The Sun.
London, England, 1849-05-07 00:00:00

0,73".. 4 • s. a
trit
...,
,-.- •
Certificate of bankrupt's conformity -i
• Ag': ‘'. 95
-,...,-: 0-" Ir
For entering every matter for hearing in a
subdivision court 0 1 0
••• .• ••• •••
Order of subdivision court ... • 0 5. 0
••• ••
Trial of issue . . ... .. 2 0 ‘-.. 0
. ... ...
Subpcena- ad recti fican-d um, -or -at her-writ „ 0 2 0
Fee on every sitting of the court ... .. 010 0
The 20/. and 10/. fees, now payable by the official ,as-
signee out of the first moneys coming into his,bands,are
also proposed to be abolished, and pet-centage is to be
levied in lieu of them, which it is understood will not
exceed 3i per cent. on the grossreceipts:' -.. ,- :- i
We cannot close this brief notice of this most impor-
tant Bill without expressing our deep sense of the re-
newed obligations under which Lord Brougham-has laid
the profession and the public by the great-pains he, has
bestowed on it, and of the unwearied patience,.he has
shown not only in listening to all persons entitled' to give
an opinion us to its provisions, but in seeking most dili-
gently all such opinions wherever he, thought they were
likely to be of any use in perfecting. the measure. He
has been repaid for all this labour by producing an ad-
mirable commercial code of law, which will be an endur-
ing monument to his fame.

PENANCE IN A PARISH CHURCH.
CAMBRIDGE, MAY 6.—The parish of--Fen DittOn,
about two miles from this place, has been the scene
of most extraordinary and disgraceful doings this
morning. In conformity with a sentence liAgly
passed in the Arches' Court by Sir Herbert Joiner
Fust, a man named Edward Smith, a gardener and
the village fiddler, was to stand and do penance in
the parish church for defamation. The suit was a
cause of defamation, promoted by Mrs. Martha
James, the wife of the Rev. William Brown
James, Rector of Fen, Ditton, against Edward
Smith, for having in the months' of Arpil
and May, 1848, charged Mrs. James with the
crime of adultery. The writ was brought into the
Arches' Court by request from the Vicar. General of
the Bishop of Ely; and no appearance being given
for the defendant, the proceedings were conducted
in pcenam. It was proved that Smith had at a pub-
lic-house in the village of Ditton, when -t‘ half drunk
and half foolish," used the defamatory words im-
puted, and the averments in the libel having
been proved, judgment was prayed end granted,
to the effect that the usual penance should be per-
formed in the parish church of ,Fen Ditton, on Sun-
day, May 6. Smith was also condemned in
,eosts,
which amount to 421. 17s. Bd. The subject has been
the matter of talk in the county round since the
passing of the sentence, and between the hours of
nine and eleven o'clock (the time fixed for the com-
mencement of the service) the thoroughfares leading
to Ditton from Cambridge and other adjacent places
were crowded with passengers, and there were not
less than 3,000 persons in the village before the bells
had done chiming. The majority of these were, of
course, members of the lower orders. The church-
yard was crowded, and as soon as the doors were
open a rush took place into the edifice that would have
disgraced the upper gallery of a theatre in London on
aßoxing-night, and every available spot was occupied
in less than five minutes. The screen was covered
by men (bargees) sitting astride, the capitals of the
pillars had each their human occupant, and Ditton
Church, which is computed to be capable of
seating 1,000 persons, was crowded to suffocation, the
majority of the audience standing upon the seats, and
eagerly fighting for the places which would command
the best view of the place where it was supposed
Smith would stand. The Rev. A. H. Small, of Em-
manuel College, Cambridge, was the gentleman who
had undertaken to do duty for the rector on the
occasion, and he entered the church exactly at eleven
o'clock, followed by Mr. James and his wife, the pro-
moter of the suit. Mr. and Mrs. James took their
seats in the rector's pew, and the service commenced.
All eyes were strained to get a glimpse of Mrs.
James ; and the officiating minister had no sooner
commenced, than he was saluted with a shout of
" Speak up, old boy," and a chorus of laughter • and
similar interruptions were continued throughout.
The hymns were omitted, by the special request of
the rector, made to Mr. Small, at an interval in the
service. Mr. Small, having concluded the prayers,
entered the pulpit, and taking his text from the 7th
chapter of Matthew, v. 1, " Judge not, lest ye be
judged," proceeded to the delivery of an impressive
discourse, interrupted by the breaking of win-
dows by the mob outside, cat-calls, whistles,
laughter, and other unseemly noises, which increased
as he proceeded, until his voice was finally drowned,
partly by the noise inside, and partly by that outside,
consequent upon a dogfight which had been got up in
churchyard. The interest excited by this gave way
in its turn to that excited by a cry of " Smith is
coming," several times reiterated, and the struggle
that ensued for places commanding 14 view of the
aisle, up which he was to proceed to his appointed
position opposite the reading-desk, baffles all descrip-
tion. At last his veritable appearance was announced
by a shout from the parties outride, and a complete stop
was put to the sermon. At this time there were several
parties smoking in the body of the church, as the smoke
was seen rising towards the roof, and a smell of tobacco
was patent to all. The shout outside subsided as Smith
entered the church, but was taken up by its occupants
with three hearty cheers, clapping ofhands, whoops, and
other discordant sounds. On his reaching the reading-
desk, the press was so great that he had to be lifted
into the pew of the churchwardens on men's arms, and,
when there, he was mounted on a hassock placed on
a seat immediately facing the pew of the Rev. Mr.
James. Nothing but this would satisfy the audience,
and quiet was in some degree restored by Smith
waving over his head the paper from which he was to
read his recantation. Mr. Small essayed a continu-
ance of his discoure repeatedly, but was as often met
by cries of " Smith, Smith, one cheer more for
Smith," the said cheer been most heartily given,
and Smith as often calling " silence for the minister."
This uproar continued, and then Smith beckoned to
Mr. Kent, one of the churchwardens, and asked him
what was to be done, saying, " You see what a state
the church is in; you know what is best; I am your
prisoner, and will do as you think proper." - While
this observation was making, a broom, which had been
found in one corner of the church, flew across it, aad
fell within a yard of the pulpit, then came a hassock,
then another ; the pews were then broken, and the
pieces were flung in all directions; the hassocks came
thick as hail, being evidently aimed at Mr. Small and
Smith, who, by this time, were standing close toge-
ther, the one reading and the other listening to the
recantation, Mr. Small having closed his book, and
descended from the pulpit for the purpose of hearing
it, as the only means of preventing the total demoli-
tion of the interior fittings of the edifice, which at one
time seemed inevitable. It was impossible to hear a
word Smith said ; and it is doubtful whether Mr. Small
did, for the reporter of this narrative was within half
a yard of the pair. Mr. Small had no sooner left the
pulpit than it was occupied by spectators, who
maintained their position there to the end of the pro-
ceedings. At last a hassock struck Mr. Small, and
at the same moment Smith concluded reading his re-
cantation, and moved out of the pew to leave the
church. On his setting his foot on the stones of the
aisle, he was taken up by the mob, amidst shouts of
" Bravo Smith, well done Smith," and the most
hearty cheers, and carried out on men's shoulders.
On his way to the Plough, to which he repaired, he
was called upon for a speech, and in reply, said to the
immense crowd which was besetting him, "I am
sorry I cannot ask the whole of you home to dinner,
but lam a poor man." On his way through 'the
village the inhabitants rushed out to shake hands with
him, and on his entering the Plough the house was
immediately filled with his admirers, who, consumed
the remainder of the afternoon in smoking and drink-
ing on the green.
Mr. and Mrs. James, on the other hand, were
hooted on their exit from the church, and were fol-
lowed to the rectory house by a mob, some of the
members of whom broke the windows with stones.
The following is a copy of Smith's recantation
" Whereas I, Edward Smith, having uttered and
spoken certain scandalous and f otphperoßbreirouswsi7irams
against Martha James,
iottfoAn,iminigitlltiye
county of Cambridge, to the greatChristianand
religion,
Brown James, clerk, rector of
God and the scandal of the
ofoFoffenencpe
to the injury and reproach of my neighbour's credit
and reputation, by calling her whore, and using other
defamatory words of and against her—l therefore, be-
fore God and you, humbly confess and' acknowledge
such my offence, and that I am heartily sorry for the
same, and do ask forgiveness, and do promise
hereafter never to offend in like manner, God as-
sisting me.
Smith made a speech at the Plough, to the
effect that he had formerly been under-gardener
at the rectory, and that while he was there
the body of a child was found buried in the garden,
and the head, which had been severed therefrom, in
another part. Mrs. James had, he said, accused him
of bringing this body from the churchyard for scan-
dalous purposes, and the consequence was that he had
been out of work ever since. 'The observation he had
made with regard to Mrs. James was, he said, made
in a tap-room when he was half drunk and half
foolish, and was conveyed by a meddling constable to
Mr. James. Throughout the day a collection was
going on through the village by men with boxes, in
May-day fashion ; the supplication being " Please to
remember Smith," and the proceeds being intended to I
be appropriated towards the payment of his costs. t
is doubtful whether the house of God was ever the
theatre for the enactment of a similar scene, and the
whole affair has only tended to increase the original
scandal.
This morning Mrs. James was waited upon by the
churchwardens and other gentlemen of influence in
the village, who implored her (seeing the storm that
was brewing) to absolve Smith. It is stated that Mr .
James would have acceded, but that thri lady was not
agreeable.

Mr. Bell, M.P., we regret to state, Is likely to retire
from Parliament shortly, on the ground of •ontinued
ill-
health.—Gateshead Observer.