The Sun.
London, England, 1868-06-13 00:00:00

RIT U ALISM IN INDIA.

In reply to Mr. KINNAIRD,
Sir S. NORTHCOTE said he was aware that certain of
her Majesty's troops, viz., the 60th Rifles, had objected to
the manner in which the religious services were perfor-
med at the church they had to attend in India, the great
objection being that the chaplain turned his back on the
congregation during the celebration of the communion.
Some of the soldiers had expressed a wish to go to the
Presbyterian Church, and thus some correspondence took
place. Sir William Mansfield considered the letters were
particularly military on the part of the chaplain, an I p tr-
ticularly theological on the part; of the officer. (Laughter.)
The chaplain was the same an had acted under Bishop
Cotton, which ho thought was quite sufficient to prove his
orthodoxy. However, after some consult ration an arrange-
ment had been come to, by which free liberty was given
to every officer and soldier to attend that church and
that form of worship which he pleased. (Hear.) This
having been, he believed, satisfactorily arange.l, ha
thought no further trouble might bo taken in the matter.
Mr. B. HOPE asked whether the hon. gentleman was
aware that a new chaplain had been appointed to the
church of Fort William, and that no ritualistic per-
formances now took place.

Sir S. NORTIICOTE said he was not aware of any such
,hing,

THE CASE OE SERGEANT STONE.

Mr. LABOUJIIERE moved for a committee to inquire
into the causes of the dismissal of police-sergeant Stone
from the metropolitan police force. The hon. memb3r
contended that that officer had been m,st unjustly
treated, after twenty years' service, and that for
!ratters of which he contended he was entirely innocent.
It was true that Mr. Stone had received a gratuity of .£123
after his discharge, but he contended h 3 had a right to a
pension, whi..;l3 h 3 would have been entitled to had h 3 not
been so unjustly treated.

Mr. HARDY said the greatest attention hal been paid
to this subject. The man himself hal expressed his thanks
for the gratuity which had been granted him, an 1 he had
also expressed himself satisfied because the granting of the
gratuity showed that he had established his innocence at
the Home-office. The right hon. gentlemen the member
for Morpeth had taken the most minute pains with the
case, and, under all the circumitances, he (Mr. Hardy)
thought substantial justice hal been done.
Mr. HENLEY and Sir G. Gnix bath thought there was
no need of a select committee.
The motion for a select committee was then withdrawn
LOCAL RATING.

tiss
Mr. CORRANCE moved fora select committee to con-
sider the present incidence and principle of local rating,
and report thereon.
Ultimately the motion was Withdrawn. Another subject, already discussed this session—acci-
dents in coal mines—wits revived by Mr. H. A. Bruce, who
asked the Government whether they intended to carry
out the recommendation of the select committee of 1867.
Mr. Bruce travelled rapidly through the report, intimating
that ho was strongly in favour of an increase in the staff of
the appointment of stipendiary magistrates to try
offences, t r i c
t"
inspectors rather than for the appointment of sub-inspec-
against the rules, the laying out of pits on the
"district"
plan and the "double-shift" system.
Mr. HARDY assured the house that Government had
not neglected the subject, and no'hing but tbs circum-
stances of the session had prevented them from attempting
legislation. On one point he intimated his mind was fully
made up, that a moderate increase in the staff of inspec-
tors was preferable to the appointment of sub-inspectors.
Mr. NEATE (the chairman of the committee) regretted
the postponement of legislation, and advocated an increase
in the Dumber of inspectors, and the examination of the
managers of mines.

Mr. Greene, Mr. liinnaircl, Mr. W. 11. Leathern, and Mr.
11. Vivian also expressed a general concurrence in the re-
commendations of the committee.
In answer to a complaint from Mr. AYRTON of the
manner in which the Board of Inland Revenue administers
the law regulating the registration of newspapers,
The ATTORNEY-GENERAL explained that the
Board merely put the law into operation under the inter-
pretation of it furnished to them by the law officers, and
as long as the law continued unaltered it would be their
duty so to enforce it. But he denied that the Board acted
T‘ith fear or affection, or from private malignity, and no
prosecution was instituted until after ample warning re-
fusal had been given to make the necessary security and
mako necessary declaration.
Mr. M. GIBSON admitted that the Board had acted as
impartially as it could, and oven with reluctance, but it
was usually set in motion by private malice. If such a
law were necessary, its administration ought not to be
placed on a department which merely existed foe the col-
lection of taxes. But the law was so absurd that no
Government would dare to enforce it generally and im-
partially—though, on tho other hand, there were many
papers, the Saturday Review for instance, from whem these
securities were illegally required—and ho pressed the
Government to undertake the repeal of it either in this or
the next Session.

Mr. MILL suggested that the prosecutions should be
suspended in the meantime, and Mr. M. Chambers niade
some observations in defence of the original policy of the
law, to which Mr. Craufurd replied.
There was a short debate on the Courts of Session and
Court of Justiciary (Scotland) Bills, which were read a
second time on tho understanding that a Royal Commission
will be appointed to inquire into the jurisdiction and con-
stitution of the Scotch Courts.
The Land Writs Registration (Scotland) Bill was passed
through committee.

The debates on Mr. Gladstone's Suspensory Bill, which
stood next on the stage "as amended to be considered,"
to be taken. Mr. Craufurd and Mr. Monk complained that
it had been interpolated
nthlieddolredeorf itnhewGhoicvherintmwenast
bsvuesrienevsasereitiencl n
nifibliytrelraypdoailnd to the disadvantage of bills of theirs.
It was explair ed by the Secretary of the Treasury that
priority had been given to this hill out of courtesy to Mr.
Gladstone and for the general convenience, and Mr. Glad-
stone confirmed this, thanking the Government for
having given him the same advantage as on previous
occasions.

----
Mr. VANCE made an attempt to strike out of the now
clause added last Friday the part which puts the recipi-
ents of the R-gium Donum under Parliamentary notice ;
but meeting with no support except from Mr. Newdegate,
he did Lot go to a division, and the third reading was
fixed for Tuesday.
Just before one o'clock Mr. MONK moved the com-
mittal of his bill to remove the Disabilities of Re-
venue Officers, of which he secured the second read-
ing on Wednesday in the absence of the two front
benches. The Government moved the adjournment
of the debate, the Chancellor of the Exchequer explaining
that ho was accidentally prevented from arriving in the
house in time on Wednesday, and complaining that Mr.
Monk had departed from the usual course by not making a
speech ou the second reading, which would have given
ample opportunity for the opponents of the bill to take
their places. lie added, too, that many members
(including Mr. Disraeli and Mr. Gladstone) had gone
away some time ago under the impression that the
bill would not come on that night. There was
the usual sharp and disjointed strug3-10 on the question of
aC.jetu-nment. The first motion was beaten by 52 to 36, a
second was negatived without a division, and a third by
42 to 33. The supporters of the bill made a strong appeal
to the members of the Government' who were present to
fix a day for the bill, but they professed their inability in
them.o Premier'snk
debate
guauntil
teil way,o absence,nadnaand consented
to the adjournment of the
and after a contest of an hour Mr.
The house adjourned at 2 o'clock.

BOOK TRADE OF LEIPZIC.—LcipzIc is the centre
as is well known, of a largo booksolling trade, producing
8,000 or 10,000 works per annum. In 1867, a bad year,
9,855 works were published. The statistics of the trade
show that books on philosophy are less in demand than
they used to be, but school books are more so. Treatises
on medicine, chemistry, and natural sciences are increas-
ing; jurisprudence the same ; loss so theology. Lan-
guages are more and more in request, as also aro history
140graphy, and memoirs. Novels and light literature aro
comparatively neglected.