The Montreal witness, 24 juin 1871, samedi 24 juin 1871

[" COMMER CIAL REVIEW AND FAMILY NE ere \u2014\u2014= | TWENTY-SIXTH YEAR, i MONTREAL WITNESS (Semi-weekly) 82 per annum.\u2014 \u2014a\u2014\u2014 nn SIRI ee ae SOC SE SS RS .CORRESPONDENCE, [loin in singing tho followiog rhyme at cach -\u2014 Ti NEWFOUNDLAND, (From Our Oun Correspondent.) Sr, Joux's, Nec, June 10.CURIOUS FATE OF A WEDDING-RING.There is just now on exhibition here a plain gold wedding-riog, to which à curious history is attached.A fisherman of Trinity Bay, on opening the stomach of a codfish one day last summer, to his astonishment found in it this gold ring Heatouce brought it tothe principal \u20ac planter\u201d of the settlement, who bought it from him, and who veuches for the fact that it \u2018was found as desorbed.Indecd, thero could be no trickery or deception in such a matter among the primitive fishermen of Trinity Bay, The ring is rather massive, and on the inside are engraved the words, \u201c God abov contincw our love.\u201d Judging by the orthography of this motto, one would be inclined to conclude that the ring must pe et lcasta couple ofcen- turies old; but then it may be à medern engraving of an ancient ling, the spelling being left unaltered.Perhaps some of your readers may be able to point to the authorship of the motto.But the question is, Where did the codfish pick itup 7 Was the golden circlet placed on some fair, taper finger before the altar\u2014the blushing bride, balf tears half smiles, holding up lier band to receive the emblem of plighted affection, on which her fond lover had got inecribed the pious motto, \u201c God abov continew our love?\u201d Did some years of wedded life follow, and then did the darkness rush down in tho ferm of a terrible calamity ?We picture to our- sclves a storm fn the wild Atlantic\u2014 a sinking ship\u2014husband and wife clasped in one anothèrs arms going down into \u201c the dark unfathomed caves of ocean.\u201d Pale and ghastly, they are laid on the floor of the great deep\u2014the tangled sea-weed twining with the long, fair hair.The delicate hand becomes the prey of fishes, and the marriage ring finds a resting place in the maw of the all- devouring cod.Btrange destiny! But stranger still, the ring is drawn with the fish into the boat of the fisherman, and is now shown as a curiosity by strangers who can only guess ita history! Who knows but when the story is widely circulated on the wings of the press, it may mect the eye of some surviving relative ofthe wearer, who may be able to identify it Ly tho unusual motto, and to whom It would be unspeakably precious, There is not a shadow of doubt that it had been found as described; and the or some unfortunate vessel that perished near - these shores, or perhaps far out in the Atlan- CELEBRATION OF THE QUEEN'S BIRTHDAY.tic.TBE MUMMERS.As I am on the subject of curlosities, I may mention a singular custom that prevailed here for many gencrations, and has only been recently abolished by the strong arm of the law.During the first week of each new year bands of \u201c mummers\u201d were accustomed to parade the thoroughfares, making a kind of carnival.The saturnalia accompanying the performance were confined entirely to the lower classes, who enjoyed ther most heartily\u2014in fact for them they formed 8 most agreeable romance, to which they cagerly looked forward.Before the arrival of the new year, the mummers prepared dressed of all possible shapes and hues, most of them Jike those of harlequin and clown in pantomimes, the general color being white, with sundry bedaubments of paint and tinsel.All were masked ; a huge paper cocked-liat being the favorite hendpicee.The ladies were represented by young fishermen, who were painted but not masked.The masks were generally very grotesque ; and the fool, or clowns, were furnished with thongs or bladders, with which they belabored the surrounding mob, In this the chief amusement of the scene consisted.Any one of their own order, passing along the street, was liable to be aseailed Ly the harmless thongs of the clowns, who Dbelabored their victim most unmercifnliy, with loud resounding blows.No great amount of pain was inflicted, and the sufferers were expected to take it all good humoredly, as is the case in a Roman carnival.From morning till night the streets were in an uproar with the performances of there mummers and the outcriea of their vie timsas they tried to escape and were hotly pursued.The whole affair was harmless in itself, and was evidently a relic of tho days of the Abbot of Unreason, and the Lord of Misrule.Atlengthit was carried to auch excess as to become a public nuisance and cause obstruction in the streets.Mummers got drunk occasionally and quarrels arose.The law very properly interfered, and ended the old romance.A solemn act of tho Legisiature was passed, prohibiting mumming in every shape.At first the police hada hard time endeavoring to enforce the law, and a rebellion of the \u201c unwashed\u201d was threatened.The baton of the constable, however, prevailed \u2014the last mummer was captured and igno-! miniously committed to the lock-up,\u201d and during the last four or five years no attempts at renewing the old carnival have been made.So vanishes, in thia cold, utilitarian age, a custom as oldas the times described in Scott's | « Ivanhoe,\u201d and which, in all probability, is | the christianized form of the Saturnalia of the old Romans.Sic tranat gloria mundi, ST.STEPHEN'S DAV\u2014TN® WREN'S BURIAL, Another queer old custom that is now almost extinct is, © The Burial of the Wren,\u201d on St.Stephen's Day, the 26th of December, On that day parties of boys go from door to door in B¢.Johns, Their leader carries a green | Lush cut from a spruce tree, decorated gaily with ribbons and scraps of colored paper, and having cither a dead bird, or the figure of one, fastened to onc of the branches.The party \u201cThe wren the wren, tho king uf all birds, Was cauyht on Bt.Stophen\"s Day {1 the fira: Mithoueh he is Mitle his honor (n greut, Év rise up, kind 1uxdurs, and give us à trent : Up with The Ecttle nid down veith tire pan, À pennyor two-pence tu bury the wren.§ or packet full of money, und yuur cellur full of beer, 1 wish you ul) a merry Chridtmas, and's happy w yeur.The contributions levied by these youngsters are spent, not \u201cin burying tho wren \u201d (pronounced here always \u201c wran ), but in entombing, in the youthful stomachs, «toffey,\u201d \u201c bull's eyes,\u201d gingerbread, or in other mild forms of dissipation, such aaéspruce beer.\u201d ORIGIN OF THE CUSTOM, The custom is declining and will soon be extinct, but it is one of considvrable antiquity, In Waldron's Works, Isle of Man,\u201d p.353, folio 1711, is the following reference to the ceremony : \u201c In the Isle of Man, on the 24th December, towards evening, all the servants in general have a loliday.They go not to bed all night, but ramble about till the bells ring in all the churches, which is at 12 o'clock : prayers being over they go out to hunt the wren, and having found one of these poor birds, they kill her, aud lay her ona bier with the utmost suleimnity, ng Ler to the parish church, and burying \u2018her with a whimsical kind of splemnity, singing dirges over her in the Manx language, which they call her ¢ knell, after which Christmas begins?Who can say what gave rise to this singular custom ?Evidently it has on it the hue of old I'aganism, and was probally one of the many heathen ceremonies grafted on Christianity in times of ignorance aud superstition.The # burying ot the wren,\u201d for which the gaming of St.John's, N.F., are now soliciting coppers at our doors, might probably be traced back to the age of the Druids\u2014nay, the custom may have ts root in that great Aryan ration froin which we are all sprung, the organic remains of which are now being disintorred.The Manx, or inhabitants of the Isle of Man, among whom ft survived till about a century | since, are à branch of the Celtic family.By the Irish Celts it was fiséroduced here, an: only here is it known to exist.Very singular is it to find old customs that have long since died out in the old world, maintained in full force in this outlying corner of creation.Early settlers broughtthem from the Fathertand ; and in a region where few now ideas intrude, these aneient usages hold their ground, and crop out, like some palæozoic rock that comes to the surface amid recent formations.(To be continued.) MANITOBA.Oman fs ay.The birthday of our beloved Queen was observed by the loyal people of this Province as a public holiday, and was celebrated especially in Winnipeg and St.Andrews\u2014the principal parish in che clectoral district of Lisgar.There a meeting of the citizens was held to decide on the best way to enjoy the holiday, nnd it was decided to have games and races suitable for the occasion, and also to invite the officers and soldicrs of the 2nd Battalion \u2014stationed at Stone Fort\u2014to a dinner, as a mark of their esteem and appreciation of their conduct while here, and of their services to Manitoba.Colonel Casaultkindly offered the services of their excellent band, and allowed all the men who could possibly be spared to attend, immediately after morning parade.All the officers were present also, The entertainment was under the management of the ladies of Lisgar, who got np everything in tho Lest style\u2014in fact, in A way that would have donc credit to any city in Ontario or Quebec; and all enjoyed themselves very much, especially the gallant Volunteers, for whose special honor the affair was intended, and whom all regret we are so soon to lose.A salule of twenty-one guna was fired at noon at Stone Fort.In Winnipeg the new Fire.engine Company turned out in their new uniforms, and there was considerable horse- Tacing and the usual attendance at the saloons.THY QUEREC BATTALION.It has now been decided that the company of the Quebec battalion wbich is to remain here for six months longer, will Le sent to the Upper l\u2018ort Garry, and accordingly they leave for there to-morrow.The officers who remain are Major Irvine, Captain Allan Macdonald, and Mr.Provost.\u2018Lhe rest remain at Lower Fort tilt their departure for Canada, the first week in June.The boats are now nearly all repaired, and the voyageurs engaged for the trip.REMOVAL OF PRISON.It has been arranged to fis up one of the stone buildings within Lower Fort Garry as a prison, instead of the insecure one formerly in ure at Upper Fort, It is a much better and safer building, besides being away from the vicinity of the turbulent and lawless characters who might be inclined to try their favorite amusement of jail-brenking again.MOR LAWYERS.Two more legal gentlemen pulitish their cards as Barristers and Attorncys-at-law\u2014Jas, Ross, à native of Manitobs, and educated in Canada, and D.M.Walker, so that now we are pretty well supplied in this line.NEW ENTTLEMNNTA \"arc being commenced in various parts of the country, aud claims aro being taken in all eligible locations.Mnny of the voluntecrs are selling their claima to the grant to be made them, and generally there is quite an extensive land-oftice business Leing done, THR PRIESTS\u2019 CATEIAWS, As usual the French, no doubt incited by their priests, are grasping at a large reserve of the most valuable land along the borders of Lake Manitoba.They have held a mecting ; MONTREAL, SATURPAY, JUNE 2, 1871, among themuclyes, and rédélved that, in view of the coming survey of it is expedient for the inbabitants of division to take up their claims in common, what they may not be separated by the distyibution of lands to the half-breeds, and that claim now taken extends twenty miles fi north to south along Luke Manitoba, aud five miles east and west; \u201calso resolved tht a copy of these resolutions be sent Mr.y, our represen- tive dn the Local Heuse; #6 that he may for.wa em the propet quarte: upon them in our beatin 1 ra, God at This, you will see at o: to the regniations Iaid d for the diatritrition is quite contrary à by Government these lands, and may be some trouble, as tFis nô doubt intended to oxclude ail other séfiors who are not of that race or nationality, SPREADING BEYONDÈRE PROYIKCE, A new French scttleméebt is also formad on the River Roseaur, near Pembina, extending outwards toward the e of the Woods, where there is, I belicve, fome very good timbers, A loyal French Bi named Should they try to sf this plas, theid Racette, has also entered fpto an arrangement to provide land in any qugntity for settlers at some distance from the pisent bounds of this Provinoe, in the neighborhood of Riding Mogptain and the Bourly River, where the land and timber are said be very, excellent.It is over a hundred spiles west of l'urt- tage La Drairie, already quite n number of Canadians nal others have gone out there to.sce the good Jdand for themselves, and, if pleased, to settle ; 80 Very soon we shall, no doubt, see the pfesent limited settlement extended all over firtile plains and valleys stretching to the tchewan, He guarantees that none of Indian tribes shall molest intending settle publishes tne authority given him by æveml of these tribes to dispose of their lands gs he thinks best.IMMIGRATION pare i.Numbers of strangers are week)y arriving in the country to settle; would advise nfl who intend doing so ts Bow on at once and secure 8 good lot.Ify hundreds of poor, hard-working men in rougher parts of Canada could only seu Jhe magnificant soil here, entirely free from stones or stumps\u2014 and needing no manure fir years\u2014they would not remain an hour where they are ouly wasting their 1 in toil, while here the same amount of would very soon raise them plenty and {ealth.Come in, and possess the land ! ABDIEL.CLAIMS OF Tg BALLOT (To the Editor England, and, like tho usuxy laws, has surmounted prejudice, I hope You will advocate it throughout the length and breadth of the land.Without it bribery and corruption must increase, and with these intimidation and oppression.I Leg of you, as an independent journal, to urge this as à relief to Canadinn enslavement, Auicus, STATISTICS OF AMERICAN JOURNALISM.The % American Newspaper Directory\u201d for 1871, just issued by Messrs.Geo.P.Rowell & Co., proprietors of the American Advertising Agency of New York City, contains certain tables of statistics which have been compiled with care, and can be relied upon as substantially correct.They cover a licld of rescarch which no statistician has Lefore touched upon, and furnish food for retlcution and wonderment.The following are a few of tho many facts which a study of these tables reveal :\u2014 The whole number of periodicals issued in the United States is 5,981, with 73 to Le added for the Territorics, and 553 are printed in the Dominion of Canada, and 29in the Itritish Colonics, making a grand tofal of 6,438, of which 637 are daily, 118 tri-webkly, 129 semiweekly, 4,642 weckly, 21 bi-wepkly, 100 semimonthly, 715 monthly, 14 W-monthly, and 62 are issucd quarterly.New York has the largest number of publications 894, of which 371 arc printed in New Yerk City, and Nevada has the smallest number issued in any State\u2014only 15.Nevada more daily than weckly papers, and is unique in this respect, every other State having from three to twelve times as many weeklies as dailies, Tri-weekly papers are more common in the South than semi-wecklics while in the North ern States the facts arc reversed.The largest number of daily papers published in any State is 89,in New York, I'enn- sylvania is second, with G1, Next comes Illinois, with 38, and California has 34, belng tho fourth on the list.Delaware and Florida have each 1 daily paper.Kansas has as many as Vermont, West Virginia, Mississippi und Arkansas combined.Nebraska and Nevada have each wore dnilics than either Urezon, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Fermont, West Virginia, Arkansas, Delaware, Florida, Maine, or Mississippi.Of the 73 publications jssudd regulatly in the Territories 13 are daily dhd 50 weekly, 3 tri-weckly, 4 semi-weckly, | &ppears monthly, 1 semi-monthly, and ! bi- Ry.The papers of New York $tate have the largest circulation, averaging {411 each iseuc.Massachusetts is second, with B,709 average\u2019; then comes the District of §olumbia with 4,323, Nevada has the amallegt average circulation, only 616, while rida averages G10, Arkansas 050, Texas 701, Mad Mivsissippi 153, There are 348 papers in thé United States which print more than 5,000 cépies cach issue, and 11 which print more thar 100,000.The New York Weekly hina the largest circulation given; among the political meliumas the New York Woekly Tribune takes the lend, and among the agricultural wockies Moore's Rural New-Yorker stavds fist, Tha Now York /n- t should.not be for a moment allowed, 1 the Wiünest.rs creo dependent is the Ingest paper and has the largest circulation of any religiows paper.Nearly 1,000 papersaao printed on the aiixill- avy plan-\u2014that de, og sheets purchaged from New York, CI And other centres, with one side already peinted.This nitérber has mare than doubled -within one yeer, More than 1,000 new newspapers have béen established since the ficst of March, 1870, and the nugber of new oncs armounced since Janoary Ist, 1871, has averaged nearly four per day.The number \u2018of suspensions is about ome- fourth as Merge ax that of she new is sues on- nounced, Moses.Oco.P.Bowell & Co.assert that the nnmber of newspgpers issued las fully doubled within civ var- Heated to 7 looking oy 34 18 Pépecialtics (or class pioireations,) we find the Tefigiqus largely predor te over any other clase, which shows the interest the prers takex in the moral and relizions welfare of the country.Thereare in the Unit- 283 publications advocating «vange sectarian ides, with 22 in the Dominion of Canada, with none either in the territories colonies, Of this number New York City Las 44, Philadelphia 23, Boston 21, while Plorida, Kansas, Nevads and New Jersey are entirely unre ted.\u2018The fgrmers, horticulturists and stock- raisers have their igterests rez nte« by an agricultural press numbering no less than 106 publications, nny of which are gotton up at great expense, and are very extensively circulated.The medicat profession enlightens its members through the coluinus of 72 putlications, of which 5 are weeklies, 50 monthlics, 3 semi-monthlics, 3 bi-monthlies, and 11 ydar- terlies, Nearly, if not all the schools of medicine have their representative organ, which circulates among its admirers, and is criticised severely by ite contemporarivs, whose views differ from it about the « healing of the na tions \u201d while there arc a number that furnish intelligence of general interest to all medical men, ae ell = the general reader, without ng sides for or just an; icular school of medicine, (er 7m Most of the colleges and many of the State Boards of Education have thuir representative lorgan, besidus several publications that treat educational matters in ageneral way.Of this class we have 84 in the United States and 6 in the Dominion of Canada.They are most!y monthlies, with an occasional weekly, biweekly and quarterly, The large cities bave their commercial papers, which are nearly all issued weckly.Insurance is discussed through the medium of 19 special publications, 12 of which are issued monthly, and a number of them being Freemasonry, temperance, odd-fellowship, music, mechanics, law, sporting, rcal csiate, and woman's suffrage, have each their representative organs, many of which are edited with ability and have extensive circulations, and net large incomes to their enterprising publishers.The list of class publications is increasing rapidly of late, its ratio of increase being greater than that of the cntire press of the countrytaken together, owing, probably, to the fact that the increase of wealth and population of the country make it possible and profitable to publish class papers where, but a very few years back, they could not have been made self-supporting The number of papers published in other than the English language is growing rapidly, owing to the immense immigration from for- vign countries, capecially Germany, France, Scandinavin and Italy.The publications printed in the German language in the United States number 341, and the Dominion of Canada 5, and are over three times as many as the sum of all the other publications in foreign languages combined.The publications in the French language are confined principally to Louisiana and the Province of Quebece, where the language is in common use.The Scandinavian publications number 18, and are confined entirely to the West and North-west, (with a single exception, that of & daily, semi-wcekly and weekly in New York City), the immigrants from Denmark, Norway and Sweden having principally settled there.Many of the thriving Western towns have been almost cntirely built up by these industrious and frugal people, who use their native tongue universally, and frequently never learn the English language, In the Spanish language there are but 7, Hollandish 6, Italian 4, Welsh 3, Bohemian 2, Portuguese 1, Cherokee 1, none of which have a very wide circulation or influence, owing to the reason that the population speaking these languages is comparatively limited and wide ty scattered.AMERICAN NEWS, LouisviLim, Ky., June 7 \u2014Fred M.Hutchina, the agent of Wells, Fargo & Co., who absconded from Baxter Springs, Kan., somctime since with $2,500 of the Company's money, was arrested at Howesville, Ky, on \u2018Tuesday, and brought to this city end lodged in jail, to await the arrival of the officers from Kansas.\u2014 Chicago paper.Can IT be Tree ?\u2014The Comgregationalist relates the following extraordinary incident: \u201cBome of our cxchanges tell à story which wo hope is not true, to the effect that D.A.Peck of Middletown, coming into the South Church on Sunday, April 9th, with another person, found a gentleman in his pew who had juet been put there by mistake, instead of in the pew next in front.Peck motioned to him to come out, but he kept his seat, where.| npon Peck took him by the coller and pulled lim out in the aisle.We have known cases where people felt so cross as to show it quite plainly in the faco on finding their pow occu- picd, but have never befors heurd of violence like this.Wa suggest that the perpetrator PE WSPAPER.MONTREAL WEEKLY WITNESS, GA ped annua, DAILY WITNESS, $3 per annum, cither enclose his pew with an fron cage, employ 8 special police to keep out intruders Make a sure thing of it by all meam.> Mr.Puck should have been complained of befofe « magistrats for disturding a religions mectisg.He would om his trig} have discovered that there is no saeh property in & pew as justified him in acting the \u201crough\u201d in æ charch\u2014 Christian Fra.\u2019 {If the house Je God's there should be no other proprieterséép but His tm any of its scats ; and He will not tarm any out by the cuff of the reck who come to hear His Word.\u2014Ed.Wit.] Mason Juxxs axD eum Hyare Pouce Tm- vusuusr\u2014The distient assault cver gotten up against » decent, map, has been waged for several weeks, abd evew months, against the State Police.Nosuch vMlanous creatures ever crawled up the State Homse steps as hé Las brought there, men who avowed the worst crimes, who talked about their abandoned courses and associates, as Lorn might boast of his royal alliance ; men just from jail and still under sentence, were called to testify against this force.They found some men who have prolably received bribes, Lut against the Chicf, and most of Lis force, they brought nothing.The vile stuff they poured forth in like their owa rot-gut whiskey, only deadly to themselves and their patrons.The comrmât- tee, 8 majority of whem are opposed to Prohibition, introduced a Lill which is an improvement on the present, creating three Police Commissioners, with power to appoint a Chicf aud a hundred deputies, all of whom shall be under the control of the Rxecutive.The State Police and its Chiefhave come out of the fire unharmed, while those who cast them there, are themselves cast into the flames of universal censure and contempt.The two arms of the Prolibitory legisistfon are thus made strong by legislatures and courts\u2014the legal right to prohibit, and' the employment of State force to carry out Prohibition.Maine and New Hampshire must have such a Police before they have completely subdued the rum power.\u2014Zion's Herald, Boston.Brine wre Hupsox.\u2014 This is truly the age of gigantic epgineering enterprises.It must Le à wide and rapid river, indeed, that is not bridged nowadays, should the cnterprise be only deemed a paying onu.In this connection we see that plans for the Hudson suspension Lridge have buen completed, and the work 18 to be commenced at once.The bridge is to be an clegant as well ae colossal structure and reaching from Fort Clinton on the western side of the Hudson River, across to St.Authony's Nose on the castern side, four miles above Peckskilt and forty-three miles \u2018There will bs but ans cless actus tie river.lin loaglit will be 1,600 feet.The length of the: bridge between the towers will be 1,666 feet, and the total length, including approaches, will be 2,449 fect.Its clevation above high-water mark is to be 155 feet.Its safe-bearing capa~ city for railroad trains ie to be 2,400 tons and for highways 2,880 tons, and it will require 25,- 171 tons to break it.There will be twenty cables in four systems, each cable to be-of fourteen inches diameter.These cables will contain 371, 195, 750 feet or about 70, 302 miles of steel wire.The total weight of iron and steel will be 17,005 tons, and the suspended weight 9,651 tons.The height of the tower above the water level will be 280 fect.There will be 58, 084 cubic yards of masonry in the abutments and towers.Four towers\u2014two on cach side\u2014of immense strength will hold the upper and main cables.A vast saving will be made in the mason work on account of the solid rock in the mountain ranges on.either side, in which the large calles will be firmly rooted.There will be two stories to this bridge, the upper one to be used for trains and the lower cue for highway use.The width will Le forty feet.A train of sixty heavy locomotives and 35,000 persons can safely puss over.This location is at the narrowest point of the Hudson River between this city and Albany, and makes a direct connection between the metropolis and every railroad im the United States.\u2014_Imeriean paper.Tue Restit or Suspex Axcun\u2014 Patrick Cahill and John Wall, natives of the same village in Ircland, emigrated to America after 14 years of service in the same family at home.Immediately upon their arrival in this country, about five years ago, they went to work for John Dugan, a stablekeeper at No, 261 West Thirty-thind-st., where they have since labored.Cahill, who served as a coachman, centered the stale about 6 o'clock on the evening of the lth, having just returned from Jerome Pik with his team.Wall brought some feed on a pitchfork for Cahill's horses, whereupon Call «aid that was not the kind ho wanted.Wall replied that it was very good feed, which Cahill denied, Bome harsh words then passed between the men, when Cahill suddenly rolled up bis shirt sleeves, and advanced throeteningly towards Wall.The latter raised hin fork asCahill approached, and struck him heavily upon the back of the neck, felling him to the floor, Wail raised his fork to strike Cahill, when Dennis O'Brien, fc man of the stable, entered and caught the uplifted arm of Wall, who thereupon dropped the fork and ran up-stairs to a room In the third story, where he lived.An officer was near the stable at the time, and upon Leing informed of the attey by OBrien, went up to Wall\u2019s room and qurested him.Cahill, who was 28 ycars of age, wan found lying inscasible upon the étabje floor, and died 16 minutes after the officer entered.Upon medical examination, it was found that the iron band of the fork, fiewm which the tires branch out, had atruck the neck to heavily as to dislocate it, Wall, who is 25 years of age, and married, expressed deep sorrow for his rash act.Me was tocked up in the Twentieth Preclack Station to await the result of the Coroner's inquestomiN.F.Tré- dune. Cotemporary Press.THE DISPUTED BARONETCY.(From N.Y.Times.) The famous Tichborne caso is still in progress in the Westminster Court of Common Pleas, and stil} cxcites the greatest interest among all classes of society.One side is good, of course, until the other is heard.But, in the meanwhile, it cannot be denied that the intiffs case looks amazingly strong, and the thcory of wholesale subornation seems out of the question, When we were told that French, the language of the true Sir Roger's boyhood, could not bo spoken by this Sir Roger atall ; that the fromer Sir Roger was short and slight, while the present Sir Roger is big and tall ; that the « dark man, \u201d Bogle, had extraordinary reasons and extraordinary means for consummating a successful conspiracy ; and that such witnesses as respected and widely.known clergymen, acquainted with Sir Roger in lis youth, awcar that they do not Delieve the clalmant to be Sir Roger\u2014it was hard to believe that the plaintiffs case could be made to hold water, or that there was a chance for any but & single and obvious termination of the suit, But what arc we to say to the recent evidence, cspecially that heard on the 22nd and 23rd of May?The reader will remember the long, unequivocal sflidavit of Lady Tichborne, the main points of which we published May 26th.That lady affirmed and reaftirmed in the most absolute terms her positive belief that the claimant, said by his opponents to be a butcher, is her son, Sir Roger Tichborne.On the heels of this now appear a great number of persons with corroborative statements, Geo.Allen, formerly butler in the Tichborne family, swears that be has no doubt of the claimant's identity with the veritable Sir Roger.He cites many details that establish this conviction in his mind, such as the plaintiffs hair, eyes, gait, speech and manners.This evidence is made peculiarly significant by the fact that there was said to be a \u201ckind of likeness between Allen and Sir Roger\u201d which the latter dwelt upon, and seems often to have dis cussed.Thomas Carter, the body servant of Sir Roger in 1852, is no less positive.He has \u201cno more doubt that the claimant is the Roger Tichborne of 1852 than he has that he, Carter, is himself\u201d Other people in or connected with the regiment to which Sir Roger belonged\u2014the Carbineere, or Sixth Dragoon Guards\u2014likewise recollect and identify him.These persons include oficers and privates, tailors, bandsmen and servants, Thus, John Lesswarc was trampet-major to the regiment when Tichborne joined it at Portobello Barracks, Dublin.This witness, on being confronted with the claimant, «recognized him by bis heavy eycbrows, and the twitching when he spoke, and also by the round of his voice\u201d It appears that Lessware had a long talk with the claimant, extending to three or four hours, and that reminiscences of what passed in the regiment were chicfly the subjects of discussion.On al! these sub- Jects the claimant's rémarks were accurate and confirmatory of his identity.Mrs.Lessware, the wife of this witness, aitests to the same thing, and is « perfectly satisfied that the plaintiff is Mr, Tichborne,\u201d The coachman of Sir Edward Doughty, the uncle of Sir Roger, gives similar evidence.This Thomas Buston, lived in the family scven years, and saw young Tichborne often.He, too, dwelis on the twitching, the cyes, and other peculiarities.To the question, after a long stat :ment, * What is now your deliberate judgment?\u201d Duston replied, «I believe, on my osth, that he is Sir Roger Tichborme.A fisherman, named William Gould, who seems to have once Leen an bumble playmate of Roger, likewise gives unmistakable evidence.Roger was fond of boating, fishing and shooting, and Gould swears that he «used to go about with him most days\u201d Gould adds: \u201cHe was very partial to me, and we were great friends.\u201d Now, in describing what passed between them on first mreting after the claimant's return, Gould testifies :\u2014.\u201c1 recognized him at once and he recognized me at once.I could swear to him anywhere.His appearance and his voice nade me Tecog- nize him, Any one who knew Sir E.Doughty would recognize the plaintiff.No one pointed him out to me.Isaw him again in the evening, and we had somn conversation together, After I left him I went home and cut out four models of boats.I put them on the table before Mr.Rouse, Mr.Holmes and Mr, Tiche borne, in the London Tavern Hotel, Poole, 1 asked him if he could remember the model of the boat hie bought for himself at Poole, and he said Le thought he could.\u201d [The witness here produced four small wooden models of boate, which he said were copies on a smaller scale of those he showed to the plaintiff.] «I threw the models down upon the table, and the plaintiff picked up the right one.It was thie model of a foreign-Luilt boat.1 talked to lim about other things, and ia regard to all he was right.I asked him what he gave for the boat, and he replied £5, That was right.Something was said about a truss of hay, This conversation occurred in 1867.He asked me if I could mind when he brought the truss of hay and put it on the boat's bottom and set fire to it to dry the boat, That was quite true, We wanted to have it dried for tarring.I did not mention à word about the matter to him until he told me.\u201d At this point Gould was thus addressed \u2018by a counsel : ** Now, have you any doubt about his being Roger Tichborne?«If heis not Si Ticbborne,\u201d he replied, \u201cit in the very old \u2014\u2014 himselt?To which observed the Bolicitor-General, \u201c I don\u2019t dispute that\u2014 which is he?\u2019 Gould promptly answered, \u201cSir Roger Tichborne.\u201d The wifo of this witness, Maris Gould, confirmed her husband's amertions, as did also Martha Legg, who was for some time Tichbornc's lanndress.There are few trials on record in which the evidence on both sides, while equally positive, and, to all appearance, probuble, is in such pointblank opposition.It is not to be wondered at that tho Tichborne case creates much excitement, and that the result fs looked for with unusual eagerness, The hearing of the evidence on tho trial bad already lasted nearly three weeks when, at the request of tho wearied Jury, the claim- THE MONTREAL WITNESS.ant was put into the witaess-box to tell his own story, This he did in his direct exe mination with a surprising degree of conformity to the leading facts of bis lifo as Already publivhod ; but the case was somewhat different under a severe cross-examina- tion.This was exceedingly searching, and no doubt would be sufficiently perplexing to anyone, But there are a few things which militate with almost invincible forco against the belief in the identity of the claimant as being the real Sir Roger.That a man should, even after a lapse of twenty years, forget his mother tongue, French, which Le had spoken for sixteen years is cortainly surprising; nor is it much less surprising that he should forget the name of the vessel or its captain, by which and by whom he was not so many years ago saved from shipwreck.It is still moro suspicious that he should forget the proper pronunciation of his mother's name, and , aitmerely according to the phonetic power of its lctters, according to English prosody, Inawillwhich he had executed in Australia he had called his mother by a totally different name, and committed other inaccuracies, or made downright mis-statements, for which he could give no straightforward reason whilst in the witness box.On the whole, while his caso so far seems very strong in some respects, in others there are insuperable difficulties in the way of believing him to be that which he ro- presents himself to be, the lang lost Bir Roger.HEBREW CONGREGATIONAL UNION.(From N.F.Tribune.) The Rabbinical Conference just closed in Cincinnati was perhaps the most important convocation of Hebrews held fu this or any other country during the present century, as regards its probable results, The Jews, it may be, have not been more than any other people under the immediate ruling of the Almishty's hand, but it ie certain that for three thousand years they have been, as it were, st up and apart upon a pedestal as an example of that ruling for other nations.Since the days of Abraham they have stood in the foreground of history.A ray of supernatural light upon them, their faith has been crowned with exceptional rewards, their crimes followed with swift and terrible punishment.Even now, they are a proof such as is nowhere else offered of the truth of the sacred prophecies.Only look at them: for two thousand years they have been scattered over the world without country or citizenship, suffering persecutions such as would bave ilded any other race.Yet they have preserved intact their unity.Solomons in the Bowery this morning pecrs at us over the counter of his pawnbroker shop with the same quecr features of body and mind, the same shrewd habitade of growing rich, the same love of high colors and jewellery, the same language as his royal namesake, who ages ago tested all power and knowledge, and uttered words which we use when we would speak with God.Every old clothes dealer serves Jehovah in the identical cumbrous religions formula which has come down to him from the tribes who bore the Ark across the desert.The black-eyed Jewess who sclls linen suits on Nassau-st.to-day is linked in some inscrutable way with Rebecca at the door of her tent, or Jcphtha's daughter going out upon the mountains to meet her doom.We may laugh at the Jew as we will, but he carries into our streets under his \u201cold clo',* as no other man can do, the royal garments of a great and strange antiquity ; he stampe upon the commonest things the verity of his own awful past.If yon want the explanation of the triangular Lits of paper on certain roasts of beef in the market you must go back to Leviticus for it.And the tailoress on Chatham-st.prays to Jehovah for a man child as did Hannah, because that in him may perchance be found the Messiah of her race, It is this waiting, this perpetual expecta tion of the Messiah who was to redeem and elevate them again to their ancient power, that has kept the Jews one as a people for ages.\u2018The time allotted by prophecy for his appearance is now altogether past, and two years ago there were indications that, in consequence of this a large body of the Jews would accept tho Christian faith.\u201d The present conference grew out of the hopelessness of other fulfillment of tbe prediction than is to be found in the coming of Jesus.80 far from accepting Gordian knot by rejecting all prophecy or faith in miracles.A modern prayer-book is to Le written for the use of the Hebrew Congregational Union, in which all allusions to sacrifices or the expected Messiah are to be omitted ; such portions of the five books of Moses only while all antiquated laws are to be omitted.The Jews in all ages have Tooked forward also to 8 reward for all sufferings in the day of their triumphant return to Jerusalem, the inception of which great migration was confidently looked for about ten years ago, when one of the Rothschilds offered to defray the expenses of all of his people who were unable to remove themselves, But our Yankee Rabbins have shrewdly determined that the fleshpots of the United Btates are better than the very uncertain manna to be found now-a-days in Byiia, and therefore have docked their religious creed of this article also, and posi.ively prohibit all mention of the return to Jerusalem in any part of thelr service, They also avowed their disbelief in any personal God, which was an idea, they protested, belonging to Christianity, \"he Conference, In short, was the actual sccession of n large body of Jews from the anclent faith of their fathers, and the formation of a new religious body, Their creed, so fur, appears simply negative, as they were moro ready to declare what they did not believe than to proclaim what they did, The only downright tenet set forth was the rather hopeless and unattractive one that sin can neither be atoned for ror forgiven, * An Ie for an cye\u201d Is still the inexorable rule.In Him, however, the Rabbins last weck cut the {! are to be used which supply spiritual wants, 3 the machinery of thelr new organigations the Rablins borrowed ely from Christian sects, perhaps unconscious how deeply they were debtors for not only forms t the progress signified in them.As soon az thirty reform congregations, with 2,000 members each, shall have julned the union, a synod will be called.Meanwhile Bunday-schools are to be established ; Bunday-school papers issued ; the Church service in to be in English vernacular instead of Hebrew; theological seminaries aro to erected, and a aysteim of circuit preaching put in immediate operation, We wait for further developments before we congratulate our Hebrew friends on their reform, \u2014 MONTREAL DIOCESAN BYNOD, On June 20th, the twelfth annual session of the Montreal Diocesan Synod was opened at 11 o'clock in the Synod Hall, in rear of the Cathedral.The religious services were held in Christ Church Cathedral, the officiating clergymen being His Lordship the Metropolitan ; Archdeacon McLean, of Manitoba; Canon Lonsdale, Rural Dean ; Rev.Canons Baldwin and Ellegood , Rev, Messrs, Dumoulin, Pennell (of Albany) Goss and others.The opening sermon was preached by Rev.D.Lindsay, M.A, of Waterloo, who took his text from Acts xii chap., verse 5 :\u2014 wheter, therefore, was kept in prison: but prayer was made for him, without cessing, of Church, \u2018The rolls of the delegates was then calied over, and but few abaentees noted.The election of a Lay and a Clerical Secretary was then proceeded with and resulted in the Rev.J.Dumoulin of the Church of St.James the Apostle,being appointed as Clerical, and Fred.Mackensie Esq, as Lay Secretary, Mr.J.Hutton was clected Treasurer, and Mr.Banborn, Trcasitrer pro tem.; Messrs.Stanley Bagg and David McCord were elected Auditors, THE BISHOP'S ADDRESS, The Metropolitan then delivered his opening pastoral address, in which he reviewed the work of the church during the past year, in which they bad reason to be thankful for the progress made in missions.In the Diocese there are 76 clergymen, 11 candidates and 9 lay readers.During the year two new churches have been built, asd five probationers admitted to the pricsthood.In concluding his address the Bishop spoke strongly against the prevalent custom of advertising on the Saturday the name of the preacher of the church for the next day, as calculated to create a shifting and migratory spirit among congrc- gations He hoped that the Synod would agree to fix a Day of Thanksgiving, with their eister Protestunt Churches.The address was received with applause, TURSDAY AFTERNOON SESSION.BXECUTIVE COMMITTEE'S REPORT.Rev.Mr, Dumoulin, Clerical Secretary, then read the Exective Committee s report, of which the following is a synopsis :\u2014 In the report of the Executive Committee submitted to the Synod at itn last meeting.it wun stated * that ut A meeting of the Cummittee\u2014 Aug.12, 1 \u2014tho Secretary road & paper showing Chat the Diocese for years, in consequence of anticipated revenze hua really been ln Sebi the amouat of $5000.\" pins been, Clam.ary wi Foars by s, effort in the eity ar b, From other funds at the disposal uf the Laud, uur committee sre of opinion that this state things should continue nolonger, and that this chrowge detiiemity in tho mission fund shuuid be dealt with io the way of permanent remedy.The repurt coutintes to shuw the efforts made by the lny committes on missions to remedy this defect, and -their fuflure to accomplish anything snd that at a special meeting on the lst of April last, the Tremsarer rexd & statement showing that there was a deficiency of £719 to meet, that duy's mli- ries, The following resolution wns then adoptod: \u201c Thatthe posiuon of the mission fund renders ft impossible for tho salaries duc thia day to be paid without individual assistance, that such Individual assistance is promised to cot this day's payments, but that the sume melts but in a groater degree, will arise on the frat of July next.\u201d At the adjourned meeting on the 1%h of April it was found that the Treasurer, $0 far from being la a better position, wag obliged to state that the Mission Fund was on that day £2000 in debt, At the next regular meeting of the Executive Committee, held on Mn: 10.the Treasurer stated that the sum of £4,148 would be required\u2014uver and above the sem then in his hands\u2014to meet the payments on the first of July fullowing.An amended report of the ay Committee then presented\u2014in view of the dif.cuities of the DI waa adopted.lt contained the fullowing provis! \u2014\" That, conelderinx {he present indebtedness of Mission Fund, the announced yearly diminution nf the grant from the 8.1°, i.fo- ciety, no further aid ean be given to the following Missions, and that from the first of July next they must si port Lhempelves amongst thelr own congro.Rath nts from the Mission Fund and from the 8, .being withdruwn finally from the following Missions, viz.:\u2014Ayliner, Hemmingford, Hunting.don, Knowlton and Brome, Milton, J « PUT ips.burz, Sutton, West Farnham, West Shel That the consideration of the case of Cowansville be deferred for three months, That the prants to Grunty be withdrawnifrom Ist April 1572.That thegrant hitlierto muds to the Mission at Coteau du Lac be withdrawn, and that it be attuched to the Parish of Vaudreuil.That the following reductions be made in the present grants, vie.:\u2014Onslow grant 8400 redncod to $30); Wake.300 to $230; inion, &) for Catechist withdrawn: Ayiwin, reduced frum #40 to KID.That on Int July next only ane bulf of the amannta due from the general liat uf the 8.>.G.be paid, ax well ns half the grants from the Mission Fund, That the authority fur making spoctul annual grants from the 8.1.0.Fund be at once enquired into.Tht the Chancellor be requentedtondriseant ) thelewnlity of the cialmn of the Clergy receiving annuities frum the Clergy Trost Fund, The teport continues with the report of the Chancellor.on the Church Trust Fond, ini the action of Lhe layicommitted, on that aut ject, It alao refers to the action of theluy committee recommending that the wrishes of Sorel, Hull, Bedford, and Hi.Andrew's should be self-