The Sun.
London, England, 1864-04-02 00:00:00

shows a slight dee ine. Threes, for the Account,
are now at 66f. 75c. Mobilior have rectdbd 10f.,
being now at 1,042 f. 50c. Railway Shares also
heavy, but up to the present time without any ma-
terial variation in quotations. The market improved
towards the close, and left off as follows :

41 per Cents. 93 5D
Do. end month
3 per Cents
Do. end month 66 5
Credit 1040
Do. end month 1017 50
Bank Shares 3300
Credit Fonder l2BO
Roman
RAIL

Italian Loan 6B 80
Do. end month 67 75
New ditto —
Do. end month —
Russian
Austrian
Spanieh Threes —
llorne Debt .. 49a
Deferred

Ayb.
Cash. Account.
990 ~ 990 --
977 50 .. 982 50

Orlwas
Northern

New ditto
Lyons and Mediterranean 950 .. 943 75
New ditto . 890

Southern 655 _
Western .. „...
Eastern ....
Sardinian
Austrian
I•an.bard
•

North of Spain. ...... 49) .. 486 25
Saragossa. ;... ......... 590 588 75
Ditto to Barcelona .... 280 280

ANNUAL GENERAL SESSIONS,

ROMAN CATHOLIC CHAPLAINS FOR THE COUNTY GAOLS

The annual general sessions of the magistrates of this
County was held at the Court House, Preston, on Thursday

Lord Stanley occupied the chair. A memorial was read
from the Rev. W. 'Walker, Roman Catholic priest of Pres-
ton, praying the Court to appoint a Roman Catholic
chaplain for the prisoners of that denomination in the
House of Correction, at Preston; such chaplain to devote

:he whole of his time and attention to the reformation of
the said prisoners.—Mr. R. Townley Parker moved

"That it is the opinion of this court that the number

of Roman Catholic prisoners confined from time to

time in the House of Correction at Preston, is so great
as to require the ministrations of a minister of their
own Church to attend at the said. House of Correction

upon the prisoners of his own persuasion." Mr, Parker,
who supported the resolution at great length, said th,
highest number of Roman Catholic prisoners in 1859 in the
gaol was 85 ; the lowest, 40 ; and the average, 58. In 1860,
the highest number was 84; the lowest, 43 ; atm the ave •

rage, 61. In 1861, the highest number was 116 ; the
10 west, 58; and the average, 86. In 1862, the highest

number was 116; the lowest, 66; and the average 90.
In 1863, the highest number was 118 ; the lowest 64 ;
and the average 93. The number of such pri-
soners in the gaol between 1839 and 1863 was
1,543—0 r on the average 302 a year. In 1863 the
number of Roman Catholics in the gaol was Elbow
one third of the whole. These figures, ho thought,
showed a good case for the appointment of a Roman
Catholic chaplain, according to the provisions of the Prison
Ministers Act.—Mr. J. Goodair seconded the motion.—
Mr. Dawson moved as an amendment—" That it be an

instruction to the visiting committees of the several gaols of
the country to admit Roman Catholic clergymen to give
such instructions and to perform such services as the Roman
Catholic clergymen may require." He desired that the
Roman Catholic criminals should have all the spiritual

instruction they needed ; but his objection was to the
country being called upon to pay for tho same.—Colonel
Townley—Do y. .0 wish to appoint a chaplain ?

Mr. Dawson—l wish to give the Visiting Justices
full power to appoint chaplains without calling upon
the country to pay far them, (Cheers.) Mr. Taylor,
of Todmerden, seconded the amendment.—Mr. Bourne
thought that Mr. Dawson was not aware that the'visiting
justices had already power to call in Roman Catholic chap-
lains to criminals. The object of the new law was to call
them in and pay them for their services,—Mr. Dawson—l

ought to add to my amendment the words, " and witinen.
calling upon the county to pay for those services."—The
Rev. R. Moore said he had long been a visiting jus-
tice in connection with the Preston House of Correc-
tion, and it might seem from what had been said
that day that the Roman Catholic prisoners had found
a difficulty in obtaining the attendance of clergymen
of their persuasion. He, however, had never heard of
anything of the kind; on the contrary, he had always un-
derstood that if, at any time, there was a Catholic in the
gaol anxious to have a minister of his own denomination,
he could get one. Only on Saturday last there was a pri-
soner in the gaol who wished to see his priest ; and, of
course, his wish was complied with. No cruelty whatever
in this respect had been exercised in the prison. No in-
justice whatever had been shown towards any prisoner of
the Roman Catholic persuasion that he was aware of ; and,
if there had been, ho should have been the very first man
to raise his voice against it. But what was now wanted
was not that a priest should go into the prison pri•
vately for the spiritual instruction and comfort of a
prisoner, but that there should be a public ministra-
tion of the word, that the Roman Catholic prisoners
should have a congregational meeting, and that the
priests should be able to speak to them publicly, and
preach to them as the Protestant chaplain did. He theugut
it their absolute right that they should have these things;
and he should be ashamed of himselt if he did not stand up
in that court and say that it was, in his opinion, the duty
of the gentlemen present to do what they could, in order to
allow the Roman Catholic prisoners to have congregational
meetings as the Protestants had. (Hear, hear.). In reply to a
question, Mr. King, the governor of the Preston House of
Correction, said that he had had a few instances wherein
Roman Catholics had sent tor priests ; but those who re •
quested their attendance had afterwards attended the
ministrations of the Protestant chaplain. Mr, G.
Parker thought that if a prisoner once sent for
a Roman Catholic priest, he was freed from at-
tending the ministrations of the Protestant chaplain;
and that, on the other hand, those who had not
sent for a priest were compelled to attend.—Mr. T. B.
Addison—No compulsion is used. Any prisoner who has
a reasonable objection to attending the Protestant. service
is not forced to go to it.—The Rev. Dr. Mackzeth—No one
is obliged to attend Protestant services.—Mr. E. Ashworth
—How many Roman Catholics were last Sunday who did
not go to the Protestant service?—Mr. King (aovernor of
the gaol)—Only one. I asked a Roman Catholic prisoner
the other day it he wished to have a priest. He said "No,"
and that he preferred going to chapel in the gaol.—Mr. E.
Ashworth said he did not wish to trench on the conscience of
anyone. He however objected to the resolution before the
Court being put in an isolated form, for it pledged them to
a certain extent to the others which were to follow.—Mr.
R, T. Parker—l have framed the resolution on the words
of the Act of Parliament. Mr. Ashworth—Just so. As
they now stood the practice was that if a Roman Catholic.
or a Protestant Dissenter did not choose to attend Protes-
tant services he might remain away. He could send for
his own minister if he liked. In the House of Correction at
Salford there were perhaps a greater number of Catholic
prisoners than at Preston. The exceptions there were about
7 per cent. who would not go to hear the Church of Eng-
land chaplain, and they were allowed to remain away.
Priests were sent for whenever wanted, and they invari-
ably came, He would just ask the Catholic gentlemen of
Preston, or Salford, or Liverpool, whether the rich church
to which they belonged was not able to pay their own chap-
lains for their services in connection With the prisoners
belonging to their religious denominations ? (Hear, hear.)
Let them bear in mind the solemn declaration of their own
priests to 'isit and minister to those poor people the corn-
forts of religion, and let them bear in mind tne words of our
Saviour on this subject-a" I was sick and ye visited me, I
was in prison and ye came unto me." If the priests did this
he thought they would not require the county of Lancaster
to pay them, as proposed by Mr. Parker, whilst he (Mr,
Ashworth) was most desirous not to limit the spiritual
liberty of any class, he must contend that it was not
the duty of the Court to trench upon the consciences
and pockets of the ratepayers of the county. Had not
the ratepayers conscientious rights as well as those per-
sons in prison ? If they passed the resolution before
the Court—if they decided that a priest was required
for the gaol—they would have to appoint one, and
then pay one, and then to find a separate chapel out of
the ratepayers' money for his ministrations. The principle
was a broad one, and, if admitted, they would never be able
to put a check to it. The next thing, would be paid chap-
lains for asylums and workhouses.—The Rev. J. Sperling
thought, as a Protestant, that the magistrates ought to
provide spiritual advisers for Roman Catholic prisoners,
and pay them for their services.—After some further
discussion, the question was put to the vote, and
the original motion was declared carried by a majority
of 41 to 22. The names were afterwards taken with the
following result :—For the motion, 46 ; against it 23.—
Mr. R. T. Parker nest proposed :—" That after the ap-
pointment of such minister, under the provisions of the
statute 26 and 27 Vic., c. 79, he shall be entitled to receive
and shall receive, a salary at the rate of £l5O annually, as
a recompense for his services performed, such sum to be
deemed a part of the expenses of the aforesaid House of
Correction, end to be paid out of the funds legally applica-
ble to the payment of such expenses.—Mr. Goodair
seconded the motion, after which the motion was carried
by a majority of 35 to 7.—On the motion of Mr. Myers,
seconded by Mr. J. Catterall, the following, having refer-
ence to the Kirkdale Gaol, was adopted unanimously :
" That a ri om within the precincts of the said House of
Correction be fitted up for the service of the Roman
Catholic Church, and that a sum not exceeding £lOO be
granted for this purpose." The business terminated at five
o'clock.—llanclicster Guardian.

Mr. German Reed is about to re-commence the
representations of Mr. Macfarren's charming opera di
camera, " Jessy Lea," which will be given twice a week—
every Tuesday afternoon at 3, and Saturday evening at 8.
" Jessy Lea," however, will possess a special attraction in
the fact of the introduction to the public, by Mr. Reed, of
a new soprano, Miss Robertine Henderson, of whom report
speaks in the highest terms. For the first time, the music
of the part of the heroine will be sung as written, the
debutante being quite equal to the florid difficulties of Mr.
Macfarren's composition. A. new ballad has also been
written for the baritone, so that the operetta bids fair ,to
enter upon a new career of success.