The Forest of Dean Examiner : — 1875-06-18 (Blakeney, Gloucestershire, England)

THE •. PECULIAR PEOPLE."  The Times says that to advance arguments against the religious principles of the Peculiar People, or to demonstrate to them the unsafe and at the same time illogical character of their pun• clusiona of fact, might be no very difficult task, hut whether difficult or easy it would certainly be labour wasted. In matters of faith, such as these,argument, it most be felt, is singularly out of place, and it woe Id be simply absurd to rely upon it as likely to have the slightest influence with the erratic minds to which it would have to be addressed. The only possible course before us is to accept the Peculiar People as they are, and to determine the degree of recognition to which they are entitled, and the limits within which they may be compelled to change, not their opinions, but their actions. It may make some difference by and by whether society, speaking with the voice of Baron Pigott, tells such men as Downes and his coreligioniata thst they kpve a legal right to neglect their children, provi4ed only that they do so with ' a sincere faith, or whether, as it seems likely that it will do through the agency of Mr. Justice Black. burn, it sends them to prison as a mark of reprofor what it consider, their tatiOn, if not a Aefence upon which wilful folly. The lillff! ii. Peculiar fathers can retire ere, 6W_ r, so far strong that we cannot vehtule to disregard t pm They can insist on the undoubt:t'.‘ rights of afat over his own offspring, and they can appeal, further, to the principle of religious toleration to exempt them from penalties for the cousequen:es of a religious system which they have accepted from a conviction of its truth. 'They will thus touch .1 two-fold chord which always sounds sweetly in the ears of Englishmen. It is certain, however, that neither of the two rules can be adulated with. out limitation. A father's rights over his children have been already circumscribed by more than one law which is quite sufficient as a precedent. We need only instance the compulsory clauses of the Education Act, and, what -till more nearly covers the case before us, the duty which the law enjoins on every father to have his children vaccinated, and the penalty which it enforces for neglect. Again, though we may admit to the fullest that a man's religious belief is his own concern, and that be has an indefeasible right to be as foolish in it as he may please, yet for all that there are obvious limits to such folly when it has an injurious effect upon other human lives. The principle is most clear and undoubted that the law can insist upon such deeds being done, or such restrictions being submitted to, as it may judge it most expedient to enforce. The nation, speaking through the law it has sanctioned, is as much entitled to the luxury of a conscience as the Peculiar People, and we may take it that to treat disease by no other than supernatural remedies is, in the View of the national conscience, most undoubtedly criminal neglect, which the community will feel bound to punish. Whether the.neglect turn out fatal or not is a matter of mere accident. It seems hard, however, that this risk should be incurred where the victim must be wholly passive. The law which entrusts a father with the guardianship of his child, in return for the power which it thus bestows and ;nerds, insists upon corresponding duties.  jthr Moses Monteßore left for the Holy Land !am week.  The Dutch war despatch vessel Bromo put into Plymuuth last week to coal. _ .  The area of the mat docks is now 84 acres, and further extensions are in progress.  - Vice-Chancellor Hall last week granted an order for the winding-up of the Air Gaslight Company. The ceremony of uncoiling this bust of Mr. Chines tnight will be performed by Mr. Cl eorg,e Routledge. The Russian railway concession to Persia ha. lapsed through General Falkenhagan's failure to form a company.  The P7r, tam Ceara., states that a pension of X.,10 a year has been granted from her Majesty's Civil List to the widow of the Rev. Morris Williams (N wander). in recognition of his services to Welab literature.  At a public meeting," which was not well attended, held at Hanley a few days ago, a resolution was passed to the effect that it was desirable to remove the county analyst from his office, on the ground of incompetency." The meeting was chiefly composed of licensed victuallers. SUICIDE OF A WAR Orris CLEmr.—Mr. Carter, coroner, held an inquest a few days ago, at Lainoeth, on the body of Mr. John Geddes. aged 31, a clerk, who was employed at the War Office. Ile was seen to jump from Westminster Bridge into the river on the 30th ult., and his body was found floating near Lambeth Pier. lielost his wife in January. since which time Mrs. Stokes, with whom he lodged in Pentonville, thought he had not -een right in his mind. He had formed the acquaint. awn of a young woman, who was said to have threatened to procure his discharge from the War Office unless he married her. He was at her house the last night he was seen alive. The jury found that he had committed suicide while suffering from temporary insanity.