THE TABLET A IV eek ly N ew spaper a n d R ev iew

D u m VOBIS GRATULAMUR, ANIMOS ETIAM ADDIMUS U T IN INCCEPTIS VESTRIS CONSTANTER M ANEATIS.

From the B r ie f o f His Holiness Pius IX . to T he T ablet, June 4, 1870.

Voi. 54. No. 2072. London, D e c e m b e r 27, 1879.

P r ice sd., b y P ost 5

[R eg istered a t th e G en er a l P o st O f f ic e a s a N ew spaper.

C hronicle of th e W eek

Page

The Advance on Cabul.— British Force between Cabul and the Frontier.— The Force at Candahar.— Total of British Force in Afghanistan.— Capture of SehuIcuni’s Town. — The Sheffield Election.— Sir StafFordNorthcote at Leeds.—Distress in Ireland. — Collections in the Dublin Churches. — Prosyletism in the South of Ireland.— Appointment •of a Public Prosecutor.— Shipwreck and Loss of Life.— Resignation o f the French Ministry.— The Russian Nihilists and the Emperor.— Trials and Arrests in Russia.— The “ Tablet ” and the “ Nation.” . .

801

CONTENTS.

P e t er P ence ....................... Page

Truthfulness and Ritualism. Letters

L e a d e r s :

Christmas and Christendom F . 805 from Mr. Orby Shipley to the President of the English Church Union Christmas in Ireland . 806 C o r r e s p o n d e n c e : The School Question in the PrusThe English Church Union and sian Landtag

The Sheffield Election

806 Dr. Littledale

807 Christmas Gifts and Christmas

Revival of the Church in Africa. 808 Charity R e v iew s : Lord Redesdale and the Council of Chalcedon 814

The “ Nineteenth Century” 809 The Marriage Law

The Bells of the Sanctuary

The Month ..

8ir The Schoolboard and Canon

Toole

S hort N otices :

Soldiers’ Daughters’ Home,

Hampstead

Moral Discourses . .

How to Live Piously

811 Managers of Catholic Schools in

811 Manchester and School Fees for

Manual of a Happy Eternity . 811 Poor Children

Pase 1

114

814

815

821

Irish Loyalty an “ Abstract Idea.” 32r Chelsea Hospital for Women . . 821 Dr. Rock’s “ Hierurgia ” and

Page

“ Church of Our Fathers.” .. 821 Rome :— Letter from our own

Correspondent............................817 D io cesan N ew s :—

Westminster

819

Birmingham . . . . . . 819 L i v e r p o o l .......................................819 Middlesbrough . . .. . .8 1 9 S cotland : St. Andrews and Edinburgh . . 820 I r e l a n d : . . . . . . . . 822 M em oranda :

Educational.. . . . . . . 823 F oreign N ews ........................... 82j G en er a l N e w s : . . . . . . 824

CHRONICLE OF THE WEEK.

CABUL. T

THE ADVANCE ON

'H E arrangements for the relief of

General Roberts and the Cabul force are being pushed on with vigour. On the 18th, in spite of the interruption of the telegraph, General Roberts succeeded in communicating for a few minutes by the heliograph with Lataband. Learning that General Gough was still at Jagdallak, he urged him to advance at once, stating that the passes were but feebly occupied by the enemy. The last named officer, having received reinforcements and supplies for which he was waiting, marched on Sunday with about 1,400 men and four guns, and was to pickup at Lataband 700 men with two guns under Colonel Hudson, thus raising his force to something over 2,000 strong. He leaves 700 men to garrison the Jagdallak Fort, 300 to occupy the jagdallak Kota), or head of the pass, and 800 to garrison Peizeran. In the meanwhile General Bright reports on the .t8th from Jellalabad that he hears from Gandamak that all is quiet there, that the road is perfectly open to Peizeran, and that if General Gough should prove unable to force his way through to Cabul, he himself intends, as soon as arrangements are made for holding the posts from India to Gandamak, to advance immediately on Cabul with his division, S,ooo strong. On Wednesday General Gough had been heard of within a mile of Lataband, and was expected to reach Cabul that day. Colonel Norman, moreover, tele-graphs from Jagdallak also on Wednesday, that heavy firing had been heard in the direction of Cabul for 48 hours.

In an explanatory statement just published

BRbetweenCE ^ t*le Government of India, the total number c a b u l a n d troops in General Bright’s command, from t h e f r o n t i e b . Jamnid on the frontier to Jagdallak, is stated at 12,000 men with 30 guns, supplies for two months, and complete divisional and brigade carriage. This of course includes General Gough’s brigade and the garrisons of the forts and posts. At Cabul Sir Frederick Roberts is stated in the same document to have with him 7,500 effective troops, and 23 guns, with ample transport and ammunition, and five month’s supplies. And orders have been issued for the formation of a reserve division at Peshawur, consisting of three cavalry and ten infantry regiments, with 24 guns. Early in January— so it is reported, but this is not official— Lord Lytton is to proceed to Lahore, to watch the concentration of the reserves of the Cabul and Khaibar divisions at Peshawur, and to be near the frontier when the real advance in force from the latter place commences.

At Candahar there seems to be a general the^for e ;mpression that Sir Donald Stewart is going to candahar. be attacked. It was at first expected that the blow would come from the direction of Herd1-, as Eyoub Khan was reported to have proclaimed a Jehdd,

N e w S e r i e s , V o l . XXTT. N o 581.

and marched one stage out of the city on the Candahar road. But the subsequent news, which we mentioned last week, of the deposition and imprisonment of that prince by an adventurer who has installed himself in his place has rendered this contingency less probable. The new Governor of Herdt will in all likelihood have enough to do in consolidating his usurped power without leaving the city for a distant expedition. And later accounts mention a prevalent belief that the movement of the Ghilzais round Khelat— the Ghilzai Khelat— points to an attack on Candahar from that quarter. The Government of India states General Stewart’s force at 9,000 effective troops with 62 guns, at and below Candahar, so that he is likely to be able to give a good account of any force that can be brought against him.

Besides the troops at Cabul, in the passes total of between that city and the Indian frontier, in Afghanistan. anc* ln t‘le neighbourhood of Candahar, as above enumerated, and in outlying posts such as Khelat-i-Ghilzai, General Watson has under him in the Kuram Valley 9,000 men and 20 guns, so that we have in Afghanistan, according to the computation of the Indian Government, a total field force of 45,000 men, with 160 guns, which is considered, the telegram adds, sufficient for present requirements.

CAPTUREOF SEKUKUNI’S

TOWN.

We mentioned last week the victory of the Colonial forces over Moirosi, one of the principal Basuto chiefs, and this week we have to record the complete defeat of Sekukuni, (or Secocoeni, as the name has been grandly spelt), the head of another agglomeration of tribes. This event puts an end for the present to our conflict with the natives of South Africa, and Sir Garnet Wolseley is to be congratulated on the rapid succession in which these two blows have been dealt. Sekukuni was supported by three principal chiefs in his resistance, and the mountain fortress which they occupied was stormed on the 28th November. The place consisted of the King’s own kraal and the other kraals called Sekukuni’s town, and the fortified eminence called the Fighting Kopje. On the 27th Colonel Baker Russell’s column encamped before the place, and at daybreak the next morning— which at this season is very early in. South Africa— the attack commenced. Captain Ferrier, with Ferrier’s Horse and some of the Native Contingent, formed the right attack, and took Sekukuni’s own kraal from the heights to the South. Major Carrington led the left attack with Mounted Infantry, Border Horse and Transvaal Mounted Rifles, while the Zondszanburg Native Contingent captured the lower town and the caves in the hills, sweeping round Sekukuni’s kraal. The central attack was chiefly directed against the Fighting Kopje, and was commanded by Colonel Murray, who had under him a detachment of Royal Engineers, the 21 st Fusiliers and 24th Regiment, a detachment of the 8th,