The Aberdare Times

POPULAR COOKERY. Remarking on this useful feature of the International Ex- hibition in London, The Timet has the following sketch of the practical and instructive lectures which are given twice a day t- T^e crowded benches of the School of Cookery at the International Exhibition are a proof of the interest and novelty attaching to practical instructions in the preparation of food. Twice a day the female popula- tion of Great Britain are well scolded for their kitchen ignorance by an enthusiastic lecturer, who is listened to with a patience and humility which seems to en courage him in laying on his wholesome rebukes. Something is said to all classes. The fine lady is frightened by revelations of the shameful waste which goes on in her grand kitchen, and is reminded that her great grandmother, though not less a fine lady than herself, was wont to be up betimes in the morning and about her house, and made it her business to have every detaU of the kitchen and stillroom at her fingers' ends. The wife of the hard-worked professional man is shown how "that climax of all earthly ills, "The ioflamm^pon of his weekly bills," may be kept down, at the same time that the quantity and quality of the family meals are increased and bettered by the mistress's personal superintendence of her cook and kitchen. The bourgeoise housewife is no less upbraided for the sham gentility which leada her to teach her daughters how io play the piano instead of how to boil a potato. These South Kensington severities are attentively hearkened to, not only by rows of young women, but also by country clergymen, respectable mechanics, small tradesmen, &c., all of whom probably return home resolved to assert their right to well-cooked meals, whether the amount of housekeeping money be great or small. It is also to be hoped that no right-minded bachelor who has attended these lectures will ask a young lady to share his small house and income till he has satisfied himself that she knows how to cook, or, at least, how to teach a cook. A week ago the lecturer was preaching a crusade against cold mutton. The text was most attractive, and many a cook-maid anxious to improve herself came with her sixpence in her hani, and the eager inquiry, Are the 'ashes goin' on ? The lecturer's instructions are precise and simple, and are well illustrated by the attendant chef and his kitchenmaids, who prepare the different dishes before the eyes of the audience. Numbers of letters from grateful masters and mistresses bear witness to the improvement in the domestic bill of fare which may result from even one visit to the School. If, after hearing the discourse on hashes, for instance, a cook should still send to table tough chunfe of meat swimming in greasy, water or a thick floury mess, she would, indeed, deserve to be drummed out of her kitchen. How easy is it to prepare a really palatable and excellent richauffS of a yesterday's dinner! The gravy, having been carefully mixed, boiled, and strained, is allowed to get nearly cold before the nearly cut pieces of meat are put into the saucepan, there to simmer as slowly as may be. In- stead of the slices of flabby toast, which too often sicken the soul of the bread winner sitting down to his dinner faint with work and hunger, the dish should be garnished with symmetrical sippets which have been frizzled into crisp toast in a wire basket plunged into a saucepan of boiling lard. As economy is the burden of the lectures, the thrifty manager is duly reminded that the lard in which these sippets have been cooked may be used for other frying, but for nothing after it has been used for fish. The virtue of cleanliness, of an exquisite and dainty cleanliness, ranks higher in the code of kitchen morality than even economy, and is as absolutely a necsssity to good cooking as the very fire itself. This is well inculcated by the lecturer, and his forcible directions and advice and their practical illustration would surely impress even Sterne's "foolish, fat scullion," or the kitchen wench dull as the fat weed that rots on Lethe's wharf." It is truly enough pointed out that when we look round and observe the ranks from which the ordinary middle-class servant is re- cruited, her short-comings should cease to surprise us. It is no longer to the respectable farm- house or tradesmen's family that we can look for servants such as were the comfort of our ancestors' homes. Those young ladies now play the piano and dabble in 'ologies. Too large a proportion of servants of the day are taken from squalid homes, where there is but little food to be cooked and few household duties of any sort to be done. Girls from such homes as these require training to perform the common domestic duties. This training they can only at present acquire at the expense of their em- ployers, and it is no wilder that a clever, intelligent servant-girl is as rare as a blue bird or a talking tree. It is as unreasonable to expect a girl to cook without having been properly instructed as it would be to expect her to make a watch, and this School of Cookecy will, we hope, be the parent of many others. That the necessity of such establishments is felt may be inferred from the fact that the members of the Com- mittee have received from several manufacturing towns moat earnest applications to organize similar schools, and that not a few rich landowners have offered to support liberally any movement which will teash the working men's wives on their estates to cook food. It would almost seem as if we were at last rubbing our eyes and waking up to the knowledge that with all our riches we are an ill-fed nati n, and have but reaped half the advantages of our free trade until we learn how to use the materials it brings to our shores. Women in want of a mission cannot do better than first go and learn at South Kensington how to turn to profitable and palatable accoant common meat and vegetables, and then go and teach where it is least known this most useful knowledge.

AFRICA FOR THE CHINESE. Captain Francis Galton, the well-known African traveller, writes 8S follows to The Times, suggesting a most novel method for the ultimate extinction of slavery and slave traffic In a few days Sir Bartle Frere will return to England, and public attention will be directed to the East Coast of Africa. I am desirous of availing myself of the op- portunity to ventilate some speculations of my own, which you may, perhaps, consider of sufficient interest to deserve publication in The Times. My proposal is to make the encouragement of Chinese settlements at one or more suitable places on the East Coastof Africa a part of our national policy, in the belief that the Chinese im- migrants wouldnotonly maintain their position, but that they would multiply and their descendants supplant the inferior Negrt race. I should expect that a large part of the African seaboard, now sparsely occupied by lazy, palavering savages living under the nominal sovereignty of Zanzibar, or Portugal, might in a few years be tenanted by industrious, order-loving Chinese, living either as a semi-detached dependency of Caina, or else in perfect freedom under their own laws. In the latter case their position would be similar to that of the inhabitants of Liberia, in West Africa, the terri- tory of which was purchased 50 years ago and set apart as an independent State for the reception of freed negroes from America. The opinion of the public upon the real worth of the Negro race has halted between the extreme views which have been long and loudly proclaimed. It re- fuses to follow those of the early abolitionists, that all the barbarities in Africa are to be traced to the effects of a foreign slave trade, because travellers con- tinually speak of similar barbarities existing in regions to which the trade has not penetrated. Captain Colomb has written a well-argued chapter on this matter, in his recent volume. On the other hand, the opinion of the present day repudiates the belief that the negro is an extremely inferior being, because there are not)rious instances of negroes possessing high intelligence and culture, some of whom acquire large fortunes in commerce, and others become considerable men in other walks of life. The truth appears to be that individuals of the mental. calibre I have just described are much more excep- tional in the negro than in the Anglo-Saxon race, and that average negroes possess too little intellect, self- reliance, and self-control to make it possible for them to sustain the burden of any respectable form of civi- lization without a large measure of external guidance and support. The Chinaman is a being of another kind, who is endowed with a remarkable aptitude for a high material civilization. He is seen to the least ad- vantage in his own country, where a temporary dark age still prevails, which has not sapped the genius of the race, though it has stunted the development of each member of it, by the rigid enforcement of an effete system of classical education, which treats originality as a social crime. All the bad parts of his character, as* his lying and servility, spring from timidity due to an education that has cowed him, and no treatment is< better calculated to remedy that evil than location in a free settlement. The natural capacity of the China- man shows itself by the success with which, notwith- standing his timidity, he competes with strangers, wherever he may reside. The Chinese emigrants possess an extraordinary instinct for political and social organization they contrive to establish for themselves a police and internal government, and they give no trouble to their rulers so long as they are left to manage those matters by themselves. They are good- tempered, frugal, industrious, saving, commercially nolined, and extraordinarily prolific. They thrive in all countries, the natives of the Southern provinces being perfectly able to labour and multiply in the hottest climates. Of all known varieties of mankind there is none so appropriate as the Chinaman to become the future occupant of the enormous regions which lie between the tropics, whose extent is far more vast than it appears, from the cramped manner in which those latitudes are pictnred7 in the ordinary maps of the world. But take a globe and examine it, and consider the huge but poorly- peopled bulk of Africa, by whose side the areas of China look insignificant, and think what a field lies. there for the development of a suitable race. The Hindoo cannot fulfil the required conditions nearly so well as the Chinaman, for he is inferiortohim in strength, industry, aptitude for saving, business habits, and prolific power. The Arab is little more than an eater up of other men's produce he is a destroyer rather than a creator, and he is unprolihc. The history of the world tells a tale of the continual displacement of populations, each by a worthier suc- cessor, and hunanity gains thereby. We ourselves are no descendants of the aborigines of Britain, and our colonists were invaders of the regions they now occupy as their lawful home. But the countries into which the Anglo-Saxon race can be transfused are restricted to those where the climate is temperate. The tropics are not for us, to inhabit permanently; the greater part of Africa is the heritage of people differently constituted to ourselves. Oa that. continent, as else- where, one population continually drives out another. Consider its history as it extends over successive cen- turies. We note how Arab, Tuarick, Fellatah, Negroes of uncounted varieties, Caffre and Hottentot surge and reel to and fro in the struggle for existence. It is into this free ftght among all present that I wish to see I a new competitor introduced -namely, the Chinaman. The gain would be immense to the whole civilized world if we were to out-breed and finally displace the I negro, as completely as the latter has displaced the aborigines of the West Indies. The magnitude of the gain may be partly estimated by making the converse supposition—namely, the loss that would ensue if China were somehow to be depopulated and restocked by negroes. The pressue of population in China is enormous, and its outflow is great and increasing. There is no lack of material for a suitable immigration into Africa. I do not say that it would be possible at any moment to persuade communities of men and women from Southern China to establish themselves in Africa but I am assured, by excellent authorities, that occasions of political disturbance frequently arise when it would be practicable to do so by the promise of a free, or nearly free, grant of land. The Chinese have a land hunger, as well as a love for petty traffic, and they would find a field in which to gratify both of these tastes on the East African Coast. There are many Chinese capitalists resi- dent in foreign parts who might speculate in such a system and warmly encourage it. If once successfully started, it ought to maintain itself. The colonists could not starve; and when they began to succeed they would send money home to their relatives to enable them to follow, just as they now do from the many other parts of the world where they are locate J. For these reasons it is probable that the streams of emigration from China have sufficient "head "to enable them to reach and overflow the coasts of Eastern Africa if they were watched and judiciously diverted in that direction. I have finally to speak of the political effort necessary to secure a free right of occupancy and of settlement at suitable points on the coast. No very serious obstacle seems to stand in the way; certainly none was met with when Liberia was founded. It is probable that as the success of such an enterprise would be of equally great value to all nations commercially interested in those parts, no national jealousy would be excited by its promotion, and the necessary territory could be ob- tained with little difficulty and at a small cost, to be advanced in the first instance as a charge on the land and hereafter to be redeemed.

CUTTINGS FROM AMERICAN PAPERS. A young lady in Greenville, Tenn., recently pre- sented her lover with an elaborately-constructed pen- wiper, and was astonished, the following Sunday to see him wearing it as a cravat. The American ladies do their hair Hp so high now, that they have to stand on eomething to put on their hats. An artist has been painting herrings with red paint and blue spots, and they were sold for speckled trout. A Yankee witness, being interrogated as to his knowledge of the defendant in the case, said be knew him intimately—" he bad supped with him, sailed with him, and horsewhipped him." The society formed by the girls of the San Francisco high school, for the suppression of slang (recen y noticed) has been disbanded. The secretary says, played itself out" and gave itself away. An American paper, in noticing a 0 £ says: When loaded she will dr*w e water. In case the river become P* t sponge will run on a heavy dew, or by the aid of a wet sponge 8Tller tdrirbrslTto The Devil" is lying ia the Post-office at Lafayette In.^Jgj 'Jj postmaster thinks he'll have to send it to Washington. A Chicago man has fitted up a fiddle to play by steam. Things have come to such a pass in Tennesse, that it is now cheaper for a man to go to work and buy a horse than steal one.

i PARLIAMENT. long June 6, Mr. Goschen, replying B. Cochrane and Colonel Annenley, 'ersia will be received at Dover by a t ironclads, and tnere will be a large at Spithead, when His Majesty visits ill be no formal Naval Review in the ochrane, Lord Bnfleld said the Go- M. de Lessepa' Iadlm Railway ognlsant of the views of the Russian set. until Thursday the Introduction of ndment Bill, and Mr. Bruce give '.the Chipping Norton case, in the ressed his own opinion that the great want of discretion in the isnt they inflicted, and stated that rough the Lord Lieutenant of the em for an explanation. Questioned the expediency of applying to the (h rule of not appointing clergymen 1e Peace, Mr. Gladstone declined to and stated that returns are being e point. sailed attention to the Law affecting id Servants, and the Law of Con- h the conviction of the Gas-Stokers. :ent legislation on this subject, which 11 sad inconsiderate, arising out of ilssion, and applying it to the Gas it apart from the breach of contract leaving their employment was net ntent of Parliament. Commenting go of Mr. Justice Brett, he contended cy as there laid down entirely over. of 1871, and converted every Trade's The common Law of Conspiracy as I amended, limited, and defined, and consequences of its loose doctrines, t that a man charged with con- offence might be more severely L who had actually committed it. Inst the exceptional law which en- t of service between Masters and maltles. Mr. Harcourt would have Resolution, calling for an alteration Ita, but was precluded by the forms Ild Eloho. Mr. B. Osborne, and Mr. pointed out that the Gas-Stokers' with the Act of Parliament, but )mmon Law; and, defending the e of class legislation, he showed and Workman's Act and the mt Act largely diminished the tM, and that they drew no dis- yers and employed. As to the admitted that it was not in especially it the propositions istice Brett were to serve as Of these propositions the Attorney- least new, and made it high time r whether the Law of Conspiracy limited," &c, He recommended imtelf to the preparation of a Bill, sfactory measure in this branch of t over nine-tenths of the difficulty. rith Mr. Harcourt's other propoti- or conspiracy should never be more 18 itself, and that under no circum- lent be the penalty for breaches of a Inst the House of Commons being )unal from the deciiions of the .t no Judge could act freely who ed there by a barrister practising Officer. As to Mr. Harcourt's pro- together the possibility of defining re accurately, but thought that the 18 obviated by giving the Attorney- ch prosecutions. wound up the discussion by de- irs had been fitly punished. After land) Bill was further considered ral other bills were forwarded a t five minutes before two o'clock.

isembled, June 0, after the Whitsun f to Lord Clanrloarde, read a tele- lint riot in Dublin was caused by a who took advantage of the fire p stores in the vicinity The police ge the mob several times, and the irisoners were taken, and 30 soldiers [y. on the table of the House a bill A of Ireland, and prefaced the ex- ms of the measure by an historical )f Ireland in past years. While er times Ireland had reason to tion of harsh and unjust laws, accuse Parliament of an en- to ruin the prosperity st Ireland since 1847 there had been a the condition of that country. Je of Ireland, however, there was Ired, and, adverting to the Belfast remment for apparently allowing intll a Judge of Assize went down id the state of the law. Another I districts assassination not tiD- len a man, who perhaps could itlvate the land properly, was Ing, and it was difficult to secure Ilden. Finally, he pointed out ih people were greatly disturbed on To remedy the evils he had ad- bill providing for the appointment r Ireland, in place of the Lord Lieu- inld prove an advantageous change, would be a member of the Cabinet, iiscuss with his colleagues in the 1e might deem necessary for the id. He also proposed that, except miehment of death, the verdict of hould be sufficient for a conviction; cation his bill would provide that ivy Council in England should have ng when wrong was committed, and manager of a school who might be 9marking on the observations made >h!»t with regard to the Belfast riots mfortunately, happened before, and not at the outset act with sufficient seal authorities were deprived of all KtMible to make the Government re- which had occurred. With regard aation, he observed that at the pre- a considerable decrease of agrarian eference to the course pursued by the .tlon in Ireland, it could hardly be go into that question when the 'ferred to a Select. Committee of the promised carefully to consider the Isell's bill; but, until he saw the course pronounce any opinion on jord Cranmore, Lord Monck, Lord ville, the bill presented by Lord ime. Lord Chanoellor, the Matrimonial Bill, having for its object to extend rriage the law with respect to the lesty's Proctor and others in suit, marriages, was read a second times fflmons, In reply to Mr. M'Arthur, Id that the new bill on the sub- es would be in the hands of hon. esent week. he should postpone his bill on the td seen on what lines the Government ho, Mr. Cardwell said no volunteer pear In uniform without the consent er. r some statement as to the public part on of the Shah. tat a question had already been put louse. There could be no detailed it, rendered beforehand of any pro- was usual to allow some discretion to himself when he arrived in this the evening was the Supreme Court the Attorney-General, in moving the ed his hearers of the great authority tore them, and of the numerous die- of which it was the result, and touched tempts to legislate, which had failed not enlisted asniffcient amount of pop- vour. The main defects of the present remedied were the conflict of Law and Ucial Power In the ComnonLa" Courts, ionsin thelegpj year,andtheimperfect rhe first of tnese defects would be on of one Supreme Court, Into which lId be merged, and in which Law and ilniitered concurrently, without the Ie suitor from one Court to another, fould consist of two Divisions, the etice and the Court of Appeal; the first, replying by antlclua- Irgan'. amendment, he ridiculed luthors of this bill could be any tion of Equity. It was the intention t that each Division of this Court I the principles and administration of ted to having this enacted in the d tend ti stereotype the distinction Equity. Next, after enlarging on defects of the present Appellate isrly of the Appellate Jurisdiction rds, he described the constitution of Appeal, which Is to take cognizance bch, Irish, and Ecclesiastical Appeals. the other main features of the bill, tinuous sittings, the appointment of he schedule of procedure, and with y's proposal to refer it to a Select 'ed emphatically that he would be no Mtponement ot a bill already too long resolution That It is Inexpedient to n of the House of Lords as an English L" He based his opposition to this nstitutlonal grounds, and read opln- d lawyers and Constitutional authori- whlch, among other Inconveniences, e balance of power between the two 3 the resolution. opposing the resolution, repeated the ainst the Appellate Jurisdiction of the the most Important feature of the bill Ion of Law and Equity. If this could a a great success; but he argued at Ie it; conferred equitable jurisdiction, machinery for carrying it out For that in each Division there ought to J udges. i other hon. members, the Solicitor- itim to the various objections, and ouse not to consent to any proposal effect of throwing the bill over. the suggestion of Mr. Gladstone, the nntil Thursday, in order to make way the Cape ot Good Hope and Zmlbar whleh the debate was eventually also iday. was disposed of, and the House ad- Mtes to two o'clock. =-

ABOUT THE SHAH. sspondent of the Daily Telegraph GIn high authority certain informs- Enropean tour of the Shah which interest to your readers. I am rney was undertaken against the 7 and priesthood of Persia, and, < Uci t bjact which his Majesty has the friendship and support of £ ng- lications, the occurrence of which svitable. He is aware that the des- r must be mainly influenced by i Powers, one of which he fears, Id to tijist the other. The po- redilections of the Shah, I am are fully shared by his Prime npaniegtiim in his travels, and who )f being A cultivated and intelligent '•J desires, in view of certain eventua- clear understanding with the British 18 brings with him to our shores an ardent desire not only to acquire our friendship, but also to study our institutions. Could he be satisfied of England's firm support in the difficulties that he anti- cipates he would assuredly be prepared to identify his policy in Asiatic matters with oars, and he looks for- ward to the result of his visit to England with great but hopeful anxiety. During his Bojourn in Berlin the Persian ruler ha9 every night, before retiring to rest, made with his own hand copious notes of all that he had seen during the day, and, despite the difficulty he experiences in ex- pressing himself in French, he has, in conversation with several august personages, proved himself possessed of great intelligence, and a keen faculty of observation. Unhappily he has no idea of punctuality, and it was with difficulty that he could be persuaded to observe anything like exactitude in the appointments he made with the Emperor, Empress, and Princess. The title of "King of Kings" is in no respect re- garded by his Majesty as merely nominal. It is a tradi- tion of his house that its Royalty is really and truly above all Royalties, and that he himself is at least titular ruler of all kingdoms on earth. To this and to his Majesty's imperfect command of the French lan- guage may be attributed the otherwise curious speech which the Shah made in bidding farewell to the Russian Emperor at the termination of his visit to St. Peters- burgh. After thanking the Czar for his magnificent hospitality, the Shah-in-Shah said: I have noticed the way in which you govern this preat conntry. I am well satisfied with it you may continue to govern it, for you do so very well, and I am entirely pleased with you." After this address, for the ac- curacy of which I can almost von h, the Shah gave to the Empress that strange little movement of the shoulder which appears to constitute a Persian's salu- tation to a lady, and stepped into his railway saloon, leaving the Czar upon the platform transfixed with astonishment and amusement-the latter predomin- ating, no doubt, for the Persian Monarch is the politest of men, and certainly intended nothing like arrogance.

THE FIRE AT THE ALEXANDRA PALACE. The following particulars are from the account given of the calamity in Monday's Evening Standard This beautiful Palace thus early laid in ruins was the design of Messrs. Meeson and Johnson, architects. Like the original Crystal Palace, of which it was intended to be the counterpart rather than the rival in the north of London, it was in part composed of materials used in an International Exhibition. The Exhibition of 1851 was incorporated into the structure at Sydenham, while that of 1862 was utilised for the Palace on Muswell-hill. The building was 900 feet in length, with an extreme width of 430 feet, and was arranged in the form of a nave, from which branched three pairs of transepts. Over the central transept was the great dome from South Kensington, 170 feet in diameter and 220 feet high. It was this central transept upon which the fire first seized, and here it was that those who have visited the place saw the grand organ constructed by Mr. Henry Willis, under the superintendence of Sir Michael Costa. The fire was discovered a little before one in the day. There were a great many visitors in the building, who at once made their escape, as they saw the dense smoke rolling, it is said, out from the theatre and up into the roof. Those in charge of the building could do abso- lutely nothing to prevent the flames breaking out where the building was filled with the most com- bustible materials, in which the fire in a few minutes had gained a firm hold, and mounted to the roof. There were hydrants, but, as is usual in such cases, the supply of water was very short. The whole staff, too, has been but newly brought to- gether, and though they did all they could, they failed to achieve what a longer knowledge of each other and the building might have enabled them to effect. But from a few minutes after its discovery the fire had got, in that end of the building at least, the mastery. The water, as we have said, was very short; experienced firemen there were next to none; the local means at hand were small and weak, so before half-past one the great long sheets of flame flickering palely in the sun-light began to flap and soar through the roof. As a matter of course the in- stant the disaster was discovered, an urgent telegram was sent to the nearest fire-engine stations, and by them at once sent on to Captain Shaw, who promptly ordered out all the available power in their steam and hand engines of the north district. But the roads to the Palace were heavy, and the hills were very steep, enough to make it im- possible to drag a heavy steam fire-engine at full speed up them, so, though every effort was made that could be made, the case was hopeless ere the mass of the London engines could get into play. And now again a shortness of water was experienced, and the flames made their way through the dome, passing rapidly on to the other ex- tremity of the building, which was soon all aglow like a furnace. At two in the afternoon the telegrams to the northern fire stations were to the effect that all the lengths of hose they could spare were to be sent as rapidly as possible, that the water was very short, and had to be brought from a distance, and at that hour the building was well alight from end to end." No hope then seemed to exist of saving any portion of even the transepts from burning. By half-past two the fate of the building seemed placed beyond a doubt. The heat was then intense and the flames ran riot over it everywhere. In such a structure on fire the caat-iron cross girders rapidly expand under the intense heat, and thrust out of their perpendicular the cast-iron columns on which they rest, and then the whole edifice begins to fall-sometimes in small masses — sometimes, as when one drags down another, in whole transepts. The property is, we believe, well insured to a certain amount, but of course there must be a considerable loss to the share- holders indirectly, and to the exhibitors directly. Altogether the calamity is most deeply to be deplored. The building was intended to be an improvement even on the improvements of the Crystal Palace. It cer- tainly was one of the most beautifully-adorned and most beautifully situated of any near London, and its destruction is more than a mere metropolitan mis- fortune. The following extracts are'from another account, in the Daily News:— 1V it a mpi.ncholv sight was reserved'for those who were within the gates The grand building, with its coloured rose windowsits gold ornamentation, its artistic designs, its airy brilliant roof, its flowering plants, shrubs and statues, its organs, concert hall, and theatre, and its miscellaneous contents, with the exception of those to be presently spe- cified, was reduced to a skeleton. The burniug of the Alexandra Palace will be long remembered, as much for its swiftness as for the completeness of the wreck it produced. The great organ already used, and the smaller instru- ment which was to have been opened on Saturday, were the first to go, for upon them came the great shower of burning sheets that fell during the first quarter of an hour from the dome. The mastlve architectural arches at the ends, and termination of the transepts remain in their beauty. All else is ruin. Iron girders here, and black bent rods there—half-destroyed lattice-work in one place, and tottering walls In another-mut the desolation that has been wrought. The four pieces of arch and column to which we have referred alone Indicate the shape of the Palace, and ftom a distance they stand out clear, like the picturesque ruins of some old castle, In one comer a singed, discoloured banneret fluttered, conspicuous amidst the bare walls. It WIIS inexpressibly sad to pass from group to group on the terraces, and hear their lamentations and protestations of rain. To hundreds the fire will be a great and imme^ diate hardship. Ut der the trees in the hollow ballet girls were in deep distress at the loss of all their costumes. Over ahundred bad arriv, d to entertain the visitors with the giand spectacular ballet, Azurine, or the Spirit of the Waters;" in an hour machinery, properties, drestes, and scenery had vanished, and the poor girls bewailed their hard lot in un 'ifguised grief. Anumberof musicians sat disconsolate on the rough box in which a portion of tbeir manuscripts and ins ruments had been hastily thrown—a mere handful compared with that lost in the flames. Work- ing men compared notes as to the clothing they had been uITable to fetch after the alarm was raised. On the North Terrace the erections for grand displays of fireworks looked scarcely more framelikethan the great palace itself. Orches- tra chairs on the turf formed in improvised barrier within which, on the ground, toys, and gewgaws and other fancy ware were deposited in a confused heap. A highly finished model boat, one of Searle's best, had been rescued and thrown upon the gtass, and in it figures of gorgeously dressed Orientals had been tumbled, head downwards, r°m j e printing-office of the Messrs. Burt, otherwise whouy des- troyed a few things, at great risk, had been snatched The cases full of type were piled up, making one side of an en- closure within which trays of jewellery and highly-pelished cutlery we e placed around a little hand-press. on the West Terrace a few entire cases had been preserved. Of all the valuab'e things exhibited by Messrs. Defries In the Palace, a mere remnant wis left; they also weie laid upon the grass -ch,.lce gla< II, daintystatuetteajindrarelamps Thisflnnhad, as the chef dCotuvre of ti.eir crystal court, constructed a huge candelabra in anticipation of the promised visit of the Shah of Persia. It was J r) welled In every colour, contained sixty lights, and was worth 2,000 guineas and it was utterly de- stroyed. For a while it was said that Mr Harvey, who had charge of this department, had lost his life, but this was an- other of the unfounded reports that flew about during the afternoon. Eight of the finest carriages from the Agricultural Hall had been in the building but a few hours before they shared in the general devastation. The disaster falls with peculiar heaviness upon the smaller stall-holders, who had expended their all in an endeavour to make a good atart at the opening of the Palace, and who have nothing to fall back upon. They are about fifty In number, and their despondency and sorrow was not the least painful feature of the afternoon. The extent of the loss suffered by exhibitors cannot at present be guessed, but that it will be immense no one can doubt. There were some things In the Palace that, once destroyed, could never be replaced, and these have been, by a supreme effort on the part of the authorities, saved. Mr. Martin and Major De Winton, superintendents of the interior, turned the whole of their attention to the works of art, so long as hope of preserving them remained. The best pictures, the unique collection of tapestry lent by Mr. Atten borough, and some of the pottery, are happily safe, although a narrower escape they could not have had. The Palace servants, in their eagerness to carry anything they could lay hands on out of reach of the fire, were nct to be expected to discriminate nictly between worthless pictures and masterpieces but the gentlemen just mentioned were able by their directions to put in a place of safety the admirable collection of water- colours lent to the Palace. Mr. Martin, remaining in one of the galleries till warned to hasten away, ob- served a picture lying on the floor, with the glass smashed, and In Imminent danger of being trampled to pieces. It was Cattermole's "Baronial Hall," valued at zgoo this was the last thing rescued from the Picture Galleries. A valuable collection of jewellery, lent for the opening by Mr. Benson, was luckily removed on Saturday What is saved, and how much, remains to be ■pen when the confusion and excitement have subsided; certain it is that the destruction has been wholesale. Little doubt can he entertained as to the origin of the litMMJuouu Palace was burnt down in the same way aJ Warwick CasHe wss fired—viz, by the charcoal burner of a workman. A plumber tad^r^hsence^t diMer11 the morning the fire broke out during 1^e^Sated with £ 600,000. It has been insured for £ 120.000- At t computation the rebuilding will cost £ 100,000.

The Directors of the Company, headed by their chairman, Mr. Gruuing, came up during the afternoon and witnessed the destruction of their hopes with a calm philosophy which was quite inspiriting to observe amid such a scene of desola- tion, and which was emulated in a remarkable degree by Mr. John Kelk and Messrs. Charles and Thomas Lucas, whose large pecuniary interest in this undertaking is wfoll known, and who, replying to the observation of an inquiring bystander as to what would possibly be done under such calamity, naively remarked, Wh), put it up again." It is deeply to be regretted that, notwithstanding every effort bad been made by the directors to effect adequate insurances against fire upon the building, it had been found imposxible to complete more than £ 150,000—a small porti In of the cost of the Palace and its contents. The organ alone ia said to have been worth nearly 430,0(0. The loss to the mdividual exhibitors and others wtU be painfully great.

The will of the late Dowager Empress of Brazil has been proved In London under £ 180,000,

THREATENED STRIKE OF THE LONDON MASONS. It seems probable that a severe struggle is on the eve of taking place in the London budding trade. An ag- gregate meeting of the carpenters and joiners is to be held, at which a proposition will be brought forward by the Committee of Delegates for at once striking some of the leading firms, the Master Builders' Asso- ciation having refused to concede the advance of wages from 8 £ d. to 9d. per hour as asked for in the memorial sent in by the men. The masons contend that they have even a stronger claim than the carpenters for the halfpenny advance, inasmuch as they positively assert that in making the compromise with the Com- mittee of Masters for the settlement of the dispute in 1872, it was expressly understood by both parties that if trade was at all good this season the masons should receive the 9d. per hour. In January last the Mason's Committee gave six months' notice to the employers that they should require the fulfilment of this agreement. The reply of the Masters' Committee to this notice was to the effect that they were prepared to give the advance from 8id. to 9d. per hour on the 1st of March, 1874, but that in so doing they would require that the hour for leaving work on Saturdays should be one o'clock instead of twelve o'clock, as is now the rule with the masons. This latter condition is repudiated by the masons, who state that they would not accept the id. advance if offered at once clogged with this objectionable condition, and the employers have been distinctly informed that if they decline to carry out unconditionally the promise they made last year, the general body of the masons will cease working in July next, when the six months' notice has expired. On this occasion the masons of the London lodges will act with the full sup- port and sanction of the executive council of the society, which was wanting in last year's dispute, and which induced the men suddenly to accept the com- promise which created so much ill-feeling between the masons and the other branches in the building trades. It is stated on good authority that the committee of employers repudiate the agreement referred to by the masons as never existing, and that they are determined to keep to their offer of not conceding the advance before March, 1874. Arrangements are being made for convening an aggregate meeting of operatives in all the branches of the building trade for th& purpose of securing united action.

A NEGRO ON THE SCAFFOLD. The New York Herald has published an account of the bundling execution of George Lea, a negro, in North Carolina. According to this statement there were several thousand negroes present, the majority of them being women, who were attired in their most gaudy and showy holiday dresses. When the hour of 15 minutes past one bad arrived the Sheriff called George from his cell into the lobby of the gaol, upstairs. He was neatly and tastefully dressed in a suit of black, with new boots, a white collar and a checkered necktie, and the pants having a white stripe down the seams. The Sheriff then placed a white shroud over his body, which gave him a ghastly appearance, and he was pinioned by the elbows behind and his hands in front. His neck was next bared and the noose was placed around it, and in this terrible plight he was led down the stairs of the gaol, out into the yard and around one corner of the building to the scaffold. He mounted the steps to the drop with a firm and steady tread. At twenty minutes to two p.m. the drop fell with a loud crash; an exclamation of horror came from the crowd- the rope had broken, and the body of George Lea was dashed to the ground, quivering in the agoniesof death. The rope was promptly loosened. The neck, though not broken, was turned stiff to one Bide as he writhed in the greatest torture. He was asked if he felt hurt, to which he replied, Yes, very badly hurt.' A new rope was soon brought, the noose was quickly made and placed again on the condemned man's neck, and once more he was standing, a living spectre on the drop. He cried out' Good bye again to the crowd. Nine minutes to 2 p.m. there was another crash the body fell fully 5ft. 7in., but this time it remained suspended. The great firmness and courage with which he walked on the scaffold the second time elicited the admiration of everybody."

ACTION FOR DECLARATION OF MARRIAGE. An action is pending before Lord Shand in the Court of Session, Edinburgh, in which Mrs. Young, or Gordon, daughter of the late Wdliam Young, formerly a merchant in Rio de Janeiro, seeks to have it de- clared that she is the lawfully married wife of George John Robert Gordon, of Ellon Castle, county of Aber- deen, and formerly connected with the diplomatic service. The pursuer alleges that she was married in 1843 to the defendant at Rio de Janeiro, that they con- tinued up to 1870 to live together as husband and wife, and that they had three children. She also saya that the defender and the Baroness Beulwitz went through the form of marriage at St. Chad's Church, Manchester, on the 28th of August, 1871, this second marriage Lcing duly registered, and the defender at the time de- scribing his condition before the marriage as that of a bachelor. The pursuer had also ascertained that on the 31st of August, 1872, a child was registered by the defender in the district of St. Giles's, Edinburgh, as being a legitimate child born of the second marriage on the 28th of August, 1871. The defender, in his "statement of facts" admits the marriage with the pursuer in 1843 at Rio de Janiero, according to the law of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. The marriage, he says, was cele- brated by the Chaplain of the Legation at Rio, in virtue of the 1st section of the Statute George IV., c. 91., which declares the validity of all marriages solemnized by a minister of the Church of England within the chapel or house of any British Ambassador or Minister res;ding within the country to which he is accredited. He admits, further, that, after this marriage and till the year 1867, he and the pursuer lived together as man and wife. Between May, 1867, and July, 1869, however, they did not so live together. During that period she only lived with him for a few weeks in summer, when they occupied separate bed- rooms and in Julv, 1869, she left, and had never since lived with him. He adds that he has never disputed or denied that the marriage at Rio de Janeiro was a valid marriage, according to British law, and that the children of that marriage are legitimate according to that law, and that such marriage would be held valid and the children legitimate in every court of her Majesty's dominions to which the statute in Question extends. But such marriage is, he contends, null and invalid in all other countries, because it was not con. tracted according to the law of the place of contract- viz., Rio de Janeiro. The defender is a Roman Catholic, and the Baroness von Beulwitz is also a Roman Catholic. The defender took the advice of the most learned of the clergy of "his Church as to the validity of his marriage with the pursuer. This he did after she left him in 1869. The opinions which he received of persons learned in the law of marriage as recognised in the Roman Catholic Church were to the effect that, whatever might be the binding efficacy of the ceremony entered into at Rio de Janeiro, in virtue of the above statute, in any civil court within her Majesty's dominions, the marriage was null and void according to the law of his Church. It was in these circumstances, he adds, and on the advice of the religious persons whom he consulted, that he went through a marriage ceremony with the Baroness von Beulwitz at Manchester on the 28th of August, 1871, he having explained to the Baroness his position. On the whole, the defender pleads that the action ought to be dismissed as uncalled for and unnecessary.

A LONDON INDUSTRY. In connection with this subject, the following has been sent to¿The Times for publication Some three years ago a working man," with a snow-white apron, who had a reading table in his hands, asked me to purchase it This was at my own door, and, attracted by the appearance of the article, which was of walnut, prettily inlaid, I let him bring it into the hall. Here he told me, not without emotion, that he was a poor cabinetmaker who himself made these tables at the East of London, where work was then so bad that he was glad to carry them up to the West-end and sell them in the streets. I did not need the table, so I bought it for two sovereigns. the price asked, quite reconciling the extravagance to my conscience, and, what was still more important, satisfying my wife by the reflection that it was a much finer thing to encourage hnnest but struggling industry than to give to beggars. I felt, indeed, quite a glow of conscious virtue at the thought, and readily acceded to the poor cabinetmaker's request to writedown his address, "incase," as he urged appealingly, any of my friends would like to order a similar table of him." A week passed, during which a screw connected with the mechanism of the table was found to be loose and would not bite. Just then, most opportunely, the poor cabinet- maker (with the snow-white apron) appeared again at my door and hoped I was satisfied with the tabie; where- upon I showed him the weak point in his manufacture, at which, poor fellow, he seemed much distressed, and urged me to let him take the table home and put it to rights. adding that he would gladly leave a sovereign with me till he brought it back next day. Full of trust in the working man, I smilingly scorned to take his money. He did not press me, but shouldered my table and walked away. There must have been more than one screw loose In his work, for I have never seen the poor cabinetmaker since, and a note which I sent, out of pure curiosity, to the address which he had given me came back a few days afterwards through the Dead Letter Office, net known."—I am, Green-street, June 4. TABULA RASA.

THE LATE EMPEROR NAPOLEON. On Saturday afternoon, in presence of scarcely more than 100 persons, an interesting ceremony was wit- nessed at Chiselhurst. The Empress of the French laid the foundation stone of a new chapel which is to be erected adjoining the present Roman Catholic chapei, and which it is proposed to make the final resting place of the remains of the late Emperor Napoleon. Precisely at the time appointed, the Empress, accom- panied by the Prince Imperial, arrived at the church entrance in a private carriage, and was received by the Rev. J. Goddard. In attendance were Count Clary, Baron Corvisart, Madame Conneau and son, M. Filon (tutor to the Prince Imperial), M. Pietri, and M. de St. Pulgent. The Empress, leaning on the arm of her son, was conducted to the spot where the foun- dation stone had been placed. The Rev. J. Goddard read a prayer, and sprinkled the stone with holy water. The Empress, who had been presented with a handsome silver trowel and small black mallet, touched the stone at each corner, and the ceremony, which had not laBted many minutes, was concluded. The Em- press and the Prince Imperial and their attendants then returned to Camden House. The proposed chapel will be in the Gothic style, and will be built entirely of Bath stone. On the western side there will be an altar, and in the centre of this the sarcophagus in which the Emperor's remains will be placed, and which is the gift of Her Majesty the Queen, who a short time since inspected the site. The altar will be dedicated to the Virgin, the public entrance to which will be from the present church, by a groined arched doorway, with a wheeled window above. A private entrance w*ll be provided for the Empress and the Prince Imperial. The intended building will be 24ft. in length by 12ft in width; the interior walls are to be entirely composed of Caen stone the exterior walls, as above stated, being of Bath stone. The cost of the building will be borne by the Emprtsa Euglnie.

THIRTY-FOUR YEARS IN CHANCERY. A correspondent of the Standard writes:- "A question has just come before Mr. Hall, one of the chief clerks of the Court of Chancery, on a sum- mons taken out by a Mr. Poncione, solicitor to the representatives of George Soane, the younger son of the celebrated Sir John Soane, as to whether they were»not entitled to a moiety of certain articlesin ref^rd to which it was contended S:r John Soane had died intestate. By a recent order made in a suit of "Conduitt v. Soane," an intestacy wa, declared in respect of the articles directed by the will of Sir John Soane to be kept as heirlooms, and by a subsequent order it was directfd that such articles should be delivered up, and tbat the repre- sentatives of George Soane should be entitled to a moiety of the articles, the representatives of John Soane the elder, son of Sir John Soane, who had died in his father's lifetime, being entitled to the other moiety. In pursuance of this order, a chest of plate, which had been lying at the Bank of England since the death of Sir John Soane in 1839, was delivered up and equally divided between the representatives of J. Soane and G. Soane. The representatives of George Soane now applied that a gold medal received by Sir John Soane as the priz i for the best architectural design, a diamond ring presented to Sir John Soane by the Emperor of Russia, and a gold ring, with the hair of Napoleon Bonaparte therein, should be deli- vered up in pursuance of the order directing the division of the articles in regard to which Sir John Soane had been declared to have died intestate. It appears, however, that these par- ticular articles had been delivered up to John Soane, the grandson of Sir John Soane, on his at- taining his majority in 1844, for his use during his life, he first entering int ) an undertaking to keep the articles safely during his life. It has been ascer- tained that the gold ring with the hair of Napoleon Bonaparte therein is now in the possession of a mem- ber of John Soane's family, but it is not known whether John Soane parted with the other two articles during his life, or into whose possession the articles came on his death in 1848, and a question now arose as to whether John Soane's estate should not be liable for a moiety of the value of the missing articles. The Chief Clerk ultimately thought that he could make no order until something more definite was known as to what had become of the gold medal and diamond ring, and the matter therefore stood over."

WOMEN'S PRIVILEGES AND DIS- ABILITIES. The Timet, of Monday, publishes the following letter:- Two bills affecting the industrial position of women —the Nine Hours Bill and the Shop Hours' Regula- tion Bill-are now before the House of Commons. The first of these, which comes on for second reading on Wednesday next, among other provisions, restricts the labour of women in factories to 54 hours a week, and forbids the employment of any woman in a factory for more than 91 hours in any one day. The second is the bill introduced by Sir John Lubbock to forbid the employment of women in retail shops for more than 10 hours in any day. Now, it seems to me that these Bills must have one of two effects—either to reduce the hours of labour of both men and women, or else to place a very serious obstacle in the way of the employment of women. If the first of these is the object sought by these Bills, it would have been more frank openly to have avowed it, and to have placed a legislative restriction on the labour of men similar to that proposed to be imposed upon women. But there can be little doubt that, bow- ever generous may be the motives of the promoters of these Bills, their actual operation will be to dis- courage the employment of women in factories and shops. If it is illegal to employ wonlen in a faetory more than nine hours a day or in a shop more than 10 hours a day, of course every employer will as far as possible avoid using female labour. In many manufactories it would be abso- lutely impossible tQ let the women operatives leave their work before the men; unless, therefore, the hours of labour of both men and women were reduced, women would either not be employed at all or they would be employed as half-timers on the double shift system. In either of the two latter of these cases women would find themselves placed at an exceptional disadvantage in the labour market. They now compete with men on equal terms in many branches of textile manufacture, and also in retail shops if these Bills pass they will be placed at a cruel disadvantage. It is almost impossible t,) avoid the conviction that the strength at the back of these Bills in the country- I do not say in the House of Commons-is the old Trade Union spirit to drive women out of certain trades where their co ^petition is inconvenient. It is true that this cloven foot is dexterously hidden under the drapery of philanthropy and chivalry, but it peeps out from time to time in a manner that cannot be mis- taken. In the Report by Dr. Bridges and Mr. T. Holmes to the Local Government Board on the health of women, children, and young persons engaged in textile manufactures in which the most stringent re- strictions on the labour of women are advocated, the following passage occurs. After remarking on the energy of the female operatives, the Report con- tinues :— It is well known that with many workmen, especially If they be members of Trade Unions, the consciousness that their fellow workman are present and are watching their work tends rather to modify than to intensify their seal. Animated by the common object of aeillng their labour dear, they are apt to think an exceptionally zealous workman a traitor to the cause of labour. With women the revt rse would seem to be the case. Less able to fix their eye upon a distant object, less apt to enroll themselves in a well drilled organization for which sacrifices are to be made, the ultimate compensation for which themselves and those immediately connected with them may never or not for along time touch, they are far more keenly sensitive to the motives of appro- bation and vanity and also to those of immediate tangible reward Itwouldaeemtobeaaeasyte goad women as it would be difficult to goad-men into doing the greatest amount of piece-work in a given time. The admiration of their com- panions and the approbation of the overlooker appear to be at least as powerful inducements as the increase of their wages. A woman who can mind four looms without an as- sistant has attained a certain position and is an object of at- tention." The women here spoken of are evidently weak enough to take a pride in their work, and in their own proficiency and skill. No wonder that such conduct excites the disgust of their male competitors. If the women were a little lazier they would not be half so objectionable. it is to be remarked that the report already referred to admits that there is no demand on the pait of women themselves for the proposed interference with their hours of labour. In the opening. page it is con- fessed that "among the women especially there is a considerable amount of apathy, and possibly in some cases positive opposition, to the proposed changes." It is also to be noted that ou' medical men, well acquainted with the factory districts, who replied to the question whether they con. Bidered the present hours of labour injurious to the health of the female operatives, 132 answered in the negative, and only 31 in the affirmative. The sanitary objections to factory labour most frequently mentioned by the medial witnesses and most constantly repeated throughout the Report are to men and women. It is urged that the health of the operatives is injured by the dust, darap, &nd bad ventilation of the buildings in which the manufacture is carried on. Sizing and gassing are frequently referred to as unhealthy occupations, and a dismal list is given of the diseases which are particularly prevalent among the factory workers. Are we then to infer that phthisis, bronchitis, dyspepsia, rheumat <fcc., are injurious to women only, and that theP*^ thrive and are prosperous upon them? Surely the right way to meet these sanitary objections to factory labour is to endeavour to remove their causes, to insure, as far as possible, that none of our w1OIJeI' f they be men or women, shall be killed by d » P» and foul air to make war, in short, on the preventable causes of death and disease. But eve*V J* t ng, for the sake of argument, that the w j.. peratives suffer peculiarly from unhealthy con is far better for them that they should BO suffer and in the meantime earn an honest and indepep ln§? than tbat they should bs driven to the diemal alternative of starvation or prostitution. t ^at it really comes to. Every additional J 18 put in the way of the honest labour tends to swell the number of the thousands who are making a living that is not honest in the streets of our towns and 8ltA^reatdeal is said in the Report to whlch Ihave ao often referred about the infant mortality and the phy- sical deterioration arising from thelabo of married women but as the two bills to which I wish to draw the attention of your readers make no distinction between the labour of married and unmarried women I will abstain from all comments on this part of the Report, and will only say in conclusion that I hope both these measures will receive the strongest opposi- tion in the House of Commons from all who wish for fair play between men and Thanking you for the space m have allowed these remarks to of-cupy.—i am, .Sc., June 7. MILICENT GABBETT FAWCETT.

D" "p"*1 M. Groof's attemut to fly over Brussels (says the correspondent of the Daily Telegraph) was a failure. When onlv two or three feet fr0™ *he grouud he came down, fall- ing on his face. The mob tjrew funous at the disappoint- ment and tore to pieces the balloon that was to have played a subordinate part in the performance. Stones were tnrown about recklessly, and a scene of serious disorder was wit- nested. A number of ladies were hurt, and the disturbance has resulted in numerous arrest*.

WHAT CONSTITUTES A SHARE- HOLDER. The Lord Chancellor, sitting for the Master of the Rolls, gave judgment on Monday afternoon in Toomb a case, which raised a question of imp,)rtance to share- holders in companies in liquidation. Mr. Toombs was the holder of one hundred shares in the Contract Cor- poration Company, but forfeited his shares by reason of the non-payment of calls. Whether notice of the forfeiture was given to him or not seemed to be disputed. But the sums due on the calls having been paid within a week, the directors cancelled the forfeiture, and Mr. Toombs was subsequently paid a dividend in respect of the profits earned before the date of the forfeiture. The question then was, ought Mr. Toombs to be placed on the list of con- tributories in respect of his 100 shares ? For him it was contended that by the forfeiture the original contract was determined, and that he could not be treated as a shareholder unless there was a new contract allotting him the shares, 9-nd of this there was no evidence. The Lord Chancellor held that the receipt of the dividend was by itself evidence that Mr. Toombs still regarded himself as a share- holder, whether he had or had not received notice of the previous forfeiture. His lordship accordingly ordered his name to be put upon the list.

TOO MAGNIFICENT TO BE TRUE! A statement was recently published to the effect that the average earninars of every man, woman, and child in the United States reached 800 dollars, or about JS160 a year, thus giving to every family of five p rsons an average annual income of £800. This seemed too magnificent to be true, and more accu- rate statistics have, as might be expected, reduced the estimate very considerably (remarks the Globe). Averages of this kind are necessarily misleading, by distributing the large fortunes of the few among the many—a process of theoretical communism which generally leads to results the opposite of useful. Intending emigrants who are dazzled by the notion of an average family income of B800 a year, will certainly find it more profitable to learn that in- comes on the wrong side of the average are by no means astonishing. The annual earnings of a factory hand are stated to be about £70, and of a common labourer or domestic servant about £65. This sounds high, according to English ideas, but as the cost of living in America is about five times as great as here, the value of wages ought to be divided by nearly five. Under these circumstances the English servant or labourer seems to be at no dis- advantage compared with the American. In the statistic quoted, "agriculturists, persons engaged in the railway service and fisheries, in cotton, woollen, and leather manufactures, and in the production of iron," are classed together, and their daily pay put down at about 6s. for 300 days in the year. It is meagre consolation for the working man to be told that New York and Chicago fortunes are large enough to turn his wages into a glowing average of hundreds.

SERIOUS ACCIDENT AT THE SURREY GARDENS. On Monday evening, a most serious occurrence took place in the recreation grounds at the Surrey Gardens, during the performance of Mdlle. Spelterini, the cele- brated rope-walker, she herself having a most mar- vellous escape from death, and a man, named Leet, being injured to some extent. The cause of the accident was the snapping completely in two of the main rope upon which the performance of the lady above named takes place twice a day. The rope is about two inches in diameter, and is stretched to the distance of some hundreds of feet, one end being firmly fastened round an immense tree some seven or ei4ht feet in circumference, and the other fastened in a similar manner in an oppo- posite direction. A large stage has been erected under where Mdlle. Spelterini takes her first step on the rope, and upon the stage the band, about 40 in number, were seated at the time of the accident. On Monday afternoon, as usual, the ropes were all tightened, the men sent up, and the baskets and a chair taken up for the intended performance. Mdlle. Spelterini started from her stage, the band played, and all went well as she crossed the rope safely. She had, however, barely got her foot from the rope on to the stage at about 80 feet from the ground, when, with a loud report, which was audible from a distance, the main rope snapped completely in two pieces. The lady dropped her balancing pole with a look of horror, and clung to the rails of the stage for support. The rope immediately began running slowly though surely through the groove in the posts, and the large beam which Mdlle. Spelterini had left but two minutes be- fore which still had a man on the top, began to swing through the air towards the ground. Loud shrieks and cries arose from the persons who were in the grounds for at first it appeared as if the beam would crush a great crowd of people, but, happily, all got out of the way in time, and the immense thing fell with a tre- mendous crash, dashing through the roof of a tempo- rary structure which contained a large number of models, and doing some damage. The man who was on top had presence of mind enough to roll out of the structure or he mu-tt have been cut to pieces by the broken glass of the model-house. Attention was im- mediately called to the other beam, which it was feared would share a similar fate, but the rope ran through the grove until it got to a large knot, and then stopped, supporting it on one side, while two strong guys bound the beam to a tree in the other direction. Mdlle. Spelterini was immediately brought down to the ground by means of a swing Scat am a rope, and, although no doubt much alarmed, did not appear to be seriously discomposed. The man at the other end was immediately taken care of, and removed under medical care.

MARRIAGE OF LADY FANNY SPENCER CHURCHILL. On Monday morning a large family circle assembled at St. James's Church, Piccadilly, to witness the mar- riage of Lady Fanny Oetavia Louisa SpeLcer Churchill, second dau/hter of the Duke of Marlborough, K.G., and Mr. Edward Majori banks, eldest" son of Sir Dudley Coutts Majoribanks. The bridegroom was accompanied by Mr. Edward Balfour, who acted as groomsman. The bride arrived at a quarter past eleven, accompanied by her mother, the Duchess of Marlborough. During the arrival of the guests the organist played a voluntary. Among the relatives and friends assembled were the Marquis and Marchioness of Blandford, the Mar- chioness of Lansdowne. the Marquis and Marchioness of Londonderry, the Marchioness Camden, Sir Ivor and .Lady Cornelia Guest, the Earl of PortarUngton, Lord Randolph Spencer Churchill, Lord and Lady Alfred Churchill, Mr. and Lady Isabella Stewart, and many others. The bride was conducted by her father to the Communion -table, followed by the eight attendant bridesmaids—namely, her four sister?, the Ladies Rosamond, Anne, Georgiana, and baran Spencer Churchill; her cousin, Lady Alexandrma Yane Tempest; the Misses Mary and Isabel Marjoribanks (sisters), and Miss Hogg (cousin of the bridegroom), The bride's dress was of white satin, trimmed with Brussels point lace, with veil of the same fabric, and a wreath of orange blossoms. The only ornaments she wore were a necklace of pearls and a pearl and diamond pendant'and earrings, the gift of Sir Dudley and Lady Alajoribanks. The Bishop of London officiated, assisted by the Rev. John E. Kempe, Rector of St. James's. The bride was given away by her father. The bridal party afterwards reassembled at the Duke and Duchess of Marlborough's mansion in St. James's equare, where they wsre met by a distinguished com- pany invited to the weddiug breakfast. The breakfast was served up in the dining-room and another apart- ment on the same floor, the principal table in the for. mer room being laid for about 70 persons. Before the company left the room, the Duke of Abercom pro- posed Health and happiness to the newly-wedded couple." At a quarter to two o'clock the bride and bridegroom left Sc.. Jame's-square for the South- western Railway, on their way to Abb Itsbury Castle, the Earl of Ilchester's seat in Dorsetshire, to spend the hone3 moon.

|Hisce!Umx0WS Intelligence, HOME, FOREIGN, AND COLONIAL ACCIDEKT TO LADY MONCREIFFE, Lady Lousia Moncreiffe, mother of Lady Mordaunt, whilst in the act of descending from a railway carriage at St. Andrew's Station, N.B., on Saturday afternonn, tripped and fell, breaking one of her arms. HEAVY DAMAGES.—A trial, which lasted two days, in the Court of Session, Edinburgh, before Lord Mackenzie and a jury, concluded on Friday, Xne pursuer was Samuel Whitlow, residing at Elmbank, Heaton Norris, Stockport, lately manager in the em- ployment of Benjamin Whitworth and Brothers, cotton brokers, &o., in Manchester; the defendants were the Caledonian Railway Company. The issue sent to the jury was whether, on the 20th November last, the pursuer, in Queen-street, Glasgow, was injured in his person by a bale falling from £ lorry belonging to the defenders, through the fault of the defenders, to the loss, injury, and damage, of the pursuer ? The damages were laid at £ 5,000. The jury returned a verdict for the pursuer, damages at £ 1,500. PECULIARITIES OF VIEITNA JOURNALS.—A Vienna correspondent writes :— The Vienna papers pretent some amusing features to a stranger. The obituary list generally inctndex. the cause of death, which is found valuable for medical statistics. Con- sumption, in the form of tuberculosis, is the most prevalent complaint, which is accounted for by the dry winds and dust that abound in Vienna. Another noticeable. element is the number of marriage propositions that appear in the. adver- tiiine column" sometimes half a column in length, which would lead one to suppose that Vienna did not offer many facilities to a free meeting of young people in society. As the cliarge is only five kreutzer a line, or about a penny, the frequent insertion of these announcements for a Joke i. said to be an amusement of the Viennese youth But In one paper the genuine character of such pro^sals msy bs taken for granted, and very abusing tbey read, ^8 worded In^a mixed simple and impassioned L°fa3 ™ found detailing in unreserved manner her c of income, with the intention procurimg a panion similarly endowed. LADY PALMERSTON'S TACI.—Lady ^>™^ERF*ON seldom attempted or pretended to understand the Dear- lngs of a complicated question. "You must WIlte that down," she would say if a communication struc* her, and I will show it to Lord Palmerston when ne comes in; or stay, perhaps he has not gone out. bed was rung, the servant was sent with a scrap of paper or a simple message, and the summons was im- mediately obeyed. Long experience had taught him that her tact, her intution were infallible ,in such matters, and these were similiarly displayed in hew choice of correspondents as well as in the selections of their letters which she laid before him. The services of the great lady to the great statesman extended far beyond the creation of a saloon. What superficial observers mistook for indiscretion was eminently useful to him. She always understood full well what she was telling, to whom she was telling it, when and where it would be repeated, and whether the repetition would do harm or good. Instead of the secret that was betrayed, it was the feeler that was put forth and no one ever know from or through Lady Palmerston what Lord Palmerston did not wish to be. known.— Essays, by A. Hayward. CARRIAGES ON SUNDAYS.—With many it a principle not to use carriages on Sunday but there are, of course, far more who do not act on this. On one occasion a reverend prelate declared his inten- tion of acting on this principle. His host endea- voured to persuade him to accept a seat to the carriage which was going to church, but the bishop was firm, and started on his walk. When about three- fourths of the way, the carriage passed him. endea- vouring to shelter himself from the effects of a heavy shower. His host put his head out of window, and said:— How blest is he who ne'er oonsents By III advice to walk!" The bishop went on :— "Nor stands in sinners' ways, nor sits Where men profanely talk." fond was held to have had the best of the encounter. From Be'gravia. ON "COURTESY" TITLES.—In reference "courtesy titles" it has been remarked by a contemporary, that a very curious and even useful book might be written about them, as they are often a source of bewilderment even to those who might be supposed to know exactly how to describe or address dignitaries of every grade Aid quality. It appears that the puisne judges, who always in -court speak of one' another as "my brother, use the form My Lord" when they address or refer ta the two Chief Justices or the Chief Baron. The distinction is apparently deemed one of some p fessional importance, as may he gleaned from w passed the other day in one of the law-courts. AS the senior judge present, Mr. Justice Blackburn occu- pied the chair of honour, and -in the course of the proceedings one of his brethren spoke of him as My Lord." This breach of etiquette was promptly noticed, Mr.- Justice Blackburn disclaiming all right to the title. PUBLIC PROSECUTORS' BILL, Tho Govern- ment Bill proposes to empower the Secretary of State to appoint attorneys for conducting the, prosecutian of persons committed for trial for felony, or for any mis- demeanour or offence mentioned in a schedule annexed to the bill; and these public prosecutors are also to institute and conduct such other criminal,proceedings as may be directed by the Secretary of State, or pre- scribed by regulations under this bill. The Secretary of State is empowered to regulate their conduct of pro- secutions and other proceedings, and may, with the concurrence of the Treasury, t fix the-numbem and salaries of the public prosecutors. He may appoint a solicitor to the Home Office jor the purpose of aiding him in ttie execution of this'bill; such solicitor may, if so directed, perform the duties of the Solicitor to the Treasury. Any person may be associated in. a prosecu- tion with the public prosecutor in such manner and on such conditions as may be prescribed. The bill is not to deprive any person of any right of instituting or conducting any proceeding before justices, or ofpbeing bound over to prosecute a person not committed for trial, or of preferring an indictment. A person may apply to one of the Superior Courts for leave to con- duct a prosecution in lieu of the^public prosecutor. All enactments will stand repealed which charge upon the local rates the costs of. or incidental to, prosecutions for offences to which this bill extends., The costs in- curred by the public prosecutors are to"be paid out of moneys provided by Parliament. All clerks of the peace are to be paid by salary. A public, prosecutor is not by himself, his partner, or clerk,to be concerned as-;attorney in any criminal proceeding -without leave of the Secretary o* State. The bill is not to extend to Scotland or Ireland.

THE MARKETS. "MA K.K-L AN E.—MQHDAY. The grain trade at Mark-lane to-day has been in £ QNIET state. Tne business doing hu been only moderate, but prices have been steady. English wheat* has been in moderate supply. The trade has been quiet, at aoouo late rates. Taere has been a fair suppiy of foreign wheat on the stands. Sales have progressed quietly, but prices have ruled firm. The supply of bir y has been limited. The trade has been firm, and CIR ne prices nn have been realised. Malt has sold on t L) I j, (r terms. The supply of oats has been short. With a A t thy inquiry prices have been maiutatned. There has been a lull average supply of ma,z ion the stands. The demand nas not been active, and difficulty has been experienced in realising lite prices. Baan" have been disposed of, at full prices. Peas have supported late currencies, with a mode rate inquiry. Flour has been unaltered in value, with a quiet trade. METROPOLITAN MEAT MARKET.—MONDAT. Firmness has been the feature of the cattle market to-day, notwithstanding that the supplies of stock have been larger. The foreignreceipts hare been,considerably abovetheAverage, and have comprised 237 Damsh,. 327. Gothenburg, 157 (b r tiania, 68 Corunna,#nd:4(i8 Spanish. Some prime beasts hav been included amongst this supply, Tmd fuH rates, have been obtained. The receipts': from our own grazing districts have been tolerably good, and''there has been a fair demand, at full prices, the best Scots and crosses making 6s. 6d. to 6s. 8d. per Sib. From Norfolk, Suffolk, Essex, and Cambridgeshire we re- ceived about 2 000 from Lincolnshire, 60 and from other parts of England about 250 he id. With sheep tHe market has been well supplied. There has been a good show of foreign, and some excellent English stock has been offered. The trade has been firm at full prices, and the best Downs and half-breds have sold at 6s. 4d. to 6s. 6d. per 81b. Lambs have been firm at 9i. to 9s. 6d. per 81bs. Calves have been disposed of at about late rates. Pigs have sold on former terms. Per 81b. to sink the oflal. s. d. s. d. s. d. s. d. Coarse and Inf. beasts 6 4 6 8 Prime Sou thdowns 6 46 6 Second quality ditto 6 10 6 0 Large coarse calves 5 0 6 8 Second quality ditto 6 10 6 0 Large coarse calves 5 068 Prime large oxen.. 6 2 6 4 Prime small ditto 6 0 6 6 Prime Scots, <fcc 6 6 6 8 Large hogs 4 4 4 10 Coarse and Inf. sheep 6 0 5 6 Small porkers. 5 0 5 8 SecoDd quality ditto 5 8 6 0 Lambs 9 0 9 6 Pr. coarse wooiled 6 0 6 4 METROPOLITAN MEAT MARKET. There were fair suppUes of meat, which experienced a better demand and realised in several instances slightly enhanced sales. Per 81b. by the carcase. L d. L d. t. d. a. d. Inferior beef. — S 8 4 4 Inferior mutton.. 4 4 5 0 Middling ditto 46 50Nliddhbg ditto ..6 0 6 6 Prime large ditto 5 6 6 0 Prime ditto 6 0 6 8 Prime small ditto 6 8 6 2 Large pork 4 0 4 8 Veal 5 4 6 0 Small pork 5 0 6 8 Lamb 7s. 4d to 8s. POTATOES. The arrivals, both of English and foreign potatoes, although rather short, were fully equal to the demand, and in tne value of old kinds an occasional reduction took place. Best Kent and E&sex Regents, 130s. to 220s Rocks, 100s. to 1303.; Flukes, 130s. to 170S.; French round, 80.. to 90s. per ton. PROVISION. LONDON, Monday, June 9.— L'he arrivals last week from Ireland were 257 firkins butter and 3,270 bales bacon, and from foreign parts 26,027 packages butter, 1 528 bales and 198 boxes bacon. Irish butter is still neglected in our mar- ket, prices being so much in advance of foreign, tne saie lor which has been good. JN'ormandjs and Jerseysf^FNR previous rates, and Dutch is 4s. to 6s. per tine. We have little change to notice de- mand is not active, but prices are fairly supported finest Waterferd 84s. free on board. PRICES. TPER CWT JLO 126 ^CHMHIM* .°.T! 66 to 90 102 104 Dble. Glouc, new 64 86 ^1rt8e1vaad af 106 Cheddar 82 £ *5TKU; !«<■»» » „ £ sr?X « » Irish, green, to. b. 76 84 Irish 93 108 SEED. LONEON, Monday, June 9.—Few transactions occurred In any description of Cloverseed. There are buyers ot fine white laXLples at moderate prices but holders are generally too firm in their demands. Good Trefoil was saleable in small parcels at the late low prices recently submitted to New white1 Mustardseed sold in nn*ll lots at quite as much money, and there was some inquiry for fine brovrn samples, which were very scarce, and tne few lots of ordinary quality offer- ing were held beyond the views of the buyers. Good Canary- seed brought iuliy as much money, with a better sale. Large Hempseed was quite as dear, and placed pretty readily. English Rapeseea realised quite as high rates, with a 'air SMIE. Foreign Tares were in slow request, but unaltered in price. TALLOW. LONDON, Monday, June 9.-The market Is steady at 43s. 6d. for P. Y. C. on the spot. Rough fatcorumancs 2J. per 8ibs. Town Tallow 41J. net cash. a. d. a. d. Town Tallow, per cwt 43 6 Rough Sluff, per cwt. 16 0 Rough fat, per SIbs. 2 0 Graves „ 19 0 Melted Stuff, per cwt. 32 0 1 Good DREGS „ 6 0 Yellow Russian, new 43A. 6d. per cwt, Australian Mutton Tallow 42s. M. Ditto Beef Ditto. 41s. 3d. j