Weekly Mail

A DRUNKARD'S RECKLESSNESS. A cattle exporter, named Hall, was on Saturday noed 20s. at the Dut !in Po)iee Court for drunken. nees. Ho was found the previous night bv a con. 'table lying incapable, with no less than j6573 in .:1Ï. pocket.

MORE CANNIBALISM AT SEA. A Router's telegram, dated New York, Sunday, Mys:—A seaman, one of the three men who drifted to sea from Lewes, Delaware, admits having' eaten a portion of the body of one of the party who died of starvation.

THE CONDEMNED CONVICTS AT LIVERPOOL. The two men condemned to death a.t the Liver. pool Assizes will be executed next Monday at Kirkdaie Gaol. They are Shaw, who murdered his wife at Manchester, and the Russian Finn named Kwersradt, who assassinated his paramour in a nt of jealousy. Efforts are being made for a reprieve n favour of both criminals.

BURGLARY AT CAERLEON. At a special sitting of the magistrates on Friday week Robert WiHiams, labourer. was charged with having burglariously entered a. house at LIiingibby in the occupation of George Thomas, and ste.tHng 'herefrom pair of shoes :T.nd other article- a!ao 2s. 6d. in money. After heating the evidence the Baach committed the prisoner tor tria!.

GUN ACCIDENT NEAR CARDIFF. On. Tuesday Thomas Jon" aged sixteen. the son tf William Jonps, farmer. Pderston, was admitted into the Cardiff Infirmary suffering from severe gunshot wounds in his !eft hand and face. It ap- pears that he was enged in cleaning the breech of a loaded gun bebnging to his father when he Hf'cidentaliy puiipd the trigger and discharged the weapon, causing the injuries stated.

THE CLAIMANT. A portion of a china plate, bearing the of richborne, WHS recently dug up the cavatrv <arrAcks at Canteroury. A supporter of the 'laimant obtained po"session of it and forwarded tc him, s:nting rt'at it wa< no 'loubt, a fragment )f a service in use by Sir R"g"r when qu<rtered with hi:< regiment a.t Cunterbury. The Cinimant has :eplit:'d, expressiog his sincere thanks fo[' the plate, ""hieh, be said, belonged to Stoneyhurat CjHege.

THE LIMERICK POLICE TAX. Mr. Ambrose Ha! a magistrate and a. member of th.' Limel'Ïck Corporation, on Saturday rpceived nl dligence from an omcial quarter in Dublin that, :he Irish Attorney-Genera! has decided that the 'jrovemnaent cannot recover the amounts for joiice tax owing to the lapse of time. Etui spencer has consumed English lawyers, who have, t i." reported, endorsed Mr. Naish's decision. The is stated to be sorely perplexed.

SUICIDE AT SWANSEA. On Tuesday moroing John Phillips, a coa! heaver, JVlng in Madnc-treet., Swansea, was found hang- fg from a. beam in an unhnished building at the 'etch Field, Swansea. Deceased, who was a married II!\n, .ent out at "ve o'clock from his residence, wishing his wife good morning, and stating he would be back in a week or, perhaps, a month. At an inquest he!d on the body, before Mr. Edward Strick, coroner, a verdict of Death rom temporary insanity was returned.

SUDDEN DEATH AT MOUNTAIN ASH. On Saturday evening an awfuHy sudden death O<'curred in the wairing--room of the Taft: Va19 Kaitway Station. Moun'ain Ash. An eideriy lady named Sarah John, 85 years ofage.ofPhtUip- street, Mountain Ash. had. in company with her daughter, Mrs. Poweti. of the post-omce, Merthyr Vale, procured tickets to proceed with the 645 down train. Both had crossed the line, and whilst they were waiting the arrival of the train in the waiting-room a sudden illness seized Mrs. John, resulting in her death soon afterwards.

FRIGHTFUL ACCIDENT TO A MINER. A terrible and fata! accident happened on Tuesday at the Van MiHs, Montgomeryshire, to Johtt Eyans, ptt sinker, whilst engaged in boring at the Manledd Shaft. The deceased and a fellow workman, Andrew Bowen, had bored several holes and had charged them with dynamite, and were bein? wound up in the kibble, when Bowen heard a scream, and found that Evans had fatten out of the kibble. When the unfortunate man reached the bottom of the pit the dynamite exploded, and ois mangled body was found underneath the de1'l'i;1. fhe deceased has left <t widow and ten children.

GREAT FIRE AT DUNDEE. D«nMgw to the extent &f between jE30 000 and JMO,000 hM been caused by a nre which broke out in Meaara. A'.pxander Stephen and Sons' Arctic Tannery on Saturday. The premises were used for tanning sealskins and the purification of seal and whale oit. Had the nre extended to the ad- joining building, which is 6iifd with oil and whalebone, the damage would have b"en enor- moua. The whaling yard on the south caught nre, but, fortunateJy, the Jhmf!B were extinguished. Tht ioM is covered by insurance.

FIRE AT A LONDON BREWERY: At half-past two o'clock on SlI.turiay morning a 6re was discovered at the brewery of Messrs Bar- clay, Perkina, and Co., Park-street, Southwark. The cauae of the outbreak is unknown, and the first evidence of 6re were flames bursting out near the vat roono. They speedily communicated to the of&cea and store, and the large building of three and four storeys, about 60 feet by 60 feet, was threatened with total destruction. The efforts of the brigade, however, prevented this, though the nre waa not extinguished till the roof had been burnt off, and the building very much damaged,

THE SUSPICIOUS DEATH NEAR WESTON: At Lympsham. near Weston-supfr-Mare, on Tuesday, the inquest was resumed touching the death of Mrs. Matilda Hicks. It was reported that Mr. Stevenson, of Guy's Hospital, had not com- pleted his analysis of the contents of the stomach of deceased, who died suddenly a month since after partaking of acme gruel, and the inquiry was further adjourned for a fortnight. Mr. nephew of deceased, and Emi!y Sta.llard, his governess, who are in custody, have been remanded by the magistrates awaiting the conclusion of the oroner'i inquiry.

THE CHARGE OF POISONING AN At Uxbridge on Saturday Mr. John. Day, farmer, tnd Miss Stallard, his governess, were fgaia brought up in custody, charged wkh the murder, by poisoning, of MatUda Hicks, widow, and aunt of the male prisoner. Mr. Webster, solicitor, on behalf of the Public Prosecutor, stated that the analysis of the contents of the stomach of the deceased at Somerset House had not yet been com- 'leted, and applied for a further week's remand of )0th prisoners, which was granted. The inquest viU bo resumed on Tuesday.

CAMBRIDGE UNDERGRADUATES AND THE SALVATION ARMY. An extraordinary scene prevailed at Cambridge )n Saturday niht, where the leading members of -be Salvation. Army are holding special meetings -or aodergraduatea. Nearly a hundred etudenta Mhaved in a most rowdy manner, booting, yelling, ringing songs, and completely preventing the ;peaking or singing of the Salvationists- Aa maay jf tix lights as could be got at were extinguished, the platform mounted, and the contente of the water bottle emptied on the Salvationists, who ex- hibited perfect forbearance. For more than an hour the scene resembled pandemonium, but when tha proctor arrived the disturbance ceased, and after piling the chairs in a heap in the middle of the room the rioters left.

THE GREAT BILLIARD MATCH. On Saturday night the billiard match of 12,000 points up between W. Cook and W. J. Peall, which I had been in progress at the Westminster Aquarium aince the previous Monday, was brought to a,) cloae, the result being, as had been pretty evident ¡ during the greater part of the contest, a victory for On Saturday afternoon, when the match waa resumed, tha scores were:—Peall, 10.000; Cook, 7,742. Both again played well. and even- ¡ tually Peail won. amidst great enthusiasm, by no less 2.926, going out wit.h an unnnished break of 6M (12, 58, and 93 spots). It might be mentioned that just .Her the commencement of the break a Mt of QO sovereigns to one was laid and accepted about his s'oifg out in that break. At the close of the gacM Captain Hobson presented the prize (jelOO) to PeaU.

EXTRAORDINARY DISCOVERY IN LO:SDO: On Saturday foreman to MeMr< So.1. contractors, while auperin- Mndtn); woooe in the enclosure of .Murton- erescect had hta attention attracted by a bright object among aouae otd timber. On cloaer exami- tatioa hw discovered that n was a snake of huge lm8D8Íoo" of a emerald-green colour. tt had got. tts he*d fastened between two iron bars. :oi"t knowing whether the reptile was ative or de<td, M<M:k atruek it several severe blows with a stick on !ts vertebra, which either ktiled or stunned it. He Uien conveyed it to Mr. HID. aaturaUat, Wel- tingtco-ttreet, Cataben Town, who Waaaløo uncer. 'Ain whetbet n w;M dead "r .n tor¡>(lr; (t wM a venomous apecies, ue <it once procured tome spirit, in which it waa placed. In tha mean. time Mr. TyreU. who has charge of the repti1øø. Gardens, was communicated wtth, and when it was shown to him he declared !t the trat specimen of the kind ever seen in London. It H & native of Central Africa, and generally found among the trees. It is 7ft. lOin. ia length, the body bM&g Sin. in circumference, tapering to the oneness of a needle. The parochial omcer9 h&M tt*d cl&iIa to tha repûMI M treMurt

SCULLING RACE FOR £100, A sculling race on the Thames for a stake of flOO, between David Goodwin, of Battersei, and Charles Brightwell, of Putney, was decided on Wednesday afternoon, Goodwin winning by three lengths. The time from Futney to Mortlake waa 25m. 43s.

THE COLERIDGE LIBEL SUIT. FURTHER ACTION BY THE PARTIES. It is stated that in conseouence of Mr. Justice 1a.ni"t.Y having overruled tile verdict of the jury in thh case he plaintiff has applied to the Court of A.ppeal to set aside the judgment. :leanwhiJe the defendant has given notice to the plaintiff of his intention to move the Divisional Court in order to set aside the verd'ct.

FATAL ACCIDENT AT MAESTEG. On Tuesrhy evening Hobert, aged f'jur year"" nd Benjamin, 'tgE'<i six years, children of Mr. Wm. Rees, of the Greyhound Inn, ,core plaving abnut the shop of .lr Lewis, carpenter,when several planks felt on Robert and fata'ly injured him. Benjamin sustained injuries to t'is lower limbs, but is re- eovenng r-ipidiy. Dr. Thomas was immediately in attendance 00 R'.1brrt, bu he expired in le;;s than two hours after the accident.

A MINSTREL IN TROUBLEAT SWANSEA. James Bland, negro comedian and author, a.nd composet' of Dem Golden Slippers," a. favourite baiiad, was charged at Swansea. Police Court on Monday wi!h trespassing' on the prer.ji.ses of a house in Culvert-street, and breaking a. pace of glass in the window. Defendant said he belonged to Hague's Minstrels. Ee did not know what he was about when he did it. and was ready to pay corn- pensation. He did not like to leave a. bad name in the town. Sa agreed to pay jEl and cost?.

S SCENE AT A THEATRE An unusual incident took en Tuesday eight at the Royalty Theatre, Utasgow, where the Carl Roaa Opera Company are now performing. Madume h,l'ie Roze was s¡ning in n Trovatore," when the tenor. Air. Barton M'Guckin, was suddenly taken i)I. and unahie to nnish the opera. It was feared the audience would have to be dismised, but a Mr. Wilson cilme forward antI expre:i'ed him- self wiliini{ to take :'vIr. :\hruckin.s part, :.I"dam8 Marie Roze brought him oet'ore the curtain at the end of the opera, to receive very hearty applause. The physician in attendance States that l-lr, ['Guckin is not dangerous,y ill.

SAD TERMINATION TO AN ENTER- TAINMENT. SUDDEN DEATH OF ONE OF THE PERFORMERS. An inquest was held on Tuesday at Hatneld Broad Oak. before Mr. Lewis, the county coroner, on view of the body of Mr. Charles Wade, surgeon, who died suddenly at an entertainment which was being held in the National Schooh'ooma, Hathe)d Town, on Frida.y night. Dece!lRed had quite re- cently purchased his practice there, and had con- sequently only been reg1(Jent in the p)ace two months. On the evening named he sang two .songs, and after singing the last (" Kitty Tyrrell") he left the platform and changed seats with the vicar (the Rev. J. G. Forbes), to enable him to converse with a lady, to whom the vicar had introduced him. Directly afterwards his head fell forwards in his hands, and ho was found to be unconscious, dying almost instantaneously, The entertainment was at once closed. l\'lI-. E. A. Brickweil, surgeon, of Sawbridgeworth, who had known Mr. Wade eighteen years, was called, and pronounced death to have arisen from fatty de- generation of the heart. The jury returned a verdict of death from natural causes.

BREACH OF THE MINES' REGULA- TION ACT AT DINAS. THE LATE CAGE ACCIDENT. At Tstrad Police Court on Monday (before Mr. Ignatius Williams) William Davis, hitcher, Dinas Colliery, waa fined 40s. and costa for allowing more than ten men to ascend together from the colliery in the cage. It seemed the pit ia 400 yards deep. Sixty yards from the bottom of the shaft is a four-foot seam, with a landing-stage to enable the men to enter the cage ascending from the bottom, and on the occasion in question the cage from the bottom, loaded with workmen, stopped in its ascent opposite the four-foot landing-stage. A number of men, waiting there to be pulled up t the surface, instantly rushed to the suspended cage, and nlled it to such an extent that the men clung to each other's clothes so as to save themselves from falling into the awful abyss below, and over which they were sus- pended. After the cage had gone up about 20 yards two of the men fell out and were precipitated to the bottom, a distance altogether of 80 yards. They were picked up as quickly as possible, and taken to the surface. One. who was terribly mutilated, was found to be already dead. The other was breathing, but he died aoon after being taken to the- surface.

WRECK OF A G nEENOCK SHIP. SUPPOSED LOSS OF ELEVEN LIVES. At 4.30 p 'n. on Mond-ty the iron ship Heren- g-nri;¡, of Greenock. fr.'m Mc!bourne for Sunder- hmd with 2.000 tons of wheat, struck on the Gat!oper San'ts nnd sank at eight o'ciock. She had a crew of twentv-eight and a pilot on board. Efeven men got awav in a boat, and, together with the mate and another man,who jumped into the sea aftertt'em.they landed at Aldeburg at three :t.m on TUfJsday- Five others landed at Southwoid, leaving eleven men missing, including the captain, who, with the pilot, is be- iieved to have gone down with the ship. A sur- vivor states th:tt, the pilot had lost his reckoning when the ship struck.

OPENING OF A MISSION CHURCH AT CARDIFF. To tcrnporarity meet the wants of the growing population of the southern portion of the Moors, Cardiff, who have up to the present been a! most totaUy unprovided for, a. mission church was opened on Wednesday evening at the bottom of Car!is)o-street in that locaMty. A sma.H iron church has been erected, at a cost of about .C300, to accommodate 200 people, pending the erection on a site near by, given by Lord Tredegar, of a permanent church, for which funds are being sou- cited. On Wednesday evening the church was crowded, and a special dedication service sanc- tioned by the bishop was gone through, the cler- gymen present being the Rev. F. J. Beck, vicar of Roath; the Rev. J. E. Dawson, the Rev. G. A. Jones, the Rev. F. E. Nugoe, the Rev. H. Burnett, the Rov. E. Ward, the Rev. H. A. Coe, and the Rev. N. W. Macleod. The clergy who wit! permanently omciato in tne district are the Revs. J. E. Dawsoo and H. Le&n.

DISAPPEARANCE. Considerable surprise was caused in Sheme!d on Wednesday by the intelligence that Dr. Herbert Coney, described as an American surgeon and specialist, who was & few days ago liberated on bait after boing rentanded on a charge of attempting to procure abortion, had escaped to America. He went to London ostensibly to dispose of his surgical appliances, but, it seems, took a berth on a.n out- ward bound steamer, which reached New York on Wedaetday-

THE DISTRESSING AFFAIR AT TKKHERHEHT. PAROCHIAL INVESTIGATIONS. STORY OF THE CROSSED CHEQUES. On Saturday a person representing the Ystrady- fodwg Parochial Authority proceeded to Cardiff with tha crossed cheques to the amount of .E102 10s., found in the house of Mr. J. L. Hamlet and Miss Hamtet, Cburcli-street, Treherbert, under circum- stances already reported in the Wrstern J-fail, It shouid be stated to the credit of the inhabitants of Treherbert and the adjacent neighbourhoods that the unfortunate brother and sister have found many friends aince the publication of the narrative rRspecting their condition in these columns. The change which suddenly came about must have re- minded them of the o)d adage, "The darker the night the nearer the dawn. It seems that the fortitude of the brother and sister in the face of their misfortunes has struck a deep)y-sympathetic chord in the hearts of the l..acting inh'lbitants and a subscription list has opened in the district. There is no doubt the invitation to subscribe to it wilt be warmly responded to by warm-hearted in- habitants of the vaDey. The representative of the parochial authority was a long time on Satur- day before he cou)d hnd out Mr. Charles M ..ssey, Bute Docks. Cardtff, the gentleman who had signed the cheques fuund in the house. EventuaHy he was found to be a clerk in the employ of Messrs. Cory Bros. This gentleman moat readily gave every information. It seems that the Jate Mr. S. W. Uamtct took on the 10th of Ju)y. 1877,1UO shares in "The Mercantite Marine Outfitting Com- pany (Lim)te.l). In 1331 this company went into iiquidation. Eariv in April in that year Mr. W. Ham)et died at Treherbert, and waa buripd -in Trf'orky Cemet6ry. After paying ail liabilities, including funeral éxpense, &c" tlie surviving brother amI siste!' tmd IcÏt, in hand on, April 16,1881. £40. On December 20, 1881, they received a cheque for JES7 10<<. February 8, 1382, a cheque for JE37 10s.; June 30, a cheque for .Elb and on 18,1883. a cheque for £12 10s. total, .E102 10s., from Mr. Chartes Masaey, being the dividend from the before-mentioned estate in liquidation. Now. it seems the brother and sister, having cash in hand, delayed going to the bank to cash tha said cheques. They neglected also to administer to the estate of their iate brother, to who< estate the cheques belonged, .Meanwhile Messrs. Rogsrson and Co., soticitors, Liverpool, ad- ministered to the estate on behalf of a Mrs. Rathbone. Liverpool, a sister of the parties. When Mr. J. L. Hamtet presented the cheques for payment he found that alt the cash to which the deceased was entitled out of the Mnrca.nti!e Marine Outfitting Company's estate had been handed over to the said Mrs. Rathhone. It. is understood that Mrs. Rathbone wit! be communicated with immediately wIth a view to induce het' to hand over to her unfortunate brother and mister the share of the deceased's estate to which they are tegaHy entitled. In addition to the sum of .E102 10s. before-men- tioned, the deceased was entitled at the time of his death to the following' sums:East Wheat T)n Mine, Cornwall, .E389 9s. 9d. Rhyd- Stiver Lead Mine Company, ;MO National bteam Coa.1 Company, JE31 5s. The shares in the Cornwall mine were taken May 9, 1879. at 291, The l-t.-it c.dl to which the deceased wa, a.b!e to respond was on March 16. 1881, when he paid JE7 10s. Shortly after that he died. It seems calls" have been made since but the brother and sister had not, so it appears, cash to meet them. They conclude, therefore, the sums paid have been forfeited.

SHOPLIFTING AT CARDIFF. PRISONERS BEFORE THE MAGISTRATES. James Driscol), 15, a.nd Thomas Brown, 32, were charged at the Cardiff Police Court on Saturday wi) h ateating twetve shirts, of the value of 36s.. from the shop of Davies and Sherwood, Custom House- street, on the 25th ult.—Detective Smith arrested the boy on Friday. In answer to the charge the prisoner said, "Yes, I took the shirts white the young man was taking in the things from outside, and afte¡wi1rds sold them at Quin"! lodging-,hou"!e, 24.. Charlotte-street." Detective Smith then went to the lodging-house, and there found Hrown, who at nrst denied that he had bought anything from the prisoner. Smith searched the bedroom, and under the mattress found a pair of new trousers, a pair of new stocking; and a scarf, which the prisoner said he had bought from lada at different, umea. Smith also found that the prisoner waa wearing a new sltirt under an old one. This was recognised as forming one of the dozen stolen by the boy.—John T. H-H-ris, assistant to the prosecu- tors, identified the articles produced as the pro- perty of his meters.—The evidence was not con- ¡<idt>¡:ed !'Iufficient ag:lÍnst Brown, and he WliS discharged. — DriscoU waa sent to prison for a month.—inspector Price said he had no father nor mother, a.nd thf'.t he mixed up with a gang of notorious thieves, and had been concerned in many robberies.

HORSE-WHIPPING A KEATH BAILIFF. Mr. Albert Hodges, a bailiff attached to the NeithCoun'y Court, some time since levied an exeeution i"ued out of the Swanea Court, by Mr. Francis Gambold, hay merchant, Swansea, on the goods of John Rees. Ta)ycopa Farm, Ltansamlet. for 7s. 6d. In levying, the baitiK said he would caB again in a few da_n', and on Wednesd'l.Y last, anticipating that the judgment debtor wou)d be coming in to on that day, as it was market day, he kept a took-out. After a time he saw the defendant's wife, near the Castle Hotel, driving a trap towards the market. He went up to her, H nd ùf'manded the amount due under the warrant. Mrs. Rees, however, did not think it worth white to notice the omcer, and drove on. whereupon the baitiff seized the reins of the horse, and again de- manded the debt and costs. The occupant still refusing, the omcer declined to allow her to pro- ceed, whereupon the female driver administered the whip in a most unmerciful manner. The b'uiiff, however, stubbornly held the reins and stiH refused to allow the woman to proceed before paying hun his demand. By this time a large crowd of peop)e a!!embled, which m:Lterially di,cuumged the defen- dant's wife, and the bailiff having managed to get possession of the whip eventually obtained the money after a hard tussle.

BOARD OF TRADE PROSECUTION AT PENARTH. HEAVY PENALTIES. At the Penarth Police Court on Monday (before Messrs. J. S. Corbett and James Ware) Benjamin Sutly, boarding-house master, and William Murphy, a runner in his employ, were charged, the former with persuading a seaman to desert h)s ship, and the latter with the same offence and with harbour- ing the deserter. Mr. Vachell prosecuted on behalf of the Board of Trade. Archibald M'Donald, a seaman on board the Drom- mind. satd the vessel arrived at Penarth on the 19th inst. Murphy went on board when the vessel was moored, and asked him to go ashore to his house in Cardiff. Witness remained on board, and in three or four days both defendants went on board, and nsked him to go to their house. He asked them if they would take him in without a discharge, and Sui)y said Yes." Witness then packed up his clothea, and Murphy pitched them on to another ship which was lying inside them, and then took th°m on shore. Sully totd him to put his clothes behind a load of wood, so that the Custom-house omcer should not see them, and they then went to Penarth Ferry. After crossing they got on a 'bus and went to Cardiff. On arriving at Cardie they went to Sully's house, and ho stayed there. The defendants persuaded him to leave the ship. The captain had refused to give him a discharge. JohnCtarkeStoyta. of Trade omcer, said that when he served the summons Sutiy admitted that he had been on board. Thomas Henry Withers, m'st.er of the vesael, said M'Donald left the ship without leave. Sully was hnod ;E10 and costt< on the charge of harbouring M'Donald, and the other CaM against turn was dismissed. Murphy was fined JE2 10s. and costs.

THE DISAPPEARANCE OF A BASSALLEC FARMER. CONFIRMATION OF HIS DEATH. I Some three months ago we reported the mys- terious disappearance of a Ba.ssaHf'g farmer named Thomas Morgan Harrhy. A fortnight before the man had mllrrif'd a womi\n fr'Jtn Penarth, named Cottrell.and left her there whilst he proceeded to Bassalleg with the avowed intention of providing a. homo for her in the house jointly occupied by himself, a brother, and other relatives A date was fixed for the newly.mtu'ried woman to arrive there, but on the day prior the husband myste- riously disappeared, being seen at nine o'clock tha same night on the phtform at Newport Raiiway Station, apparently waiting for a train. From that time he was unheard of, despite close inquiries on the part of the police and his retatives. Just over q. week ago the wife received a teiegraphic message stating that her was lying seriously it! at Manchester, and requesting her immediate atten- dance. She accordingly proceeded thither, and found him aiive. In a conversation which ensued he stated that owing to his marriage his retativea had almost driven him out of his mind, and in a short time afterwards he expired. The funeral took place on Thursday last at Manchester, the I wife foUowiog the remains to the grave. In the meantime a brother of the deceased, hearing of his death, 8.181"1 pl'ocee(ted to Manchester, ary'iving there on the day of the funera), hut oniy in sumeient time to altow of his seeing the conm lowered into its last resting-place. The actual decease of the man is placed beyond a!) doubt, by a letter received on Wednesday morning by Capt. Gurney, who has been making strict inquiries into the IHatter.-&t.lT of Gwent,

TIIR SIX DAYS' PEDESTRIAN COMPETITION. 0)1 Saturday night the 8:x days' go-as-you- please competition at the Westminster Aquarium was brolloht. to a conclu<.ion in the presence nf Severn! thousands of spectators. The relative positions of th" competitors did not undergo any alteration during the day, and nothing of a re- markable character occurred. During the evening. encouraged by the performance of the band a.nd the appearance of the 6pecta.tors, most of the com- petitors a.t times ran round the track at con- siderable speed, and thereby caused immense enthusiasm. As had been evident since the retire- ment of RoweII on Thursday morning', the result was au paay victory for Littlewood, for at eleven o'clock, when the competition came to an end, the distances traveDed by the various competitors were as follow:—Littlewood, t05 mites 4 laps; Mason; 384 miles 3 laps; Cartwright, 357 miles 4 laps; M'Carthy, 348 miles O'Connor, 331 miles; Franks, 305mi!ea2 laps; Wren, 270 miles? iaps; Pettitt, 260 mi tea 6 laps.

EXTRAORDtNARY OCCURRENCE ON nŒUANOG MOUNTAIN. DISGRACEFUL ATTACK ON A YOUNG WOMAN. AtPontypridd Police Court on Wednesday (be- fore Mr. Ignatius WiDi.tms) Morris Dootey, Edmund'6-town, waa with having com- m'tted an indecent assault oa Mi Margaret Davies. Gtvn Farm, Ton\ retail. Mr. D.tvid Kosser xppe.u'ed for the prosecution, ftnd Mr. Rhys tor the defence. It was said that the compl.una.nt was a.t midday going homewarda to Cymmer. Wlien at a stiln on tite side of tho mounttur. she heard somebody caning after her. Site looked up and snwtite pri- soner coming up the fields after her. She con- tinued on her W)ty, and the prisoner overtook her. He asked her the way to Edmund's-town. She directed him to it He went in that direction a. distance of about 30 yards, when he stopped and ctlh'd out to h<-r. making use of a very rude express'nr. She macte no answer, and pI'oceede<i on her waY, Be cflllf>(] out "Wait; let me talk to you." He then came up to her. She said, "I don't want to talk to you." He caught ho)d of her and threw her down, nnd knelt upon her. She struggled with him, screamed. and s,,¡d hpr hther was coming, and that it would go hpn,vy aerainat him, for she would know him again. He p)aced hit ha.nd on her mouth to pre- vent her from saying "Shut up." and s\\ ore at her. She got on her knee", struggting al) the time with him. Eventually she regained her feet, but he took bold of her shoulder and threw hfr down a. Recond time. Again she got up and ran away, leaving her hut and cloak behind. The skirt of her gown wna torn in the struggle. Complainant continued running until she came to the bottom of the hi)!, where site sa.t down, crying. A Mrs. Jones came up to her, and she toid 'her' what had occurred.— Ponce-Constable Weeks apprehended the prisoner at Edmund's-town.—Prisoner was committed for tria.1 at the quarter sessions.

THE WELDON-WINSLOW LIBEL CASE. CLOSE OF THE TRIAL. THE VERDICT. In the Queen's Hench division, on Saturday. before Mr. Jusrico Denman and a special jury, the action of Mrs. Weidon against Dr. Forhcs wa.s again proceeded with.—Mr. Justice Dfnmnn re- sumed his summing up, and repeated to the Jury that the vital question wss whether the defen- dant in what he did had acted honestly and bond ./Me in tt<e performance of a. duty, or whether he Was hasty and recktese. or determined to make Mrs. Weldon out a I'tnatic whether she was ho or not. Two very different accounts had heen given by witnesses upon one side and on the othel'; 80 very different that it would be impossible to reconcile them, though it was possibte that there might be some wonderful want of recollection which might account for it. His tordship then read his notes, and the evidence given by the various witnesse". He paid that the defendant was a man eminently quaiined to form a judg- ment upon matters of the kind now in question, and he must be, therefore, judged by a high standard; but at the same thre it would be pecutiarly hard up n him if he should be heid liable, when he had merely committed an error in judgment, as though he ha.d been actuated by some improper motive. The jury found a verdict for the defendant upon theiibeiof April 14; for the plaintiff upon the libel of Jan. 8, 1879, with nominal damages; and for the plaintiff also as to the assault—damages, jE500.

TidE DEPRESSION IN ENGLISH TRADE. CONFERENCE IN LONDON. LETTERS FROM SIR S. NORTHCOTE AND MR. BRIGHT. A genera! conference of delegates from various branches of industry in London and the horne counties was held in the Memorial-hall, London, on Wednesday evening, to consider the present unprecedented depression of trade, and to inquire into the causes which operate to the disadvantage of home labour and industry. Captain Summers Lemon, president of the British Seamen's Protection S'ciety, presided, and amongst the labour organisations represented were the carpenters and joiners, engineers, dock and riverside workmen, riggers, builders, coopers stevedores, sugar operatives, & Mr. GEORGE PoTTEK, secretary of the conference, read the following, amongst other letters, which he had received:— 30, St. S.W., Nov. 30,188t. "Dear Sir,—I shou)d, indeed, be g)ad if I cou!d offer any advice to your council that was likeiy to be of service. I feal' I mu"t con fine my 3elf to a very general expres,ion ot sympathy, !lnd to an efll'rll'st hope that the conference nJa' succeed in tracing the cause of the depression of which our labouring classes are so widely complaining. I hope that in your inquiry you wi)l make a cardinal point of asking how far the surfe'-ina' is due to natura! and how far to artificial causes, and especially how far it arises from lesisia- tion- Ri¡me j'enrs AgO nIl difficulties were ascribed-to mischievous legi"lative in t,rference. And it peemfd to be thought that if the inter- ference were put an end to, and natur d laws were atiowed their futt development, all wouidgo right.. \Ve have come to think that this ide.t was carried toofar,and<*ertainlyso)f)eof the hopea held out by the school fiave bo-n sadly dis- appointed. Hut we must not, therefore, instantly Hy to the other extreme, and think that by revers- ing our engine >e sll,tll get into slno0t h \tter- We ought. I thmk. to put legislative remedies last instead of iirst in uur system of inquiry. Ut com'se, tile great tllinO' i:5 to got the COlTect fllcts, then 1.0 ¡ask wh:tllCr tf,e deprl'ssi0n i.n any partieul'Lr n. dustry is temporary or chronic', and, if chronic. whether'tis due to causes within our controL' Sometimes we 'Dud ourselves face to face impediments which are absotutt'Jy insllperabie, and whicft it is but waste of time and strength to contend against. Hut more common )y 1 think thera are remedies to be found in tile ex< rf-i-.e of greater ski)), the emplor/nont of more capita), and the opening up of new ne!da of en- terpl'i"f!, Anything seems to me twt,ler than endl'av0\1t'ing to get out, of A. diffiC'ulty by infflrior work, which is what we are always tempted to try. If a farmer starves his I,md, if a manufac- turer pu!S shoddy for ctoth, and so <'n, he increases the permanent difncutty of Itis case, for thf land becomes less productive, and the c!oth loses itscharacter, and so toses itsmarket. Foreign competition is, of Cllurse, (me of t,he diHiIultit's our working e!ass('s have to contend with; uut that is a condition of our existence, and wa must meet ii in the best way we can. We ha. ve some advan- tages which we must take care not to throwaway, for they would not be easy to regain. One is our large capital. Take care not to frighten that away. Another is what is calied our''connec- tion." There is a- great deai of trade which comes to our shores be'-au-e it has been the habit of many countries to treat our market as a com- me",jial centre and II. place of exchallge. It would be a. serious loss to the country if we lost the depôt traùe. ome of the w(H'king men may, perhaps, fail to perceive how it afi'ects them, but, they woutd soon find out that if the nation became poorer it would injure a.H ch'sses. Anntller advant:lge we have is our grea! Colonial possessions. They supply us with a daity increasing body of customers, and the\ also offe!' to our emig,-ants nn unrivalled field of empiovment, I am not at alt favourabte to indis crimin'teemigiation.but when it is judiciously directed it anords an immense opening for indus- trious and energetic labour. Id.) not know that I can usetuhy say more. hut I ahati be very much obliged to you if you wi!) send me the results of) your conference.—1 remain, yours faithfutty, "STAt-FORD H. NOXTHCOTE. "To Mr. Georfe rotter." 132, Picca.di )!y. December 1,188t. "Dear Sir,—An eng'gemenr, which I cannot escape from wdt nuke ithnpossibte for me to be pres;nt at 'Otll. conCe/'ence m .W,'clnestlay. I Itlll at raid I cou)d be of no s rvice if I were with you. These times of par'i.t) distress come and they di- appear. Tl)nre are symptom-) of improvement eVen now, and I hope the. will strenthen anù ex- tend. I should be gl 'd if your friends can sug gest anything that, wit) p'oun f advantage to those who suffer.—1 au), very truly yuurs, "JOHN BRIGHT. To Mr. George Potter."

THE DYNAMiT)';){S t'ALY AND EGAN IN PRISON. MEMORIAL FOR A REPRIEVE. A convict, who has just been released from years and a ha)f of the ten years' pen?l servitude for forgery and embezz)ement to which ))e was for forgery and embezz)ement to which ))e was sentenced, has given some particulars concerning t) e dynamite convicts Da)y and Egan, who were sf'ntence'i, the f"rmer to penal servitude for life I and the l.ttter to pro:tl servitude for twenty yea I'" by Mr. Justice Hawkins at the \Val'wick Summer A",izps for treason-Mony. He says that he had special opportunities of watching the conduct, and movements of the two convicts re- ferred to, having bfen granted additional priviteges He wal', he I<ays. sub-attelltlant for a few days in the q\lart!'r of t he prison whet'e Daly WIIS 10cHted after his f)dmi«fion. and worked side to-side with him in the carpenters' stop whitst taking stock of the toots and materials, a. task which i9 occasionatiy performed by wen-conducted prionf'rs whose term of penal servitude is on the eve of expiring. Daly in his youth was apprenticed aa a carpenter in bis native city. Limotick, and, according to the ex-convict, de- ctared himself a thorough Nationalist, and ns he Hved, so phouid ho die, no matter what ordeat he might have to pass through. He expressed his belief that something would occur at no distant day in the re)ationf between Ireland and t'ngland that would compel the tatter to grant the demands of the Iris)) people for national autonomy." and denounced in bitter terms what he calIpd the "prejudiced evidence'" adduced at the trial, nnd emphatically declared that neither he nor Egan were guilty of conspiring to Mil or maim anyone, MEMORIAL FOR FGAN'S RELEASE. A memorial to the H.,me Secretary in favour of the release of Egan, on the petition of his wife, was issued on Sunday,, and will shortly be pre- sented by some of the most prominent Irish party. Egan'a solicitor, Mr. A. J. O'L'onnor. of Birmingham, who drew up the memoria), sets forth that the association of Egan with Daly. which so contributed to his conviction, was a perfectly harmless association, having commenced in child- hood in their native city of Limerick, and subse- quently renewed in' England, where Egun has been settled for about twenty years. Daly, the memorial continues, was simply an occasional visitor to Egan, who, since he arrived in Eng)and, has always been fulty em- pioyed in conndentia) positions as managing clerk nnd tl'<\eIJer in Birmingham nnd Wolverham[Jton It is further submitted that the whole of the evidence given at the trial was most trivia, except the statement of Detective Ore that on the night of February 25, 1884. Egan said to Da)y, "This night we shall he avenged, this night we sha)) be free." February 25 was the day preceding the dynamic exptosion at Victoria Station. The memorialists express their belief that Mr. Justice Hawkins did not desire that Egan should be found equaiiy guiity with Daly, as was shown by his toiling the jury that. there was a doubt in his favour, and his lordship'a subsequent questions after the verdict of guilty. After referring in detail to the witnesses, the asks Sir Witliam Harcourt to review the who)e of the evi- dence, against the weight of which it contends the verdict was given; the accuracy of the state- ment of Detective Ore that Egao was heard to anv, This night we w')H be avenged" is disputed, at.j the evidence is stated to be without corroboration, a)though at the time of the aHeged remark an Irish police-omcer was in company with the detective mentioned.

FE \iALE DES PE KADOES. EXTRAORDINARY ASSAULT CASE. At the Weat Ham Police Court on Monday Catherine Harvev, 21, a married woman, and Matilda Hinder, 21, and Catherine Daley, 22, un- fortunates. all of Canning Town, were charged with being concerned together in violently assautt- nig Edward Hagan in the Victoria Dock-road on the 29th ult.—Prosecutor, of 4, Woodstock-street, Canning Town, a ship's hre.nan, said that on Saturday afternoon, at about two o'clock, he went into the Lord Netson pubtic-house. He then pro- ceeded up the Victoria Dock-road, and, meeting a friend, went into the Brewery THp then went to the Lord Napier with his friend and saw there the three prioners, Witne, went out, and wilen returning to the bar he saw his friend going out. When he got to the bar he found his pot coipty, and having seen one of the women put the empty pot, down he6!u8peGted that silo hail finished the contents, hut he took no notice. Cat'.ingfor another pot of beer, one of the prisoners advanced towar<1'1 it" and wit.nes., thinking Ahe w,s about to take the second pot of be.r, pushed her away. He xnd his friend then left the house, proceeding to the Ship Inn, where his friend met a shipmate. Witness then left to go home, and as he proceeded up the Victoria Dock-road he was suddenly knocked down as he passed the corner of Kag)e-street by the three women, He was struck on the bfck of the head by what he considered to be a stone, and becoming sensetess remembered nothing more tin he was taken up the street by a constabte. He was afterwards taken to the Pop Jar Hospi'al, where hia wound was dressed. Besides the wound on his head, witness had a cut. on his forehead and on his nose.—Arthur John Bel), of 94 and 95, Victoria Dock-road, Sr)id that at about five o'clock on Saturday evening he wa-< near the door of his shop, when he saw the three pris0ners pass br. They went to the corner of Eagle-street, and when they saw the prosecutor in the centre of the road they ail advanced to him, knocked him about, drove him to'the watt, and when he fe)l to the ground they kicked him about the face and head, Harvey jumping on him. The prosecutor was knocked senseless, and then the prisoners went towards E.tg'e-street, but Hinder went back and gave him an extra kick on his nose. A lot of men stood around and cried Shmne," but. no one interfered. A boy at last. led away the prosecutor, who bied very much.—Evidence of the arrest of the prisoners and as to the charge having bt'en given, Mr. Phimps remanded the prisoners, intimating that they would be committed tor briat.

A SENSATIONAL DIVORCE CASE. THE ALLEGATIONS AGAINST DR. PAGE, OF BIRMINGHAM. In the Divorce Division on Wednesday Mr. Jus- tice Butt and a. special jury resumed the case of Harrison t. Harrison and Page. The petition was t.I)a' of Mr. Wittiam Lomas Harrison, an accoun- tant, of Birmingtmm, for a divorce by reason of his wife's adultery with Dr. Edward button Page, in practice at SotihuH, against whoni damages were claimed. Answers were fUed denying the charge, nnd the respondent made counter-aliegttions of cruelty and adultery against her iiusband. It wiil be remembered that last March Dr. Page, the co-re- spondent, brought an action for slander against Mr. Harrison, the petitioner, in respect ofa))eged misconduct with Mrs. Harrison, and the case was tried betore Mr. Justice Hawkins and a jury, who found for Dr. Page, in JE150 damages. Subse- quently, apphcatton was tnade for a new trial bd'ore a Divísional Court, and it was arranged tha.t tlJe <luestiun i:j!Jould tand ovel' pcndilJg the pre- ser't. s'dt in the Divorce Court.—Mr. Inderwick, Q C.. Mr. Bavford. and A!r. Crump appeared for the petitioner Mr. Wiilis. Q C., an I Mr. Sen' for the respondent; and Mr. Ernest Page and Mr. Lee Ev,tns for the cO-I'espondent.Furt.her evicience WilS gi ven in supp()rt of the peti tioner's ease, Ann Chinery, formerly in the service of Mrs. Harrison, said that on one occasion she remem- bered the respoafifnt coining home i!t in a cab. Dr. Page attended her. He was th'ii'e for noariy three hours. The witness took the tea up at four o'clock to the spare bedroom. She tried the door. and found it locked. After & few minutes the door was unlock(.d, Ilnd the wil ness went into the room. Mrs. Harrison was in bed, and Dr. Page wa.s standing hy the bed-side, After DI', Page left Mrs. Harrison got up and came downstairs. After the respouJpnt's confinement. \)1'. P"ge was fre- at the house, generatty from two-and-a- hatf to three hours. She had known him there IllUch longel', Mr. inderwick, Q.C. In what terms have yon heard Dr. Page speak to Mrs Harrison?—Witness: I have baard him cail her my d trting and my dear when they have met. I have see" them kissing, The nrst time was when Dr. Page was sent for to attend the baby, who had run a neidle into its foot, Examination continued: On that occasion he Üut his hand on he¡' shon IdeI', kigsed her sever,¡\ tilllf'S, and s,lid, "1'001' thing! I am sorry fot' you. She h.td a)so heard them kissing as they went upst.ors.—To the Judge: Thishadhappened upon half a dozen occasion, Mr. Inderwick, Q.C.: Have you heard Mrs. Harri",on say ¡tnythi"g about her husb'LIld?- Yes, tlmt she hated his vm'y bre,ÜII and Big-ht of him. and tllat if at anr time slw opened lIet' <yes and found him dead, and she shed a. tear, it woull be under a fatse pretence. (Laughter.) Site to)d the witness how dearly she )oved Dr. Page, and that he was a nice man. this was said in the pre- "ence r¡f t he other serva.nts, M r¡), H,\rrison told her not to tell her husbanri tlmt Dr, Page had been. Upon one occasion sue told the petitioner that his wife's conduct was'the talk of the whole house- hold. Ann Leadham said that she was engaged ns housemaid in May, 1882, when Mr and Mra. Har- I'ison Were ¡¡ brnl(L U ¡Jon their rei urn Dr, Pa!(e visited the The witness had taken tea up- stairs to Dr. Page and Mrs. Harrison and had found the door Jocxed. When he left the house she had heard them kiss. Mr. Bayford What have you heard him say on one occasion?—The witness: "Good atternoon. tove," and she replied, Good afternoon, dear." On one occasion a tire was ordered to be lighted in th:' spare bedroom, and they were together for about three hOlll's. Edward Harwood, in the service of Mr. HnlTis<ln as eoachman nnd g',lrdener, flid tlHtt he had drtven Mrs. Harrison to Dr. Page's residence at c-ohhuH, about, three mites from the Uplands. where the petitioner hved. She wourld be there for an hour and more. He had on three occastona driven her and the children on a Sunday to Knowie Church. She woutd leave the children at the church and drive over toDr Page's. Dr. Page would cail at the house and stay from two )o three hours at a time. He had se"1 them walking ahout togethel' at oJih\lII, Hii'l mistress had told him not to tett his mast.ei' of her vi-.)tst.oDr.P.)ge. He (the witness) hadseenher in the bedroom with Dr. Page, who used to draw down the blin(I, Cross-examined: At the previous bander trial he had deposed to ge'ting a ladder and tooking in at the window where Dr. Page was, and tethng "is fpllnw Sel'V'fnts wllat lie had seell. H<J went up the ladder out of curiosity, and a)so in the interest of hi", maMe! To the Judge: Had he seen anything wrong he wou)d hav" t")d his master. Ht.-examin!HI; He saw nothing wrong, aa the blinds Were down, (L'lughter), Henry formerly stable boy in the emptoy of the petitioner, :d'o deposed to driv- ing Mrs. Harrison in a pony carriage to Dr. Page's Willi:un M ,tthews, It cab pr"prietor, who lived at Bil'lllingham, g!\vt! evidence ItS to twice dl'Íving Dr. Page and Mrs. Harrison together about the latter end of June, 18<2. From Bath-row he had twice driven Dr. Paeand a lady. Cross-examined One of these houses in Bath- row was of bad repute. Ho drove them as far as t.lle Town-h,d!. A. the time he (lid not kn')w Wh,l the IfltlV W!L. Did not see them come out of any Ilouse upon eitlwl' nccasion. A detective named Hunter nrst spoke to him about bis evidence last JanUIII'V. He wa taken to a house to identify Mrs. H.n'rison. He beueved Mr.Harriaonsaid that the ludy was his wife. To the Judge Mrs. Harrison was the same lady he drove from Bath-row. Had seen her go in and come out, of the house of b.td repute in Bath-row on one occasion. By Mr. U iltis, Q C. This was not upon either of the occasions of Ins driving Dr. Page and Mrs. Harrison. Benjamin Bu)!er, a cab proprietor, living at Aston.gave evidence as to Dr. Page being fre- quently seen in the streets with Mrs. Harrison. Had driven them together, and had put them down at Bath-row. The witness was cross-examined, his odd replies causing laughtet. in court-. Mr. \Vilhs objected to the laughter, whereupon the witness said he could not help it, as it was the nrst time lie had ever been examined as a witness. Mr. Justice Butt remarked it was very true that they were m a court, of justice, but, at the same time, they were not at church. (Laughter.) He did not mind the laughter. Mr.Wiilis, Q.C.. said that any laughter interfered with his cross-examination. Mr. Justice Butt: But the people are not laugh- ing at you. The Witness: Oh, no; at me, unfortunately. (Laughter.) Wifiiam Lomas Harrison, son of the parties, was called. He said that he remembered making a communication to his fathel' in reference to the visits of Dr. P.'ge, who on one occasion stayed two hours with his mother. The witness ietched the stick with which his father beat his mother. He stood by and saw the chastisement admin- istered. Agnes Proctor, who formerly lived at 9t, Bath- row, said that in the summer of 1882 a lady and gentlt:'man tayed at her apartments for somé time one day, and then left. She did not know who the gentleman was, nor the lady at the time. but had 3ince identified her as .Mrs. Hal'l'ion, A fortnight afterwards she again catlle to the hous'3 by herself, and said the gen.lemiln would be there in a few minutes. He afterwards came. and they had a room, remaining about an hour. The gentleman she had since identified as Dr. Page. He was not the person who came with Mrs. Harrison on the first occasion. She paid the witness a third visit with a gentleman, who the witness did not see. Other witnesses having been examined for the plaintiff. Mr. Wi))is opened the case for the respondent, and said Mrs. Harrison would deny that Dr. Page ever abused the trust placed in him. The court then adjourned.

Mrss FoRTHscrE, of the Strand writer:— I II with 1'1e8.rc testify to t he excellent quality of Pest'8' 8\p. 'or its beneflcil eifects on the skin and cOJUlllexion ::poh,;id :t dLefr:e f: e);¡II.nF¿ TKH<jut! FEARS'SUAP for the Sotdevwy- whttie.

SERIOUS OBSTRUCTIONON THE MAIN LINE AT NEWPORT. The engine of a goods train on Wedne!"da,- ran off the mtl\lg at M;\indee Junction, Newp(wt.. and blocked both the up and the down Great Western tinea, with the result that trains between South Wales and London and Bristol werw delayed for some houM-

DEATH OF AN EMINENT NEGRO. The riea.th is announced of an eminent and repre- sentative negro, Dr. W. WeMe Brown, of Boston, Massachusetts, in his 69,h year. Dr. Brown was born at Lexington in 1316. his mother being a. ,ave. At an early age he was hired out to a cap- tain of a steamboat plying between St. Louis and New Orleans. and afrerwal'ds became an office boy under Elijah Lovejoy. then editor of the &. Zoi'M Tt'MM. Becoming in 1334- a steward on a Eria steamer, he assisted in the night of sJave fugitives to Canada, organising a vigiiance committee with that object. In 1843 he became a lecturer for the Anti-Slavery Society, coming over to England in that capacity in 1849. On his return to America, he took an active and success- fut part in raising the social and political status of the coloured population and organising night and other schools among the freed people of the South. He was an 8.3.ociate in these moral movements with \\endell Phillips, Hoyd Garrison, and other prominent ..Abolitionists. and attained a wide and well-deserved hterary reputation.

CHARGE OF PERJURY AGAINST A TEN BY TRADESMAN. At the Town-haH, Tenby, on Monday (before the mayor, Mr. W. H. Richards, Dr. Dyster, Messrs. N. A. Roch. E. Laws, and C. B. Prust) Anthony Thomas, ø. grocer, residing in \VI\rt'en-street, Tenby, was charged with committing wilful and corrupt perjury in a case of iarceny tried before the Tenby bench on the 29t.h of September. In the caSe referred to, Marlin Cagnett, a. corporal in the Munster Fusiliers, had been accused of steahng a pili! of silver at working men's club, kept by Joseph Tiny. On behalf of the latter-named, the present defendant had given evidence. Mr. W. D. Giibertson, solici'or, of Pembroke, appeared to proSêcute, and the defendant was defended by :1111', Jones-Llord, of Tenby, Several witnesses were called, and Mr. submitted there was no p¡'ima facie evidence against his chent" and asked the bench to dismiss the summons. A majority of the bench held otherwise, and defen- dant waa committed for trial to the next assizes, tM.il being accepted, himself in JE50, and two sure- ties in JE25 each.

FATAL ACCIDENT AT WALNUT- TREE-BRIDGE. A melancholy fatal accident occurred on the Taif Vale Railway, near the WaInut-Tree-Bridga Station, on Monday afternoon. Ju=it as the up passeugel" train had slackened speed before entering the station the driver noticed a. little hoy, the son of Mr. Chivers, of Walnut-Tree-Bridge, standing on the permanent way. He at once put on the brakes and whistled, but was unab!o to pull the train up in time to prevent the accident. The poor little fellow was knocked down and the whole of the carriages passed over him. When picked up he was dead, and his mangled remains were afterwards conveyed home. An inquest on the remains of Gilbert Chivers, tgfd nina, son of Martin Luther Chivers, who was killed on the line on Monday, was held on Tuesday by Mr. E. B. Reece. coroner. It appeared that the 1.20 p.m. passenger train from Merthyr approached the TafTs We!! !eve! crossing at 2.14. when a. mineral train waa passing. The deceased was on the down line level crossing. watching this train passing. The driver of the passenger train, named John PoweII, saw the lad about 60 yards ahead, blew the whistle, and reversed the engine, but did not attract the boy's attention. He was knocked down by the buffer, and apparently killed instantly. His head was smashed. The jury returned a verdict of Accidental death."

SCHOOL BOARD TYRANXY. A MOTHERS TBIAL WITH AN AFFLICTED CHILD. At. Marrtebone Police Court On Tuesday Ebenezer Beestey, of 2, St. John's-court, was summoned for neglecting to send one of his chil- dren to school The defendant was represented by his wife.—Mr. Howard, the superintendent of the Schoo! Board district, informed the magis- trate that the case had been several Mmej before tho courtt and had given the authorities a great deal of troubte. The defendant de- clined to send her children to school, as she claimed the right to educate them "t home.—The head-master of one of the Board Schools said on the 4th of November he examined Emma Becsley, who wa.s twelve years of age, and found that in reading she was fairly nt for the third standard. but would not be able to pass in that grade. In arithmetic &nd writing, however, she was nt only for the second standard, which waa considerably Mow the average for a child of her age.—The de- fendant, in repiy to the magistrate, claimed her riTht tf educate her children at home, and contended that under the Act the School Board had no power to institute a. special examination of her children, which Was left entirely in the hands of the court. She submitted that the schoolmaster's report showed that her child was emciently educa- ted, but it omitted to impart the fact that tha child was partially blind. For 1\11 school purposes the child was but eleven years of age, and judging by the report was in a. proper standard.—Mr. de Rutzen said the caae had not been made out to hia satisfaction.—Mr. Howard said he would with. draw the summons.

Is YOla CtMi-B ILL ?—If so, try Williams's Pon- tM-<hwe Worm Loaences, which have been tn uae over twenty yetrs, &nd eeUpM-d &H otbor remedies. Sold ..y I most c.bmi8t.. tt )md Zs. 9d. Prepo-ed from the onty by J. Davies, Chemiat, High- ttreet. awaJMet. The aI."acreeabl. and con uothia<tO<*rtM*. 7S34c

THE BURIAL SCANDAL AT HAVER- FORDWEST. LETTER FROM THE JUDGE-ADVOCATE GENERAL. It wiH be in the memory of our readers that we published a report of a burials question which re- cently occurred at Haverfordwest, arising from the alleged refusal by the Rev. C. F. Harrison, the vicar of St. Mary's, to ai!ow t\ .Nonconformist funeral to place in St. Mary's Cemetery on a 'unday, and on which occasion the vicar justined the course he adopted by representing that he acted in accordance with the provisions of the Burials Act. The matter having been laid before Mr. Osborie Morgan, the Judge-Advocate General, he has addressed the fotiowipg letter to Mr. W. Meyler Thomas, the Wes)eyin lay preacher wno oftici-tted at the funeral in question :— ?ov?29rh??.?'??' De!\r Rir.-I am nllW'l obliç;ed t,.) you for your lpU.pr a'lfl lh3 enclosure. It appears to me, upon the facts th"1'.in stated, 1 hat :Mr. Harrison has been wrong from beginning to end, III toe !irst p.aee, the riht of the ifJcnmbnt to alr,er th,' hour of 1)'ll'i,\I sPl'cinpd in the lJotic only rises (r quote the words ilf the 3rd dection ..f the Burials Act) C'lse t.he time &0 stated be incon'enient. on 8.f,)l1l1t, of sonle oth@r sel'vicp h:lVing heen, previousl V to the r.ceipt. ilf ueh nOliee, apP0inted to t>tke plM.ce in such ,'hul'chyard or gt'a.ve.ya.rlÍ, or t h" chun:h U:. chapel call /leered therewith, or 011 account of any by-laws or regulatiolls Ia.wiul!y in free in any graveyard limltin tile tilUes at whieh bur:als ma.y take pial'p i,1 such gr>J.veyard." It is not su;.¡g"sted th'lt <lilY such rea..3"n exisre,j in the pl'csent Case, a"d, thet'etolt', the incumh..nt had no right to alter t,he time by his counter notice. 8eeùnù! y ,-As regards the burial taking' place on Sun- day, Mr. Harrison is clearly wr,)lIg ift sa.ying th1\t no :N unconf,\rmisL minister could bury (nnller the Act) 011 8undav." "Vhat ¡,he Aet p1'o\'i.les is, that.. no hur'l",l under "it, shall take pla.ce in a ny churchyard on Sunday, Good Friday, or Christmas 1hy, if a'lY sllch day bein proposed by the notice shall be ohjecte,l to) in writ ill f"r a. re,t.¡on assi¡¡;ne(: by the person receivi ng t.he lIo¡ice:' In this case the dear gave a reasnn which in ¡he face of it w¡¡,s invalid, and, tIJerefore, in the eye oîthe bw. 110 n'asolJ a.t aiL I may poill out that. the latier pl"Oviso (in the Act) does IJOt apply in the case of a cemelel'Y p1'o;,edy 8H:alled, but only in that, of 1\ churc"yanl.I am, yours t-ruly, G. Ot"lBORE M,)RGAS. Mr. WiUiam Meyier Thorny. urpnrtecl by the orinio!" (If the Judge. Adv')c.Üe- Genernl.the matter, it is said, witt now be brought before the net ice of the bisllop of the diccese, and be followed by leg;),1 pro,'ee'.lins, but it i!'l to be hopeJ that ruore moderate COUlL: .ll pl'a.il.

SUNDAY CL')SL\G ACT PROSECUTION AT PONTYI'RIDD. At Pontypridd Pohce Court on Wednesday (he- fore Mr, 19nat ius W¡¡liams and i\lr, Fl'aneig R. CrA.whay), Annie Graham, at one time an actress and manageress of a local theatre, was chargd with being )r) the Boot lun, T)'a;nroad- side. Pontyprid' on Sunday evening, and hringin from there a bottle of ber, PnHce-Cnnstab!e Thomas proved the offt'nco. The defendant deni.d thp, eha:gE', ¡¡aying that she had obtained the beer at the hou-e of a, neighbour. The defendant caited a Mr. Russel), who iives in the s'tme house as Mrs. Grahmn. Ti'is witness stepped to the witness box, and bowing to the bench in a. theatrical manner, ej;\culated the werd Genttemen." The Stipendin'y asked witness, "What are you?" Witness bowed and rephed. "A naturalist, gentlemen." Thig unE'xpected reply was nearty upsetting tha mtgisteriai gravity. The Stipendiary desired to know what branch of natural science the witness cuitivated. Mr. RusseH answered, with tile utmost gravity, that he "sold birds of a.ilcoioura—foreign birds." Witness admitted having seen Mrs. Graham bring- ing a bottle of beer into the house on the night in question, but ;-¡id she told him she had obtained it from a young friend of hers on the road. Then, addressing Police-Constable Thomas most gravely, he asked whether he understood the gravity of an cad). On the officer denying the truth of another part of witness's statement, Mr. Russell tiffed up b"th hands and said he had on)y totd the truth, under the b!ue canopy of Heaven. The Stipendiary stated there wa.a nothing in the witness's testi- mony. Defendant was nned 10s., including costs.

THE RECENT FATAL FII I'; NEAR EATH. FUNERAL OF MR- THOMAS. The funeral of the late Mr- Thomas, who was burnt to death by the recent nre at her re'-ider.ce at, Cadoxton. took p!ace on Tuesday. The proces- sion started shorty after two o'clock. and ex- tended from the house almost to the p)ace of in- tprmfnt. C.idoxton Churchyard. The Church Choir, under the of Mr. Philip J.nkins. rendered some beautiful and impassive hymns, the tunera! service buing conducted by the R.;v. Lewis Jone", vicar of c:.doxton, Many prei"ent, a, well as the l'fhtives of the deceai"ed, were visibly afLcted, and the expressions "f regret at the un- umety end of the deceased were deep aud uni- versal.

A SWANSEA TRADESMAN AND THE BRIDGEND HIGH-BA[LIFl", At Neath County Court on Tuesday (before his Honour Judge Beresford) Mr. Edmund Law, of Richardson-street, Swansea, who is weH known as a suitor in the Neath County Court, said he wished to dtrect his honour's attention to the con- duct. of the high-baiiiff of the Bridgend County Court, who repeatediy negiected to serve processes issued by him, thereby subjecting him to serious inconvenience and unnecessary expense. Mr. Law was proceeding to detail his grievances, when his Honour said that if Mr. Law intended making any application he had bettor give the high-baiuff notice thereof, and he wou)d then hear what he had to say about the ma'.ter. Mr. Law Very we)I. your honour, I wiH give him notice iq time for the January court.

THE ALLEGED ATTACK: ON A WOMAN AT CARDIFF. At the Cardiff Police Court on Wednesday (before the stipendiary, Mr. R. 0. Jones, and Mr. 'R. Cory) Timothy Cochiin, a midd)e-aged man, was charged on rema.nd with assaulting and kicking Ellen O'Brien, an e!derly woman, Hving in Stanfey- street. The pro,ecutrix went to the prisoner's house on Sunday evening, the 5th of October, and in the kitchen saw a man whom she could not identify. The man asked her to stand a wet," and on her refusing he pushed her down the two front steps and innicted injuries which necessi- tated her connnement in the Infirmary until now. Phe was unabte to identify the prisoner, who w<ts dischargfd.

THE LATE DUKE OF ALBANY. The memorial to the !ate Duke of Albany sub- scribed for by tha inhibitants of Esher was un- vei)ed on Wednesday evening at Esher Parish Church, in the presence of a. )arge congregation, the ceremony being performed by the Duchess of Aibany. The memorial consists of a bust of the late Duke wnrked in Carrara marble, and stands in an atabaster niche. The deceased Prince is repre- sented as wearing his uniform of Colonel of the Seaforth Highlanders, and beneath the bust is the following inscription, composed by Professor Ruskin:—" To Leopotd, Duke of Albany, youngest son of Queen Victoria, who, with the chosen part- ner of his life, passed hit ctosing years at Ctare- mont in culminating honour, kindiy labour, and thoughtful peace. His widow and neighbours inscribe this tab)et in his parish church recording the reverent oifection in which they heid his pre!Oence and guard his memory. Born Aprit 7, 1853; died at Cannes March 20.1884. Buried &t Windsor."

DEPARTURE ()F LORD RANDOLPH CHURCHILL FOR INDIA. Lord Rando!ph ChurchiU left London on Wed- nesday by the Peninsular and Oriental special tra.in from Liverooot-street for Tilbury, where ho embarked on board tha steamer RohHia, CM ?'oM« for Bombay. The nobte lord was accompa.nied a.s far as the vessel by Lady Randolph ChurchiH an t their two sons. and by Lady Fanny Marjoribanks Sir LL Drummond Woln, and Sir Aigernon Borth- wick. A number of persons who had gathered on the platform cheered as the train started. Mr. Frank Thomas accompanied Lord Randotph as his travelling companion.

The syem of compuhory military service driven 90,000 young men out of Prussia, during the iMt six yeara.

HORRIBLE MURDER BY A MOTHER. THREE CHILDREN KILLED. SUICIDE OF TII WOMAN. On Wednesday afternoon a. woman na.tred Ann Mahon, wife of a. bleacher residing' in Melton- street, EIton,Bury,murderedherthroec!nldren,aged four years, three years, and eight months respec- tively, :tnd co'nmitted suicide by cutting her own t!)roat. The husba.nd on goings home to dinner found the children lying in a. row with their throats cut, and the wife near them dead. The woman had been depressed for some days. ANOTHER ACCOUNT. The woman Ann Mason had been suffering from melancholia, for a.bout a. week, a.nd had an idea that she was afflicted with a.n incurable com- plaint, but she had shown no symptoms of dangerous mania. On upturning to dinner the husband, John Mason, found tlie doors bolted and the blinds drawn. The back room wa.s forced open, and the husband, finding it empty, went up- stairs, where he wa.s horrined to nnd the bedroom ftoor one pool of Mood, and his wife and three ct'itdren lying dend with their throats cut. All the little ones were in their night-gowns, but wearing thsir stockings and clogs. The chamber utensil in the room was nearly fu)l of Mood, and this and other indications on)y too clearly proved that the children had been deliberately murdered, one after the other, and their throats held over the mensi!, into which the biood La.d poured. The murderess must then have !aid the littie bodies in a. row on the iloor, and proceeded to cut her own throat. The boy Thomas, aged four years, appears to have struggled for his life, as hia arms were drawn up and there were ma.rks of his i)ng.;rs on the walls; but the neishbours state that they heard no sound. The following letter from the woman to her husband was found :— Dal" John,-You mu.t fon:lve ffitl f'r doing this, I have been a good wife to you, YOll ffillst Inll'Y all of us with Gcor;:¡e (a dece<\sed son). I c"nllot leave my chil- drell t,o he IOlOcked about. The Lord will forgive me, I wate-hed them die. all'{ am happy. You have been a goud lJUsb,wd to me, Good-bye, ,John. Do not inl'ite many to the funeral. Mrs. Mason was about 37 years of age, and the children wore:-Thomas, four years; N<!Ilia, three years; and Gertrude, eight months. Dr. MeUor, who had attended the woman, told her on Monday she Wci.s suffriug from nothing uf a. serious nature.

THE BABBACOMBH TRAGEDY. CLOSE OF THE INQUEST. THE ANALYST'S EVIDENCE. VERDICT OF WILFUL MURDER. St. Mary Church Town-hat! again crowded to excess on Monday morning when the inquest as to the death of the lat Miss Whitehead Kere, who was murdered a.t The G)en on Saturday, Nov. 15, was resumed before Mr. Sydney Hacker, coroner for the district. The spectators consisted largely of indies, who have attended the who)e of the inquiries he!d in connection with this painful case, and who have displayed the de"Dest intert:t in the ghastly detail of the crime. The accused, John Lee, was not present, but the proceedings were watched on his behalf by Mr. Tern pier, solicitor. Eviden('e h'lving bl'en given the jury ret.ired to consider ttttir verdict, and after about 25 minutes' detibera.tion, returned the foHowing veroict:— We find unanimously that the deceased Emma Ana Whitehead wa.s murdered at her house, The Glen, Xabbacombe, on the morning of the ,151h of Nové'mbel' by the prisoner J0hn Lee, by striking her on the hfa.d with some b!unt tnsn'u- ment" and afterwards eutting hel' throat with tile knife found in the pantry, which is stained with human blood." On Thursday he was committ.ed for trial on the capital charge.

£20 to JE500. — TotAccoNT&'Ts'.—A Pamphlet (80 Pge&)-B.w te Ope. respectably fef dE:29. 3 stamps.— j H. Mvers and Co., JEuatna.rtttKl, ,Le.n, 8<tBtpt< \.II¡I&ra,6. &, 4, la. fl< ettUBps).

ENGLISH HUSBAND AND FKENCH WIFE. In the Divorce Court, on Tuesday, Mr. Justice Butt resumed and concJuded the divorce suits of Lethbridge f. Lethbridge. and Lethbr)dge u. Leth- bridge and Bringuant, which has been before the court on three or four diKerent occasions, being ad- jourr.ed from time to time. The case was one in which there were cross suits. In the nrst place the w]fe, Mrs. Eleanor Maria Lethbridge, petitioned for a dissolution of her marriage on the ground of the aheged cruelty, desertion, and adu)tery of her husband, Mr. Walter Buckler Lethbridge, a wine merchant, who denied the altegation, and )n a c!'n'S suit charged his wife wit.h baving committed aduttery with M. George Bringuant, a French gentleman. The parties were married on the 19th of December, 1864, at St. George's, Hanover-square, and afterwards lived alternately in London and Paris. Mr-). Lathbridge being a French )ady, and residing before marriage in thp tatter city. Their married life seemed to have been a singutarly unhappy one, quarrel!- being frequent and cohabitation seldom, whilst in addition the w)fe alleged that Mr. Lethbridge borh swore at and struck her. The acts of adultery ag tinst the husband were said to have been com- mitted by him with a Mrs. Hunbiin at River Dene. Cookham, whilst, it was further charged that Mr. Lethbridge had deserted his wife from 1869. Mrs. Lethbridge was calied and examined at length, and r'epo"ell thftt her hubflnd was constantly in the habit of remaining out at night. Q')arrels wert! the I'ei<ult, and on one occasion, afler bweat'ill¡o{ at her, he threw some plates at her. She had an income of J6300. Cross-examined:! She denied that anything improper h:<d ever taken place between her and Vtctoria Howard, sister of Mrs. Lethbridge, was c:))ie.), and deposed to the unhappy rotations between Mr. and Mrs. Lethbridge. Watter Atexan- der Lethbridu'e, son of the husband, deposed that he had visited his father at Cookham and a,t Glouces- ter-road, and on those occasions often saw Mrs. H'mbtin at the house. At Cookham they used to go boating. His father addressed her aa dear Ju)ia and kissed her. He h.<d seen them at the theatre together, at the Eton and Harrow cricket match, and also in Piccaditiy. They took no notice of him on those occasions. Some further evidence having been given, Mr. Justice Butt intimated that there was nothing as yet in the evidence upon which he could act against the husband. In respect of the cross- petition by the husband, evidence which had been taken on commission was read, which onty went to show that M. Bringuant had been seen in Mrs. Lethbridge's society at times at Conti- nental hotets. The learned judge, in conciosion, decided that neither party h'd estabtished a casf. and dismissed both petitions, allowing M. Brin- guanta costs.

THE STATE OF THE NAVY. MINISTERIAL STATEMENTS TO PARLIAMENT. A VOTE OF .E5,000,0000 ASKKD FOR. In the House of Lords on Monday night, The E u'1 of NORTHBROOK, in moving for re- turns respecting ships built and building for her Majesty's navy during t)te last four years, made his promised statement with regard to the naval defences of the country. It would, he said, naturatly occur to their lordships to inquire why it w.is neces- sary in the autumn session that any statement should be made on the subject, but the agitation that had arisen in the recass rendered it desirable to make clear the views of the Government on the matter, and to explain what proposes they had to sub'nit in anticipation of the ordinary estimates of the yea. It was unfortunate that the dis- eussion had been hitherto conducted without ny expression of opinion fl'OIll those who were responsibie for the conduct of the navy, and who were as much interested m its condition as anyone in the country could be. But it would have been impossible fur anyone connpcted with the dep;trt., ment to have entererl into a discussion in the Dublic press. He was exeeedingiygiad.theretore.to have the opportunity of making a statement in Partiament on the subject, and, speaking 011 beh:df of the Government, he could as;,uro their lord;,hips and ait who were interested in tha question that they were determined, so far as in them lay, to main- tain the nava) supremacy of the country to the best of thpir abihty in such manner as they con- sidered moat advisable for the purpose. He was desimus that nothing he might ay should give the impression that he desired to treat the question as a p;nty One in any sense, but he wished to make clfar what the po!icy ot the Board of Arhnir.nty with regard to the navy hnd been during the )ast four years, because there had been a disposition to minimise what had bt;en done during that time. That poticy was clearfy stated by Mr. Treve!yan in 1882, and it was vel'y comÜdel'ably to i nerease the rate of COll!'ltruction of urmour-pLtted ships. They preferred to take the course of making the increase gtadual and steady but the expendi- ture on construction ha.d augmented during the four years, and there had been nn increase in the rate of construction of armour-plated ships from something under 8,000 t"ns per annum to more than 12,000. That in- crease had been accflmpmied neces"arily by a largety increased chargR upon the pubhc, because the ships böcame year by y,ar more expensive; and the increased charge might be p )' down as one million in comparing the years 1884 5 and 1880-1. It had been the pohcy of the hoard not to construct ships of much over 10,000 tons, and it had a)so been part of their pohcy to take money enough to press forward the &hipa they had commenced. He maintained that during the last four ye.<rs the construction ofarmour-ptatedthipshad progressed at a rate as rapid as was consistent w)th economy. Another part of the Government pohcy had been not to mu)tip)y types of ships, but build as tar as possib)e ships of the same ct.ms. The ships they had been building were of the Admhai type, though some of them were rather morepawerfu). and special attention had been paid to the efement of speed—a)) the vessels iaid down being dusigne i for a speed greater than that of vessels being bui)t at the same time by our neighbours. That was to say, average speed wou!d exceed sixteen knots. C'mparmg the Knglith with the French neet he stated that.as far as more modern ships went, there were thirty English with a tonnage of 210,412, and nineteen French, with a. tonnage of 127,828; while of ships of otder types Eng)and had sixteen with a tonnage of 115,600, and France twelve with a tonnage of 53,nOD; taking the whotn armour-clad navy together, England had forty-six ships of 326,000 tons, and France thirty.one ships of 181.000 tons. He .vas satisned, irom fu)i inquiry, that at the present time our expenditure in the construction of armour-ptated and other ships was much larger than that of the French Government, and as far as he was aware there had been no extraordinary activity shown in the French yards. There were, it was true, more ships "t the present moment being constructed by the French than by oursefvcs, but the number «f ships aetuaUy launched and being com- pleted was about the same, there being a baiance of one ship in favour of the French. With regard to ships being constructed and not taunched. there woe two moe French ships being constructed than Engiish. The progress of im- provement in artiHery made it undesirable that very large sums of monoy should be spent on pili'. ticuhr types of ships. There would soon be tlll'ee yards vacant and it was proposed to lay down three new ships in the p)ace of those which had bt'en, or wouid shortly, be launched. The Henbow was getting on rapidty. and wouid be launched shortly, and it was proposed then to )ay down one moreironc)ad,orfourin ait, either at the begin- ning or in the course of the next financial year. The nrat would be a, turret ship, of the Conqueror class, a httte over 10,000 tons burthen, with eighteen inche" of armoUl', and carryin two 110. ton guns. an 18-ton stern gun, and twetve 6 inch guns in a ateot-protected battery, :he wou)d have a, speed of 15g knots, and would be equal in strength to any armour-ctad ship constructed or being con- structed by any other nation. What the designs of t he other thrne armoul'-cll\d ships were to b; it was not necessary then absotutely to decide, but they would be 'between 1U.OOO and 11.000 tons, H did not become us to he behind the rest of the world in improvemfnts in maritime war, but rather to take the lead in such matters, and it was proposed to buitd at once two more ships similar to the Foiyphemus—that was to say,tor- pedo rams; and thnse ships would be of about. 3.000 tons, and would have a speed of 17 knots. TIley were building two torpedo cruisers of about 1,400 tons,intended to be auxiiiaries in action, and i(, was intended to build ten more vesaeta of that class. They wou)d be armed with six 4-ton guns. wou)d have a speed of sixteen knots, and would do duty as scouts. It was also proposed to build thirty nrst-ctaas torpedo boats and nve more protected cruisers of 5.000 tons disptacement, armed with torpedoes as Wt'H as guns, and having a speed of seventeen knots. These ships woutd be superior to any ships building anywhere, not only for the protection of our commerce, but the V would also, under certain circumstances, be perfactty ab!e to cope with some of the inferior ships that were ca))ed ironctads, and it was only fair to take them into account in comparing the English Navy with that of any other country. The proposals of the Government were to lay down four ironciads, two torpedo rams of about 3,000 tons; hve protected cruisers of 5.000 tons; ten scouts of 1,400 to 1,500 tons and thirty torpedo boats. additions to the navy would coat about j63.100.000 in excess of the ordinary estimates, excluding the three ironclads, and it was cafculated that the who)e would be completed within nve years. It was not considered desirable to vary to any great extent the number of men in the naval yards, and it was, therefore, proposed that the additional ships should be, to a great extent, provided by contract. The j63.100.000 did not inc)ud<? armament, for which it was catculated jEl,600,000 woutd have to be providedin five years. do that, with the JE825.000 for the protection of coaling stations, there would bo a total ex- penditure of jE5.525,000. The Government had agreed to the appointment next session of a Com- mittee of the House of Commons to inquire into the naval and military expenditure, and these estimates would, as a matter of course, be referred 'dong with the other navy estimates to that Com- mittee. The question of the defence of our com- mercial harbours, and of the necessity in conse- quence of the increased power of guns to make some improvement in the defence of some of our ports on theirsea side. were under consideration, and it was possible that on tho latter point the Secretary for War might have some proposals to bring before Parliament. After some discussion the vote was agreed to. In the House of Commons a similar statement was made by Sir T. BL,sîley, In the course of the debate, Sir E. J. REED (Z., expressed satisfac- tion at the statement made on behalf of the Government, believing the expenditure proposed to be made for increasing the emciency of the navy to be absolutely needed, and having no sym- pathy with those economists who regarded such a proposition a.s extravagant. Comparing our navy with that of Franca, he said that the action taken by the Government was urgently demanded, and he was glad the Government had decided on throwing so much of the contemplated expenditure into vessels either entirety or partially protected by armour. He should not, he said, approve of any large multiplication of vessels of tha Poly- phemus class, though he admitted that one here and there was usefu), and he thought the number of torpedo boats of the first class it was proposed to build, na.me!y, ten, was very small Time after time he had called the attention of the House to the fact that we wanted a Rreat deal of reformatory action applied to our &avy. Ho believed t.hat thl> growth of our commerce required a corresponding growth in our na.vy,and his pre- sent ieeting wad that after that night a heavy responsibility wou)d rest upon the House if it did not see that the growth was ensured. (Hear, hear.) If the proposals of the Government had been as unsatisfactory as they were believed to be a few dnys ago he wouid have bt'en prepared to uphotd any motion, no matter from what side of the House it proceeded, demanding a,n increased expenditure on behalf of the navy. (Hear, hear.) He felt there were many grounds for satisfaction for what had occurred that night. Having made a good many statements tatety about the navy, I'e was pleased to nnd that the representative of the Admiralty had not thought it right to caU any of those statements in ques- tion. His hon. friend the Secretary to the Ad- miratty did that night what he had done before, and what, had been so thoroughly discounted—he compared the number of our ships with those of France, but he did not alhjde to the considera- tions which led to the proposals now before the House. (Hear, hear.) In this matter he (Sir E. J. Reed) felt considerate responsibiiity. Many years ago he had the privilege of entering on duties for the Admiralty when the House voted money for the construction of nve ironctads and nve wooden vessels. All the enorts that he coutd use, and ha had suc- cessfully used them, were devoted to getting the Admiralty to forego the wooden phips. and to adhere to the ironclads alone. It, '.herefore, afforded him great pleasure to nnd that in his statement to the House to-night the Secretary to the Admiralty was able to refer to those vesse)s aa an effective portion of our present naval defences. (Hear, hear.) At the same time he (Sir E. Hped) thought it would be wrong for him in any degree to be a participator in letting the country to under- stand that those early ships were suitable for com- peting with modern vessels. (Hear, hear.) He would now endeavour to show to the House why it was he a.dwoa".Lnd &o iucreAse in the naval power of the country. Those who sat on the Bench were not as thoughtful of the early days of ironclads as they ough& to h.v"f been; and, therefore, they went on for many years asking for an increased expenditure on re- pairs, forgetful that in themeantitne our ironclnda were decaying, and tliat there were no other vessels to take the place of those decaying shios. was the position of the French and ourselves at the present moment? The French were build- ing modern shipa. and had now a tonnage ot 146.000 armour-plated vessels. in every one ot which the armour was mere than twelve inches titick. and in nearly a!) of which it was more thau seventeen inches thick. Me found that out Admiralty Hoard had, for some reason which he was unable to rasp, confined the armour tc tw'j-thirds of our vessel. He did not believe any member of the House would have the slightest difficulty in seeing that if a policy of kind were pursued We must at some time'find om'. selves in a disastrous position. He had taken upon himself the unpleasant task of pointing that out on. many occasions, and that course had given him much pain. (Hear.hesr.) Against those H6.000 tons of thicklv-armlurûd French ships we could onty oppose 61 000 tons. (Ht-ar, hear.) Were they who knew these facts to be reproached for promo- tins' a naval panic because th"y wished !0 remedy them ? (Hen)', hear.) Hehoped that no one would ever reproach him or anybody else f3r doing what they considered their duty. He did not think it would be wise in time of peace to be always advocating that, our defences should be carried to the highest. point, Rut his belief WM th.tt the country ought tobesatisnedwith this:—That it should be de- tended against any suddan disaster. (Hear. hear). Tht-n reverting to the programme of the Govern- ment, he felt he should be wanting in his own Sl;nse uf what was right if he diù nt express his strong on those propoaals. We might be thankfut that they had come forward with those proposals. When ho (Sir E. Reed) was asked by a. number of gentlemen a week ago what sum he thought the Government wou)d propose to remedy the condition of the navy. he estimated the out- lay at JE6.300.000. The expenditure now proposed by the Government was .65,320,000, but th3 entire outlay would reach a.n additional .61,400,000. On four hrst-class armour-cl.td vessels the G'vcrnment proposed to expend .63,000,000; on belted cruisers, £1.250,000; on ten torpedo boats, .M26.00&; on two Pohphemuses, JE300.000; and on ten hrst-clasa torpedo boats, jE120.000; making a total cost of shipa proposed by the Gn- vernment of JE5,320,000. He was taking those proposals simply in the form in whL'h they were put. He would himse f have proposed nve nrst-ela.ss armour-piated ships, bm the Government, had decided on four. He would have proposed that one should be built by contract, but the Government gave two. He had suggested tive betted cruisers; the Admiralty proposed t he sa me. Ho fou nd al,o 10 his gl't='at satisfaction that the Government had abandoned the idea of reiving on un.umed ships. (Hear, hear.) As long as he (Sir E. J. lived he would lift up his voice against the practice of sending men in IlIIarmed ships into engagemt'lIt, when 11 single shell would blow the whole of their machinery into eternity. (He.u',hear.) A few weeks xgo it was to be feared if those proposals had bet-n made the Admiralty woutd have suggested an outlay on tll<J unannou:-ed vesel,,¡; hur, now tlm,t they had given up the idea he reg uded their conduct as in the highest degree sati"Jactorv, (Hear, hear.) He wss disposed to go with his friend fheS-cre- tary of the Admiralty in saying that we huve no reason to regret the expenditure which had been caused by experiments in the case of the Poly- phemus, though she was from the ft.t It Vt,JI'V fa!\t Hilip and wouid have done o(d servka if I¡eces. sary. At the same tim' the alterations made in her as the result of experiment I'ad undoubtedly bt'en advantageous, He was glad, howev. r, to he'n' the number of vessel w.ta not to be largely multiplied. The last element in the Adrnil'ilh,v Pl'ogramme walJ t,he Cll11st,l'uctioQ of ten torpedo boats, which he thought a very in- adequate numbel', He should illlve thought 50 would ha.ve been nearer the mark. (Hc!U'. he.n'.) There was oneot her p:lrt of the progr.unme with w))ich he was very much disappointed. He agreed with the proposal tor the construction of cruise's, but ha regre!tod that they were hot to be conducted to sail faster, for he was convinced that the extra money which it woutd cost to make them to sai. nineteen knots would be well "p,>nt. (Che"'I's.j His hon. friend Sir Dunuld Currie the u¡.;es to which rnel'cantile ",¡lipS could hI! put for war purposes. He knew that <)us was a much- deb Ucd q'x'stior). but, jlldill from the st.ipt be. iongtng to the hon. membe! wiuch he (iSir K J. Reed) had examined, they cuutd bo made very usefu) indeed tor cermiu tttU'Lud M)tea in times of war. (UtHr, hott-.) Ho waa (Mrt'y to hem' fru"t U)M burveyor uf (Jfdnance th;lt cel'llAoiu gUll& \lIhl .t U"'tlll lJl'oJuctal J..¡eclI.u>;e matteM weru tn 4 tratteitton attttc )tL Uto U!"o, ahd. we WIJI'e ill II. oulI" \I"hiou uow IlIiIU If ¡hI! gUHI¡ had boeo bt,t)n made which omdJ uuw Id Htll1""d, but it tile lrgU1l1ent was good fot' tt'!ythtng, it woutd h«!j good aa an argutUMnt f"f nuL lIovidill" tmy guna at ah. ("Hear, hfut," tthd taughter.) F't)' hn* provementd weru IWiLYB btlin¡: IUlidil, Hnd,coll:se. quentty, we shoutd atwaya, tu n cctt.tin extent, be in It. tmnsit,ioll t>tiLlu, M'IIIY ot Iho"e ho hat! U6t11l IIllxiou$ to get tha liUVtll'nlll\lt III illcrtllu¡e the numbers of thlt vtll!id<l il¡ thlt IlIiVY had been aoxtuus, at the pt<me tiote, not to \'fuse ouy 4uel!t IOn Oil t hit poi nt of the system of cnnatruction but it wouh) give [jeopie !tn opportumty ot ityill that we did not know what to bui!J. Mut htt )<tU«t fttiaa ttia voice IIlfainst the I!I \'8 l.n of Jimitttd Itl'mouf'- ptating givnn to ccrttdn nr.st-cttSa The aystem of limiting the armour to tto citadd had been Cftrried too far, and was highly objectiollablt!. lit! !litd pr6viouHly thought it unde¡¡il'able to discu"s the queslion in Ihe House, but hia views had not at aU, and he could no longer be sitent after what had been said at 110 meeting iaat week by a number nf distinguished nav;\l o Uicer.i in hi" prtl:-ltH1Ct!, !ind in the presence of Sir Donald Currie. Those gentlemen spoke wit h 1\ sense of respon- Stbiiity, a.nd they very strongly condemned that ctass of vessels. (Hc.n', hear.) He mentioned that subject now because he wished to nsk the Government not to impose further injury upon thonavataorvice of the country by continuing the ('ollstruction of thid Cht8d of vessel ¡tit limited armour. The enemy attacking the unarmoured bow of Audl It ve""eI would render it not on)y useless for setf-deft'nce, but useless for t,he defence of the countl'Y-( helu', homr) —and he hoped the Government would mnke every new ship safe in that respect, Tlwugh he coull' not understand how the programme of the Govern- ment coutd satisfy the House or the country, stiH he thought the House had reason to congratulate itself that t.he Governnlent had corne dnwn with 1\ programme at aM, and a wise programme, for ho considered it a wise programme ao far as it went, but he hoped the considerations which had led tbs Government to make this extraordinary proposal in this extraordinary session would induce them to consider seriously the further enlargement of the nava.t expenditure. (Cheers.)

SCENE IN AN ANGLESEY CHAPEL. At the Menai Bridge Police Court on Tuesday, Robert EV>l.ns and Samuel Evan8, father and son, of Llansadwrn,were charged with assaulting Owen Jones, of Pencraig, in the same parish, on Sunday, the 83rd ult. There was a cross-aummons for assault issued by the defendants against Jones. Mr. AHansf'n, Carnarvon, prosecuted, and Mr. S. R.' Dew, Bangor, defended. The cnae .trose out of a. dispute between the parties as to the ownership of a pew in the Pengarnedd Ca)vinistic Methodist Chape!, and there were about twenty witnesses on both sides. From Mr. AHanson's opening staterrwnt, it appelU'ed that I\t It qUltrter to ten o'clock on the morning of Sunday, the 23rd utt. Jones attended divine service at the Pengarnedd Calvinistio. Metb.idist Chapel, taking a seat iu tha pew in which he had been in the habit of sitti n! Shorth' before the commenC(- ment of the service the defendants came in, and watking up to Jones informed him that tht-y had become the tenants or the pew in question, and re- quested him to quit. Jones replied that no notice to quit had been received by him, adding the rent had bf'en paid, and that consequenJy he would not leave. Robert Evans thereupon pushed him, and told him to move down or leave the pew, but he declined to accede to either request. Whilst the elder defendant continued to push. Samuel Evans went into a pew in front and attempted to force an entry into that occupied by Jones, who with outstretched arms, .succ't'eded in preventing both men from 'jecting him. The father, however, ultimately forced hia way into the pew, and whilst Jones pushed him out, it was alleged that the son dealt him (the complainant) three or fonr severe blows on the head unfit he was nearly stunned. Considerable excitement prevailed in the chape), and an attempt was made by &cver.)l persona to prevent any further scene. Two or thre" men took Robert Evans, was struck a second time by Samuel Evans, the blow being dealt on the face. fl'om which biood nowed profusely. Hy this time a number of people had arrived in the chauel. and great confusion prevailed. Severe of the members begged Samuel Evans to go away quietly, where- upon he went to another part of.the chapel and sat in the seat previously occupied by him. The father, however, )eft the edtnce. and went home. Jones, having wipe') his bleed'ng face, occu- pied hia pew, and the service was subsequently gone through. The Chairman said that as f:'r ns he could see the case was evidently one of brawling in chapel; and if it turned out to be such, after hearing the evidence, he would certainly order the police to take proceedings agninst. at) concerned upon the graver charge of brawling in a ptaceof worship, which woJt.l ba hn?rd a.t the qoarter sessions. Before proceeding any further wit!) the ease, he suggt-sted that some amtcable settlement of the dispute should be arrived at by the parties. Mr, Dew said, to his mind the best wav of dPRl- ing with the case was for Jones to take out a county court summons for damages; and then tbo whole question as to title to the pew could be decided. Mr. AHanson said his client did not want any pecuniarv damnges for an ass8.lIlt" All he required was to sit in pe.<.ce in hi? pew. Of course, if he was in wrongful possession of the pew, the deacons of the chapei could bring an action against him. Mr. Lewis Morris, one of the trustees of the chape!, informed the court he tnok exception to the course referred to by Mr. AIlanson. adding that the monthly meeting of the denominatMa would endeavour to settle the dispute. The case was ultimatety adjourned to the next sessions, in order that pome amtcabte settlement might be arrived at by the parties.