The Sun.
London, England, 1870-06-11 00:00:00

THE PROTESTANT CONFERENCE IN AMERICA.

The International Protestant Conference, to be
held in New York from the 22nd of September to
the 2nd of October next, will be attended by many
distinguished divines and laymen from Germany,
Denmark, and France, in addition to those from Eng-
land and America itself. Professor Tholuck, of Halle,
Count Berustorf, Professor Revel, of Florence,
Bishop Martensen, of Copenhagen, Dean Kind, of
the Grisons, and the Rev. Eugene Bersier, of
France, will, it is expected, testify to the state of
religion in their respective countries, while
Dr. de Pressensd, of Paris, will give a
dissertation on the ecumenical Council. The
American and English representatives, it will be
observed, are men upon whose speeches and opinions
much dependence can be placed by their fellow
countrymen. Dr. Stoughton, for instance, will speak
on religious, spiritual, and ecclesiastical relations
between the United States and the British Empire ;
Dr. James M'Cosh, on materialism and positivism ;
Dr. John Cairns, on modern infidelity; Mr. Charles
Reed, M.P., on family religion; Mr. Davis, on
Christianity and the press; the Hon. W. M.
Evarts, on legislation upon moral questions ;
Professor Wolsey, of Yale College, on the Constitu-
tion and Government in America, as related
to Religion, and the Rev. Henry Ward Beecher, on
" War and its Prevention." Lord Shaftesbury is
also mentioned as tLe reader of a paper, but it is not
considered probable that he will cross the Atlantic. It is
said that the Queen takes a warm interest in the forth-
coming Conference, and that her Majesty has con-
veyed in a private letter to the Duchess of Suther-
land her feelings with respect to the religious as well
as international importance of the meeting.

GREEK AND TURKISH BRIGANDAGE.

Mr. Dow writes to the Times on the subject of
Brigandage, and concurs in Captain St. Clair's states
ment that the "East is little known." He illustrate-
the truth of this by an anecdote. He spent some
years in the valley of the Meander and heard a good
deal about brigands. On one occasion it was said that
a number of brigands had been despatched in a lane
near the bazaar, and on proceeding to thespot he found
that it was true. The place was in the possession of
well-armed police, and some dead bodies in the
vicinity bore traces of "summary execution." There
was great excitement in the village, and the next day
the men took away the bodies of their fellow villagers
for burial; but there was an end of brigandage in that
quarter for some time. The brigands, if such they
were, were Turks, but, adds Mr. Dow, "Had they
been Greeks, the story would have got into the Greek
newspapers, and might possibly hay 3 been discussed
in the English Parliament as an instance of the
oppressive nature of Turkish misrule."

MR. BERNAL OSBORNE AND THE IRISH CHURCH.

The views of Mr. Bernal Osborne, M.P., in favour
of the disestablishment of the Church in Ireland are
apparently not shared in by his wife, Mrs. Bernal
Osborne. As the time approaches for making up the
sustentation funds :or the new Church Body, Mrs.
Osborne has thought proper to declare her own in-
tentions on that score. A. letter, from which the follow-
ing is an extract, has accordingly been addressed by
that lady to the Clonmel Chronicle :—" As soon as
the Church Bill takes effect, I shall give one hundred
and sixty pounds a year to the Church Sustentation
Fund, as long as the present rector of Killaloan
remains in that parish ; and whenever a change
there may occur, I shall transfer that
annual sum over to a private chaplain—
for I will only give the sum specified to
the Church Fund on condition of being allowed
to retain Killaloan Church as my private property,
vested in trustees. In the event of this being
refused I shall build a small church at Newtown
Anner and the maintenance of a private chaplain
is considered in testamentary arrangements. It is a
matter of regret that the House of Commons should
have wrought a resolution to injure the resources of
all classes in this country, professedly for the good
of Ireland, but really for that of British tax-
payers."