Star.
London, England, 1826-03-31 00:00:00

THE BURIAL SER-VICE

The following remarks relate to a question tukids
has been started in con,mquence of a correspondence
between Mr. Rowe, a Disenting Clergyman, ald the
Bishop of Norwich; in November last. Is a Chorch of
England Minister called on to read the Burial Service
over one who has not been baptised by a regularly
ordained Clergyman ? It is always easy to raise the
cry of " intolerance"—" illiberality:' but we would
put it to the candour of any single-hearted man, whe-
ther the one or the other be fairly attributable to a
Gentleman who acts up to the statutes made eapressiy
for the regulation of his professional conduct? Whet,
Cher these statutes are intolerant or illiberal, is a subject
which has no connection with the question in-dispute
The burial office is solemnised by authority of a &mote of
the 13th and 14th Car. If, of which the following are uneepeakd
provisions:— The office ensuing is not to be used ter any that die
unbaptised.' To ascertain the fact of susception of baptism, the
leading question is—' By whom was this child baptised? What is
the ground of this interrogatory? Another provision—' That the
.fiLinister of the parish, or, in his absence, any other bola Mailer,
be procured.' The same Statute defines a ' lawful Minister: er
enacting, that' From the Apostle.: times, there having been 'twee
orders of Ministers In Christ's Church, Bishops, Priest', sod Des.
coos • which offices ao man might presume to execute, except wt.
mined thereunto by lawful authority ; and, therefore, that no slut
shall be accounted or taken to be a found Btsboi,Priest, or Dees's:
that Is a • lawful Minister;" in the Church of England, or be rt.
fered to encode any of the said functions, except be bath bail Bpi*.
copal consecration, or ordination.
The precediug unrepealed law, concurs with the same Statute's
having recognised the Decree of the Council of Nice, in 1 acknow.
'edging one baptism for the remission of sins.' Neither general
nor particular power of ministerial remission of sins, has bora
committed to persons not episcopally ordained ; therefore, manse
precluded from' executing any of the said functiosis.'..
By a provincial constitution neither ' repugnant nor conttariam
to any other existing law of tie realm,' therefore obligatory by is
Hen. VIII. it is decreed, that • Quibus son ausiasinsicarais me
cornsinuliesessis denoted': . •

NAVIGATION OF Tilt SOUND.—The 10,509 vessels
Which sailed through the Sound in 1824 belonged to
diffeient nations in the following prop 'lions :--3,542
English, 2,080 Prussian, 1,304 Swedish, 756 Danish.
556 from Mecklenburg, 400 from the Low Countties,
371 Russian, 358. Hanoverian, 167 American, 115
from Lubeck, 33 from Bremen, 31 French, 90 from
Oldenburg, 29 from Hamburg, 11 from Norway, and
six from Portugal,
BAPTISM Rectsreas.—An action was lately raised
before the Sherif of Aberdeen, at the instance of the
keeper of a parish register for births and baptisms, and
of the kirk beadles, for ordinary dues of registration,
against certain persons who refused to register their
children's names. The pursuers maintained that this
claim was authorised by a decree of the Court of Ses-
sion, iso the case of the Session Clerk of Dunfermline.
against James Bayne and others, 26th June, 1765. The
defenders, on the ether hand, contended that the does
in question could only be demanded as a recompense
for trouble, and that as they did not choose to register
their children's names in the parish register, and had
not employed the pursuers in any way, the action was
untenable. The Sheriff decerned against the defendeti,
and found them liable in costs of sejt.
PORT OP LONDON.—The trade of London employe
about 3,500 ships, the cargoes entering the port being
annually bot less than 13,500. On an average, 1,100
ships are in the river at one time ; together with 3,419
barges and other small craft, employed in lading and
'Wading them; 2,288 barges-and other craft engaged
in the inland trade, and 3,000 wherries or small boat%
for passengers. To this active scene which the port of
London exhibits, are to be added about 8,000 water.
men actually employed in navigating the wherries and
craft, 4,000 labourers lading and unlading ships. and
1,200 revenue officers constantly doing duty on the
river, beside the crews of the several vessels. This
scene occupies a space of six miles on the Thames, from
two miles above to four miles below London Bridge
and Limehouse.

Some time ago, an incorrigible dram-drinking Km
of the excise called on a rerprctable disciple of Galen.
S:irling, to advise regarding a stomach complaint, with
which he was most grievously plagued. The learned
follower of the healing art had no diffsculty in ascertain.
ing that his patient's disease Lose from a sort of sym-
pathy that existed betwixt his stomach and tie 41 wale
o' Scotia's drink," which never permitted him to set
eyes on a glass of whisky without -feeling an irresis• ible
desire to take the most expedition method of gauging
its contents. The Doctor having accordingly lard he•
fore the poor gauger the present and future come-
, quences of bis tippling propensities, proceeded to make
up a box of pills, which he presented to him with in.
junctions to take a certain number of the pills three
times a-day, but on no account to indulge in his old
habit of dram-drinking. " To be sure," said the gauger
—at the same time laying down 'sixpence as the price
- but ye surely canna object to my taking a dram
*forehand to fortify my stomach, maybe another to
keep the pills down, and maybe a third to settle all:
The Doctor remonstrated, And told him it was neces-
sary be should completely forego the pleasures of
whisky-drinking to give the pills effect, 44 ye're sure
they'll no agree " said the gauger—.. I'm certain of
that responded the Doctor. .. Then I'll no lash myser
wi them—tak ye your pills and I'll talc my Wier, ' said
the gauger, at the same time pocketing his money and
walking off very deliberately.
Among other literary curiosities destroyed by fire in
the Bisilican library at Constantinople, was a manuscript of the
Iliad and Odyssey, written in letters of gold, upon a serpent's got,
120 feet in length.