Pontypool Free Press and Herald of the Hills

A HARD CASE. In the Court of Queen's Bench, "ex parte Walker in a matter of the Mayor and Corporation of London," has been brought forward, and was an application which bad arisen out of the great burglary and robbery of watches andjewthy nt the shop of Mr. Walker, on Cornhill, in the night between Saturday, the 4th, and Monday, the 6th, f February, 1805. On that oceasioll 383 watches and a number of gold chains were stolen. The burglars were apprehended, triad, and convicted, and in the box of one of them 54 watches and chains were found, and in the box of another of them, named Casely, a sum of £2íO was found in rotes and money, which he stated was the produce of the robbery. On the 12th of April the burglars were tried and con- victed, and Mr. Walker applied to the Recorder for the restitution of the property and the money the proceeds of the property stolen. The Recorder, how- ever, declined to make the order, and referred the pro- secutor to the Treasury. The police, however, had handed over the money and the property to the city authorities, and to them the prosecutor accordingly addressed himself. In October, 1865, Mr. Walker petitioned the Lord Mayor, Aldermen, and Common Council, and was invited to attend ameetingof the Law, Parliamentary, and City Lands Committee, and he ac- cordingly attended but no conclusion was come to. Vari- ous other meetings and discussions had been held, but still no conclusion was come to until, at last, in 1867, the Court of Common Council cancelled the reference of the matter to the committee, and in the result Mr. Walker had received no part of his property. It ap- peared that the Corporation had actually been advised that, under certain ancient charters, giving them the right to felons' goods," they were entitled to retain the property of Mr. Walker, and this notwithstanding the enactments on the subject in favour of the right to restitution, ending with the very recent enactment in the statute 24th and 25th of Victoria, cap. 96, sec. 100. Sir J. D. Coleridge, Solicitor-General, now moved on behalf of Mr. Walker for a, writ of restitution directed to the Mayor and Corporation of London, directing them to return to him the property and pro- ceeds of the property of his which had been recovered from the burglars. There had been, he said, a long course of discussions and communications, which had led to no result—except this, indeed, that Mr. Walker could not get back his property. The Corporation had somehow been led to take up the strange notion that they were entitled to this property as felons' goods," although it had never ceased to be his, and the robbers had been prosecuted to conviction, so that by the common law and the statutes he was clearly entitled to it. The property had never become the property of the robbers it remained the property uf the true owner who had been robbed, and the recent statute contained an express provision on the subject that restitution should be made. The Court without any hesitation granted a rule nisi for writ of restitution.

ELECTION EXPENSES. The election accounts of Mr. Torrens, M.P., and Mr. Fowler, M.P., the sitting members for Cambridge, have just appeared they amount to £1,316. The unsuccessful Conservative candidates, Mr. Powell and Mr. Gorst, expended £1,878. Mr. Walpole, M.P., obtained unopposed re-election for the Lniversity of Cambridge for £54, and Mr. Beresford Hope, M.P., for £33. Lord Stanley's election at Lynn cost him £5, while the Hon. R. Bourke, M.P., who stood with him, expended £428. According to returns just issued, Mr. Young, the successful Liberal candidate for Helston, expended £[)26 HIs" and the Hon. T. C. Bruce, Conservative, £475198. Mr. Lopes, the Conservative member for Launces- ton, who was unopposed, got off for £161.. The expenses incurred by Mr. Magniac, the Liberal member for St. Ives, whose opponent, Mr. Paull, withdrew the day before the nomination, are stated to be £558. n The expeHse incurred by the different candidates in the late contest for the representation of Dundee was as follows Mr. Armitstead, £4,330; Sir John Ogilvy, £533; Mr. Guthrie, £4,022; Mr. Scott, .£õ17-tota.1 £9,402. The number of votes polled was 21,032. The abstract of the election expenses of Thirsk and Malton has been published. At Thirsk, Sir William Payne Gallwey, the successful Conservative candidate, spent £532 14s. 9d., against an expenditure by Mr. Harcourt Jolinstone of 9d. Of the latter sum, £422 is put down for agents' professional charges, against JE175 in the first case. At Malton, where there was no contest, Mr. Fitzwilliam spent JE103 4s. 2d. The total expenses of the Glocester election were 2,463 16s. 6d. The successful candidates expended— Mr. Price, £63a 17s., and Mr. Monk, 16s. 2d. total, £1,307 13s. 2d. and the unsuccessful candi- dates (Major Brennan and Mr. Lees) are returned at £1,156 3s. 4d. At Leeds the expenses of Mr. Baines and Mr. Carter, the associated Liberal candidates, amount to £932 17s. 3id. These expenses have been entirely met by their supporters, and 50 per cent. of the larger subscriptions which had been promised it is not ne- cessary to collect. The expenses of the Conservative candidates, Mr. Wheelhouse and the Hon. A. Duncombe, appear to have been £1,%9 Is. 5d. Sir A. Fairbairn, the un- successful Liberal candidate, appears to have been at an expense of £L949 5s. 6d. The statements of the expenditure of the two candi- dates for Hartlepool have been published. Those of the Liberal candidate, Mr. Thomas Richardson, being 14s. Ud., and those of the sitting member, Mr. Ralph Ward Jackson, M.P.. reach 8s. 4d. Lord George Hamilton's expenses in contesting Middlesex amounted to £9,285 2s. 3d.- £356 of which, however, is disputed. The accounts of the several agents of the sixteen polling places exceed £4,891, irrespective of JE420 under the head of "agents and printing and advertising figures for £1,5U"14s. 6d. Dr. Lush's election for the city of Salisbury cost him £280 6s. 6d., and Mr. Hamilton's expenditure amounted to £418 0s. lOd. Mr. Granville Richard Ryder's outlay exceeded that of either of the success- ful candidates, the total being returned at £;)81 18s. 6d. The expenses of Mr. Dodson and Lord Edward Cavendish, the Liberal candidates at the East Sussex election, where the former was successful and the latter unsuccessful, are returned at £R,868 8s. 2d. The unopposed return of Colonel Barttelot for West Sussex cost him £182 6s. 2d.; and of the Hon. H. Wyndham, for the same constituency, £160 lis. 9d. At Hertford, according to the returns just issued, Mr. Dimsdale, M.P., expended £41816s., and Mr. Gibbs, the unsuccessful candidate, £188 16s. 7d. In the new borough of W ednesbury the expenses of Mr. Brogden, the successful candidate, are returned at £4,625, exclusive of agency costs, which are not yet made up. Mr. Walker's expenses (one of the un- successful candidates) are returned at £6,480, of which £4,273 is for professional and other agents. At Walsall Mr. Charles Foster's expenses were £149. At Dudley Mr. Sheridan expended £335. At Lichfield Colonel Dyott's disbursements amounted to £2,617, exclusive of the returning officer's charges. Major Anson's expenses are returned at £540. At Coventry Messrs. Eaton and HiU expended £1,412, which includes ,t:G13 for "hire of rooms." Messrs. Carter and Jackson expended £1,141. A Liverpool paper says that the expenses of the Right Hon. W. Massey and Mr. William Rathbone at the late election for that borough will amount to between £5,000 and £6,000, and that the expenses of Mr. Gladstone and Mr. Grenfell, in South-west Lancashire, will reach £11,500.

A KNOTTY POINT:! In the Equity Court in London, last week, a curious point of law was raised in the suit of Charlton v. the Earl of Durham," which disclosed some remarkable circumstances, showing the responsibility and power of executors. Under the will of a testator, Thomas Glaholm, who died in January, 1849, his five children became entitled to his residuary estate in equal shares. By this will two executors were appointed, named Charlton and Wilson, and the will gave permission to the executors to continue any portion of the residuary estate on the then existing securities. Part of the estate consisted of a debt for £5.000 at 4 per cent. interest, secured by the bond of certain persons who were trustees for the Earl of Durham. On the 5th of September, 1849, Lord Durham attained twenty-one, and being desirous of relieving his trustees of their responsibility, he offered, in the course of the Rame year, to exchange for the existing bond a new bond, in which he himself would become bound to Charlton and Wilson. This offer was accepted and a new bond for £.),000 was executed by Lord Durham in exchange for the old. In this instrument (which was deposited at a bank of which Wilson was the cashier) Charlton and Wilson, the obligees, were described as executors of Glaholm. Interest was regularly paid to Wilson, who gave receipts for himself and his co-executor; and on the 26th of February, 1859, one moiety of the £5,000 was paid off. In 1862, Lord Durham, through his agent Morton, was induced to pay off the remain- ing £2,500 of the debt, on a receipt purporting to be the receipt of Charlton and W ilson both, but which, in fact, was a forgery by Wilson, so far as Charlton's name was concerned. Wilson had appropriated the money and is now undergoing penal servitude for the crime. Upon the occasion of this payment, the bond was cancelled. This bill was filed by Charlton and the beneficiaries under the will, to obtain payment of the £2,500 over again from Lord Durham. The plaintiffs' contention was that they were not to suffer through the fraud which, through negligence had been practised upon Lord Durham's :14ent; and, moreover, that Lord Durham, through his agent, was fixed with notice of the trusts of the monej inasmuch as the solicitor employed to draw up the new bond was the solicitor of the executors under the wilL They argued also that a receipt by one of two trustees, though a good discharj, i law, would not in equity release the party paying for a claim by the other trustee, he not having authorised the pavment The aefence was that these persons were not trustees, but executors, and that the receipt by one was sufficient to bind both; alA,) that, it being un,1jsputed that the bond was discharged at law, there was no circum- stance in the case upon which to fatmd an application for the interference of the Court of Chancery. The case had been argued three successive days, < and, in giving judgment, I The Vice-Chancellor observed that he scarcely knew J what to say to the argument that the Earl of Durham had not been discharged by this payment. The money had reached the hand of the party entitled to receive it, and legal discharge had been given, and the bond had been cancelled. But it was said that Lord Dur- ham was fixed with notice of the trusts of the will. His Honour was not disposed to hold for the first time that the obligor of a money bond, who goes to the solicitor of the obligees and pays that solicitor his charges for filling up the bond, was fixed with notice of the trusts of the mcney. But here it so hap- pened that the bond had been given before the will was proved and the money was not resid- uary estate at that time. Then it was further said that the substitution by the executors of this for the original bond was not a proper investment of the testator's estate, and was a breach of trust. It was certainly possible that if an executor took the bond of one in substitution for the bond of two, and a loss ensued, he might be liable for a devastavit, but it could scarcely be a breach of trust. This court had in many instances gone to the verge of justice, and the verge of its jurisdiction, in helping cestuis que trust against trustees who had honestly dealt with the trust funds, and his Honour certainly was not disposed to extend this doctrine one atom beyond what the Court of Appeal rendered binding and incumbent on him. His Honour thought that the earl had been fully dis- charged both in a court of law and in this court; and the bill must be dismissed and with costs; as no ground could be discovered for departing from the general rule.

The operation of the Factory Act is strongly resisted at Exeter. In four cases penalties of £2 and upwards have been imposed. One f the defendants produced the indenture of the lad whom he had kept employed beyond the specified hour on Saturday-two o'clock. This he did to show that the indenture stipulated for a certain number of hours' work, which had not been exceeded. The magistrates, however, paid no attention to the indenture, remarking that it had been superseded by the Factory Act. Jhe defendant had only one apprentice in his employ, and he contended it was to the lad's benefit to be employed in the evenings. A complaint against the right of the inspector to remain what time lie likes in the factories has been sent to the Home Secretary. The Home Secretary was elected on Monday with- out opposition for Renfrewshire. The right lion, gentleman, in returning thanks, after replying to the objection that he was not a pure Scotchman, dealt with several questions of imperial importance. lie particularly referred to the Irish Church controversy, and to education, and expressed a hope that when the public expected a great deal from the different heads of departments, patience would be exercised. if the present cabinet remained in office a few years, its members would have the satisfaction of knowing that the country was then in a much better condition than when they came into power.—[It is a curious fact, that by the Reform Act of 1868 seven seats were transferred from England to Scotland and that Mr. Bruce is the seventh Englishman who has been elected by the Scottish constituencies to the new Parlia- inent.j

THE MARKETS. MARK-LA N E. —M 0NDAY. The demand for most kinds of produce continued inactive to day, but as regards prices the market was firmer. From Essex and Kent the receipts of wheat were limited; but the quality of the produce was rather better Factors were firm in their demands, and both red and white parcels were held at an advance of from Is. to 2s. per qr. Very few trans. actions, however, took place. Fair suppl es of foreign wheat were on sale. The business doing was restricted, but the quota- tions asked were Is. per qr. higher than on Monday last. Float- ing cargoes of wheat were dealt in to a moderate extent, at full quotations. Other articles afloat were rather quiet! With barley the market was moderately supplied. The de- mand was inactive, at previous quotations. Malt was dull on former terms. For oats there was an improved inquiry, and good sound corn was quite as dear. The show was small. Beans were in limited request, at late rates. In consequence of the large arrival of Canadian, white Peas were Is. l,er quarter lower, and other sorts were drooping in value. The flour trade was quiet, at about stationary prices. Linseed and rapeseed were tirm. Agricultural seeds were steady in price. Cakes moved off slowly. METROPOLITAN CATTLE MARKET.—MONDAY. There was a heavy arrival of foreign beasts, many uf them being of second-rate quality. Trade ruled quiet, a;id prices* on the whole, were rather easier. From our own grazing districts about an average number of beasts came forward, and we noticed some excellent arrivals on the stands. Trade was rather less active than on Monday last, and that day's quotations were with difficulty sup- ported. The top price for best Scots and crosses was 53. 4d. to 5s. Oil per From Norfolk, Suffolk, Essex, and Cambridgsliire, we received about 930 Scots, itc. from other parts of England, ^60 of various breeds from Scotland, 310 Scots and crosses: and from Ireland, about 340 oxen, &c. The number of sheep in the pcns wa, ratht r short, but the animals generally were in good condition. The demand was steady for all breeds, and really choice half-breds and Southdowns realised an occa- sional advance of 2d. per 81b., the highest quotation being 5s. Gll. to 5s. Sd. per 8b). The calf trade was steady, and prime small animals changed ha uls at full currencies. In the valne ef pigs no alteration took place, but the demand was not active HOPS. No change of importance has taken place in the markets. Fine parcels are scarce, and for such full prices are paid. Medium qualities have been purchased to a fair extent, but other descriptionshavemovedoff slowly. Midand East Kcnts. 21. 10s. to 7i 15s. Weald of Kents, 11. 0s. to 41. Ids. Sussex 21. Os. to 41. os. Farnhams, 41. Os. to 51. 15s Country, 41. 0s to bl. 0s. Bavairans, 21. 10s to il. 5s. Belgians, 21. Os. to 31. Os. Yearlings, 3i. Os. te 41. Os. WOOI. Colonial wool has been in moderate request, at previous quo tations. As regards English wool, fine qualities have met a fair sale, at full currencies; otherwise the market has been rather quiet. Current prices of English wool :— fleeces. Southaowm hoggets, L'. 30. to Is. 4d. half-breds, Is 4d. to Is. bid.; Kent fleecci. Is. 4 d. to Is. bid. Southdown ewes and wethers. Is. 21d to Is. 3jd. Leicester ditto, Is. 3d. to Is. 3!d per lb. Sorts.-Clotliing, la. 2d. to Is. 7d. comb- ing, Is. Od. to Is. 6Jd. per lb. TOTATOES. The supplies of potatoes on sale at these markets are large and more than equal to the demand. Business in all descrip- tions has been restricted, at about late rates. English Regents, 60s. to 130s. Flukes, 80s. to 150s. Scotch Regents, (jOs. to 130s. Rocks, Os. o 80s. French, 40s. to 80s per ton.

think the "young men ol the day" are truly proving their 8elfjs!lIIess by endeavouring to throw all the blame of their shortcomings upon the shoulders of the fair sex. Xow lam quite positive the preent social evil did not originate with the girls; and it is not fair to expect them to reform man of the dy." I am one of sevell sisters, none of whom tolerate thc style of dre5s adopted by "the girls of the period consequently our brother's friends put us down as awfully slow," ami ill company we are neglected for the gaudily-dresse 1 and fast young ladies, who, as "Joe" says, "have something in them." Let thø "young men of the day" cease to give all their attention to "girls of the pe iod," alld seek the society of the quiet, lady-like Y0ung women. and very soon the absurdities of costume complained of in seulUtional young ladies will die a natural death but reforlllmust he die gentlemen's work. Let the chivalry of ancililit days again see the light, tben would the" men of the day" soon dicover that, notwithstanding some of onr sex have fallen into error, there are plenty of sell sible, well-edu- cated. and amiable girls quite willing to change their names, and make a home comfortable upon £ 150 or £ 200 per amlum -1 am, Bir, yours truly, INCOGNITA.

It always has been, and probably will be a vexed question whethu one generation is worse than the one that has gone before. Amungst other things, dress always comes in for a large share of ridicule. To-day the clinging dresses of girls are abused for allowing too much to be gues8ed at. Five years ago hoops were cundemned for leaving IlOthing to be guessed at. To-day, men are abused for wearing tight troupers; five years ao, they were charged with assimilating their dress to women by wearing loose ones. The real cause of the rise of so. called girls and men of the period" is probably to be lound in the fact that whilst the pries of provisions, clothes, und every necessary of life has increaseù to a frightful extent, there is no correspondllllg increase in the salanes of tmplojSs. Young men, therefore, ftuding there 18 no chance of marrying, eek fer cOlJsolation in d18:pàtion Young women, fro 11 the same cause, go much the same road. The remedy is partly to be found ill the hauds of employers. If they lucre ised th" salaries of clerks in the same pruportion l1uL their own incomes illcl ease, the evil, 1\'ith one portion of the community at least, would die a natural death For the other portion, the remedy remains yet to be fuund. I 11111, Sir, yours truly, AMICUií1 PLATO, SED MAGIS VKRIT.A.iI.

The Times says the question has arr3en whether by the death of the Duke of Brabant, Belgium is not threatened with an eventual v >c incy of the throne and whether this event will Lot greatly favour those designs of annexation which France ha, long been suspected "f entertaining. Nay, political conjevture has travelled so far as to discuss the rumour of a projected matrimonial alliance between the Prince Imperial uf France and the Princess Royal of Belgium -between a boy of twelve and a girl of ten years of age- as bearing on the possible realisation of plaus which the lapse of years may develop. We ought to dismiss such silly reports as the mere dreams of diseased brains Could eyen the extinction of the Coburg line be confi- dently speculated' upon, it should lie borne in mind that BeJgiulU is a constitutional kingdom, and if it is evtr to be absorbed it must be either with its own C"I1sent or by a dee d of open violence, th chances of which should not enter into the calculatiolls of a legal aud peace- ful policy As to the disposition of the Belgian people with respect to France, 1:0 shadow of doubt can be entertained. From the manufacturer most earnestly bellt on profits, froll1 the eltramontine Catholic most abjectly submissive to the priestly yoke, as well as from the patriot most jealous of his COIlBtitUtional liberties, the same generous cry has gone forth —" We are and we wish to remain Belgians."

DISSOLUTION OF A VOLUNTEER BRIGADE. That which has been continually predicted would lw the result unless the Government came to the aid of the volunteer service by an increase of the Capitation grant, bas been realised, and has resulted ill the dis- solution of one of the finest brigades of volunteer artillery in the kingdom, the 4th Lncashire Artillery. This has occurred simply from the want of means to carryon the affairs of the brigade and it is to be also regretted that it is only one of many regiments in tbe service that are oil the eve of breaking up from a similar circumstance. In the circular which Colonel Bourne and Lieut. -Colonel 13ushby, Majors Walter and Hornby, and the other commissioned officers, have issued to the non-commissioned officers and gilnners of the brigade, it is stated that more than nine year have elapsed since its embodiment, the earliest enrolled comple, e volunteer artillery force in the kingdom. During its existence over 2,400 members had passed t.rou6h its ranks at an expeuditure of nearly £ 18,000, irrespective and non-inclusive of the outlay of in- àividulil officers attached to the eight batteries. They proceed to Hay the officers now remaining in the brigdode feel the need of relief from the unremitting duiies required of them. The changed aspect of the move- ment, and the inadequacy of Government aid Combine to .deter others from assuming thelie duties and re- spomibilit:e! r nder these circumstances th.jr duty to the members and th.msdveflleft tf.e!JI 110 alternative but to place their commisbions in the hands of the Lord-Lieutenant as early as may be demed desirable. This declaration, as stated, is signed by the colonel awl t verity other commissioned officers. The subject has again called forth an expression of opinion from Lo.d Elcho, upon a point or two on which be appears to have been misunderstood when he attendEld with the deputation uf metropolitan com- manùing officers before Mr. Cardwell. Lord Elcho expressed his belief that he distinctly asked Mr. Cardwell whether he wished the volunteer force to be maintained, and, if so, whether he thought it right, that volunteers, privates and officers, iihould be caled upon to pay money out of their pockets as well as pve their time and service to the State; receiving a reply in the affirmative to the first, and in the negative Do the second, he remarked tbat the question was now reduced to the narrowest possible issue, to a simple matter of fact-which of two opinions was correct, that of the metropolitan and other commanding officers, who, after full inquiry, had come publicly forward, and in their corporate capacity made a deliberate statement as to the inliufficieney uf the present Capita- tion grant to cover the necessary expenses of volul1te"r corps, ur the contrary opin:on entertained by certain privatft person8, ulJknown to volunteer commanders, whom the Secretary of State said he had consulted. Lord Elcho adds, in justice to the force, in justice to thosr: who had ventured to publicly speak in it name, he the present Secretary of State, as he had on afoiiner occMion urged Sir John Pakington, to in- stitute such an inquiry as would authoritatively settle this disputed point. The noble lord further expresses a hope that not only members of the volunteer fnrce, but also the public, will urge this inquiry, as until it has been definitively determined, by full and tair In- quiry, whether the present Capitation gral1t itS or is not. sufficient to cover neeetsary expenses, neither the Secretary of State for War, nor Parliament, nor the nation, is in a position to say whether a request for an increased gram ought or ought not to be refused. Altb0Uglt the Government has repudiated the neces- øity for an increastd Capitation grant, it is believed thM with a parliamentary force of just one hundred volunt4ieT officers t h < ■ v may be iuduced to alter their decision. In the meantime there is the practical evi- dence of the necessity of the increased Capitation grant in the case of th 4th Lancashire, anil our belief Íf, that before many days have pased away there will be othE}rs. It is simply a quescion of whether it is worth while to maintain the force or not, for unless poor corps are self-supporting there is 110 means of maintaining them, and they must go to the wall.

"THE YOUNG MAN OF THE DAY." The following letters, amongst many others which have been sent to the Daily Telegraph, show how diversified are the ideas as to the cause of the follies persisted in by the Young l'vlan of tl1e Day": The young m'ln of the day" is, in my o1>inioB, the natu- ral effect I,f various causes, the. priucipal of which I, poverty. What l mean by thi5 is, that almost everybody living ii, a style above their mean;, IItl every plnny of their incumes being engaged in this kClpiug up appearances, they are really and pradically poor. Take a hay fresh from whoal, whenl he has learned just enough of what" fast life" meal's to make it alluring to him. He comes home to his fami1\ and what, in four case out of live, does he 111111 there? A family making the greatest possible appearance, doing their utmost to make everY/Jody believe theÍ1' inoowe is much larger tnan it really is. Of course, the money spent in thus keeping up appearancls must be savell 8'. mc- huw, and consequently the inner, thi Jomestic life of the family is not a comfortable oue. Tile young fellow looks upun married life as a continual struggle against poverty, and, there hemg no amusemuIts at homc, when he gets a situation hc provides them fur himself and doing his hest to keep up with his cumpanions becomes the" selfish young man of the day." Therefore, 1 should say that, if parents kved withiu their incomes, and devoted more of their time and money to the amusement and instl111tion of their home circle, they would do a irreat deal towards free- ing society from the arrogant, low-minded, and vicious "young men of the day.I am, Sir, yours, &c., GEORGIUS.

Although 1 certainly do not spend such a disproportionate sum on frivolous alllU<5emellts a-* "Tom" appears to do, yet 1 smoke moderately, go to music halls occasionally, and play hilliards now and then yet for all that 1 do not think that 1 or other" young men of the day," as a body, are any worse than the young men of fifty years ago-In what are so often quoted as the good old times. 1 do not think that the music- hallsongs of the present day, stupid though they may he, are any worse than the questionahle and often abominable songs that were the" correct thing" at the" free-and-easies of a generarioll or two hack; I hardly think that the present universd habit of smoiing is s, pernicious as the excesive drinking which used to lJe the fashion and, with regard to the character of the women who frequent our mdern music- halk; allll casinos, I suppose they are pretty much the same as those whü frequented the gin palaces, gardens, ann., in many cases, the theatres ■ f the old time while one great source of evil-the gambling table-wllich used to exist is now entirely done away with. Therefore I think it is hardly fair to look upon the modern young man as he degenerate being that some of your correspondents try to make him out. His disinclination to marry is, in my opinion, more the fault of the ladies themselves than his own, because, while in times gone by a wife was a real help to a man; and, 1rom her knowleclge of domestic matters, one whl) could make a home comfortable, in our time the "girl of the period" is 811 totally useless allll so extravagant that a wife is now more a source of expense than anything else, and not to be thought of by a man with a limited income. -1 am, Sir, yours, &c- PROGRESS.

DEATH OF THE PRINCE ROYAL OF BELGIUM. On Thursday night in last week death robbed the Royal House of lldgium of a beloved son, and pros pec- tive King, and as the frequent interchanges of friend- ship base made us so friendly with the chlvalrou and lJn1ve Belgians, the following reference to this recent, but 8ad visitation, by a London correspondent, will not be uninteresting to our readers :— After a long and lingering agony, home by the little sufferer with a more thau child-lJke fortitude and patience, wl1ieh might have consoled, if it had not sharpened, the grief uf the fond and devoted watchers through the weary huul's of scarcely interrupted anguish, the Prince Leopuld of Belgium, heirappaient to the Crown, was at length re eased from his sufferings by the mercy of Heaven on Thursday night. Endeared to all by hs happy and geutle dispo- sition, his prett manuel's during tue few first years of hi3 opening ehI1dhood, and still more endeared dur- ing his wasting and protracted sickness by the sweet- ness of a nature doomed to fade 111 its blos80m, the untimely death of this royal boy will fall heavily on the hearts and hopes alike of his illustrious parelJts and of a Ie. val aud affectiouate nation. That nual house has been sorely tried of late; oy death, and by afflictions worse than d, ath. Yet no royal house has ever. according to human judgments, better deserved the happiness of thi orld. :l1ch is the mystery of our mortal lllstiuies; such )8 the 1,JiudneGs of our mortal expectations; such, and so false perhaps, is our human estimate of the severities of late and the beneficence of the Supreme Disposer Long as this calamity l1ad been foreseen few and faint as weiethe momentary gleams of hope which the physicians rather permitted Hum indulged, the blow 5;uikes, <11; al such blows do strike the nearest and thc dearest, suddenly at last. All Enrope will unite in heartfelt sympathy with the bereaved parents and the SPlTowing people. Happily for Begiull1 this bereavement will he felt by all the sulJjects of 1.e"p"ld IL as a private and personal grief en;ulIIore than a pH "hc and national loss. Thanks o the foresighted and unfailing wisdom of the founder of the dynasty, and of the freest and most prosper- ous State on the COItillent of Europe, the Belgian throne rests upon foundations oo. broad and too permanent to be shaken by any personal incident, however melancholy and calamitous in itself. Tho Belgian people are in full pos- session of all the securities of a constitutiuual monarchy and a parliamentary government. The free institutions with which the counry is endowed are inaccessible to the vicissi- tudes, chances, and chaRges. which overtake and sometimes overwhelm autocracies. Vet, it cannot be disguised, te loss of thi51 young Prince, III hj tenth year, IS something more than a personal calamity to the royal house and to the Belgian nation. His diath 1eaves no male heir in the direct linc, and as yet no male heir in the collateral line. of the royal succession. Ac- cor dn to the constitution, in defult of rnae heirs in the direct line, the successiun to the preseJlt King would devolve upon his brother, the Comte de Flandres, and to his male issue in the order uf primogei iture. It is to be regretted that the uccesiiion is limited to the male line: the mo- 1JardJical priucivl i at least as safe ill the hands of It Queen as oi a King iu 110 constitutional cc)u<>,rr where the "TeaL principls ut ministerial responsibility, signified by th maxim "The King can dt) no wrong," is so well understood a:,d so eonseienLiuusJy lliaiutaimd as ill Belgium. There 'is nothing ill this I:) iaiichely event that should warrant any fear lor the future ot the ll.1tiQllal indepeutlcnce dthe kingdom. That is in the keeping of the Belgian eople, a1tè We believe tliey have learnt to value it too wall to w,ve-it up without a struggle worthy of their ancestors. { Tiie present Kmperor of tht, French has always prufefsed j the most sincere and cordial respect for the lleutrahty of J Belgium and for thp. solemn treaties which assure it He j has Ülvriably treated the royal family of Belgium with ¡ marked respect and the most friendly regards The first King Leopold helieved in the Emperor's goodwill towards his house and kit glom, while he contemplated WIth r<1&on- "ble apprehension the eontingellcies of a general war LIberal France has good reason to care for the independence o a State in whieh it has so often fouud a refuge from proscrip- tion, and a second COMntry for the martyrs and confessors of liberty.

The Indpe1!dance Eelge, a fler giving don account of the prince royal's death, says ;— During the last three days the Queen never quitted the beuside flf her son, nor eyeIl changed her clothes. When the final act was over, and there was 110 fur, her room to doubt the ternble reality the King threw himself into an arm chair and gave vent to the most heartrending grief. The medical attendants gathered round him and insbtcd on his Majesty being immediately helped to bed. As to the QuelI, we dare not intrude on the sacred character of her grief by any attempt at descrIption in words. The young princesses, sisters of the deceased, were iaken in the mornillg from Laeken to the palace of Brusse's, where they are to reside provisionally. In the capital all the thatres closed their doors, and the concert of the Conservatoire, advertised for Sunday, was indefinitely postponed. Even the performance at Hie \lonnaie in aid of th French Benevolent Soeietv was put nlf: Fune/al chimes were toned from all the churches at an early hour on Friday morning, and the craft moored in the hasin of the port lowered theIr fiags half. mast high, in sign of mourning.

11Je Belgian papers are filled with sad little souvenirs of the dead Prince, which bear.testullony to a sweet anti patient nature in the sufferer. On Journal-after stating that for many days the Joyal boy: had known his end to he approach- ing-gives an instance In which he corrected olle of his docturs for expressing hope, and remarkeil, I ani sure that I am going to die." On ew Year's-day the young patient I beckoned his father, the Kmg, to lum, and asked fur" ever so much money-six thousand francs." "What do you want it for, my boy ?" the King asked. I want it," wa3 the reply, "to divide between the two kind sisters who have nursed me like angels."

The King and Queen of the Belgians llave no other issue thau two princesses, une about eleven years of age and the other a child of four. The kmg is 33 years old, aud has been married 17 years to his royal consort, an Austrian archduchess nearly of his own age. As thp. Belgian crown is tralJsmitted in accordance with the Salic law, the heir apparent is the king's own brother, tile Count of Flanders, now in fils 32nd year, who has only beel married twenty-one months, and who has as yet 110 offspring.

The funeral of the Prince Royal took place on Monday morning. The Killg aud the Count of Flanders were presellt at the solemn ceremony. There wa au immense COUCOUlse of spectators, who 6vÍt,ced the deepest sympathy and sorrow The funeral service wai perfoimed by the ArchblslJOp of Maline3.

THE BISHOP OF CARLISLE ON RITU ALISM. The Bishop of Carlisle has addres3ed a letter to the Archdeacon of Westmoreland upon the course to be pursued by the clergy in consequence t.f th decision of the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council in the St. Alban's case. ilis Lordship says ;— In the first place let me say how important it is that all the clergy should rememher that they are Illelllhers of a corporate body, and that, therefore, It IS not morally competent for every man, independently and of his own mere motion to" do tHat whid; is right in hi8 own eyes" Tiley should lso re- collect that tile body of which they are thus members is episcopal in its constitution, awl that, accordingly, the in- strnetions of the Prayer-book explicitly prescribe cunsultation with the Bishop in cases of perplexity with regard to ritual. In the second place, let me remind my brethren that all the points upon which their anxieties may he roused are within the scope of the Ritual Commission; and that 'hat Commission is doubtless devoting its attention to buch "f them as have not already been the subject of report, and may be expected hefore long to complete lIS work by report- ing upon theUl also. tíurr ly, even if all these questions were now as open as some would seem to think, it i3 a matter of wisdom to wait till the Ritual Commission has so spoken, and authoritative action has been taken thereon, adhering stili to that practice of 300 year8 which has hitherto, on the principle mog pro lege," been the rule of the Church. And there is the more reason for thl8, because, thirdly, though it i8 boldly assumed and eagerly urged. that the recent judgment renders the wearing of the mediaeval Test- ments obligatory, it is by lIO means clear that such is the case, The opinion originally given by ir Hugh Cairns (the late Lord Chancellor), Sir Roundell Palmer and the present Mr. Justice Hannen is as distinctly adverse to the use of the vestments as it is to that of the uther ceremonies or orna- ments now condemned. That opinion has not, it is true, as yet been tested in this particular by a legal suit. This, how- ever, T hear, is now to be done. Meanwhile, it is as well to act upun the presumption that in this respect also it will st and, awl qu¡:da, nO/1 movere. Nor should it be forgotten that tile Ritual Commission, in its first report, pronounced 11nfav"uraIJly to the use of the sacrificial vestments, as in ,ts second report it did with reference to the ceremonies and ornaments pronounced illegal by the late judgment. Such are the counsels which I would, as the expr8ssion of my sympathy wittl any brethren who may be in 1)erplexit suggest on the present occasion. lie that believelh shall not make haste." Meanwhile let. nq earnestly pray tliitu wisdom and courage be given to the Chnrch's rulers in Uli, hour of our Church's great need; allll also' that" die spil it, not of fear, but of power, and of love, amI or a sound millÜ may be bestowed upon all our Church's ministers, that so, in patience possessillg our suuls, we all may, according to this week's beautiiul collect, both perceive and" know hat things we ought to do, and also lllay have grace and power faithfully to fulfil the same, through Jesus Chnst, our Lord."

THE NORWICH MURDER. William Sheward, the man charged on his own con- fession with the murder of his lirst wife, Martha Sheward, at Norwich, in 1851, was again brought up for ex aminatioll on Monday. Mr. Mendham, town clerk, again appeared for the prose cution, anÜ Mr. Stanley, solicitor, for the prisoner. Mrs. Hannah 11 urn deposed-I am a widow, and live at Wymondham, Norfolk. I do not know the prisoner Sheward. He married my sister, whose mmden name was Martha Francis. I never visited them in Norwich but once, when I wellt to ste my .is,cr in St. Giles's; tnat as tenty years ago. A relatiun of mille named Fisher died sixteen years since. She left our family some money. I canno ay how much. I got my share from Mr. (ann, a solicitor, of Wymondham. Mr. Cann has since died The prisoner, Sheward, never came to me to make inquiries about my sister, nor did he ever write to me. I do not know what be- came of my sister's share of the legacy. I never heard that it was paid to her. Cross-ex<illlined.-I and the prisoner never troubled each other. John Francis, deposed—1 am now an inmate of the Nor- wich workhouse. I know the prisoner, Sheward he married my sister Martha Francis, about 17 or 18 years ago. I lived at Lynn, nll used to get my living by selling fish. About 16 years ago an aunt of mine nmed Fisher died; she was my mother's sister. I did not see the prisoner or his wife at that tilte. Sheward never applied to me to know where my sister was I went some time after my aunt's death to Sheward's house. 1 went in consequence of something which my sister, the late Mrs. Nunn, said to me. Isaw Sheward and told him, Mr. CaHIl, the solicitor, will settle with us to- morrow, if my sister will come." This referred to my slster's legacy. Sheward told me he would tell hi, wife abollt it wheIi he saw hcr, Sheward did not tell me then that his wife had left him. I did not know anything about her having left him. I was not living at Norwieh at the time. Mrs. Rachel Fox, a widow, IItated-I live ill Alexander- road, Heigham. I am a daughter of Irs. Hewitt, who was examined hire the other day, and nie e of the prisoner's first wife. I usited them when they lived In St. Giles's, but not afterwards. I afterwards saw Sheward in King-street. His present wife was living with him there. It must be thirteen years ago, if not more. I have been ther several timts since I lost my husband not II. great deal before. My husband died bit February. Sheward has never asked me questions ahout his first wife, my aunt. I asked hi1l1 a ques- tion abuut her in Kme-street, about three years ago, I asked him if he could till m anything about my aunt. I cannot recollect what answer he made to me. Cross-examined —1 as'ced him the question late in the evening when we welt: at supper. The present Mrs. Sheward was in the room at ti e time. I asked Mrs. Sheward if she was the person who went to the pawnbroker's shop in St Giles's. Mrs. hewanl said, Neve? in my life." This was all m the hearlllg of the prisoner. I never said that my aunt was a mucky wench. The prisoner never told me not to speak disrespectfully of my aunt. Thomas Alfred Francis, of Thorpe St. Andrew, deposed- My tather was brother to the prisoner's first wife. I know Sheward, the prisoner. My mother died in the latter end uf November, 1851. On tàat occasion I saw Sheward in a clothes shop, opposite St. Clement's Church. I told him my mother was dead, and I wished him, if he thought proper, to come to the funeral. He said it did not suit him I aslied him if my aunt could come, and he told me he was surp she could not. I did not know at the time that it was said that she had left him. He did not tell me she had left him. Ire- neml,¡er Mrs. Fisher's death. Sheward never applied tn me about his wife, or to my father, to my knowledge, about his wife. William Bank, a labourer, of Wymondham, Norfolk, stated-I know the prisoner Sheward. I married his first wife's twin-sister, Mary Francis. His first wife's maiden name was Martha Francis. The twins were born March 29, 1797, and were baptised March 10, 1797, as appears by a cer- titlcate from the vicar of Wymondham, now produced. I lived after my marriage at Wymondham, and subsequently in St. James, Noiwich. When, the pisolJer and his first wife came to Norwich from Greenwich they came to my house in St. Jumes's. 1 he prisoner nHiTied his fir3t wife at Grtenwich Oct. 2S, 1836 as appears by a certifteate produced. They stayed at my house in St. James'- a!lOut.a quarter of a year. After that they lived in Ber-street, White Lion-street, arlll t. Giles's, Norwich. My wife awl Mrs. Sh> ward lere Tery fond of one another. After the prisoner and his wife. had left St Giles s, I and my wife came to NOlwich as my wife eould llot rst. We. went, to p. huuse in St. Martin's Palace-plain, oppo- site the Bishop s-wall. My wife went into the house to see her sister, Mrs. Sheward; she was in the house a couple of hours. I did not go into the house. We cme t,) Norwich agam after this, nd went to Sheward's house ill Iv i 1 'street I came io Norwleh because my wife could not re*t. I saw I Sheward, audi and my wife were talking with him some time lIllus house. I did not hear what my wife saill to him, I but I told Inm that e had come on pnrpvse to know what had become of Mrs. Sheward, and what Were the last words she said to him. He said he walked with her to the railway train, and said to her, If you won't write to me, you'll write to some of your sisters. He also said that she said in answer to him, "No; never. When we weN at dinner afterwards his hand trembled very much, and he could not cut me a piece of meat; he had mnted us to dinner. I said to my wife" Dear me, whats the matter wIth Mr. Sheward? he can't cut a piece of meat, his hand haes so." Sheward never applied to me or my wife about his wife. Mrs. Sheward lived in London before she married and was III the habit of sending my wife some of her left off clothes, w ich fitted mv wife excellently. Mrs. Sheward's shoes also fitted my wife's feet, whieh were very small. C;'oss-exam1ned.- When I came from Wymondham with my wife we had nt heard from lrs. heward, or from Mr. Sheward either. My wife had heard from somebody that heward and his" He had parted. It was in consequence of this that I asked Sheward what were his wife's last words to him. My wife never heard from her sister. When I spoke to Sheward about his wife having left him he 2\ppearc(l to he out of spirits He left off talkingabout her, aua appeared to be dbposed to talk about anythin else but her. Urs. Emily Colsey depol!ell-I am the mother of the late 1.11', Frank Colsey. I live now in t. J Ohl¡-itreet, Dereham- road, Norwich. My husband died in 1853. In 1852 my late son lived in King-treet. [kfiow the present Mrs 6hewartl: she lived with my sun in King-street as nursemaid. I never saw Sheward at my son's house, but 1 heard that she and Sheward were acquainted. shé left my son's service in 1853 it was before July, 1853; she left to be married. Shll told me herself she was ioini to be married to Sheward. Two gentlemen who WQre staying 1Ja the h. wished hn happiness and made her a small present. There was a per- snl' named Margaret Mills who lived with me at the time and who went to sleep with my son's nursemaid at night. Margaret Mills deposed-T live in St. Martin's-at-Oak, and am a single woman. In 1851 and 1852 I worked foc Mrs. Colsey, who lived on St. Andrew's-plain. Mrs. Colsey's son, Mr. F. Colsey, lived ill King-street, awl the present l\Ir8 Sheward lived with Mr. Colsey as nursemaid. One Sun ay afl ernoon I went with ha to a publichonse called the Shakespeare, in SIt. George's. It was then kept by a man named Huggins. I took tea at the Shakespeare with lr. Sheward and his present wife. 1 had seen thm together about that time. She left Mr. Colsey's to be married, and afterwards I saw hpr and Mr. Sheward Itt Mr. liugodns's. I did not think they were married, although she said so. I slept with her about six months at )11'. Colsey's. Henry Parfitt, of Rising Sun-lane, .K orwich, deposed,-I am a plumber and glazier I have a brother-in-law named Huggins. He Jormerly kept the Shakespeare in St Georges, Ue is now ill Australia, to the best of my knowledge. I know he kept the 8hakespearc in 1853, but whether he lived there in 1852 I cannot positively state. I was in the habit of visiting him at the Shakespeare two or three times a week, generally of an evening I know Sheward. I do not know whether he lodged there, hut I have seen himthere repeatedly. T have seen the present Mrs. Sheward also there frequently. OR one occasion she asked me who Sheward was, and I told her he was foreman at Christie's, a pawnbroker's It was in the evelling when she said this. Sheward had passed fmm one room to the other. and he then asked who he was. I don't know that she saw him plainly I don't know whe lier she went. t,) him afler tHi. I saw them together frequently afterwards at. the Shakespeare, alltl I subsequently heard they were going to be married. J heard about it from my }nwherin.law I was at the Shakespeare after they were sUfJposed to lie married. There we] e a few peuple present, alld I remember going upstairs and having a glass of some- thing. I saw Shewald and the \voman frequently afterwards at the Shakespeare. To the best of my knowledge they were living together as man and wife. Iy brother-in-law sailed for Australia September 2S, 1853; he had left the Shakespeare about three weeks previeusly. Sheward and the woman lived at the Shakespeare nearly up to September, 1853. The next time I saw Mr. Sheward he was living in King-street. Cross-examined.-It was in March or April, 1853, that the woman asked me who the person was who passed. I mean who Sheward was. This was almost the first time I hatl seen tile woman. lIe passed her within a yard or so Sheward passed the woman as a stranger. The woman dill not leave lIIe for the purfJose of joining Sheward. I stopped ahout a quarter of an hour, and left her there I saw Sheward in the house again three or Jour days afterwards. I cannot recollect" hether the present Mis. Shward was at the Shakespeare again with Sheward. I 4iid not often speak 5<) the prisoner sheward. lrs. Elizabeth Gaze, widow of the late Mr. Matthew Gaze, deposed—1 live ill King-street. I know Sheward, the prisoner. lie lived in a house belonging to my husband, nearl opposite to ours, in King-street. He first came to livethere at }Ilchaelmas, 1853. He left the hou e about a month before last Christmas. I know the present Mrs. Sheward; she lived with Sheward, ill King-street, from 1853 to 1868, to the best of my knowledge. Mr. ]H.ndham stated that he must apply at this stage for a further deum id, as one witness had not attended, a/ld must be summoned, while another had not yet risen froUl childbed. The prisoner was accordingly further remanded. The bench has cOlliiented to an application made by Mr. 8tanley that a medical man may be permitted to inspect the remains on behalf of the prisoner.

THE BALLOT TEST AT MANCHESTER. A somewhat elaborate experiment was tried on Fri day and Saturday, ill last week, at Manchester. The Liberal party in that city have satisfied themselves that Mr. Birley, the Conservative member elected in November, is disqualified from taking his seat in Par- liament on account of an interest he is said to have as a partner in some contract with Her Majesty's Govern- ment. Whether this conclusion be sound or not can- not positively be asserted; but in any case they have resolved to be prepared for the event should Mr. 13irley be unseated, and accordingly on Friday and 8itturday a 13allot was held in which all the electors of Manchester who voted for a Liberal candidate at the last election were invited to take part. The object of the hall..t was to dictJVer whether Mr. Milner Gibson or Mr. Ernest J O1,es commanded the larger number of Liberal votes, and at the close of the process on Satur- day it was found that Mr. Jones had completely dis- tanced his rival, having received 7,282 votes against 4,133 given to Mr. Milner Gibson. This preliminary test had, it will be at once seen, a double object. It was to determine whether Mr. Miltier Gibson or lVIr. Jones was preferrd by the Manchester Liberals, but still more to show by example that an election could be held by Ballot. This latter object wa" the great end the managers had III view. The mode adoped in condueting the Ballot, may, wlthot exaggeration, under present circum- stances, be said to have the highest interest. Itis thus described ;— The voter entered the polling place for St. Luke's Ward, at the Chorlton Town-hill, a spacious chamber 011 the second floor, where there were two polling places, one marked öt Luke's," and the other" All Saints." The voter at o/lee pre- sented himself at the entrance of the p lling place for St Luke's ward, which was only separated from that side of the room by a low wicket. An officer who keeps the wicket ad- mitted him, and walking lip to a table, hehind which sat a gelltleman corresponding to a deputy returning officer, and two assistants, he produced a voting paper properly tilled up. One of the assistant poll-clerks referred to the poll-book or register, aud tinding the turne and liUmbers to correspond, and seeing no reason to doubt his identity, the" deputy returnillg officer presented him with a coloured envelope and a voting card. of which the following is a copy :— "Test Ballot, 1869—United Liberal Party. Representation of Manchester. ERNEST JONES (printed in green ink). T. MILNER GIBSON (printed in red illk). "Strike out the name of the candidate for whol11 yon no not vote. Theil put the card in the envelope and place it in the ballot-box. No card must be taken out of the ballot-room. The card was about large enough to fill an ordinary f un- sized letter envelope, aud was plailIly but legibly printed. The voter, heingfurni8hed with tllh card, was allmiltcd hy an officer, through a wicket beyond, into the ballot-room, which is only par: itiuned off by a rail under thre teet high, and where he is still within sight of all ill the place, hut ill to which no oue is allowed to fullow him ? there he advanced to one of fi'.ur recessed tables, allll talldillg with Ius back to the raturnin officer and every olle else, and hu ther screened by tke parliJOus of his" recess," he took up a pencil with -Iiidl he obliterated OBC of the linines f"" II tli» <><ird. H" then inserted the card into thc envelope, ani returning towards the place where the returning officer Rat, he cropped the envelope with its enclusure into Ih, mouth of th" ballot- box, which is a box of considerahle dilllPn;;Í<ns. He made his exit through a wlci,et leading out behind the retllrlling ofticcr's seat, aR the Ilext voter entered the ballot-room. 0. It will he understood fr01ll this descriptio/l that the voter is- perfectly in view of all persons ill the polling-place from tirst to last. and all that he does, cxcept the vote he actual y records while erasing tile name fiom hid voting card, is open to observation. A dexterous per8"1I mght possinly substi- tute another card in the envelope ill place of the vile given him, or insert other8 along with .it; but as alt the cards have a private stamp 011 them (lll leu of the returning ufficer's initials, whicll would ue suhstItutcd at all ordmary e ection), the fraud would be detected on opening the ballot-box, and the attempt would vitiate t he elector's own vote. Some speculation has been indulged in amollg those interestetj in the experiment as to the effic .cy of the variolls checks to meet lii slender chanee ot carrying away a ball. It-card surreptitiously, as a pattern from WHich others might be forged. It is dimcult to imagine how any one could elude all the present precautions against the suggested abuse, but, perhaps, the ad. ption of a water mark Oll the card and the enveltJpe might he recommendc d. Even ai it is no voter can prtlseut himself twiee, for the officer would know by his book that the man had heen before, aud no man can drop illto the ballot-box undcr the pulieeman's eye two envelopes instead of one. The voting in all cases, it is almost needless to mention, H the same, alld there is great simplicilY about it from beginning to tnd. The time occupied iu taking each vote is less than by the present system, because the" deputy returnlllg officer" is done with each voter as soon /18 he is Í!]entitied, and, 0 course, no clerks have to be employed, or official time taken up, 10 register votes. When the elector gives in his voting paper it is placed on a file after examination, and at the close 01 the day's poll this file will have to be secured under luck and key, as also will all the unu-ed voting cards. Kwh returning officer or poll-clerk is supplied with about a mall V cards as there are voters in the district over which he pre- sides, and great vigilallce is exercised to keep any of thdn from getting inta wrong hands.

SHOCKING DEATH OF A YOUNG LADY. A sad and fatal accident has occurred to Miss Lean, a young lady only nineteen years old, and living at Cliftonville, Brighton. Deceased was niece to Mrs. King, an aged and infirm lady, the widow of a magis- trate, and lived with her. Ün Thursday evening she was in Mrs. King's bedroom, reading to her, previous to the old lady retiring for the night. She had on at the time a dress made of very light material, and wali standing with her back to the fire, which was very near. 8he was in the act of turning round, when by some means her dress ignited. On finding that her clothes were burning, deceased immediately sprang into the old lady's bed, and endeavoured by covering herself with the bed dothesto extinguish the flames. Mrs. King was sitting in a chair by the bed-dde, but her weak and almost helpless condition was so increased by what had happened that she was unable to render the least sistance. Deceased not succeeding in putting out the tire got out of bed, ran several times round the bedroom, and thence into the drawing-room, scream- ing frantically all the time. Her cries alar8.1ed the other persons in the house, and soon brought assistance. in the drawing-room she was met by the butler and footman, but by this time she was completely en- veloped in flames. Both the butler and footman seized hold uf her, but she left their graip, apparently not knowing what she was about, and ran into the con- servatory, which adjoins the drawing-room. She was followed there, and after some difficulty the flames were put out. Deceased was then found to be burnt in a shocking manner. Two medical men were im- mediately sent for, and were quickly in attendance but notwithstanding all was done that their skill could suggest, deceased died on Sunday morning, after in- tentSe suffering. An inquest was held, when a verdict of Accidental death" was returned.

THE RITUALISTS AND THE PRIVY COUNCIL JUDGMENT. The monition following the recent judgment of the Privy Council in "Martin v. Mackonochie" having been served, the time has come for the defendant and all who have rendered themselves obnoxious to the law as now interpreterl to decide upon their future line of conduct. Accordingly, the worshippers at St. Alban's, Holborn, London, on Sunday, received an address hy the perpetual curate of St. Alban's to his parishioners, tating his view of he circumstances ari.-mg out of the judgment, and of Ins duty thereon. 1.Yl r. Mackonochie's address begins My dear parishioners and friends,-I must say wmething to ou to-day about the wrong-the most oppressive wrong- which has been done to us. I am not going to say hard things about those who have done this wrong. It is veiy easy for thoe who. have strong prejudices, with not much knowledge and with little love, to do a rat wrong and flatter themselves that they are asserting a great truth. I doubt not tliat it is so now. Still, there stands the wrong. In the face of English justice-the almoat absurd imprlrtialily of which is to its honour, a bye-word over the whole world -a jlldgmet has been pronounced, hich does not declare law, but overrides, on the showing of its own arguments, even statute law, in order to make a law against us. 1 say against us. No doubt the judgment was me..m by those who began the suit to he against our blessed Lord in that which is dearest to Him-the Sacrament of Hii Div,ne Love hut by the good prvvidence of our God upon us, the counsel of Ahit(lphellJas beon turned to foolishness, and the blow has fallen upon us. Mr. Mackonochie then proceeded to explain why he proposes to ubey a judgment which is so illegal. The church and state are in alliance. he itate eourts have made decisions on church matters. 1 Ins leaves the law lIf the latter just where it was, although within its own prllvince-i.t., for civil purposes-the decision ot the state court is of force. The law of the ehurch sanctioned the practices which have been attacked before the suit began; it sanctions them st 11. The\ are just as much our heritage and ollr right as English eatholics now as they were 000 years ago. We thought that they were also our right as Euglish citizens, by the law of the state. We are tóld that they are not. W III are conTineed that the decision is siaiply opprél>Sive, and so, most likely, are a large number of w — our countrymen, who care nothing about the things them- selves; but we obey. The practices forbidden are part in- deed of the right of the church but they are not necessary for the validity of lur ordinancies. They are, no doubt, most closely connected with the "dignity of that Holy Sacrament," but do not constitute its essence. If there be II priest, and bread and wine, in a garret or cellar, there may be the blessed Sacrament. The Christian chureh has seen a priest pinioned to the ground celebrate the divine mysteries, with his own breast for his altar, with his prison garmeuts for vestments, and in the absence of all other adjuncts. The" church law permits and claims as its right that which aharsh and novel interpretation of the state law has now forbidden. We are contented to forego for a while our rights as church- men, rather than seem to disobey as citizens. Mr. Mackonochie then went over the several points ruled against him, complaining most of the prohibition to use lighted candles during the celebration' of the Communion, and then proceeds :— Now the injustice which you and I feel in all this is that we should be interfered with in so unpr. voked a manner. We have never sought to force any unwilling protestant to come to our services. In no case, as far as I know, has any attempt been made to force protestants to do what the Prayer-book tells them to do. All round London are hosts of churches in which the Rubric is broken: no daily service no saints' day service no notice given of festival or fast; no Litany on Wednesday or Friday; the Athanasian Creed omitted the Holy Communion not administered to each severally the marriage service mutilated the Sacrament of Holy Baptism sold for Is. (id., by authority of the Diocesan Register; and, worse than all, the miserable profanation most unwittingly, I believe, in most cases, perhaps in all, but not less truly so) ot evening communions. Then bishops—perhap3even the Archbishop of Vork—habitually offending, not only in re- gard of these or some of these instances, but also by administer- ing the rite of confirmation to candidates by the dozen. Nearly all these, as well as countless less or greater matters, are violations of plain rubrical direcnons, and are the greatest passible abominations to. us. but we have never stirred a finger to interfere, nor do we mean to do so. If half the parishioners of those parishes who arc groaning and p ning for better things were to press their grievances, it is hard to see how any Clurt could refuse to enforce com- pliance with express rules. But these "aggrieved parishioners find other vent for their sorrows, and either endure in patience, or seek elsewhere for a church in which to pray; while their painful minister" is taking his ease at home, or working in self-chosen ways. hy, then, you are all asking, should we be disturbed, when we do not wish to disturb others? I cannot tell you, unless I have given the answer already in the fact that the church triumphs through weakness. M r. Mackonochie then stated the manner in which the ceremonial will in future be modified at St. Alban's. When the decision of the Court of Arches was delivered, he discontinued the ceremonial mixing of the water with the wine, and all use of incense. He was aware that in regard of incense, he was doing more than the judgment required but finding the old use forbidden, tie preferred this course to any other, in order that he might have time to consider in what other way he could best use it without running counter to the judgment. He has now come to the conclusion that the best plan will be that the church should be ensed on the days ivhen there is to be a high celebra- tion, before each of the services beginning at 7, 8, 9, and 10.30, and also before evensong. As regards the posture of the priest during the celebration, he will stand throughout the consecration prayer. This of course does not affect the congregation. The candles will not be lighted. He takes this opportunity of stating that he has just had a present made him of seven lamps for the sanctuary. He has long wished to have them, since he saw them in some churches where they have been used for many years. It is true that they are of Eastern rather than Western authority. but they so strikingly re- mind us of the seven lamps of fire in the Revelation, burning before the throne, and which are "the Seven Spirits of God," that this objection at once falls to the ground. Moreover, they cannot be in any way mis- taken for a violation of the judgment: inasmuch as they are not themselves ornaments in the technical sense and their use is not ceremonial, as they will burn continually, night and day. In yielding obedience to a judgment, however unfair, it is right and manly to yield entirely. He wishes, therefore, that they should clearly understand that these lamps are no kind of substitution for the two lights on the Communion- table, nor any way meant as an evasion of the judg- ment. ° But his dear friends will see that there is much for them to do. In the first place, they must continue the three prayers which he asked them to say at the beginning of their troubles the collect for third Sundajf jn Lent (for protection) the collect for Quin- quagesima (for charity) and a third (for their opponents). "O merciful God, who hast made all men, and hatest nothing that Thou hast made, nor wouldest the death of a sinner, but ra'her that he should be converted and live, have mercy upon all those who seek to withstand Thy truth, or to rob Thy worship of its beauty. rake from them all ignorance, hardness of heart, and contempt of Thy word, and so fill them with the knowledge of Thee and of Thy love, that they may be saved among the residue of Thy people; through Jesus Christ our Lord." Amen. After which they will say the Lord's Prayer, combining the intentions of the three collects. Further they are to increase their own acts of reverence, and to take more care than ever that they are free from ostentation and from self-pleasing. Mr. Mackonochie further said :— I do not want grotesque attitudes, or prostrations, but to see you careful never to cross the church when the blessed sicrament is present without genuflecting, and never to genuflect when it is not there If you come up the nave for communion, to see you very quietly and reverently genuflect on leaving your seat, on entering the chancel, and again on leaving the a'tar. To see the sign of the cross made in like mam er, before receiving the Holy Communion in each kitid, and before leaving the altar, also at the end of the creeds, and' Glory be to God on high," at the absolution and b'e-sln! and at the Glory he to Thee, 0 God," before the Uo-pel, on the forehead, lips, and breast, But above ail, r.member that these outward things must be the shining forth of the inward light, or they will be simply mockeries. Our Lord has all .wed His enemies to insult Ilim by putting out the symbolical lights just as, in His pass oil he deigned to suffer, not only the great torments of scourge, and cross, and crown of thorns, but also the smiting on the face, the epitt ny:, and m.uwy <>th no **•«-> -1." ^i-onte. Mr. Mackonochie's final exhortation is :— God has called you to take part in the great work of giving back to the Church of England that "Worship in Spirit and i 1 Truth of which more than two centuries of cold unloving Protestantism have robbed ner. You will need patience- patience with your opponents, lest you lose Love—patience with your frieuds, lest you break up your forces-¡Jat:ence above all with yourselves, list y >u lose heart You mllst be p .tie d at home patiei.t in soc ety pat.ent iu discussion and pa irnt under abllse-but, with all your patience, boll, ou»p ken, determined, for your cause is the cause of God 3"d of His Christ. You may live to see only defeat do not mind it, your lives, and your deaths too, in the midst of defeat, will have done their work for God, and those who come aiier will find the remarks which you shall have left for good upon the Buiiding of that Heavenly City which is the Bride of the Lamb. At the end of the sermon and the offertory, during the collection of which a "sequence" or some versicle was sung. the "high celebration" proceeded, the whole, or nearly the whole, of the congregation re- maining in their places. The exhortation beginning "Dearty beloved in the Lord" was omitted; and pauses were left in the prayer for the Church Militant to enable the congregation to pray more especially for all Bishops, for all them who are in trouble, sorrow, need, sickness, or any other ad- versity," and for all Grod's servants departed this life in His faith and fear." The absolution was given by Mr. Mackonochie 111 due form with the sign of the cross but with the Pra,yer of Consecration the service relapsed into dumb stiOW- Mr, Mackonochie stood with his back to the congregation, throughout, and instead of rising the paten and chalice on high above his head, he raised them to about the level of his mouth, and although he conformed literally and strictly to the monition with which he had been served as to the priest not kneeling after the consecration, yet lie made at inter- vals some five or six geUllflexions to which his attendant deacon and sub-deacon contrived to add one, or possibly two, more on their own account. Whether he mixed water with the wine in the chalice the writer of this does not know, as the chancel is deep and the congregation are too far off to see such minutiae but we gather from an address to his parishioners which Mr. Mackonochie has published that if he did so at all he did not do it "ceremoltially." Having communicated himself, he proceeded to idminister the sacred elements; about 12 or 15 men, and perhaps twice as many of what the Roman service book calls the devout female sex," communicated also, while the organ played as before, and other versicltg were sung. As the bread, or rather the wa'fer, and the wine were administered to each person, Mr. Mackonochie and his deacon made the sign of the cross, and the service ended in the usual manner, except that while the officiating clergy were" reverently" consuming, according to the Rubric, the unconsecrated bread and wine, some more versicles were sung by the choir. The congregation included apparently a very large number of the upper class of tradesmen. Here and there were a bonnet and a dress unmistakeably from Tyburnia or Belgravia but it is clear that the services at St. Alban's are found to be attractive to great num- bers of the middle class, and apparently they are more popular with the men than even with the women. At all events on Sunday there were more men than women among the worshippers. Among them were country clergymen and country gentlemen, and more than one member of Parliament while at the bottom of the church sat the celebrated Father Ignatius in his monastic dress. If any remark should be made as to the paucity of aotual communicants in a well-filled church which must hold some thousand persons, it should be remem- bered that there are at St. Alban's two or three early celebrations," at which it is more than probable that some of the mid-day congregation had communicated already.

ST. PETER'S CHURCH, sr. GEORGE'S-IN-THE-EAST. Every one of the observances condemned, not only by the Judicial C mmittee of Privj Council, but by Sir Robert l'hillimore, the Dean of Arches, whose court many of the less ardent Ritualists admit to be in some sense a Church court, was practised last Sunday morning at the church of St Peter, St. George's-in-the Est, and some other practices were added which have never been observed in Ritualist churches hitherto, althougt. a very diligent student may, perhaps, find them based upon recommendations in Dr. F. G. Lee's Diiectorium Anglicanum tsays the correspondent of a London paper). St. Peter's is a new district of that far- famed parish of St. George's-in-the-East where Ritualism led to riots many years ago. Since then the Rev. Bryan King, who was the rector at that lime, has gone, and in the old parish church which was fomieily the scene of snch bitter strife are now to be found only a dozen or two of worshippers, Sunday after Sunday, taking part in the most chilling and cheerless of services. The Ritualism which tried to make its home there in years gone by has found a congenial sphere in a new church, dedi- cated to St. Peter, erected iu Old Gravel-lane, within a few yards of the junction of the parish with that of Wapping and so far from their being any opposition or protests, the church is filled every Sunday (and at week-day services, too) with persons who seem heartily to appreciate forms and with persons who seem heartily to appreciate forms and ceremonies of which the old preachers at St. George's were the feeblest type. The Rev. C F. Lowder, the incumbent, who stated the other day at the great Ritualist meeting at Freemasons' Hall that he would on no consideration put out his altar lights in obedience to the juùgment of the. Juùicial Com- mittee in the case of "Martin v. Mackonochie," has adhered strictly to his threat, and last Sunday's services were perhaps more elaborately Ritualistic than of any other church in London. Mr. Lowder, who in the official documents con- nected with the church is styled" The Father Superior," was ahseiit on account of ill health, but his duties w, re well sustained by the Rev. F. K Statham, Theological Associate of Kim's Ccllege, London, and the Rev. Mr. Anstiss. There weie plain matins at 10 30, and these lasted, as usual, until a little past eleven, when the clergy and choir retired, an:* the main body of what afterwards formed the congregation entered. When all were seated the notes of the organ indicated another service, and a procession ent, red the church from the north side of the altar, not moving, how- ever, along the aisles of tha church, but turning at once sharp round to the altar steps, the altar itself being raised an immense height. Prior to the entrance of the procession an acolyte had lighted six large candleson the high altar, and two smaller ones on the credence or re-table. Thehead of the procession was a young man carrying incense in a swinging censer, the next thE: bearer of a larie silver cross. They were vested in red cos-acks with short surplices, and accompanied by two little boys habited in the same way. They were fbIlowed hy twenty chorbters in surplices, and then came the hearer of another large silver cross, which he held on high, heralding Mr. Anstiss, who to be the celebrant, and who wore purple Eucharistic vestments, and a biretta, after the fashion of Roman Catholic priests. As the celebrating priest ascended the altar steps clouds of incense rose on all sides, and it was difficult to ascertain what was going on. Presently, however, it was seen that the pnest hImself was swinging the censer, and that he was in- censing the altar, books, choristers, and everything around him. There was nothing else very remarkable about the service until the priest came to the Epistle of the day, which he read on the south side of the altar, a little hoy standing before him with the book uplifted and resting on his head. The Gospel was read in the same extraordinary way from the north side of the altar. Then came the consecration prayer, which is now the clucial test, and in this respect certainly the service of St. Peter's was very extraordinary indeed. As the celebrant stood before the altar, the two little boys advanced to the credence or re- tahle, and each taking one of the candles which had been placed upon it, walked down two or three steps of the altar, knelt hehind the priest, and held up the two small candles, while the six larger ones were burning on the high altar before him. On the celebrant coming to the part of the prayer which provides for the consecration of the bread, he elevated the patin, and then knelt dow i. While in this position the church bell tolled. At the conclusion of the prayer providing for the consecration of the wille, he lifted the cup then he knelt down, and again the church bell tolled. Then the little boys replaced their small candles on the re-table. Although the church was well filled, and all stayed during the admin stration, none of the choir appeared to go up to partake of the lloly Communion, and from the body of the church only tW0 ery peor, feeble old men-not a Eingle wøman-a circumstances which was perhap scarcely ever known in a Ritualistic church before. The service was brought to a close in the usual way. The sermon was preached by Mr. Statham, from the words ef St. Matthew's Gospel," M any ar called, but few are chosen but there was nothing in it to call for any remark, except, perhaps, its great earnestness and its evident sincerity. It was aiyiounced that on Monday, being the "Feast of the Conversion of St. Panl," there would be.a plain cele- bration of the Holy Eucharist at seven o'clock a.m., and a choral celebration at eight a.m. A notice was also given- but not publicly-that an appeal was made for the red silk dalmatia and tunicle now in use in the Feasts of all Holy Martyrs, &c. It was added that the non-resident church- warden promised the Mother Superioress that he would col- lect suftkieut money from amongst his friends to pay for the two vestments, but he has failed to do so."

At St. Jude's, Moorflelds, Sheffield, on Sunday morning, two candles, placed upon the communion table, were lighted. They contÎlmed lighted during the performance of thè com- munion service, after which the incumbent stepped forward and spoke to the following effect :—■" I, John Edward J ohuson, priest and Vicar of this church, in compliance with a recent decision, will now extiugnish the candles which have usually been allowed to burn at this Vlac". I do so under solemn protest, believing them to be emblematic of the twofold nature of Christ." Mr. Johnson then extinguished hoth lights, after which the curate ascenùed the pulpit, and having kissed a cross worked upon a violet-coloured band or scarf, and placed it round his neck, preached the sermon.

A PAINFUL MATTER. In the Court of Queen's Bench, the cause of ex parte Frewen, in the matter of one John Pattison, a medical practitioner," has been brought forward, and was an application on the part of Mr. Charles Hay Frewen, of Oakham (at one time a member of Parlia- ment, and at the last election a candidate) against one Dr. John Pattison, lately of 2G, Welbeck-street, Cavendish-square, London, for a criminal information on account of certain letters and publications by him directed against Mr. Frewen, and alleged to be libellous and tending to a breach of the peace. The matter, which was of rather a peculiar nature, had arisen thus:— From the affidavits it appeared that in the latter part of the year 1866 Br. Pattison was called in to attend Mrs. Frewen, who was suffering from cancer, and he attended her until the.1)th of February, 1867, when she died. Dr. Pattison had already received the sum of 150 guineas for his atttend- ance, but he claimed a further sum of 100 guineas, which was refused. [n May, 1867, an action was commenced to recover that sum, as the balance of a claim of 250 guineas, but that action had not been prosecuted. Various letters, however, had been sent since- by Dr. Pattison to Mr. Frewen, couched in terms extremely offensive, and casting upon him the reproach of shabby and disrepu- table conduct in disputing the demand made upon him In one of these letters, moreover, in October, LS03, Dr. Patti- son sent an account of the case of Airs. Frewen, which he hinted that he intended to publish in a professional journal, entering into very painfnl details of the sufferings ot the de- ceased lady. Mr. Flewen had, in the meantime, referred the doctor to his attorneys, and in order to free himself from the annoyance, he hall returned the latterlettcrsthrough the dead-letter office. Upon this the defendant had sent them open, so that anyone could read tlwm, and in his last letter threatened that he should have the next written upon card- board and sent to )11'. Frewen's club. The Hon. George Denman, Q.C. (with him the Hon. Alfred Thesiger), on an affidavit of these state- ments, moved on behalf of Mr. Frewen for a rule for a criminal information against Dr. Pattison. The learned counsel said he had a difficulty in reading the statements of the case which the defendant had threatened to publish, entering as it did into all the painful details of that most painful disease under which the deceased lady had suffered. But there was, he submitted, amply enough in the expressions used by the defendant towards Mr. Frewen to justify this application. They imputed to him the most shabby conduct in disputing this demand, although Mr. Frewen had already intimated that he was ready to meet it in any proper way. The language used towards him by the defendant was of the most offensive character, and he had actually sent his latter letters open, so that anyone could read them, anù he threatened that the next would be written on card- board and sent to 1r. Fre wen's club. The Lord Chief Justice.—You have stated quite enough, Mr. Denman, to entitle you to the rule. Rule nisi for a criminal information against Dr. Pattison.

PARSON BROWNLOW'S PLATFORM! Parson Brownlow, the well-known Governor of Tennessee, having been greatly badgered of late by office-seekers, has issued a proclamation on the sub- ject which is so characteristic of him that we quote it. It appears in his newspaper, the Knoxville (Tennesse) Whig:— To Whom it may Concern. "I am daily called upon, either in person or by letter, to sign petitions asking offices from the Federal Government, and also wishing me to write letters to Republican Senators uiving the confirmation of men nominated for office by Pre- sident Johnson. I respectfully decline doing either, and shall take no part in the scramble tor office under the pre- sent national Administration. After General Grant is inau- gurated I propose to take a hand, openly and above boat d, and, once for all, allow me to say that I believe the Repub- licans who supported Grant and Colfax are entitled to the offices and should have them and I think the Seymour and Blair IIlen should have more modesty than to ask for office. If, however, largely in the majority as the Republicans are, they shall find they have not men qualified to fill the offices, then let them call upon the Seymour Democradc party to furnish such material. Until that call is made, I submit that modesty would (iictate that the adherents of thd. party should stand back. This is my platform. I have taken my stand upon it. I hope 1 al11 now understood, Hud that 1 will not be subjected to further annoyance from this source. W. G BROWNLOW. Knoxville, Tennessee, Dec f).

MURDEROUS OUTRAGE IN SARAWAKi There has lately occurred an iineute in Sarawak which, says the Straits Tiw-z, tends to show how all Europeans there live with their lives iu their hands, and know not when they may he called upon to face sudden death. The following are authentic particulars furnished by the Sarawak govern- ment :— On the 28th November, the Mukah fort, under charge of the resident, Mr. Rodway, was surprised by a party of six convicts (one Chinaman and five Malays) who were under sentence of imprisonment for trivial offences. The resident and Mr. Sinclair were walking on the beach, distant about a mile from the fort at the time the attack took place, and on their return found the fort in the hands of these miscreants who had killed the sentry, loaded the arms, fastened the doors, and we regret to state that the Chinaman among them most brutally murdered Mr. Bain, who was lying sick in the resident's apartments. Before assistance could arrive, however, the rascals made off at night after holding the fort for a few hours. The inhabitants pursued them, killed four (including the murderer of Air. Bain) out of the six, recovered the treasure, about 1,000 dols., and everything was in order again with arms complete. The two living run- aways are being pursued in.all directions, and. will, 1Il all probability, be brought in, dead or alive, in a day or two. The Chinaman, it appears, was in aebt to Mr. Bain, and on a previous occasion, while being sued, had used threatening language to the deceased. Mr. Bain (late engineer of the Borneo Company) had been engaged for some time in mercantile affairs in the Oya river, distant 15 miles from Mukah, and was unusually popular with the native community.

DR. VAUGHAN AND THE BISHOPS AND CLERGY. At a banquet given by the Mayor of Doncaster, last week, the Rev. C. J. Vaughm, in responding to the toast, The Archbishop and Clergy of the Dio- cese, and Ministers of other Denominations," among other remarks, said :— These are difficult days for a bishop to administer the duties of his high office at once with IiJelity and acceptance. Much is required of him now which wa, not requireù il. days gone by. It is very much the fashion in these days to blame bishops for all they do not do, and then to blame them for all they attempt to do. The country wilt not trust tne bishops with power, yet the country is ready to blame tne bishops foi not keeping things in order. These are haid con- ditions, and I think the n-.an is deserving of some praise and some gratitude from the Church who is willing, in such times, to put himself into a position of so I" neh responsi- bility and so little gratitude. it is too much the fashion, even with the clergy—I regret and blush to say It-to repu- diate the authority of the bishops whenever it touches them- selves, and to appeal from the bishop, that is, to some shadowy, misty phantom, to which they give, I believe, the name of Catholic antiquity something which they can always elude when it goes against them, and which they can alwuvs ilead when it serves their purpose. Gentlemen, 1 have spoken of the dLtkulties of the epis- copal office; I do not think the office of a parish clergyman is, in these days, one of the easiest. He, too, has many, very many, difficulties to contend with. The axiom—which has become in our days almost a truism, and which, 1 am almost a-hamed to repeat, as though it could possibly need enforce- ment—that the Church is not the clergy, is one which has a very imperfect acceptance among the clergy, and still less, I think among the laity of the present day. There are among the former those who seem willing to arrogate to themselves the title of Church but I utterly repudiate for myself, and 1 am quite sure that 1 am speaking for my brethren around me, any such monstrous hypothesis as that. And I ven- ture to say, with all respect to the present company, that the laity are far more to blame than we for this unfortunate con- fusion of terms between the Church and the clergy. It is too much the habit of the laity to treat the clergy as it they were Hot only the ministersand officers of thecongregation, but as if they were set to bear all the burdens, all the duties—1 had almost said, all the sins of the people as if they had taken upon themselves the office, not only of setting a good ex- I- ample, but even of appropriating and engrossing in their own persons all the graces and all the virtues which should adorn the Christian character. I consider that such thoughts as these do a great dishonor to that Church which is, in other words, the whole congregation (,f faithful people dispersed throughout the whole world. The Church is not the clergy. The Church is the whole congregation of Christian people wheresoever to be found and by whatsoever special name described In this point of view, therefore, I ven- ture to complain of the idea that there are many graces and vir- tues which it is the duty of a clergyman to cultivate and which it is not the duty of a layman to emulate. If there is anything binding upon a p, .man to be or to do, that thing is equally binding upon a Christian layman. There is no such difference made between the one and the other in the Word of God as can justify the distinction to which I have re- ferred.

THE WILD BEASTS OF THE SEA. The following very interesting notes on the rapacious habits of bottle-noses, porpoises, seals, otters, coal-fish cod sea cats, and sea dogs, are written by "A Fisherman who* dates from The East X euk of Fife." He says :— Mr. Drew, of Nairn, has, no doubt much to the satis- faction of the Nairn fishermen, endeavoured to move government on their behalf to clear the sea for ever of those monster whales but we on this c;>ast have a great respect for them, because, when we see them, we know the herrings are on the coast. Query-Do they not drive the herrings from the ice to our coast ? (for our fathers said they came from the Arctic regions); and if so, they require to be protected. As for the porpoises, the way to catch them is to put a net into the sea in the line they travel in, and when they come against it they mike no effort to break it, but hang by the teeth as dead till they are taken. They are not like the seal, f,)r he goes down below the net, and if it is too near the ground, he comes to the top and gets overit. The seal is a desperate fisherman. He eats all kinds of fish, but prefers salmon. You can see him often raised out of the water with a large salmon in his hand at dinner, defying his enemies. No doubt every seal on this coast eats, on the lowest calculation, £ ,50 worth of salmon in a season. Then we have the otter, both in the river and in the sea. He also prefers salmon, and will kill them, devouring about a pound for break- fast, leaving the rest to waste. When he cannot get salmon in the sea he prefers dabs. We have also the coal fish, which infests our bays, particularly when the young salmon are leaving the rivers, and they destroy them in thousands. I have seen as many as twelve large ones in their stomachs; this in addition to the great number of other fish they consume. But the great enemy to the fisherman is the cod he is not a cannibal, he does not feed upon his own species. You seldom get one, however, that has not a haddock in his stomach, sometimes two, large enough to serve a numerous family for dinner. There is besides the sea cat, with her long teeth. But the greatest enemy the fisherman has is the sea dog. Some- times when the fisherman begins to haul his line he finds that there is plenty of fish but by the time he has hauled half a line he gets nothing but heads of haddocks-the dogs on the coast having eaten the fish off the line. I have known as much as Z-5 worth of this fine fish, belonging to one boat, destroyed in a morning. When they come amongst boats fishing herrings the destruction of fish and of nets may be reckoned not only by hundreds but by thousands annually. The turbot, one of our finest fish, takes haddocks and small cod and trout, and many others too numerous to mention. The haddock resembles the salmon tribe. These do not eat fish if either one or the other should do so they would suffer from it-it is unnatural to them. Can anyone propose a remedy for this wholesale destruction of the finny tribe? The Fishery Board would, no doubt, be the proper party-having always at their command a large staff for all purposes. The gunboats that come to protect our herring fishing could each have a harpoon gun, with a good stock of lines. What a fine thing it would be to see a whale going off with a gunboat at twenty knots an hour!

THE PHYSICAL EDUCATION OF WOMEN. There is a very important point, which has alto- gether escaped the attention- of the women educators of our day, and that is the relation which exists be- tween a vigorous and healthy mind on the one, and go body on the other hand. A weakly frame and a highly- cultivated mind may go together, but the latter is mostly effeminate, and the ultimate ill-effects of the conjunction are seen in the degenerate character of the offspring. This applies as well to the case of women as of men. In the recent discussions that have taken place r V.tive to the education of women this independence of healthy mind and healthy body lms Wen entirely missed. If the culture of the mind be forced without due attention to tne ooay, espe- cially in the "weaker" sex, the body by disuse becomes degenerate, and the body at length partici- pates in one general decay. i here are exceptions to every rule; but if we are in the future to pro- duce a race of blue-stockings only at the ex- pense of a satisfactory physical training, then the sooner the maiden is forbidden to become the wife and then the mother the better for as the mother is so, in great degree, is the offspring-a highly developed mind in a neglected body predicts effeminacy in the offspring. What is needed is an equal ap- preciation of the necessity of educating the body as well as mind. Disuse leads to decay," as well with muscle as with mind. If therefore, we desire to improve the mental acquirements on a sound basis, we should be careful to secure the more general introduction into our schools and seminaries of the proper use of gym- nastics of all kinds. By this means we may do much to improve even the physique of the next generation, to lessen the number of thin and narrow chests, of weak spines and the like, which abound among the women of our own day, and give to the rising gene- ration a sounder framework, and, therefore, a better chance of possessing a mens sana in corpore sano.