The Aberystwith Observer

FATAL ENCOUNTER BETWEEN TWO LAWYERS. The St. Joseph, Herald of Dec 24, gives the following account of a fatal encounter in that city between two lawyers of the St. Joseph bar, Messrs. Green and Early. For some time past angry feelings have existed be- tween these two men, which have well nigh culminated at times, in an encounter. The immediate cause of the present meeting was the publication in this paper of two communications, one on Tuesday and the other on Wednesday last. The former was brought to this office by Mr. Early, and the latter by Mr. Green, both lawyers, and each recently connected with the editorial department of a newspaper—one published in Nebraska and one in this city. The facts, as we gather them from Mr. Everett, and other eye- witnesses, are briefly these :—About four o'clock. yesterday afternoon the two met on Francis- street. Mr. Early immediately told Mr. Green' that he must retract the article published in the Morning Herald, or prepare to defend himself. Mr. Green refused to retract, when Early struck him -some say with a revolver, and others insisting that he first threw away the revolver, after being in- formed by Green that he was unarmed; at any rate, his revolver was soon dropped or thrown upon the ground, and they clinched. Mr. Everett, who heard the scuffle from his law office, called to Mr. Carter, a brother lawyer, and both hurried to the street, where they saw the two in close conflict, Mr. Early standing on the curbstone, and Mr. Green in the gutter. Early had Green by the hair with one hand, and was kicking and striking him. Mr. Everett and Mr. Steele, a citizen who chanced to be passing by, at once inter- fered and separated the combatants. As soon as re- leased, Early snatched a heavy cane from Green's arm, and struck him a severe blow on the head. Early then faced Green, declaiming in a menacing manner, and shaking the case at him. Green straightened up, drew a small Smith and Wesson revolver, and fired at Early, the ball striking him in the left breast, Green held out the revolver, as if about to shoot again, when Mr. Everett hastily snatched it from hit hand. Green walked to his office in an adjoining block. Mr. Early then staggered back, claaping his hand over the wound, hurried to the door of Mrs. Hall's millinery store, a few paces distant, and exclaimed, I am shot." He was led to the rear of the room, and placed on a bed, when he said, My God I am a dead man—go for the doctor—my dear, dear wife, what will she do Falling from the bed, on which he was replaced, he soon breathed his last, without uttering a groan or a word. Mr. Green delivered himself into the custody of the sheriff, and is now in the county gaol Mr. Early was 28 years of age born in Ireland, and came to this country about ten years ago. Soon after he arrived he married a lady in Baltimore, who survives him. Mr. Green is a. lawyer, and came to St. Joseph, Galena, Illinois, about eighteen months ago. Soon after his arrival he formed a partnership with Mr. Early, the deceased. For a time he was connected with the editorial management of the St. Joseph Union. Both of the parties to this sad transaction have hitherto borne good characters in this community.

ARCHDEACON STOPFORD ON DIS. ESTABLISHMENT. The Archdeacon of Meath has issued an address to Clergy and Laity," entitled Subjects for thought concerning the Future of the Church in Ireland, and how to prepare for it." Archdeacon Stopford con- siders it idle now to think of evading the decision of the electors by affecting to ignore it; let us rather look at it like men, and meet it with dignity and earnestness." Is it desirable," he says, "that Mr. Gladstone should introduce a bill so carefully and liberally drawn that we might accept it in this session, with such amendments as we can reasonably claim ? Or is it desirable that his measures should be so ill- drawn as to give grounds for a party fight, not on principles, but on details, extending perhaps far beyond this session? In my opinion it would be wise for us to do all that may be in our power to obtain the former alternative." Archdeacon Stopford proposed internal reform of the Church five years ago, and made a sugges- tion to the Church Commission respecting it, but that, he says, is no longer the question. Prominent among the principles he lays down is that of absolute free- dom." in the event of disestablishment, to make our own future arrangements unfettered by the State." For this purpose he would refrain from any discussion "of what should afterwards be settled by ourselves alone." The number of bishops and clergy required should be left, he thinks, entirely to the Church. We should be careful not to suggest that Parliament should give us any powers for the Government and discipline of the Church in future, and we should strenuously resist any such suggestions if made." That, he believes would put the Church in danger of being afterwards subjected to the tyranny of the majority of the House of Commons in place of its present con- stitutional relation to the Crown. "N either," adds the Archdeacon, "should we discuss any contingent advantage of disestablishment. It might smooth the way to the formation of one Protestant Church in Ireland, upon the principles on which St. Augustine healed the Donatist schism, and on which the wise and great Archbishop Bramhall dealt with Presby- terian ministers, even under the Act of Uniformity." A disestablished Church, the writer elsewhere says, would need a new system of administration, such as has been established in colonial Churches. The pre- sent provincial synods, he concludes, would not receive the confidence of the whole Church and it would be best, therefore, to proceed towards reconstruction, according to the original character of synods, each bishop to have his own, in which he would consult on the affairs of the Church. It would be competent for the bishop to invite parishes to elect synodsmen, and each synod could appoint deputations to the arch- bishops to represent and confer on the views of the several diocesan synods. This would secure a repre- sentation of the laity, which Archdeacon Stopford considers of primary necessity. The Archdeacon adds, "In the event of sudden disestablishment in the next session it may be necessary to introduce at once a description of Church trust into an Act, to which funds accruing to the Church should be paid over by the Government, but the terms of the trust and the choice of trustees must be left to the Church." He would resist strenuously the capitalisation of all life incomes at once, but he could perhaps show" how the process might be hastened.. Clergymen have the power to resign. The sole question is whether those who feel it their duty to resign temporary positions, often useless and now rendered hopeless, shall have compensation or not." The gradual expiring of incumbencies for thirty-five or forty years would be injurious to the Church. He holds that no life interest should be touched without the consent of him who possesses it for life; and that each clergyman having a life interest, and thinking it desirable to remove from his present position, should have the option of calling on the Government to pur- chase his life interest on the ordinary life tables. The residue of the purchase money, all proper charges deducted, the Archdeacon proposes to divide, one-half to the clergyman, with liberty to begin a new career n Ireland or England the other half to go to a Church fund in lieu of his services. "We," he also adds, should call on all just men of all parties to maintain for us all funds and endowments granted to the Reformed Church in Ireland, since the Reformation." Archdeacon Stopford, while resisting the destruction of the supremacy of the Crown and alteration of the Crown and Constitution," insists again that the greatest danger of the Irish Church would be to remain unr rep ired for the worst. He makes a vigorous appeal to the laity. It will be for Irish landed proprietors to consider whether they will propose celibacy of the clergy, or have a ministry drawn from the class from which Maynooth students are taken, or make due provision for the maintenance of educated gentlemen. Prompt action on this point will be necessary if our divinity school is to keep up a supply of such ministers as we have had." If, says the writer, in concluding, "revolution is to proceed by hasty steps, we have still left the force of superior intelligence, of energy, and of resolution, and we will use it as we may."

A SAD STORY! Two painful cases of attempted suicide were brought under the notice of the Marylebone magis- trate in London on Saturday. A police inspector stated that between three and four o'clock that morning he surprised the prisoners—two young girls named Martha Jenkins and Alice Doulton—on the brink of the Regent's CanaL After seme hesitation they confessed they were going to throw themselves into the water. Twice on the previous evening they had been refused admission to "Homes," and neither had a home of her own to go to. Doul- ton .aid being tired and weary of such a wretched life, and having no means of subsisten :e nor chance of getting into a refuge or home, they had agreed on Friday at dinner time to commit suicide by tying themselves together and jumping into the water. lney had three long scarves in their possession, and were about tying themselves together when the in- spector saw them. Jenkins said if he had been a moment later they would have been in the water. It was stated in further evidence that the prisoner Jenkins was pregnant. Her mother was an inmate of Marylebone workhouse, and her father dead. Doul- ton said she had not seen her parents for nine months The magistrate remanded them for a week, and they were removed crying bitterly.

I A STRANGE AFFAIR. An extraordinary story is told in the Liverpool papers. About ten o'clock on Saturday morning the body of a lady was found in a brickfield. The body was turned with the face downwards amidst the clay and water, and was so firmly imbedded that it was with difficulty it could be got out. It was removed to the Liverpool deadhouse, where there were found upon it two bruises—one on the forehead, and the other under the left jaw. The body was that of a woman, who appeared to be about forty years of age, was ° vi?V 8 high, of stout build, fresh complexion, with light brown hair turning grey. It was dressed in ,a puce Silk bonnet, trimmed with bugle lace, black cloth jacket, black silk dres;, common brass brooch, jet earrings, vulcanised chain, attached to w) ich were a gentleman's gold Albert chain and a locket contain- ing a gentleman's likeness. The body was, on Mon- day, identified as that of Mrs. Clara Jane Linde, who resided at 25, Onslow-road, Elm-park. She was last seen on Friday night, about ten o'clock, with a young man who lodged in her house. They were then at Kensington, and the young man says that the deceased left him to speak to some one, and he did not see her afterwards. As she had on her person when found a gold chain, rings, and other valuables, the supposition that she had been decoyed into the field for the purpose of robbery seems improbable. The report that a murder had been committed was very rife, but the police found no other footmarks near the spot except those of the deceased, who is a widow possessed of £ ,300 or JMOO a year. The person referred to as a lodger is connected with very respect- able families in Liverpool, but has come down in the world," and is now in the employ of one of the omni- bus companies. The inquest has not been held.

:õ< A SONNET TO G. F. TRAIN! In New York, on the evening of December 26th, the martyr Train received an address from persons who voted for him for Congress. The address, which is "beautifully embroidered in gold letters on green satin," abounds in such phrases as "glowing and heartfelt delight," "foul and accursed oppression," "bloodyand inveterate foe," "villain power, wealth and demon strategy," "base, bloody, and brutal task- master," fearful incarceration," "voice heard like a thunder-bolt," &c. Then follows the "subjoined tre- mendous sonnet, which was offered as part of the address There they wished that you should die, A fact the tyrant can't deny But now the warden's measured tread Will not pain your aching head, So let the cowards bite the dust, For the Fenian boys I trust, With you will snap the gaoler's chain, Which on our citizens remain; And Costello and Warren come To sound once more the Fenian drum, Whilst America spoils all Bull's dreanas, The Alabama robbery claims, And loud detnsmd:, with might and main, That Ireland shall her freedom gain. MAKGARET MARIA GARRY. To which Train replied that he was "off to-night to see if the Pacific Railroad-bridge dropping down on his 5,000 lots at Omaha is damaging to real estate." He added, "Just as I had arranged to arrest James M'Henry at two o'clock on Monday morning, I learn that he has left for hit copartners in Downing-street, on this morning's -English steamer. Shall soon return to England to fight it out." The Fenian circles" of Boston congratulate Train on his safe arrival in his native country after his triumphant bearding of the heavy old lion in his den," and ask him te deliver an address before them

THE RITUALISTS AND THE PRIVY COUNCIL. On Tuesday afternoon the adjourned meeting of clergy and laity," to consider the course to be pursued in regard to the recent judgment of the Privy Council in the case of Martin v. Mackonochie, was held at the Freemasons' Hall, London, when the chair was occupied by Archdeacon Denison. After prayer, the Chairman, in opening the proceed- ings, called the attention of the meeting to its own position. It had been adjourned from December 30 was composed of members of the English Church Union, and of some others whom they had invited. Considerable difference had prevailed at the previous meeting as to the precise course of action to be adopted, and the subject was therefore adjourned, a committee being appointed (consisting of thirty mem- bers) to report upon it to the present meeting. The real question for the consideration of the committee was this Should the decision in the case of Martin v. Mackonochie be obeyed, or should it not ? L1 pon that point the opinion of the committee was expressed in the third resolution to be proposed, to the effect that this meeting does not recognise the existing Court of Final Appeal as competent to declare the law of the Church of England upon either doctrine or ceremonial (cheers). With respect to the particular judgment of that court in the case of Martin v. Mackonochie, the meeting finds, among other things, a disregard of the Church of England's fundamental principles of connection with the Church primitive and catholic; nevertheless it acknowledges the duty of submitting, under protest, to the law of the land. The following are the resolutions arrived at by the committee, and which they recommend to the adoption of the meeting :— "1. That the report now read, containing a memorial ad- dressed to'the archbishops and bishops of England and Wales, and, mutatis mutandis, to the two Houses of the Convoca- tions of Canterbury and York, containing also certain resolu- tions, be now taken into consideration. 2. That the memorial be adopted. "3. That this meeting does not recognisethe existing Court of Final Appeal as a court competent to declare the law of the Church of England upon either loctrine or ceremonial that with respect to this particular judgment of the said court in Martin v. Mackonochie, the meeting finds, among other things, that that judgment disregards the Church of England's fundamental principle of connection with and re- ference to the Church primitive and catholic nevertheless, it aeknowleges the duty of submitting, under protest, to the law of the land, upon that law being put in force, so far as such law is expressed in the decree of the said judgment, and until such law shall be further declared or amended. "4. That the clergy ana laitypresentat this meeting deeply lament the late decision of the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council, and see in it a call to use their respective positions in the Church and in the worid to spread in all possible ways the doctrine of the real presence. 5. That the meeting, having regard to the experience of the Church of England for the last 20 years, rejoices in the knowledge that all manner of denial or depreciation of the doctrine of the sacraments has issued only in the truer understanding and the wider and heartier acceptance of the doctrine itself. "6. That, having regard to the circumstances of the case, and to precedents of the court, the condemnation of Nlr. Mackonochie in all the costs, both of the original suit and of the appeal, appears to this meeting to be a course of unusual and exceptional severity; inasmuch as the defendant did not originate the litigation inasmuch as the defendant was only testing the legality of ceremenial which had previously never been condemned in one part of which—viz., the two lights, he was upheld by the opinions of many eminent counsel; and inasmmch as tke defendant had been sustained by the court below on the points now ruled against him, and had yielded immediate submission as to the points on which he had not been so sustained." The memorial referred to in the first resolution is a long document, going over the whole facts of the case. Mr. Turner moved that the memprial be taken into consideration. Lord Elliott seconded the resolution, which having been carried, The Rev. M. W. Mayow moved the adoption of the memorial, and the resolution was unanimously carried.

SHOCKING ATTEMPT AT SUICIDE BY A YOUNG LADY. On Monday afternoon a shocking and determined attempt to commit suicide was made at Ealing (near London) by a young lady named Lloyd, twenty-three years of age, by throwing herself from the parapet of a bridge in front of an express Great Western train. It appears that Miss Lloyd, who belongs to Devon- shire, has recently lost by death her father, who was a minister, and also her mother and these bereave- ments had preyed upon her mind to such an extent as to render it necessary she should have a con- stant attendant. A change of scene being advised, she went a few weeks ago to Ealing, and took apart- ments at Ivy Lodge, on the Uxbridge-road, which immediately faces the railway. On Monday afternoon she and one of her nurses were out for a walk on Ealing common, and they thence strolled as far as the Hanger- hill Bridge, which is over the railway. Just as the 12.25 p.m. express from Paddington was approaching, the unfortunate lady suddenly leaped upon the parapet of the bridge, and sprang off on the London side, falling a depth of thirty feet. The express dashed upon her, and, as she had fallen upon one of the rails, the train literally cut off both her feet above the ankle, and otherwise frightfully mutilated her, as it carried her forward several yards in the direction of Ealing Station. The nurse tried in vain to save the poor lady from leaping from the bridge, and seeing what had occurred, at once raised an alarm. Dr. George Cooper, one of the Middlesex magistrates, was driving past at the time, and at once rendered the necessary surgical aid, and had the sufferer removed to her lodgings. Mr. Goodchild and Mr. Summer. hayes, surgeons, were also in attendance, but after consultation, they expressed their opinion that she had received too severe a shock to her nervous system to admit of tne amputation of her fractured limbs, which was the only chance of saving her life. Later on Monday evening tjbe unfortunate lady was fast sinking, and it was feared that she could not many hours survive the effects of so terrible leap.

3pscclfan?8ns JMKgcntt, HOME, FOREIGN, AND COLONIAL. THE FRIGHTFUL HA[R !—A fact worthy of the serious consideration of ladies is reported from Havre. A vessel recently arrived in that port from Vera Cruz, with a large quantity of human hair, destined to be manufactured into chignons. This hair is stated to come from the heads of Indians. It is represented as indescribably filthy. There is even dit oi-b, reason to expect that it has been cut from the heads of dead people. If such rubbish goes to France, we may be sure that the like of it comes to England and other countries where the rage for chignons prevails. A FATED F AMILY.- On Monday a melancholy accident occurred at Adelaide Colliery, near Shildon, the property of Messrs. Pease and Partners, by which two young men, brothers, were killed. About ten o'clock one was preparing to leave work, and was putting on his clothes, whilst the other, standing by his side, was preparing for work, when a large stone, some tonsia weight, fell upon them, killing them both on the spot. The eldest brother, Thomas Pratt, aged about thirty, leaves a wife and three children the younger, George, had been recently married. The father of the deceased and a man named White were killed in a similar manner, at Eldon Colliery, twenty eight years ago. Another brother was killed at Inkerman, the whole of the family having thus met their deaths by accident. A WOMAN DRIVEN BY "POLICY" TO SUICIDE. .-A German woman, 45 years of age, named Mina Schmidt, who resided with her husband in New York was found hanging to a rafter of the outhouse of the premises. A search of the person being made, a note was discovered, in which the woman stated that she had lately lost considerable money playing "policy," and it was apparent that she had been driven to self- destruction by the fear of the anger of her husband should he make discovery of this fact. Policy is a species of gambling, depending for decision upon the numbers drawn in the Kentucky and other lotteries. A DOMESTIC TRAGEDY. A fearful tragedy has just taken place in the Rue d'Angouleme-du- l emple, Paris. A land measurer, named G- aged .30, residing m that street, appears to have lived on bad terms with his wife. More than once they had parted, she going to reside with her friends but less than a week back Mme. G- returned to her hus- band after a fresh separation. The peace was of short duration, as the night before last two pistol shots were heard in the apartment, and on an entry being forced by the neighbours the husband was found to have fired a bullet into his wife's head, and then blown out his own brains. The woman, being still alive, was re- moved to an hospital. FATAL ACCIDENT TO A SLEIGHING PARTY.—A distressing accident is reported to have occurred at Jackson, Pennsylvania, on Thursday the 24th of December, to a sleighing party while on tneir wav to Eho to attend a Christmas eve entertainment.. The report is to the effect that the party, some thirty in number, was riding in a large sleigh, and, in order to shorten, the distance, the driver was directed to go across a certain clearance. In doing so, in order to reach the road again, a pond had to be crossed. Un- fortunately, the original ice had been cut, the place being at the time closed by a thin sheet of ice. This was not observed, and the team on being driven upon j the ice immediately went through. It is said that thirty persons were drowned, none of the party but the driver escaping. THE CLERGY AND THlt GOVERNMENT OF AUSTRIA.—The conflict in Austria between the clergy and the government still continues, and the latter shows no disposition to yield any of the ground it has token up. Two new laws complete the recent liberal legislation with regard to civil marriage, and are re- garded as a step towards the complete separation of the Church from the State. The clergy meanwhile I keeps up its hostility, and the government replies hy repressive measures. An ultramontane paper, the Friend of the People, has been seized for publishing a letter from the Pope condemning the new institutions I. of the empire. This rigorous act has produced, it is said, a profound sensation, and is without precedent in Hapsburg annals since the reign of the Emperor Joseph II. Too BAD OF THE POLICE !—At Dieppe, in France, the following notice has been issued by the police :— The bathing police are requested, when a lady is in danger of drowning, to seize her by the dregs, and ] lot by the hair, which often remains in their grasp. A MKMORIAL OF PRESIDENT LINCOLN.—A car- penter in Washington prizes among his best treasures a scrap of paper on which is written :— If you have a piece of board to tpare, please let Tad have it.—A. LINCOLN." It was brought to him by the boy Tad, while he was at work at the White House. KILLING A BANDIT.—Andrew Juhasz, a notoii- [ ous Hungarian bandit, was captured 'recently by an innkeeper and three assistants. He demanded hospi- tality, and the innkeeper pointed out to him that he (the innkeeper) would suffer if it was found that he had given the bandit shelter, whereupon Andrew threatened violence. The landlord procured an axe, t' and took an opportunity to strike the bandit on the head with it, inflicting a frightful wound. They all then set upon him, after which they carried him into the yard and waited for the judge's arrival. Even then it was as much as six men could do to put irons on him, though he died, without having uttered a word from the moment of his being attacked, in the waggon which was taking him to the next village. The'four received the 3,000fl. promised by the Government as head-money. A BURMAN MARTYR.—A Rangoon journal re- ports the crucifixion at Mandalay, the capital of Burmah, of a learned man for his religious tenets. The following may be relied upon as a true statement of the case :— A Burman of grea.t respectability, and in his own way a highly educated man, began to denounce the worship of the Poongees as being not only wrong in itself, but contrary to the true spirit of true Bhuddism. He at the same time ex- posed the gross abuse of power which is so common amongst the men of the yellow robes, aud the iniquities in which too many of them indulge. He in fact preached a leformed Bhuddism, and did his utmost to rid that religion of its worst features. A few followers, to the number of about 40, adopted the reformed religion, and all went about endeavour- ing to aid in the good cause. For this heinous crime the leader of this little b ind was cruelly crucified, some of his disciples thrown into prison and all more or less persecuted. TAKING IT C >OLLY,—A curious accident oc- curred in New York on the night of December 26, at the Olympic Theatre. The main gas pipe laid under Broadway burst in front of the building, and the gas found its way into the theatre vaults under the side walk. A man with a lighted torch was sent into the vault to see what was the matter, and, the gas igniting, exploded, slightly injuring him, while jets of it con- tinued to burn at crevices in the walls of the vault where the gas found its way through from the broken main. Streams of fire also issued in a similar manner from the walls of an adjoining vault. Over 30 different flames, some of them of large size. were counted in the two vaults, and the heat they produced was very great. In the theatre everything went on as usual. A dense audience, unaware of the proximity of danger, filled every part of the house, while two or three firemen watched the flames to prevent their spreading. Late at night the gas was turned off, the street torn up, and the leak stopped. The audience knew nothing of the danger they had been in until they left the theatre. MR. GLADSTONE AND AMERICA.—A correspond- ence has just been published between the Premier and Mr. Edwards Lester, of New York. Mr. Lester forwarded to the Premier a book entitled, The Glory and Shame of England." It seems to be pretty free in its criticisms of this country but the Premier frankly admits that" arrogance and self-confidence are amongst our national faults," and that a little taking down occasionally will do us good. With respect to his cele- brated expression during the American war, the Premier "confesses" t^at he was wrong, that he took too tnuch" upon himself in expressing such an opinion, but he asserts that his motives were not bad. His sympathies then, as now, were with the whole American people," and he cordially expresses a hope that the United States, "already so great, may grow, prosper, and flourish more and more, for their own benefit and the benefit of the world." ACCIDENTS IN THE HUNTING FIELD.—The Due de Guise, only son of the Due d'Aumale, was thrown from his horse a few days ago while hunting and broke his leg. The Duke is progressing favourably.— Lord Algernon Lennox, the second son of the Duke of Richmond, was also thrown from his horse the other day while jumping a stile, and broke one of his ribs and a third accident in the hunting field is reported as having occurred to Mr. G. A. Muntz, son of the mem- ber for Birmingham. Mr. Muntz was out with the Holderness foxhounds, when the horse he was .riding took fright, and jumped out of the enclosed lands on to the high road, where its head came in contact with the shoulder of a mare belonging to Mr. Fewson, and ridden by that gentleman's groom. The consequence was that the horse on which Mr. Muntz was riding fractured its skull and died instantaneously, and the shoulder of Mr. Fewson's mare was broken by the violence of the concussion. Mr. Muntz esc aped with a slight bruise on his leg, but the groom was much hurt. WINNING HIS WAGER !—A bet made by a wag of Berlin on New Year's Day attracted crowds to one of the principal streets of the capital. In this street there is a hairdresser's shop, and the author of the bet had undertaken to sit for four hours, without moving, in the place of the wax figure in the window. At three in the afternoon he appeared at his post, dressed in a white sheet and with a huge wig on his head surmounted by a fez cap. Every effort was made by the bystanders to make him show some signs of life. Street-boys were tempted by the promise of large rewards to make their most ridiculous grimaces, and address him in all sorts of funny speeches but all in vain. He remained immovable until the clock struck seven, when he rose; bowed gravely to the assembled crowd, and retired into the shop. A YANKEE STORY.—A Massachusetts paper states that some time ago a person took a passage in a ship from Boston. While sitting waiting for the boat to come to carry him on board he was taken with a sudden blindness, accompanied with an extreme nervous prostration, and it seemed at times that he had lost all animation. He made known his position as best he could to some one on the wharf. A doctor was immediately summoned, who informed the captain that the man was in such a condition he cou-d not possibly allow him to go on board. He was taken to his board- ing-house and the vessel sailed without him. Another physician was called, and both, after thoroughly ex- amining the case, stated that they never, in their experience, saw a similar one. He continued sick all night, the next day was as w^-ll as ever, and keenly felt the disappointment of losing the voyage and the pleasure he anticipated in visiting the Holy Land. The strange part of the story is that the vessel was never heard of after she left Boston. Not a word of tidings was ever received of her fate or of her crew, and it is supposed that she foundered with all on board. THE RAGE FOR VELOCIPEDES.—The Prince Imperial of France is learning to ride upon a velocipede, and may sometimes be seen practising at an early hour in the reserved garden of the Tuileries, while his father looks on. This machine for solitary locomotion, now the rage in Paris, is only an Improvement of the velocifere, which was in vogue in France and England vears ago. The resuscitation of this toy after a sus- pension of its usage during half a century is a curious fact. The opinion certainly was that to ride ten miles on a velocipede was far more fatiguing than to walk the distance. Whether improved mechanism has reversed that verdict is more than we can say. It is, however, clear that an expert velocipedist can do ten miles on tolerably good roads much quicker than he could walk them, and therefore we do not see why velocipedes, which cost less than a very bad horse and eat nothing, should not be useful. There are plenty of professors in Paris who teach the art of riding on them —not we should presume to imagine, very difficult— for two francs a lesson. MR. PEABODY'S CHARITABLE GIFTS.—The bene- factions of Mr. G. Peabody are far larger than gene- rally supposed. A few day's a-o, when h;s latest gift of 500,000 dols. to the London "poor ,was announced, we spoke of his donations as amounting to an aggre- gate of over 4,000,000 dols. But we (New York Times) have been furnished with an authentic list of Mr. Peabody's gifts, and we find that they amount to over double this sum in fact, they amount in all to over 10,000,000 dols. in our currency. The following list (gold values) will display the remarkable facts, and this list does not include the large sums he gave to further American interests in the great Exhibition of 1851, nor other large sums he has given for interna- tional banquets and such purposes To the poor of London, 1,750,000 dols. Baltimore Institute, 1,000,000 dols. for education in the South to blacks and whites, 2,000,000 dols. for a museum to preserve American relics, Yale College, 150,000 dols. f°r a similar museum in Harvard College, 150,000 dols.; for insti- tute and education at Danvers, 250,000 dols. for a free museum at Salem, 50,000 dols. • to the State of Mary- land, 250,000 dols. Bishop M'llvain, for Kenyon College, 25,000 dols. Kane's Arctic Expedition, 10.000 dols. for "memorial church" to his mother, 100,000 dols. to members of his family, 2,000,000 dols. —total, 7,735,000 dols. A HARD CASE.—In London, a few days ago, two men of respectable appearance were given into custody for having knowingly uttered a counterfeit half-crown over a public-house bar in Westminster. The coin was sent to the Mint to be tested, and found to be genuine. The men, after having spent two days in the House of Detention, were liberated on Satur- day, and on applying to a magistrate for compensation, were told that he had no power to grant it. Bnusn IN HIS WEDDI-<?-SOIT.—At Bowling- J green, Kentucky, a short time ago, a young man named Smith, of the firm of Smith and Thomas, had a personal collision with one of the clerks named Remus. and a short time afterwards Bemus approached Smith and his partner to give up the key of his store. When within a few steps of them he put his hand in his coat pocket for the key. Smith, of course, thought that this was to draw a pistol, and immedi- ately drew his and commenced firing. He shot twice —the two first shots—when Bemus drew his pistol. Nine shots passed between the two, when it was dis- covered that BemBi was shot in the elbow, and Smith turned pale and staggered with the terrible shock of his death wound, The ball entered just below hit ribs and passed into his bowele. Of this wound he died. He was to have been married the following day, and was buried in his wedding-suit. ALL IS NOT GOLD THAT GLITTERS !—A splendid bracelet was found recently in the Ladies' Gallery of the House of Lords by one of the attendants, and every exertion was made, but in vain, to find the owner. An advertisement was inserted in the papers, with no effect. The anxiety became so devouring that the mystery of mysteries was taken to a great jeweller's to See ifhe could throw light on it. He did so.. The bracelet was "sham "from beginning to end. False stones had been let into false gold, and the whole structure of deceit was not worth 30s. The lady who had worn it was too proud to reclaim the pinchbeck treasure. A GIANT'S SKELETON.—A Michigan paper re- ports the discovery of a gigantic human skeleton in a rock near the Sank Rapids. It says :— The head is massive, measures Sl £ inches in circumference, low in the osfrontw and very nat on top. The femur mea- sures 26J inches, and the fibula 25; while the body is equally long in proportion. From the crown of the head to the sole of the foot the length is 10 feet 9^ inches. The measure round the chest is 59! inches. This jdantmust have weighed at least 900 pounds when covered with a reasonable ambunt of flesh. The petrified remains, and there is nothincr left but the naked bones, now weigh 30,11 pounds. The thumb and 11n;¡ers of the left hand and the left foot from the ankle to the toes are gone, but all the other parts are perfect. ELECTION EXPENSES.—Abstracts of the detailed statements of election expenses incurred on behalf of Sir Michael Hicks Beach and Mr. R. S. Holford, the membeis for East Glocestershire, at their recent re-election have just been issued. For Sir Michael Beach the statement is—paid agents and expenses jEll 2s. 6d. printing &c., i;57 9d. bell-ringing, JB3 3s. under-sheriff's expenses, £23 2s. 8d.—total, £94 17s. 2d. For Mr. Holford the statement—Under- sheriff's expenses, £23 2s. 8d. paid agents and then- expenses, £2G 5s. printing, advertising, &c., £472s. 6d. bell-ringing, £3 3s.-total, £99 13s. 2d. The unopposed return of Mr. C. Seely, M. P. for Lincoln, cost that honourable gentleman £207. Of this sum £105 was paid to Mr. J. T. Tweed, as agent. The official expenses of the election also amounted to £:"5. The unopposed return of Mr. G. H. Finch for Rutlandshire cost that gentleman B44 the Hon. < J. J. Noel, hit colleague, disbursed rather more-£45. A GOOD SWIMMER.— Sir P. Francis has brought under the notice of the Foreign-office the gallant con- duct of Alexander M'Nair, a seaman, who distin- guished himself at the wreck of the bark Tyne last week. The Tyne was wrecked about half a mile from the shore of the island of Marmora, and the crew would probably have perished with the ship had not M'Nair jumped into the sea, and with a line fastened to his body swum ashore. To the line was attached a cabb- which on being fastened to the shore by M'Nair formed the means of escape for the captain and crew. M Nair belongs to Dundee, and though he has been only eigh" years a sailor has suffered shipwreck five times, on one occasion having to swim three miles for his life. WHAT WILL BE !—A clergyman, whose name is stated to be Mr. Wild, has been lecturing in Canada, taking for his subject "What the world is coming to." He announces these among other things looming in the distance: Coral injects will fill up the Pacific with solid habitable land; eventually the globe will be all land, or at least there will be no more sea; there is also to be perpetually equal day and night of 12 hours each all over the globe there is to be only one language spoken throughout the world, and that,. of course, will ,be English. THE QUESTION OF CHURCH RATES.—Difficulties are beginning to arise through the working of the new Church Rates Act. An important document has been published by the archdeacons, which will of course receive the attention it deserves. They recommend voluntary assessment where a rate cannot be levied. The Bishop of Rochester, too, has written a letter to the Ven. Archdeacon Mildmay, in which his lordship expresses his rrgret. at the rejection of a voluntary church-rate by the inhabitants of Chelmsford, and in which he expresses his preference of the weekly offertory to pew-rents. HUSBAND ASH WIFE,—At the Worship-street Police-court, London, the other day, Rebecca Riley, aged forty, was charged by her husband with having bitten him. A s he was stating the case the wife iiir terrupted, and begged her dear Ted to forgive her." Ted replied My dear, I don't want to hurt you. The Wife You know, darling, I have always been a good mother to our children. Witness I know you have, dear but you hurt me last night. The Wife Well, do forgive me this time, and we'll go home together, and make it up. The Magistrate It is for me to say whether you will go home together. The Husband: Oh, do let her go, sir. She is a very good wife to me when she is not drunk. The Magistrate Do you wish to withdraw the charge then? The Husband: Yes, please, sir. The magistrate then lectured the prisoner on her brutal behaviour, advised her to keep her promise, and ordered her to enter into recognizances to keep the peace. His WISH NOT FULFILLED I—The will of the Right Hon. Henry Maxwell, Baron Farnham, late of Farnham, in the county of Cavan, who, with his wife, the Baroness Farnham, it will be remembered, perished along with many others, in the lamentable accident to the down Irish mail train on the 20th of August last, has been proved at the principal registry of the Cuirt of Probate in Ireland, and also at the principal registry of the Court of Probate in England, by the Hon. Richard Thomas Maxwell one of his brothers. The personal estate is sworn under £60,000. The whole of his property real and personal, is bequeathed to his wife, and the will contains the following direc- tions as to his funeral :— I direct that my funeral shall be strictly private, and that it shall be attended with as little expense as a due regard to decency may warrant, and in the event of my deith taking place in Ireland it is my wish that my remains should be e'eposited in my family vault in the church of Cavan; hut should my death take place out of Ireland, then my wish is that I may be buried in consecrated ground nearest to the place where my death shall occur. FRENCH COINAGE.—When any French coin is closely examined there may be perceived certain parti- cular higns which appear to be arbitrary and without special meaning, in addition to the effigy, the name of tbe Sovereign, the figure on the reverse, the date, the legend and the edging. These marks which are invariably three, are intended as signatures. Every mint has a letter intended to indicate the place where the piece of money was struck. Paris has always used the A, and a proverb still existing amongst the inhabitants of the capital says of a good thing It is stamped with an A." The director of the manufac- ture also places his emblem, called la marque; that of the present functionary is a bee. Finally, the third belongs to the engraver general, and is termed It differ- ent. M. Albert Barre's is an anchor. The position these signatures occupy on the coin is fixed by decisions of the Mint Commission, dated the 2--rd April and the 15th May, 1865, and this place varies according to the metal and the value of the specie. This is an ad- ditional precaution aeainst coiners, and a proof of the responsibility accepted by the parties engaged in the pioduction. KING THEODORE'S COFFEE-TRAY.—Great in terest has been excited by the exhibition in the window of Messrs. Elkington, and Co., of Liverpool, the well- known silversmiths, of an unique specimen of art manufacture, in the shape of a coffee-tray, which was "looted" at Magdala, and is believed to have belonged to the late King Theodore. It was brought to Liver- pool by an officer of the Transport Corps, by whom it was presented to Mr. Eberle, of the Alexandra Hotel. The tray is a very fine specimen of workmanship, and is 25 inches in diameter. The design is very rich in conception, and faultless in execution. The centre ornamentation is composed somewhat in the Byzantine style of art, a combination of natural fol age and scroll work, forming a device most pleading to the eye. The centre panel is framed by concentric circles, each one being varied in design, showing gre..t taste in tbe regular arrangement of ornamental scrolls en suite with the centre panel. The outer border is raised aud very simply fluted. It IS ddficult to assign an epoch or a country to this rare work of art, but with other specimens of the goldsmith's art from Abyssinia to guide us, we may—with some degree of plausibility— attribute its production to native talent. However, judging from the method of its production, which is technically styled flat chasing—a favourite manner of working with the Arabs—it may, with equal safety, be attributed to the latter. The metal of which this "Theodore tray" is composed is copper, most skillfully and effectively overlaid with gold. AN AMERICAN BANQUET.—A grand military banquet was held recently at Chicago. On the large platfoim sat Sherman, with Grant, Schofield, Logan, Pope, and Terry on his right, and Thomas, Slocum, M'Dowell, Stoneman, and Wilson, on his left. Ac- cording to the New York World, by the time the speaking should have commenced the bulk of the guests were so drunk and so noisy that it was impossible to proceed. Every effort to restore order was in vain and at nine o'clock General Grant retired in disgust. General Logan at last succeeded in getting a hearing itr some minutes, but the riot again prevailed, and, in despair, General Sherman left the chair. GAMING AT SPA.—A Bill is now before the Belgian Chamber of Representatives to abolish gaming at Spa from the ytar 1870. An account of the receipts and expenditure for the past season, as verified by the Court of Accounts, shows what im- mense chances are against the players. The lmses at the roulette table amounted to ;)7,K;)Hr., and t.he gains to 939,()41fr., or a balance of profit of 902,810fr. for the trentc-et-un the figures are 3S0,S69fr., and 1,233 8G4fr. or a net produce of 852,995tr. in a period of three months only. The share of the Treasury in the profits was 848,560fr., or 155,108fr. more than in the IJrèvious year. A PUZZLED WELSH JURY.—At the Montgo- meryshire quarter session at Welshpool, the other day, before the Earl of Powis and Mr. C. Wynn, M.P., a tramp was indicted for stealing a jacket. The prisoner was proved to have sold the stolen clothes. After a lengthy consultation the jury returned a verdict of guilty against the prisoner, and, to the surprise of everyone in court, accompanied the verdict with a re- commendation to mercy. The Chairman On what ground may 1 ask? The Foreman (evidently puzzled); I do not know (laughter). The Chairman We are generally glad to take cognisance of such recommenda- tions from juries, but we like to know upon what ground the recommendations are made. The foreman then turned round to his colleagues in the box, and another lengthy consultation ensued, and after the lapse of a few minutes the foreman suddenly started up, and explained the recommendation by saying— We recommend him to mercy because no one see'd him commit the crime "—an explanation which elicittd a loud burst of laughter from a crowded court. NOMINATIONS AT ELECTIONS. — The Daily' News says that the Manchester Town Council, in resolving to petition for the abolition of the antiquated system by which candidates at elections are nominated, I are only petitioning that a most unnecessary strain may nut be put upon their powers of keeping order during a time of political excitement. They make the obvious suggestion that nominations should be hence- forth made in writing, as nominations for town councils are. Our whole system of Election is breaking down under the pressure of the new voters. One°of the fiist duties of the new Parliament will be to remodel it, and the first step in its reform must necessarily be I that for which the Manchester Town Council have so wisely resolved to petition Parliament. SUITABLE ATTIRE.In the Sheriff's Court, Glasgow, Malcolm Broadfoot, a master chimney-sweep, of Govan, brought an action for damages against Messrs. Hinshelwood and Abercombie, omnibus pro- prietors, for having refused to carry him,, although there was sufficient accommodation and he was ready to pay his fare. The defence was an admission of the refusal, and a justification on the ground of the sooty clothes of the prisoner, his dress not being consistent with a due regard to the other passengers, the cleanli- I, ness of the 'bus, and the interests of thetlefeudants as common carriers. The sheriff eventually decided in favour of the defendants, and indicated that the same rule might be applied to bakers in their working clothes. "No SONG, NO SUPPER."—The Vienna journals give a curious will left by a rich eccentric octogenarian nanyid Stanislas Poltzmary, who lately died on his property near Pesth. After bequeathing pensions to all his old servants, and alms to the poor, he sets down an extraordinary clause instituting as his universal legatee M. Francois Lotz, Hungarian by origin, and a notary by occupatlOn III a little town near Vienna. But the testator annexes the following condition :— My property will belong to 31. Lotz when he shall have sung either at La Scala in Milan or the San Carlo in Naples, the parts of Otello, in the Opera of that name, and that of Elvino in the Sonnambula. I do not dispose of my wealth in this manner for the sake of being thoUlrht an original, but having been present four years ago at all evening party in Vienna, I heard this gentleman sing a cavatma from each of those operas, with a beautiful tenor voice. Therefore, I believe him likely to become an excellent artist. Tn any case, if the public hisses him, h,¡ can console himself easily with three millions of florins ( £ 300,000), which I leave liim. M. Lotz is at Naples for the last month, preparing to carry out the wishes of the deceased. The notary is not forty, has a well-turned voice, and works ni¡.:ht and day to learn as quickly as possible the two part- with their pronunciation and singing. He will pro- bably make a fiasco, but the property is well worth the hazard. REFUSING to BE CURED.—The Academy ot Medicine has just received from the Prefect of Haub- bavoie some details of the goitre -in that country, and the means taken to remedy it. Of the 310 communes into which the department is subdivided, there are scarcely ten in which the disease does not prevail. Of 5,000 children subjected to the treatment of iodurated pastilles and a decoction of walnut leaves, 2,000 were completely cured 2,000 underwent a great improve- ment, and with 1,000 only no appreciable benefit was obtained. Notwithstanding these remarkable results the cure has had to be abandoned, in consequence of the parents refusing to allow their children to undergo it; the fact of goitre being a cause of exoneration from military service is considered one of the chief reasons for that resistance, and'm consequence the prefect pro- poses that for the future the conscripts afflicted with the malady should be incorporated in the army with the others.

EPITOME OF NEWS, BRITISH AND FOREIGN. Captain Semmes book on the Alabama is just out. The following eldest sons of Peers attain their majority during the present yearViscount Coke, son of the garl of Leicester Lord .WodehouRe, son of Earl Kimber- ley, the Hon. R. E. S. Plunkett, son of Lord Dunsany. Chess literature now includes one quarterly and two 'monthlies, four weekly and one bi-weekly polumn in London newspapers, and others in the provinces. In September next a great international exhibition of horticulture will take place at Hamburg. A committee has been already formed. The Great Eastern Railway Comoany will cea.se on and from February 1 to carry mineral oils, such as petro- leum. The carriage of these dangerous oils will be abso- lutely refused. The Times "is not without hope that this time the Greeks have become convinced that their recent policy has :10 chance of In Ohio, a citizen, who pretended to make astonish- ing cures by animal magnetism," has been arrested, and six electric batteries foiuid on his person, with which he kept up the necessary supply, Lace' cotton is a new variety of the Southern ex- Kin". It is being raised in Texas, and is receiving marked agricultural attention in all parts of the South. It is said to be superior- to any other I< ilIdof cotton which can be raised on poor soil and "uplands." Its strengih compares with the best American staple at 7$to 5. It closely resembles the Egyptian cotton, which is worth one-fourth more than our own in England."— United States Eco.nom.Ut. The residence of Mr. Cooper, ironmonger, in Shaw- ttrett. Liverpool, was enttred on Sunday night by burglars, who got clear off with property, cliieily jewellery, of the value of about £2ÙO. Another fatal gun accident is reportcl. At Roborough, Devon, three men were returning from a d*y'» Ihooting, when one of them named Lethhridge asked a labourer to throw up a. stone for him to have a shot at The request was complied with, but when Lethhridj;e fired the gun burst and a portion of the barrel struck a boy named Turnsr, S "VOlt years of age, ami killed him The income of the Dulwich picture gallery for nine years had been £ 5,189. The expenses to procure that sum had been £5,1I>1,.¡w tbat there was a net income in the niue years of £38 t A letter from the naval commander-in-chief on the China station has been received at the Admiralty, from which it appears that the rep uted loss of her Majesty's gunboat Gnat cannot be true. The letter is dated Penang,-Dee.-S, and states that the (xtw.t, having visited Labium to complete her coaling, proceeded to Hong Kong on the yth November. The official report of the French Minister of Finance, which was published on Monday, states that the floating debt has been reduced from 902 millions to 727 millions of francs and that the supplementary credits required for 18t;9 will,be met by the increased receipts from taxation. Eor 1870 the revenue is estimated at 1,736 millions of francs, and the expenditure at l,G50 millions. The surplus is to be devoted to the sinking fund. A large fire occurred in the shoe manufacturing town of Lynn,"Massachusetts, on December 26th, destroying many of the principal buildings, and causing a loss variously esti- mated from 300,000 dols. to 500,000 dols. Lynching is apparently becoming epidemic in the south-west of America.. Two pickpockets entered a train on the Memphis and Ohio Railway, a few days since, and suc- ceeded in robbing nearly all the passengers in ope car. Among their victims was an aged German, from whom they took 600 dols. all his fortune. They were at last detected t,y the pas-enger^, who, as soon as the train stop. ed at an obscure station, seized them and hanged them to a convenient tree. A married woman named Ann Waddington of Barnsley, was very seriously injured hy benzoline oil,' the other night. It appeared that she was trimming a lamp, when some of the oil fell on her dres-, ignited, and set fire to her clothes, before the flames were extinguished, she was much burnt on the lower part of the body. It is said that a new action is to be forthwith com- menced to try the legality of the vestments introduced by the Ritualists in the administration of the Holy Communion. The qnestion was not in any way raised in the receut case of "Martin v. Mackonochie." • The working men of Liverpool have subscribed be. tween £500 and £ H00 towards the proposed Gladstone testi- monial. To their great satisfaction Mr. Gladstone has, in reply to a communication forwarded to him stated that it will afford him great pleasure to accept an expression of the confidence and esteem of the working men of South Lanea- shire. An American letter says that the roughs of St. Louis amused themselves on Christmas-day by miscellaneous battles in the streets and public bar-rooms. Twelve of the combatants received, in nearly as many fights, severe gunshot or knife wounds. A fatal accident happened in Wales the other day at Argoed farm, to a oung man, 16 years of age, who had for the last three years been at Ystrmirig Grammar School, preparatory to entering college. It appears that the young gentleman had gone out, accompanied by his father's ser- vant, in search of wild ducks, and on crossing a hedge, the servant's gun went off, lodging the contents in the temples of the young man, who instantly fell. A verdict of Acci- dental Death was returned. Fifty-eight babies have been entered for a baby-show in Kentucky. The Queen attended divine service at Whippingham Churi h last Sunday morning. The Rev. George Prothero officiated. Prince Napoleon has been seriously ill, and once so stout is now quite thin. His health is now said to be mending. The Memorial de ia Loire tells a story of a dog with a wooden leg. A short time ago a shepherd's dog was assailed by a large wolf, and be ore he could be rescued by his master sustained such injuries that amputation was found necessary. Of course it was deemed impossible that the animal could recover, buth s master so valued his eajine friend that the experiment of a wooden leg—which is not altogether new—was tried, and the dog is still alive and active. A Russian officer has invented a new arm which will fire 200 times a minute, and will easily cover with a shower of balls a space of thirty yards square. All friends of peace must hope that this statement is correct! Texas has a circuit judge who rides his circuit under guard of a company ot cavalry.. 1 A correspondent suggests that if the Irish landlords made, and allowed it to be publicly known that they had made, it a special condition of their wills, that if they became the victims of agrarian outrage, every tenant on their estates should be evicted, would not this hare an immense effect in stopping these deplorable crimes The birthday of Prince Albert Victor of Wales, born at Frogmore house, Windsor, the 8th .January, 1864, was eele' rated in the Royal borough of Windsor with the cu tomary honours, by the ringing of bells of the parish church of St. John and the firing of a Royal salute in the Long Walk, at Virginia Water, and Fort Belvedere in the Great Park. The iron works at Cruesot, in France, are constantly presenting some new feature of interest The other day a new theatre was opened there, capable of containing from 700 to 8u0 persons, with pit, two galleries, and orchestra sta!ls, painted in white pickedoutwith gold, and illuminated by means of a transparent ceiling. The girl Elizabeth Scales, who was recently com- mitted tor trial on a charge of having mixed some poisonous u./rse medicine with sugar, with the object of doing harm to the boys of the family in which she was emplojed, was indicted for the offence at the North PJiliiu? sessions. The juiy took the merciful view of the case that she had no felonious intention, but simply intended to annoy the boys, and found her guilty of misdemeanour only. Shewasseu- tenced to one day's imprisonment, and, M this dated from the commencement of the sessions, she was at oi.ce liberated. The Weekly lUqi.^ter professes to give pretty nearly the exact number of persons who during last year lett the church of England for the Church of Rome. lney number, we are told, between 2,100 and 2,200 ;^and the converts, it is added, include two peers, nineteen English clergymen, and seven or eight University graduates. The happiest postmaster in the world is said to be at Petropaulovsk, in Kamschatcka. But one mail arrive* there a year, he gets 300 dollars in gold salary, and there is no rotation in oflice. The vicious taste for indecent costume on the stage which at present exists in London Is no less apparent i!< Paris. With regard to certain London theatres the uauV irs remarks vriy truly, Xlie power of a j<jHnag0r T ,iVl crowded houses is hi exact proportion to the number of parts he allots to females, the period of the jiiece being usually so selected that as much aa possible of their forms may De pre- sented in bold relief to the gaze of the spectators. Aumission to the show, half-a-crown." The blame does not, in our opinion, lie with these unfortunate YOUIlg girls \Says the Pall Mall Gazette). The men and women, who pay their money to see these exhibitions are the most degraded aud. unworthy of the two < "a.- It is stated that the Bishop of Kielce, in Poland, ha escaped into Austria, in disguise. He was in fear of transpor- tation to Siberia. 0 "Amelia, Countess of Derwentwater," has ad- dressed a letter to the Northern Daily Express, emphati- ually contradicting the statement that she had given permis- sion for the publication of her biography and of letters addressed to her by continental statesmen. During the past week 78 wrecks have been reported, making for the present year 88. Sir Samuel Baker left London last Friday for Alexandria, to meet the Prince of Wales, whom he is to attend during his Royal Highness's African tour. It is stated that the Irish Methodists are giving much attention to the question of the disposal of the surplus Irish Church property, with a view to the protection of their educational interests. The Methodist Recfiirder favours its appropriation to national education. A nephew of Sir Walter Scott—William Scott, son of Sir Walter's brother Danirl—is an innnte of the charitable Home" of the St. Andrew's Society of Montreal. He went to Canada in 1828, wasiLjured by an accident someyearsago, and is in feeble health. On week days, this nephew of the author of Waverley saws and splits firewood for the Home. He is sn,:ty-four years of age. Wolf scalps, at 10 dols. each, cost the state of Min- nesota last) ear 11,300 dols. An instructive beer-house case was before the Liver- pool magistrates the other day. The defendant it was stated, had been fined no fewer than ten times—on several occasions to—and yet found the profl's of an illicit trade suttidently great to run the risk of another conviction. Another penalty of £5 was inflicted Mr. Cox in his interesting Recollections of Oxford mentions a tradition that the portrait of Dervorgilla, the co- founder of Balliol College, which hangs in the Jtiodleian Gallery, is a portrait not of that lady, but of an Oxford tradesman s wife, who sat for it in the last century. The inhabitants of Bordeaux, have signed a petition praying for the expulsion of the Jesuits from France. Advertisements for curates are now furnishing ample food for those who scan the newspapers with an eye to the curious. In a recent issue of a contemporary, for instance, a liberal rector asks for a fellow labourer who among other qualifications must be "an extreme Rockite or a "DisraelitishRecordite." Efforts are being made by the corporation of Oxford to get the Royal Agricultural Society of England to hold their annual gathering there in 1S70. The society held its nrst meeting at Oxford in 183U when a grand banquet took place in the Quadrangle of Queen's College, which is still available for the same purpose. The London correspondent of the Aberdeen Free Press says thut on the occasion of Mr. Bright's recent Yiaitto Osborne, the Queen presented him with her Life in the Highlands," inscribed with her own hand, and that Mr. Bright, at the Queen's express desire, presented her Majesty with the recently-published volume of his speeches. It is said that the relatives of the deceased director of the Royal Bank of Liverpool have paid off his indebtedness to that unlucky institut on. Brigham Young fixes tbe proper length of ladies' dresses to be to the top of their shoes. Mr Brigham Young has, it is said, grown highly proper in all his notions and has forbidden ladiei wearing low dresses as wen as carrying dresses to any length. Amongst some coinage statistics, just published by Professor Jevons, of Manchester, we find that the proportion of light gold is nearlj 50 per cent. A company is being formed at Paris to prove by large models the feasibility of the scheme for cons ructine a bridge from Calais to Dover. Half the capital of the pre- limmary eompa-y has been subscribed in France, and the other is left for England. A Brazilian paper states that Miguel Correa. Torres born at Mage, in Rio de Janeiro, a lunatic for four or five years, killed himself on the 24th of November hy cutting his throat. A few minutes later his brother Leofridio, in mount- ing his horse in haste to ride for a doctor, started an irre. ducible hernia, having been ruptured for many years and died tW8 days afterwards. On the 26th Juiz de F6ra a third brother, was murdered at Uage. In 1868 the import of sherry from Spain was 67 810 butts, against 63,397butts in 18^7. O<,OIA> A person named Crabtree, who it is said has been making a practice of duping and robbing girls' under the promise that he intends to marry them, has been committed for trial by the Blrkenhead magi-trates. A Clse in which he had thus deceived a young girl from Scotland and robbed her of £10, and some other property was brought forward and it was also proved that though he has a wife and family at Birkenhead, he induced a young woman residing in Southport to marry him in November last, and that after living with her a few weeks he deserted her. An inquest was held at the Suffolk General Hos- pital on the body of Henry Fakes. On Thursday, 31st Dec deceased was found lying in the road at Barowell. He said' I am shot in the thigh. The gun felt out of my pocket with the cap on, on to the road." The stock of the gun was lyiriir close to the deceased in the road, and the barrel of the gun about two yards from him. Verdict, accidental death. The Rev. C. H. Spurgeon has received an intima- tion from a person who desires to remain incognito, that he is anxious to build a chapel, some schools, and a number ef almshouses in connection with the Metropolitan Tabernacle —South London Press. As an evidence of the mildness of the season it is recordel that a thrush's nest with two eggs had been taken at Fordham, near Cowbridge. General Grant's father, Mr. Jesse Root Grant was brought up by the mother of the late Governor TOd: She wanted the two boys both to learn trades Grant com- pJiedwith her wishes, and learned the trade of a tanner. She desired her son to become a blacksmith This fact was playfully alluded to by him in a speech a short time before his death; but, he added. he was too lazy to acquire the trade."—New York paper. The Alaska girls of the period are said to begin din- ner with a bottle of whisky, and close the repast with n copious draught of whale-oil. The Lancet, and other metropolitan papers, have commenced a crusade against hair-dyes, which are it is men- tioned, exceedingly injurious to health. On a New York railway, recently, abinatic jumped on to a locomotive, and turning on the steam, it ran off wLh him. The engine ran over two persons, and smashed a wag- gnn, before a well-aimed billet of wood knocked the lunatic away from the steam-valve. According to a. cable telegram from New York there -was a shock of earthquake in Mexico on the 20th December by which several persons were killed and many buildings either destroyed or damaged. There have been serious riots in the island of Reunion, and eighty persons are reported to have been killed and wouaded by the French troops bafore order was restored From many parts of the country there are continued accounts of the damage resulting from the heavy floods. The English Government has acquired propertv in a tract of 1,652 acres which the late King of the Belgians added to the domain of Claremont, of which he enjoyed the life interest. His Majesty's heirs allowed the civil list to become the purchaser for £91,887, although a proprietor of the neighbourhood offered them a much more considerable sum. According to a Parliamentary return just issued it appears that the number of iron-plated ships afloat is 34 there are also 10 building. Of four floating batteries two are not yet competed for sea Of the number of armour-clad ships afloat, 14 have iron hulls. From Switzerland we have news of great landslips atEagatz. in the cal,ton of St. Gall, blocking up the valley, and stopping the outflow of the Tamina, thus causing a large lake to be formed. The weekly charge for the maintenance, lodging clothing, and other expenses connected with the lunatics confined at the County Lunat'c Asylum at Colney Hatch has been reduced from 10s. 2d. to 9s. lid. per head, and for the patients at the Hanwell County Lunatic Asylum from 108- 9 £ iL to lO-i. 2^1. per head for lunatics chargeable to any parish ill the county but for others the charge remallll1 at 14s. per head per week. The Pope has thanked a French lady, Mdlle. de Gentelles, for her book censuring the extravagance of women in dress. 1 he personalty of the late Lord Ashburton has been sworn under £250,000. The Czar's most lovely young daughter, it appears ha^ not "nly to graduate in theology before she can ascend the Bavarian throne, hn Rhe has likewise to go through a severe course of musical instruction ere she can secure the affection of her Royal jianci, who broke otfhis marriage with the present Duchess of AlençJn because she w01Ùd not admire the" Tannhauser." Chicago reporters now call a dentist a "tusk hoistcr," and a blacksmith a "v1Ùcanist," The Florence correspondent of the Déblds says that although Garibaldi has consented to become a member of the I alian parliament "gain he will keep away from the sittings exactly as before. He thoroug ly understands," adds the writer, that the Chamber is not his place. More- over, his health is really very bad, and would condemn him to repose even if present circumstances did not compel it." to repose even if present circumstances did not compel it." According to the Printer's Register, there are now published in Great Britain and Ireland, 89 daily newspapers, distributed as followsLondon, 22; provinces, 41; Wales, 1 Scotland, 11; Ireland, H; Channel Islands, 1— total 89. A second case of death i u a railway-carriage occurred a few days back on the Lyons line The deceased proved to be the Viscount de Va dalson a young man aged tweiity- four, and suffering from chest disease, for which he had been staying at the Pyrenees. He was of an unusual stature, measuring 6 feet 9 inches. A rare Hebrew Bible, of the Naples edition of 1491 or 1492, printed upon ve.luRi, was sold at PI.ttIck. and Simpson's, in London, last week, after a smart competition, for £160. The following is from the Indian Daily News: "A serious suspicion has arisen in connexion with the sudden death of Mr. Robert Thorp at Srinuggur, in ashmere. He refused to obey the rule excluding the Europeans trom the valley, during certain portions of the year, and would not go This, and his hostility to the Cashmere government, and tlia unmeasured terms in which he exposed its wickedness, have rendered the circumstance very SUg¡;œstive, and two physi- cians have been deputed by the Punjab government to investigate the cause of death." The first of a series of ten bells and hour-bell for Worcester Jathedralhas been deposited in the College Gieen. The new neal is to cost £3,flOQ; and this sum has been suhscribed- in honour of the dean fthe late Sir Robert Peel's brother), as a testimony to whose virtues the bells are to be hung. Mr O'Sullivan the Mayor of Cork, was in the theatre last Friday night during the pantomime. The piece contains a number of local allusions, and at one containing the words, Down with the Tories," the mayor rose and said That's rieht, down with the Orangemen These words produced the utmost commotion and t°uo nissing. The mayor, greatly excited, repeated the words and made hostile demonstration at the gentlemen in the boxes, but was paci- fied hy the box keeper. The South Yorkshire colliers have come to a de- cision which is highly creditable to tneir good sense. Latfly they demanded an advance of wages to the extent of five per cent., but the coal-owners refused to comply with the demand on account of the depressed state of trade. This refusal the delegates, after mature consideration, allow to be reasonable, and they, therefore, recommend the various lodges through- out the district to abstain from further action In the matter. A strike has just taken place at » large cotton mill at llondinn nt, near Vervieis, in Belgi""1' !,el0I,8'ng to Mm. Garot Brothers. The cause of the suspension was a dispute between the trade society and the masters of that firm respecting some matters of detail- outer was maintained in the str, ets by gendarmes. The working tiyers of Bale have also struck. A youth, named Rtnith*. was.on Friday afternoon or" the Thames near Windsor with his father in a punt, at th", bottom of which was a loaded gun at full cock. The boy stumbled against the gun, which went otf, and the chargo penetrated the calf of his leg He was taken to the Windsov Infirmary, where Dr. ban-bank amputated the wounded limb below the knee, and it is hoped he will recover. The Liberal party in Manchester have resolved to make a practical experiment of voting by ballot on a large scale. An appeal will be made to those electors who plumped for any of the candidates of the party or split their votes between any two of them, some 13,000 or ]9,UUO voters, to determine whether Mr. Ernest Jones or Mr. T. Milncr Gibson shall be the adopted candidate of the party in case a vacancy should occur by the unseating of Mr. Birley. The Australian system has been adopted, and all the formalities of an election will be observed so far as voting is concerned. Application has been made for the use of the town-hall, and of all the polling places used at the late election. The following is a list of Peers who arc now minors and the dales on which they will come of age :—The present yoar, Earl of Donoughmore and Lord Beaumont; 1870, Alarquis of Ely, Earl of Elgin and Kincardine, Eail RanUirly Lord Monteagle, and I.ord Rivers 1871, the Earl of Pembroke 1872, Earl of Guilford, Earl W able grave, a.nd Lord Rossmore 1873, Lord Manners; 1875, Lord Muikerry; c.1878, Lord Rodney; and 1S84, Viscount (Mdenf