The Sun.
London, England, 1860-05-18 00:00:00

TILE ARMY.

The garrison orders of Tuesday last issued at
Woolwich having contained a memorandum an-
nouncing the intention of his Royal Highness the
Duke of Cambtidgc to inspect the troops of the gar-
rison on the following Thursday, preparations com-
menced yesterday for that purpose. Notwithstand-
ing the showery and sombre-looking state of the at-
mosphere and the wet condition of the ground, the
whole of the infantry assembled in the barrack-field
in heavy marching order at *noon. His Royal
Highness remained till near six o'clock inspecting
the garrison throughout, and terminated his visit
by dining at the public mess at 7 o'clock.
The reinforcanents for the 26th Company of
Royal Engineers at Bermuda will leave the Royal
Engineer establishment, Chatham this day, for
Cork, where they will embark on board the Arabia.
Nine non-commissioned officers and 21 men of the
Indianrsttirceat
t iionn at Engineers,who have completed a course of
inChatham in sappin—
g and mining and
fortification,
have left Brompton Barracks for their
oo
depot at Worley, preparatory to their embarking
for Calcutta. It is the intention of the Indian Go-
vernment to despatch a large number of the Indian
Engineers from this country to Bengal, Bombay,
and Madras, in consequence of the whole of the
Royal Engineers having been withdrawn from
India.

The examination of candidates for admission to
the Royal Military Culiege, Addiscombe, com-
menced before the Council of Military Education
on Wednesday at the Royal, Hospital, Chelsea,
Major-General Rumley, the vice-president of the
council, presiding, and the remaining members
of the council being Major-Gen. Portlock, Colonel
Elwyn, Lieut.-Col. Addison," and the Rev. Canon
Moseley. The examination will extend over 14
days, ending the Ist pros.

Rumours of recent strange doings at this peculiar
institution are floating about the district, and prow
on inquiry to have something stable for their origin.
Everything that transpires at the " Abode o- Love'
seems to be kept as secret as possible, and the inci-
dent which has recently occurred forms no excel)
tion to the rule. From information affJrded us we
are enabled to give the following particulars :
About six years ago Mr. Lewis Price, a clergyman
and a Welshman, joined the Princeites. Since
then he has married one of three Miss Nottidges,
who are said to have taken with them to the Agape-
mono £6,000 each, the whole of which money was
secured to the lord. Another Miss Nottidge was
married to an inmate, and a third died lately under
distressing circumstances. The brother of the de •
ceased lady has taken legal proceedings against
Mr. Prince, the head of the establishincnt, for the
recovery of the £6,000 his sister possessed, and the
case will, we understand, come before the Judges
next term. Mr. Price appears at one time to have
been a zealous advocate of the creed of his adoption,
and was one of those who attended the noisy meet-
ing held in Bridgewater to persuade the good folk
of this town that Mr. Prince was a heaven-sent
prophet and redeemer. About three months ago,
however, Mr. Price, having been deprived of ,his
wife for six weeks or thereabouts, got tired of his
lord's assumptions, and left the loving abode, vainly
endeavouring to take his lady with him. With the
late Mr. Waterman, of Castle-house, Enmore, he
resided for a short time, and has also been, staying
at the Lamb Inn, Spaxton, adjoining the Agape-
mane, devoting his time and energies to procure the
release of his wife front the guardianship of, his
aforetime affectionate brethren. Various have been
the plans and contrivances to attain this end; but
they have hitherto proved unavailing. Applica-
tion was made to the police to remove Mrs.
Price by force, her husband alleging that he
had reason to believe that she was detained
against her will. Of course the constable had no
power to intrude themselves among the happy
family and tear away one of its members, so another
plan had to be devised. It was arranged that when
the lady was walking on the terrace in the rear of
the dwelling of the Princeites, Mr. Price should
jump the barriers dividing the grounds from
neighbouring field, seize his partner, and trust to
the protection of the policeman in waiting to pre-
vent a breach of the peace from the gentlemen of
the Agapemone assaulting him and rescuing her.
This scheme, feasible as it looked, turned out to be
difficult of execution. The doughty Welshman
patiently waited for a favourable opportunity to
display his courage, but whenever his lady made
her appearance in the gardens and on the terrace,
she was guarded by a Princeite on either side, or
was accompanied by one only with others at hand.
Whether Mr. Price did not consider himself
capable of attacking two Agapemonites, or
whether he feared the readiness of the police officer
to give him prompt succour, has not trans-
pired, The gallant liberation was not attempted,
proceeding no further than a project, and recourse
was consequently had to law, hoping perhaps that
that might achieve what force had not dared to
essay. The services of Mr. William Brice, of
Bridgewater, were retained, and that gentleman iu
company with Mr. Price demanded the lady so
much sought after at the Agapemone itself. The
gates were locked against them when their busi-
ness was, known, and access denied to the object
of their search. A fortnight back affidavits were
laid before the Judges detailing the circumstances
of the case, and declaring that the lady was de-
tained against her will. Thereupon a writ of
habeas corpus was issued, the return to which had
to be made last Friday. The case was on that day
heard in private before a Judge in Chambers, Sir
F. Slade appearing for Mr. Price, and Mr. Benjamin
Lovibond on the part of the founder of the Agape-
mane, producing Mrs. Price in propria persona.
The lady deposed that she was not detained in the
"Abode of Love" in defiance of her inclination, and
that she was desirous of remaining in the blissful
edifice. This reply defeated the aim of the husband,
the Judge at once declining to make an order for
the ' restoration of the lady to her liege lord.
Further proceedings are to be taken, for we hear
that there is a question of money to be contested,
besides a question of wife possession, Mr. Price being
shat out from the enjoyment of any
-portion of
his wife's £6,000, as well as from the fortune he
may have owned himself prior to throwing him-
self
into the arms and power of Mr. Prince. It is I
stated that all the inmates of the Agapemone trans-
fer their property to their chief, and sign a deed
by which they agree to forfeit all en discontinuing
to reside at the place and separating themselves
from the association. By the same decd provision
is made that members absenting themselves three
months shall be excluded. The people of the vil-
lage of Spaxton allege that 17 or 18 Agapemonites
have quitted the place within 12 months, and they
say for seven or eight years no children have been
born to the many couples !living in the mysterious
establishment.—Bridyezvater Mercury.