The Sun.
London, England, 1859-01-07 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, FRIDAY EVENING, JANUARY 7, 1859

KNIGHT—a name by us ever to be honoured—his
lordship inaugurated a series of publications which
were the first seeds of what have since become
so fruitful of good and have so wondrJusly multi-
plied—our cheap periodicals. The _Penny Magazine,
the Penny Cyclopedia, the Treatises and Maps
issued by the Society for the .'Diffusion of Useful
Knowledge, have done more 'for the education of
the people than all the grants of public money ever
yet directed to that end 'by the hesitating munifi-
cence of Parliament. How abundantly, then, are
we not indebted, one and all of us, to this great
national Benefactor. Honour to his great name,
' now in his green old age, when, though he
is a veteran of more than. eighty winters, his
genius shines as bright, as ever in the vivacity of
his youth and the vi sour of his manhood. After
so noble and laborious a career, it is fitting there
should be some such conspicuous evidence of
national gratitude and popular admiration as that
to be evidenced towards HENRY, Lord BROUGHAM,
through the banquet preparing for him in his
native city of Edinburgh.

With all our love of liberty there is in us a
wonderful amount of submissiveness to authority,
especially to ecclesiastical authority. It is perfectly
marvellous to see how congregations of good Church-
men will put up with almost anything from a
clergyman or a bishop. "OA likes to be well
cursed by one's own officer," was the remark of a
genuine British soldier ; and " one likes to be well
set down by one's own parson or bishop," would
express tolerably well the sentiments of thousands
of worthy farmers, shopkeepers, and even merchants,
doctors, and lawyers, who worship in our parish
churches. As to our church-goers of the fairer sex,

they of course can but be worshippers of the cloth.
They are so all the world over ; they seem born to
" honour and obey," if not to " love " the ecclesias-

tical " powers that be." A lady that would beard
the clergyman! were she not already a matron,
who would venture to take her to wife ? There
are, to be sure, thousands of congregations of Dis-
senters in the land, but they are revolters en masse
against the great spiritual corporation of the king-
dom. And as there is " honour amongst thieves,"
so, and "we mean no offence," there is submission
amongst schismatics. They hearken by thousands
very obediently to the voice of their unauthorised
shepherds, though, as no acts of Parliament or
courts of law compel them to retain and provide a
living for a misbehaving minister, if he persist in
annoying the better part of his flock, he finds that

he must seek another elsewhere, to which his doe
trines or doings are acceptable. We have sometimes
wondered that amongst a people so attached to chos-
ing their own parish officers and their own poli-
tical representatives, so little desire should be
shown to choose their own religious officers. But
so it is. The persons who would. resent being
deemed incompetent to elect their own temporal
legislators, and their municipal parish administra-
tors, never think of objecting to the absolutism of
-Bishops, Patrons, Archdeacons, Rural Deans,
Rectors, Vicars, and Curates too, in matters of re-
ligion. We do not know that this subserviency
to the imposition of spiritual instructors on con-
gregations is any necessary part of the Establish-
ment as a religious system ; we have not enough
theology in us to settle that question. If it be not
so, our ecclesiastical habits are certainly strangely
in contrast to our municipal and political habits.
These thoughts occurred to us just now in con-
nection with a rather singular affair in which the
parishioners of Sherborne, their Vicar, and the
Right Rev. Father in GoD, WALTER KERR
HAMILTON, D.D., Bishop of Salisbury, figure as
principals. The parishioners do not like " flowers
on the Communion Table," " Candlesticks on d 0.,"
Ecclesiastical processions," " Intoning the service
ordinarily," " the Choral Service on Sundays and
Christmas Days," " turning to the East at unusual
times," and " precedence given in the administra-
tion of the Communion to members of the Choir in
their surplices." The Rev. E. HARSTON thinks
these things very pretty and that they ought to
like them. But de gustibus, &c., and it appears to
be of no more use attempting to alter or argue against
religious tastes than against those of a less ethereal
kind. The parishioners cannot acquire tractarian
esthetics, and the Rev. E. HARSTON cannot impart
them. Nor will the unperceiving parishioners take
the word, as sufficient, of his reverence the vicar.
If Mr. RUSKIN tells a country gentleman that a
picture is just what it should be, Sir ROBERT
draws the cheque of three figures, perhaps of four,
without reluctance. He confides in the eyes of the
connoisseur. No so the country tradesfolk of
Sherborne. They have the audacity to think that
their ceremonial taste is as good as or better than
that of their vicar.
Now in all this let the good Churchmen of Sher-
borne know that, whether for good or for evil, they
are renouncing that glory of good Churchmen,
passive obedience.. Sherborne is setting an un•
Anglican example. If this spirit should spread it
will end in each parish choosing its own parson,
and in each parish sending him in search of
another if he did not preach and pray to the satis-
faction of the parish! This is surely a grave
subversion of all the ecclesiastical order of our
Church since the time of its foundation by
HENRY VIII. Only think of any parish thus
misbehaving in his time, or in that of his virgin
daughter ! Its heads would have atoned for their
effrontery in a gaol, and have ended their days in
beggary, if not in person or at the stake.

Happily we live in milder times. The parish
appeals to its diocesan, and the good man endea-
vours to throw oil on the troubled waters. He
answers them that there is no "immediate connection
between these practices and obedience to the Bishop
of Rome." Which, logically interpreted, would
imply that there was a mediate connection, an
opinion in which the Sherbornians no doubt par-
ticipate. But he warns them against suggesting,
by their complaints, that the difference between
Popery and our Establishment is not doctrinal and
ecclesiastical, merely but ceremonial sentimentality.
He sympathises with the parishioners' aversion to
change, with their love of legality, with their dread
of unreality in the worship of Gon. And, we sup-
pose, by way of exemplifying these principles, he
forbids the bouquets, pretty as he thinks them,
because the people misunderstand them. About
candlesticks he gives no orders, herein differing
from our late Metropolitan, who allowed the sticks
and candles too, only they were not to be lighted.
Processions he has a pretty little martinet rule for
—consecrate a church, and all the clergy are to be
surpliced ; reopen it, and the active performers are
to be in white, all the rest in black ! The white
dove the model for one occasion, the magpie for the
other. " Intoning"—what shall he say to that—
the 14th Canon enjoins " reverence and distinct-
ness," and doubtless a voice high pitched, to fill the
spacious church, was mistaken for intonation. As
to the choral performance, the Episcopal father
thinks it " tells out most distinctly the praise and
honour due to GOD ; "—still " milk for babes," and
the untrained ears and voices of SHERBORNE can
" most easily join in a metrical hymn."
Excellent advice all this, we ;doubt not. Well
worth keeping a Bishop for at Sarum, salary £5,000
per annum, and fifty-three livings to give to rola-

lives, friends, and other deserving persons. We
have but one remark to make in conclusion—the
mummeries of tractarianisin, and the reluctant cas-
tigation of it by bishops are fast doing the work of
the Anti-State-Church Society. Parishes compelled
to fight their parsons and their bishops in these
days will soon acquire habits of mental indepen-
dence, which will be fatal to the present system.

THE STATE OF MILAN.

The Debats of yesterday printed the following
Letter :

" MILAN, Jan. 1.

" The new year has commenced in this city in a
very singular manner. The Milanese themselves
seem stupified, and both people and garrison appear
this morning to be asking each other if it was all
a dream. Midnight had scarcely sounded, when
numerous bands began to perambulate the city,
including in their songs all the cries of the Italian
patriots—' Vive I'ltalie Vive Victor Emma-
nuel ! ' ' Vivent les Trois Coulcurs ' At 2 o'clock
in the morning the traffic was as animated as in
full day, and the uproar was so great that sleep
was altogether out of the question. The bands, in
passing before the military posts, began instantly
to hiss, when, extraordinary•to state, the soldiers
joined the party, and instead of drawing their
sabres, cried in emulation, Vivo Mahe !' I my-
self observed a group of twelve officers in the Corso
Franceso fraternise with a band of twenty persons,
throw their caps into the air and cry, Vivent les
Italiens.' The gendarmes on horseback, who pa-
trolled two and two, and the guards of police drew
up quietly as if in obedience to a command, and
there was not the slightest breach of the peace. If
the garrison had acted differently, we tremble to
think of what the consequences would have been,
for the crowds who filled the streets from midnight
to five o'clock consisted of the most determined
individuals, and those best capable of opposing an
energetic resistance to an armed force. Happily
the very number of the promenaders prevented a
conflict."

The Nord of yesterday morning gave a telegram
from Genoa, which says that the agitation increases,
and that a report continues to be circulated to the
effect that Garibaldi is about to organise a corps of
volunteers, or is preparing to play some very
active part.

The Mediterranean Extension Telegraph Com-
pany have despatched Mr. Frederick Webb to discover the
break in their cable between Malta and Cagliari, and to take
the necessary steps for its repair, the Elba steamer, now at
Malta, having been chartered for the purpose.
GREAT WESTERN RAILWAY PROVIDENT SOCIETY.
—The seventh annual ball in aid of this deserving society
took place on Wednesday evening last in the Town-hall,
Oxford. There were between four and five hundred persons
present, among whom were the Mayor of Oxford, several
members of the corporation, W. Brunner, Esq., coroner for
Oxford, &c. The directors, with their usual kindness,
granted special trains for the occasion, and by these per-
sons were conveyed from London, Birmingham, Slough,
Reading, and other places on the line.

MERSEY DOCKS AND HARBOUR BOARD. The
first meeting of the newly-elected members was held at the
Board-room, Liverpool, yesterday. Mr. Charles Turner
was unanimously re-elected chairman, and a sub-committee
Was appointed to arrange the various committees, and to
report to the General Board. The meeting was then ad-

joiumed until Saturday.
IRISHMEN IN INDIA.—A citizen of Dublin has
received a letter from his son, Mr. Richard Vicars Boyle.
one of the gallant defenders of Arrah, stating that Govern-
ment has authorised a grant to him of lands to the value
of £l,OOO per annum British, for life, free of all charge,
with a reversion to the value of £5OO per annum to his
heirs ; accompanied with a recognition of his " very valu-
able services" rendered in his fortified house at Arrah, in
July, 1857.
CELEBRATION OF THE BURNS CENTENARY IN
LIVERPOOL.—The arrangements for the soiree musicale and
ball in the St. George's-hall have been completed by the
committee. The soiree is to commence with an oration com-
memorative of the great Ayrshire bard, to be succeeded by a
concert of Scottish music, chiefly selected from the songs of
Burns. The proceeds, if any, are to be devoted to the Cale-
donian Schools, ragged schools, and Liverpool Infirmary.
BURNS'S NIECES.—The following letter has been
addressed to the editor of the Ayr Observer, by Mr. Thos.
Carlyle :—" Chelsea, Jan. 2, 1859. Dear sir —I very much
approve your and Mr. Milnes's motion about the Misses
Begg, and I hope you will not fail to get it executed with all
the energy and skill that are possible, and with correspond-
ing success. Could all the eloquence that will be uttered
over the world on the 25th next, or even all the tavern •bills
that will be incurred, but convert themselves into solid cash
for those two interesting persons, what a sum were there of
benefit received and of loss avoided to all the parties con-
cerned 1 I think at least the question ought to be everywhere
put, pointedly, yet with due politeness, whenever in Scotland
or elsewhere there is an assemblage of men met to express
their admiration, tragie pity, &c., for Burns, what amount
of money they will give to save from indigence these two
nieces of Burns ? The answer, virtual answer, which this
question got in 1842, threw a rather dismal light to me on
such assemblages ; but they ought to be tried again with
more direct emphasis ; and very shame will perhaps force
them to do something towards saving indigent merit on the
one hand, and saving on the other what is too truly a fright-
ful (though eloquent) expenditure of pavement to a certain
locality we have all heard of.—ln much haste, I remain,
yours truly, T. CARLYLE."
FATAL FALL DOWN A COAL PIT.—On Monday
morning last, between five and six o'clock, an accident oc-
curred at Messrs. Bennitt and Taylor's pits, Round's Green,
formerly known as Robin's Top pits, by which a banksman
named T. James lost his life. Deceased was about to put
the " log" on, in order to allow the men to go down the shaft,
when, owing to the dense fog which prevailed at the time, he
missed his footing, and was precipitated down the shaft, a
distance of about 190 yards. The unfortunate man uttered
the most piercing shrieks during his descent, which were
heard at the distance of 300 yards. He was afterwards found
at the bottom of the shaft, literally smashed to pieces, his
head having to be tied in a handkerchief to keep his brains
from escaping. An inquest was opened on Tuesday, before
R. Docker, Esq., at the Union Inn, but it was adjourned for
a week in order to allow of the attendance of the government
inspector. Deceased has left a wife and two children.—
Birmingham Daily Post.
An account was given in September last of a
young man named Lethiec, a prisoner in the House of Cor-
rection at Nantes, having, on leaving the prison chapel after
vespers, stabbed a fellow prisoner named Lanneau three
times in the back with a large knife, and inflicted, wounds
—of one of which he died in less than half an hour. As he
gave the stabs he cried, " Scoundrel, I have long wanted to
be avenged on you," and when he was confronted with the
dead body he admitted with the greatest calm that he had
long premeditated the murder, because the deceased had
made reports against him and got him punished. Three
days ago he was brought to trial before the Court of Assizes
of the Loire Inferieure. The crime having been committed
in the presence of severalturnkeys and numerous prisoners
was clearly proved, and the man made no attempt to deny
it. The president expressed some surprise that he had been
able to obtain possession of a knife. It was stated that
though not yet 20 years of age, he had been in prison four
times for robbery or vagabondage. One of the times was at
Caen, and there he made the acquaintance of the two
assassins Graft and Pascal. After his release he was
caught by, a police officer in the act of throw-
ing chemical matches over the prison walls to
them, and he was turned out of the town. The day after
he came back, and as it was supposed that he might at-
tempt to communicate with the two murderers, he was
arrested and detained until the end of their trial. The jury
declared him guilty with extenuating circumstances, and
the court sentenced him to hard labour for life.
SUICIDE IN ST. JAMES'S PARK.—Yesterday
morning a determined act of self-destruction was committed
by a man, name at present unknown, who shot himself in a
place for public accommodation recently erected in an
enclosure of St. James's Park, opposite Marlborough House.
It appears that about half-past 12 o'clock, a lad, named
Walters, going into the place mentioned, found the de-
ceased lying on the ground, deluged with blood, through
which, his face was scarcely discernible ; a discharged pistol
lying at his side. Assistance having been procured the
man was found to be quite dead, his lower jaw having been
completely shot away, and the upper part of his face fright-
fully mutilated. A stretcher having been procured he was
conveyed to St. Martin's Workhouse, to which, although
there is a dead-house attached, the porter refused to admit
the body, telling the bearers to carry it to, the church vaults
To the sacred office they accordingly repaired, but could
only get access to the portico, on the stones of which the
stretcher was placed without any covering to the body be-
yond a handkerchief over the head, the traffic of St. Mar-
tin's-lane being consequently completely stopped by hun-
dreds of persons who assembled on hearing of the shocking
occurrenee. At length the son of the beadle having been
communicated with, deceased, under his direction, was
taken to Charing-cross Hospital, where the inquest will be
held. Deceased seemed to be about 45 years of age, 5 feet
3 inches in height, stoutly built, sandy hair, bald forehead,
and small whiskers. He was dressed in a dark green cut-
off coat, brown mixture trousers, black waistcoat, black hat,
and leather side-laced boots. In his pockets were found
the ticket of a watch, pledged the previous day in Alders-
gate-street, for £2 10s., in the name of J. Weekley, Norway-.
street, a farthing, a pair of brown worsted gloves, a knife,
a tobacco-box and pipe. He wore a clean white shirt with
the inititials A. W. The pistol, which had a plain com-
mon veneer handle, was single barrelled. Information of
the occurrence has been forwarded to Mr. Bedford, the
coroner.
ILLINOIS CENTRAL RAILWAY COMPANY. A
meeting of this company was held yesterday, Mr. G. Mof-
fatt in the chair. The proceedings of the deputation at
New York were detailed at length, and it appeared that
after a full investigation of the accounts the only irregularity
discovered consisted of a payment of calls by three directors
with their notes of hand. These engagements, however,
are being punctually met. • The company in its present
position requires about £200,000 to meet liabilities, of which
some will mature at an early period of the year; and the
principal question dipeussed at the present meeting was as
to the mode of raising this sum, whether by making a call
of 5 dols. a-share, or by negotiating a loan. The first course,
it was argued, would place the company in a stronger finan-
cial position. On the other hand, it was contended that
the effect of a call Would be the ruin of the weaker share-
holders, from their inability to pay, while the rich pro-
prietors alone would eventually reap the whole profits
of the undertaking. It was also urged that the pre-
cedent of other railway companies, which pro •
ceeded by spending their share capital first, and
then having recourse to loans, did not apply in this case,
the Illinois Central being rather a gigantic land company
than a railway. After considerable discussion, in the
course of which it was mentioned that the land belonging
to the Illinois Central has been tested, and found as fertile
as that of the Carse of Gowrie, said to be the most produc-
tive in Great Britain, and that the line is in first-rate order,
with double the rolling stock required, it was resolved on a
division, to leave the question of a loan or call to the com-
mittee. The committee appear in favour of the former
course, the preliminary negotiations for raising a sum of
money having already been commenced by them. Mr.
Osborn, the chairman of the New York Board, has re-
signed.
Miss PARDOE.—We observe with pleasure that
a new work, entitled ." Episodes of French History," by
Miss Pardoe, is just published by Messrs. Hurst and
Blackett. Miss Pardoe's well-known Lives of " Mary de
Medicis" and " Louis the Fourteenth" have already shown
her ability as an illustrator of the history of France, and
her new book will doubtless maintain her well-earned
reputation. The same publishers have also just issued Mr.
Leitch Ritchie's " Winter Evenings," a work which will
furnish much entertaining Chrigtmas reading to the veteran
writer's numerous admirers ; and they also announce a new
fiction by Miss Jewsbury, the author of " Constance Her-
bert" and other popular books. It bears the title of " Right
or Wrong," and is said to be a story of great originality and
interest,

ATEST NEWS.

FRANCE AND AUSTRIA.

The following telegram has been received at
Mr. Reuter's office :

PARIS, FRIDAY, JAN. 7.
The 2)loniteur of this morning contains the fol-

Lowing :

" For several days past public opinion has been
agitated by alarming reports, which it is the duty
of Government to put a stop to by declaring that
nothing in diplomatic relations authorises the fears
which these reports tend to provoke.

FRANCE.

PARIS, THURSDAY.

It is said, on good authority, that, after all that
has been said, there is actually no compact between
Russia and France on the subject of Italy ; that
foreign Governments have long since been made
acquainted with the Emperor's views on the reforms
necessary in the Roman Administration. There is
also some talk of M. Walewski retiring from the
Foreign Affairs.
A Paris letter, in the Independance, says :—" At
the reception at the Tuileries on New Year's-day,
Prince Napoleon, in the course of a long conversa-
tion with Lord Cowley, is stated to have announced
that the Imperial Government was ready to abandon
the existing system of immigration, provided Great
Britain would frankly undertake to assist France
in obtaining coolies from the English possessions
for her colonies. H.I.H. is even said to have pro-
posed to Lord Cowley to allow England in return
to make engagements of coolies in the French ports
in India, and to have added that the operations of
both countries should be subjected to all the control
that could be required. Lord Cowley naturally
received with respectful attention the overtures of
the Prince, and said that he would transmit them
to his Government."

BOURSE, JAN. 6.—There has been considerable
agitation to-day in the market, and a further fall
took place at the opening on the Rente, and the
other securities were nearly unsaleable. The divi-
dends were deducted on several securities-25f. on
Mobilier, 25f. on the Northern, 7f. 90c. on the
New Northern, 10f. on the Southern, 10f. on the
Grenoble, 12f. 50c. on the Austrian, and 12f. on
the Saragosa. Threes, after having been done at
71f. 15c., declined to 70f. 70e., and are now at
71f. ; Mobilier varied from 870 f. to 850 f. ex div. ;
Orleans, 1,335 f. to 1,340 f. ; Lyons, 840 f. to 845 f. ;
Northern, 945 f. to 940 f. ex div. ; and Southern,
552 f. 50c. to 550 f. ex div. The following were the
last quotations :

4i per Cents. 96 75 Credit Fonder....
Do. end month 96 60 Belgian 41 . .— .-
3 per Cents 7l 25 Piedmontese (5) .. 93
Do. end month 7l 45 Roman 92 60
Bank Shares. 2950 Austrian
Credit Mobilier .. 875 Spanish Threes
Do. Account ..... 890 Home Debt 42