Wrexham and Denbighshire Advertiser and Cheshire Shropshire and North Wales Register

I Correspondence. I All letters intended for publication must comply with I the following conditions :— I.-They must be on public questions only, and not personal in character further than is necessary for the discussion of the subject. II.—They must be written carefully and con- cisely-on one side of the paper only—ready for the press, as we have not time at our dis- posal to re-write correspondence, and do not wish to publish effusions in the garb in which they are sometimes presented, nor space for long rambling letters. III.—They must be authenticated (under cover if wished) by the real name and address of the writer accompanying the M. S. IV-If received after mid-day on Thursday, their insertion will be precluded for that week, and they cannot be always guaranteed if. appear even when received before that time. V.—Letters which have previously appeared in other papers will not f-e inserted. CHEQUERED TILE FOOTPATHS. "iR,-Witli reizar(I to the effort now being made in the Wrexham Town Council to improve our footpaths, I can bear my testimony to what has been (lone in Wellington, Salop. There, nearly all the footpaths in the town have been paved with chequered tiles, and no town in the kingdom is I)Iea.xter for pedestrians, at the same time the rate, are much lighter than in Wrexham. Hoping we shall have an improve- ment in the same direction, I am, sir, A HEAVY RATEPAYER. I THE MAGISTRATES AND THE PUBLICANS. SIR,—I was very glad, and am but one of many who feel very grateful to you for your well I deserved strictures on the action taken by the I Wrexham Borough Magistrates in the publicans' cases before them last week. You very well say that the public rights did not receive proper con sideration it may also he 2,dded that the police are not supported as they ought to have been. What encouragement is it to any member or members of the force to proceed against publicans, if the justices .10 not inflict a punishment in some degree worthy of the offence ?—Yours truly, A CLTIZEX. OUR FOOTPATHS. SIR,—As an old Wrexharnite I was glad to see the new blood imported into our Town Council at their last meeting shewing they really felt some interest in the improvements in our town. It has been too long the custom of our legislators i to talk about visionary schemes, to the neglect of daily wants, and particularly so in the want of a clean, easy footway while visiting one another in I our houses and places (.f business. It was very pleasing to me to see O- plei-t-,inl- t(, iiie to see (", Brtdley moving to provide proper footpaths to walk on, although he was rather unfortunate or selfish in choosing Rhosddu to experiment upon. That the work wants doing in Rhosddu, I grant, as well as in other places. But instead of having many places requiring repairing, most places ought to have been in good order, and few requiring anything done to them, but our footpaths have been shamefully neglected flags, tiles, and pebbles are in holes, and if you step. Iff the path to evade a splash from a hole, you step in another hole in the gutter, and if you happen to be in the dark, you are bewildered, and plunge from one hole I tn the other. Let our Highway Committee follow the matter up. and get us clean and even I paths. As to the merits of flags or chequered j tiles, they are both good in their places, and as tiles are much cheaper than flags (although it is a question whether they will last as long), without doubt they could be used in two-thirds, if not more, of our town footpaths, and if we use the best quality, and have them properly laid, they will last a life-time. If we were only to get clean and even footpaths there would be less grumbling at our heavy rate?.. A RATEPAYER. THE RUABON SEWAGE QUESTION. SlR,-I see by a letter from P.M. in your issue of the 22nd of last month, that the few re- marks I had made on a previous letter of his on the above question, has brought forth a terrible medley of words from that learned individual, so full Is this letter of high sounding epithets, show- ing the fine culture of this gentleman's mind, that I must confess at once that I am unable to find out any sense—if there is any sense in it-so I will leave him to frolic at ease in the tine sen- tences that he is so familiar with, and if he writes more of them he may do so for the amusement of his own companions, but if he writes them with a view of enlightening me. it will be labour in vain. Like rain on a duck's back, they will have no effect, as the little learning I have will not enable me to comprehend them. P.M. appears to labour hard to raise a phantom, and tries to make your readers believe that it was mine. He then tries to heap upon me the castig" ations that he ought to direct against his own creation. Where has P.M. or any other person seen a scheme of mine for the sewering of Paiabon village. It is true I know there is a scheme, and the only practical scheme that can effectually drain Ruabon, which has been submitted and approved of by the Sani- tary Authority, but it is not mine. But as to "tanks on four wheels," they are novelties for farmers and graziers to carry on land." That idea only sprung and sprouted out of P.M.'s own brain. Such a thing as far as I know never crossed the minds of any of the sons of Adam before. The descriptions which P.M. has picked up of the former state of the valley between Ruabon and Nantybelan is beautiful, and I have no doubt in days gone by, that panygerie would have been truly appropriate, hut alas for the departed glory, with but little exceptions the bulk of this gran- deur is suffered to go into ruin and decay, and may I ask in this place would it not have become the person who has the charge of keeping and renovating these "beautiful sylvan retreads "to exert a little energy 111 preserving the glory of this fairyland," jnt<¡:d of propounding ludicrous and impractihle chones forthe sewering of Rnabon village. I am heartily sorry for having to make use of tnese remarks and for this corre- spondence, but those who live in glass houses ought not to throw stones. But, after all, what has this to do with the sewering of Ruabon "illage Thh is the question that P.M. has raised, and I am prepared to discuss it fairly, without any flourish of meaningless words. From a report of a Vestry meeting lately held in Ruabon to discuss the sewage question, the gentlemen present were almost all unanimous about the necessity of having main sewers at Ruabon, and" P.M." goes further than any of the gentlemen at the Vestry, by stating "that this noisome nuisance is far more disagreeable in Wynnstay Park than the village of Ruabon." Here is double proof from opponents of the need -of a system of sewers. Now, what is the remedy proposed, to do away with this annoyance and abate the nuisance ? The Sanittry, Authority proposes to collect all the sewage of Ruabon, which is the cause of the nuisance in the park, by means of drains into one main sewer I at Tanylan, and continue this main sewer under ground to an unfrequented place in the wood below the bath ground in Wynnstay Park, and there deal with the sewage in such a manner as sanitary engineers know how, so as not to occasion inconvenience, dis- agreeableness, or noisome nuisance to the "Wynnstay family," or to anyone else. P.M." assumes great authority on sanitary matters, and ventures to say "N o," very boldly; but this "No "is only against it scheme that he has imagined in his own mind, and he launches forth arguments that are neither true in nature or art. Supposing such tanks as he imagines were in the gully in Wynnstay Park, and the wind be direct over them to the mansion of Wynnstay, ¡ would it be possible for the effluvia from the tanks to be raised 70 feet high, and carried near 900 yards without being mixed with pure air to such an extent as to render them harmless. I am loathe to believe that anyone at less than half the distance with the keenest olifactories would be able to perceive aiiv "odour" from them. Besides, we have P.M." as an authority in his concluding words, asserting that water of sewage passes off in purity to its natural channels," then I ask if the moisture from sewage will pass in purity, from where will the "odour" come that is so much to be dreaded ? H.D. RUTHIN NOTES. I IR,-l send you the following notes for your readers' perusal THE COUNTY GAOL. I On the 1st April next, the management of the county gaols will be undertaken by Govern- ment officials. This will place these establish. ments upon a more uniform basis than at present. The salaries now paid to the different governors were not fixed upon any given scale, and by examination we filHI many anomalies. No doubt the future vacancies will be filled up by officials who have entered the service through open competition, as is the case now with all Government appointments. Whether this mode of selecting candidates will attract that class of gentlemen, many with military handles to their names, who now occupy the position of governors, remains to be seen. A military officer would be quite at home in Ruthin Gaol where there are now located about lif tv niilitary prisoners, who are brought from Manchester, Leeds, and other depots. Being interested in the welfare of our defenders who were incarcerated, on Christmas day I paid a visit to the gaol, after having ob- tained the usual oroer for u.dnussion. I was much struc k with the noble appearance of the interior of this prison and the exactness with which every movement is -.iia,(Ip. III several of the cells prisoners were employed making useful house- hold artIcles, snch as matting, mats, hearthrugs, 1 h' Ð- r b", clothmg, &c. 1 ne small ticket placed outside the cells, denoting the name, offence, and terms of punishment, reminded one very much of the descriptive curds at a cattle show, but perhaps the pedigree would not hear examination. Iost of the military prisoners were the unfortunate possessors of Hibernian names. Whether the authorities have sent them to this gaol to prevent any Fenian outbreak elsewhere is a matter I did not wait to ask. L felt that it was a sad thiiig to see so many good-lookillg young fellows receiving the treatment of felons instead of enjoying that freedom and happiness with their comrades at Christmastide. There were several under punish- ment, who, had they been civilians, would never have seen the dreary cell of a culprit. But our military discipline must be maintained. Still, other means might be devised for punishing for minor offences. I hese men who are looked upon as our defenders actually express themselves de- sirous of undergoing the privations of action in warfare rather than be thus degraded, Every possible means are adopted towards ensuring th health of the prison. So much time is devoted t exercise daily, educational instruc-tior in given breaking stones, pumping water and < ther em ployment is found. The county has a con- siderable gainer by the proceeds of the i s' labours since the military have been hele The solitary cells make ones blood run (.old to think that all earthly light and other vieasures are excluded. The condemned cell, which at present, and for many years past, is a room for lumber, brought all the horrors of ace.^Jemiicd criminal before me. Yet there is the '^ro'/it ion made for the first unfortunate's cúmkrt. The warders, who are most civil and polite, are not very anxious to have •. ppcr- tunity to attend to the last wanw ut tie condemned, although they would, no di»— their duty if called upon. The kit hew and hospital, as with the cells, were the J,e :t;on Ii cleanliness, and although my symp»i::iot; ran with some of the military prisoner- 1 iidmifc that the callous countenances of of the other prisoners gave me an idea of the. Drutif.h- ness. and made me feel thankful that the i.ublic could for some time be saved the fta: of en- countering them on a lonely wayside. Poor Wrexham Bill" was laid up in the nospit; where he spits a great quantity of It is supposed that he has ruptured some bio .d vessol (from which there is little hope of :e<:overy) caused by the fall from such a height when bo escaped. Whether any other ]>iis.rit:s will- attempt to escape and thus iiiil)ei.il -lives re- mains to be seen. One of the prir. 'lit- lately surreptitiously obtained a siiidl:iaw ai,i com menced sawing his cell door at the bottom, by which means lie hoped to escape, but we night- watchman found it out in time. a mOJA lesson may be learnt in visiting a pri^o-j, but ci-ti moral may be accepted without. io tl.t which will briny upon you tlie wrath o: c..)M, stt-rii bund ot the law. MUNICIPAL MATTERS. Our Town Council has certtiiilyiiie-,v., r-, gre.it desire to meet, talk, and make propositi' 8inf a the last election, but the amount of work done is not a very creditable result of so m- ■! loss i f time and blustering. The soap and water" by which so many bubbles" are Mown ",)ems to have grown weaker, however, a time ,ahe:i j¡.:t rapid strides. The ratepayers were at time almost electrified at the idea of beiri: -addled with another debt of f,2,,500 to the pre-e: t hea vy one, but the dimensions of this scare-ei..vv have now sensibly diminished to tt,000. Ore member at the last meeting had the courage t, oropr>•:« that this proposition be put aside, and le -ei vijig no support, threatened them with the h eding of a public meeting to discuss the matter. There is one thing very evident with municir .i rove; 1/- ment as well as imperial-expenses will M the townets larger, and continued enauimerr'.tf relating to health and education are ma :e by our law-makers. Improvements in Ruthin are de- cidedly requisite, and if pavement eOlhl occur/ the place of the abominable stones now e.tant, iJo great boon would be conferred upon the pub' je. But to overcome the question of borrowing jflk)r",y upon which interest must be paid, there i- only era way I can ee out of the difficulty, and that j, let an extra rate be made annually ¡; im- provements. I disagree .with the pi.-nciple of throwing a debt upon the town, even if tu be re- paid by instalments in 30 or :-i) years, be-jause v v a certainty, before the expiration of th.it tin another octopus" will show itself, first of rJ), let the ratepayers be made cognisant "1 what is going to be done with the 1:1,000, if Vevi rowed, otherwise there will be a general scramble a wl self-interests be foremost. The other resolatbai about the Grammar School seems to he; stultifi- cation of the proceedings at the previous ijeetii. where the Corporation suggested the Governor should build upon their land however, the latter course seems at present the more sensible iii(I-r the circumstances. The ide:1 of making a tram- way to Wrexham is one which seems to have been abandoned, and wisely too. With railwa y accommodation two ways, I doubt its practic- ability. The idea which has been 1 with reference to the total demolition of tinrre haunts of tilth in Well-street i., ()Ile that1 in: aid bo encouraged. I feel sure that the owners of tb.it property would reap a handsome return I N- their money if they pulled down the v,re-ent < id cottages, to save them tumbling event', .ally, a;al built others with more commanding apperranees. The suggestion for this plot of ground for a Smitlifield is one upon which I will not dwell t present, R- I shall have an opportunity o; tiilatirg upon that in a future letter.- OE-ERVEK.

THE CLAIMANT. On Monday, Mr Guildford Onslow and Mr Quartermaine East visited the Claimant, who was recently removed from Dartmoor to Portsmouth convict prison. The Claimant looks well, and explained that he was never better, or more kindly treated. He is thankful to hear that the exertions of his supporters to obtain his release are untiring, and is glad to hear that hopes are entertained of yet producing Arthur Orton. An enthusiastic meeting was held last night, when Mr Onslow thanked God the claimant had been removed from Dartmoor to Portsmouth, where he was now treated by gentlemen, and kindly looked after. He believed no agitation would procure the discharge of the claimant from prison. and nothing but the production of Arthur Orton would release the claimant, who had that day recognised a photograph of a person in Paramatta Asylum as Arthur Orton. Resolutions were passed to petition Parliament for the release of the claimant, and to procure the release of the real Arthur Ortun from Paramatta Asylum, and bring him to England.

I A GIGANTIC STEAM HAMMER, The steam hammer recently completed at Creusot is the largest and most powerful instru- ment of the kind in the world. The hammer in the workshop s of Herr Krupp, at Essen, weighs 50 tons, and descends through a maximum space of three metres but the hammer of the Creusot engine, weighing between 75 and 80 tons, has a course of five metres; the energy of the blow struck by it being 412,500 kilogramme-metres, while the Krup instrument can only develop 150,000 kilogramme-metres of the work. The foundation on which the anvil rests consists of masonry five metres in depth the space between the level of the ground and the cast-iron table being filled in with stout wooden beams, disposed alternately in horizontal and vertical layers, so as to give an elastic bed. Altogether 100 cubic metres of cast-iron, 100 cubic metres of wood, and 1,000 cubic metres of masonry have been employed to form this foundation. Special apparatus has also been provided for the transport and keep- ing in position of blocks of steel weighing 100 to 120 tons, which can be forged with the new hammer! and four steam cranes are ranged round this latter, three of them capable of lifting and revolving with a weight of 100 tons, and one able to carry 150 tons, Each crane, also, is pro- vided with special machinery for causing the weight lifted by it to rotate about its own axis.- Pall Mali Gazette.

A RACE FOR LIFE AT CREWE STATION. The sagacity of the horses employed on the railway for shunting purposes is well known to all who are in the habit of travelling by rail. A proof of this was given in an exciting scene at Crewe Station on Monday afternoon. It appears that as the 12.35 train from Shrewsbury was running into the station at a rapid rate of speed, one of the horses employed for the purposes of shunting on the station was seen to have acci- dentally strayed foul of the main platform line, along which the train was approaching. The buffer of the engine struck the horse's hind quar- ters, and, with marvellous instinct, indeed wo might call it judgment, the sagacious animal per- ceiving his danger, took the best possible means to save himself from what was apparently almost certain death. Instead of turning off the line, in doing which he must have been caught, he im- mediately started on the full gallop in front of the engine, and amidst breathless suspense on the part of the passengers, who crowded the station, sped on with all his power along the whole length of the platform, the engine never being more than two feet behind him. The driver of the engine (lid all in his power to check the speed of the train, which was a very heavy one, and the driv- ing wheels were seen to be revolving in the oppo- site direc ion to that in which the train was coming, for a considerable distance. The chain belonging to the horse became detached from its hold in connection with the harness, and as it was dragging behind the horse on the ground it was a wonder it did not get caught in the points which were crossed. When at last the speed of the train was checked, the intelligent beast trotted, off to his stable uninjured, evidently knowing J that at any rate that was a place of safety. In- spector Bramhall, who has been on the station many years, does not recollect a case of more thrilling and prolonged excitement on the station | than was caused by this remarkable "race for life and unexpected escape.—Chester Chronicle.

EXTRAORDINARY THEFTS BY BOYS. At Hawick, in Scotland, William Laidlaw Emere Hemsley, ageel II) year, and John Turn- bull, aged 14 years, both millworkers, have been detected in the act of shoplifting, and were ap- prehended with a pair of stolen boots in their possession. After their apprehension, Superin- tendent Morrison searched the house in Tiviot- crescent where Hemsley lives with his father. In the closet in the house he found a. large quan- tity of various articles supposed to have been stolen. They included masons' and joiners' tools, painters' brushes, locks, upwards of a hun- dred keys of all s izes, lamps, dark lanterns, ladies' bags, brushes, walking sticks, butchers' beef cutters, school and other books, &c. In the wall of the closet was a small hole boarded up. A boy was sent through this hide, and after clambering along" the joist. of the upper floor of the adjoining house he found in the narrow space between the joists and the roof another miscel- laneous collection of articles. The articles were all removed to the police otriee, where many of them have been claimed by shopkeepers, mill- foremen, joiners, masons, and others. Two MS. books were found, in which the young culprits had made most bu.sine.ss-like records of their transactions. One of the books is a sort of jour- nal. In the other, a volume made up of a bundle of school exercise books, supposed to have i been stolen from one of the board schools, the j transactions are entered into under various head- ings. It had been only a few days in use, and on the title page-is written. in a clear bold hand, W. L. limes and .John Turnhull's secret 'memorandum book. Tuesday, 1st Jitnilary, 1878. United Onler of Oiitllws." It is under- stood that the entries are all in Hemsley's hand- writing. The first page is headed, What I hav> ,o]en in money." The first theft recorded is of one penny from mother." There are ti-i- fling sums entered as taken from neighbours, 13s obtained by altering the figures in a shop- keeper's pa-s book, and t4 Is abstracted from the till of an office where lie was formerly em- ployed. Another page has the heading "How many locks I have stolen," and then follows a list of the ] daces where they were taken from, j such as .-tables, garden and field gates, with the owners' names when they were known, and in other cases the locality where the theft was com- mitted is minutely described. Next comes, What I have stoien out of shops, which list includes, besides many of the articles recovered, tins of beef, jars of jam, shop weights, 28 keys from one ironmonger's shop, &c., &c. Under the heading "What I have stolen from persons and ] daces" there is a list of a number of places, in- cluding factories, schools, and the theatre, where thefts had been committed. The booty includes half a barrel of ale from a hotel floor. The MS: volume also contains sketch s of plans and operations for the future. Lists of "What I have to steal." "What I have to buy and make," including a variety of articles, useful and ornamental, from a steam-engine and boiler to a musical box. Then there is a memorandum of What I have to write for." This includes, sin.?u?.ly enough for such apparently cool .hands? "A cure for the I¡enes," besides several medicines and cosmetics, and a volume of poetry. Fiirtiiel- on in the book is on inventory of their ill-got possessions, and another of "Tools for! among which are enumerated 77 skeleton keys. Two other headings, What I "(it I)V housebreaking,] and "What Turnbull i has got by housebreaking," have no entries ap- I penned, the interference of the police having suspended the bookkeeping as well as other con- templated operations. As may be supposed from the f< iregoing, the lads are intelligent, and th« handwriting and orthography in the books are very fair for a person in Hemsley's position in life. The prisoners will be reiiiitte(I tt)tbe Sheriff's Court. The depredations were mostly committed in H:t wick and the immediate neigh- bourhood.

CATTLE DISEASES.—Although the cattle plague restrictions imposed last year diminished the number of outbreaks of foot-and-mouth disease, the reports which have come to hand of proceed- ings at Quarter Sessions show that during the i last quarter there were several centres of the disease in the country. Foot-and-mouth disease, pleuro-pneumonia. and sheep scab appear to have been prevalent in Yorkshire, and there has also been a number of cases of Hydrophobia ^ilinongst j doi,'s, cattle, and > heep ill the county. There is still sufficient disease existing to poison the whole country unless great care is taken by local t authorities, but they are powerless in many in- stances to prevent the spread of infection and contagion. Tt is to be feared that when next ? Spring farm stock are moved to anu fr? in fairs :md markets disease will increase. It may he Imped that the Government will quickly intro- duce and pass an effectual measure for the pre- vention of the contagious foreign maladies which periodically infest the CI)IIIti. -V.Tiii, runner. THK WASTINC DISEASES CHILDREN MCST. SrctT-xi'TLI.Y TREATED WITa DU DE .To;(;tÙ; LN.IIT-P.IKAVX COD LIYKK Oil..—Dr. G. Sftimdrs, late Dei,ut.v-Inspector-(General Army Hospitals, lite]) (lei it -\Iediclt Mission, writes J have used Dr. de .Tough's Cod Liver Oil extciuivdv anion; the sick poor of St, (Giles's, and consider it a valuable remedy, es- pecially in the Wasting Diseases of Children." l)r sitavely King, Physician to the Metropolitan I'lec Hospital, writes: I can very con- scientiously testify to the superior qualities of Dr de ii i' Li?ht-brown Cod Liver Oil. I have employed it with great advantage ill eases of mesenteric and pulmonary tubercle, and in the atropine diseases of children. Dr. li. C. Croft, author of Handbook for the Nursery," writes f have tried Dr. de Toii i's Light-Brown Cod Liver (til, and lind that it contains all the pro- j perties which render the Oi] so efficacious. I find, moreover, that many patients prefer it to the Pale jh" and are ill),e to retain it more com- fortablv. It is almost :t specific in many of the Diseases peculiar to infancy and childhood, and I have. seen marked benetit produced bv its use. ) Dr. de dough s Light-l'i'own Cod Liver Oil is sold only in capsuled imperial half-pints, 2s tiel pints, 4s v quarts, :1, with his stamp and signature i and tin: signature of his sole consignees on the capsule, and the label under wrapper, hy all I chemists. Sole consignees, Ansar, Harford, and Co., 77, Strand, London.

Another step in the onward march of the Russians towards Constantinople has been effect- ed, Sofia having been occupied by the invaders. A telegram from the Grand Duke Nicholas to the Emperor Alexander, dated the 3rd inst., states that after an unimportant skimish near the village of Praschdenna, the Russians captured the town with a loss of only twenty-four men. Recent events had prepared us for this announce- ment, as after the withdrawal of the Turks from I Kamarly, and their defeat at Taschkessen, the only obstacle to the march of General Gourkho's corps upon Sofia was removed. It was still a question, however, whether the Turkish garrison at Sofia would make a. stand or follow the ex- ample of the main army. The great strategic im- portance of the position, and the extensive pre- parations made by the commander for the defence .of the town, even to the ordering away of non- combatants, led us to suppose that Sofia would not be abandoned without a struggle; but the Turks apparently thought better about incurring the risk of another Plevna, without the advantage of another Osman Pacha to conduct the defence, and quietly evacuated the town on the first inti- mation of the retreat from Kamarly. Some in- teresting details of the Russian advance upon Sofia are contained in a despatch from General I Gourkho, at Taschkessen, bearing date the 2nd Inst, His previous despatch, it will be remem- bered, gave an account of the turning of the Turkish position in the Etropol Balkans, at Kamarly and the defeat of their left wing, com- manded, we believe, by Baker Pacha, who was covering the retreat of the main Turkish army at Taschkessen. The Russians then occupied the positions abandoned by the Turks, and sent a column in pursuit of them in the direction of Slatitza. It is stated that the English Colonel Baker, who took part in the fighting, was wound- ed and taken prisoner, but this intelligence con- flicts with the announcement of Baker Pacha's safe arrival at Slatitza. Meanwhile it seems a severe ingagement was proceeding at Bugaron, a village situated on the Malina, a tributary of the Isker, which flows due east of Sofia, and a little south of the main road thither from Taschkessen. At this point General Williammoff's corps had taken up a position with five battalions, two calvary brigades, and six guns, with the object, apparantly, of cutting off the Turkish retreat from Sofia. The Turks, however, assumed the offensive against General Williammoff with twelve tabors, supported by cavalry and eight guns, and, having hemmed him in on three sides, advanced to the attack with great vigor. The Turks were allowed to approach to within fifty paces, when the Russians poured into them a withering volley, and charged them at the bay- onets' point. A sanguinary hand-to-hand fight ensued, which resulted in the repulse of the Turks, who fled, leaving upwards of 1,000 dead on the field of battle. The Russians, who lost only about 200 killed and wounded, captured a Turkish standard. This brilliant exploit is high- ly commended by General Gourkho. At Scliand- ernick the Russians took ten steel guns which had been abandoned by the Turks. General Dandevillo, on whom this turning movement via Babagova devolved, seems to have undergone a terrible experience in crossing the Balkans, which at this point are 5,600 feet high. Owing to a fearful snowstorm, accompanied by intense cold, which froze fifty-three men to death, and laid up 820 others with frost-bite. Four guns, moreover, were so completly embedded in the snow that it was not until the third day they were dug out by a party of Bulgarians, under a doctor who had deserted from the Turks. Notwithstanding the terrible sufferings of General Dandevillo's corps, it seems to have acquitted itself heroically and to have contributed greatly to the success of the Russian attack upon the Turkish positions. Further details of the crossing of the Balkans and the occupation of Sofia by General Gourkho's corps are communicated in the despatches from the Russian head-quarters published in Wednes- dap's papers. On the 26th Decem ber, we are told, the Russian troops started from Orkhanie for Tschurjau, on the Southern slopes of the bal- kans, and from Wratschesch for Umurgatsch and Skiliawa. For the Orkhanie detachment, which marched in three colums, a new road was made by the sappers of the Guard and the Preobraskenz- corps. The workers reposed in the village of Tschurjan during the day, and worked at night from the 21st till the 25thth of December, when the road was completed, being made broad enough for the passage of 9-pounders. Nothing had heen observed by the Turks- On the 24th a snowstorm threatened to destroy the work, and the road was turned in to a sheet of ice, so that the ad vanced guard under General Ranch had to cut steps along the path, in order to drag the guns up. The descent from the crest of the mountain was commenced at nightfall on the 26th, down a slop so steep that the guns had to be let down from tree to tree by means of ropes The ammunition cases were let down empty, and the ammunition was carried in the hands of the soldiers. The whole of the Ork- hanie column did not enter Tschurjan until the 31st, thus taking six days and six nights to ac- complish a passage of which the distance is only fifteen versts, so enormous were the difficulties to be overcome. General Weljaminoff's column, which started from Wratschesch, encountered still greater obsaicles the guns had to be dis- mounted from the carriages, and placed upon sledges. General Weljaminof farrived at Tschurjan on the 30th of December. The Turks, not hav- ing observed his movements in time, were unable to prevent his passage, and they therefore deter- mined to await the Russians in the fortified posi- tion near Taschkisena. Here was fought the engagement of the 31st of December, which re- sulted, as already announced, in the repulse of the Turks. Two days later (on the 2nd inst.) an engagement was fought at the occupation of the bridge over the Isker, near Wraschdebna, eight versts from Sofia. The troops engaged were the advanced guard under General Rauch. The fight lasted an hour and a half, and was decided by a turning movement effected by the Preobraskenz troops, who crossed the Isker on the ice, where- upon they abandoned entrenchments, and fled to the Sofia bridge, which they set on fire on their way. The Russians extinguished the flames, and thereupon the artillery crossed the bridge. On the 3rd inst., the day after the capture of Sofia, bridge, the Russian troops entered Sofia unopposed. A report was current early in the week, that the Turks had abandoned the Shipka Pass, and that General Radetzkv had descended from the bleak heights of St. Nicholas to the shelter of. Kezanlyk, but this appears to have been, to say the least, premature. Advices from Schipka, under date the 6th inst., represent the Turkish batteries there as still exchanging shots with the Russian redoubts, and no reference is made to any impending change in the situation. It is evident, therefore, that up to the 6th inst., at all events, the Turks still held the Southern slopes of the Balkans from Slatitza eastwards. From Slatitza in the north to Samarkov in the south- ) west, a distance of fifty miles, stretches the first line of the Turkish defence in Roumelia against the advance of General Ghourko's corps. The Russians have lost no time in attacking this line, though as yet without success. Shakir Pacha telegraphs to the Seraskeriate that he has repulsed a formidable attack near Petriteh, by which we presume is meant the village of Petnchevo, on the river Topotka, midway be- tween Ichtiman and Hlatitza. The attacking force, he says, consisted of 48 battalions of in- fantry, two regiments of cavalry, and two batteries, or in all about 35,000 men. The Rus- sians, we are told, suffered great loss, and fear- ing to continue their forward march, they at- 'I tempted to turn the Turkish left wing. In this attempt, however, they were foiled by Mustapha and Redif Pachas. In conclusion, Shakir Pacha states that he has arrived in safety at Popetsan and Otluken, where he is strongly entrenched. The Servians, like the Russians, complain of be- ing greatly hampered in their operations by the severity of the weather. Notwithstanding the collapse of the Turkish defence on the Pirot road, it has been found impossible to advance any distance in the direction of the Zaribrod de- file through which the road runs from Pirot to Sofia, owing to the depth of the snow, and the same cause doubtless contributes to check opera- tions in the south and west of the Principality. The bombardment of Niscli, however, as been resumed, after several days' interruption, the negotiations for a capitulation having broken down, and the Servians will, therefore, have an opportunity now of proving their fighting qualities in the siege and probably the assault of a regular fortress. On the Montenegrin side the bombardment of Antivari. which had been suspended only to permit the departure of Christian subjects, has been resumed, but the Turkish commandant manifests no disposition to surrender. There is nothing fresh from the Lom, but the Turks are evidently in consJera?le I strength there stil), and the proposed junction between the armies of the Cesarewitch and of General Ziimiieiwim will scarcely be effected without a struggle. From Armenia there is a report of an unsucces- ful attack upon one of the outworks of Erzeroum, and of outpost skirmishing near Batoum, but nothing of iuittortance has yet occurred at either place,

DEFINITE PROSPECTS OF PEACE. Something like a definite prospect of peace is at 1a.4 "pparent in the reported resolution of Turkey to open direct negotiations for an armistice with the Russian military commanders. On Tuesday, the Ottoman Cabinet drew up the proposed coil- ditions for a purely military armistice to be con- cluded between the commanders in the field, unci having submitted them to the Sultan, br whom they were duly ratified, afterwards communi-1 cated the fact to the Chamber of Deputies. In addressing the Chamber of Deputies, Server Pacha, Minister for Foreign Affairs, said that the Government had made every effort to interest Europe in the Turkish cause, but, nnfor- Innately, its endeavours remained fruitless. Turkey was isolated, and had no hope of European alliances. The Chamber, having heard the Minister's explanations, declared them to be satisfactory, and especially approved the policy of Server Pacha. The course now adopted by the Porte is stated to have been adopted under the advice of Lord Derby, and is presumably, therefore, in accordance with the expressed wish- es, as it is certainly with the sentiments generally attributed to Russia. The negotiation of the armistice, of course, may reveal some unforeseen difficulty, as for instance, if Russia should insist ] f h on the preliminary surrend er of one of the fort- resses of the (Quadrilateral, but assuming that the conditions are based, as ii-iiil in such cases, upon the military status qiw, there is no reason why we should not have a suspension of hostilities in a few days. I

I ENGLAND AND THE WAR. I The public meetings and expressions of opinion that this country shall maintain its strict neu- trality continue to be given in increasing numbers daily, and this without any demonstration what- ever, except the Trafalgar Square fiasco, on the other side. Indeed so unanimous is the feeling that we learn that it has led the Government to waive their objections to direct negociations between Russia and Turkey. A well-informed London correspondent sums up the position thus: At length Lord Beaconsfield seems to be convinced that the country does not wish and will not have war. The denunciations of Russian rebuffs and insults which appeared in the Daily Telegraph, backed up though they were by anonymous letters from tinkers, I tailors, soldiers, sailors, apothecaries, ploughboys, and all the combination of the alphabet, have produced no response from the public, or rather they have pro- duced a response, but one of a very different kind from that which was intended. These letters were saidto express the feeling of the country but the country, by meetings in all parts of the kingdom, has declared unmistakably against war. There has not been, so far as I am aware, a single demonstration in favour of war, except that ludicrous 'fiasco of Mr Maltman Barry's, which was got up by Lord Campbell and Strathden. So to-day (Tuesday) the warlike journal roars as gently as any sucking dove. The Telegraph commends our Government for not insisting upon having the condi- tions of the armistice communicated to it, though less than a week ago nothing but the sword could avenge the insult of the Russian Government in refusing to communicate them. To-day the Tdepraph is quite satisfied that onr Government should be a party only to the condition of the rdeflnite peace, which is just what we were saying last week ought to be the arrangement, Of course all this proves that the peace party has prevailed in the Cabinet. Lord Carnarvon's speech of Wednesday (it seems almost a month ago, so fierce has been the excitement of the last few (bys) brought matters to a climax. It became necessary either that he should resign or that the offensive attitude assumed by the journals which profess to speak in the Premier's name should be abandoned. If Lord Carnarvon had resigned he would not have done so alone, and the Cabinet would have been hopelessly wrecked; and while his own party would have been divided, the Premier would have found the whole country against him. From this untenable position he has retreated not a moment too soon to save his administration. Now that Turkey is left to make terms alone, will she agree to an armistice ? The St. Petersburg cor- respondent of the Times telegraphed that the chances of an armistice had greatly decreased. Probably he did not know how much events had changed here. The armistice becomes probable in proportion as the Turkish Government is convinced that England will not help it. That the hope of such help is still cherished in Turkish official circles I have good reason to know, but it will have to be abandoned now. par- ring some act of harshness and arrogance on Russia's part, which there is no reason to expect, we shall see peace concluded without anything beyond that dip- lomatic co-operation which a revision of the treaty of Paris involves. Nevertheless, we have narrowly es- caped a great danger. "While the situation is now somewhat more reassuring, it is still necessary to be keenly watchful, and the following letter from Mr Glad- stone shows this to he his view Hawarden, January 3rd, 1878. My Dear Mr Chamberlain,—I received your letter this morning, and while I was considering what I should say in answer, I received also a report of Lord Carnarvon's language at the Colonial-office yesterday, which will, ] am happy to say, shorten my reply. His speech is in harmony with the satisfactory declara- tion of Lord Derby some weeks ago, and it will doubtless have some tranquilising effect. I cannot see any public disadvantage in the continuance of meetings and declarations of opinion where there is a desire for them, such as we have had during the last ten days in a mimlier of places in favour of our pre- sent neutrality. They tend both to exhibit and to confirm the feeling they spring from, and they are not attended with the serious drawbacks of giving this great subject the aspect of a controversy be- tween our parties. We, who believe in the sentiment of the nation, may with pleasure see it work freely upon the broadest national ground at least this is my case. 1 have felt it to be my duty, even before the reassuring declaration yesterday, to remain passive in the face of many solicitations, for fear I should (unintentionally) contribute to throw the question into the arena of party. Lord Carnarvon has manhood, as well as integrity and ability, and I rely entirely on what he has said. but when we re- member what has occurred since a similar declaration of Lord Derby we cannot but remember also that we know not what a day may bring forth. The country seems destined to a series of shocks and surprises until the war sllall have reached a happy termination. and I hope that if our friends in Birmingham i:llow themselves a temporary repose they will, to use a homely phrase. sleep with one eye open. —Believe me, very faithfully yours, W. E. GLADSTONE. Truth has the following interesting notes on the subject This is why Parliament has been called together. Her Majesty urged upon Lord Beaconsfield, that some definite action ought to be taken, in regard to the Kastern imbroglio. At the same time she handed to him the last volume of the Life of the Prince Con- sort," with the passages marked, referring to the relations between Russia and England during, and immediately subsequent to, the (rimean War. _rmed with this weapon. Lord Beaconsfield called Cabinet after Cabinet. He, however, found himself in a minority, for both Lord Derby and Mr Cross sided with the Salisbury section. On this, it was decided to call together Parliament, as soon as possible. Both sections of the Cabinet will be by way of acting unitedly, but both will feel their way, and endeavour to discover on whose side there is a majority. Lord Beaconsfield has, of late, taken upon himself to carry on a "private "correspondence with several of the English diplomatic agents abroad. This is con- trary to all tradition, for no previous Foreign Secretary would have allowed himself to be thus ignored. Des- patches to the Foreign Office are divided into "secret," "confidential," and "ordinary" despatches. The two latter are numbered together, and consecutively, so that the omission of a number would at once be perceived. The secret despatches are not numbered. But besides despatches, there are "private letters." These are, to all intents and purposes, despatches, but a Foreign Secretary is able, by terming them letters, to say, that no despatch has been written or received upon a subject, which has been treated in "letters," when asked the question in the House of Commons. Lord Beaconsfield would, no doubt, say, that he has never written a despatch to an English Minister abroad, and, if charged with writing letters, would indignantly ask, whether he has not a right to corres- pond privately with whom he likes ? For all this, an interchange of private letters upon public matters, between the Premier and accredited English agents abroad, is a new feature in diplomacy. The Members of the Cabinet, who are in favour of an aggressive policy towards Kussia, are Lord Beacons- field, Lord Cairns, and Mr Hardy. The opponents of this policy are Lord Salisbury, Lord Carnarvon, and Mr Cross. Lord Derby has, of late, sided with Lord Salisbury, as has Sir Stafford Xorthcote. The ques- tion of peace or war, therefore, lies with the Duke of Richmond, Lord John Manners, Mr Smith, and Sir Michael Hicks Beach. I'lieEXpt(!t(tto), refers to Mr Osborne Morgan s speech on the question as follows :— It is remarkable that while meeting after meeting is held to protest towards any interference by England in the war between Turkey and Russia,, and while lelil- ber after Member boldly avows to his constituents that he holds such interference utterly unjustifiable, the party of "British interests" neither hold public meetings, nor declare plainly at what point they would advocate intervention, and to what purpose they would use it. No one has spoken better on this subject than Mr Osborne Morgan, in the address he delivered to his constituents at Wrexham yesterday week. He was not," he said, and never had been, for peace at any price. On the contrary, he loved peace so well, that under certain conditions he would even fight to secure it. But before England drew the sword, let her be sure that she drew it in a just and righteous cause." The Turkish cause, he said, would not be such a cause. Lord Beaconsfield, instead of devoting his energies to building up out of the Christian populations of Turkey a barrier to Russian ambition, had clung to the notion that Turkey would go on because she could tight. The result was that we had handed over the key of the situation to Russia, and if Russia got to Constantinople, she might thank Lord Beaconsfield for having got there." That we believe to be the popular view in all our large con- stituencies, though the Pall Mall will probably (?0.: tinue to maintain, as it it has so often maintained, that men like Mr Osborne .Morgan—the great champion of the Dissenters on the Burials' question—are mere mouthpieces of a sacredotai party, bent on taking their revenge for the Public Worship Regulation Act One of the Conservative Members for London speaks strongly for peace. At a meeting of the City of London Conservative Association, held on Tuesday, a letter from Mr Aldertnan Cotton, M.P., was read, in which he says In advocating peace I have the satisfaction of know- ing that I do not stand alone or unsupported even by members of the present Cabinet, as is shown by the recent speech of Lord Carnarvon, which has been received with acclamation by all moderate politicians at home and abroad. My colleague, Mr Hubbard, in a letter to Mr Merriman, has also expressed similar views. I have yet to learn that cruel and wasteful war—under the circumstances at present existing—is the Conservative policy but, even if it shoul,l be so, I must, if need be, prefer my country to my party, and I have full confidence that in subordinating the view of the partisan to that of the patriot I shall not only preserve, but strengthen my title to the support of my constituents, and feel that in the course adopted I have simply redeemed the pledge given when soliciting their suffrages in my election address. My allusion to JiOrrt Beaconsfielll resulted from my vivid recollection of, remarks made by his lordship in the House of Commons, to the effect that a future war would be a religious war, and one of magnitude. Impressed by this and surrounding opinions daily expressed of his lordship's desire to maintain the integrity of the Turkish empire in Europe at any cost, and believing that he might consider this the commencement of the fearful war which he prophesied as inevitable, I ven- tured to rpise my voice strongly in favour of peace. I need hardly say that my observations were not directed against Lord Beaconsfield personally, but to the Premier, as the head of the great party to which I belong, and as the Prime Minister guiding the counsels of the nation. My principles are unchanged, and my votes will always he consistent with my professions. The Agricultural Labourers' Union, whic numbers some 60,000 farm labourers, is unani- mously and decidedly opposed to England be- comin g involved in any war on behalf of Turkey. Mr Joseph Arch, the president, has issued an address to the members, pointing out the lament- I able results which will most assuredly accrue "if Lord Beaconsfield should unhappily drag | this country into war," and adds that if Lord Beaconsfield does precipitate this country into war for such a cause, neither he nor his party I will be able to recruit the army to any very great extent from the rural population." At a, meeting! of the Executive Committee of the Union, held at Leamington, last week, it was unanimously de- ■ cided to prepare a memorial to Lord Derbv on the subject, thanking him for his policy of neiitr,,Jityl and strongly urging him to persevere in it. 1 Mr W. E. Forster addressed his con"titnent;: on the subject of the war crisis, at Bradford, on Haturday. He contended that the panic had Jlot been caused by the summoning of Parliament, but by the interpretation put on that step by those newspapers who generally supported the Government and were supposed to enjoy its con- fidence. He believed that not only the Liberal party, but the country generally approved of the policy of Lord Derby and Lord Carnarvon. By going to war the Government would not only act against the interests of the country, but would commit a breach of faith. As a believer in the duty and in the necessity of war upon oeMMlon. he said he was as much determined to defend the colonies and to preserve our Indian empire as any man could be: but, looking at the matter from a purely English point of view, he had come to the conclusion that not only is there no reason why we should take part in the war, but that there is no probability of any such reason arising. Neither did he consider that there was any danger of Russia obtaining possession of Constantinople.

MR WATKIN WILLIAMS, M.P., AT DENBIGH. On Tuesday night, Mr Watkin Williams, Q.C., M.P., addressed his constituents in the Assembly Room, Denbigh, on the Eastern Question. The Mayor (Alderman Thomas Gee) presided, and was supported on the platform by Mr and Mrs Watkin Williams; the Mayoress and several other ladies; Mr T. Gold Edwards; Dr. Evan Pierce, J.P., Denbighshire coroner; Dr. Thomas Jones, Ruthin; Mr Emrys Evans, Cotton Hall; Mr J. Williams Lloyd, J.P., Brook House; Mr Bradbury, Ruthin; Mr Joyce, Ruthin Mr T. Fonlkes, Graig; &c. In the body of the meeting we also noticed Mr E. T. Jones, Britannia. Buildings, Mr J.-Harrison Jones, Mr Hugh Jones, and a number of other gentlemen, besides a vast audience, the room being crammed to the door. The Mayor, in opening the proceedings, said that Mr Williams had been invited by some of his constituents in Denbigh to deliver his annual address, and he had come prepared for the task, supported, as he always was and should be, by his good wife. (Loud applause.) Referring to the present war, the Chairman said a great political gloom had been gathering for the last twelve months, and it was clearly increasing in intensity. The crisis in all human probability was fast approaching when this country might be hurled into the vortex, and if England were drawn into it, other countries in Europe would also be drawn into it. (Hear, hear.) If that were the case, they would see one of the most horrible and decimating wars that Europe had ever seen but he hoped it would not be so, and might God grant that it would not be so—(load applause)— but that they should continue to enjoy the blessings of peace and plenty. (Renewed ap- plause.) The coming session of Parliament was likely to be one of the most important this country had ever seen. And it was impossible for them to form a clear and satisfactory con- ception of our awfully critical position as a country, with a poverty-stricken population, with imports amounting to £ 18,000,000 more.than the previous year, and decreased exports amounting to E2,000,000, with a probability of a deficiency in the receipts for the current year, with no ally but Turkey, which was bankrupt and corrupt to the very core, and with the pro- bability that if we ventured into the field the three Emperors might be united in support of the claims of Russia. It was for the English public to say whether it was right for England to enter into the war now raging in the East. (Cries of 11 No, no!") He trusted they would not, but that by our neutrality brave Servia and little Montenegro might be able to shake of the iron heel of the op- pressor, and, with their wives and families rise into freedom, which was their due. (Hear, hear.) It was the Turkish bondholders who wanted to have that rotten state resuscitated so that they might have a little return for their money, there were also a few like minded who looked upon Russia as a terrible Bear and ware afraid of him, but he hoped that not only the Emperor but his Government also would be found to be much more reasonable than many gave them credit for. (Loud applause.) Those belonging to the army might be also glad of an an excuse for activity, but he hoped and believed the great majority of the people would speak out for peace in no mis- taken tone, and to keep quite clear of the struggle going on in the East. They had the utmost confidence in their representative and he (the chairman) believed that he was quite prepared for the arduous duties that awaited him in the coming Session of Parlia- ment. (Hear, hear.) He would now call upon Mr Watkin Williams to address the meeting. Mr Watkin Williams, on rising, was received with great cheering, and a cry that he would ad- dress the meeting in the Welsh language, which caused much laughter. He said that he had now for close upon ten years had the honour of serving them as their representative in the British Parlia- ment, and he thought he might say without ex- aggeration that at least during that time, if not even for the past half-century, England had never passed through a chapter of history more serious, more interesting, more momentous, than that we were now engaged in transacting. The summon- ing of Parliament at an unusual time had caused anxiety throughout England. It had also caused great disturbance and depression in our trade and in that of the colonies. The main cause of this, in his humble judgment, was to be found in the doubtful and uncertain attitude of Her Majesty's Government, during the last two years, in re- lation with the Eastern Question. (Hear, hear.) He would give the audience one or two leading instances of his proposition. Lord Derby, in his despatch of 1876, warned the Porte that the au- thentic accounts which had reached this country of atrocities and crimes exceeding anything known in the past half-century had aroused in the English people a just and intense feeling, that Turkey could look for no sympathy from this country, and that no political considerations could sustain violations so atrocious and wicked —that despatch was almost immediately followed by the Prime Minister of England totally and thoroughly neutralising the public declarations of his colleagues. Then, again, when Lord Carnar- von spoke of the meetings which were held throughout the country, and said that they did credit alike to the heart and head of this country, and that they strengthened the hands of Her Majesty's Government in their efforts to enforce redress, that speech was followed immediately by declarations by other Minis- terialists neutralising the statements of Lord Carnarvon and denouncing these meetings as having been got up for hampering the action of the Government." Lastly, when many re- sponsible Ministers of the Crown—Lord Derby, Lord Salisbury, Lord Carnarvon—had given utterance to the effect that England's duty in this crisis was that of neutrality, and that the notion of our embarking in a war to aid Turkey was not only absurd but absolute insanity, we heard of sinister rumours that the Prime Minister was sending private instructions out to our Minister at Constantinople—with too willing ears he (the speaker) was sorry to say—entirely neutralising the effect of these declarations of his colleagues. These contradictory statements, lie thought, justified him in saying that during the whole of the period of two years the Government had shown a dualisation of action and attitude which justly alarmed the whole of the British people. He could not believe, however, that it was the intention of the Government to involve us in this dreadful war. (Applause.) They had done no public act committing them to such a policy, and he for one, until that happened, declined to believe that they would be guilty of that which in his judgment would be a public crime. (Applause.) What, then, meant the anxiety on the part of the public ? What the meaning of the early summoning of Parliament ? Had it never occurred to many of them that the eleventh hour had struck for the Ottoman Einpire-tli,it the power and duration of that empire were drawing to a close, and that when the end did come—as he firmly hoped and prayed it was coming—(hear, hear)—forces would come into play the direction and end of which no human foresight could foresee ? It might be that the Government felt-and rightly felt—that if that were to happen, it would be unwise and un- safe if England should find herself unprepared to guard and defend the gigantic interests left in her charge. Unhappily we were left in doubt, uncertainty, and anxiety, and it might be that England would be called upon to join in this dreadful war. Now, the Chancellor of the Exchequer had, as they might remember, taunted the people of England with their ignorance of foreign politics. Be it so, but did it not show the importance and the necessity that they should turn their attention to this question so as to be in a position to deal with and solve it. (Applause.) j He had come prepared to present to them that evening, taken from official documents and au- ] thentic sources, the actual facts relative to and bearing on the Eastern Question, and he would put before them what he believed to be the pith and marrow of the matter. (Hear, hear.) The first thing that presented itself to them was this —What was this Eastern Question that they were asked to determine, and what were the bases of the point that raised the question, Should they or should they not enter the field on behalf of Turkey ? What was the relation of the Ottoman Empire to Europe ? It was the only professing non-Christian Power in Europe, and therefore it stood in a peculiar relationship. (Hear, hear.) For centuries the Ottoman Empire had persecuted the Christians. The honourable gentleman then proceeded to explain the relation of Turkey to the European Powers, and the extent to which the law of self-preservation gave the right to independent states to interfere with the internal government and affairs of their neighbours. Turning to the blue books, he gave a full and detailed account of the events leading up to the present lamentable and destructive war. Under the Treaty of Kiarnardji, in 1774, Turkey covenanted with Russia to respect the religion and the liberties of her Christian subjects. The claims of Russia, partly founded on this treaty, to protect the Christians of Turkey against gross oppression and misgovernment led to the Crimean war. England, for high political purposes, took the field on the side of the oppres- sor. Russia was repulsed, and her claims to the protectorate of the Christians extinguished. But in February, 1830, the Sultan, by a charter of liberties exceeding in liberality and complete- ness our own Magna Charta, granted liberty. equality, and security to all his subjects, without i distinction of race, language, or religion, and so obtained the famous Treaty of Paris n confirming the integrity and independence of his empire, and securing him freedom from foreign interference in hi s internal administration. For twenty years I was Turkey afforded a peaceful opportunity of carrying out her promised reforms and pacifying her outraged Christian subjects, and so* asnriJJg peace and tranquility to her surrounding neigh- hours. What she did might be summed up in one word—nothing. The end found her worse than the beginning. Chronic misgovemment and abuses kept Turkey and the surrounding pm- vincegiiiaiiincessantfeiiiieiit. In August, 187o, the Bosnians and Herzegovinians, despairing- of 1 seeing an end of their sufferings, rose in arms against their oppressors, and the general peace of Eastern Europe was threatened. Turkey ap- pealed earnestly to England to intercede in her half with Austria, Montenegro, and Servia, who were accused of harbouring the unfortunate in- surgent refugees. On the 30th December, lR75, Count Andrassy prepared his famous note, adopted by all the Powers, and ultimately accepted by the Porte, demanding as an essential condition the real execution of the promised re- forms in the place of mere empty programmes. In May, 1876, the false promises and treachery of the Porte became transparent. The Cabinets of Germany, Austria, and Russia, by the Berlin Memorandum, next insisted that Turkey should give guarantees, by allowing the Christians to retain their arms, by withdrawing the troops to certain eentral places, and permitting the foreign consuls to watch the due carrying out of reforms. This was, however, unfortunately, disapproved of by England, and rejected by Turkey. Servia, unable longer to resist the current of popular feeling, declared war against Turkey. The failure of the Berlin Memorandum was succeeded by the conference of the Great Powers at Constantinople, which was held with the object of making a final effort to induce the Porte to listen to the voice of reason, and to give, at the request of united Europe, some guarantee for the future peace of the East. Again, unfortunately, England informed the Porte that these demands would not be carried beyond mere words, and that she would not consent to coercion. Turkey contemptuously rejected the ,ananimous demand of Europe and the conference of Constantinople ended in ridicule. In the mean- time the Porte, with grand solemnity, had pro- claimed a Liberal constitution for the country, with the usual promise to its subjects of thorough and radical reforms. Once more the distracted cabinets of Europe invited the Porte to concur, by the protocol of London, March 31st, 1877, in the proposal of the Powers to watch carefully, by means of their representatives, the manner in which these promises were carried into effect, with a declaration that should their hopes be once more disappointed, and the peace of the East be still periodically disturbed, they reserved to them- selves to consider as to the means best fitted to secure the wellbeing of the Christians and the interests of the general peace. Once more by a fatal coincidence, the British Government sent out to Constantinople as ambassador, Mr Layard, well known as a strong friend to Turkey. The Porte acknowledged this as a delicate mark of attention, and proceeded forthwith in a lofty strain to reject the protocol as a reflection upon her honour and good faith. The sending out of Mr Layard, the most pro-Turkish man the Government could find, led Turkey to trust in England and reject the last attempt that could be made to bring her to a sense of her responsibility, and then Russia took up the question. He re- jected the statement that the Emperor of Russia was dealing doubly in the question, and quoted the statementsof the Emperorto show that he only sought to carry out the the just demands of the European Powers. Russia had never stated that she went to war for any other reason than that the disturbances in the East hindered Russian pro- gress. For his own part, he could see no sign anywhere—and he had studied the subject with all the judgment he possessed—that Russia would attempt for a single moment to do anything that would interfere with British interests in India. (Applause). He disdained that miserable jealousy which looked with dread upon the development of the Russian Empire. (Hear, hear.) Russia was a great and progressive empire, while her rival was a miserable, decayed despotism. (Loud applause). Was England to step forward without an ally to prop one of the most infamous despotisms the world ever saw (Cries of No," and loud applause). That was the question they had to detennine. Turkey was now on the point of being crushed as a Power, and they had to decide whether they would lend their influence to save her from the fate brought about by her misdeeds and sins. (Cries of No, no.") He could see no public act of the Govern- ment that would justify him in charging them with that intention. They had the assurances of Lord Derby, the Marquis of Salisbury, Lord Carnarvon, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, and the Home Secretary that the policy of England was one of neutrality. (Applause). Nothing but an invasion of British interests could justify England interfering, and he defined those in- terests and the duty England had in relation to India. (Hear, hear, and a voice "And so has Lord Beaconsfield said so.") Mr Williams said he was not aware that he had said so, but the others had, and he (Mr Williams) said if our in- terests in India were in any way affected it would be the duty of England to put forth her whole power to prevent it. (Applause.) They all knew that there were rumours of divisions in the Cabinet, but if doubt and division prevailed there—(A voice: No, no, it does not.") Mr Williams continued Well, he was right in say- ing there were rumours to that effect, and what- ever doubt and uncertainty prevailed in the Government, he hoped and believed there would be no doubt in the country as to what the Govern- ment should do at this period. (Applause). That was the question they had to answer, and he hoped they, with the rest of the country, would speak out as they did a year and a half ago, and show the Government that they would not consent to support Turkey, and thus save both the Govern- ment and country being plunged into a war of the most calamitous and miserable description, on behalf of a decaying country, dying and perishing from internal rottenness. (Loud applause). Dr. Pierce, county coroner, congratulated Mr Williams upon the excellent reception lie had re- ceived and the able address he had delivered. He proposed a motion to the effect that the meeting thoroughly agreed with the enlightened statement of principles the hon. member had made, and ex- pressed their full confidence in him as their repre- sentative. (Loud applause). Mr John W. Lloyd, Brook House, seconded the motion, and it was carried with much applause. At this stage of the proceedings a lively scene occurred at the end of the room, in consequence of the opposition remarks of a few Conservatives in the meeting. Much good humour, however, prevailed, and the Mayor appealed to the meet- ing for order, and said if those gentlemen had come to disturb the meeting he hoped they would behave like gentlemen. A Voice Why, it's a Town Councillor that is doing it. (Loud laughter). Mr Evans, of Cotton Hall, Denbigh, rose to propose a motion, and was met by cries of "Wire in and Speak up," and much laughter. On order being restored, Mr Evans proposed the following motion :—" That this meeting views with uneasiness the dubious attitude of the Go- vernment in relation to the Eastern Question, and expresses the conviction that the true policy of Great Britain in the present crisis is one of peace, non-intervention, and strict neutrality; and that petitions embodying this resolution be forwarded to both houses of Parliament, and signed by the Mayor 011 behalf of this meeting." (Applause). Ald. Dr. Thomas Jones, of Ruthin, seconded the motion, and it was supported in a capital Welsh speech by the Rev. J. Evans, of Eglwys Bach, who had been on a preaching tour in the town. Mr Watkin Williams returned thanks, and ex- pressed his deep obligation at the hearty recep- tion he had met with and the way they had sup- ported him in the policy he thought it right to support. He proposed a vote of thanks to the Mayor for presiding, which was seconded by Mr T. Gold Edwards, and the Mayor having replied the meeting broke up with cheers for Mr and Mrs Williams. The meeting was most enthusiastic throughout, and loud cheers greeted Mr Watin Williams as he drove off in his carriage to Plas Draw.

A LEAKY PARRAFIN OIL LAiip hasled to a serious accident at Birkenhead. A woman, named Humphreys, was sitting sewing before the tire on Wednesday, and on the mantleshelf was a, lamp, which, through faulty construction, allowed the oil to run out. A piece-of paper was placed un- der the lamp, and the oil dropping from this blazed up in the fire, and resulted in the explosion of the lamp. The woman's cloths caught ifre, and she was so severely burned that she had to be taken to the hospital. THE CANADIAN LIVE STOCK TRADE.—Mr Dyke, the Canadian Government agent at Liver- pool, reports that the exports of live stock from Canadian ports to this country during the year 177 were as follows :—7412 cattle (including 75 pedigree shorthorns), G825 sheep, 373 pigs, and 298 horses, showing an increase over last year's importations of 4045 cattle, 4218 sheep, and 373 pigs. Large numbers of Canadian cattle, sheep, I and especially horses, have been brought via New YOlk, Boston, and other American ports, I in consequence of the Canadian lines of steamers being unable to meet the demands of this rapidly growing trade. On Monday, the Dominion steamer Ontario arrived in the Mersey, brought 128 head of Canadian live cattle, 237 hogs, 243 sheep, 35 cases of poultry, 305 barrels of apples, 135 boxes of pears, and a very large cargo of grain and general farm produce. THE APPLE TREE IN THE PLEASURE GROUNDS. I should like tewsee apples in more general use as ornamental trees, and I cannot understand why they are not more frequently planted in places of moderate or even limited extent, such OH in tho g-artlonc of (suliurbati and villa. rpr4i- dences, by intermixing them with shrubs, for it may be said with truth that there are few objects more beautiful than an apple tree in full bloom. It would add grettly to the charms of the gardens and residences during the spring and early summer months, and afford in autumn a supply of valuable fruits in places where there is generally a want of it. There is scarcely an article of vegetable food more widely useful and more universally esteemed; and no wonder, for an apple pie or tart are amongst the most whole- some food that can be placed on the table, and for dessert ripe apples are equally enjoyable and healthful."—" Nathan Cole," in Journal of Hor- ticulture. "TH)IOAT IRRITATION.—Soreness and dryness, tickling ?nd irritation, inducing cough :?nd effect- ing the voice. For these symptoms use Epps's Glycerine Jujubes. Only in boxes Od and Is., labelled "JAMES Errs & Co., Homoeopathic Chemists, 48, Threadneedle St., and 170, Picca- dilly, London." AN EVENING BEVERAGE.—Epps's Cacaoine (Quint-essence of Cacao) is equally liquid and re- freshing as ten, affording moreover a sterling-sullo port to the system. Unsweetened. Each packet (6.H is labelled "-TAMES Epps & Co., Homoeo- pathic Chemists, London," 182 A Reward of £ 20 is offered by Messrs Reckitt and Sons, of Hull and London, for information that shall lead to the conviction of any person celling imitations of their Paris Blue in Squares. It is easy to detect the cheat, as the Paris Blue used in the Prince of Wales' Laundry" is only genuine when sold ill squares wrapped up in pink paper bearing I Reckitt and Sons'name and trade mark. S:)7 e HOLLOWAY' PILLS. —Pure Blood.—As this vital fluid, when in a healthy state, sustains and renovates every part of the living system, so when it becomes impoverished or impure it exerts a precisely contrary effect. It is abundantly manifest that any medicine which does not reach the circulation can never exterminate the dis- ease but any preparation capable of exercising a sanitary influence over the blood, must with it be carried to every living fibre of the frame. The lungs, heart, liver, kidneys, and skm, all receive benefits from its more wholesome condition' Holloway's purifying Pills operate directly powerfully, and beneficially, upon the whole mass of blood, whether venous or artificial. They j strengthen the stomach, excite the liver and kidneys, expel disease, and prolong existence.

Miss MAY VINCENT gave one of lie: demon- strative lectures on cookery, at Haw: len week, under the presidency of the F. ?,. S. Gladstone. THE REV. W. WILLIAMS, of Llanuv, D: dyn, -'t is stated, has refused the living of Trefa,vl Sir Watkin Wynn has augmented the due the former living. THE LLANDUDNO COMMISSIONERS in ■; N :ider- ing the promenade by-laws, have come t- > a de- cision to prohibit open air meetings, which, of course, includes preaching and other -i services, on Sunday. PROFESSOR PARRY, of the University 'ollci;O of Wales, has passed the recent Cambridge exam- ination for the degree of doctor of nn>ie an I Mr. I). Jenkins (Trecastell), a pupil of P1"fcb,J: Parry's, has passed the examination for too de- be of batchelor of music. AN INTERESTING GATHERING has taken place at Festiniog,when a presentation was made to Ma.jec Mathew, who enjoys the respect of the whole neighbourhood, on his departure from the act: management of the Rhiwbryfdir Quarry, of which he was managing partner. RHIWLAS, Bala, the well-known residence of the Prices, has narrowly escaped destruction by fire. One of the guests, who found her bedioc a filled with smoke, gave the alarm, and for iii(; -a than three hours Mr. Price and his friends we- 3 searching for the cause of the mischief, which at length was discovered in the shape of a sinouldc;- ing peam under another bedroom fire-place. Two LADS, John Edwards and James Wright, apprentices of Mr Roberts, builder, C1K-WC<O killed on Wednesday week, in a di<ressi r g manner. They were assisting in raising logs !,Î timber by means of a travelling crane, some f the logs fell, and both boys were crushed to dealb. At the inquest, a verdict of accident:;] death was returned. THE CAUNARVON EISTEDDVOD PAVIL: At an extraordinary meeting of shareholders of tho Eisteddvod Pavilion Company, Carnarvm, he],1 last week, it was stated that out of sevel) -ill!llll!-t <1 and fifty shares, three hundred and threo had been taken. A rough statement rwad by tl >3 secretary showed an adverse balance (at the com- pany's bankers, Messrs. Piigli and Company, ami Messrs. Williams and Company) of i'1,500, which with other outstanding and urgentulitie", amounted to nearly f2,500, and necessitated im- mediate settlement. The Chairman stated thai; the bankers had called upon the dire toj^ ft r some security for the ever draught; and tba directors had hitherto failed to gl t more shar> holders, it was necessary to resort to a mortgage of the company's property, failing to see v:e moio shareholders. Two concerts held in the pavilici since the Eisteddvod had been financially :Viil»tre- one in October netting only ten pound and one at Christmas thirteen pounds. Notice of motion was passed that a inor tgage of t" ,OoO be j r. itcil on the company's property. RHYL WINTER GARDEf;From the rmnnn! report of the Rhyl Winter Gardens Company wu find that in the capital oecount is shown "v aiiil preliminary expences of i'2500: land, nearly 917,000 new buildings and miscellane- vj ex- penses at pleasure ground. new drainage, fittings, buildings, stock, anrl various other items, cost t1221. and the f-R nitmo and fitting about £ 470. Eight sen hundred ami eighty-four pounds were swallowed by the pur- chase of the right to use ami the value of skates, &c.; £ 2401 on brick v/orlm, and directors' fees £ 402, but nearly £ 300 ;j' tlui remains unpaid. The total is £ 17,GG8. The opposite account show shareholders call a -count, 1'20,710: mortgage on property, £ (5700: loans, 918,OW. and other items, leaving a debit k .laneo of £ 2254. The revenue account shows a 1 of £ 302 was made on the brickworks; skating jink, gardens, and field, £l2"J; sale of land il.0, tho gross profits being £ 54(5, and when rates, iasen, and salaries are deducted the sum of £ 3(i(5 7s !)d is left as the net profit of the year. It h.4 been decided by the directors to declare a p; ■ i-fit or Is 6d per share, which will take tno to defray, thus leaving about £ 60 balance on the ororit account. The name of Mr Arthur Rowland's is attached to the report as having audited tIe accounts aul found them correct. MERIONETHSHIRE AGKICULTLUAL SOCIETY.— A meeting of the subscribers of this society w-s held at Doigelley last week, Mr John Vam-han presiding. The secretary produced an approxi- mate financial statement of accounts. W. R. M. Wynne and L. H. Thomaswee unanimously elected to audit the same a111 the secretary to produce it at the next meetixJof the szeiieril Committee of management. M>- \y E. Wynne, Peniarth, was elected president for the year, azitl Mr Wert Davies. J)i Uid, C" veil vice-president; Mr Lewis Williams, Bala,was elected treasurer, and Mr T.Ellis, seemly— The clerk read an objection from Mr P.^ry, Davies, Harp, Conver, receiving a p;lze of £ 2 in class ;i, Prein. !—• The COlllhûttee decided that Evan Davies ]).)1.;]¡J receive tile prize, ailii requested the secretary io insert it in the next of prizes referring to Premiums S, 18, that [he rules of the Royal Agriciiltural Society in future will be en- forced.—The eeretary read all objection from Mr Edward Williams. Fi-«!i?duJ, and Mr Edmund Cr?th, again>t Morris Griffith, Tyj,y- worn, receiving a prize of £20, .nled t" him. by the judges at Baia. Morris Griffith hraing- Y tne ¡nf;;el"\ all ¡ù.t. U:1: acknowledged that he received amUiiarged Is aa Vi i gmom'.? f?, be<i<.?? the n for .'wn<je, uduL '?a j advertisement stated that "the horse serve mares at a. price not exceeding committee decided that lie was uis^nalifie l.~ The Secretary having reported to the tli,t tiitre it wis unanimously decided to request Sir Vv*. W Wynn, Part., M.P.. and Captain Rowley to allow the matter to be referred to them or for them to name a referes. it was decidedIVt a prize of £ 10 be offered for the horse tlir"t Ca travelled the B<da- di?riut of the social-? served no leM than 60 m?res durin? the ?awn from the 11th May, 1.?. That a prize of t-1? offered to the hor? th?t has tmvelled, ?d serv^l notice than sixty mares in the Towyn, Boldly and Hariech dislnct.. dunn.. these f 11th May, 17." Mr W. 1? M ,?' ?'? that a, l?e h? be? appomted auditor with M- Thomas, hewo?? very .dad If f)f 'J;6 committee would sug v<t nnv me r, J down the expenses ofUt mS' dom accounts of three neHihom.in, I1seei} the accounts ?,f tlii-ee.-Ile ha(i 2,ee-it he wished to ?y th u V1 iis '• 1 ar 41 ?YOUraMy with then:. L