The Sun.
London, England, 1870-12-12 00:00:00

THROWING OPEN THE PULPIT.

The Dean of Westminster, Lord Lyttelton, Mr.
Hughes, M.P., and several well-known Broad Church
clergymen were pi esent at the conference held at the
Social Science Rooms on Friday night to consider the
means by which nonconforming clergy and possibly lay-
men might be admitted to preach in Church
of England pulpits. It does not appear from the list
of names that the Evangelicals were repre-
sented. The object of the Church Reform Union
(in connection with which the meeting was held) as stated
by Mr. Llewellyn Davis, the Dean of Westminster, and
others, in this matter of preaching, is to open the pulpits
of the national Church not only to Protestant Dissenters,
but to men like the Archbishop Lycurgus, Father
Hyacinthe, and others. The Dean said some regulations
would be necessary to prevent such a scandal as a Mormon
preaching in St. Paul's Cathedral, for example. But
he saw no objection whatever to the clergy of the Scotch
Kirk and Dissenters being admitted, as well as priests of
the Roman communion. Nor was he aware of any good
reason why laymen should not preach. Mr. Baldwin
Brown, on the part of the Nonconformists, of whom
several were present, expressed his cordial concurrence in
the movement. Mr. Cowper Temple, M.P., the president
of the Church Reform Union, was in the chair.

BOARD OF TRADE INQUIRY.—The Board of Trade
nquiry at Sunderland into the loss of the Lanoma steam-

ship, resulted in the suspension of the certificate of Cap-
tain Kerr for three months. The court attributed the
loss to his rash attempt to enter the Elbe at night, in the
absence of lights and buoys.
VENEERING EXTRAORDINARY. A curious

swindling project is reported from Australia. A deposit
of gold and quartz, recently supposed to have been dis-
covered in Victoria, Australia, created much excitement.
A company was formed, and the shares were rapidly
taken and paid for. Further investigations, however,
shewed that the mine had been veneered with gold leaf,
laid on with size and varnish. The projectors of the com-
pany have been arrested.—Birmingham Post.

THE SPIRIT OF CHARITY NOT DEAD IN THE
NAVY.- —A few days since a leading seaman belonging to
her Majesty's ship Agincourt died at Portland. A.
telegram was sent to his mother at North Shields, inform-
ing her when his funeral would take place. The mother,
by the pecuniary help of some friends there, reached
Portland in time to attend her son's remains to the grave.
Her straitened means became known on board the ship,
and in less than an hour twelve pounds were subscribed
for and handed to her.

GENERAL BAIDRERBE.—GeneraI Baidherbe, who
has just been promoted to the rank of General of Divi-
sion, and appointed to the command of the 22nd Army
Corps in the North, was born at Lille, in 1818. He
studied in the college of that town, and subsequently at
Metz, which he left with the rank of lieutenant of
engineers. He was for some years in Algiers. Being ac-
customed to the tropics he applied to the Ministers for
an appointment to Senegal, but not obtaining it, he re-
turned to Algiers, where he took part in several expedi-
tions, and obtained the Cross of the Legion of Honour.
He was afterwards sent to Senegal, and proved so useful
that he was made Governor of the French pos-
sessions there. He distinguished himself by
his military qualities, and met with a signal
success in defeating the attempts of El Hadji Omar
who wished to found a Mussalman Empire in Central
Africa, and drive the foreigners from the place. His
health suffered from the climate after some years, and he
returned to France. General Baidherbe is president of the
Acadilmie d'Hippore, member of the Geographical Socie-
ties of Paris, London, and Berlin. He has published
several works on the languages, customs, manners, and
history of the African races, and described the topo-
graphy, geology, and archaeology of their territories.

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