The Sun.
London, England, 1868-01-29 00:00:00

THE GHEE ORDEAL.

The Madras Times published recently a communication
on the proposed revival of the ghee ordeal in Travancore,
a practice which until about thirty years ago had pre-
vailed from time immemorial. The custom among the
Brahmins of Malayalam (intended to prevent the division
of family property) of not allowing the younger members
of families to many, and yet of enforcing female
chastity with a rigour unknown in any other society in
India, made this ordeal of importance. It was resorted
to where suspicion existed but the man protested
his innocence, and inquiry left the case one of doubt, and
the question of reception in holy society had to be settled.
The ordeal could be conducted only in the State pagoda
of Shuchindram, a village: about eight miles from Gape
Comorin. The presence of some hereditary religious chiefs
was necessary, the authority of the arbiters who had con-
ducted the investigation, and the written sanction of the
Maharajah. These obtained, the Namboory under suspi-
cion, after certain preliminary ceremonies and fasts,attended
in the pagoda, and had there to plunge his hand into a
brazen vessel about Sin. deep, filled with boiling ghee, and
to bring up from the bottom a small silver ball, not much
larger than a solitaire glass ball, which had been cast in.
It was often not until the third or fourth plunge that the
accused picked up the ball. His hand was then wrapped
up in tender plaintain leaves ; on the third day it was exa-
mined. A scalded hand was a proof of crime ; the absence
of blister was accepted as a confirmation of innocence.
About thirty years ago, at the urgent instance of the
British Government, the then Maharajah abolished
the practice. About two years ago, however,
some members of the Namboory aristocracy, who
had relatives placed in the inconveniences of the
" doubtful state," agitated at the time of the
Murajepam Carnival the question of the ghee ordeal ; and
with the influence of the late first judge of the Suddur
Court, one of their own class, a sort of unwritten permis-
sinn was procured for a sham, or " cold ghee" ordeal.
Some Namboories recently underwent this, and of course
came out with sound hands, and, returning to their homes,
attempted to mingle in holy society. But a large and
Powerful section of Namboories is opposed to this purifica-
tion by sham ordeal, as inadequate to warrant a reception
n their society; and some of the leading members of this
party have recently had interviews upon the subject with
the Maharajah, the Dewan, and the British Resident. It
is said that the Maharajah is willing to discountenance
the sham ordeal, and to grant endorsements to the effect
that the Travancore Government is unable to revive the
old practice without the sanction of the Madras Govern-
ment. But it is represented that there is some reason to
think that it will be held that there ought not to be any
Government prohibition, as the ordeal would be entirely
voluntary in the legal sense, though, of course, submitted
to in consequence of the pressure of public opinion.
The sale of one's teeth to a dentist is cited as similar
in principle• The corresponnent who reads the state
raent argues that the ghee ordeal is a barbarous and
inhuman practice, and that the prohibition ought to be
continued.

FALL OF A Cuuncu DOME. —A Pesth letter
announces that the dome of the new church in the Leopold-
stadt quarter in that city fell in during the afternoon of
the 22nd, with a crash. The public had been for some
hours prepared for the catastrophe from some premonitory
movements in the mason work, so that no lives were lost.

MR. GLADSTONE AND THE TRADES UNIONS. —A
special meeting of the sub-committee of the trades' dele-
gates, to arrange the proceedings of the conference with
Mr. Gladstone on the 18th of February, has been held at
the Bell Inn, Old Bailey. The subject underwent a long
disc•ussion, during which the deiegates reported as to the
rules of their various societies, and several letters were
read from various parts of the country giving infor-
mat:on as to the f-iles and practices of some of the large
trades in respect to apprentices, daywork, piecework,
overtime, &c.. these rules and practices differing mate-
rially from each other. It was eventually decided that the
fcllowing questions should form the subject of the con-
ferenco :-1, the limitation of apprentices ; 2, the minimum
standard of wages ; 3, piecework and overtime ; 4, the
alleged action of trades unions in driving trade to foreign
countries ;5, the practical advantages of trades unions.
it was also agreed that one member of the deputation
;.hould be selected to speak to each of the above questions.
It was also resolved that the eight delegates to form the
deputation to Mr. Gladstone should be appointed at
the next meeting of the committee, and that in the
meantime every trade throughout the kingdom should
be requested to inform the committee of its rules and
customs with regard to the first three questions above
enumerated,