The Sun.
London, England, 1870-05-07 00:00:00

LOOKING UP THE CHARITIES.

The Charity Commissioners for England and
Wales shew by their report that they are making
good way through the mystery that veiled the charity
funds of the kingdom, and which at first seemed
almost impenetrable. The aggregate amount of
stocks in the public funds, and of other stocks and
securities transferred to the official trustees of
charitable funds during the past year has been
£547,967 10s. 10d., being the largest amount hitherto
so transferred in any one year. During the same
period the report states that 16,586 returns of
the annual amounts of charities have been
received at the office of the Commissioners;
and that the particulars of 289 charities either newly
created, or previously u n notice d,have been ascertained
and entered in the register kept for the purpose.
Much, it seems, still remains to be done, but there is
now some hope that before long the intentions of our
charitable ancestors may be diverted into their
legitimate channels.

BIRTHS, MARRIAGES, AND DEATHS.

The statistics for the year 1869 under these
several heads have just been published in an official
shape. Out of a total of 20,066,224, given,
be it observed, by the Census of 1861,
as the population of England and Wales,
353,258 persons entered the bonds of wedlock in
1869. The number of births is stated to
have been 772,877, showing a tolerably implicit
obedience, on the whole, to the injunction
" increase and multiply." During the same year
there were 495,086 deaths. Of the births 394,339 were
males, and 378,538 females. Among the deaths
255,028 were those-of males, and 240,058 those of
females, each showing a tolerably fair division
between the sexes. Our lady friends will
probably like to know that the largest
number of marriages, 52,014, were solemnised
during the quarter ending the last day of December,
and the smallest, 37,713, during that ending on
March 31st. The two intervening quarters spew a
remarkable equality, the first being 43,071, and, the
second 43,831. The births were most numerous in
the first quarter of the year, and least so in the second;
the third, and the fourth, showing an equality as
decided as that just referred to among the marriages.
The deaths do not shew such great variations with the
season as might have been expected ; but the largest
number occurred in the first quarter of the yea

TIIE ENGLISH CIII:RCH IN IRELAND.

The controversy between the Archbishop of
Dublin and a portion of his clergy con-
tinues, and is extending to other sections of
the Church. The members of " the English
Church Union" resident at Dublin met and adopted
resolutions expressing regret that some of the doc-
trines of the Church have been seriously impugned
by certain clergymen in the province of
Dublin. They also express sympathy with
the Archbishop, and satisfaction at the firm
and dignified course he has pursued in replying to
the recent protest. They also express regret
that consecrated priests of
,the . Church should-hay#
been so unmindful of their:duty as guardians of tht
catholic truths as not only to appear to abandon
those truths, but to censure those who conscien-
tiously endeavour to fulfil their ordination vows.