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dmr i*cra&0rt CflrrrsponGtirt.

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dmr i*cra&0rt CflrrrsponGtirt. fWe deem it right to state that we do not at aL timet identify ourselves with our correspondent' opinions. J Slowly and somewhat painfully the Irish Land Bill, of which most persons must now be weary, makes pro- gress. That progress haa been so tardy for a long time that many persons incline to believe that the measure will not, after all, be carried this session. There is, however, little cause to fear any such disas- trous result as the bill being either rejected or with- drawn. It will be passed this session, almost to a dead certainty. Scarcely so hopefully can the other great measure of the session, the Education Bill, be spoken of. There seems indeed considerable doubt whether Government will be able to carry it. That the people are to remain without adequate means of education, while rival dects and parties are disputing about the conditions under which education shall be offered, is in- evitable, but it is to be hoped that this difference of opinion will not impose a lasting obstacle to the Mtablishment of really national schools. There are some subjects which come before Parlia- ment which are in no degree party questions, and yet which create an immense amount of excitement and no little difference of opinion. Such a subj ect is betting and gambling. There are many who strongly deprecate the Government interfeiing at all in such a matter, bat many more who consider it the bounden duty of Government to do what in them lies to discourage gambling. The Home Secretary has been alluding to the subject, and reminding ua that he had instructed the Chief Commissioner of Police to prosecute the keepers of betting houses. And so far as these pro- secutions have gone they have undoubtedly been pro- ductive of good. But it now turns out that the keepers of such houses have flown to Scotland, where the law does not apply, and to Boulogne. ADd why should the law not apply to Scotland? Why, indeed, should not the laws be the same allover the United Kingdom ? Perhaps this is too much to expect during the present generation, but the more our laws are assimilated the better. And it is gratifying to find that there is some prospect of putting down illegal lotteries, the only difficulty being to prove their illegal character. It is a shame and a scandal that they should exist. Alto- gether we are progressing favourably, sofar as Govern- ment can exert power and influence. and they certainly are needed, for temptations to gambling still abound. The mischief, and even the ruin, to which these tempta- tions lead are incalculable. The annual camping-out on Wimbledon Common, under the auspices of the National Eifle Association, bids fair to be more interesting this year than ever before, in one respect at least—that there will be more prizes than ever. The association having invited manufacturers and tradesmen to send articles of their own manufacture, or in which they deal, they are coming in rapidly. And so our riflemen will have all sort of things to shoot for. Some of the articles are rather curious—for instance, a full suit of Shetland tweed (will the suit suit the winner); a meerschaum pipe, a box of cigars, and a pound of tobacco an easy chair, and so on. But all this will give additional interest to the annual rifle contest, and the donors of the numerous articles will in a very deli- cate way contribute to its success. The Chief Commissioner of Metropolitan Police states that the number of serious crimes against pro- perty during the last six months of the past year were less by 13 per cent. than the number during the first half of the same year. That is very satisfactory of course, but London burglars seem now to be more daring than ever at least since the era of the police. Among the latest burglaries is one at the residence of Mr. Beaumont, M.P., in Piccadilly, about J610,000 worth of jewellery being taken away, and it is sup- posed that the burglars may be the same band as those who broke into the houses of Lady Napier, and the American Minister, and of Mr. Bohn, the bookseller. Be this as it may it is evident that as much precaution as ever against housebreakers is needed. People ought to rely upon. themaelveB in such matters. However numerous, or however well organised may be the police, burglars will be more than a match for them unless housekeepers themselves are on the alert. If burglaries continue to be as numerous as of late, perhaps we shall have some new invention to raise an alarm as soon as burglars get to work. Ingenious mechanicians might well turn their thoughts in that direction. As almost every stranger who comes to London makes a point of visiting St. Paul's Cathedral, it may be interesting to note that the Dean and Chapter, the Metropolitan Board of Works, and the City Commis- sioners of Sewers (a commission that seems to have to do with everything but sewers), are in correspondence with regard to throwing open a portion of the church- yard to the public way, and thus vastly improving the locality. At present the hitch is that the ecclesiastical authorities decline to throw open the northern car- riage way, which is always blocked up by a barrier. If this could be done, foreigners and strangers would cease to wonder how it is that the road in which is the public entrance to the oathedral is blocked up, one of the funniest anomalies of London show-places. The proposed improvement has been talked of as long as I can remember anything, and perhaps it will be only talked of for many a year to come. Of greater general interest than anything affecting St. Paul's, is the discussion in the Hoose of Commons, arising out of the motion or opening the National Gallery and portions of the British museum from 7 to 10 on three evenings a-week. A great deal can be said, and was said, on both sides of the question. But there is evidently no hope of this proposition being carried out. The motion on this occasion was withdrawn, Mr. Allen seeing it was hopeless to press it, and the discussion shows pretty clearly that whenever a similar motion may be brought forward it will meet with a like result. Captain Shaw and the late Mr. Braid- wood, who ought to be regarded as authorities on the liability to fire, both gave it in evidence that to light up these institutions with gas would be highly dangerous, and as many architects, builders, and scientific men agree with this opinion, all the argu. ments in the world on the other side seem powerless. There is one little consolation—that ground at the back of the National Gallery has been purchased, and, as Mr. Gladstone puts it, "sooner or later that land will be built on." Whenever that occurs, no doubt the Government of the day will take into consideration the possibility of making such alterations as will permit of lighting the new building. So that there is hope for our children—or grandchildren. Mean while, the failure of the attempt to open these insti- tutions in the evening, will add force to the arguments of the National Sunday League, who advocate the opening of these "and similar institutions" (rather vague that) on Sundays. It is probable, therefore, that this League will recommence an agitation with greater vigour than before, and those who are opposed to such a step had better be prepared for it. Tit-for-tat is often a good principle to act upon, when we preserve the distinction between retributive justice and malicious revenge. One of our journals lately had a very severe article on the superstition of the lower classes, and now a oxrespondent points out that the upper and middle classes are also superstitious. "I observed lately," says the writer, "in The Times sixty-two advertisements of marriages on Thursday, the 21st of April, and not one of a marriage on the following day. A similar thing may be noticed, though perhaps not to the same extent every week, so that it seems that the class of persons who advertise their marriages in The Times are not above the super. stition of thinking it unlucky to be married on a Friday." The hit is a telling one. This superstition about Friday (arising out of the crucifixion of our Saviour having taken place on that day) is very widely spread, and perhaps exists in greater force in Catholic countries than in our own, bat there is no occa- mon for any greater strength of superstition than exists among ourselves. In what class it does not exist it would be difficult to say. We all remember that story of a shipowner desiring to counteract this superstition about Friday. He had a vessel as intimately connected with Friday as possible. Her keel was laid on a Friday; she was launched and christened on a Friday her cap. tain was appointed on a Friday; she sailed on a Friday and was lost! Very unfortunate that, though it had about as much to do with Friday as it had to do with, Mercury being in "aphelion," or of Saturn being in conjunction with the Moon. I wish some shipowner would have the courage again to try a similar experi- ment. But perhaps it would do no good. All the accidents that ever happened to this ship (and there is no vessel free from them) would be set down as owing to its connection with Friday. The Crystal Palace commenced its season well last Saturday, and the whole place looked bright and gay in ita lovely spring dress and with its brilliant com- pany. A great musical festival at this "palace of the people's pleasures "is like nothing else in the world. and a finer sight than the monster orchestra in full action, with the whole palace filled with a well-dressed audience, it would not be easy to conceive. The great musical festival of 1870 will bear comparison with its predecessors, and I hope it will be of good augury for the future. The sad and painful excitement created by the mur- ders in Greece is partially kept up by the exhibition, in the photographers' windows, of the portraits of seven of the Greek brigands. Their countenances certainly do not speak in their favour, and the comments of the -uamining- committee, who lounge at the windows, are anything bat complimentary. How far opinion is in- fluenced, however, by a knowledge of the previous facts, it would be difficult to determine. When we Visit Tusaaud s Chamber of Horrors we are prepared to find villanous physiognomies, and of course we find them—or our fancy makes them villianous. The temporary population of London must be some- what increased by the numbers of people who have come up for the May meetings," but at all events these meetings are very numerous j ust now. What an enormous amount of religious and moral activity is represented at these gatherings It is said that they are not so hrgely attended as they have been during previous years. That is a very difficult assertion to prove or disprove but at all events an immense amount of enthusiasm, a great deal of talk, and doubt- less a great deal more work, are represented by these May meetings"— meetings which find no parallel in any country in the world.

Lord RUSSELL and Lord SHAFTESBURY…

----A SAD CASE.

THE PLEBISCITE.

INCIDENTS OF THE VOTING.

THE RESULT OF THE PLEBISCITE.

AN OFFENCE AGAINST THE STATUTE.

PARTICULARS, &c., OF THE GREEK…

"REPORT OF DR. A. BOLTON.…

[No title]

In fHemortam.

A USEFUL HINT.

JftisttllaiiMiis j'nftlliptt,