The Sun.
London, England, 1869-05-12 00:00:00

CONGREGATIONAL UNION.

The annual session of the ministers and delegates of the
Churches composing this Union was held in Finsbury
Chapel, under the presidency of the Rev. R. W. Dale,
Birmingham, chairman for the year. After devotional
exercises, Mr. Dale delivered an address upon the leading
questions of the day, and pointed out that the living
personal Christ, and not dogmatic teachings and theories,
was the answer to every one of them. From the report,
read by the Rev. Dr. G. Smith, it appeared that
the income of the union bad been £5,570 2s. 7d., and that
their various publications had Lad a large circulation.
Amongst those present were Mr. S. Morley, M.P., Sir
Francis Crossley, M.P., Mr. Richard, M.P., Rev. T.
Binney, &c.

MISCELLANEOUS.
The Trinitarian Bible Society, an opponent to the
"broad" principles of the British and Foreign Bible
Society, also held a meeting at Exeter Hall, the Earl of
Cavan presiding. Very warmly the policy of the last-
named society was condemned.—The Young Men's
Christian Association held a breakfast at Aldersgate-
street.

Mr. Easton, one of the passengers injured in the
collision near the Think Railway Station early on Sunday
morning, has succumbed from the effects of the *hock
to the system. Ile died at York, whether ho had been re-
moved at his own request. The other injured passengers
are going on favourably.
TURNPIKE TRUSTS.—The following statement
chews the comparative condition of the trusts in England
and North Wales in the year 1837, when the highest
amount of revenue from the tolls was received, and 1867
respectively: —Tolls, in 1837, £1,509,985; in 1867, £889,922;
money borrowed, in 1837, £134,044; in 1867, £4,755 ; total
receipts, in 1837, £1,699,428; in 1867, £997,587. The
total expenditure in 1837 was £1,742,237 ; and in 1867,
£1,032,282 ; bonded debt in 1837, £7,011,989 ;and in 1867,
£3,291,594 ; unpaid interest in 1837, £1,019,568; and in
1867, £325,487.
THE DRINK or PLANTS.—The use of manure-
water is a matter of profoundest importance, and every
point connected therewith should be canvassed freely and
without prejudice. It is customary to say, " Give a
strong dose at such a time, then pure water only, then
another strong dose," and so on, and so on. It is quite
true that some of our favourites endure such treatment
without visible injury, but we feel persuaded that the
results would be far more satisfactory were the plants
needing extra nourishment supplied with weak manure-
water constantly instead of with strong doses at i:Aervals.
little calm consideration of the manlier in which
plants take up and assimilate their food must surely
tend to the conclusion that strong doses of liquid
manure approximate very nearly to strong doses of
poison ; at all events, accidents resulting from such prac-
tice are by no means uncommon, and there are probably
many more accidents of the kind than are heard of
beyond the gardens in which they occur. We have never
seen more satisfactory growth than in cases where the only
water obtainable was constantly charged with manurial
matters ; yet the liquid was so far from being what we
call " strong " that there was no indication to the senses
of the peculiar properties of the fluid. We must not be
understood as advocating what are sarcastically termed
"homoeopathic" doses. We simply urge that liquid
manure may be so weak that seedling plants and newly-
potted plants may be watered with it safely, yet so far
strong enough that by its constant use the plants sub-
jected to its influence will attain in the end a far higher
degree of perfection than can be ensured by any other
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.