The Sun.
London, England, 1869-02-24 00:00:00

Kt:FORTS ON FOREIGN MANUFACTURES
AND COMMERCE.

A Blue-book has just been issued containing the reports
of her Majesty's Secretaries of Embassy and Legation on
the trade and commerce of the countries in which they
reside. The first on the list are the United States o.
Colombia, where, Mr. Bunch tells us, the nations:
revenue has been seriously affected by the political
Crisis.

More than half the Customs' revenue
is especially hypothecated to British creditors. The
immense coalfields which exist in Colombia., perhaps
the largest in South America, have as yet been scarcely
worked. It is satisfactory to find from the Austrian
report that both the imports, and the exports of Austria
shew a considerable increase, the foreign commerce having
returned to its former channels, and the evil influence of
the war being over. The bountiful harvest produced an
immense exportation of grain, and the inauguration of a
more liberal commercial policy has already reaped its
reward. No less than 100 pages of the Blue-book
are devoted to the report of Mr. Thurlow on
Java and its dependencies. This account of the
Dutch East Indies, which contains a suggestion for the
benefit of the English mercantile fleet, who have a chance,
in the event of the monopoly of the Dutch shippers being
abolished, of securing a good share of the carrying trade
of the Dutch Indies. The principal item in the trade of
Baden is the tobacco culture, which is very popular
among the peasantry and more remunerative than any
other product. Italy exhibits a somewhat discouraging
commercial table. The Customs Department attribute
the general depression to the monetary crisis at the begin-
ning of the year, the forced paper money, the cholera, the
war, the failure of the silkworms, and the grape
disease—a chapter of accidents long enough to
account for a good deal. The report from
Belgium spews that the imports of steel from
England have increased considerably since 1867, while
those of steel bars have decreased. The trade in iron of all
sorts Flews a decrease in the imports from England, while
the importation of machinery from Englandhas experienced
a marked diminution. In the cotton trade there has been a
revival, English imports occupying the first place. Com-
mon paper is exported to a large extent, England taking more
than one-half. Of the Russian trade we have fewer details,
Mr. Rumbold having been only a very brief time at his
post. Great Britain takes nearly four times as much of
Russian goods as does Prussia, the next largest customer.
Russian trade has developed rapidly during the last ten
years, and still makes steady progress.

THE ARCHBISHOP OF CANTERBUI?Y ON
THE SERVICES OF THE CIIURCH.

At the meeting of Convocation on Tuesday the subject
of Ritualism and the Privy Council judgment came before
the Upper House. The Archbishop of Canterbury read
portions of the letter he had addressed to a rural dean on
the subject. It referred to a memorial addressed to him.
His Grace said :—" I need scarcely assure you that the
memorial will receive my most careful attention, and that
I shall not fail to consult my brethren of the episcopal
bench on the subject whenever an opportunity occurs.
At the same time I would express my opinion that
the recent decision of the Privy Council in the
case of ' Martin v. Mackonochie' has ruled merely two
points—namely, first, that lighted candles may not Le
used in the celebration of the Holy Communion except for
the purposes of light; second, that it is not lawful to
consecrate the elements kneeling. I would observe that
all persons ought to be very cautious in dealing with the
judgment of the court, and that obiter dicta, or reasonings
by which such a conclusion is arrived at in the document
which announces such decision must not be considered
as part of the judgment itself. They appear to me to be
only valuable as indicating how such points might be
decided if they were at any time brought before the
tribunal which has pronounced the judgment and ex-
pressed it in the document in which such obiter dicta are
found. My opinion is, that in matters not positively
settled, where any doubt arises in a clergyman's mind, or
where there is any dispute between a clergyman and his
parishioners, such clergyman is bound to consult his
ordinary, who, after considering all the circumstances,
will be ready to decide for him how he ought to act. lam
not of opinion that there is any advantage in having
services in different places, and under widely different
circumstances with varied congregations, all brought to
one stereotyped and invariable form. A certain amount
of liberty with respect to music and various other matters
is evidently contemplated by the law of our Church, and
I do not suppose that our bishops would ever be found
willing to interfere with this liberty, or that they would
be doing their duty by so interfering."