The Sun.
London, England, 1869-02-17 00:00:00

-'HE CONVEAT CASE.

The convent case still drags its weary length in the
Queen's Bench. The large crowd in Westminster Hall
might be explained yesterday perhaps by the opening of
Parliament, but there was an evident crushing towards
the court where "Saurin v. Starr" was being tried.
There was a slight relief occasioned inside by a
little episode for which the jury and all who are
"compelled " to attend must have been very thankful.
Amidst the mass of evidence about "indiscretions," " dis-
edifying discourses," and " breaches of our rules," the'
Solicitor-General interrupted the evidence of Mrs.
M`Owne, and handed up to the Lord Chief Justice
a letter, which he said had been enclosed to him for
that purpose. The Lord Chief Justice having
read it, told the court that this was one of a
series of offensive letters which he had been receiving
during the progress of the case. Somebody who neither
knows Sir Alexander Cockburn nor has a large amount of
common sense has been sending to his lordship epistles
intended for his edification, in which they charge him with
all sorts of misconduct. He openly told the writer yester-
pay that he would be much wiser to save himself so
much trouble. The communications had not the slightest
effect upon him. The Solicitor-General rather complained
that he had been made the bearer of such a missive.
The evidence given was " all of a piece " with that
which has been given day after day since the
defence was commenced. Mrs. M`Owne was the witness,
and she corroborated in many respects the evidence
of the two defendants. Here is one example of the kind
of thing that occupied the attention of the court for hours.
Mr. Charles Russell elicited from the witness that
" Once Miss Sarnia told me it was my business to see that
she had got hot tea, although I had given direction to the
refectorian to take particular care of Miss Saurin, because
she was so difficult to please in her food. I don't think
Miss Saurin knew it. Her duties up to August 1864
were of the ordinary and usual character," &c., &c. Summed
up, her charge against Miss Saurin amounted to this :
that she was obstinate, that she would not obey her
superiors, that she was unpunctual, and loved to idle
and talk with seculars ; that she did not love her duties,was
irreverent, and behaved otherwise unseemly; that she did
not do as the rules told her to do, " obey the convent bells
as the voice of God ;" that she wrote letters and made
visits without permission, and that, altogether, those who
had to look after her had a hard time of it. Indeed, ,
Mrs. M`Owne said : " I would rather beg my
bread from door to door than be any longer
superior to Miss Saurin. The community," the witness
added, "have been very happy since Miss Saurin left."
Mrs. M`Owne also declared that Miss Saurin was well
treated in the convent, denied that she was put to menial
work, said that if she did it she did it of her own accord,
and spoke of the indulgence which was shewn to her on
account of her brother's death.
The Lord Chief Justice : What was the conduct generally
of the mother superior towards the sisters in the two
establishments, so far as your experience goes ?
Witness : Exceedingly kind.
The Lord Chief Justice : Was there any difficulty with
other members of the community and the mother su-
perior?

Witness : Not that I know of.
The Lord Chief Justice : So far as your knowledge goes
;his was the only difficulty ?
Witness : Yes.

Mrs. King was the next witness. She also noticed the
obstinacy of the plaintiff, her capacity for eating between
meals other people's food, and her deception. Moreover,
she charged Miss Saurin with habitual cruelty to the
school children. The case was adjourned before her
evidence was concluded.

THE CAPITATION GRANT,—The volunteers of
Scotland have appointed a deputation to wait upon the
Secretary of State for War, to ask for an increase in the
capitation grant by at least 10s.

It is announced that Captain Ducane, of the Royal
Engineers, who held a responsible position in connection
with the International Exhibition of 1851, has been appointed
to the Chairmanship of Directors of Convict Prisons, vacant
by Colonel Henderson having been made Chief Commis-
sioner of the Metropolitan Police.

The Manchester Courier notices that the short time
movement is spreading, and the prospects of operatives are
far from being cheering. In Preston, as already announced,
many operatives have had their hours of labour reduced;
and the short time system is being adopted. Trade, indeed,
is in a most depressed condition.

An entrance was effected into the premises of Mr.
Markendale, wholesale butcher, St. John-street, Manchester,
on Sunday, and a sum of £6OO in bank notes, gold, and silver,
removed from one of Milner's safes. Upon an examination
being made of the premises, it was found that there was not
a single scratch upon the safe, or any marks of a violent en-
trance having been effected.

The Presbyterian Church Missions in. England are
in great financial difficulties. At the annual local meeting,
at the Liverpool Institute, on Monday, it was stated that owing
to the expenses of church extension in England, the Home
Mission fund has a yearly expenditure of £2,600, and to
meet this outgoing there is an ordinary income of only
£1,400 a year. The committee are at present under liabili-
ties of £l,OOO to £1,200 beyond its past incomes.
The Lord-Lieutenant received an address of con-
gratulation from the town-council of Waterford on Monday.
In the course of his reply his Excellency said—" You make
special allusion to a subject of very grave importance—
the settlement of the land question. I thank you for
bringing under my notice in a definite shape the prin-
ciples of legislation embodied in a former bill, which, ac-
cording to your view, would lead to a satisfactory settle-
ment of the question. Such practical suggestions are valu-
able to the Government. I shall give my anxious attention
to a subject so intimately connected with the well- being of
the country."
The Washington correspondent of the New York
Times states that the feeling in Congress is one of decided
opposition to the Alabama treaty. The expression of opinion
recently attributed to General Grant, to the effect that
England was liable for more than the value of the ships
burnt by the Alabama, really proceeded from him, and
met with hearty approval everywhere. " The Senate will
never agree to the settlement of the Alabama business on
the basis proposed." There is no desire for war, " but there
is a general determination that the question shall remain an
open one rather than it shall be closed on terms which are
considered unfair, if not humiliating."
A rather singular charge of interfering with the
comfort of railway passengers came before the Cullorapton
magistrates, Devonshire, on Monday. The Bristol and Exe-
ter Railway Company prosecuted. The defendant was
Mr. Woodbridge, a miller, of Exeter. This gentleman,
it was stated, got into an earnest political con-
versation with a Mr. Piper, managing agent of the
Tiverton Times, and used rough language, which annoyed
two gentletnen and some ladies in the same compartment.
The defence set up was that Mr. Woodbridge received pro-
vocation, a paragraph concerning himself having appeared
in a paper, as he believed, through Mr. Piper. The bench
considered tho case a gross one, and inflicted a penalty of
£3, including costs.

ACCIDENT TO VISCOUNT JOCELYN.—Viscount
Jocelyn met with an accident on Monday evening which
it is hoped will not prove so serious as was contemplated
at the time. It appears that while in a hansom cab, in
descending Hay-hill, Berkeley-square, the horse fell, and his
lordship was thrown out of the cab and fell on his back,
and it is feared has sustained considerable injury to his
spine. His lordship was taken to Lady Palmerston's re-
sidence in Park-lane, and his brother-in-law, Viscount
Sudley, was immediately sent for, as well as medical advice.
Although suffering considerable pain f9r Alksj
la now nine M favourably..;