The Sun.
London, England, 1869-01-14 00:00:00

ANOTHER MEETING OF RITUALISTS.

On Wednesday another meeting of Ritualists was held at
Freemasons' Hall, confined almost exclusively to clergy-
men who are in favour of continuing the altar-lights and
other practices condemned by the recent judgment of the
Judicial Committee of Privy Council. A long and very
earnest conversation took place, in which the Rev. C. F.
Lowden, the Rev. J. C. Chambers, the Rev. W. J. Ben-
nett, the Rev. Orly Shipley, and other gentlemen joined.
It was generally admitted that it would be unwise to bind
the clergy, as a body, to any particular course, inasmuch

as circumstances differed in various parishes, and some

clergymen might feel it to be their duty implicitly to obey
the law of the Church on those points where it differed

from the law of the land as recently expounded by the
High Court of Appeal.

It was stated that several clergymen had resolved upon
continuing the lights under any circumstances, or, at all
events, until they received a monition from some compe-
tent spiritual authority.
A conversation arose inreference to the course which must
be taken to compel obedience to the decree of the Judicial
Committee of the Privy Council, and it was held to be
a mistake that the bishop of the diocese must necessarily
proceed by monition, or otherwise, against a clergyman
who used the practice and ceremonial complained of. Any
person, it was said, might proceed by indictment against
an offending clergyman, and it was not likely that the
Church Association, who had been the real promoters
of the suit of Martin v. Mackonochie would let such an
opportunity slip. The question of the prosecution of the
Rev. W. J. E. Bennett, M. A., vicar of Frome, on doctrinal
matters was alluded to, and there seemed to be no doubt
on the minds of any persons present that in the event of
the Judicial Committee of Privy Council finally deciding
that the doctrine of the Real Presence in the Eucharist is
antagonistic to the doctrines of the Church of England,
the High Church party must as a body secede from the
Establishment. There also seemed to be a decided impres-
sion that if driven out of the Establishment they would
not be justified in joining the Church of Rome.
The Church News says : " Notwithstanding Dr.
Miller's letter, in which he undertook to abide by the
judgment, Mr. Ryle and other notorious Puritans have
openly expressed their intention to do nothing of the sort.
The Church Association evidently intends that the law
as administered shall be partial and one-sided. The ques-
tion of the legality of vestments is at once to be tested.
On this our readers may rely. Through Lord Cairns's
instrumentality, the Church Association has triumphed.
Mr. Bennett's case, undefended, will soon come on. With
Eucharistic accessories condemned, Eucharistic truth will
fall too. This issue is plain, and cannot be shirked. A '
crisis is therefore upon us, weighty, momentous, and more
than important."

A new postal treaty, signed between the Duke
of Montrose, late her Majesty's Postmaster-General, and
the Swiss representative in London, Mr. John Rapp, has
just come into operation, conferring largely increased
facilities on correspondence, &c., between England and
the Swiss Confederation. Letters can now be transmitted
between the two countries, via Belgium, at the rate of 3d.
the half-ounce, and newspapers, &c., for 2d. the four
ounces. A system of money orders has also been esta-
blished, at very low rates, viz.:—On sums not exceeding
£2, 3d.; above £2 and not exceeding £5, 6d.; above £5
and not exceeding £7, 9d.; above £7 and not exceeding
£lO, ls.; and an elaborate table prepared, showing the
amounts payable in Switzerland for an equivalent is British
money.

FIELD ARTILLERY FOR INDIA.—It has beex
determined to provide India with a new field artillery, and
the question is whether India should manufacture her own
ordnance or whether she should be supplied from home.
India, however, can only manufacture bronze or brass
ordnance, which is in many respects inferior to wrought
iron or steel, and becomes useless ; while an iron or a steel
gun is still serviceable. If iron guns are preferred it would
be necessary to provide India with resources and machinery
for their manufacture, which would involve expense and
delay. India in mrny parts is ill adapted for the trans-
port of heavy field artillery, and a light gun of large
calibre is best. Ammunition can be divided between
waggons, camels, and elephants ; while the dead weight
of a heavy gun is constant. A comparison of the two
different methods of rifling, the Woolwich and the Whit-
worth, shows many advantages on the side of the lat-
ter, such as accuracy of aim at long ranges, much less
expense in the projectiles, and the ready use of either
shot or shell.

CHURCHES OF THE CITY OF LONDON.—A corre-
spondent of the Times has been visiting several City
churches for the last few months. Here is the result of
his visits :—" Between St. Paul's Cathedral and St.
Dunstan's-in-the-East (he remarks) there are some thirty-
five churches. I have attended the morning services in
each. In two the congregation consisted of 5 persons
each, in three others the attendance was under 10 each,
in six others from 10 to 20, in ten others I
found from 20 to 40, and in the remainder
the worshippers were from 40 to 90 ; in only one
church did I find 100, but in that case the church was well
filled. In the above numbers I have not included the
charity children, a few of whom are marched to most City
churches, but I have included the poor women who come
for the bread which perishes. Thus, in 10 churches the
united congregations did not exceed 100 persons, and in
30, employing 30 or more clergymen, as many organists,
Ste., the gross total of the congregations would not exceed
that of one of our West•end churches."

" CnowNEß's QUEST LAW."—An unfortunate
military officer recently shot himself. The jury, upon the
inquest, returned a verdict that the deceased had killed
himself in a state of temporary insanity. The lethal
weapon was a revolver, value four guineas, and the de-
ceased, who was in pecuniary difficulties, left a widow.
The coroner (Mr. W. .T. Payne) ordered the revolver to be
sold, and the proceeds to be given to the poor-box of Bow-
street Police-court One would like to know under what law
or for what cause the unhappy widow is to be mulcted of
the sum arising from this sale. The law of deodands has
long been abrogated, and a verdict of temporary insanity
does not establish any right on the part of the Crown to
the effects of the subject of an inquest. Possibly, if the
representative of the deceased were to summon the coroner
for the value of the revolver, a county court judge might
enlighten Mr. Payne as to the law in this respect. The
logic and equity of such a direction will not bear considera-
tion ; since suicide may be as readily committed with a
yard of rope or a pennyworth of poison, as with a thirty-
gui,ne& _revolver or a diamond-hilted sabre.,-Echoes.