The Sun.
London, England, 1844-12-21 00:00:00

MR. WARD.

OXFORD, THURSDAY.— The friends of Mr. Ward have
caused the following to be extensively circulated amongst
members of Convocation :

" New Form of Declaration which the proposed statute
will enable the Vice-Chancellor to impose.
" Ego A. B. Articulis Fidei et Religioisis necnon
tribus articulis in canons XXXVI. comprehensis sub-
scripturus, profiteor, fide mea data huic universitati, me
articulis is tis omnibus et singulis eo sensu subscripturum
in quo eos ex animo credo et primitus editos esse, et nunc
mihi eL universitate propositos tanquam opinionum.mearum
certum ac indubita turn signum.'
" The attention of members of Convocation is re-
quested to the following considerations :
" 1. That the proposed statute institutes a new reli-
gious test in the University.
"2. That a local test, thus instituted, places the
members of the university in a religious position different
from that of all other members of the Church, and the
whole body of the clergy.
" 3. That the imposing any new test of doctrine be-
yond those which rest on the authority of the Chum'',
is a serious innovation, and alters at once the constitution
of the University, and its relations to the Church.
"4. That a great difference of opinion has always
been permitted among those who subscribe the Articles,
and that it is now proposed to introduce a new limit and
restriction to that difference.
"5. That the test proposed, being itself liable to dif-
ferent interpretations, is likely to cause perplexity, and
to operate as a snare to conscience.
" 6. That it is not right or safe to rest on the suppo-
sition that this test will not be applied ; since the ob-
vious presumption from its being proposed is, that it is
meant to be used.
" 7. That a test not applied to all, but liable to be im-
posed upon suspected individuals, according to the will
of the Vice-Chancellor for the time being, is an objec-
tionable form of test, likely to encourage a system of
secret and underhand information, and to destroy mu-
tual confidence and freedom of intercourse in the Uni-
versity."

RAILWAY INTELLIGENCE.—On Thursday last a
deputation of the provisional committee of the Dunstable
Branch Railway to the Birmingham Trunk at Leighton
Buzzard, consisting of Messrs. Edward Burr, Richard
Gutteridge, Henry Goude, William Elliott, Benjamin
Bennett, together with the solicitors of the projected
line, Messrs. Parker, Twisden, and Co., of Lincoln's Inn-
fields, and Mr. James N. Cartwright, of Dunstable,
waited by appointment on the Directors of the London
and Birmingham Company at Euston-square. On the
following Saturday the resolution agreed upon by the
said Company at their meeting was communicated
through the secretary, Mr. Creed, to the effect that the
London and Birmingham Company agree to lease the
projected branch line of the Dunstable Company in per-
petuity, and to give a guarantee of 4 per cent. on the
capital employed, with an equal division of surplus pro-
fits ; the capital not to exceed 50,000/. The proposed
railway is likely to prove a great advantage to Dunstable
—a town which, having recovered from the depression
occasioned by the withdrawal of the traffic on the turn-
pike-road, is gradually rising into importance. At pre-
sent there is none but the most inefficient conveyance
for coals, and all descriptions of heavy goods, which will
be conveyed at a very reduced price by railway.
Two MEN DROWNED.—SEAHAM, DEC. 19.—Yes-
terday an inquest was held at this port, which is about
seven miles north of Sunderlaud, on the bodies of two
pilots belonging to the latter place, named John Givens
and W. Maddison. who had been drowned on the pre-
ceding day. It is customary for the pilots of Sunder-
land to conduct vessels in and out of Seaham, (which is
a private port belonging to the Marquis of Londonderry,
for the shipment of his coals), and on Tuesday a coble,
containing four men, was proceeding out to sea " to
seek ships," as it is called. The sea was very high at
the time, and a heavy wave having struck the coble, it
was dashed with great violence against the pier and
swamped, all the crew being precipitated into the water.
Assistance was promptly at hand, and two of the unfor-
tunate men were saved. The remaining crew met a
watery grave. The Coroner's jury returned a verdict of
" Accidental death," and after the inqucst the bodies
were removed to Sunderland. The deceased have left
large families to deplore their loss.
THE CONDEMNED CRIMINALS..--We understand
that the execution of William Potter and William Ken-
drew, the former for setting fire to the dwelling•house
of William Neville, at Wistow, near Selby, and the latter
for the murder of Mr. William Inchbald, at Low Duns-
forth, near Boroughbridge,will take place (should no re-
prieve be received) on Saturday week, the 28th instant.
William Potter does not betray the same indifference
which he exhibited on I.( ceiving his sentence, but, we
hear, has become much softened. William Kendrew,
however, still maintains a dogged sullenness, and seems
not properly to understand the awful position in which
he is placed.—Doncaster Gazette.
BURGHEAD.—UNSEEMLY DISTURBANCE.—We have
just seen a private letter from the fishing-town of
Burghead, near Elgin, stating that a great deal
of ill-feeling and an unfortunate riot had taken
place between some of the people of Hope-
man and Burghead. The occasion of the disturbance
was a meeting held for the purpose of letting the seats
in the new Free Church erected in Burghead. The
parties quarrelled as to the appropriation of the
seats, and an unfortunate adjournment took
place to the public-house. There, inflamed with
drink, the dispute was continued, and fighting took
placd, more or less, throughout the whole of the night.
The Free Church clergyman, Mr. Waters, endeavoured,
but in vain, to effect a reconciliation, and get the parties
to disperse. Next morning one of the men was found
dead in a quarry in the neighbourhood. Such are the
terms of the letter, but, of course, an investigation will
take plum—lnverness Courier.

PLYMOUTH.
At a highly respectable and influential meeting of the
parishioners of the parish of Charles, held in the parish
church, Mr. Richard Martin, churchwarden, in the chair;
Resolved,--Ist. That this meeting views with deep':,,
regret and painful manifestation the changes directed•,by-
the Bishop in the services of the Church, and most ener-
getically proclaims to his Lordship the eirnest deigreof
the parishioners that he will not, in order to obtain con-
formity, compel the clergy and laity to return to prac-
tices which have generally become obsolete. In urging
this upon the attention of the Bishop, this meeting would
remind him, that if a departure from the law of cere-
monies and observances has arisen, his Lordship and his
predecessors have sanctioned these departures, not only
by their tacit consent, but doubtless by their actual pre-
sence upon many occasions. •
2d. This meeting most emphatically declares that,
should the Bishop persevere and succeed in his object,
the most ready means by which the parishioners can
testify their dislike and determination to resist, will be
to retire from any church in %) hich the innovations may
be attempted, and ,c,k to carry c.n the Church service
in unconsecrated buildings until the Bishop shall remove
the mandate and restore peace.
3d. That this meeting reserves its high sense of the
charity and Chlistian conduct of the ministers of this
parish, and imploring the Almighty to vouchsafe to them
a right understanding, earnestly desires they will exert
their best efforts to preserve the services of the Church
in their accustomed form—this meeting presents to the
Rev. Chancellor Martin, Dcctor Bell, and the other mi-
nisters of the Chapter who supported their views, sin-
cere and grateful thanks fur having stood forth in the
present crisis, thereby ailOrding high and excellent ex-
amples to those of the clergy vs ho resist the present in-
novation.

4th. That this meeting proposes a systematic arrange-
ment throughout the land, to ensure the most powerful
opposition to the proposed innovations, as well as to cir-
culate the knowledge of authentic information of the
proceedings of those of the clergy who, having reck-
lessly followed the views and practices of the Tractarian
school, despite of the objection' of the laity have ac-
quired support by the Bishop's letter, and have, in con-
sequence, introduced other and more Romish prac-
tices, the object of disseminating such information being
to exhibit the design of the party who have commenced
this movement ; and with this view the meeting urges
upon the parishioners of every parish the expediency of
forming permanent committees. This meeting also sug-
gests that a central committee should be formed in
every deanery, to which the parish committees should
comtnin k-et( . and that in Exeter one or two persons
should be deputed from each parish to form a general
committee o corresponden for the country.

THE HOUSE OF CORRECTION.
Yesterday an adjourned inquest was held by Mr.
Wakley, M.P., at the House of Correction, oa the body
of a late prisoner, named James Hodges.
It appeared, the evidence of the various warden of
the prison under whose charge the deceased had been
having been read, that another prisoner who had been
in the same yard with him was examined in the absence
of the officers of the prison, and in the course of his
statement he said that the cell in which the deceased had
slept at night was an extremely cold one ; that he had
himself slept is it, and consequently was in a condition.
to state the fact ; that the prison diet did not allow a
sufficient quantity of sustenance for the maintenance of
health and warmth in the body during the winter Months.
He also stated that if a prisoner made a complaint to the
surgeon of the gaol that he was ill, and the latter
thought he was not so, that he was punished by being
deprived of half his meal; and that if it happened to be
on one of the meat days, then that meat would be taken
from him, and he would be put upon gruel. The effect
of this system was to deter prisoners, when they were
ill, frequently from making the complaint of their being
unwell, and especiall=y if that visitation should chance to
be on a " meat day.' The witness also made further
statements, which were of so serious a character, as
affecting the general treatment of the prisoners, that
The CORONER at length said, it was most painful to
hear such statements without possessing the power or
means of applying a remedy for them. If these accusa-
tions were justly made they demanded a remedy, and as
from the length of the inquiry it would be impossible to
conclude the investigation upon that occasion, he would
endeavour to procure the attendance of the visiting jus-
tices, to hear them on the next occasion—on the day to
which an adjournment of the case might eventually be
agreed upon.
Mr. MILLS, the deputy-coroner, accordingly waited
upon the visiting justices, who happened to be sitting in
another room in the gaol, and who, upon being informed
of the nature of the statement which had been made by
the prisoner, at once arranged with him to be present
upon the renewal of the inquiry on the following Friday
(yesterday). The proceedings on the return of Mr.
Mills to the coroner's court were adjourned accordingly.
Yesterday, therefore, the jury re-assembled at the prison,
when a number (if indeed they were not the whole of
that body) of the visiting justices were present.
Amongst them were Mr. Wilks, Mr. Tulk, Mr. Rotch,
Mr. Hoare, Mr. Bluck, Captain Bague, Mr. Rose, Mr.
France, Mr. Crake, and Mr. Kemshead.
The father, step-mother, and widow of the deceased
were also in attendance.

The inquiry occupied upwards of four hours, and was
again adjourned. The prisoner, who had been examined
on the first day, again underwent a protracted examina-
tion, but failed to confirm many of the heaviest charges
he had set up on the first occasion. We, therefore, think
it to be fairer to all parties to abstain from publishing
any report until the whole proceeding has been brought
to a conclusion.