The Sun.
London, England, 1868-03-21 00:00:00


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DEAN S'

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Dean Stanley has published lte address he lately
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delivered at Sion College "On t ',:iOnneetion between :;',
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Church and State." In a note L' find. the following
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remarks on the Irish Church questio`, Whfleva-PIY
be the issue forced by the emergency A the( kale sit
those who have to deal with the Irish Church, :Ind viewing
it merely as an isolated problem, it must be remembered
that the question of the connection or separation of Church
and State is not of necessity involved in it. When
sixty or seventy years ago the difficulty of the Irish
Establishment first arose, it presented itself under the
form of endowing and establishing the Roman Catholic
Church by the side or in the stead of the Protestant Church.
The notion of parting with the benefits of an Established
Church altogether had not then become one of the elements
of discussion. This has been introduced into the question
partly, no doubt, by the external action of the English
Liberationists, partly also by the difficulties thrown in
the way of such a scheme by the Roman Catholics them-
selves. It may be that the combined forces of these two
streams will be too powerful to resist. But it is worth
while remarking that dispassionate observers seem gene-
rally agreed in considering that if such a solution is
adopted.it will not be as the best, but as the only one
which existing circumstances will allow—perhaps as in
itself the worst, except for the pressure of those practical
difficulties. It is probably admitted on all sides that, on
the oue hand, the dependence of the Roman Catholic
clergy on their flocks for subsistence, and on a foreign
prince for dignity and rank, which now forms the
worst feature of the Irish ecclesiastical system in the
eyes of all reasonable men, would remain undiminished.
In no other country in Europe have the Roman Catholic
clergy refused the endowment and control of the State.
No other Government in Europe, Roman Catholic or
Prolestant, would willingly lose such an opportunity of
guarding and guiding so powerful an element in the
national life. And, on the other hand, it seems also
agreed—indeed, by some it is put forward as a reason for
disestablishing the Protestant Church—that in that case
the vehemence of the Orange party now confined, and
moderated in some degree by the influence of a venerable
and legal institution, would be set loose on a new
career. of proselytism and aggression, which certainly
would not tend to increase the harmony between the two
Churches. This, again, is a state of things which n
statesman, no large-minded Christian, would naturally
desire, however much he may be constrained to acquiesce
in it as an escape from immediate evils, and a concession
to urgent demands. Ido not in these remarks enter on
the question-of the mode of dealing with the Irish Esta-
blishment.
I only venture to suggest that, as even in '
this case the results of a complete severance of the con-
nection with the State are generally deemed questionable
in themselves, they cannot be pleaded as arguments in
behalf of carrying out the same system where no such
exceptional circumstances exist." - .

THE ALYSSINIAN EXPEDITION.

The news from Abyssinia is, on the whole, good. Thera

is still difficulty with the muleteers, who refuse after a

long march to supply their animals with sufficient water.
This has been got over, however, by making only short
marches, by which the prejudice; of the muleteers are
consulted, and the mules themselves not overworked.
This somewhat accounts for the delay which has
been remarked upon in the march on Magdala.
It appears that the distance between- Attegerat
and Antalo has been overcalculated by
twenty miles, so that instead of the troops having a
hundred miles to march they will only have some seventy.
nine. The correspondent of the Times, hi mentioning this

some

matter, says that the two hundred Miles between Antalo
andMagdala is likely, by taking a direct route, to dwindle
to 1:;) miles. The passes have proved better than was
expected, and tholgh there are some rough bits of road,
altogether things have been very fair. There is a report
that Theodore is maching on Gobazye. Though the autho-
rity is not good, the Times correspondent seems to think
the rumour not improbable. It would be one of the best
moves the King could make, as, if he takes Gobazye before
the British come up, he. will restore his prestige, which has
sadly fallen with his troops.

The Herald corresliondent gives some interesting facts
concerning the character of the Abyssinians. lie relates
a story in which the Hindoo Syces connected with the
British army trespassed on sacred ground. The priests
brought the matter before Sir Robert Napier, who
ordered the offenders to receive fifty lashes each. Where-
upon the natives went down on their knees and declared
they would not rise unless the trespassers were forg,iven.
He also confirms the truth of what Bruce said, that the
natives cut steaks from the living ox. Some officers lately
came upon the natives just as they were in the act of per-
foiming it. The unfortunate bullock was thrown down,
and its four legs were tied together. The operator then
cut an incision in the skin near the spine, just behind the
hip-joint. He blew, into this to separate the skin

rum the flesh, and then cut two other incision 3 at

right angles to the first, and then lifted a flap of
skin four or five inches square. From thii he cut
out a lump of flesh, cutting with the knife under
the skin, so that the amount of flesh taken out was larger
than the portion uncovered. The operator then filled up
the hole with cow-dung, replaced the flap of skin, plas-
tered it up with mud, untied the feet of the poor animal,
who had kept up a low moaning while the operation was
going on, gave it a kick to make it get up, and the whole
thing was over. I should mention that the operator cut
two or three gashes in the neighbourhood of the wound,
apparently as a sign that the animal had been operated
upon in that part. The officer observed that several of
the other cattle in the same herd were marked in a pre-
cisely similar manner. They returned in half an hour,
and found the animal walking about and feeding quietly.
Antalo was hoked forward to as a sort of paradise, and
everyone was wishing to get to it. It did not, however,
come up to expectation. The Telegraph correspondent
says :—" Our reception by the good people of Antalo can-
not be said to have been hospitable ; no one came near
us, and the governors were reported absent. The com-
missariat officer, who rode into the town, came back
desponding. He reported that Antalo, instead of
being the magnificent place we had pictured to our-
selves, was a straggling, dirty village ; he saw scarcely
any inhabitants, except women, who, when be asked for
grain, only said, ' Oh, for goodness' sake, go away ; we
have no grain—nothing to eat. For pity's sake, get out of
the town.' The fact is, the people are all frightened out
of their wits. It takes them days to realise the extraordi-
nary fact that we do not pillage them ; they cannot under-
stand it at all."

In the mp.rch on Antalo frequent stoppages were made,
in consequence of the guns having to be lifted over hills
and unwieldy ground. Complaints regarding the stop-
pages were loud and frequent, for they made the day and
the march seem unusually long, and the afternoon was
well spent before the men reached the camp. This, the
Daily News correspondent says, was unfortunate in more
ways than one ; for no sooner had they arrived than the
east shewed unmistakable signs of an approaching storm,
and before tents could be pitched or shelter provided, a
thunderstorm was raging among the hills. The lightning
was characterised by a vividity unknown elsewhere than
in tropical latitudes ; the thunder was loud and the rain
heavy ; though, luckily for more than one, Mai Wahiz
was visited only by the tail of the shower.
Writing from Ad Abagi, on the 22nd February, the
same correspondent says :—" Major Grant and Captain
Speedy, both belonging to the Intelligence Department,
returned to Howzen this morning. These officers had met
Kassai a few miles beyond that place, and made as defi-
nite arrangements as possible regarding the meeting, which
may take place to-morrow, if the Tigre prince is ascertained
to be at the appointed place—a plain about five miles
from Ad Abagi, in the direction of Adowa. Severalchiefs
have already visited the camp, in order to satisfy them-
selves of the truth or falsity of the rumours that are
abroad concerning the force, and the more bright and 1,
intelligent of them have been initiated into the mysteries
of the Armstrongs and Sniders, after beholding which,'
and asking many shrewd and very practical questions;
went away declaring themselves perfectly satisfied
as to the genuineness of the Christianity of the Eng:
lish. Part of the advance brigade is now five miles
beyond Antalo, which is reported to be no great city, but.
another Senafe, so far as size and population are con-
cerned. The headquarters wing of the 33rd Regiment
being beyond Antalo does not indicate any further ad-,.
vance for the present ; let us hope the move was made to
secure for the regiment not only a defensible position,
but a convenient and commodious camp as well.
The remainder of the brigade—the Scinde Horse,
part of the 3rd Bombay Cavalry, two companies 10th
Native Infantry, a company 23rd Punjab Pioneers, 3rd
and 4th companies Bombay Sappers, A 21 Royal Artillery,
and two companies of Beloochees—must either be near
Antalo or at work on the road. The health of the troops
and followers continues excellent, and the weather is
pleasant, though of course the thermometer rises as we ad;
vance southward."

COUNTY Corm: COMMITMENTS.—We understand
that the much-vexed question, whether or no a county
court judge has jurisdiction to commit a judgment-debtor,
in spite of a, composition deed registered subsequently to
the county court judgment, has recently been brought
before Mr. Justice 'Willes in chambers. In the case of
Pearce v. Foster (supra, p, 279), the judge of the Birming.
ham County Court held, in accordance with his decision in
a fanner case, that he had jurisdiction to commit. Last
week an application was made before the vacation judge
in chambers, for a writ of prohibition against the county
court judge, and after hearing an argument on each side,
Mr. Justice Willes ordered the writ to issue.—Solieitocv
Journal.

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