The Sun.
London, England, 1869-02-09 00:00:00

REMARKS.

After a further decrease during yesterday readings are now in-
creasing generally. The increase is most marked at Valencia, where
it has exceeded half an inch since last evening. Pressure, however,
still continues much lower in the north than elsewhere, and the read-
ing at Nairn is 114 degrees lower than that at Rochefort. At our
own stations temperature has decreased somewhat, but in the we3t
of France the changes are variable. Strong south-we Acrly gales
again blew on almost all our coasts 3cterday, and at Valencia veered
to N.W. without decreasing in Mice. This morning winds are strong
from S.W. to W. on our west coast ; at Yarmouth a W.N.W. gale is
blowing. Rain has been general, and the sky is now cloudy, except
in Scotland. Weather is still unsettled. The sea is high at Valencia.
Warnings were issued to all coasts yesterday.

Lord Arthur Pelham Clinton, the ex-M.P. for
Newark, contemplates a professional visit to America to
"star in light comedy."

The Dublin correspondent of the Evening Slandara
telegraphs that it is expressly announced that Sir Dominic
Corrigan will be the Liberal candidate for Dublin. No Con-
servativo has yet been selected. Mr. Cecil Guinness de-
clines to stand.

Mr. Justice Blackburn has given tear
for the withdrawal of the petition Bled against the return o:
Mr. J. B. Smith and Mr. Tipping, for the borough of Stock
port. The petitioners were ordered to pay the costs of
respondents.

Good news comes from Lancashire. Nearly all the
mills in Preston are now working full time. One mill which
has been standing for three months was ep'•ned this morn
ing ; but the owner has decided to reduce the wages of the
operatives 15 per cent.
The Irishman, John M'Couville, a puddle:-
charged with shooting another Irishman, tamed Philip
Trainer, at Darlington, on Saturday night week, has been
committed for trial for wilful murder. There is ground to
infer, from the circumstances of the case, that the crime has
some connection with Fenianism.
On Saturday merning the premises of Mr. Jo-
Jex Long the extensive manufacturer of lucifer matches;
and whose large timber yard and other works are adjoi.
ing, at Dundee, were discovered to be on fire, and a loss
was sustained by Mr. Long to the extent of from £4,000 to
£5,000.

A melancholy accident happened on the Mersey
on Saturday evening. Four men, unacquainted with navi-
gation, took a boat from the Coburg Dock and went into
the river to fish. Unfortunately, they rowed their vessel
in the way of ono of tho WocdsEe st amers, when their
boat was overturned, and two of them, named Stephen
O'Donnell and Patrick Kelly, were drowned.
It appears that the soldiers Nvho took pact lie
the Abyssinian campaign are to have a medal. The Go-
lernments of Fort St. George, and Bombay, and his Excel-
lency the Commander-in-Chief in India, have been re-
quested to adopt early measures for furnishing the rolls of
the officers and soldiers or corps who are entitled to the
medal now authorised by her Ka,jesty.

The Chamber of Agriculture Journal is enabled to
state that on an early day the Premier will receive a depu-
tation from the Central Chamberof Agriculture on the ques-
tion of the pressure of Local Taxation on Beal Property.
The Ezcereta. y of the Ceffirel Chamber has been in commu-
nication with the r*g- t tenth man on the subject, and
the result is a courteous reply, asking the deputation to fix a
day most convenient to themselves and to Mr. Gladstone for
the conference.

A very distressing accident, being another illus-
tration of the fatal danger arising from the incau-
tious handling of fire-arms, took place on Friday
night at Ashton. A young man, named Blythe, who
was only married a month ago, called upon a friend,
who, on meeting him, exhibited a revolver recently won in a
raffle. He was calling the attention of his friend to the
weapon, when it went off, the contents entering Blythe's
head. causinz death in about t'iYo hours.

THE CONVEAT CASE.

The tnterest felt by the public in the Hull convent case
increases rather than abates. The crowd attracted to
Westminster yesterday was larger, and the efforts to ob-
tain admittance to the court more vigorous than on any
Previous day. The re-examination of the plaintiff, Miss
Saurin, by the Solicitor-General was continued. In answer
to the questions of the learned counsel, the " sister"—who,
notwithstanding the fact that she has been in the witness-
box the greater part of four days, and has had to stand the
fire of a very searching cross-examination at the hands of
Mr. Hawkins, seems as self-possessed as ever—said : I never
took a book from any sister for the purpose of secreting
it. I never took another sister's book for any purPose
without permission. That is given in the "leaves."
I never knew an order for a sister to have less clothes
than the others except in my own case. I did not cut
up [my clothes to make them more in substance.
It was usual for all to make one good garment out of two
old ones. It was usual for the sisters to give up all articles
of value for the benefit of the convent. My watch was
given to me, or rather lent to me, by my father when I
was in Bagot-street. I have had the watch returned to
me. 1 had business conversation with one of the priests at
Hull. I never endeavoured to attract his attention on any
occasion. I was never in an habitual state of excitement when
he came to the convent. I never purposely and constantly
and needlessly put myself in his way. I never did so in
Mrs. Starr or Mrs. Kennedy's presence. I never was
rebuked for it, or forbidden to do it. Sister Mary (Mrs.
Collingwood) was at the school, but I never remember
being with her in the presence of the priest.
I never went on my knees, pulled things out
of his hand, and entreated him to go with me
in her presence. I have not the least idea of anything
that will give a colour to such a charge. I remember a
sister dying in the convent, but I don't recollect her wish-
ing to have her medals buried with her. I never heard
before to day anything of the kind. I attended her, but I
never took her medal from her scapula. We were greatly
attached, and I should have been sorry to have dis-
obeyed any wish of hers. This is the first time
I have heard about her medal, or any of the
sisters having lost theirs. I never took a medal belong-
ing to any one in my life. I never took the smallest
parcel of food from the schoolchildren during the time I
was in the convent. I never heard of such a charge before
this trial. I only wrote two letters to my uncle without
the permission of the mother superior. That was the
extent of my clandestine correspondence. I was not
unkind to the children. I never struck or pinched one of
them. I once presumed to take a sheet of note-paper and
an envelope without leave, but I afterwards told Mrs.
Starr. I wrote monthly reports from June 1863 to Sep-
tember 1864 inclusive. I never condescended to make strife
between the mother superior and the sisters.
Mrs. Saurin, the plaintiff's mother, deposed : We did
not wish her to become a professed nun. She was very
desirous of becoming one. Finally, however, the
family consented, and she entered on her noviciate
at Bagot-street. I used frequently to see her
there. She appeared very happy and contented there. I
had every reason to believe she was happy and contented
with all in the convent. Her going to England came upon
me with surprise. As soon as I heard it I left Drogheda
by the midnight mail for Dublin to remonstrate with her.
I saw the archbishop upon the subject. I came over the
summer following to see her at Clifton, and also
the mother superior. She appeared happy, and the
superior was very kind and attentive to me. I saw
Mrs. Starr and Mrs. M`Owne afterwards in Dublin,
at Mrs. Starr's request, she having directed my daughter
to write to me to that effect. At that interview she said
my daughter was quite well and happy, and that she
would take care of her ; and, further, that my daughter
should write to me every month. That very much recon-
ciled me to her remaining at Clifford. I frequently received
letters from my daughter and some from Mrs. Starr.
When I heard that Mrs. Starr was displeased with my
daughter, I handed Mrs. Starr's first two letters back to
Father Mathews. (The letters which were sent by Father
Mathews to the bishop were called for, but they were no
produced). In 1866 application was made for their return
but Father Mathews never received them.

The bishop, who was absent from cot rt through illness,
was sent for.

' Father Mathews was called and made the above state-
ment, and further said that when he handed the letter to
the bishop, at York, he said he had brought them
to shew him what a wonderful change must have taken
place in Mrs. Starr's opinion of her so soon after to write
for the plaintiff's removal. At the commission the bishop
said the letters were amongst his papers. A general ex-
pression of dissatisfaction pervaded the subsequent
letters.
Mrs. Saurin's evidence continued : Up to 1861 I had
been twice or thrice to Clifford, but I heard no complaints.
In the autumn of 1861 my husband was seriously ill. I
was anxious my daughter should come over and see him,
and I wrote to the mother superior accordingly. I wrote
a second letter, in which I stated that my husband was
labouring under a disease that might prove fatal. My
husband had got worse. To that Mrs. Starr wrote a
refusal, stating that my daughter might return altogether
to Ireland if she could spare me the unhappiness, but that
was impossible, for reasons which she could not then
explain. I replied to that letter, complaining of my not
hearing from my daughter, and stated that it was a con-
dition of her becoming a religeuse that she should be
allowed to communicate with her family, and that if we were
driven to it we should take the necessary remedies to
enforce it. I stated in one of my letters to
Mrs. Starr, " Let me ask you how it is I never
receive answers to any of my letters'?" Seve-
ral were at that time unanswered. I referred to the
promise made by Dr. Cullen, and assented to by Mrs.
Starr, that my daughter should visit Dublin, especially in
cases of illness. Mrs. Starr wrote me a long letter, in
which she said she could not explain private community
affairs, and she could only repeat that Sister Scholastica
could not then go to Ireland, not could she say when, if
ever, she would return to Ireland. Obstacles to her removal
might last for years, she said, and also that she was no
party to any arrangement for her returning to Ireland.
She w,:;uld, however, consent to her being removed to a
convent in Ireland, if it could possibly be done. In 1862,
in consequence of what Father Mathews said, I went
with my son Patrick to Hull. I saw Mrs. Kennedy,
and I asked her what the complaints were of my
daughter. She said she could not tell me, but Mrs. Starr
would. I shortly after saw her. I asked what the com-
plaints were. She said my daughter had disobeyed the
orders of the convent in doing things she had no right
to do. I asked what they were. She said my daughter
had a light in her cell after 10 o'clock, and that she had
washed things there. She also said that my daughter told
untruths, or something like it. She told me my daughter
was at Clifford, but that if I went there I
could not see her without a note from her ; and she
accordingly wrote one. Mrs. Starr at that interview
told me that my daughter had written a letter to her uncle
without leave. I went:to Clifford. Mrs. M'Owne refused
to let me see her. I saw her pass quickly along the
corridor. I went to the door. My daughter saw me, but
she passed on. Mrs. APOwne came to the room and said
I could not see my daughter, but she could not tell me
why. I then gave her Mrs. Starr's note, and was then
allowed to see my daughter. Instead of being happy, as
she had previously been when I had seen her, she com-
plained very much of the treatment she was receiving.
She promised to ask pardon of Mrs. Starr for writing
letters without leave.

Witness then detailed procedings up to the order from
the bishop absolving "Sister Scholastica " from her vows.
It came out, however, that such an order ought properly
to come from the Pope of Rome, and then only on ver•
grave misconduct being absolutely proved.
The case was again adjourned, and seems likely to last
. er a week.

Your men were buried alive, and one was killed by
the fall of a large quantity of gravel in a gravel pit at Mid-
dleton. Three men managed to get their heads above the
sand, but the other was quite buried, and was not reached
until after an hour's search.

CABINET COUNCIL.—At the Cabinet Council held
on Monday the Ministers present were the Right Hon.
W. E. Gladstone, the Lord Chancellor, Earl De Grey and
Ripon, the Earl of Kimberley, the Right Hon. H. A.
Bruce, the Earl of Clarendon, Earl Granville, the Right
Hon. E. Cardwell, the Duke of Argyll, the Chancellor of
the Exchequer, the Right Hon. Hugh Childers, the Right
Hon. J. Bright, the Right Hon. G. J. Goschen, the
Marquis of Hartington, and the Right Hon. C. Portescue.
SUBSIDENCE OF THE RUSSIAN CAPITAL. —The
following interesting but apparently rather sensational
piece of news is going the rounds of the German Papers.
It is said that in fifty years St. Petersburg will have
ceased to exist. The whole soil on which it stands is sink-
ing, imperceptibly it is true, but with fearful regularity,
and the examination that has been made has turned out so
unfavourable that steps are being taken preparatory to
removing the Court.

PRINCE RUPERT'S HEADQUARTERS. —OllO of the
few remains of the architecture of the sixteenth century,
which are to be found in Birmingham, is doomed to
destruction—the Ship Inn, Highgate. This old-fashioned
house possesses some points of peculiar local interest in
connection with the history of the hardware village ; for,
in 1643, during the civil war, Prince Rupert made this
place his headquarters, and slept there for some time. In
1791 the place was taken possession of by the Priestley
rioters, who committed great injury in the neighbourhood,
burning Bordesley House, attacking Moseley Hall, and
also the houses of other gentry in the locality. The house
was supposed to have been built in 1560, and for MP=
vearis onjOYca f 594.19 rePtitAtioll I.IA ii_c9ll.lltTY