The Sun.
London, England, 1868-12-31 00:00:00

THE RITUAL JUDGMENT.

The discussion at the meeting of high Church clergy
and laity, convened on Wednesday, at the Freemasons'
Tavern, London, to consider the late decision of the Privy
Council, was prolonged until a late hour. No decision
was arrived at, and the meeting adjourned for a fort-

night.
The following letter has been addressed by Archbishop
Tait, as Bishop of London, to Mr. Mackonochie, incum-
bent of St. Alban's, Holborn :

" Fulham Palace, S.W., Dec. 29.
" My dear Mr. Mackonochie,—l have received from the
Privy Council Office a copy of the judgment which has
now with authority explained the law on the vaiious
points of ritual observance in the service at St. Alban's,
Holborn, respecting which there has been so much conten-
tion. I expect that this will be the last day of my tenure
of the see of London, otherwise I should have invited you,
at a personal interview, to arrange with me what is the
best mode of giving effect to such changes in your service
as will at once bring it into conformity with the simplicity
enjoined by the rubric, and at the same time be the least
distasteful to a congregation like yours, which has become
accustomed to a form of worship Inore ornate than it is
now ascertained the law of the Church has sanctioned.
Probably before you receive formal notification of what is
now required of you through the proper officers of the
bishop's or archbishop's court I shall have ceased to be
your diocesan. But I will take upon myself, as my last act
in that capacity, to advise you and all others of the London
clergy who may now feel themselves placed in a difficulty
by their having conscientiously, though I believe unwisely,
thought it their duty hitherto to act against the advice and
judgment, I believe I may say, of all the bishops, in intro-
ducing novelties of worship, to do now what I am sure all
true Church principles must suggest—viz., to take counsel
with those directly set over them in the Lord as to the
mode in which their services are henceforward to be
conducted, in conformity with the ascertained law
of the Church. Some weeks must elapse before my
successor has entered fully on the duties of his office, but
I can have no doubt he will be ready to give you his best

advice at once, and to approach the subject of your present
difficulties with that same appreciation of your devotedness
and zeal which I have ever myself entertained. You are
quite at liberty to make any use you please of this letter,
which I shall myself make public.—Believe me to remain
yours faithfully, "A. 0. LONDON.
"Rev. A. H. Mackonoehie."

The Rev. Dr. Littledale has addressed a long letter to
the Daily News on the late judgment. He says that from
the outset he was not sanguine of a favourable decision,
having " a rooted distrust of Mr. Disraeli," and believing
that he " manipulated " the Privy Council as a part
of the programme by which he hoped to secure
the support of the No-Popery party at the elections.
But there are two things which "take nearly all
the venom out of the Conservative sting." First, the
judgment was not, as in "Liddell v. Westerton," that of
the whole court, but of a bare majority, Lord Westbury
and Sir William Erle being opposed to iF, Sir J. Colvile
being neutral, and the two Tory Chancellors, Lord Cairns
and Lord Chelmsford, and the Archbishop of York being
in favour of it. The latter had passed judgment on the
matter before hearing a word of the arguments, and
therefore "his judgment'is discredited from the outset."
The other circumstance which Dr. Littledale considers
favourable is the fact that the position of the celebrant
has been defined to be in front of the altar, with his back
to the people ; so that, if the High Church party have
been reproved for excess, the Low Church party are
reproved for defect. As a matter of fact, Dr. Littledale
considers the principle of the judgment wholly untenable.
If the rubric, and the rubric alone, is to be the guide for
'she clergy, they cannot get into or out of their surplices,
cannot walk from the vestry to the church, cannot read the
prayers, for there is no place directed where they are to
say them, cannot preach except during the Communion
Service, cannot -repeat the psalms alternately with the
people, cannot sing a hymn except the Vend Creator. The
commandments on the walls, the alms chest, the stone
:ont, the stoup for the communion wine are all illegal. The
clergyman may, for ought that the rubric says, appear in
ft shell-jacket, and sit in the font. What is to be done?
pr. Littledale, says. In the first place, the judgment is as
fet only advice, and cannot have the force of law until the
ueen confirms it in Council. Dr. Littledale therefore
urges that a protest should be lodged with the proper
authorities demanding the re-hearing of part of the case—
that toliching the lights —on the double ground
that the finding is that of a bare and biassed
majority, and that the reasons assigned for
the judgment are bad in law and in fact. That
failing, he would comply with the judgment "under pro-
test, and avowedly waiting and working for its reversal."

He will teach the doctrine of the Real Presence more care-
fully than ever. He advises that the High Church party
should not retaliate upon their opponents. " Above all,
I desire to protest against counter prosecution. If some
mitred offender, preferably Archbishop Thomson himself,
be criminally prosecuted under Lord Cairns's finding, well
and good. lie needs a lesson, and no argument, save one
addressed t 3 his person or his pocket, will touch him.
But I see no moral or practical good in exasperating
evangelicals by petty worryings like their own. That is no
way to make converts from amongst them ; while, on the
other hand, if they refuse, as they will refuse, obedience
to the iron rule now first laid down, they will damage
their position more than ever in the eyes of the public.
We can afford to wait, and if anything comes to grief by
reason of the judgment, it will not be ritualism, but the
Act of Uniformity."
The Daily News, in a leader on this letter, and an
article i❑ the Guardian says "that the consequences of
the judgment are by no means so simple as they have been
in some quarters assumed to be ; and it is at least certain
that the Act of Uniformity has never been subjected to so
severe a strain since its enactment as that to which

the Lords of the Privy Council have now exposed it,"

Bishop Selwyn is expected in England daily.

The sum realised by the first day's sale of the
library, belonging to the late Marquis of Hastings, was
£1,344 IGs. Cd. Some of the books were exceedingly rare.

The Archbishop of Canterbury and Mrs. Tait
have been commanded to attend her AiNjesty at Osborne on
Tuesday next, when his Grace will do homage to the So-
vereign.

Justice Blackburn has appointed the following'
days for holding election inquiries, viz.: - Bewdley Jan. 19 ;
Stockport, Jan. 26; Wallingtord, Feb. 2; Stab- bridge,
Feb. 9 ; Hartkpool, Feb. 16.

The woman Mary Manly, who was sentenced to
death at the late Staffordshire Assizes for the wilful murder
of her infant child, at Rushton James, near Leek, on the
17th of October, has been respited during her Majesty's
pleasure.

The Bishop of Dunedin, who was reported some
days ago to have set out for his diocese in New Zealand after
three years' delay, has turned up in the United States. The
Church News says, that "at the opening of the Albany Con-
vention on Dec. 2 the Holy Eucharist was offered by the
Bishop of Dunedin, assisted by the Bishop of New York."
The weather has been very severe in Ireland. The
gale did not do much damage on Tuesday, but it was one
of the heaviest experienced about Dublin for some time.
The mountains visible from Dublin were covered with snow.
In the provinces all farming operations are stopped by the
excessive rain.

A sad mishap has happened to an excursion party
near Exmouth. They were returning from a Christmas
outing in a spring van, from which they were thrown out,
and Mr. Warmington, of Exmouth, was killed on the spot,
his wife also receiving severe injuries. The driver was
likewise a good deal hurt.

It has been ascertained_ that the amount expended
by the late William Walker, of Bolling Hall, Bradford, in
connection with the firm of Wood and Walker, and Walkers
and Co., by working shorter hours, in order to prove the
practicability of the system subsequently introduced by the
Factory Acts and promoting the passing of bills, has been no
less than £50,000.

Three policemen were shot at and wounded at
Clougbton Newlands. near Scarborough, on Monday night,
while proceeding to protect a house at Rayburn Wyke, they
having been informed of a plan to rob it. Three men, noto-
rious poachers, bane been arrested on suspicion, and, having
been taken before the magistrates were remanded.

A conference of leading Liberals was held in Brad-
ford on Tuesday, for the purpose of seeing if something could
not be (lone to withdraw the two election petitions the ono
against Mr. Ripl, y and the other against Mr. W. E. Foster,
but after considerable discussion, it was resolved, by a ma-
jority of 30 to 28, that the meeting considered that it was
not desirable to interfere between the gentlemen in charge
of the petitions.

At a meeting in Manchester of the central com-
mittee to promote the adoption of short time in the cotton
trade, as a means cf relief to the manufacturers in the pre-
sent depressed state of the trade, it was reported that of the
replies which had been received 50 per cout. were uncondi-
tionally in favour of short time, and 37 per cent. would
adopt it if their neighbours in the trade did.

The representatives of the various Constitutional
Associations throughout the kingdom held a Conference at
Birmingham on Tuesday. The Earl of Dartmouth occupied
the chair. It was mentioned that in 23 ]a'go towns, whose
aggregate population amounted to 2,500,000, and in which
Constitutional Associations had been most active, that no
less than 23 Conservative members had been returned out of
a total of 48 members sent to Parliament, and of these 83
goateALaclken wrested fr9m tke.GiDerklg,

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HER 111A.IESTY.

OSBORNE, Dec. 30.

The Queen, accompanied by Countess Spencer
and Viscountess Clifden, drove out yesterday after-
noon.
Her Majesty, accompanied by Princess Louise,
drove in the grounds this morning.

LATEST INTELL IGENCE.

(REUTER'S TELEGRAMS.)

AMERICA.

NEW YORK, D c. 30.

According to the report of Messrs. Neill, Bro-
thers, the receipts of cotton at all poets for the
past four days have been 46,000 bales against
50,000 same time last week. Exports to Great
Britain, 25,000 bales against 14,000 same time last
week. Exports to other foreign ports, 16,000 bales
against 6,000 same time last week. Total exports
for four days to all European ports, 46,000 bales
against 29,000 same time last week. Middling
upland, lid. laid down in Liverpool per steamer.
NEW ORLEANS, Dec. 29.
100. laid down by sailing vessel.
SOUTHAMPTON, Dec. 31.

The Hamburg and American Company's steamer
Borussia has put into Portland with her machinery

disabled. She arrived here in tow of the steamer
Dispatch to undergo repairs.

SPAIN.

MADRID, Dcc. 30.

It is stated on official authority that provision
has been made fur the payment of the coupons of
the internal and external debt falling due on the
Ist of January next.

BELGIUM

BRUSSELS, Dec. 31.

The Court of Appeal has given judgment iu the
Doulton case. '1 he Court admits the competency
of the lower Court; but declares that the facts
brought forward at the trial, however irregular
in their character, do not constitute a penal offence•

THE WEST AFRICAN MAILS.

LIVERPOOL, Dec. 31.

The Royal mail steamer Mandingo, with the
above mails, arrived in the Mersey to-day. Her
date 3 are—Benin, Dec. 3; Fernando Po, Cattle-
roons, Nov. 29; Old Calabar, 27 ; Brass Wirer

and Bonny, Dec. 2 ; Lagos, 5 ; Jellah-Caffeet
6 ; Accra, 7 ; Cape Coast Castle, 8 ; Cape ralmos,
10 ; Sitrra Leone, 15 ; Bathurst, 12 ; Teneriffet
22 ; and Madeira, 24.

The Mandingo brings a quantity of specie and 14
passengers. The news from the different parts of
the coast is uninteresting, and the health of the

rivers satir:faptory.