The Sun.
London, England, 1868-06-27 00:00:00

THE MILITIA RESERVE.

The regulations for the militia reserve were issued yes.
terday morning. Those in relation to men enlisted under
the Act of last session, drawn up in accordance with the
power given to the Secretary of State, include the follow-
ing :—The volunteering of the men will take place during
the annual period of training. The enlistment and attes-
tation of men volunteering for the reserve will be con-
ducted by the adjutants and non-commissioned officers of
the permanent staff of the militia. The maximum ago at
which men will bo accepted for the militia reserve will be
thirty. They must measure thirty-three inches round the
chest, and must not bo,undor five feet four inches in height.
Men enlisted in the militia reserve will, until summoned to
enter upon army service, be required to fulfil all conditions of
service attaching to an ordinary militia engagement, and will
only be released from attending the annual training of their
militia regiments with the consent of their commanding offi-
cer. When men shall be required for army service they will
receive notice thereof, and any man not appearing at the
time and place indicated in the notice will bo liable to bo
apprehended and punished as a deserter from the army.
Any men retained upon army service for any period beyond
Ithe expiration of their engagement of five years, under the
provision of the third clause of the act, will reckon such
period in diminution of any subsequent engagement. Men
serving in the reserve will,in addition to ordinary militia bounty
and gratuity, receive the sum of £1 for every yearly training
whether with their militia regiment or with any portion of
her Majesty's regular army. Mon who have completed foul
years' service in the ordinary militia previously to enlist-
ment into the militia reserve will, if approved for the re-
serve, be entitled by the advantages granted by regulation
to men re-enrolled in the ordinary militia.

SUNDAY EVENINGS FOR THE PEOPLE.

-.:= -~

In the sittings in banco in the Court of Common Pleas,
yesterday, before Justice Wiles and Justice. Byles, the
case of Reg. v. Baxter Langley, which involved the ques-
tion of the legality of the " Sunday evenings for the
people," came on for hearing.
The Hon. George Denman, Q.C., in opening the
case, said that he appeared to ask for the enforce-
ment of the penalties required by various sections
of the Ist of the 23rd George 111. Two points were
involved, the first being as to the legality of the Sunday
evenings for the people, of which the defendant was the
promoter. St. Martin's Hall (the learned counsel stated)
had been registered as a place where a religious body
held their meetings on Sundays. From threepence to
half a crown was charged for admission to about two-
thirds of the whole area of the hall, whilst to the remain.
ing third the public were admitted without any charge.
The " entertainment" consisted of singing such pieces as
the " Stabat Mater," and addresses by Mr. Langley.
On one occasion Sir John Bewring lectured on " Siam
and the Siamese." These entertainments, it was contended,
were illegal, the Act providing a penalty of £2OO for every
such entertainment. Mr. Denman said that the de-
fendant contended that at the meetings the people were
instructed ; but, he argued, even supposing that to be the
case, it was really not a religious meeting, but
a place where there were provided entertain-
ments and amusements. If this could be proved,
the defendant would be brought within the
power of the law, especially as a charge was made for
entrance. No doubt such pieces as " The heavens are
telling," the " Stabat Mater," and others of a like cha-
racter had art elevating effect ; but they were not sung by
the people, but were given by vocal and instramental
performers. They were not regarded by any present as
acts of devotion or worship but simply as a performance
of part of an entertainment. The lecture given by Sir John
Bowring described most graphically the habits and manners
of the Siamese, and gave a very excellent description of the
country inhabitated by that extraordinary people. This,
the learned counsel argued, could not form part of a really
religious meeting, but was given to the people as an amuse-
ment. The only religious part was the latter part of the
lecture, in which charity to others in religious matters
was recommended.
After hearing elaborate arguments on both sides, the
mourt reserved its decision.

THE FIRES ON THE YORKSHIRE MOORS.

The fires which have been reported on the Yorkshire
moors were still smouldering on Friday, though their fur-
ther destructive progress is believed to be arrested. Nearly
4,000 acres of moorland has been left black and desolate,
with probably scarcely a living bird, or animal, or vege-
table, excepting the largest trees, over the wide expanse.
The young grouse and rabbits which abound on these moors
have been totally destroyed, and sheep grazing thereon
have in some instances perished. The cause of the fires
is not, it is believed, as was alleged, the sparks emitted
from a railway engine on the Rosedale branch line near
the Cleveland-hils, a little south-east of the Tees, though
one of the fires was first observed ou Monday, the 15th
instant, in that locality. As fires are not unusual on the
moors in the summer time, no notice was taken of it for
some days, until it had got such a hold as has no pre-
vious parallel, and it was found almost impossible to
compass it with a view of putting it cut. Here about
3,000 acres were devastated. At about the same time
a moor belonging to the Marquis of Ailesbury to
the east of Northallerton, which is eight miles distant
from the former moors, was observed to be on fire at a
point about a mile distant from any fire or railway. This
has given rise to the impression that owing to the dryness
of the weather, through the drought, with their simul-
taneous appearance, the fire must have arisen from
spontaneous combustion. Lord Feversham, Lord Boyne,
and Lord Do Lisle and Dudley, are the chief sufferers.
Though the destruction of grouse bas been great, the great
bulk of Yorkshire moorland lying to the north-west
remains intact and promises well.

THE NEW MEAT MARKET AT SMITHFIELD.—
The buildings for the meat market are at last approaching
completion, and we are glad to learn that- the Prince of
Wales will formally open the market on November 15.—
City Press.
MURDER OF A COURIER.—The courier of a Rua-
sian family was barbarously murdered on the 14th inst. at
the fashionable watering-place of Ems. His body was
found early in the morning lying on the second floor of the
Hotel du Prince des Galles, where the family in whose
service the unfortunate man was occupied apartments. His
head had been struck twice with some weapon, probably
an axe, one of his eyes bad been torn from its socket, and
the marks of nails were visible on the neck. No motive
has been assigned for the crime, as the money and watch
of the murdered man were untouched.

A baker at Newport has been convicted in a rather
remarkable way of adulterating his bread. Ho had told
his assistant that ho had obtained a patent for making
bread look whiter than usual ; but the man, finding that
ho was not to be admitted into the secret, but was to mix
the dough with a compound which his master prepared
overnight, contrived, on the first opportunity to fill a
small bottle with some of the mysterious ingredient, which,
on being tested, proved to bo merely a solution of carbonate
of .lime. Moreover, the great experiment itself did not
answer, and then the cunning fellow, afraid of the conse-
quences, went home and wrote a solemn letter to his mask;
saying that ho "thought fit not to come to his establishment
any more." Tie then gave information to the police, and the
"patent" came to grief by the baker being fined £2 and
costs.

TIIE QUEEN AND THE LATE-VOLUNTEER REVIEW.
The following communication has been forwarded to Sir
J. Pakington, the Secretary for War, by the Duke of
Cambridge :—" Horse Guards, 22u1 June, 1:368. Sir, I
have great satisfaction in conveying to you, by the Queen's
commands, her Majesty's approval of the -seldierlike
bearing and efficiency under arms of the volunteers who
were reviewed by her in Windsor Park on Saturday
last ; and I am at the same time desired to request you to
make this known to all the corps concerned.—l am, yours,
GEORGE." Sir J. Pakington has, in accordance with her
Majesty's commands, communicated her approval to the
corps concerned, The following is the official return of
volunteers
:present at the review : Cavalry, 267 ; field
batteries, 393 men, 20 guns, and 155 horses ; Ist division,.
5,517 ; 2nd ditto, 0,553 ; 3rd ditto, 7,596: 4th ditto,
.... •
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