The Sun.
London, England, 1858-11-04 00:00:00

(a laugh),-.,snd were likely in the-end- to becom.-
comfortable freethinkers, he said he noticed on aE
hands, wherever he went, that the popular feeling
was now unmistakeably expressed in the 'building
of churches, and, what was more, in the direction
of magnificence and accuracy in ecclesiastical archi-
tecture, in which they never before took any in-
terest. The Church in Ireland was now developing
its artistic power--a thing never thought-of 20
years ago—and he regarded it as an instinctive in-
dication of the nationality of the people that they
should have taxed themselves to the extent they
had done in this direction. Their progress was fur-
ther evinced by what he called " nationality of
..cha-
rity," of which he cited many-instances in the larrr
towns, especially in Dublin ; and he dealt a passing
rebuke on the attempts made at one time inParliament
to bring the nunneries under the supervision of
the Legislature. Their nationality of attachment
to the Holy See he also mentioned as another mode
in which their physical amelioration expressed it-
self, a sentiment which elicited loud cheers in the
meeting : and he concluded with an elaborate
eulogium upon the Irish hierarchy, and with many
expressions of gratitude for the warm-hearted re-
ception he had met with from them and the great
bulk of the people.
It was far on to 11 o'clock before the meeting
separated.

AUBIQULAR CONFESSION IN THE
CHURCH OF ENGLAND.

MEETING AT SOUTHAMPTON.

A large public meeting, convened by the church-
wardens of the severalparishes and districts in and
around Southampton was held on Tuesday even-
ins, at the Royal Victoria-rooms, to consider cer-
tain resolutions to be proposed to the meeting,
protesting against the practice of auricular confes-
sion and priestly absolution in the Church of Eng-
land. The rooms were crowded to excess, and
numbers left unable to gain admission.
Lord H. CHOLMONDELEY took the chair, and
among those present on the platform were General
Bullock, Messrs. Fall, Bernard, and Pearce (magis-
trates of the borough), the Rev. Mr. Adkins (inde-
pendent minister), and the following clergymen
of the Church of England :—The Revs. Fitzgerald,
Harris, Cashman, Masters, Jennings, Burton Brock,
Russell, and Oke.
Notice was made of several letters received from
gentlemen unable to attend, among whom were—
Lord Palmerston, Lord Shaftesbury, the Hon. R.
Dutton, M.P. for the county, Messrs. Weguelin and
Wilcox, M.P.s for the borough, Col. Crabbe, &c.,
each of whom expressed regret at their unavoidable
absence, and gave their sentiments in favour of the
objects of the meeting.
The meeting having been opened by prayer,
Lord CHOLMONDELEY said—We have met to-
gether this evening for a very important object—
an object which concerns us all, both as members
of the Church of England and lovers of Protestant
truth. We have this evening to determine whether
we shall unite in condemning practices which have
of late sprung up in the Established Church, and
which we hold to be opposed to the trite spirit and
teaching of that church. He alluded to the practice
of auricular confession and priestly absolution.
These practices have sprung up in the Church of
England ; it was for the meeting to determine
whether or no they were in accordance with the
teaching of the Church. He hoped he should not
be misunderstood in calling upon the meeting to
condemn such practices. God forbid that he should
say one word which might create a coldness between
a minister and his people' or that any one who was
anxious about his soul should be prevented asking
counsel of a faithful minister on matters relating to
his immortal welfare. But what has this to do with
aricular confession ? Simply nothing. What was
meant by auricular confession and priestly absolu-
tion ? It was this : I, a weak, fallible man, am to go
to another man as weak and as fallible as myself, to
confess to him all the sins of my past life—of omis-
sion as well as commission—that I may receive at
his hands absolution and pardon, which can be given
by no mortal man. In matters of this kind we must
fall back upon the Bible, and there we shall find
that we have no need of a priestly intercessor on
earth, when we read that Christ ever liveth to make
intercession for all who come unto God by him ; we
feel that we have no need of an earthly mediator
when we read that there is one Mediator between
God and man, the man Christ Jesus. Auriculur
confession was practised by not a few of the clergy
of the Church, and it was not even distasteful to
some of the prelates of the Church, although one
of the articles of the Church saith that Holy Scrip-
ture containeth all things necessary for salvation.
After reading several statements on the practices of
the confessional in the metropolis, his lordship said
—What is the difference between practices such as
these and the practices of the Church of Rome ?
And yet this system is defended by numbers of the
clergy of our Church who call themselves Protest-
ants and are still eating the bread of the Church of
England. He called upon the meeting to protest
against such practices. He did believe that if they
were allowed to spread the Church of England was
a doomed Church, and instead of being one of the
brightest lights of Protestantism it would become
a by-word and a proverb. We ought to lift up our
heads to God and pray that He may keep this evil
from us, and keep our candlestick in its place. He .l
believed the social grievance of the system also con-
cerned us deeply as fathers, husbands, brothers,
wives, mothers, and sisters. It is more particularly
among the gentler sex that these practices are bein,,
disseminated ; and the apostle meets the case where he
says, " Of these kind are they who creep into houses
leading captive silly womentladen with sins." It
was intended that a memorial be presented to the
Queen on this subject. It was a wise and consti-
tutional course to pursue, for he believed the Queen
of England was as much opposed to such practices
as any ono at that meeting. (Cheers.) There-
fore he would say let us carry the subject to her
Majesty ; and having claimed the sympathy of our
earthly sovereign, let us take it to our Creator, who
is King of kings and Lord of lords, and by whom
kings reign and princes decree justice.
Mr. Alderman PALK proposed the following
resolution :—" That, repudiating the practices of
auricular confession and priestly absolution, and
repudiating the fiction of there being priestly orders
in Christ's church (our great High Priest himself
being the only priest), this meeting sees with grief
and indignation that not a few of the clergy of the
national church have of late been actively promoting
the introduction of such practices among their
flocks."

Mr. BATEMAN, of Rugby, seconded the resolu-
tion. He could not see the slightest difference
between confession as practised in the Romish
church, which the Bishop of Oxford looks upon
with so much horror, and the confession of the
Anglican church, which he looks upon with so
much delight. The work of putting an extinguisher
on the confessional must be done by the people
themselves. •

J. DEVERELL, Esq., of Purbrook Park, proposed
the next resolution :—" That this meeting desires
to express its determination to resist to the utter-
most the introduction of practices so opposed to the
principles of theßeformation and to the whole spirit
of the standards of the Church of England, and
likewise so fraught with danger to the spiritual
and civil liberties of the Church and nation." He
remarked that the people of England were truly
Protestant. They would not submit to the dictation
of any priest, and auricular confession was no part
of the doctrines of the Church' of England. If
he believed in confession, and put faith in it, he
would rather receive it from the Church of Rome.
There was an infatuation, a fashion, and a charm
about auricular confession which led the upper
classes to use it, on the same principle that the
lower classes would fiv to the beer-shop and the
gin-palace. He detested all usurpers ; and, if asked
which usurper he detested most, he would say it
was he who takes away the Saviour and puts a
priest in his stead. Lord Chatham has said, "If
the breach in the Protestantism of England be
effectually repaired, the people will of them-
selves return to a state of tranquillity. If not, may
discord prevail for ever. I know to what point
this doctrine and this language will appear devoted,
but I feel the principles of an Englishman, and I
utter them without apprehension or reserve."
Mr. LE FEUME proposed the next resolution,
" That a memorial founded on the foregoing reso-
lutions be presented to the Queen, praying that
her Majesty, as head of the Church and defender
of the faith, will be graciously pleased to take such
steps as her Majesty may see fit, with a view to
doing away with the scandal and offence caused to
many of her Majesty's faithful subjects, by the
practices complained of, and be signed by the chair-
man and churchwardens now present on behalf of
this meeting "
The resolutions were put from the chair and
carried unanimously.

A vote of thanks to the chairman terminated the
proceedings.

[ADVIMTISE3IENT.]-Itarey's Horse and Cattle Improv-
ing Food is equally adapted to improve the stamina of ill-
conditioned Horses, Cows, Bullocks, Calves, Sheep, and
Pigs. It causes no extra expense, as it contains f:tr more
and better nourishment than its cost of ltd. per feed sup-
plies in corn and hay; hence ensures an actual saving in
the keep. But its principal advantages are a great improve-
ment in the digestive functions, the stamina and general
condition of hones enabling them to perform far more
labour without getting distressed. It imparts new vigour
to sick, debilitated, or old apparently worn-out horses, and
it puts rapidly the finest flesh on cattle generally, and im-
proves the milk in cows, as it enables them to extract the
they feed on. Rarey
Regent's Quadrant, Piccadilly,
entire nourishment out of everything
London.
'b casks of about 450
ing about lid. per
fin77's of about 90 feeds,
feeds, 50s. apnadoceSsooiB.n, ;
feed. of alx)ut 1,000 feeds, £5,
•

ALLEGED FRAUD BY A STOCKBROKER-

Wm. Lemon Oliver, described as a stockbroker
of 4, Austinfriars, was brought up on remand and
placed in the felon's dock at Guildhall, charged with
unlawfully appropriating to his own use a sum of
£5,000, intrusted to him by Miss Caroline Adelaide
Dance, of Southsea, Hants, for the purpose of in-
vestment in the purchase of Six per Cent. Canada
Government Bonds, and Six per Cent. Great
Western of Canada Railway Debentures.
Mr. Alderman Carter presided.
Mr. Bodkin, instructed by Messrs. Desborough,
Young, and Desborough, appeared as before for the
prosecution, but the prisoner was undefended.
Mr Martin, the Chief Clerk, having read ever the
depositions, Miss Dance was recalled and sworn.
Mr. Bodkin—You will remember, sir, that on the
last occasion I read a letter from the prisoner,
dated Jan. 9, in which he proposed several modes
of disposing of this money, and I om now going to
prove that Miss Dance gave him instructions in
writing and what those instructions were. Now,
Miss Dance, just look at this letter, and tell me if
it is the one you sent to the prisoner in answer to
the one you received from him on the 9th of Jan.
last.
Miss Dance—lt is, sir.
Mr. Bodkin—l propose to read this letter. It is
dated Jan. 10, 1858, and is as follows :
" Sir,—l thank you for your kind consideration in hav-
ing given so much attention and thought to the matter of
which your letter received this morning treats. You have
put it so clearly before me, and I am so satisfied of the
soundness of your judgment regarding it, that I have no
hesitation in begging you to invest the £5,000 capital for
me in two equal parts in the two first concerns you mention
—viz., ' the Great Western of Canada Debentures and the
Canaa Government Bonds.' I fully appreciate the neces-
sity which you put before me of losing no time at such a
period in money affairs as the present, but I am sorry
to say that my cousin, Mr. V. Johnson, informed me a
few days ago that it would be necessary to give a seven
days' notice to Messrs. Coutts, in whose hands the
money is placed, ere it can be withdrawn. By this post I
write to Mr. V. Johnson both at his chambers, in town and
at my cousin's (C. L. Grimshawe) house, in Bedfordshire,
where he told me he might by this time be, so that no
further time than what is unfortunately unavoidable may
be lost. I thank you very much for your expressed will-
ingness to afford me further information, but nothing sug-
gests itself to me that I need ask at present. But I shall
hope to hear either from yourself direct, or through the
medium of my cousin, anything which it may be thought
advisible I should know. Once more thanking you for
your explicit and satisfactory letter, I am, sir, yours truly,
" ADA DANCE."

Mr. Bodkin—These, sir, are the written instruc-
tions required by the act. I will now call Mr.
Johnson to prove the payment of the money to the
prisoner.
Mr. H. It. V. Johnson, a barrister-at-law of Lin-
coln's-inn, said—l was one of the trustees for Miss
Dance under her uncle's will.

Mr. Bodkin—Was the sum of £5,000 to which
she was entitled deposited at Messrs. Coutts's house?
Mr. Johnson—lt was, sir. I cannot say the exact
time, but it was deposited there at the close of last

year.
Mr. Bodkin—Did you in consequence of a com-
munication from Miss Dance take the necessary
steps to withdraw that money from Messrs.
Coutts's bank ? _ _ _

Mr. Johnson—l did, and drew the cheque, which
is also signed by Mr. Grimshawe, my co •trustee,
on Messrs. Coutts for £5,000 on the 20th of Jan. I
delivered the cheque produced to the prisoner,
William Lemon Oliver.
Mr. Bodkin—Was that the same day or the next?
Mr. Johnson—No, sir, I believe I delivered him
the cheque late on the day before the date it bears.
Mr. Bodkin—l am afraid you are mistaken, and
that it was on the date of the cheque it was deli-
vered, but it does not matter.
Mr. Johnson—l gave it to him after banking
hours, and from a memorandum I made at the time
I believe it was on the previous day I gave the
cheque to the prisoner.
Mr. Bodkin—Had you any conversation with the
prisoner at that time ?
Mr. Johnson—l told him for what purpose it was
I gave him the cheque.
Mr. Martin—What did you say to him ?
Mr. Johnson—l cannot remember the precise
words, but I believe I said this was the cheek which
I had undertaken to give him on account of Miss
Dance.
Mr. F. Esse said—l am a clerk in Messrs. Coutts'
bank. The check produced for £5,000 was paid at
our bank on the day it bears date.
Mr. Bodkin—Was it paid after banking hours
through the clearing-house ?
Mr. Esse—No, sir ; it was paid over the counter
after the clearing-house and banking hours. It was
presented by the London and County Bank. We
do not attend the clearing-house.
Mr. Bodkin—l should state, perhaps, sir, that
since the last examination inquiries have been made
which have led to the full development of this
fraud. After calling your attention to the act of
the 7th and Bth of Geo. IV., c. 49, sec. 29, under
which these proceeding are taken, I will show that
two offences are provided for as against bankers of
agents—the one for appropriating money intrusted
to them for a specific purpose, and the other for

converting or dealing, in violation of good faith,

with securities intrusted to them for site cussody.
Now, sir, I am in a position to prove both these
offences against the prisoner. I shall show, sir,
that of this sum of £5,000 the amount of £3,449
has really been invested in Canada bonds, and that
almost immediately after they were deposited with
the London and County Bank. The prisoner bor-
rowed £3,000 upon them, and by so doing com-
mitted the offence of dealing with securities in-
trusted to him for safe custody..
Alderman Carter—Then, it does not appear that
the other £1,500 was invested at all ?

Mr. Bodkin—No, sir; the appropriation of that
money is the other offence provided for by the act
of Parliament.

Policeman 112 said—l took the prisoner into cus-
tody, and found on him one of the letters from Miss
Dance. The rest of the letters, with the prisoner's
books, which I now produce, I found in his count-
ing-house. I produce the prisoner's cash book and
his pass book of the London and County Bank.
Mr. Bodkin—Now, Miss Dance, I must trouble
you to look at this cash-book, and tell me if the fol-
lowing entries are in prisoner's handwriting :
JANUARY, 18,58.
Jan. 20.—Dance, Miss, por R.H. V. Johnson,
Esq., 857, 863, 865
Jan. 28.—From bank, London and County,
lean on Canada Bonds, at 5 per cent. 3,000 0 0
Jan. 20.-857, Barkworth, £2,000 6 per cent
Government Canada Bonds, at 1091
Jan. 21.-863, Sims and Hill, £l,OOO Great
Western Canada Bonds 1,037 7 2
Jan. 22.-865, Terry, Canada Governt. Bonds 222 0 0
June 30.-88, London and County Bank .. 3,000 0 0
Miss Dance—The whole of these entries, with
the exception of that dated June 30, I believe to be
in the prisoner's handwriting.
Mr. Bodkin—These entries show that prisoner
received the £5,000 from Miss Dance, that he in-
vested £3,500, and obtained an advance upon the
securities so purchased of £3,000, which it now ap-
pears he repaid to the London and County Bank in
June last.

Mr. Grey, from the London and County Bank,
said—On Jan. 28th last the prisoner obtained a loan_
of £3,000 from our house, and left in our hands as
security 6 per cent. Canada Government bonds and
6 per cent. Great Western of Canada Railway de-
bentures.
Mr. Bodkin—Who made the advance on those
securities ?

Mr. Grey—The general manager of the bank.
The loan was repaid on June 30, and the securities
were then withdrawn.

Cecil Gardner—l am now a stockbroker, but I
was clerk to Mr. Barkworth about the time the
bonds in question were purchased. On Jan. 12 the
prisoner bought some Canada bonds of Mr. Bark-
worth.

Mr. Bodkin—Givb us a full account of the trans-
action, if that book will allow you to do so.
Mr. Gardner—On that day I bought for the pri-
s•mer the following bonds, to be delivered on the
20th of January :—Canada Government Bonds,No.
16,253, £1,000; Nos. 16,618 to 16,627 inclusive,
being 10 bonds for £lOO each.
Mr. Bodkin—What was the cost of them ?

Mr. Gardner—At 1091 each they came to
£1,095, which, with the bond. for £l,OOO, made a
total of £2,095.
Mr. Robert Hill said—l On a stockbroker, at 3,
Bartholomew-lane. On the 21st of January last
we purchased for the prisoner £l,OOO Great Wes-
tern of Canada Bonds,
Mr. Bodkin--How many bonds were there?
Mr. Hill—Two for £5OO each. The cost of them
was £1,037 7s. 2d.

Mr. Bodkin—Did you sell any bonds for the
prisoner ?
Mr. Hill—On the 27th of June last we sold
£2,700 of Canada Government Bonds, 6 per cent.
to be delivered on the 30th of June. The numbers
were £l,OOO-16,253, and 16,618 te, 16,627 inclu-
sive, and 12,143 and 4, making 12 bonds of £lOO
each.

Mr. Bodkin—These you will pc rceive, sir, are
the bonds which appear in the prisoner's cash-book
as having been bought on amine of Miss Dance,
with the exception of the last tN and they were
purchased by Mr. Terry, who is now present.
Mr. Hill—We sold the bond/ , for £2,200, and
they realized £2,557 10s.
Mr. Bodkin—What did the sale of the whole of
the bonds realize?

Mr. Hill—The total was f.,2,,567 10s. •, but with
interest, &c., it was £3,579 'Cis. 10d. We gave the
prisoner a cheque for £3,4Z' 10s. 10d., there being
a balance in our favour a•gainst him on other tram-
actions. That cheque ,vas returned to me paid.
This is the cheque. It - Kas drawn on Jones Lloyd's
bank and crossed by the, London and Cgunty Bank.