The Sun. — 1869-01-02 (London, England)

OOO. Thus, while the population has quadrupled, the number of ministers of the Established Church has not le6n doubled, and their resources relatively to the wealth of the country have diminished more than one-half. Even these figures do not represent the actual diminution in the power of the Church over the population, owing to the altered distribution of the latter. Canon Blakesley thinks it unfortunate that the religious zeal which displayed itself some thirty years ago took the form of building churches and schools, rather than of providing for a more efficient pastoral agency. Owing to this, when the great demand for clerical assistance arose, it was necessary to ordain literates and others, who were not even partially independent of the emoluments of their profession. Whereas the Oxford graduates ordained in the decade from 1834 to 1843 were 2,076, and those from schools and colleges not belonging to any of the universities were 533, in the years from 1854 to 1863 the number of Oxford graduates was 1,771, and those from other colleges and schools and literates amounted to 1,403. The "Hertfordshire Incumbent" thinks that such facts plead strongly on behalf of the Curates' Augmentation Fund, since the change owes its origin to a noble attempt to overtake the spiritual destitution of the masses, and there are no other available means for meeting the difficulties of the case. The secretary of the Curates' Augmentation Fund wishes to make it more generally known that every claimant of a grant must have an income from a local source of at least £lOO a year —but of 700 applicants this rule excluded nearly 300, and it enables the society to confine its operations chiefly to those who work in town parishes, and who have no time to supplement their income by tuition or literary work. The secretary thinks that it would be sound policy to enable hardworking men with small private means to remain longer as curates, and not force them to take the first poorly-endowed living which offers ; and to encourage men of large private means, and those who add to their income by educational or literary work, to take the small livings. The difficulty found now in obtaining curates is attributed not so much to the actual diminution of the number taking holy orders, as to the increase in the number o clergymen who devote themselves to literary and educa'4onal work.  Inspector Odell informed the magistrate that the coroner's jury had returned a verdict of manslaughter against the prisoner. Mr. Barker said the case was adjourned for the purpose of calling the mother of the deceased, and to ascertain the result of the post-mortem examination. Mrs. Isabel Moir said she was the mother of the deceased. She had seen the prisoner about six weeks since take down the rifle in the presence of the deceased, and examine it. They were always on good terms together, and she had never heard him say anything against the deceased.  Mr. Dcnald was next called, and gave evidence as to the cause of death. A solicitor who appeared for the defence said that there was no evidence of malice in the whole case, and observed that the coroner's jury Lad returned a verdict of manslaughter.  Mr. Barker said that he saw no evidence of ill-feeling, and remarked that he supposed the prisoner would reserve his defence. He should commit on the charge of wilful murder.  Miss Sarah Parker Remond, after a regular course of study atthe Hospital St. Maria Nuovo, Florence, and successfully pasing the necessary examinations, has received a diploma for midwifery, and is commencing practice in that city.  We are authorised to state that the Turkish Government, on the representation of her Majesty's Ambassador at Constantinople, has decided that all Greek vessels which might be loading in Europe before the rupture of the relations between Turkey and Greece should be exceptionally allowed to enter the Ottoman ports to discharge their cargo.—Times.