The Sun.
London, England, 1870-12-14 00:00:00

There is something infinitely shocking in the announce-
ment that an Englishman—a Mr. Noel, who appears to
have settled in Nogroponte-13, Among
_the >Ltrstins
who
have been arrested on the charge of complicity with
the brigands who massacred Mr. Herbert and his
companions at Marathon. Upon Mr. Noel's guilt or inno-
cence it is impossible for us to form even the most preca-
rious of conjectural opinions. We have absolutely
no evidence to guide us in the matter ; and we must
await the elucidation of the indictment in which he
' is classed with the sixty. shepherds who are his alleged
companions in guilt. A telegram from Athens in-
forms us that "at the inquiry into the massacre no
proof was adduced that any Greek political or important
person was implicated in the affair." We are glad to
have this statement : but nevertheless we may be per-
mitted to remark that it causes us scarcely less astonish-
ment than the intelligence that one of our own country-
men is accused of association with the professional cut
throats of Greece.—Manchester Guardian.

NAVAL AND MILITARY INTELLIGENCE.
The ceremony of launching the new paddle-wheel
despatch vessel Lively from the building slip in Sheerness
Dockyard was performed in a successful manner on Satur-
day, in the presence of Vice-Admiral the Hon. Charles
G. J. B. Elliot, C. 8., Commander-in-Chief at Sheerness,
and the principal officers of the navy, army, and dock-
yard.
In the four years which have elapsed since the esta-
blishment of the Chichester training-ship over 700 boys
have been rescued from the streets and received onboard ;
465 have been trained and sent to sea, employment has
been found in other ways for from 50 to 60, and the
present crew numbers about 170 ; 204 boys have returned
from their first voyage, 30 or 40 have found occupation
abroad, and the remainder aro believed to be still at sea.
The managers of this institution ask for help to carry on
their excellent work.
A circular has been issued from the War-office, direct-
ing that whenever a clergyman who has not been regu-
larly authorised to officiate for the troops, is desirous of
undertaking the duty, the necessary authority for his ap-
pointment is to be obtained from the War-office through
the officer commanding the troops at the station ; and any
clergyman who voluntarily commences duty to the troops
without having received the approval of the Secretary of
State for War is to be informed that payment cannot be
guaranteed to him until such approval shall have been
officially notified to him.
The officers appointed to the ships belonging to the
new flying squadron were strictly enjoined to be on board
their respective ships by nine a.m. on the Ist instant.
This order from the Admiralty was strictly carried out,
but we hear that up to Saturday last most of the vessels
had not been supplied with mess traps, and the officers
had, therefore, to live ashore, and bear the consequent
additional expense.
The Vanguard, which has just returned from her ex-
.l:te.4llle4Atal sea-trip, is to have her water-ballast taken out
at Devonport, to be replaced with fixed iron ballast and
cement, and will probably have some alterations made in
her steering gear.
A Plymouth correspondent states that the Admiralty
are still pursuing a policy of retrenchment at Devonport
Dockyard. According to an annual custom returns have
been made out by the chiefs of departments and
sent by the chief storekeeper to the Admiralty, showing
the quantities and values of the stores which will be re-
quired for the ensuing year, according to the programme
of work authorised: The total amount required is about
£330,000. These requisitions have been returned to the
Devonport offices to be reduced in all departments, the
total amount being in excess of what the Admiralty think
ought to be sufficient.
We learn from the Homeward Mail that the Indian
army reductions now recommended from India to the
Home Government consist of the reduction of one Bengal
Cavalry, two Bengal Infantry, one Madras Cavalry, four
Madras Infantry, one Bombay Cavalry, and two Bom-
bay Infantry regiments ; alsc the reduction of the remain•
ing regiments of Bombay Cavalry to the same strength as
.ongal Cavalry, and the remaining Madras Infantry
.rom 640 to GOO sepoys each regiment.

FIRE AT THE MARQUIS OF DONEGAL'S MANSION
IN BERKSHlRE.—Hannstead House, near Newbury, the
seat of the Marquis of Donegal, narrowly escaped total
destruction by fire on Monday afternoon. Lord and Lady
Donegal are at present staying at their town house, but
were expected to return to Hampstead Park this week, and
the mansion was accordingly being prepared for their
reception. The fire which heats the flue constructed to
warm several of the principal apartments, was lighted
yesterday morning and nothing unusual occurred until
between one and two o'clock, when flames were seen
bursting through a flue in the billiard•room. The servants
and the labourers and others on the estate were soon on
the spot, and all worked with great energy. They had
checked the progress of the fire, when the Newbury Fire
Brigade arrived with their engine, which was effectually
played, the fire being got under by the early part of the
evening. A fatality seems to hang over the Hampstead
seat of the Craven family, several fires having occurred
there. The repairs needed in consequence of the conflag-
ration will involve considerable outlay.
• •

MUSCULAR CHRISTIANITY.—The ever active
Bishop of Manchester made a somewhat unexpected
declaration at the Leeds Young Men's Christian Associa-
tion. He had rejoiced, he said, at the opinion which
Professor Huxley had lately given with respect to
religious education, and he believed that if this spirit was
to pervade the application of the Educittion Act the
Legislature would have passed one of the most beneficent
Acts which the history of Parliament had recorded. Ho
believed that Christians spent too much time and
trouble in fighting about things which were not
connected with the vital questions of religion.
They fought about opinions on which people
might agree to differ. Some time ago a great deal of ex-
citement prevailed with respect to what was called " Mus-
cular Christianity." People thought that religion was
losing its activity and its real power to deal with the
world, and by muscular Christianity it seemed to be
understood that there was to be a slap-dash way of getting
through the world ; he thought there was a perilous mea-
sure of falsehood in the term of " muscular Christianity."
It was putting themselves into temptation it they went
in search of sin and put themselves close to evil because
they heard the world talking about it and wanted to see
something of it. People ran these risks because they did
not like to be told that they were ignorant fools who
knew nothing of the world.
THE FICTITIOUg CHILD CASE.—Ar the Central Criminal
Court, Mary Hill, 41, a married woman, was charged
with unlawfully conspiring with one, Angie Augusta, to
palm off upon George James Lowe, a certain child as the
child of the last-named defendant, with intent to injure and
prejudice him. The prisoner was also charged with adminis-
tering a certain narcotic drug to the infant in Qufstion with
intent to do it grievous bodily harm. Mr. G. 3,
Lowe, the prosecutor, was severely cross-examined
by Mr. Griffiths, the object of the questions
that were put to him apparently being to shew that he
was a party to the fraud that had been committed by the
defendant. He, however, denied most positively that
there was any truth in this suggestion. In re-examination
C Mr. Lowe said that his wife was alive when Annie
Augusta first became acquainted with him, and he took a
hong° for her, and she was under his protec-
tion till his ife died, when Annie Augusta came
to his own house, and passed afterwards as Mrs. Lowe.
The defence that was sought to be established for the
prisoner was that the prosecutor, Mr. Lowe, was a party
to the transaction, and that he was aware at the time
what was intended to be done. The Jury, after a very
short deliberation,found the defendant guilty. Superin-
tendent Gernon informed the Court that property of
the value of £BOO was found in the possession of the
"
i prisoner. A great numT)er of I 0 U's were also found
which had been given by ladies who had been confined in
her house. She was also an acquaintance of Mrs. Waters,
who was recently executed. Mr. Commissioner Kerr
sentenced her to be imprisoned and kept to hard labour
for two years.