REFORM AMONG " TUE FRIENDS."

The leading members of the Society of Friends recently held a con- ference at the head-quarters of the sect in Houndsditeh, to discuss some important changes in their regulations. They are thus stated— The conference was invited to consider, first, the propriety of making such alterations in the existing rules of the Society as would allow of marriages being solemnized in their meetings for worship after the manner of Friends by persons who professed to be Friends, and attended their religious meet- ings, one only of the contracting parties being a member of the Society ; and, secondly, between persons who preferred to be Friends and attended their religious meetings, but neither of whom were members of the Society. The subject is one which materially concerns the Society itself, and also in some degree the general public, though the latter may not be at first sight apparent. During the last twenty Tears in this country the Society has been slightly but gradually decreasing in numbers. The aggregate numerical strength of the body in Great Britain is estimated at about 15,000. There are some, we believe, who attribute not a little of the de- cline in their numbers to the stringency of their regulation respecting mar- riage, which, as among themselves, from time immemorial, has recognized no union of that kind which is not solemnized in accordance with their own custom and between members of their own community. From time to time, members of the Society have desired to contract mar- riage with persons not actually members, but who have been in the habit of attending their religious meetings; and such persons have either been obliged to forego a union, or to have it solemnized out of their own communion, an act which of itself deprived the conforming member of the status and rights of a member. Generally speaking, parties 80 united have continued to attend the religious services of the Society as before, but, save in exceptional cases, and then only as an act of grace and favour on the part of the ruling body, they have not been admitted to mem- bership, and have been obliged to remain in the position, so to speak, of "outsiders." On the other hand, instances there are where parties so situated have taken umbrage at the stringency of a rule which refused them the rite of marriage within the bosom of the religious community with which they had become identified, one of them, it is true, more closely than the other, and drove them to have their union solemnized elsewhere, and have broke' away from the Society altogether. The tendency of this has been, it is believed, besides creating occasional heartburnings within the Society itself, to check its growth, in this country, at least, and to threaten it, at some time or other, with total extinction. It has also, in one point of view, believed to have seriously affected the domestic relations of the Friends themselves, dooming many of them, and especially the women, to single life, who, if they had been more free to contract marriage out of their own communion, irrespective of the effect on their own happiness, would have been the means of extending its ramifications. The subject was discussed for four days, and the conference finally arrived at the conclusion that one of the modifications proposed, that permitting the marriages in question to be solemnized at their places of worship, ought to be adopted. This proposal will be made at the next annual meeting of the Society.

The Special Court of Common Council called to consider the Pauper Lunatic Asylum question, sat again on Thursday and came to a decision. It was, not that an asylum should be built, or not built, but that there should be further inquiry into and further reports made to "this Court" upon a matter that has been years before the Common Council. Mr. Samuel Gurney, in conjunction with others, has offered to erect public drinking fountains in the metropolis. He has communicated his offer to the Court of Sewers. This body has accepted the offer, with thanks, prescribing only that the fountains shall be erected under the superintendence of their own engineer.

The Society for the Amendment of the law, at its meeting on Tues- day, Lord Brougham in the chair, received a report from a special com- mittee on the Jury system. They were of opinion that no change

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4, , , laW should, f. -- li4,9, 'Perq'' Ph 84t t-119'ilfflluitis I' i 13'119110Acli- - Waiseussion eagd u it likaff. 4419 --.591p.,, :.■itio The anniversaisrinatilthi&of the Aboiyalflainety was held on Tucedav, atBurlington House, ,aant which oceasirriviLogd i Wfrottealoyl delivered he annual - address, ' revkWin g the proe''vesa,efl selieube,dtwitig the' Past year, The medelsavere then leWardbd asfollowseilTlin Ciipley 'Medal, to ei Charles tatlIfor his varidtuti'enerelies and wf-ltillgs"by Which he hen contributdff' IP the advancedf geology; a. Vflyal Medal t6 Mr. Ilaneoeir'fOr'lils varioue resean'hete on the Meg/Only of the mollusca, and the Second Royal Medel teiettri,ViEiarn L043.41 for bio,Vaxious &Mona. mical discoveries an.,c1;eneatereitOs ie b,o,d 7030 ItlY1401.4 i/iIodal. to Professor min, of 1'441, fig Ille-FatioSte:experiesentel meant% on:light. The election of new, dolma and, officers :then took place.- ,Sir Beajanijn Brodie, Bark, eats elected piesideat) 'and the eiociety and their haend dined together, the nheielpresideirit eilicalpyingthe chair.

St. Paul's wile opened:14 thei repaid- :eviening services for the first time on Suncleye ' A 'treat number of persotts-were admitted by ticket, the notiining, epieeiwas' trp an hour 'befeitel.fit service began, and thus a Congneeetion. 2500 stina"g mustered ' under the dome. Irenered, could not o rt iftlinlon. The moment the area was full the doors were closed. 114 Lord Mayo0ind Corppratien arrived a little before seven. There wile a choir (,,friftle hunge4 ngers, and they sang the music: of Tallie with , great, effeete The Preasellevdef the evening was the Bishop of London. It is atotedi that while' the-proyert could-not be Con. anomaly heard, the sermon was perfectly audible. :: 1.

The long Mmd tedious ease, of' Marelimontiirsus Mateliment tame to an end on Tueedaypethen Sir Ceistswell CressWell summed up the evidence, and the Juryilreturned verdiele -J These -eases were formerly submitted to a single Judge; now the heti ;art determined by a - Junr y. Tieprineipe on which they-hould&aidewentth 8810emow -asWhs'a single Judge halts decide -these tams., -;TP reit lleitthethese prinelpina -Sir Croswell quoted passageo frotn- the judgments of EirIenner Faatand Lord, Mwell, defining what ialegal crueltp-eeAnything that. tentlipto -bodily burn,' or imperils life. Words of mere drAfationewitl !reit ftistifye eeparatibnebut words of menace -triareallifoethanterpoeitiottef the Court. The eludgte then went over the story ' of! the] Marehmonimeitheir marriage, -the+ nettlementei their married life—their quarrels during the honeymoon, the row about the dog, about the -children, about the eandleetheecontinual rows aboutaneutly, the flights of Mrs. Mandunent, and her.raturatilheme. kilo-condonation 1, ail condona- tion is conditional, and in fthe rase ef-a-wire.condonationanuat not always be held to deprive -her of,a-, remedy. , The-question was-one offset, to be determined by theaeonemon.aense of the Jury.; -and in conaingto a determi- nation it was material to consider the terms an which thareepondeut in the letter of the 14th a Tune referred to this period, and reminded his -wife of his unsuccessful attempt to -bring about a reconciliation. They mutiny whether -the fact- alleged by the respondent did take place, and if it did, whether it was to be ascribed te condonation. They might judge somewhat of the sincerity of the man by the letters which he had written, full of tine strongest expressions of love that could possibly be invented. He called God to witness over and over -again his devoted attachment, and those who had heard the letters read, without knowing anything more of the ease, must have been rather surprised at finding-that language of that glowing description was addressed by a man of thirty-five to a widow of fifty. Still, although rather exaggerated, they might possibly display the feeling of a to warm-hearted man wards the woman he had married. But think of writing those letters to the woman of whom he had in his evidence given them a picture—a widow of fifty, addicted to sherry before marriage, in- dulging in it after marriage to such an extent as to excite her temper, accustomed to use foul language, to swear, and to apply to herhusband every vile term in the language, and to whom he had himself applied more than once such terms as — and — . If the letters were sincere, what be- came of his statements; if not, what became of his sincerity? The Jury must not, however, let that observation sink too deep. Whatever might be their opinion upon that matter, they must not find a verdict for the petitioner unless they were of opinion that the respondent had been guilty of cruelty, and that the cruelty had not been condoned. They must first my whether cruelty had been committed. If they answered that question in the affirmative, they must then say whether it had been condoned.. The jury, after deliberating for nearly two hours, found that Mr. March- mont had -been guilty of cruelty, and that Mrs. Marchniont had not condoned that cruelty. They added that they hoped, if the Court had power, it would make an allowance to the respondent equal to what he had lost by giving up his chapel. Sir C. Cresawell said that the Court had no power to give effect to the recommendation of the jury. He might remind them that before the marriage the petitioner had lent 10001. to the respondent's father, and that sum was probably not included in the settlement. Mr. Sergeant Pigott, at a later period of the day, said he waswilling, on the part of the petitioner, to increase the allowance given by law to the jury. The Judge said he could not sanction such a course' as it might lead to consequences which could not be foreseen. Verdict for the petitioner. A Special Jury in the Court of Exchequer decided on Monday a remark- able case where the evidence was most conflicting. Samuel Bennett, tailor, brought an action against the executors of a Mr. Robert Watkins, late land steward of the Duke of Norfolk, on a bond of 10001. given by Watkins to Bennett. Watkins, a friend of Bennett's bad frequently lent him money. On one occasion he refused, but offered to secure Bennett a 10001. at his death. To carry out this benevolent deaign, Bennett caused a bond to be prepared; and this bond, Bennett avers was signed by Mr. Watkins in 1854 Joseph Bennett, brother of Samuel, formerly of the revenue department, then and now billiard table-keeper, deposed that he saw the bond signed, and signed it himself as attesting witness. Samuel Bennett parted with his interest in the bond to a Mr. Melton for 2001. When a fourth time bank- rupt in 18,55, he did not account for that 2001. or mention the bond in his

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schedule. hen he assigned it to Melton he did not give notice of the as- signment to Mr. Watkins. The defence was that the bond was a forges) To prove the handwriting genuine, Bennett brought the cashier and a clerk of the County Bank, who expressed their belief that the signature was Wet' kins's ; but thecashier said he should have hesitated to cash a cheque so signed, for a large amount. On the other side, the executors and relatives of Watkins deposed that the signature was not written by Mr. 'Watkins ; was " like " but not "very like." It certainly was not hie. The Jule', without leaving the box, found a verdict for the defendants; and at the re- quest of Mr. Edwin James the bond was impounded.

The mystery respecting the publication of the Ionian despatches W.L.,as solved at the Bow Street Police Office on Saturday. Mr. Bodkin apeedfr, by the direction of Sir Edward Lytton to sustain a charge of stealing' uf: despatches and other papers from the library of the Colonial Office, brolaiw. kif ii414 , de vi ,tibi I bea ny deg:, with some other papers over ' avy k'o'rr4 atioT chseihissipewh he,flalotimawmiilliteght3:583ffhatlebeetimaettsliaTned 1 ticialir herleailt itsgeThentilite Abed She, paper*, maai,,,Lyw.,,,,edthe uote sit, ihatseglehatiktdo4Illt Ptiot*Sekettileillsegfitaff Stnies,:entatight IWO 00)ligim, veil 41PletImintrONffet4.190boACf.finibutlic4uf.41W1.1111d wasf, 411.11 ;v1.°A1PnCibil33-Mo !,#19 Lb Ei20 Where. '11P4,1Ris!plA 44,a,itrifT,I P.tI le '

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