The Aberystwyth Times Cardiganshire Chronicle and Merionethshire News

GTGRITTTLTTTRAL. A meeting of the Herefordshire Agricultural Society was held at Hereford, ou the 2nd inst., to consider a proposal for amalga- mating the Herefordshire, Gloucestershire, and Worcestershire Societies, and holding the shows in rotation at Hereford Wor- cester, and Gloucester. The matter was very fully discussed Mr Dowdeswell, M.P. for West Worcestershire, joining in the discussion. The general opinion seemed to be that the amalga- mation and the triennial shows, after the fashion of the trienmal music meetings, would be desirable; and, finally, the meeting was adjourned, so that the opinions of the general body of the members might be fully ascertained. The Gloucestershire and Worcestershire Societies will severally be shortly applied to upon the question. Mr Dowdeswell promised to bring ft before the Worcestershire Society. The Earl of Delawarr has just issued to his tenants a "me- morandum respecting game," which is neither indulgent nor severe, but a curious mixture of both. His lordship's tenants are in future to have permission to course hares on their own farms, and to destroy rabbits by netting and ferreting, but not by trapping (out of respect to the foxes), all the year round. Rabbits may be shot from the beginning of November to the end of February, after which time it is expected that no gun will be discharged by any farmer. All woods and spinnies are to be kept in the hands of the proprietor, and must be entered by no one but the keepers and woodmen. Winged game must on no ac- count be touched by any tenant, as the proprietor reserves this for himself and his friends;" and, finally, "tenants are re- quested not to keep small dogs, which are continually traversing the hedgerows during the nestmg season." A WORD FOR THE TOMTITS.—It is difficult, perhaps unwise, J to express an opinion as to the particular design in the economy of nature w hicn decrees that one animal shall either prey on or be preyed on by another. But two conclusions are inevitable first, that the tomtits now so abundant in our cider counties' must inevitably perish we-e it not for the oak galls and the hosts of apple grubs which have spun up in the crevices of the bark, and which these active birds are hunting for during everv moment of our short winter days; and secondly, that without the assistance of the tomtits the apple crop would be entirelv destroyed by this irrepressible insect. Many a proprietor of garden or orchard in Herefordshire, Worcestershire, and Devon- shire will contend that the tomtits must be killed because they peck holes in the apples and pears just above the insertion of the stalk-a. fact that cannot be denied, an act which cannot be defended; the blue-headed tomtit in particular, if he have any conscience at all, must plead guilty to its commission: but gen- tlemen will find that exactly in the same ratio as they diminish the number of their tomtits so do they increase that of their worm-eaten windfalls. To myself there Is no sight more pleasing thana little bluecap searching every crack and cranny inthf trunk of an apple tree for the cocoons of the apple grub; his ex- cessive, his indomitable industry, the sharpness of lis sight the knowing manner m which he turns his head on one Ide'the better to peer into the crevices, the drollery of his attitudes, in- finitely surpassing those of gymnast or acrobat, and his merrv although perhaps unmusical note-all commend him to my affection, and indeed to my protection where I can possibly extend it; but almost every apple grower of my acquaintance prefers worm-eaten apples to blue-headed tomtits and I find it impossible to overcome this preference. Edward Newman," in the Field. ROYAL AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY OF ENGLAND A monthly council was held on the 1st instant: present, amongst several others, Earl of Powis, Sir W. W. Wynn, &-c. The Rev. W. B. Garnett Botfield, of Shiffnal, and Mr Griffith H. Owen, of Ymwlch, Tremadoc, were elected members. i" During the course of the proceedings it was moved by Mr D. R. Davies, seconded by kMr Jacob Wilson, and carried unani- mously, that Sir Watkin W. Wynn be elected steward of live stock. Letters were received from the authorities of Shrews- bury, Stafford, and Wolverhampton, announcing their intention of inviting the society to hold its country meeting for 1871 at their respective towns; and the secretary was instructed to forward the usual documents to the mayors of the competing localities." Mr Jacob Wilson gave notice that at the next monthly council he would move-" That the committee for the recommendation of judges be appointed at the March council that this committee shall sit in April, and that the absolute appointment of judges shall take place at the May council." HAYWOOD FARM, CHESWARDINE, SALOP. COVERED FOLDYARDS. The isometrical view here given [the Field" gives a woodcut of Haywood Farm homestead] represents a farmhouse and home- stead recently erected on the estate of Charles Donaldson Hud- son, Esq., at Cheswardine, near Market Drayton, Salop. The lands constituting the farm upon which these buildings have been erected comprised 250 acres, of which 125 acres are pasture and 125 acres arable. The grass land is chiefly applied to the feeding of cows devoted to cheesemaking. The greater portion of the farm has been drained by the General Land Drainage and Improvement Company. Provision is made for the milking of thirty cows, and for the rearing of a proportionate number of young stock of different ages and the general arrangement is so contrived that additional buildings and yards may be attached at the eastern end should the yield of the land, and the capability of maintaining stock in greater number than at present, be proved by experience. With a view to economy of labour in the preparation and supply of food, the straw and roots are housed and cut in a division of the back range so as to command with facility the sheds in which the stock will be fed, as well as any extension to the eastward which may hereafter be made. The principal feature in the above arrangement is the existence of a small covered yard for the folding of young stock. This may be duplicated by covering the corresponding space on the eastern side of the cow house. The establishment of covered yards in the cheese-making districts of the north-western coun- ties of England is likely to intrease, as Viscount Combermere, Mr Ormsby Gore, M.P., Mr Godsal, of Iscoed, and several other influential landowners, have erected or are intending to adopt them. The special merits of the covered yard system consist, first, in the protection it affords to growing stock during the winter, by which they are preserved from thp extremes of wet and cold next, in making the little straw which is grown in dauy districts go much further, both as fodder and litter: and lastly, in protecting the manure from impoverishment by rain after it has been made by the animals in the yard. These ad- vantages will commend themselves to cheese-making farmers especially, as they naturally desire to bring their heifers to maturity, and thereby into profit, as early as they can, and it is well known that^ warmth materially helps food in developing both growth and fat. At present the young stock of both Cheshire and Shropshire are too much exposed to the weather when turned into the fields during the winter months. When obliged to purchase straw for either fodder or litter, the dairy fanner pays as much as 40s. a ton and more for it, to see it quickly wasted and lost in the foldyard by the excessive wetness which prevails. The same remark applies to manure: its fertil- ising particles, in the absence of covering, are washed away into the village ponds and neighbouring brooks, not only to the re- duced value of the manure, but to the injury of both human beings and cattle using the water for drinking and other pur- poses. In covered yards no rain descends upon the litter, and JI?ere's» therefore, no escape of liquid. A high authority in Cheshire says that for young and feeding stock covered yards are indispensable, and no farm buildings for rearing and feeding should be put up otherwise and he further states that ten loads of manure from under cover is quite equal to twenty from the old-fashioned open mixens." Two important considerations, however, should prevail wherever covered yards are adopted- namely, plenty of ventilation and fredom from draughts The buildings at Cheswardine were erected for Mr Donaldson Hudson from the designs of Messrs Bailey Denton, Son, and North, of Whitehall-place, London.-From the Field.

DANGER OF CHILDREN PLAYING WITH LUCIFER MATCHES. -On Wednesday, firemen on duty at the Crystal Palace were called to extinguish a fire raging in the grounds of Mr D. Child, a carman, situate in the Red Road, Gipsey Hill, Upper Norwood. The engines were drawn out of the Palace and taken to the spot, when it was found that some children, whilst playing with Lucifer Matches, had set fire to a stack of hay. The firemen, however, managed to confine the fire to only one stack. Mr Child was not insiired.-5t indai-d, 12th August, 18G3.—Accidents of this kind could not possibly arise with Bryant and May's Patent Special Safety Matches, which ignites only on the box. HOLLOWAY'S PILLS.-Stomach, Liver, and Bowels.— In all painful affections of the stomach and disordered actions of the liver and bowels, one single trial of these Pills will demonstrate that they possess regulating and renovating powers in a high degree. They speedily restore the appetite, lessen the unpleasant distention of the abdomen, and so prevent inflammation of the bowels and other serious abdominal ailments. Holloway's Pills afford the greatest comfort to the dyspeptic invalid with- out harassing or weakening the most sensitive constitu- tion, or interfering materially with the ordinary studies, pleasures, or pursuits. The simplicity and efficacy of this treatment has evoked the gratitude of all classes in both hemispheres, and commanded a sale for these puri- fying Pills unprecedented in medical history. ,1: I J -1 C. •- Several of the Mexican States have revolted against the rule of President Juarez. There is an unfortunate man residing at Blyth who has had three wives and thirty-eight children. A woman was fatally injured in Birmingham, on Saturday night, through being knocked down by a bicycle. The three thousand cotton operatives who were out on strike at Wigan have all resumed work at the old terms. Tha prisoners Davies and Grantham, charged with the silk robbery from Messrs Leaf's, in the City, have been sentenced to seven and five years' penal servitude. It is stated that Mr Austin, the representative of a large American shipbuilding firm, will purchase Deptford Dockyard for £ 140;000. The first piano has been introduced into Japan, and the Mikado has directed his wife to take lessons. Lady Parkes, the wife of the British ambassador, is to teach her. William Strong, the young western farmer imprisoned for alleged poaching committed many years ago, has received the Queen's pardon. The Swiss Federal Council has appointed M. Dubs President of the Confederation, in the place of the late M. Ruffy. M. Dubs was vice-president under his predecessor. The last mortality returns published show rates varying from 20 per thousand per annum at Wolverhampton to 47 at Edin- burgh, which seems just now to be the unhealthiest place in Europe. Mr Perry, her Majesty's late inspector of prisons, has just died and left Dr Colenso the handsome legacy of zP-2,000, as a "mark of his respect for one who has so manfully stood against bigotry and intolerance." Mr James Crighton, a spirit dealer, died from hydrophobia in the Dundee Infirmary on Tuesday week. He was bitten in the hand about seven weeks ago by a black retriever dog. The wound healed three weeks after, and it was not until Sunday week that symptoms of hydrophobia were manifested. The Solicitor-General has declared that in his opinion the late proceedings in the election of lord rector for Aberdeen University are abortive. The new election has been fixed for to-day, and Mr Grant Duff will be unopposed. We understand that proceedings will in future be taken against any grocers or others who hold licences to sell spirits, wine, or beer, if they infringe the law by keeping open their houses for the sale of articles during prohibited hours or in any other manner.Pall Mall Gazette. Mr Leonard Edmunds has notified that he intends to apply next term to the Queen's Bench for leave to file a criminal in- formation against Mr W. E. Gladstone, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Mr James Stansfeld, and Mr George A. Hamilton, who signed the Treasury minute branding him as a "public defaulter." In cases where claims upon insurance offices are made in respect of damage by fire, the offices frequently take possession of the salvage without allowing the claimant access to it. An instance of this came before the Court of Common Pleas last week, when the Chief Justice expressed his strong disapproba- tion of the practice, than which nothing could be more wrong or contrary to law. The irregularities which characterise the accounts of many life assurance societies have attracted the attention of the Government, and a Bill is to be brought in next session pro- viding for an efficient public audit at regular periods of the con- dition of these concerns. This announcement will fall like a bombshell among the committees of certain societies whose accounts have hitherto been conspicuous for the enormous per- centage of receipts swallowed up in working expenses." One evening in September last a passenger on the Midland Railway arrived at Market Harborough Station, where he wished to get out. The train, however, had shot beyond the platform and the lights, and on his leaving the carriage, he fell upon a heap of bricks, thus injuring his foot. An action against the company for damages was brought in the Court of Exchequer, but Baron Bramwell ruled that there was no evidence to go to the jury. "People," said the learned judge, "ought to take care of themselves, and not get out a carriage without looking where they would alight." The reciprocity fallacies were effectually demolished both at the Liverpool and Manchester Chambers of Commerce last week. At Liverpool the proceedings of the Foreign and Colonial Com- mittee showed, in connection with the French Commercial Treaty, that while in 1854 the imports and exports were valued at £ 16,800,000, their value in 1807 had risen to £ 57,757,000. In the Manchester Chamber, Sir Thomas Bazley, Mr Platt, M.P., and other leading members concurred in declaring that the French treaty had been attended with the most beneficial results both to England and France. At the request of Mr Bruce, the Mayor of Liverpool (Mr Alderman Hubback) has forwarded to the Home Office a copy of the Licensing Bill prepared in 1867 by a joint committee of magistrates and town councillors, and subsequently adopted and promoted by the corporation. It contained clauses restricting the hours of traffic on week days from seven a.m. to eleven p.m., and on Sunday from from one p.m. to three p.m. and from eight p.m. to ten p.m., power being given to local authorities to close public houses altogether on Sunday if they thought proper to do so. The need of the assistance of the Government in promoting the emigration of the unemployed poor was pressed upon the attention of the Right Hon. W. E. Gladstone, on the 3rd inst., by a deputation from the Emigration League. Mr Gladstone, in reply, said that the first duty incumbent on a Government was to avail themselves of all practicable means of relieving the distress of the people, wherever such distress existed. He, however, refrained from expressing any opinion upon the argu- ments and recommendation of the deputation, but promised that he would bring them under the notice of his colleagues, and that the most respectful consideration would be given to them. The United States Senate has instructed the Foreign Affairs Committee to report upon the expediency or otherwise of recom- mending the President to offer the mediation of America to settle the Red River difficulty. It is probable that whilst the com- mittee is gravely considering this question all necessity for mediation will pass away. Advices from Winnipeg state that dissension is spreading in the ranks of the insurgents, that the leader of the rebellion, Riel, has lost his authority, and that the old governor and council have been restored to power. The pro- posal for annexation to the United States meets with no favour, and it had been agreed to send a deputation to make terms with the Canadian Government for the union of the territory with the Dominion. One of the last members of the literary circle which used to meet at Holland House in the early part of the present century has just passed away in the person of the Rev. Charles Townsend, Rector of Kingston-by-the-Sea, near Brighton. He has died at the ripe age of eighty years, after suffering during the last three years from paralysis. He was a personal friend of Lord Byron, Samuel Rogers, Horace and James Smith (the authors of the Rejected Addresses), William Stuart Rose, Wordsworth, the historian Hallam, Mr J. G. Lockhart, the late Lord Holland Sir Thomas Lawrence, Sir F. Chantry, &c.; and an especial favourite with the late Earl of Egremont, who conferred on him his little living, which, with its tiny church and parsonage, and still tinier population—for it it was one of the smallest in Sussex he never could be persuaded to exchange for wealthier pre- ferment. An inquest has been held in London on a child supposed to have been burnt to death through the cruelty of her step sister. According to the evidence the mother said to the deceased, My dear; will you tell me how it was done ? Tell me the truth, for God will know if you do not." The deceased, who was per- fectly conscious, said, I know God is good. Sally (meaning the step sister) asked me to hold the baby, and I would not, and she said, If you don't take it I will burn you with this poker. She did not take the child, and her step sister put the poker, which was red hot, down her back, and her clothes took fire. As soon as the step sister saw her clothes were on fire she said, 0 God," and ran out of the room. The inquest was adjourned. A communication from Chamounix states that two English tourists, Messrs Horace Walker and Moore, members of the Alpine club, accompanied by three guides, left the town at six one morning the week before last to reach the Jardin. Arrived at the spot called Les Ponts, about a league from Montanvert they were forced to retreat, as the snow was falling heavily and driving in their faces; they crossed the Mer de Glace and returned to their starting-point in passing by the Chapeau. The following day they went and slept at Pierre-Pointue, and at five in the morning commenced the ascent of the Grands Mulets, which they accomplished by twenty minutes to eleven. After having enjoyed from this magnificent point of view the spectacle of the whole chain of the Swiss Alps, they descended in safety, reaching their hotel at five in the evening. According to the oldest of the guides, such excursions have never been under- taken in the month of January. The American papers of the 22nd ult. give accounts of Prince Arthur's arrival the previous day in Mew York, on his way to Washington. The Prince seems to have been very quietly re- ceived. "No noisy demonstrations," we are told, "were made by the comparatively small crowds assembled near the Thirtieth street platform and in front of the Breevoort House, on the Fifth Avenue. A lunch at the hotel, a drive in the park, a brief in- terval of repose, dinner, and a visit to Wallack's completed the programme of his first day in the city." At the close of the per- formance at Wallack's theatre, three cheers were given for Prince Arthur, the son of good Queen Victoria,"and the Prince acknowledged the compliment by raising his hat. His likeness to the Prince of Wales of ten years ago was generally remarked. William Skeplehorne and his wife were indicted at the Central Criminal Court for having conspired to deceive a Mr Ironside by falsely representing that his wife had been delivered of a female child. The infant had been presented by Mrs Ironside to her husband as his own, after a sham confinement, and the female defendant acted as nurse on that occasion. When the child was several months old, Mr Ironside's suspicions were aroused, and it was discovered that the infant was the illegitimate offspring of a young woman named Fanny Wood. For the defence it was urged that Mrs Ironside was the principal offender, and that she induced the defendants to assist her in deceiving her husband. The jury found Skeplehorne and his wife guilty, but sentence was postponed in order that a point of law raised during the trial might be considered—whether the female defendant was entitle(L to an acquittal as having acted under the control of her husband. A somewhat singular charge of libel was mentioned in- cidentally in the Court of Exchequer last week. The plaintiff is a Dr Williams, at one time medical adviser to the family of the Duke of Somerset, who had the misfortune some time ago to lose their only son by death. Since that event it is alleged that the duchess has continually represented that it arose from some default of the plaintiff, whose professional character has thereby much suffered. An application for postponement, on account of the illness of the duchess, was to some extent conceded, with liberty to take her grace's evidence by commission. The Solici- tor-General said the Duchess of Somerset had called Dr Williams a "hypocritical murderer," and one of the charges was that he had deliberately allowed the only son of the duke and duchess to die because he would not meet another medical man, and that he mismanaged the case from professional spite. —Mr Hawkins: No, no.—The Solicitor-General: The Duchess of Somerset has chosen to circulate the libel for months. On Wednesday week a large portion of the valuable col- lection of oil paintings and drawings in Wigwell Hall, Derby- shire, the residence of Mr Henry Goodwin, was found to be totally destroyed, the canvass of the pictures being torn to shreds and the frames smashed. Mr Goodwin's son, who arrived at the hall on the previous Tuesday night, is in custody. This is the same place where Miss Goodwin was murdered by Townley. The prisoner has been brought up before Messrs H. W. Walthall and J. Wheatcroft. Several witnesses were examined, none of whom saw the prisoner do any damage to the pictures. He was, however, the last person to go to bed on Tuesday night, and when the servant man went to his bedroom the next morning he asked the prisoner what he had been doing with the pictures, to which prisoner replied, the pictures." He was also found in the library by himself about four o'clock on Wednesday, and some picture frames were then burning in the fireplace. The magistrates committed him for trial at the next March assizes. There was a great row at an election meeting at Southwark the other night. A number of printers had met to consider the respective claims of Odger and Waterlow. When Mr Applegarth, who was to be chairman, and his friends arrived, they found the platform and a great part of the hall occupied by men from Sir S. Waterlow's establishment. After some time Mr Applegarth and about half-a-dozen members of the committee succeeded in getting upon the platform, amidst a deafening hurricane of groans and cheers. Mr Applegarth attempted to take possession of the chair, but this was resisted by the friends of Sir Sydney Waterlow, who insisted upon appointing a chairman from their own party, selecting Mr Conisbee, a master engineer, for that position; and his party at once attempted to hustle Mr Apple- garth and his friends off the platform. This became the signal for a most terrific row. The supporters of Mr Odger, who formed about two-thirds of the meeting, composed of about 1,500 persons, pressed forward, and many of them succeeded in literally fighting their way to the front. Having succeeded in this, they next scaled the platform for the purpose of ejecting the Waterlow party, and a terrible struggle followed—hats and umbrellas were thrown into the body of the meeting, friends of either party were hurled head long from the platform amongst the surging crowd beneath, and several persons were severely bruised and injured in the mel0e. The chairman's table and the chairs on the platform were broken up and hurled into the meet- ing. This scene lasted for nearly an hour, with alternate ad- vantage to either party, but at last the Odger party, by reason of their greater numbers, succeeded in ejecting the whole of the Waterlow party from the platform, and as fast as they were hurled down they were taken in hand by the Odger party below, who by this time had got complete possession of the front of the hall, and forcibly hustled out of the plaee. Mr Applegarth then took the chair, and a quiet meeting was held. j _uu"u wie nnalolJsequies of Mr Peabody. It is stated that the Easter Monday review will take place this year at Brighton. The Great Eastern has arrived safely at Bombay with the Indian telegraph cable. Mr Buller, a bank manager at Ashby-de-la-Zouch, hung him- self last week. No reason is given; and a verdict of "temporary insanity" has been returned. The « Economist" publishes statistics showing the improve- ment in the Lancashire cotton trade. It believes that the pre- sent prosperity will be of long continuance. The Globe" says sixty clerks are to be dismissed from the War Office, and that ominous letters have been sent to the heads of other departments inquiring what is the lowest num- ber of employes they can continue to go on with." Major-General Simon Eraser writes to the Daily News to say that he possesses the genuine cane given by Lord Lovat on the scaffold to William Fraser, of Ford and that sold by Messrs Suttaby, it is assumed, must have been spurious. The election for Mallow, vacant by the elevation of Mr Sullivan to the bench as Irish Master of the Rolls, terminated in the return of Mr Munster, the numbers at the close of the poll being—Mr Munster (liberal), 91; Major Knox, 83. Marfori, the notorious favourite of the ex-Queen of Spain, has fallen into disgrace, and been sent about his business. Had her Majesty taken this step two years sooner, she would pro- bably have been now reigning in Madrid. At ton o'clock on Friday week, at Knowles Colliery, Sal- ford, the firedamp, from some cause at present unknown, was fired, and a tremendous explosion followed. Sixteen men were seriously burnt, and several of the sufferers have died. A singular robbery has occurred in London. A clerk was presenting some cheques at a bank, when his attention was for a moment withdrawn, and the contents of a case, said to contain notes and documents to the value of £ 10,000 were abstracted. The thief escaped. The Tipton Slasher is now an inmate of the Gateshead work- house. The "Tipton Slasher" was once a noted name. It was the fancy alias of William Perry, born in 1812, at Tipton, in Staffordshire, who from his eighteenth year was known locally as a fighting man of great power. The Times of India says it is pleasant to be able to state that the Duke of Edinburgh has left a most favourable impres- sion behind him at Calcutta, and that the native chiefs re- turn home highly pleased and dazzled with all they saw in that city. The most magnificent private gallery of works of art in Europe is about to come to the hammer, and is expected to realise more than half a million of money. The Demidoff Gallery, in the Villa of San Donato, at Florence, has been stript of its trea- sures, which are to be sold in Paris during the present month and the next. We regret to state that, in consequence of a sudden and serious indisposition of the Rev. Newman Hall-so well known in connection with the Surrey Chapel and St. James's I-lall-his physicians have advised him to leave London at once for the Holy Land, where he will remain for at least eight or nine weeks. Mr Lefroy has resigned his seat in the House of Commons for the University of Dublin. The hon. gentleman, although his father, the well-known Chief-Justice. only died a short time ago, is in his seventieth year, and he assigns failing health as the cause of his retirement. It is believed that the Hon. David Plunkett, Q.C., will be Mr Lefroy's successor in the representa- tion of the University. A conference, in which the O'Donoghue, M.P., Sir J. Gray, M.P., and other Irish liberals took part, was held in Dublin, on the 3rd inst., to consider the land question. Resolutions were adopted, condemning capricious evictions, demanding permanent fixture of the tenant in the soil, continuous rights of occupancy, subject to eviction only on non-payment of rent or sub-letting, valuation of rents, right of sale of interest by tenant, and the establishment of local land tribunals. The case of Phillips v. Eyre is now under consideration by the Court of Exchequer Chamber. The plaintiff, a native of Jamaica, brought an action for assault against the defendant, Mr E. J. Eyre, who held the governorship of the colony during the out- break of October, 1865. The Court of Queen's Bench decided in favour of Air Eyre, on the ground that he had been indemnified by the Colonial Legislature, and also by an Act of the Imperial Parliament. The judges of the Common Pleas and Exchequer are now called upon to review this decision. More discoveries of malpractices by Admiralty officials have been made. It is stated that on the 3rd inst., Mr Baxter, M. P., and Mr Birstow, held an inquiry at the Royal Victoria Yard, Dept- ford, into the conduct of one of the foremen of stores and the fact that the official had deiiitnde(I a douceur or bribe from one of the contractors was fully proved. Mr Baxter stated that the charge was of a criminal nature, and the offence was one which the Board of Admiralty and himself had determined to visit with severe punishment. The offender was discharged from her Majesty's service. A silk mercer of Kingston brought an action in the Court of Common Pleas against a Mr Hayter to recover the sum of 4128, for goods supplied to the defendant's wife. The question was whether the wife, who was now living apart from her husband had any authority to pledge his credit to the extent represented by the amount of this bill. It was contended for the defence that the goods for which Mr Hayter was now sued were never used in his own house, but were procured by his wife in preparation for an elopement, which has since been the cause of a suit in the Divorce Court. Mr Justice Keating expla ned to the jury that a wife, even when living with her husband, had no absolute right to pledge his credit. The jury found for the defendant.

MODERN INVENTION.—Thatgreat invention the Cit i-c ii o qiciph," which times all the principal events of the day and has revolutionized and superseded the clumsy old- fashioned Stop-watch," seems likely to be eclipsed in fame by that still greater and more useful invention the Keyless Watch." The fact of no key being required ren- ders these Watches indispensable to the traveler, the nervous, and invalids. The enormous number sent even by post to all parts of the world is a convincing proof of their great utility. The prices at which they are sold range from 5 to 100 guineas. Thousands of them are manufactured by infr J. W. BENSON, of Old Bond-street, and of the Steam Factory, Ludgate Hill, .London, who sends post free for 2d. a most interesting historical pamphlet upon watch- making.

LECTURE "BY MR D. DAVIES AT OSWESTRY, ON THE OPENING OF THE SUEZ CANAL. On Thursday week, a lecture-or rather a narrative— having for its subject, The opening of the Suez Canal," was delivered in the Victoria Rooms, by Mr David Davies, of Llandinam. The lecture was originally delivered at Llandinam, some two or three weeks back, and a deputa- tion of the employes of the Cambrian Railway then waited upon Mr Davies, and preferred a request that he would consent to deliver it in Oswestry, for the benefit of the Reading Room and Library which have been established in connection with the works of the Cambrian Railway Company, of which Mr Davies is one of the directors. The chair was occupied by Captain Pryce (Cyfronydd), deputy chairman of the Cambrian Railway Company, and on the platform were Captain Johns, Mr Falshaw, who was Mr Davies's fellow traveler in the East, Mr Thomas Savin, Mr George Lewis, Mr George Owen, Mr Alexander Walker, and Mr E. Elias. The room was crowded by a respectable auditory, consisting chiefly of the employes of the railway company. In opening the pro- ceedings. a i. Capt. PRYCE said-Ladies and gentlemen,—Perhaps a few words may be desirable in the way of explanation of the circumstances under which my friend, Mr David Davies, appears before you this evening. It happened that a short time ago, at one of our Board meetings, we saw that Mr Davies was about to deliver a narrative on the open- ing* of huez Canal, in his own neighbourhood of Llandinam, the following day. Associated as we have been with Mr Davies for many years, and knowing him as a man of great ability, and keen discernment, we were fully satisfied that a narrative of his tour in the East could not fail to be both instructive and entertaining—(hear, hear)—and to us it was a sourse of great disappointment that we had not previously heard of his proposed lecture. A suggestion was made that Mr Davies should deliver the lecture to those connected with the Cambrian Railway, and to the employes at the works. Then a second suggestion was made, that he should give a narrative in these rooms, more of a public character, and that his audience should not be confined exclusively to the railway people. Mr Davies had naturally some hesitation in coming forward as a lec- turer his inclination prompted him to say nay to the request, but his good nature prevailed, and he could not say nay to us (Applause.) Thus, as you see, Mr Davies appears before us this evening, not as a public lec- turer, but to tell us in a narrative form what he has seen at the opening of the Suez Canal, and on his visit to the Holy Land. (Applause.) i .i. i-nAVIU, V? £ S' ^h.° was loudly applauded, said that the kind explanation which the chairman had given the meeting saved him the trouble of offering any preliminary remarks as to why he presented himself before them that evening, to tell them a little about his journey to the East, what he saw at the opening of the Suez Canal, and what he thought about that great undertaking. The Os- westry Advertizer flattered him by announcing that he was going to give a lecture on The opening of the Suez Canal. He was rather too old to begin lecturing- although he felt twenty years younger since his visit to the East-but all that he wished to do, and pur- posed doing, was to lay before them a plain, unvarnished tale of what he saw on his travels, and what opinion he had formed of the people and the country he had visited. He was at a loss to know what portion of his experience in Egypt would be most interesting to the audience. The ladies would prefer one version, which perhaps the railway meir, whom he had expected to find his sole audience, would not care to hear about; but he would do his best to please all, and remembering that he was a "Jack of all trades," he believed that if he confined himself to what was new and striking to him, those were the parts which would interest those whom he addressed. The Canal, to which he would first allude, they had probably heard and read much about. It crossed the lower part ofthe desert, commencing at Port Said and ending at Suez. In its con- struction perhaps the greatest difficulty which presented it- self to the promoters was money. The Canal had cost about 16! millious, and the work had been carried out under great disadvantages. One of the greatest disadvantages, perhaps, was that England, a great commercial nation, did not support the enterprize either morally or physically; little or none of the funds had come from England. The money once raised, one primary difficulty, was overcome, but other great obstacles presented themselves in the car- rying out of the great scheme. The climate was one in which few except the natives could exist. The natives were not very partial to hard work, and although the in- ducement of high wages was held out, the labourers were generally pressed into the service and draughted into the job by compulsion. The money and the labour being provided for, another difficulty presented itself in the water, and a fresh-water channel over 100 miles in length had to be constructed. The works had occupied a little over ten years in completion-although in his opinion, which was not exclusive but was the opinion of many pro- fessional engineers, this big job was still far from com- plete. The breadth of the Canal was 170 feet at the level of the water, but at the banks the width was greater they being in some places 40 or 50 feet above the level of the stream. In the fdtes which formed an important feature in the opening of the Canal he took little or no interest, and of these they had probably had a surfeit in the long reports which had appeared in the papers-the object of his visit having been to get at the practical part of the business; how the Canal had been constructed, to look at the features of the country, its inhabitants, their mode of living, and how they farmed their land. Pursuing his enquiries as a practical man, he learned that the cubical contents taken out of the Canal amounted to about 90,000,000 cubic yards, or in other words as much earth as would make 1,800 miles of an average railway, or about five times as much as he and his friend Mr Savin had to do in the construction of the railways which they had made in Wales. A large expense had been incurred in the construction of the breakwaters, formed of large blocks of concrete) which had been erected as protections to the shipping in the bays which had been formed at either end of the Canal, in the Mediterranean and in the Red Sea. Deducting the cost of these, and of other necessary ex- penses, he found that the cost for the excavation gave 2s. 10Jd. per cubic yard for the work done. The question naturally suggested itself, Why should this work cost so much when it could be done in England at about lOd. per yard?" They must bear in mind that the wind interfered very considerably with the sand which constituted the cutting, and that the difficulty attendant upon the excavation was greatly increased from the fact that nearly 30,000,000 cubic yards were under water. Practical men in England had assured him that this under-water excava- tion cost less than the excavation upon dry land, and to convince himself upon the truth of this vexed question he had made careful inquiry. The excavation was carried out in four different manners. About a quarter of it was done by means of camels and asses, and from an observa- tion which he had made at Ismailia as to the carrying capacity of these beasts of burden, he found that assuming that camels and asses did one-fourth of the excavating, it would take 750 camels and the same number of asses ten years to do this proportion of the work. Another fourth of the work had been done by means of locomotives, which took the tops off, and "tipped" the sand at a greater dis- tance from the Canal than did asses or camels. Another portion of the work had been got through by means of stationary engines, which seemed to have done the greater part of the work near the Red Sea end. The work which had been done by the dredging machines he estimated at rather more than a fourth, these machines having been found most useful in dredging the entrances to the harbours at Port Said and Suez. After giving a description of the dredging machines, and of the manner in which they per- formed their important share of the work, Mr Davies con- tinued that to his mind there was really nothing very extraordinary about the Canal, save the magnitude of the work, and the difficulties with which M. de Lesseps and his fellow-workers had to contend, in the way of money, labour, and engineering difficulties. The Canal, which was stated to be completed, was supposed to be 25ft. deep, but really in some places the depth was but 18ft. Thus a ves- sel drawing more than 17ft. or 18ft. could not pass through the Canal, and to make the Canal what it was intended it should be, many alterations were necessary. Take for in- stance the case of the Peninsular and Oriental boats, the majority of which when laden drew over 20ft. of water; in the existing state of the Canal those vessels could not pass through. The Peninsular and Oriental Company were building larger vessels they had only two or three out of their fleet of fifty which could get through the Canal; and was the Peninsular and Oriental Company to be shut out from using the Canal, and from availing them- selves of the benefits which must necessarily attend from their being able to avail themselves, through the medium of the Canal, of having a shorter passage to India? Was the Peninsular and Oriental Company to allow small steamers which were building at various parts for this very purpose to run away with their traffic; or was the company to go to the expense of constructing a new fleet of boats, building new vessels at a cost of from jS90,000 to 2150,000 each? What would they do with their old boats, assuming that they cared to rush into the cost of building a new fleet, solely for the purpose of running via the Suez Canal? A sum of 22,500,000 or 23,000,000 would amply suffice to render the Canal serviceable to vessels of large burden, to make the Canal twice its present width, and if England would not advance this amount, it would pay the shareholders in the Peninsular and Oriental Steam Ship Company to sub- scribe the sum themselves. (Hear, hear.) The dredging machines were all ready for the work for which they were specially constructed, and with these machines on the spot, the work necessary to complete the Canal might be carried out at comparatively little cost. At present the Canal was "smothered up it had not room enough, and the sand was blown down from the embankment whilst they were sleeping, and in the daytime it was carried away by the wash" of the steamers. He doubted whether the revenue raised from the passage of small vessels would keep the Canal going, and great difficulties must present themselves unless they widened it so that a large draught vessel could go through. Not being one of the guests invited by the Khedive, he went about the work in his own way, and did his sight-seeing probably to as great advantage as did any of the great potentates and numer- ous guests. At Ismailia he was greatly struck with the sight which presented itself. The Arabs had met there to the number of nearly 60,000, all the Sheiks and principal men, with their tents, horses, cows, and camels, being con- gregated together at this place. It was really a town in the desert, its extent covering about 150 acres, mapped out in streets of tents. At night the scene was very say and striking; all the tents were lit up, and the sound of every old string, of every old instrument which had twanged since the time of Adam, had its representative. The streets were brilliantly illuminated with thousands of lamps and lanterns, and the place was alive with merry- making and Arab jollity. After giving a humorous account of the fetes which celebrated the visit of the Empress of the French, the European fete, and the diffi- culties which attended the ball given by the Viceroy in the Desert. Mr Davies took his hearers through the Canal to Suez, which he described as a very wretched place- a heap of houses constructed of mud. Thence he returned to Ismailia, and found his way back to Port Said, traversing .the Canal in a small boat. From Port Said he went to Lower Egypt, visiting Alexandria, the Liverpool of the East, a thriving, busy town, with a population of 150,000, one third being Europeans. The principal char- acteristics of Alexandria he found to be the great number of curs which swarmed the town at night, and the abom- inable state of the streets, there being in the dry season a deposit of about six inches of dust on the roads, which after rain formed itself into about eighteen inches of muck," very similar to the black grease which is used in greasing earth waggons. After a visit to Pompey's Pillar he left Alexandria, the trouble owing to the importunities of the natives, in carrying one's luggage to and from the railway station being an undertaking upon which no man would care to venture twice. Leaving Alexandria he caught a sight of the sheep with the wonderful tails, the characteristics of this breed being that the more one feeds them, the thinner they get, the tail, which often weighed a great weight, getting all the benefit of the feeding Giving an interesting account of the rising of the Nile' and of the pastoral life of the inhabitants of Lower Egypt, Mr Davies passed on to the subject of the railways in Egypt. These were very peculiar and primitive in their construction. They were made with baskets, which were used to carry the earth; there was not a shovelful of ballast along the entire length of the line except in the Desert, and of sleepers they were wholly guiltless. The rails were kept together by means of "tire" rods, and looking at the men on the permanent way at v-rCL if reverted to the very different manner in which Mr lanner and his men got through their work In Egypt from twenty to twenty-five Arabs, big, stout, stalwart fellows were kept to do the same work which five Englishmen did very easily. They had levers to pack the chairs, and whilst one man worked, the other four stood by and looked on to see that he did it right. On account of the dry weather, the road was very good, and they ran between Alexandria and Cairo in a little better than four hours, running at the rate of about thirty miles an hour. Passing on to Cairo he found that the Khedive was engaged in making a new road, the waggons used for the pupose of conveying the "metalling" from the quarry to the town along a little branch railway being from Ashhury's works. He stood by looking at the Arabs unloading the waggons, and he never felt a greater inclination to hasten any man's work by means of a stick. There were eight big, hulking Arabs engaged in unloading the stones by means of a little basket and a scraper, with which they very gently scraped up the stones into the basket. Then shouldering their little basket they went out of the truck, and with a great effort deposited their I I I. I ioaa a tittle distance off. A single man with a shovel could have done the work in half the time that these Arabs took to do it. When they were asked, Why dont you use a shovel;" they would say, "Our fathers never did so, and why should we ?" The women chiefly carried the soil by means of small baskets, which they "tipped" on the embankments. At Cairo he was troubled and astonished by the presence of a fellah," who, clad in white, preceded their carriage, calling to the people to clear the way, thus giving rise to the fear that he and his friend had been mistaken for two great English lords ihe architecture of Cairo, its streets, the business" habits and domestic customs of its people, were next touched upon, and also the mosques and water works which have been constructed in the town, were briefly adverted to. From Cairo a visit was made to the Pyra- mids, about which there was no particular feature, except the vast amount of stone which had been collected, show- ing that the ancient Egyptians could manage works which would puzzle modern ingenuity and skill to devise. In company with Mr Falshaw, he ascended one of the pyramids, 475 feet high, with the assistance of four well- nigh shirtless Arabs, who persistently clamoured for backsheesh." The condition of these attendants was so primitive as regarded costume, that although they assured Mr Davies that they had had the honour of escorting a lady to the summit of the pyramid, he was not disposed to place any great credence upon such an an assertion. After thanking the audience for the attention they had paid and reminding them that he had done his best to avoid the beaten track which had been gone over by so many travelers in books, which were within the reach of all who cared to extend their enquiries beyond the brief remarks which he had addressed to them, and re- marking that he had endeavoured to give a brief account of things not generally known about Egypt, Mr Davies resumed his seat, amidst loud applause, having spoken for upwards of two hours. Captain PRYCE-I have very great pleasure in rising to propose that a vote of thanks be given to Mr Davies for his very entertaining and instructive lecture. I remember upon a recent occasion Mr Davies got up to make a speech, and he commenced by saying that he was no orator; that rf he was a worker, not a talker. (Hear, hear.) He proved that by making the best speech of the afternoon, a speech which fairly carried away the meeting with him. Now a a man who can speak in the fluent manner which Mr Davies has done to-night, without referring to a note, a. sketch, or even a map throughout the course of a two hours' lecture, is, I think, certainly entitled to the name of d a lecturer. (Applause.) I do not know what impression i Mr Davies may have made upon you, but it seems to me that Mr Davies differs very much from the ordinary lecturers, gentlemen who try to magnify effects, to draw the long bow but the great charm of the lecture of this evening has been that all that Mr Davies has said bore the stamp of truth, nay, even more than that, great originality. (Applause.) I am sure that you will all agree with me, wlien I remark that Mr Davies is one of those who, when he travels, travels to some purpose, and keeps his eyes open. I think that you will all join with me in giving him a hearty vote of thanks for his very able and instructive lecture. (Applause.) Capt. JOHNS, in seconding the vote of thanks, ventured the hope that this would not be the last occasion upon which they would hear news from the East from Mr- -ri Davies. (Applause.) Mr Davies had been over Syria, had paid a visit to Jerusalem and to other spots of deep interest in the Holy Land, and he was quite stire that these places had engaged quite as much of the observation "• of Mr Davies as had his Egyptian tour. He (Capt. Johns) r. hoped that they would obtain a pledge from him that they should, at a future day, hear of his travels in other parts- of the East before they gave him a final vote of thanks. (Applause.) Mr FALSHAW humorously asked whether the chairman did not think that the vote of thanks was rather due to him than to Mr Davies; because had it not been for him Mr Davies probably would never have gone to Egypt. His visit occurred in this way. There was a very warm meeting at Crewe, and coming out of the room after a ratherisharp discussion, he met Mr Davies, bent on a simi- lar errand as himself, a cooling walk upon the platform. He said to Mr Davies, "I am going to the opening of the Suez Canal; I have got an invitation from the Khedive." "Have you," asked Mr Davies, and are you going?" "By all means," was the answer; and the rejoinder came sharp enough, without any deliberation, "Well, then I'll go with you"—(laughter)—and so they packed up their traps and were very soon off to Egypt. Lest Mr Davies should arrogate too high an opinion of himself respecting the fellah" in a white robe who ran before them through Cairo, lest Mr Davies should be carried away with the idea that he was some great potentate, he (Mr Falshaw) proposed to let the audience into a little secret of Mr Davies's doings in the East. He had actually seen Mr Davies mounted on a donkey, and doing the five miles be- tween Ghizeh and the Pyramids in that fashion! (Laugh- ter.) Nay, more than that, he absolutely forgot that he was a man of the mature age he had reached, and going back to the sports of his boyhood, he gravely commenced running races and amusing himself in that boyish manner (Laughter.) The vote of thanks having been carried by acclamation, Mr DAVIES, in acknowledging it, said-I wish you would not keep calli-ig it a lecture; but at the same time I am much obliged to Captain Pryce, to Captain Johns, and to my friend, the Baillie," as we used to call him out there, for what they have said about me, and to you all for supporting them. I never expected to have such compliments paid me, or to have an additional compliment in the presence of so many ladies; but if I have been the means of pleasing you, then I am well pleased. (Applause ) I will consider about coming here a second time, and let you know. You see you are rather enthusiastic now, so I think you had better sleep upon the matter, and ask me again mucoid blood; because, you see, you may change your opinion in the morning. Then you can ask me, and what- ever I promise I will perform; but at present I think you are a little too enthusiastic. (Applause.) Mr FALSHAW then moved a vote of thanks to the Chair- man, which was seconded by Mr THOMAS SAVIN, and the compliment having been acknowledged by Capt, PRYCE the company separated shortly before ten o'clock.

THE NEW SHERIFFS. In a supplement to the London Gazette, the list of sheriffs appears SHROPSHIRE. Salusbury Kynaston Mainwaring, of Oteley Park, Esq. ^STAFFORDSHIRE.—John Hartley, of Wolverhampton, Esq. ANGLESEY.—Sir Richard Bulkeley Williams-Bulkelev of Baron hal, Bart. BRECONSHIRE.-Hugh Powel Price, of Castle Madoc. Esq. CARDIGANSHIRE.—Herbert Davies Evans, of Highmead,. Lampeter, Esq. CARNARVONSHIRE. Hugh John Ellis-Nanney, of Plashen, Esq. DENBIGHSHIRE.—John Richard Heaton, of Plas Heaton Esq. FLINTSHIRE.—Edmund Peel, of Bryn-y-pys, Esq, MERIONETHSHIRE.—Clement Arthur Thruston, of Pennal Towers, Esq. < MONTGOMERYSHIRE.—Capt. Offley Malcolm Crewe-Read, R.N., of Llandinam Hall. RADNORSHIRE.—Edward Jenkins, of The Grove, Pres- teign, Esq.

THE UNIVERSITY BOAT RACE. Notwithstanding the fact that the light blue" has not been borne to victory on the Thames against Oxford since 1860, the C.U. B.C. has determined once more to challenge the aquatic athletes of Oxford University to a race, which will probably take place the first week in April. The challenge was sent on Saturday. EXTRAORDINARY CURE OF A COUGH BY POWELL'S BAL- SAM OF ANISEED.—"Her Majesty's Gun Boat, 'Netlev' Wick, Tsorth East Coast of Scotland, 7th September 1868.—Dear Sir,-Ifavin, had a most distressing and severe cough, which caused me many sleepless nights and restless days, I was recommended by his Lordship the Earl of Caithness, to try your most invaluable Balsam of Aniseed, and I can assure you, with the first dose I found immediate relief even without having to suspend my various duties and the first small bottle completely cured me; therefore I have the greatest confidence in fully re- commending it to the million.—Most respectfully yours, W. LINZELL, H.M.G.B. 'Netley.To Mr Powell. POWELL'S BALSAM OF ANISEED can be had of all Chemists. In Bottles at Is. lid. and 2s. 3d.—Warehouse: 6, Black- friars-road, London.—Ask for BALSAM OF ANISEED.

V" ic^iuas triea to "interview" Prince Arthur at ew York:— Reporters darted up the stone steps, and, with their luracteristic modesty, approached the desk. A young person, b ho was said to represent a provincial paper, seemed determined o interview the Prince at all hazards. He button-holed the roprietur, who listened patiently to his questioning. Inform- ition was freely imparted, but the host distinctly gave the young man to understand that his services as porter were not needed while the Prince was his guest. Just then the luggage was brought in, whereupon the reporter aforesaid took his stand by he door and commenced taking an inventory of the royal baggage. First, there were three black tin boxes, then a bundle of silk umbrellas with paragon frames. Here the proprietor came up, and again the countryman ventured a seductive smile. A lackey in a long drab coat approached, and the reporter photographed him on the spot. Then more baggage was brought in, and the reporter dil aofc fail to note the splendid material of the sole- leather trunks. There were hat-boxes of every size and shape. The cocked hats were stowed away in triangular cases, while the numerous shawls and blankets were visible among the scores of packages. When the luggage was properly numbered, the person with a drab coat and wooden spine maned to stoop low enough to reach the hanilles of a 50 doL valise and carry it up to his Highness's chamber. Here another reporter arrived, and for the seventeenth time thb landlord was obliged to take the stand." Those who have never been present at a cross- examination between a reporter and his victim should attentive- ly read the following:—(Question: What time did he arrive? 'Answer: At one o'clock. Did you receive him? Yes, sir. Where' Yonder, on the pavement. What did he say? What did you say? (By this time the victim wiped his face.) What were your first impressions on taking the royal hand? Did Minister Thornton lead '♦he way ? How many are there of the party? When will the Prince leave the city? Will he visit Central Park? You gave bim your best parlour, did you notI suppose you engaged a -squad of French cooks for this occasion? Say, look here, you rwant a good notice? You shall have it. I will give you a .quarter of a column. And the editors, I know, will speak of :our noble generosity. I hare it. You let me act as porter; I Lean carry baggage and answer the bell. My uncle had a hotel in Milwaukee. I will give you 50 dols., a puff, and the promise of ..an editorial, if you will grant me this slight favour. Answer: JMy dear sir, I canuot possibly do it. The idea is a good one, and il think you would carry out the programme splendidly; but I "cannot think of it. I will aid you in anything else if I can. Question: Who said grace atthetable? Did the Princehavea gold (tiapkin-ring Did he put salt in his soup ? Who was the master of the ceremonies? What is the name of your head waiter? Does *^he Prince chew tobacco? How many courses? Here the poor aman was sent for by the clerk and while he was gone the Reporter sharpened his pencils and stood waiting for his victim to .eturn. P Mr J. S. Mill ought to be vexed for declining to attend 't,he recent Woman Suffrage Convention in America, when t 1e reads the report of the proceedings of the speaktrs. f Dne of the speakers was Miss Couzens, who "glided forth n dashing costume, clasped her little muff in her two little .'lands, and, in her sweet but sadly monotonous voice, 3,1- t .1 Ecstatically complimented Wyoming," which lately de- hdared for woman's rights. Mr H. B. Stanton having llelivered an oration, once more "the slender Phoebe a.fouzens, of the sleepy expression, the curly dark hair, the areful toilette, trotted her clicking little boots to the desk, e6nd said she was disappointed in the feeling of the capital. sofhe public men who should be helping them withheld that inelp. Miss Phoebe fluttered her wings over that dreadful .Fst of ugly epithets, criminals,' 'slaves,' paupers,' and • idiots.' Her bright girlish presence captivated the udience." be A sensation was produced in the Irish Court of Queen's r. ench, by a statement made by Dr Battersby, Q.C. mete learned gentleman appeared for Mr Nicholson (the ndowner whose coachman was lately shot dead, while -v .mself and a lady were badly wounded), in an ejectment W; and he produced and read to the Court a letter which set; had received, threatening him with death unless he Inithdrew from further proceedings. The threat was com- ented upon by the Bench in terms of strong indignation. ie following extract from a letter describes the state of P;ge which the unfortunate Mr Nicholson is compelled to Maintain:— Li^is house is garrisoned by a dozen constabulary, and is Qirricaded from top to bottom. I happened to come across the I gentleman, going out for a constitutional, and a pretty sight tQwas for a civilized land. First came a brace of policemen is ned with carbines, and who kept a sharp look-out around all j > hedges and other places that might hide a murderer in them; a a distance of some twenty yards or so, the old gentleman and son, each with a double-barreled gun over his shoulder, and iked by other policemen, with two more in the rear. body dared to stop at his house lest they should be shot at in Easing to and fro. JifVn important question was raised at a conference of the an>rking Men's Club Union on Thursday week, namely, -r>,to the extent to which it was desirable that the State '>uld exercise a control over friendly societies greater M,n is provided by present enactments. Mr W. P. Tktison, the actuary, who opened the discussion, ex- ixxssed an opinion that the Registrar's certificate had been :chievous, that the prevailing belief with respect to the eral insolvency of friendly societies had good founda- coi, and that their unsatisfactory condition was generally ng not to culpable mismanagement or recklessness, but ignorance and the difficulties inherent in the manage- a it of a complicated business. He considered that the 3es of insolvency were inadequate premiums and ex- 'agant expenditnre. With a view to correct these tbcts, he proposed among other things that the State gjld lay down a minimum premium to be charged, that s £ hould make a system of clear accounts and returns ing reference to the financial position of the society ^pulsory, that societies which did not comply with these *»isions should be dissolved on application to the judge b-ae county court in the district where they were estab- cgd, that the scope of the business should not include rannuation or deferred annuities, and that these pro- ns should apply to all societies granting allowances in allesB. He explained that, owing to the variety of con- ns and character among friendlysocieties, it would be --It to make one enactment apply to all, and that this w,ulty would to a great extent be met by an accurate Pification of the institutions comprehended under the bral term "friendly societies." There was a general cjnrrence of opinion that the present state of things was g^isfactory, and that the Registrar's certificate had been understood. Lord Lichfield, who presided, adjourned iscussion to Thursday next, and before doing so he aied out that the Bill which he introduced three years tlvould, to a large extent, have prevented much that s-L)bjectionable in existing societies. bcunous petition has been presented to the French te. The prayer of the memorial was that the fathers **3 greatest number of children should be invested s'some new decoration, and that the entire fraternity tlchelors should be subjected to a special tax, rising in o nt according to their age. One of the senators, M. p, accepted the petition quite seriously, but opposed ayer on the ground that there was no necessity for "wing the suggested recompense. new days ago a man committed suicide in the Bishop- nouth cemetery, by his wife's grave. A neat little 3tone is erected to her memory, surmounted by a in the middle of which her likeness is let in under transparent glass. Her name, place of birth, the °of her death, and a scriptural text are on the stone, h-e,'L 'uy-" Also, Margaret Jane Bigot, her mother" "died a few weeks ago in London), and "In the p of life we are in death." Immediately under the ture likeness, and preceding the above inscriptions, ie words, G. W. S. Bigot, 1st February, 1870," jme illegible writing in pencil, supposed to have 6mtten by the deceased on Sunday week. When »ered, he was lying on his back as he wished to be h the earth— alongside his wife and child. In this 3n it is surmised deceased tW the poison, as its y! would be almost instantaneous, and the arrange- Bof the body was perfect. His hit, with his gloves *was at his side. His clothes were of a "shabby ,il" description—all black, but worn. lingular charitable society exists in Berlin. It has no rces beyond thrown-away ends of cigars," with the jce of which, however, it is able to clothe completely i poor children, supplemented with Christmas gifts Itys and sweetmeats." ,ie following is true, the history of highway rob- repeats itself. A report is afloat (says the Western Mercury) at Newton Abbot of an attempted high- )bbery between that town and Chudleigh, under Xstances of a very peculiar and novel character. At Jiour on Saturday night, a waggoner in the employ Watson, miller, Billamarsh, near Chudleigh, was ing home, and when about half way he was stopped lerson in female attire, who asked for a "lift," and isnted. Whilst "she" was getting into the waggon iced whiskers on "her" face, and he at once concluded was a man in disguise. The party had also a small and without making known his suspicions, the ner drove on, impressed with a feeling that he should moment have to give up a large sum of money he longing to his master, otherwise he would be the of a terrible tragedy. However, after serious t, he proved himself equal to the awkwardness of ition. He dropped his whip on the road, and then iuch characteristic coolness he requested his un- le companion to jump out after it, assigning as a that the horses were restive. The request was com- vith, but as soon as he regained the whip he d the would-be robber down with the end of it, )ve on. He returned to Billamarsh in a very ex- ate, and, having made known the circumstances, people returned to the spot, and it is alleged the who reealy turned out to be a man, was found in a 1 state, and in the parcel he had with him were red two loaded pistols and a whistle. It is re- ;he fellow has since been given in charge of the Yankees are more enterprising than the English in ter of excursions. The latest spec. is worth re- According to the Chicago Tribune, one of the eastern railways of the United States is complet- ngementa for through tickets by rail and steamer he world. The tickets are to be good until used, ravelers opportunities to make excursions in Japan, ;he Holy Land, or wherever tourists may be dis- leave the main line of travel. The prices are .in New York as far east as Alexandria, in Egypt, t to Yokohama and Shanghai. The whole trip lade inside of ninety days, and the entire cost will 1,000 to 1,200 dollars. tandard has the following interesting and curious in an article on fire insurance-" ,-t the curiosities of fires are the effects of time and on their amount. That December should be a bad can understand; it is the season of intense cold, and lent artificial means of warmth being multiplied. It er, the season of jollity and conviviality, and of con- trelessness and risk. Next follows August, the hottest the year, which dries up and renders combustible exposed to the sun's influence. How much effect has may be seen from the fact that the year 1868, summer was unusually dry and scorching, was singu- ul in tires. There was scarcely an office which Sid icavily on farming stock; and the question as to •.urance on that property is still seriously under con- It is curious to tind that from nine to ten o'clock at e hour most prolific of fires in London, and that f exciseman," old age," "high tide," and "the cat i causes of fires. But tne most curious and most in- «t to those behind the scenes in these matters is the existence of a regular trade in incendiarism. In- i .UvLL\ v independently of the profes- sional incendiaries, who effect insurances on property "which does not exist, or which they remove secretly, burnin g the-pre- mises supposed to contain it, it is well known that in thousands of cases the temptation to realise full value for an old-fashioned stock, to get ready money for unsaleable goods, overcomes the honesty of many a poor trader, and we fear it must be said of some even in good positions. This prevents companies from making higher profits and lowering their rates of premium. The other day a man of respectable connections was ap- [ prehended at Brightlingsea, near Colchester, under some- what peculiar circumstances, by two detectives from Lon- don. On the 27th May last a man named Edwin James Yates absconded from Ross, Herefordshire, and the Gloucester Banking Company offered a reward for his apprehension on a charge of obtaining £7,000 by a series of forgeries. The delinquent was traced to the continent, and there lost sight of. Meanwhile a person of very re- spectable exterior, and of evidently good education, sailed from Ostend in a small fishing vessel belonging to the river Colne, and landed at Brightlingsea, where he soon made friends, especially amongst the Dissenters, to whom he represented his capabilities so successfully that he was elected to the post of master at the Methodist school. For about two months matters went on very smoothly, but a few days ago two detectives, who had been watching his movements from a house opposite to the school with a view to his identification, recognised the object of their search, though he had grown a moustache. He was ar- rested and taken to London en route for Ross. During the coming session, it is very improbable, the Spectator thinks, that any unexpected discussion will arise. "A regular Game-law fight, with borough mem- bers all awake and county members at once angry and disconcerted, would perhaps seriously interrupt the pro- gramme of the session, but that is the only little cloud visible as yet. To all appearance, we shall have six months of hard, steady, fructifying, but comparatively silent work." The Saturday Review interprets the general public opinion to be that the coming session will be a dull one. There is, it is said, no chanee of a great party fight. The conservatives are hopelessly crushed and demoralised, and the ministry is all powerful Even those who cannot bear the dreary prospect of a perfectly peaceful session, cannot think of anything at once entertaining and pos- sible, except a break-up of the Ministry from internal dis- sensions, only to come together again from inevitable necessity. Certainly things never looked quieter. The Manchester Reciprocity Association wrote to Lord Derby to ask whether the letter published some little time since, in which his lordship avowed his opposition to Pro- tectionist views, was correct. They received in reply the following note :— Knowsley, Prescot, January 22,1870. SIR,-In answer to your note of the 20th, written by desire of the Manchester Reciprocity Association, I beg to say that a letter was written by me some days ago, of which I did not think it worth while to keep a copy, declining an invitation to attend a meeting to be held in London, for the reason (among others) that I was not in favour of the reimposition of the various duties on imports which have been abolished of late years. This, I suppose, is the letter referred to in the article which you enclose. It was not published by me, nor have I seen it in print, but the opinion expressed in it is one which I have never concealed, and which I cannot disavow. I remain, your obedient servant, )1. H. Chadwick, Esq, DERBY.