town
and neighbourhood of Ashford, in consequence of a de-
plorable accident by which Sergeant Whorley, drill-
iesiructor to the 29th Kent Rifle Corps, was instantaneously
killed. It appears that a few members of the corps were
practising firing at 500 yards range, and the drill.instructor
was acting as marker. Private Williams, son of Mr.
Williams, wine and spirit merchant, was in the act of firing
at the target, when the sergeant left his hut carrying the
red, or danger flag. Unfortunately, however, he did not
emerge suMciently from the line of the huts and was con.
sequently not seen when Williams discharged his rifle, but
immediately afterward■ was observed to fall. As soon
as possible several volunteers proceeded to the spot,
when it was discovered that the bell had pared through
his head, and that., as might be *spaded, be was quits
dead. The practice ground is only a mile from the town,
end one of the volunteers immediately ran for Mr. Whit-
field, surgeon, who was speeibly on the spot, but his sir
vices were of no avail. The unfortunate deceased was a
married man, sad when intelligence of the .soaking
west was communicated to his wife, the effect was exceed=
ingly painful to witness. The sergeant was very much
esteemed by all the members of the corps, and his untimely
death cast a gloom over the town and neighbourhood. --
Kentish Gazette.