14r 311ttropulio.

Wednesday, the day of national humiliation and prayer, was kept with the solemnity prescribed by the Royal proclamation. Public business was suspended, and London looked like London on a Sunday, except per- haps that there were fewer persons in the streets. The churches were well-attended, some of them were crowded to excess ; and at the afternoon service in St. Paul's Cathedral there was a rush, which is said to have exceeded any scene of the like kind at any of our great theatres. The journals of Thursday morning were filled with abstracts of the sermons preached in the various places of worship : our space restricts us to very brief notices of the discourses at a few of the principal churches.

There were two sermons at St. Paul's,—one in the morning, by-Dean Mil- man ; and one in the afternoon, by the Bishop of London. Dr. Milman took as his text the 1st venie of the 71st Psalm—" In thee, 0 Lord, have I put my trust ; let me never be put to confusion." He vindicated the policy of war which the English nation had calmly sad deliberately, but reluctantly

chosen ; a war by which we rather imperil than advance our commercial ob- jects, in which we disclaim aggrandizement, and the aim of which is to keep back from supremacy one race from whom European civilization can gain

neither arts, nor commerce, nor humanity, nor civilisation, nor laws, not liberty, nor social advancement It becomes us, he urged, to bewail our rim,

and offer up prayers for the establishment of an enduring peace. He ex- pressed a hope, that though we are engaged in war abroad, Christian peace should be pursued at home. The afternoon service was attended by the Lord Mayor, Aldermen, and Common Councilmen, in their robes. The Bishop of London selected as his

text the 16th, 17th, and 18th verses of the 33d Psalm—" There is no king

saved by the multitude of a host ; a mighty man is not delivered by much strength. Behold the eye of the Lord is upon them that fear him, upon

them that hope in his mercy." Dr. Blomfield treated of the war as a sore judgment inflicted upon the nation for its sins ; and pointed out that twice within the last few years they had met together to acknowledge similar judgments, famine and pestilence. He dilated upon the horrors of war ; and though we have not rushed heedlessly, but have been forced, into the present conflict, he urged that it is a fit subject for national humiliation, and for prayer that the war may not be protracted. The preacher at Westminster Abbey, the Venerable Archdeacon Bentinek, took as his text the 7th verse of the 20th Psalm—" Some trust in chariots and some in horses; but we will remember the name of the Lord." His sermon was a close exposition of the text; showing that we have not been duly sensible of the blessings of an unbroken peace of forty years, and that

our coming miseries may make us value them ; that though our strength is

great by land and sea—though we enter upon the struggle with every pres- tige of success—though our ally is active and valiant—yet we must not depend upon our vast preparations, but put our trust in the Lord. But of course these preparations could not safely be neglected. The Lord had given us "peace in our time " ; but now he withholds what he had vouchsafed to bestow. Why ? We have national and individual sine to repent of.

Among the congregation at the Chapel Royal, were Lord Hardinge, Mr. and Mrs. Gladstone, the Earl and Countess of Wilton, the Duchess of Suther- land, Lord Ward, and Lord Ebrington. The Bishop of Lichfield was the

preacher, and the text he selected was the 1st and 2d verses of the 68th chapter of Isaiah—" Cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet,

and show my people their transgressions and the house of Jacob their sins.

Yet they seek me daily, and delight to know my ways, as a nation that did righteousness and forsook not the ordinance of their God. They ask of use

the ordinances of justice; they take delight in approaching to God." The sermon went to show that a special call to national repentance is reasonable and necessary on account of the prevalence of sins; and the preacher urged

his hearers to consider the subject as one that immediately and unquestMn• ably concerned them all as individuals, for the aggregate of national guilt is formed of individual sin. He also urged the duty of carrying on the just and necessary war, on which we have reluctantly entered, in a Christian spirit, with peace ever for its end and aim. The Reverend F. D. Maurice preached at Lincoln's Inn Chapel, in the afternoon, from the 10th and 11th verses of the 78th Psalm—" They kept

not the covenant of God, and refused to walk in his law ; and forget his

works and his wonders that he had showed them," Keeping close to the text, Mr. Maurice showed, that unless we take our stand upon the old Jew- ish ground, and attribute all to God, and humble ourselves before him, and believe that we are his nation, and that the sense of right and wrong and the power of enforcing right and putting down wrong are his gifts, all days of humiliation would be a mockery and mean nothing. If we trust to our material resources, it will almost inevitably lead to discomfiture. To save us from lightness of mind, and to enable us to enter into conflict with the calmness of men who have counted the cost, and to save us from the irrita- tion and despondency into which the thoughtless and the careless might be thrown when we should meet disasters, we are asked to humble ourselves

before the Lord of Hosts, the giver of peace. The past years of the external

peace we so long enjoyed had been years of mach conceit, self-glorification, and intestine strife. We had too much cherished the same habits of mind which we are now obliged to struggle against when manifested by the Auto- crat of the North : we had evinced the same readiness to gloss over schemes of conquest with the name of God and religion ; anewe know that our dif- ferent classes of the community have been striving against each other, and. never striving more than they are doing now. At St. James's, Piccadilly, the Reverend J. E. Rempe delivered an exhort- ation to the same effect, on a text from the 1st Epistle of Peter, chapter 6, verse 6—" Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God." Among the more conspicuous of the crowded congregation at St. James's were the Earl of Aberdeen and his brother Admiral Gordon, the Bishop of London, the Bishop of Winchester, and Earl De Grey. The Reverend Thomas Dale, at St. Pancras, preached from the 3d and 4th verses of the 7th chapter of Jeremiah—" Thus saith the Lord of Hoke, the God of Israel, amend your ways and your doings, and I will cause you to dwell in this place. Trust ye not in lying words, saying, The temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord are these."

The Reverend Dr. Croly, at St. Stephen's, Walbrook, preached a critical discourse on this text, from the 29th verse of the 33d chapter of Deutero-

nomy—" Happy art thou, 0 Israel ! who is like unto thee, 0 people ; saved by the Lord, the shield of help, and who is the sword of thy exeellency !

And thy enemies shall be found liars unto thee; and thou shall tread upon

their high places." The peculiar object of the discourse was to prove that a nation which upholds the cause of the weak and the injured against a powerful oppressor would not ultimately suffer by its generosity, and that a breach of treaties never passes without:fag especial punishment : this argu- ment was illustrated by copious refekti* to history. In the Scotch Church, Crown Court, WeAging and standing places were filled and the entrances choked up. Dr. Cifailateuselected for his subject passages from the 14tb, 16th, and 19th chapteniel 441-1 theoftevelations—pre- dieting in mysterious language events of great magittaticlW,Pand all of which, as he conceived, are now about to find their solution. " The wine-press of the wrath of God," and the gathering to " the battle of the great day of God Almighty," at Armageddon, and the vision of "him who sat upon the white horse," and who overthrew " the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies," were interpreted as prophetic of the war upon which the world is now entering. He believed that the war, on the part of this country, is a justifiable war ; not a crusade for conquest, or even for the purpose of hum-

bling Russia, nor intended to do injury to a single country. It is .a wit*

for the preservation of great rights and great interests ; a war, in fact, to keep off the invader : and as it is a just and righteous war, we might pray to God not to destroy Russia, but bring her to a sense of the errors of her ways in the sight of the nations. At the same time, looking to prophecy, he would not conceal his belief that Russia would not be finally driven beck, but that she is yet destined to sweep over Europe, and to be an instrument in the hand of God to exhaust Mahometanism, and to fulfil prophecy. He spoke of the extraordinary development of ingenuity in the preparation and improve- ment of engines of war : it seemed as if all the learning and instruction of forty years of peace had tended to the creating and perfecting of implements of warfare such as the world never before saw. Recent events show that Ma- hometanism is gradually yielding up its peculiarities. Every one speaks of

the warfare that is ensuing, as one of which no man could hope to see the end ; and that statesmen had formed this estimate of its character has been evinced by their reluctance to enter on a conflict which would let loose so many elements of discord. He enlarged on the magnitude of the arma- ments about to be employed : on one side the innumerable hordes of the boundless territory of Russia ; on the other side, the master of the Bos- phorus making his last effort to retain that which it is impossible for him to retain ; then Great Britain joined with France ; the subterranean heavings of Italy, Hungary, and Poland ! In this last shock of nations, no one can tell what dynasties will be overthrown, or what kings become refugees. In short, all things show that the great harvest of the earth is about to be gathered in, and prophecy about to be fulfilled. The Reverend John Burnett, of Camberwell, one of the well-known mem- bers of the Peace Society, preached against the war. His text was the 9th verse of the 45th chapter of Isaiah—" Let the potsherd strive with the pot- sherds of the earth." The potsherds were the combatants on both sides, striving for conquest and the gratification of their ambition. Mr. Burnett described the war as another impossible attempt to maintain the balance of power. It was doubtful whether the position of the Turkish people would be different if Nicholas succeed to the full extent of his ambition. As far as we are concerned, it matters little who rules Turkey. Mr. Burnett advo- cated arbitration ; and, declining to pray for victory, he prayed that God would extend the gospel of peace among the hostile nations.

The day was duly kept by the Jews : the Chief Rabbi, Dr. Adler, delivered an eloquent discourse on a text taken from the 33d chapter of Isaiah—" Wo to thee that spoilest, and thou west not spoiled ; and dealest treacherously, and they dealt not treacherously with thee ! When thou shalt cease to spoil, thou shalt be spoiled ; and when thou shalt make an end to deal treacherously, they shall deal treacherously with thee." . . . . Thus the prophet, with his fiery tongue, addressed Sennacherib, King of Syria, who had gone on con- quering the nations, and had at last appeared in Jerusalem : he addressed the King. saying, "Dost thou think to spoil, and not to be spoiled ? to ag- gress, and not to be aggressed ? Now is thy turn." The preacher identified himself and his people with British national interests.

In delivering what is called the Golden Lecture, on Tuesday, the Reverend Mr. Melville took as his text the 4th verse of the 2d chapter of Isaiah- " They shall beat their swords into ploughshares, and their spears into pruning-hooks ; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more." The preacher said that the near approach of the day set apart for humiliation rendered it fit that he should address his audience on topics appropriate to the occasion. He shrank from ascribing to what is formal and outward, effects which belong only to what is spiritual and inward ; yet there is something in the public proclamation of a' day of humiliation that should rejoice the heart of a Christian, became it is a legislative recognition that the nation has found that the Almighty is the avenger of sin, and God loves such recognitions. He did not dwell upon the causes of the war, but upon the time when the thunders of war should no longer shake this creation. The words " They shall heat their swords into ploughshares" show that human industry would be a bright feature of that happy time when all wars shall have terminated. Throughout the Bible labour is carefully recognized as the appointment of God ; and it is not by destroying labour, as some theorists would suppose, but by producing a more equitable distribution of it, and securing to every man the just fruits of his industry, that we should increase the sum of human happiness. The present war could not have occurred had the aggressor entertained true Christian principles ; and only when true Christian principles are universally acknowledged and acted upon will the prophecy of the text be fulfilled.

Collections were made at nearly all the London churches, and the sums already reported amount to several thousand pounds.

The rival of the National Society, called the Church Education Society, held its first annual meeting, on Tuesday, at Willis's Rooms ; Lord Cal- thorpe in the chair. Sir John Pekington, Sir E. N. Buxton, Mr. J. C. Colquhoun, and the Reverend E. G. Girdlestone, were present. It was stated in_the report adopted by the meeting, that during the past year many influential pernms, who previously stood aloof, had now joined the society ; that branches had been set up at Liverpool, Manchester, York, Hull, Leeds, Cheltenham, Bristol, Yeovil, and Brighton ; and that the funds subscribed since the society was established in March 1853 amount to 48341. This society objects to the management of the National Society by " a section of the Church." Hence the secession.

In the Rolls Court, on Saturday, the Master deliveredjudgment in a cause relating to the Sherborne Free Grammar School. The information had been signed at the relation of a gentleman residing at Sherborne in Dorsetshire, on behalf of himself and all other inhabitants of Sherborne, not members of the Church of England, to obtain the opinion of the Court on the question whether Dissenters are entitled to have the benefit of the Free Grammar School of Sherbome. The school was founded by Edward the Sixth, for the education and instruction of young boys ; and the governors, by and with the advice of the Bishop of Bristol, were empowered to make rules, statutes, and ordinances, in all matters touching the school. The Master held that the school was founded for the education of the youth of the Established Church ; but that did not dispose of the case. It does not follow because this was a Church-of-England school that Dissenters were to be excluded from all benefit of the instruction there given. The ordinances of 1851 enjoined the compulsory use of prayers in the school, of which the Dis- senters disapproved; compelled the scholars to attend church, and to receive instruction in the doctrines of the March of England. Those rules, though no infringement of the letters-patent, were more exclusive than requisite ; but the Court could not interfenthe Visitor alone has power to see that alter- ations are made isa-therfeitend liberal spirit which the exigencies of society and the changes lid by time requires. As Visitor in 1783, Lord Mac- clesfield made an order, that when the scholars should assemble in the school to go to church, and the parent of any child should desire his child to go to a Dissenting meeting, the child should have liberty to go to such meeting accordingly. This order appeared never to have been acted upon ; and the rules subsequently made, so far from having been modified to meet the spirit of that order, had a contrary tendency. The Master ordered that the information should stand over till the next seal after Trinity Term, with liberty to the relators to present such petition as they might be advised to the Lord Chancellor, in his character of Visitor, with liberty to either party to apply to himself in the mean time.

In the Arches Court, on Tuesday, Sir John Dodson gave judgment in the case of Roberts versus Roberta—a suit brought by the Reverend Edmund Roberts for divorce from Elizabeth Ann his wife, by reason of adultery. The charge was sustained by circumstantial evidence. Down to the spring of 1852, no misconduct, nor even levity, was imputed to Mrs. Roberts. In March 1852, James Mowatt, a youth of twenty, was engaged by Mr. Ro- berts as a tutor or assistant in the education of young gentlemen in his house ; and evidence was tendered to prove that Mrs. Roberts, who was forty-two years of age and the mother of nine children, treated Mowatt with peculiar attention; that she walked with him, arm in arm, when the pupils went out ; that they had been locked in the library together ; that, keeping her address secret from her husband., she lived in the same house with Mowatt in London and at Bath ; and that they were heard, at various times, kissing each other. No direct proof of adultery was put in; but the Judge held that proof of proximate acts was sufficient under the circumstances. He pronounced for a separation. Mrs. Roberts's proctor instantly asserted an appeal.

In the Court of Bankruptcy, on Monday, before Mr. Commissioner Fane, the first meeting took place under the bankruptcy of Charles James Ma- thews, lessee and manager of the Lyceum Theatre, who has-been made a bankrupt. as a bookseller and commission-agent. The bookselling consisted in receiving on sale or return copies of pieces played at the Lyceum. The liabilities amounted to 22,500/. ; assets 10001. Among the creditors are the Marquis of Abercorn, for 25001. money lent ; Mr. Allcroft, 6000/. • the Mar- quiz of Normanby, 3001., money lent ; and Mr. Beverley, Mr. itoxby, Mr. Planche, Mr. Brough, Mr. Sloman, Mr. Frank Mathews, Mr. Belton, Mr. Bland, persona employed in the theatre, for various sums. Mr. Brough, out of 1581., claimed 401. in full, for wages, under the 168th and 169th sections of the Bankruptcy Act. In a colloquy with the Commissioner, he described himself as a dramatic author, engaged, as " a servant " of the es- tablishment, to write pieces for the theatre. The Commissioner did not think he came within the definition of a servant, because he might work for other persons • but his claim was " admitted without prejudice to his claim- ing to be paid in full as a servant, under section 168, if so advised." Mr. Slomen, carpenter and mechanist, engaged exclusively for the Lyceum Theatre, also put in a claim to be paid in full. The Commissioner directed that this and other similar claims should stand over • it is doubtful if there is anything to meet them. Mr. Rickards tendered proof for 1300/. ; and upon this claim was raised the question whether a creditor who had come under the arrangement made by Mr. Mathews four or five years ago could now be ad- mitted to prove against the estate. Under that arrangement, Mr. Thomas had been appointed to act as receiver ; he had executed his trust in the most satisfactory manner, but nothing had been paid to the creditors. It would therefore be extremely hard on them if they were now to be excluded from proving against the estate.

The Commissioner—" But it is equally hard, on the other hand, on the new creditors who have dealt with Mr. Mathews since that arrangement was made, and knew nothing of the burden still hanging upon him."

Mr. Lawrence submitted, that as no final order had ever been made under the petition for arrangement, the proofs were not excluded. The arrange- ment was of the nature of a letter of licence, Mr. Thomas being appointed to receive and pay everything at the theatre. The Commissioner—" But the principle of these arrangements is that the old debts shall be got rid of, in order that the trader may start as a new man ; otherwise, how can the new creditors be expected to give him credit? What he has at the time of the arrangement ought to be taken possession of and distributed among the existing creditors ; and then, if he should enter into business again, he does so entirely as a new man."

Mr. Lawrance—" If Mr. Mathews had taken the advice of his best friends at that time, he would have done so."

The Commissioner---" He should have become a bankrupt at once. That is what he should have done. These arrangement clauses, as they are called, are little better than a mass of gibberish ; it is almost impossible to under- stand them. I have never attempted it."

Mr. Lawrence—" The fact of that arrangement was notorious to the ge- neral public." The Commissioner—" But what was its effect ? was anything really done ?"

Mr. Lawrence—" When an arrangement of this kind is carried out, the final order has the same effect as a certificate in bankruptcy : but that-was not done here. Where no final order is made, the debts remain just Its be- fore ; and if so, no doubt this gentleman is entitled to prove."

The Commissioner—" At last, I suppose, Mr. Mathews, under the law of bankruptcy, will find himself in the position of a free man, and will begin life afresh ? "

Mr. Lawrence—" Yes, for the first time."

The proof was admitted.

Rebecca Turton, of Bromley in Middlesex, has been committed on the Co- roner's warrant for the murder of her husband: it is believed that she strangled him in bed.

The Lambeth Magistrate has committed Mrs. Saville for trial on the charge of drowning her infant son. There seems to be no doubt that the woman was insane at the time.

The little crossing-sweeper who was shot by the lad Richards is not out of danger, though progressing favourably. Bail has been accepted for Richards.

Giardini and Mengarini, Italian modellers, are in custody, charged, the first with a murderous assault on Joseph Tinnuei, and Mengarini with in- citing to the attack. From the evidence at present adduced, it would appear that Mengarini had a hatred against Tinnuei ; to vent which he hired Giardini and another man to beat him. Tinnuei was employed in the Sydenham Crystal Palace ; at night the bravoes got into his company at Sydenham, proposed to walk home with him, and when they got to a lonely spot fell upon him with ferocity.: when he was brought home, his nose was slit up, his lip cut, and he was in such a state that it was deemed necessary to take him to the hospital, where his life was thought to be in danger for some days.

Moses Moses has been committed by Sir Robert Carden on no fewer than twelve charges of receiving stolen property, found at his extensive warehouse in Bell Lane, Spitalfields.

Mr. Hardwick, the Marlborough Street Magistrate, has administered a

just rebuke to the parish authorities of St. Giles's. Benwell, a r shoe- maker, has two obWren six and eight years of age, who have en idiots from birth; the elder has recently become very mischievous, exhibiting the violence of insanity; and Benwell, who is a widower, is so Vampered by having to watch the maniac, that he cannot earn enough to support his family. He applied to the Board of Guardians, asking them to take charge of the elder boy, he paying what he could afford towards his support. The parish sur- geon pronounced the boy not insane ; and the Guardians refused to take him—they would take Benwell and both children into the house, but would not take the one child. It was apparent to Mr. Hardwick and to all in the Police-office that the boy is really a lunatic. The Magistrate sent for the Overseer of St. Giles's, on Monday, and told him that if the Guardians did not do something effective in the matter he would forward the particulars of the case to the Chief Poor-law Commissioner.