The Sun.
London, England, 1869-02-23 00:00:00

RITUALISM IN LONDON.

The Morning Star describes the communion ser-
vice at St. Matthias's Church, Stoke Newington. It
seems to•be performed in the same manner as before
the recent judgment. Incense, lights, and the mixed
chalice are used, and in addition gospel lights " are
held round the deacon at the reading of the gospel.
A St. Mary Magdalene's, Paddington, the
judgment has been complied with, and the Rev.
R. T. West has issued an address to the congregation,
in which• he .states that he has yielded obedience at
the request of his bishop ; and he calls upon the
congregation to rest not in their efforts for obtaining
the abolition of the present Court of Final Appeal,
which he condemns in strong terms.
SUNDAY EVENINGS FOP, THE PEOPLE.

- - - -
In consequence of the recent decision at 'West-
minster in favour of the legality of the recent Sunday
evening lecture-concerts at St. Martin's Hall, they
have been resamed. St. Martin's Hall, indeed, has
become converted into the Queen's Theatre, and so
the " Religions Recreationists " betook themselves to
the Freemasons' Tavern, but lately resounding tvict the
fervid protests of angry Ritualists. A Mr. Slack
gave a lecture on " the relations of physical science
to national progress," and there was a selection cf
music from Haydn's " Creation," Costa's " Naaman,"
and from works by Gounod and another composer.
The papers say that the discourse was listened to
with profound attention, and although, in deference
probably to the semi-religious character of the meet-
ing, there was no applause, its close was accom-
panied by a murmur or hum of approval and satis-
faction.

THE BISHOP OF CAPETOWN AND THE DUKE OF

BUCKINGHAM.

The letter written by the Bishop of Capetown to
Archdeacon Fearne, which we alluded to several
days ago, is now published in full. Bishop Gray
explains how it is that Mr. Macrorie was not con-
secrated before he left England. The Bishop had
fully counted upon this, for the Duke of Bucking-
ham had informed him that he had invited the
Archbishop of Canterbury to apply for a mandate.
After this some time was spent in discussing several
legal formalities, and before these were settled the
session was over, and all London c:nptied. (Query,
was it necessary that Parliament should be sitting and
London be full in order that Mr. Macrorie might be
made a bishop ?) During the vacation Bishop Gray
wrote several times to the Duke of Buckingham,
praying that there might be no longer delay ; several
of these letters miscarried, and the rest remained un-
answered. At last the Bishop was obliged to leave
for his diocese, and he took his passage, thinking that
the delay could not last much longer. The Bishop adds,
"In this I was deceived. Still obtaining no reply, I
sought an interview with Mr. Disraeli, though only on
the day before I left London, and formally com-
plained to him of the conduct of the Duke of
Buckingham. Nothing could be more frank or
courteous than the way in which he received my
complaint, regretting only that I had not
appealed to him sooner. He said. that the
matter was not before the Cabinet ; that he
would make no secret of his general sympathy
with me and my proceedings ; that it .would be
impossible,
.at that late moment, to do anything
before .I left, but that in a day or two an answer
should be sent to anyone whom I could name to act
for me." Bishop Gray goes on to say that his slight
allusion in the parting services to the Colonial
Secretary's conduct roused the Duke of Buckingham
to the necessity of coming to some conclusion, and at
the very moment of embarking at Plymouth the
Bishop received a letter from the Duke, promising to
communicate with tho Premier. Here the matter
rested when the Bishop wrote his letter. He con-
cludes by saying that it is clear there is no substan-
tial legal difficulty in the way, for if there had been
any the Duke would have stated it.

MR. PEABODY'S GIFTS.
The trustees of Mr. Peabody's munificent gifts to
the poor of London have prepared a statement of the
receipts and expenditure for the past year. The
original fund of £150,000 has been increased by
rents and interest to the extent of £23,313.
During last year Peabody-square, in Victoria-street,
Westminster, has been completed. It contains
235 rooms, fully occupied by 389 persons. The trus-
tees have secured two other sites at Chelsea and
Bermondsey, to be built on in the same way. The
total population of all the completed buildings is
1,971 consisting of working men and their
families, the average wages being under 21s.
a week. The sanitary report is most encou-
raging, and the number of applications ex-
ceed the vacancies. Good ventilation and clew&
nesi are characteristic of the dwellings, and there is
an unlimited supply of fresh water free to erery
tenant. The other two funds, each of £lOO,OOO, Are
not yet available for the objects of the trust, but
will be applied in like manner. The total cost of the
management for the year was £271 10s. ed. The
trustees complain of the heavy burden of the rates
which amounted in the year to £744105. 3d., and are
still increasing.

A SEEMING PARADOX.

London is increasing at the rate of 100,000 inhabi-
tants a year. The population of London has fallen
off the bist fen Yenrs shout 25 Per cfmf.• This
seeming paraaox is exptainect by tee tact teat tee
word London is used in different senses. In the
first sense, it includes the whole vast province of
houses called the metropolis, which extends
from Ilighgate to Dulwich, from Stratford
to Acton. In the other case the City
proper is meant. The ancient City of London
is, in fact, fast becoming a city of offices and
shops by day ; as busy as a beehive by night ; as
empty as that same hive wh en the bqes have swarmed.
This is well. It is good to change one's air and one's
scene, to have one's home apart from one's work, to
breath something Elie country air
,in the evening if
city air must be breathed at morning and noon. May

this depopulation go on and increase. only now niucu
longer will the City be entitled toits exclusive privilege
of returning f our members toParliam ent ? At present it
is ancient custom and the modern worship of wealth
which confer that privilege. If we ever come to
apply the test of population strictly the City will
have to yield this privilege.