The Sun.
London, England, 1870-06-15 00:00:00

PROSECUTION OF THE MONARCH
INSURANCE DIRECTORS.

At the Mansion House yesterday the investigation
into the charges against the directors of the Monarch In-
surance Company (Limited) was resumed before the Lord
Mayor. The defendants, who surrendered and who are
charged with conspiring to defraud the public, and with
issuing a false balance-sheet, were Major the Hon. A. G.
F. Jocelyn, Mr. G. E. Bulmer, Major J. W. Carnegie, and
Mr. Joseph Taylor. Two other of the directors, Mr. W. T.
Harvard and Mr. F. Wright, together with the manager,
who were also charged, did not appear.—Yesterday, the
case for the prosecution was concluded, and counsel now
addressed the Court for the defence.—Mr. Ribton, on
behalf of Major Jocelyn, expressed a confident belief that
he should be able to satisfy his lordship that there was no
evidence which would justify him in sending that gentle-
man for trial. Mr. Ribton then proceeded with the defence
at length.—Mr. Digby Seymour and Mr. Besley followed
for the other defendants. At the close of Mr. Besley's
speech, the Lord Mayor said he had carefully considered
the evidence against the defendants and he felt he should
not be discharging his duty as a magistrate if he did not
commit them for trial on the charges made against them.
It was then arranged that a formal remand should be
taken for a fortnight, in order to afford time for writing
out the depositions, and his lordship said that in the
meantime he would accept bail for the defendants, each of
whom would have to give personal security for £2,000 and
and find two bail for £l,OOO.

THE NONCONFORMISTS AND THE EDUCA-
TION BILL.

The meeting of the Nonconformists at St. James's
Hall resulted in a very vigorous declaration against
religious teaching in rate supported schools. Mr.
WArthur M.P., was in the chair. He said that if the
Bible were introduced into denominational schools some
such plan as Mr. Vernon Harcourt's should be adopted to
provide against sectarian teaching. Nonconformists
would strenuously oppose power being given to local
boards to determine the religious character of the
schools aided by local rates. All denominational formu-
laries or catechism should be rigorously excluded, He
trusted no Government would attempt to carry a measure
against the great and influential body of Nonconformists
of the country. School boards should be at once estab-
lished in every part of the country, and any system of
education should be compulsory. The Rev. A. Hannay
moved—" That this meeting, while cordially recognising
the value of the amendments proposed by Mr. Forster,
to be introduced into the Elementary Education Bill,
feels compelled to express its conviction that so long as,
under its provisions, any classes may be required to
pay rates for the teaching of religious tenets,
from which they dissent, the Bill cannot have the
approval of Nonconformists." It was not true that the
opponents of the measure were conspiring against Mr.
Forster to hamper him and attack him; their feeling
was one of disappointment and surprise, rather than
anger ; and so far from factiously opposing the Govern-
ment, many had brought themselves to perilous conces-
sions in order to help the Government out of the difficulty
in which it had placed itself. He advocated the exclusion
of the Bible as a class book from the common schools.
He would have every child taught the Bible, but taught
by proper teachers and in proper institutions.
—Mr. Illingworth, M.P., seconded the resolution. He
agreed with the late Mr. Cobden that the only solution of
the education question was to have a non-sectarian system.
—Mr. H. Richard, M.P., supported the resolution. The
attitude of the Government had compelled many of its
best friends to assume a position of friendly antagonism,
but that did not imply any disaffection towards the best
and noblest Liberal Government which the country
had ever seen. No man had more earnestly sought
or taken more pains to obtain, a fair and satis-
factory solution of the difficulties, confessedly serious
and formidable, which beset the question, than the
Prime Minister himself. He (Mr. Richard) could not
speak in other than the kindest and most respectful
terms of Mr. Forster, who was not only an able but honest
and conscientious man, who, Nonconformists should not
forget, had given them the Endowed Schools Bill of
last year. He warmly appealed to his brother Noncon-
formists not to betray their principles.—The Rev. A.
Mursell supported the motion in an amusing speech, and
it was carried unanimously.—Mr. P. W. Clayden
moved, " That, considering that a number of denomina-
tional schools have been called into existence under
the minutes of the Privy Council, this meeting does not
urge the withdrawal of the grants they at present receive,
but deprecates any extension of the denominational
system of education at the cost of the State, and heartily
approves of the application of the time-table conscience
clause to.those schools, and of the abolition of all inquiries
on the part of the Government inspector into the religious
teaching given in them."—Mr. B. Scott seconded the
motion, which was carried with a few dissentients.—The
Rev. J. G. Rogers moved " That in relation to schools
established or aided by local school boards out of the
rates, this meeting believes that the difficulties of the
case may be met by prohibiting the use therein of any
religious catechisms or formularies, or the teaching of any-
thing in opposition to, or in support of, the tenets of any
sect—this prohibition not to apply to the use of the Holy
Scriptures, but such use, wherever adopted, to be under
the regulation of the time table conscience clause, so that
the attendance of any child at such Bible lessons shall
not be compulsory."—The Rev. C. H. Spurgeon seconded
the motion. Nevertheless, he did not sympathise with
much of what he had heard. He trusted he should
never allow his Nonconformity to outride his Christianity
or love for the Bible. He was sorry to differ from what
be felt to be the current of the meeting, but his opinion
was that Government had better have left education alone.
If the Nonconformists of England had been logical they
would, instead of allowing Government to touch it, have
been more liberal themselves in its support. It was a
gross falsehood to say that voluntaryism had failed. The
Nonconformists now had made a great concession, but
they had violated their logical position. His conscience
required that the Bible should be read in the school where
ktie children were taught, and if the Bible were excluded
be would preach defiance of the Government up and down
the land, He believed the majority of Nonconformists
agreed with him. The motion having been carried, the
meeting separated.
Other meetings have been held. At Birmingham the
Central Nonconformist Committee have resolved unani-
mously to support Mr. Richard's motion, to the effect that
in the opinion of the committee in any national system of
elementary education, the religious teaching should be sup.
The
by voluntary effort, and not out of the public funds.
The committee adhere to their resolution passed at the
last meeting to support Mr. Winterbotham's amend-
ment on the seventh clause, providing for the teaching of
the Bible without note or comment. A committee of
leading Nonconformists has been appointed to remain in
London while the Bill is before the House., for the purpose
of watching the progress of the measure in Committee.—
At Halifax the supporters of the League have met and
passed resolutions affirming that in all schools maintained
or aided by local rates, the teaching of creeds, catechisms,
or tenets peculiar to any sect should be prohibited by the
Legislature ; that it was of the utmost importance that
the Education Bill should include compulsory provision
for securing the attendance of children at school ; and that
the admission of children to schools supported or aided by
local rates should be free.

The assassins of Prince d'Arenberg, beaxing the
names of Schischkoff and Gribennikoff, have been found
guilty and sentenced to fifteen years' hard labour in the
mines of Siberia, with perpetual banishment. The court
was crowded during the trial, and some disappointment
was caused by the criminals giving in at an early stage of
the proceedings and confessing nyprything.