The Sun.
London, England, 1869-09-22 00:00:00

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kitruction

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literary remains recorded M.thavtiv;..q, ninny
cf great antiquity are still to be fouild in the outlyiivz
lh-
tricts of Kandy and the North-W9st-rit Prov::,c4.s. The

copy of an ancient Cingaleao manuscript, conta:nia„; the
laws of the Buddhist priesthood, and a history of the
• relicts of Buddha, was lately discovered, and may be tik en
as a sample of similar treasures which investigation 'till,
it is believed, disclose. With regard to the Bengal re-
searches, the Philological Committee of the Asiatic Society
have apPointed an efficient pundit for the purpose of ident t-
fying Sanscit works, and the Rev. J. Long and Bab .9
Rajendralala Mcttra have agreed to make frequent totii"
in search, of g:7ad Ate. Fitt !,1542 k.2_42,..E93,tu Pre-
•

MISCELLANEOUS NEWS.

T.U.S PRInfIER.

Tho municipal authorities of Aberdeen have
received a letter from Mr. Gladstone, declining the
freedom of the city and a public banquet. The Pre-
mier, replying to the invitation says :—" To be a
citizen of Aberdeen and to sit in Aberdeen at a ban-
quet of my fellow-citizens are honours which I should
greatly covet. But after a session which has been
arduous beyond my strength, I find myself already
engaged in the labour of preparation for another
session likely to be not less arduous ; and ordinary
prudence has combined with medical advice in leading
me to feel that I must not, in cases where a choice
can properly be given me, charge myself at present
with engagements of a public nature."

THE ELECTION COMMISSIONS.

The Election Commissioners at Beverley are be-
ginning to be proud of, and to boast about, their powers
of investigation. And not, perhaps, without reason;
for they have been very accurate in tracing to its
source the stream of gold which flowed into the
borough during election time, to the curse of
the inhabitants. From bribed to petty briber, from
patty briber to the "mysterious stranger," from the
"mysterious stranger to the agent, and from the
agent to the person who " found " the money—the
Commisioners have pursued their path of in-
quiry ; and though at times their work
has been hard, they have now the full
ratisfactien of having discovered the truth.
The money did not "rise " very far from the candi-
date. At Bridgwater the living partner of Mr.
Vanclerbyl has had to bear the blame ; at
Beverley the weight is laid on Sir Henry
Edward's dead partner. In 1857, when Sir Henry,
then a plain Major, first contested the borough, Mr.
Cronhelm, of Halifax, the managing clerk to the firm
of Edwards, and private accountant to the Major, was
sent down to Beverley by Captain Priestly Edwards,
(who perished in the Abergelo catastrophe) and
by the captain entrusted with £2,000 to spend in
obtaining the Major's return. From inquiries he
made he learnt that the election could not be won
without bribery. He asked to be introduced to one
who could be trusted with the money; he was made
acquainted with the "mysterious stranger ;" and
through him, and a Mr. Champneys, and others
the sum of £2,000 was distributed. Thus far
Mr. Cronhelm told the Commissioners to their
evident satisfaction. They went on, however,
to ask him for the many papers which his mani-
fold transactions must have caused. He replied that he
had destroyed,burnt them all. Further questions elicited
that this had been done by the advice of Mr.
Spofrorth, the parliamentary agent of the Con-
servative party, Mr. Disraeli's "wire puller."
All other documents relating to elections
were destroyed directly there was a hint
of the issue of a commission. And the
hint was here also conveyed from Mr.
Spofforth through Major Wodehouse, M.P. for
Pontefract. Thus are matters managed behind the
scenes of the political world ; such are the ways of
men in high places.
The revelations at Bridgwater are less startling.
They are, indeed, hardly worth repeating, and may
be summed up very shortly in the sentence :—Various
persons received at the several elections bribes vary-
ing in amount from one pound to ten.

THE ARCHBISHOPS AND THE DUKES' APPEAL.

The Dublin Evening Mail does not look with
favour on the appal given in another column from
the two Archbishops of the Irish Church and the
Dukes of Leinster and Dublin. Our contemporary
says it has heard nothing of any movement of this
kind or of authority being given by any Church
meeting to any persons to solicit money for the Irish
Church. The circular asks for contributions in Eng-
land as well as in Ireland.

"If the circular be genuine—we shall gladly learn
it is not—we cannot but consider the step to be
ill-advised and premature. Many generous persons
have properly signified their intention to subscribe to a
Sustentation Fund; but an actual collection of money
before the constitution and government of the Church are
even shadowed out, would have the effect of hampering
the deliberations of the Constituent Synod, not yet
formed, and might place a very dangerous power in
hands quite uncontrolled. On the other hand,
if an appeal made prematurely should therefore
fail, or but partially succeed, an argument would
be afforded against commutation, which we may ob-
serve, is said to be looked upon with disfavour by the
High Church section of the clergy. We must add that we
should look with groat suspicion upon English moneys
lodged in Coutts' or Farquimr's Ranks "subject to any
such conditions as the contributors may attack.* If the
amount of such benefactions were large, we can easily ima-
gine that it might be made a powerful means of pressure
toward the imposition of conditions on the Church of Ire-
land which would be by no means agreeable to Irish Pro-
testants."

IIIGII" SEILVICE AT 13RIGIITON.

Mr. Purehas, the well-known Ritualist clergyman
of Brighton, is evidently determined not to obey the
law unless forced to do so. lie still uses incense,
elevates the paten and the cup above his hParl, in the
Communion Service, and uses lighted candles on the
Communion table. The reporter of the Record who
gives us this information together with a great deal
more, seems to have gone through great martyrdom
to obtain it. The occasion on which he visited Mr.
Purchas's church was a harvest thanksgiving.
Reporters were ordered to be excluded ; but the
Record representative went to a solicitor about the
matter, and obtained the pleasing assurance that he
could not be kept out. In, therefore, he boldly
pushed, and got a good scat; albeit a brother press-
man was put between two of the "faithful" to
prevent him from taking notes. The Record, how-
ever, gives its readers a column of the description of the
music, the flowers, the banners, the numerous candles,
the eucharistic vestments, the changes of posture,
position, &c. But the important point is that INIr.
Purchas disregarded the law laid down by the Privy
Council. He mixed water with the wine, and raised
both the chalice and the bread. "high above his
head," the church bell sounded ; and all, "devoutly
kneeling," worshipped.