The Sun.
London, England, 1869-12-14 00:00:00

C 0 lIRT DIGNITY.

The " scenes " at the Middlesex Sessions on Friday
were not by any means the first events of that kind.
In fact, the Middlesex Court is famous, or infamous,
for scandalous altercations between judge and jury.
Without entering into the merits of the last
dispute, it is clear that it was sufficiently dis-
creditable to both parties. A witness answered the
counsel for the defence in an assault-and-robbery
cam rather smartly, whereupon Mr. Payne observed
that ho thought "the witness was too strong for the
learned counsel.: The latter retorted that the judge
had no right to interrupt the cross-examination ; the
judge said the barrister was impertinent; the bar-
rister employed towards Mr. Payne the strong word
gi =fair." It is evidently time that special arrange-
ments were made for preserving the dignity of the
Middlesex Sessions. It is indecent to impugn the
impartiality of ajudge; but the latter is not justified
in assuming that a witness is "too strong" for a
counsel.
A real ettort will, it seems, Z 3 made to give
O'Donovan Rossa i! supporter in the House of Com-
mons. The committee who manage the candidature
of Mr. John Martin for Longford contradict the
report that he will not stand. They are determined
to go to the poll on his behalf. He is at present tra-
velling in America, and the attempt to elect him will
be made in his absence. Mr. Martin is not an irreconcil-
able Fenian. His advocates in the press take care to dis-
tinguish between his position and that of a " Natio-
" candidate. lle is pledged to follow out the
principle that the Legislative Union should be re-
pealed by constitutional methods solely. Tho priests
of Long-ford, in obedience to a letter sent from Rome
by their bishop, have endeavonred to dissuade their
flocks from this attempt, but it seems that priest in-
fluence in Ireland is entirely suspended just now.
The letter from the bishop exhorts the clergy to con-
test Fenianism by every means as inimical
to religion. 46 Be prepared to defeat Fenianism in
whatever form it may manifest itself—either in
violence or secret machinations. Rally together the
people under the leadership of the priests. Organise
all thin,rs in time.

FOREIGN NOTES.

THE BISHOPS AT THE COUNCIL.

A correspondent of the Berlin Post says that the mode
n which the votes of the bishops are to be taken is now
acing warmly debated by the prelates at Rome. They
lave not yet come to a clear understanding. The Italians
Ind the foreigners are opposed to each other, as the
Italians wish to make numbers the criterion; the foreign
oishops wish to vote by nationalities. The reason of this
lifference is that if the votes go by numbers, the numerous
Italian Episcopate will secure the Popo a majority.
The Bishop of Briinn, who is prevented from being
present at the Council by ill-health, has issued a pastoral
in which he declares his conviction that the discussions of
the Council must be free, as otherwise the assembly would
be useless. The Council, he says, will not elevate into
dogmas new and strange doctrines unknown to revelation,
because " nothing must be made an oracle of belief which
has not been at all times universally accepted and acknow-
i [edged by the Church." This language is thought signifi-
;ant. An amusing account of the difficulties experienced
by the foreign bishops in using the Latin language, is given
in a letter from Rome. A deliberation took place in the
Chambers of Cardinal Alfieri prior to the opening of the
Council, on the subject of an address to the Pope, when
everyone tried to express his opinion in pure Ciccronian
Ind the result was akin to the display at the Tower of
Babel. Tho American bishops gave up the attempt, and
began to speak French, which everyone understood ; but
the Bishop of Reggio objected, and declared that all
ecclesiastical matters must be discussed in Latin. The
victory was accordingly won by those who had not for-
gotten their conjugations, and the rest signed their names
resignedly without attempting to take part in the debate.