The Sun.
London, England, 1870-05-18 00:00:00

TRIAL OF A CLERGYMAN.

The New York Herald of the 4th publishes a strange
report of a trial. It begins with a quotation from S. Mark
VII.. 18, 19, and then proceeds thus :—The trial of the
Rev. Charles B. Smyth for drinking gin and milk on the
Sabbath was solemnly commenced yesterday. The
occasion was an august one, while the impressive
proceedings inspired a feeling of awe and reve-
rence. The hall of justice was the Eleventh-
street United Presbyterian Church, and the
tribunal the first United Presbyterian Presbytery of
New York, comprising the following reverend gen-
tlemen :—J. G. Findley, Moderator ; A. C. Triss, T.
Harper, D.D., J. Harper, T. Armstrong, Robert Harper
Mr. Thompson, and Elder Isaac M`Gay. They were all
dressed in ominous black. The reverend gentleman was
arraigned on the complaint of John Rosenborough and
Harman C. Henderson, members of the church, who
complain that according to an article published in the
Sun on the 11th of April last, Charles B. Smyth, minister
and pastor of the church in question, was, on Sabbath
day, guilty of the following misdemeanours :—" After he
had finished the sermon Smyth called together the six re-
porters who were present, and asked them to take some
refreshments. Then he led them to a well-known liquor
and refreshment saloon on the avenue near by, and
they passed in by the private door. Beefsteaks and
oysters having been ordered, Smyth turned to the
reporters, and asked them what they would drink.
Their orders having been given, he himself requested the
bar-keeper to bring him ' some of the same.' rhis turned
out to be gin and milk, of the former of which liquids his
reverence took five fingers, swallowing the dose with evi-
dent relish. The viands having been disposed of, all arose
to leave, and Mr. Smyth, turning to the bar-keeper, care-
lessly requested him to ' hang that up.' The bar-
keeper, who seemed to know him, said, ' All
right,' and the party passed out and separated."
This was the crime that sent the flutter among the
reverential hearts of some Pharisees—the terrible out-
rage for which the reverend gentleman was to undergo a
public trial. He faced it like a man. A petition was
presented praying for Mr. Smyth's dismissal from the
pastoral office. Witnesses were examined, and the
reverend gentleman delivered an eloquent address in his
defence, in which he statcd that he was suffering from
physical exhaustion whui the heinous offence was com-
mitted. Had there been au intelligent jury of Christians
empanelled they would (says the Herald) have instantly
acquitted the accused. But with a remarkable coolness
several of the members of the Presbytery rose like so
many icicles, and with the hypocritical dignity and reve-
rence of so many scribes, condemned the conduct of the
reverend gentleman, whose talent and popularity
were, perhaps, the only barriers to his immediate
acquittal. Three-fourths of them said they loved him
dearly, but failed not to put in a clincher against him.
After much Pharisaical reprehension, in face of all
the favourable testimony, the matter was referred to a
committee of three, consisting of the Rey. Dr. Harper,
Elder M`Gay, and James Harper, to report, and the
investigation was brought to a close.

POSTAL TELEGRAPHS.—The number of telegraph
messages sent for delivery in the City of London in the
week ending May 14, was 17,588, shewing an increase of
1,127 over the number sent out in the preceding week.
FISH TITHES.—On Saturday, 200 gallons of train
oil and a quantity of salt were seized and sold by the
agent of the Rev. H. A. Baumgartner, vicar of Meva-
gissey, Cornwall, from the stores of Messrs. Fox and Co.,
in distress for fish tithes. About half the market value
was obtained.

INTERNATIONAL EXHIBITION OF 1871.—Her
Majesty the Queen has expressed her intention to givela
prize of 1,000 francs (240) for the best fan, painted or
sculptured by a female artist under twenty-five years of
age, and exhibited next year. The competition will be
international.

A. story comes from Monticello, Kansas, which
recalls the most fearful features of the old days of blood
in the Southwest. Two influential citizens of that town,
having quarrelled, fought the old traditional duel with
knives and pistols in a dark room. When the door was
broken open, one of them was found with his throat cut
and the other shot through the lungs.

A Constantinople correspondent says that a brother
of the Greek brigand Arvanitald has for some years kept
a small retail shop in Pera. His conduct has always been
good, and he can hardly by possibility have had anything
to do with the massacre at Marathon ; nevertheless, so
much popular feeling has been excited against him that
he has had to hide himself to escape personal violence.
The Government Bill to amend the law of succes-
sion to real estate, which was published yesterday, has
an importance much in excess of its length. The gist of
the proposed measure lies in the third clause, which de-
clares that " Where any person dies- after the passing of
this Act intestate as to any real estate, such real estate
shall pass to and be dealt with by his personal represen-
tative in the same manner, with the same incidents,
for the same purposes, and upon the same trusts, as
if it were personal estate as to which he had died.
intestate."