The Sun.
London, England, 1856-08-01 00:00:00

THE NUN; LONDON, PRIDAY XT-PititrlNS.; AtIGMT 1680;

priest-governed churches in Christendom. The
general illiteracy of that vast body is, perhaps,
the reason of this. In Ireland there appears hope
that the spread of education is stimulating more
independent inquiry, which must ever be fatal to
priestly rule. Indeed many of the priests them-
selves are showing a far more liberal spirit than
heretofore ; and the social advance of the com-
munity due to the Encumbered Estates Act, and
the melancholy famine, will probably gradually
liberalise Popery itself, as far as it is susceptible
of that process.

Amongst the people generally ecclesiastical
matters are canvassed in a very different style to
what they formerly were. The upholders of
Church Rates may thank themselves for having
brought home the voluntary aspect of the great
question to every door ; but the fact is, that there
is hardly a village, certainly no large town in which
the Voluntary and State Church systems have not
been matters of discussion. Five-and-twenty
years ago the name of the former was unknown,
and the idea would have been considered tanta-
mount to treason. Again, both in Society and in
the House of Commons, toleration, the boast of
1688, and of the Whigs, is scouted as an insult.

Religious Freedom is a phrase thought to be
hardly explicit enough, Religious Equality is, as
Lord STANLEY says, becoming the universal de-
mand. How repugnant that is to priestly domi-
nation is plain in the United States of America,
where the Irish Catholics, if they intermingle
with the people, are seen, in the second genera-
tion at least, to emancipate themselves from its
rule. In Great Britain, therefore, not withstanding
Papal aggressions and Puseyism, we think that
Priestcraft is losing ground. A thoroughly free
Press and free discussion appear to be incompat-
ible with Priestly rule, just as Censorship and the
Index Expurgatorius are its first resort. Priest-
craft and political absolutism have no inherent
strength. They cannot face the light of dis-
cussion. We shall ere long take a glance at the
Continent.

Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Kent left town
this morning, on a visit to her Majesty, at Osborne.
The Marquis and Marchioness of Beaulieu have loft
the Clarendon for Paris.
A matrimonial alliance is arranged and 'will shortly
take place between Lord Raglan and Lady Georgians
Lygon, daughter of Lieutenant-General the Earl of
Beauchamp.
A marriage is also on the tapir between the Hon. and
Rev. Gerald Wellesley, Dean of Windsor, and the Hon.
Miss Montagu, daughter of Major-General Lord
Rokeby.
MADAME VESTRIS.—This gifted lady, we are sorry to
hear, lies in a state which leaves very little hope of her
recovery.

THE AMERICAN MAILS.—The Canadia sails on Satur-
day for Halifax and Boston. The letterbox at the
Liverpool post closes at 8, with late fees at 9, and on
the landing-stage at 10 a.m.
The Evangelical Alliance is to hold its conference
this year in Glasgow, commencing on the 20th August.
Lord Benholme is to preside at one of the meetings.
Mr. Brett arrived at Genoa on the 25th, and immedi-
ately set out for Cagliari, where he was to meet M.
Delamarche, a French engineer, who has been appointed
by the French Government to witness the operation of
sinking the wire between Sardinia and Africa.
Baron de Testa, formerly first dragoman of the Aus-
trian legation at Constantinople, and afterwards Aus-
trian consul at Jassy, has been nominated resident
Minister of Austria for the three free cities of Hamburg,
Lubeck, and Bremen, in place of Baron de Menshengen,
named Minister to the Helvetic Confederation.
Two LIVES LOST NEAR BLACYFBIAiss•BRIDGE.—SeyeraII
lads were last night bathing in the River Thames, when
a boy, whose name could not be ascertained, was seen
to sink after the passing of one of the Westminster steam-
boats. His brother, who was also present, at once
jumped into the water for the purpose of rescuing him,
when he seized hold of the hand of his brother, but be-
ing unable to pull him out, the two poor fellows were
drifted down the Thames, and it is to be regretted that
both were drowned. Up to ten o'clock neither body
had been recovered.
THE CONDEMNED CONVICT BROWN.—The woman
Brown, who was left for execution at the Dorchester

Assizes for the murder of her husband at Broadwinsor,
was visited on Monday by her brother and sister ; the
interview was truly distressing ; she has requested that
no one but the chaplain be permitted to see her. She is
very attentive to the instructions and exhortations of
the chaplain, who is very diligent in attending on her.
Several petitions have been got up for presentation to
the Secretary of State, praying for a reprieve, but the
signatures have not been very numerous. We understand
she has not made any formal confession, although she
admits her guilt.—Sherborne Journal.
SE= LION AND SUlClDE.—Yesterday morning, shortly
before 6 o'clock, the lock-keeper at Sir Geo. Duckett's
Canal, Victoria-park, saw the body of a fine young
,woman floating in the water near the Hosford Arms
Tavern. He obtained the drags and with assistance he
succeeded in getting the deceased on to the towing-path.
Mr. Vaughan, the beadle, and the police have since
ascertained that the deceased's name, is Henrietta Hill,
aged 17 years. She left home on Saturday night last,
to make some trifling purchases, and was never seen
alive afterwards. The body was sadly decomposed, and
she was unfortunately far advanced in pregnancy. She
had for several weeks past exhibited a lowness of spirits,
in consequence of her seducer having discarded her for
another female.

Allegations baying been made in Parliament and else-
where that the steamers of the European and Australian
Royal Mail Company, by which the contract for the
Australian mails by the overland route has just been ob-
tained, are unequal to the service, the directors have felt
it necessary to put forth a refutation. Their vessels
they stale, have a maximum speed of more than 14
kno's, while with adverse winds and tides the minimum
is 9 knots. The company have accepted uncondition-
ally, and with a full knowledge of the consequences, the
penalties imposed by Government, and express a con-
viction not only of their ability to perform their engage.
ments, but of making their passages much within the
time allowed by the contract, and in a manner which
could not have been attained by any of the other par-
ties who tendered for the service. The new boats being
built for them will have a speed guaranteed under penal-
ties by the builders of 14 knots; with the largest supply
of coals they will be called upon under any circumstances
to carry.

MARIQ gin. AND NEW GRANADA MINING COMPANY.—
Yesterday the annual general meeting of the proprietors
was held at the London Tavern, Bishopsgate-street ; Mr.
J. D. Po wles in the chair. The report was taken as read.
The chairman, in moving the adoption of the report, said
the results of the three milted had been highly satisfac-
tory, but as Capt. Mountain was in attendance, who bad
been at the mines for nearly 30 year., he would be able
to answer any questions. They had 27,550/. to the credit
of profit and loss, which would have been applicable to
the paymentof dividends had it not been for the purchase
of the Purima Mines, and by October ;t was expected an
amount would be in hand sufficient to pay a small divi-
dend. Capt. Mountain, in answer to questions, stated
that be believed the mines would eventually turn out
profitable. Mr. Mocatti was proposed as a director,
when a resolution was passed 'appointing 'Mr. Castles,
the chairman of the late committee of investigation, and
upon that question a ballot was demanded, which termi-
nated the proceedings, and the ranting was adj ourned
until October.

MUSIC HALL, STORE-STREET.—On Monday evening a
"Lecture on the Writings and Songs of Charles Dibdin"
was delivered here by a Mr.Whittel, a gentleman hitherto
unknown to the public. The literary part of the enter-
tainment was treated in a very able and spirited man-
ner, and the vocal illustrations were sung by Mr. and
Mrs. H. Manley, Madame Studderoff, Mr. E. Williams,
and Mr. Bignell. During the delivery of the lecture
Dibdin's celebrated song, " Tom Bowling," was sung
with such great taste and feeling by Mr. Manley that an
encore was unanimously insisted on. The other songs
allotted to this gentleman were " The Flowing Can '
and " Post Meridian," which were capitally given.
Since this gentleman appeared at the Strand Theatre
some years ago his voice has greatly improved, and we
doubt not he will soon rank amongst the best of our
English tenors. Mrs. Manley sung " Wapping Old
Stairs" exquisitely, and the other artistes acquitted
themselves with great credit. Mr. Whittel's " first
lecture " was decidedly successful.
. .

THE OCEAN TELEGRAPH.—The submarine electric
telegraph cable for the New York, Newfoundland, and
London Telegraph Company was successfully laid on the
10th inst., from the steam-ship Propontis, Capt. Good-
win, under the direction of Mr. S. Canning, across the
Gulf of St. Lawrence, between Cape Ray Cove, N. F.
and Ashby Bay, C. 8., a distance of 85 miles, in 15
hours. Messages are now being freely and instanta-
neously transmitted from shore to shore. [We under-
stand that the Company have about 700 men at work
in Newfoundland and on Cape Breton. The Newfound-
land line 'from St. John's to the point where it intersects
with the lines of the American Telegraph Company in
Nova Scotia will be about 600 miles in length, and it is
confidently expected that the whole will be completed
and in successful operation by the Ist of September;
and, from arrangements already completed, it is also,
we understand, confidently expected by the New
York, Newfoundland, and London Telegraph Com-
pany that the cablq to connect Newfoundland and
Ireland will be laid down during the ensuing year. The
best electricians and practical telegraphers entertain no
doubt that every serious obstacle in the way of the
triumphant success of the Transatlantic line has been re-
moved. We understand that Cyrus W. Field, Esq., one
of the prominent members of the New York, Newfound-
land, and London Telegraph Company, will leave for
Europe this week to complete arrangements for the im-
mediate commencement of the Transatlantic line.]—New
York ri7llo, July 14.