OUR ENGLISH LETTER.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume 7, Issue 354, 1 March 1866, Page 2

OUR ENGLISH LETTER.

(feom otju own coebespoxdext.) Yorkshire, December 25, 1866. Ax explosion in a mine near Merthyr Tydvil has killed twenty persons, and injured many more. The man Forwood, alias Southey, who murdered three children at a coffee house in London, and afterwards his own wife and child at Ramsgate, nas been tried at Maidstone for the latter crime, and sentenced to death. An attempt to prove insanity was made, but the Judge and jury both took the common sense view of the case, and declined to adopt the views of two or three doctors, who for different reasons swore that they believed him insane. There are doubtless a number of doctor’s whose crotchets on this subject would, if accepted by society, consign nine-tenths of their fellow creatures to custody and restraint. The cattle plague is still spreading, and hitherto no ellectual preventive or remedy has been discovered. The Jamaica revolt has been the most prominent question discussed lately. Public meetings have been held in many of the manufacturing and commercial towns, generally for the purpose of declaiming agaiAst Governor Eyre, but under cover of resolutions demanding enquiry. From the reports it appears some of these meetings have been stormy ones, ending sometimes in the defeat of tiia original movers. Sir Henry Stork has been sent out to assume the Government, and to be the head of a commission of enquiry. The measures adopted to.suppress the revolt were undoubtedly severe, and may possibly have been unnecessarily so ; but the English public are not in a position to judge correctly on mere ex parte statements, even though made by missionaries. The history of the Colony of New Zealand during the last five

years would be thrown away, if those who understand it were to be led away by (possibly false) accusations by Baptist Ministers, as the British public has been by (actually false) charges made by Church Missionaries in the case of New Zealand. ( The Eenian trials proceed in Ireland; several of the prominent member have been eon vie ted of treason-felany, and sentenced to long terms of imprisonment. Stevens, the head centre, the supposed head of the organisation, had been ai’rested in a fine house in the suburbs of Dublin, but escaped out of prison, doubtless with the help of somebody employed in it. £I,OOO reward is offered for his capture. The “ brotherhood ” have set up a Government in New York, but have got tologgerheadsamougthemselves. John O’Mahoney is the elected “President,” (oflreland?) but the “Senate” decry some of his acts and appointments. Dr Pusey has written a letter (published on the Continent) suggesting terms of reuaion between the English. Church and Rome, from which it may be infeered that a large party, known as the Ritualists, or extreme high church, are anxious, not merely to go to Romo, for that they can do at any lime, but to take as much of the existing Anglican Church and its “ temporalities ” with the in as possible. The term Protestant is quite misapplied to such men. If they really believe the doctrines of the Papacy, it is simply fraud to remain professedly Protestant for the sake of their incomes. The death of Leopold, King of the Belgians, is the event of the month; His son succeeds as Leopold 11. General Contineutal politics are quiet. Italy has just been changing her ministry, Sweden her Constitution. Erance being quiet, most other powers are the same. Greece seems still iu a state of chaos.