The Sun.
London, England, 1858-01-05 00:00:00

CHRISTIANITY IN INDIA.

MEETING THIS DAY.

A public meeting wax held in Exeter Hall this morn-
ing to consider the future relation of the British Govern-
ment to religion in India.

Lord SHAFTESBURY, who occupied the chair, in
opening the proceedings, dwelt at some length upon
the atrocities that had been committed during the late
outbreak in India, and concluded by trusting that, dreadful
as had been the calamity, Providence would work peat
good out of it, and the result would be, India would be
much better governed than it had been, and Christianity
would ultimately spread its divine influence over the
whole of the immense empire, if the Government took
the proper steps to do so•
Lord KINNAIRD moved the first resolution, which was
as follows :

" That this meeting records with feelings of thankful.
ness to Almighty God the success with which he has
crowned the British arms in the suppression of the
formidable revolt of the native troops in India ; and
while it deeply deplores the atrocious barbarities inflicted
on our countrymen and countrywomen with their help-
less children, by heathen and Mahowrmedan rebels, it
rejsices that, through the Divine mercy, cheering pro-
spects are now presented of the early restoration of
order, security, and peace."
The resolution was seconded by Lard EMT, and
supported by the Rev. Mr. WEsr. Carried unani-
mously.
The Rev. Canon CHAMPNRYS moved the next resolu-
tion, as follows :

"That, in the judgment of this meeting, it is the
sacred duty of the British Government in India, as the
executive of a nation professing Christianity, at the
earliest practicable period, and in the most expedient
manner, to withdraw its countenance and aid from every
form of idolatry ; especially by discqntinuing all grant;
for the maintenance of heathen temples and idol wor-
ship, and ceasing to administer endowments for their
support, by preventing all acts of cruelty, and all
obscene exhibitions connected with idolatrous rites, and
by entirely withholding its sanction to the social evils
connected with the system of caste."

The resolution having been seconded, was put to the
meting and carried unanimously.
The following resolutions were alto unanimously
agreed to :

"That while the Government of India ought not, in
conformity with the principles and spirit of Christia-
nity, to employ either its authority or patronage to
proselytise its native subjects to the Christian faith, it is
no less its duty to secure to all classes, whether Christian,
Heathen, or Malsominedan, entire religious freedom, so
far as is compatible with civil rights and public order."
" That, in all colleges and other educational irstitu
tions supported by the Indian Government, the Christian
Scriptures ought to be admitted, and regularly taught
to all those pupils who may be willing to avail themselves
of their divine instructions."

" That this meeting hereby most urgently calls upon
the directors and friends of the several missionary
institutions labouring in India, to employ their utmost
influence for multiplying the number of their de
voted agent., and for] extending, by every form of
christian tfrJrt, the blessings of the Gospel throughout
that vast empire, as the only security for permanent
peace and prosperity."
"That a memorial to her Majesty the Queen, and
petitions to both Houses of Parliament, founded upon
the preceding resolutions, be now adopted ; that the
Right Hon. the Earl of Shaftesbury be requested to sign
the same on behalf of the meeting, and that the petition
to the House of Lords be presented by the Right Hon
Lord Ebury, and to the House of Commons by the
Hon. Arthur Kinnaird."

A vote of thanks to the Earl of Shaftesbury termi-
nated the proceedings.

CRIMINAL COURT.—(This Day.)

OLD COURT.
(Before the Recorder.)
TUE HOLYWELL-STREET SEIZURES.

Mary Elliot; aged 49, a rather smartly-dressed female,
was indicted for selling obscene prints, kc., in Holywell•
street. The defendant p'eaded not guilty.
Mr. Bodkin, in stating the case to the jury, said the
present proceedings were instituted under Lord Camp-
bell's Act, and was one connected with the recent Holy-
well-street seizures of obscene books and prints. On one
occasion the prisoner was detected selling one of the
books. The learned counsel having detailed the circum-
stances in connection with the seizure, and the mode of
proceeding under the Act, called

Mr. Robert Lester, Inspector of Police, who deposed
that he made a seizure on the defendant's premises on
the 24th September. The books and prints found there
were taken away and produced before Mr. Jardine, at
Bow-street Police Court, when the defendant was taken
into custody. During the search the defendant said she
was the proprietor of the premises, and had been so for
30 years. She was a widow.

Mr. Sleigh, who appeared for the defendant, inter-
posed, and said that by his advice the defendant would
retract her plea of not guilty and plead guilty. He
suggested that sentence should be deferred till the next
sessions.

Mr. Bodkin said this was the first of a series of prose-
cutions directed by the Secretary of State, to whom he
would have to snake a report, and he thought it would
be better to postpone the sentence till next session.

The sentence was accordingly postponed, the prisoner
to be liberated on entering into her own recognizauces
in 801., and two sureties in 401. each, to appear at the
next sessions to receive sentence.
Thomas Blacketer was indicted for a similar offance.
Mr. Bodkin and Mr. Robinson prosecuted. The
prisoner was undefended.
Tho evidence in this case was of the same charac-
ter as in the former. The jury found the prisoner
guilty, and Mr. 13odkin adopted the same course with
him, and he was directed to be liberated on entering
into sureties in 801., and two in 40f. each, to appear and
receive sentence on the first day of next session.

VIOLENT ASSAULT.
William Jessop, a forbidding looking man, Was
charged with robbing and assaulting Harriett Davis.
There were several couuts in the indictment, varying
the charge to that of cutting and wounding with intent
to do bodily harm, and also with cutting and wounding
with intent to kill.
The prisoner Pleaded not guilty.
It appeared from the evidence that the prosecutrix is
an unfortunate female, residing at 29, Plummer-street,
City•road. On the evening of December 26 she met the
prisoner in the City-road, and he went with her to her
residence. After some time they quarrelled, and the
prisoner demanded the return of ss. he bad given her.
She refused to give it up,
when the prisoner, she stated,
forcibly took it from her. He struck her several violent
blows on the head with a poker and knocked her down
stairs. She was stunned, and bled very much, and was
ultimately taken to Bartholomew's Hospital, where her.
wounds, which were of a very serious nature, were at-
tended to. She appeared in court with her head
bandaged. The policeman who was called in said the
prisoner had been drinking but not so drunk as to be un•
conscious of what he was doing.
The prisoner admitted he had been drinking a little.
He said that after he went home with the prosecutrix he
was set upon by her, a man,
and another woman. He
was bonnetetd, and his new hat broken, and he only
struck the prosecutrix in self.defence. He denied taking
the money from her. He ca'led a pawnbroker, named
Wallace, residing in the neighbourhood, a disinterested
party, from whose evidence it appeared that there was
a terrible fight and struggle in the street and passage of
the house, and that the prisoner was set on by several
females and a man, and that a regular fight took
place between them, in which a poker or tongs
was used. After the door was openod the prisoner
had great difficulty in defending himself. The wounds
were inflicted on the prosecutrix by her falling on the
ground. The prosecutrix was a well-known character,
and was a great nuisance to the neighbourhood.
The learned Recorder asked the witness why he did,
not appear before the magistrate and give evidence?
The witness replied that the policeman directed him
to attend at the police court on the Wednesday follow.
ing, which he did, but was then told he was not wanted
Thinking it a case that should be looked into, he had
come forward on the present occasion.
Another witness was called, who gave similar evidence
to Wallace.

The surgeon of St. Bartholomew's Hospital was
recalled, and said that the wound on the back of the
prosecutrix's head had been occasioned by a sharp in•
strument—it was a clean incited wound. The wound
on the front of the head was jagged, and might have
been produced by falling on the kerbstones.
The constable said that the magistrate's clerk was
informed of Wallace's attendance at the court on Wed-
nesday. He examined him in the little room, but did
not take him before the magistrate. When witness
was called to the prosecutrix's house he found her
lying on the floor insensible, and the prisoner was
very drunk.
John Bagley, with whom the prisoner bad worked,
gave him a good character.
The Learned Recorder said that with regard to the
robbery, much depenled on the facts relative to the
object for which the money was paid. It was strange
that if he took the ss. away from her it was not found
on him when he was apprehended. With regard to the
assault the evidence was very conflicting, and it was for
them to ray which account they believed.
The jury acquitted the prisoner.