SOCIAL UPHEAYINGS IN ENGLAND.

Evening Star, Issue 3753, 4 March 1875, Page 3

SOCIAL UPHEAYINGS IN ENGLAND.

Eminent ministers of many denominations orthodox and unorthodox, have appeared on a common platform in London to give a partmg blessing to a Hindoo, a pagan Brahma preacher, the main part of whose business in India is to resist the spread of Christianity in that country. Indeed, I could make quite a catalogue of those ‘'indications of upheaval” which the ‘Times’ sees, hut thinks best not to report, and not the least would be the fact that every club, every drawing room, is turned into a controversial council. Ladies lisp atheism over their ices, as Disraeli said, and it -is in order to ask your partner in the intervals of a waltz whether she is an ammish or believes that we are molecular automata. Nay, we have bad an instance lately of a lady in If gb society appearing in public as au advocated Tyndalian theories. The lady—Mrs Anne Besant—after receiving the best education that Germany, Paris, and London combined could give, was married to the gentleman whose name she bears, -but he was amazed to find that she was a determined sceptic. Being himself a devout Ohurchnun, he desired her at least to conform outwardly to religious customs—that is, go to church and take the sacrament. This the wife refused to do. The papers of separation being signed, the lady gave a lecture in a public ball, and caused considerable sensation by her eloquence. Moreover, she is younu and very pretty—with oval face, debcate complexion, and soft black eyes The advanced Unitarian Chapel at Clerkenwfell, in London, hearing that a fair heretic had appeared, invited her to give a Sunday evening discourse there ; but they xia»ve been in vinformeil of tb* extent of flic young lady’s heresy, and" ih' commotion was gread. The minister taniu-i a reputed Hadieu!, has had to utter a public disclaimer of any affinity with the philosophy of Mrs Bcaant, who now has about as good a chance to become the Joan of Arc o/’onr religious conflict as any lady in EnJand .The tarte of the gentleman who turned such, a lady as this out of house and home becaus of her evolutionary theories has uudergornsome severe criticism o , hut it shows thai some saving faith is still left in the world Her case is not veiy bad, hj r the court ha. allowed her the control of her litt. daughter.

A much worse case has recently come t, light in the case of Mrs Louisa Lowe, -who however, when she became a heretic, han penedtohe the wife of a clergyman, from whom, of course, more z°al was only to b expected. She r aided with her reverend hu-ib-r.d at Upo' ten- Vicarage,' near Honiton, ana icav contused her symptoms oi heresy with sjmpoms of insanity. She wau suddenly seized, and, without any prod minaries, incarcerated in a private lunatic asylum, near Bristol, in September, 1870 It is new conceded by all parties that Mis Lowe was at no time in the least insane, yet all her letters to her friends were suppressed,

and all her appeals to be brought before a jury were unheard. Certain pecuniary comdic.it’ODs at length rendered it necessary rimt she should be looked after, and she was discovered in the I! an well Lunatic Asylum —lo which she was removed in IS7I, under■i ing indescribable agonies. In reply to her application for redress at the Home office, trs Lowe was advised that she must seek nv remedy at law. But as, under the preent disabilities of married women, only her husband could plead on this subject, and, as iie seems perfectly satisfied that a heretic is accessary a Ln .lie, Mis L jwe can only apnal to the public. She has brought to light t number of cases that she found in the pilaati asylums of persons rot at all insane, vvho were held by interested parties, without 1,^mean 3 communicating with the world, and one gentleman has b.en I bex..! d w ho was illegally detained for fourteen years. Hie result is that a Lunacy Law Reform association has been forme 1.—71/ D. Conway's London Letter hi ‘Cincinnati Commercial . ’