The Aberystwith Observer

Lord Carnarvon has presided at a gathering of Muonø at the Freemasons' Hall, when a testimonial was preiented to the Grand Secretary, Mr. J. Hervey, in recognition of his services. Those who have read Captain Burnaby's interesting book," A Rido to Khiva," says a Scotch paper, will remember that he was suddenly recalled by a telegram from the Duke of Cambridge which the Russian Go- vernment kindly forwarded to him a distance of more than 300 miles. The Captain was silent as te the reasons for the issue of this order, but it is now said that it was political and not military reasons which led to the interference of the Duke of Cambridge. The Russian Government appeared to think that the Cap- tain was an emissary of the Englisn War Department sent to spy out the nakedness of the land. They reprentnted to the Foreign Office that his presence in Khiva might lead to complications, and it was on the suggestion of Lord Derby that the Duke of Cam- bridge sent the message recalling him to England. The visit of Sir Bartle Frere to Constantinople, saya the. London correspondent of Scotch paper, is, I believe semi official in its character. He Intends to go to I aria and Bosnia, with a view of informing him- self to the measures necessary for the reorganisa- tion and good government of these provinces. It 11, in fact, more than pi obable that if a European Com- mission is appointed to execute the reforms upon whiah the Conference agrees Sir BartteFrore will be the representative of England and the head of the commis- sion. It is not supposed that Russia would objeot to an Englishman being at the head of the commission, irhi1#, 011 the other hand, such an appointment would perhaps be less disagreeable to the Purte. The proposal to enclose Banstead Downs is now likely to be carried intoeftect. Sir John Hartopp, the lord of the manor, has arranged with the copyholders, but some opposition still prevails among others having pasturage and common rifhts. Their interests are ad- vocated by the Commons Preservation Society, and the Tight to enclose a portion of the downs awaits the de- cision of the Commons Enclosure Commissioners. A conversazione given in honour of Major Corn. wallis West has brought the Wrexham Art Treasures Exhihit ion to a elose. During the four months that it has been open the Exhibition ha* been visited by 80,000 persons. Major Cornwallis W.t. Lord Lieutenant of the eounty.undertook, the promotion of the scheme,an4 in appreciation of his services he has been presenttO with aD address ttoia the inhabitants of the dietriett

STATE OF THE LABOUR MARKET. Referring to the home labour market, the Labour News says :—It has undergone few important changes during the week. The iron traae continues in a very depressed state, and reports from abroad shew that this industry Ü! suffeiing from almost universal slackness. In England, amongst the manufactured iron trade, few of the leading firms are working more than half-time, whilst no rtvival of the iron rail trade is expected. The iron ship-building, however, continues to improve, and at the Northern ports there is now a fair amount of work. Amongst the miners there is a movement far advance of wages in South Staffordshire and East Worcestershire but, generally, wages remain low. In Somersetshire the men are on half time, and in the steam collieries of the North there are large numbers unemployed. Ir. Essex and Lincolnshire a reduction of agricultural wages is being sought by the farmers, and in Northamptonshire there is some complaint of want of work by the labourers. In the textile industries there is somewhat more activity, and in seme Northern mills there is again a temporary deficiency of hands. In Cornwall the china clay industry remains unsettled, the organisation of labour having extended itself to this branch of work. Mining in the Caradon district is somewhat more active. In the Metropolis general servants continue in great demajnd. Advices from the United States shew some slight improvement in the iron trade of Pennsylvania, but large numberll of miners remain unemployed. In South Australia labour is still much wanted.

MR. FORSTER AND KHIVA. The confusion of mind, says the Standard, into which Mr. Forster has fallen ever since he has sur- rendered his right of private judgment to party con- siderations, and resolved upon looking upon every- thing through Russian spectacles, cannot be better illustrated than oy the extraordinary blunder intowhich he has fallen in respect to Khiva. Rebuking those who have been playing the Russian game by con- tinually asserting that Russia has seized upon Khiva," Mr. Forster gives his own version of what has occur- red at Khiva. At the present moment, he asserts, "all that Russia is doing ili that she is occupy- ing Khiva as the Germans occupied Paris," and we are warned that if we do not mind what we are about Russia may "take us at our word," and do what she is continually told she is doing, and which she has not done yet." Khiva seems to be a locality fatal to the reputation of Liberal statesmen, which they can never approach without stumbling. Yet with his Schuyler before him it is inconceivable how Mr. Forster, with all his zeal for the Russian interest, should have fallen into such a blunder. Khiva is not, as he seems to aUppO!!8, a single town, but a very large territory, one half of which, includmg all the district on the north of the Oxus, was, by the Russian treaty with the Khan, ceded for ever to Rmsia. More than this, it was stipulated that south of the Oxus Russia was at liberty to establish any number of posts and factories she pleased, with ex- clusive rights of commerce to Russian merehants, free jf transit duties, and other conditions virtually reduc- ing that portion of Khiva which was not annexed to a perpetual vassalage to the Russian Government. This is what Mr. Forster calls" occupying Khiva in the sam; manner that the Germans for a time occupied Paris." May we not ask whether it is in the same manner thaI. Bulgaria is to be occupied ?

THE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION. Telegraphing from Philadelphia under date Novem- ber 28th, the American correspondent of the Timet says :—Wade Hampton's house, near Columbia, South Carolina, has been burnt by incendiaries, the family narrowly escaping. Leading Democrats in South Carolina have made a solemn protest to President Grant against placing the Federal troops in South Carolina under the command of Governor Chamberlain. They say they will co-operate with the troops in pressrving peace, but the object of the troops is to control the organisation of the legislature and enforce Chamber- lain's inauguration. They add that not one drop of blood has been shed in political disturbances except by the Republicans, that the Democrats received their greatest majorities in counties where the troops were stationed, and that for the truth of these statements they refer to the commanders of the troops in South Carolina. Business is entirely prostrated at New Orlsaps. The Government funds at the Sub-Treasury there have been withdrawn to Washington. The Federal troops took possession of the State House at Columbia at midnight to-night, cimping in the Rotundo. A cordon of sentinels was placed round the building, ani no one was allowed to enter without a pass authorised by Governor Cham- berlain. The Democratic procession marched to the entrance of the Legislative Hall, the Edgefield and Laurens members being in front. These being refused admission bythe doorkeepers,who declared the Supreme Court 8 certificates invalid, the entire Democratic body withdrew, and from the steps of the State House read a protest to the assembled troops and people against the troops barring the doors and refusing admission to the members. There has been no outbreak, though the excitement has been intense all day.

INHIBITION BY A SCOTCH BISHOP. A curious question has arisen in connection with the appointment of a minister to the vacant incum- bency of St. Peter's English Episcopal Church, Montrose. The Rev. Henry Knapp. who has been incumbent for the last five years, took farewell of the congregation on Sunday,on the occasion of his appoint- ment to St. John's Church, Ipswich. After Mr. Knapp's resignation, the congregation gave a call to the Rev. Mr. Bates, of Ripley, Derbyshire, and it was antici- pated that tho rev. gentleman would have accepted the call. An obstacle to his doing so has been raised by the Bishop of Brechin, who, ft is on good grounds alleged,has written to the Bishop of Lichfield,protest- ing against Mr. Bates introducing himself into the diocese of Brechin without a licence from the episcopal head of that diocese. The matter here rests for the present. The congregation is one of the oldest in connection with the English Episcopalian body 10 Scotland. So far as the reoords of St. Peter's shew, the first incumbent of the charge was the Rev. James Gordon, rector of Hamby, Yorkshire, who (while j retaining his English living) was appointed to I3t. Peter's on October 5th, 1717, and who held the incum, bency till his death in 1732 The acceptance of the charge by other incumbents was sanctioned by the Bishops of London, Carlisle, and Durham, and mostly all the clergymen since Mr. Gordon's time have been recommended by the English bishops in whose dioceses they had previously lived. The congregation of St. Peter s, we learn from a paper that has been prepared by the managers for the information of the Bishop of Lichfield, was one of three in being, and expressly tolerated and recognised by Act of Parliament in 1711, and has evei since maintained its position as such,never having had any connection whatever with the body Which, after various changes of name, now call them. selves the Scottish Episcopal Church."

Two girls have been seriously injured at Dundalk by the explosion of a keg of gunpowder. A house was completely gutted and an adjoining tenement injured. The keg contained about GölS. of gunpowder and had been brought from Newry by a carter for conveyance to a merchant in county Cavan. A J'oung man has been charged at Thames Police court with obtaining money from a number of poor people by falsely representing himself to be bailiff of the Bow County Court. By some means the pri- soner procured information as to the particulars of the debtll owing by those againstwhom judgments had been pronounced. He then went to their houses and obtained money by threatening, as the sheriff's offioer, to put in an immediate execution unless an instalment of tho turn owing wm pitidt lie vm Mmnuttwd tor trial

..4- i.otico that, at c -1 of the Ottoman s(.-d in this country -To the care of the >'Ti e at Const ;intinople," b. tin ■ ■ :■ to from the mail for the tish P- O,li,> II j'l hp 11imd,l over to the toman Office "1' the arrival in Cunr.tantinople of a.-h mail i s> lo t. All such letters. A-c.. as are duU •ppnid will be exempt from any further charge in "nkey for inland "r local postage.

CURIOUS CAUSE OF ACTION. In the Queen's Bench Division, London, an action has been brought by the New River Company against the Midland Railway Company for compensation in respect of service pipes formerly used to convey water to a large number of houses in St. Pancras, which hou8es were taken down by the defendants to make way for their new station. The pipes in question run under the station, and cannot be removed by the plaintiffs without breaking up the ground, which the defendants would not allow them to do.—After a long logal argument, Mr. Justice Manistv directed the jury to find for the plaintiffs, damages £ -'125, subject to the decision of the question of law raised.

MR. VALENTINE BAKER ON THE TURKS. Mr. Valentine Baker, pa;, s the London correspondent of a Scotch paper, is now ",1 a. short visit to r'ondon, but he will return to Turkey before the armistice is out. Hespraks. [ am told, in enthusiastic terms of the Turkish soldiers. If tbey were well officered and thoroughly emipped they would be equal to any troops in the world lJ11t the of1L:crs are in too many cases ignorant of their duties, and (lie arms placed in the hands of the so; lie,-s are not of (lie most effective kind. Their commissariat arrangem jots are wretched,bnt illr. Baker says that Tnrln; can live where Englishmen would starve. Even as it is, however, he thi.iks a struggle between Russia and Turkey would be more equal than it is generally supposed. On the fidd he thinks the Turks will be able to hold their own but he fears that the financial difficulties of the Government will render it difficult f, r them to keep their forces ade- quately supplied with arms, ammunition, and food. Turkey will undoubtedly need all her men; hnt. it is the want of money which she will at first feel most seriously. As reg;ln1s Constantinople, he thinks that as long as the Turks hold comma::(lof the sea it can be defended against any force that may be brought again8t it. The fortresses on the Danube and in the Balkan have all been placed in a state of defence.

ENGLAND NOT PREPARING FOR WAR. The committee sitting at the War Office, says the Woolwich correspondent of the Morning Post, watching the complications which may arise our. of the Eastern 8it nation possess the best and most reliable information of any Power in Europe of what is going on but they do not, tUIo. never did. elltertain the probability of England going to war. The naval and military opera- tions and re-arrangements in the stgpc and transport service are not being made in thefemote contingency of a Russian occupation of Constantinople, but in pursuance of measures decided upon as iar back as when the Commander-in-Chief spoke at the banquet at Fishmongers' hall, in which his Royal Highness remarked that, looking at what great empires were doing. however much they might desire peace, no one would deny the possibility of war arising before they ivere many weeks older. The corps d'armee named as readj to proceed to Turkey at a few hours' notice are merely the first fighting regiments for foreign ser vice. "nd always liable to be sent out at a few hours' no'ice the turret ships ordered to be immediately prepared for sea are simply being proceeded with according to instructions issued months ago the instructions that "all troons proceeding to Indi", are to call at Gibraltar and Malta for orders" have been in force ever since the Suez Canal service has been instituted, and the order for the manufacture of 11,0000.000 of cartridges has been on the Royal Arsenal books for some time.

THE LATE RIGHT HON. JAMES WHITESIDE. The Right Hon. James Whiteside was born in the vear 1805, at Dtlgany, in the county of Wicklow, his f ther, the Rev. William Whiteside, being rector of the parish. James Whiteside and his brother, after- wards rtctor of Scarborough, in England, were in due course entered at Trinity College. The collegiate career of young Whiteside was respectable rather than biilliant; he won some classical prizes, but did not cai ry off any of the greater honours of Old Trinity." lie took his B.A. and M.A. degrees together in 1832, at d college tradition has it that he was twice an unsuccessful candidate for a scholarship. After taking his degree he entered himself as a law student, and in 1M28 he went to L mdon and resided there for two years, reading first in the chambers of Mr. Chitty and after- wards in those of Mr. Swanston, the annotator of Lord Ivdon's decisions. He also attended the law classes or the London University, and in the debating society a'studied to that then very young collegiate institution he first exhibited those powers which 111 their full divelopment were destined ,( the applause of listen- ing senates to command." Withia the walb of the s. ciety he became intimate with Joseph Napier, after- w;ds his brother-in-law, and Lord Chancellor of Iie'ar.d, and W. E. Forster, the biographer of (;1dm1Ïth. An American writer who met Whiteside Ht tin- dehating society, writing some years after in a Tiansaflantic journal, describes his eloquence as" the g'my and the admiration of the UUl versity," and dilates on the "intense enthnsih8m, earnestness, and vehemence" of his stvle, and the" appropiiateness and expression of his action." Whiteside was a few months after he joined the society elected pre- sident, and delivered the inaugural address. In 1 ;() Mr. White-dde was called to the Irish bar, went the North-eastern Circuit, and rose into great practice with singular rapidity. He hccame famous especially fur his defence of prisoners, and some of his speeches are 8till preserved. His speed1, for Hughes at Armagh also brought him great fame. His bag was soon crowded with briefs, and. in 1842 the then Lord Chancellor con- ferred upon the young lawyer the honour of a silk gown. iSefore many months had elapsed after this event the new Q.C. founo an opportunity for exhibitmgon a splen- • i"d sealethose powers of eloquence and advocacy with wh cli Heaven had so freely dowered him. In the year Is- OConnelland his associates were summoned to the bar of the Court of Queen's Bench to answer a charge of sedition. ThegreatStatetrialsfolIowed. Tho- greatest advocates of the day represented the tra- versers. O'Connell defended himself. Henn, Fitzgib- bon. Maedonough. Shiel and Whiteside were for his associates. O'Connell's speech was worthy of his fame ard of the occasion, Shiel's was a noble and classical oration, but both had to divide the crown with White- side. Some of the passages of his great oration are still treasured up by his auditors. In 1851 Mr. Whiteside was returned to Parliament for Enniskillen, a seat he subsequently exchanged for that of the Dublin Univer- sity on the resignation of Mr. G. A. Hamilton in 1859. He had always been a staunch Conservative, and he s 'on became one of the great props of that party in the Lower House, and shared in the honours and offices of his party, holding the office of Solicitor- General for Ireland in Lord Derby's first Administra- tion in 1852.and fiat of Attorney-General in his second Administration in 1858 59. Manifold as were the Par- liamentary successes of Mr. Whiteside, it is as a great forensic orator he will be chiefly remembered. During his Parliamentary career he occupied a unique position at the IrishBar. The acknowledged leader in the Dublin Nisi Pnus courts, he in assize times appeared as a special" counsel in every case of magnitude, north or south, east or west. In the year 1862 a case was tried in Dublin which in its romantic and extraordinary character exceeded any of the causes celebres of the Victorian age. As counsel for the plaintiff in the Yel- vert on case, Mr. Whiteside delivered one of the most splendid addresses ever spoken, and when the great advocate, overwhelmed by the plaudits of his country- men, hurried over to Parliament, he was the object in the British House of Commons of an ovation unique ia its annals, being received as he entered the chamber with general and enthusiastic applause, amidst which a grave member for the City of London, carried away by the spirit of the hour, exclaimed, in a tone audible throughout the entire House," England is proud of l'er Irish orator.' During the periods in which Mr. Whiteside held office he had more than once refused the offer of a puisne judgeship, and when, in 1866, his patty again acceded to power, it was felt that 111gb place was due to his eminent, services. After a few weeks of "llice as Attorney-General the retirement of Chief Justice Lefroy vacated the presidency of the Court of Queen's Bench, and to this eminent dignity Mr. Whiteside was. with general approval, elevated. For ten years he presided over the Court 01 Queen'i Bench.

LORD SALISBURY AND THE CABINET. To a statesman of Lord Salisbury's character and pos: t ion, says the St(/1/di/ rd. it is impossible to conceive alytlling- morc unpalatable than the attempt to repre. sent him as meditating treason to his chief and to bis party for the sake of winning Mr. Gladstone's good opinion. There is not, it is scanely necessary to say, any foundation whatever for the theory that there exists any ùivergence øf opinion among the members of the C:>,binet on the Eastern Question. Lord Salisbury has been selected to represent the Government at Constantinople not hecause his views are opposed to those of hischief and his colleagues,but because he mare fully comprehends them than any plenipotentiary out of the Cabinet could do. He would be ill deserving of the character of integrity which Mr. Gladstone haJ bcen pleased to accord to him if he undertook a mission kn 1wing that his own opinions differed from thúse of his Government. The Government, on its side, wonld hardly choose as the exponent of its policy a man whose vinn; were different frem its own. The very last kind of credit hich a nobleman of Lord Salis. bury's character would desire to take to him8elf is that which Mr. Gladstone and certain Liberal journals insist npon attaching to him. There is hut one Turkish policy for which Lord Beaconsfield, as head of tht: Go- vernment, is primarily responsible, which Lord Salis- bury has gone out to Constantinople to support to the ulmost extent of the BritIsh influence. It is a policy whose sec-et haB been revealed to all the world, which needs not to be strengthened by big word8 or fervent protestations. What England desires is peace. and to ootain peace without sacrifice of thenational honour or the country's interests is the object of Lord Salisbury's mission to Cnnstantinople. Those wh imperil such a cause-who make it doubtful whether our policy will succeed—whose loose a lid reckless tongues," in Mr. Bright's own words, "make peace more difficult to secure," are no other than Mr. Bright himself and hi8 friends, whose loose and reckles8 tongue8 have once already brought war on this country.

WHAT THE "WORLD" SAYS. (Notes by "Atlas.") Sc Lord 111 a.id!ltone ha.9 hanloued hiø heart after hay. ing taken the rue" once. and has decisively gone to" the demnitiiln bow-wows" in the humble capacity of a gunner in the Royal Artillery. It would be 81 raining a point to say of his lordship that here is aJlCltJJcr good man gone wrong." The noble Viscount will by this time have discovered, no doubt to his great surprise and disgust, that thongh he is Lord Maidstone lie is not. permitted to take his dog into the barrack- r om. The" bombardier of the room" does not recog- nise titular rank in the person of a private- especially n iw that there are no more bountiei to be" lushed." T am delighted to hear that a new and most poetic branch of industry has sprung up in Ireland. You vould never guess it. They are abs>1lutely exporting ises from the land of the shamrock A florist of legularly sends consignments to Spain, a (1 is now executing odorous orders for Oporto and A-isam. Some lime since it was stated in this cohlmn that the proprietors of the Times "ere about to issue weekly a digest of Hews and comment at the price of one penny. The first number, 1 believe, will appear on the 5th January next. Stories concernin<1 mistakes as to titles of bonks arn very ¡IUmerOUs, but I think the following is worth recording. A lady reHident in the country wrote to a f lend in London to obtain her a book of riddles and c onindrums. By return of post aniveo a copy of .Mr. W. R. Greg's •• Enigmas of LIfe." That humour has undergone a rarlical change in London i. now th&t I d\s opinion. That was an unkind rejoinder made by a Milesian orator the other night in a discussion forum patronised b; 8ir John Benmtt.to an ancient "Coger," who would interrupt him by the unnecessary reminder that he was an idlOt."Me an idiot ? Son, I throwback the insinua- ( ion in yer tepth-U ye hate any Was it the Mj rwho m:\gniloquelltJy declared in the samp establishment that he was no mere pDlitieal tyro. but came '.0 the bar of public opinion armed with experience acquired in three hemispherE:s? I arrived unexpectedly at a friend's country house the oj her evening, and was thus accosted by my host'i daughter Delighted to see you. Papa is dressing for dinner, and says you are to go to 'Û! I" Horror! Had she become insane, or worse still, taken leave of her h'" "? I was soon put out of my mental misery by be- illg reminded that the bedrooms were lettered instead of numbered A certain Royal Duke, who attends a fashionable church in Mayfair on Sundays, is found to cause no "mall alarm among thè surrounding devotees by a rest- less peculiarity which keeps him perpetually revolving upon hi8 own axis. No sooner is the text of the sermon read out han he is seen, with military precision, to "right about face" upon the ladiea who are fortunate enough to come within range JÍ hi. royal vision.

At the J\fadborough-street Police. court, London, Edward Murray, described ae a bettinK agent, hat been charged with baying conspired to defraud a French lady of £ 10,000, in what had been known aa "the great* turf swindle." Formal evidence only wa. giv<>n, and the priloner wai remanded, William Window has been charged at Bristol with wounding Albertina Wetheridge. The parties met at a tavern on Saturday, anù while Wetheridge wall pro- tecting her nephew, whom prisoner attacked. Window hit, out It piece of her chin and lip. The injured woman being unahle to leave the infirm&ry, the pri- soner was ],clllal1Cled. An important official statement has been made at the mp(,1 il)g of the Hothcrham Guardians, with reference to the new Education Act. It is to come into opera- tion on January 1, but the boards of guardians cannot appoint the school attendance committees until after the elcction of Lhe new boards in March. In the in- terim the guardians will not be able to take proceedingi for any infringement of the Act. Captain Lutz, master of the Govirnmont 8toreøhip Sir Galahad, halt been charged at the Mansion House Police-con it London, with assaulting the steward of the vessel, and callsing him to sprain his ankle joint. The defence was t,hat the complainant had bern in. subordinate. To rebut this 1I,llegRtion three or four good-couduct certificates given him by the defendant were produced. A fine of £ 5, with C013tS, was inflicted. Mr. Crossl:as consented to receive a deputation on thc subject of cheap labour in prilion8 and reforma- tories, wore especially with regard to the mat trade.

JOSSIP FROM THE "WHITEHALL REVIEW." We are informed that Lord Charles Beresford has no intention of retiring from the representation of Waterford, despite all that has been said to the con- trary. Til" Americans, having brought their Exhibition to a close, have begun to turn their attention to the which their country intends to make at Paris in 1,ï,; and the curious suggestion is made that America should form a gallery of feminine beauty on the Trocadero. which should prove at once and for ever that our American cousins are the most lovely women h the world. I regret very much to learn that a warrant has been issued for the arrest of the eldest son of a well- known nobleman, the charge alleged agamat him being a s erious one. Who it is that accuses him I have not heard, but at the present day the criminal law is not an frequently used fcr the purpose of attempting to recover a debt. The members of the long robe," as Lord Beacons- field. invariably calls those gentlemen who attain to the d gnity of the bar, will be gratified to hear that the legal examinations now required as indispensable are b»ginniitg to thin the ranks of aspirants to the pro- fession of the law. Of 81 candidates who inscribed their names as ready for the latest ordeal of examina- tion the other day, 18 omitted to put in an appearance. Of the G:1 who actually went up no fewer than .9 were 1. plucked," so that 24 only received certificates entitl- ing them to be called to the bar. Oddly enough, the majority of those who failed were university men. The Duke of Buckingham, Governor of Madras, is determined to shine at the forthcoming assembly at D.dhi with no small degree of splendour. Three special trains from Madras to Delhi, a distance of miles, are to be exclusively laden with fitters and shrubs for the Duke's camp. A howdah 0; solid silver is being built at Madras for the use of his grace, and is to be covered with coats of arms, ducal joronnts. strawberry leaves, and what not. So splendid is this howdah considered at Madras that it is daily Tinted by crowds of admiring natives nothing like it j.is ever been seen in India. I hear that frock coat3 will soon be looked upon as garments of the past among well-elressed men, and that for the London ser.son of 1877 nothing but cut- away or morning coats wiil be worn. This is confirmed h, w hat a friend, who was present at the wedding at IYentham the other day. mentioned, namely, that with the exception of the bridegroom and his best man there was not a frock to be ceti amongst those present. The "inteHigent working man" lias certainly no r"asi)ito complain that his locomotive wants have n been liberally consulted by the Metropolitan Railway Cowpany. K\,w that the line to Aldgate is opened company issue working men's tickets from South Kensington to Whitechapel and back for two- pence. The distance is nine miles, so that the model working man is carried on the model railway for less than a farthing a mile.

MiLR-Gi'D LTnr.T, BY A RIDING- M'si i-.bS. >- t'f O-l tiam >\ before Baron Hawkins, Frances R.-yiiotds, liding-miatress, has been dieted for having is«t:ed a series of false, defama- iy. and malicious lib»ls of and concerning Quarter- I a-ier field, of the 1-t L:fe Guards.—Mr. Harris >d 5Ir.^ Sims appeared for the prosecutor; and Ir. Serjeant Ballantine for the defence.—His L -hip (before the defendant was called upon to • ■lrrender). addressing the learned counsel, said he onlo not have read the depositions carefully,as he had, vii bout seeing that the trial of this case would expose names of other persons who were not present, and t he case as a whole was one of an exceedingly nful character. Without the slightest desire to ate either to those conducting the prosecution or he would ask whether such an exposure would ir. the int-rest of the public or for the benefit of the i'ii c.—-Mr. Smith said he shol1l, be prepared to adopt suggestion thrown out, by his lordship.—Serjeant 'antine said he thought he was justified in saying in most unequivocal manner that the prosecutor should :ve no further annoyance from his client.Mr. i- said, if they could rely on the statements j ist i «? by the defendant through the learned Serjeant, orosecution were willing to accede to any sugges- ion from his lordship.—Seijeant Ballantine, having miniunicated wi: lr the defendant, said the lady was not i.ied with the course he had taken and the promise ij iiad made on he; behalf.—His lordship did not k the defendant had adopted a prudent course in oi deferring to the advice of her counsel.—Ser- inr Ballantine submitted that she had gone through i eat, deal of suffering.—His lordship said doubtless -he had. but he could not see how she could, benefit a <o gte human being by the exposure of matters f private life, and certainly it would do great mum.—At the suggestion of his lordship he retired ro his private room to confer with the learned counsel 11 the case, but on his return into court it was un- derstood that no amicable arrangement had been i rived at.-Mr. Serjeant Ballantine said he did not '1'ii,l"r, after his advice had been rejected, that he uld consistently with his professional position do ther than retire from the case.—Mr. M. Williams said iie could certainly not go on further.-His lordship was sorry he had said one word. He said what lie did, as he thought, in the interest of both parties.—Serjeant Ballantine. having again spoken to tie defendant, said she desired an adjournment in or- der to secure the services of counseL-His lord- ship said she had -refised to be guided by the nest adviser that could be given, and he therefore deelilled to accede to the application.—A further dis- cussion ensued, and in spite of the most strenuous efforts of her counsel, the lady remained obdurate, and being called upon to surrender went into the dock. The learned Serjeant made another effort (through Mr. Williams), and he said his client had consented to yield to his lordship's suggestion, and pro- mised not to annoy the prosecutor any further. Mr. Harris said he would accept the promise with the understanding that she waived costs, and offer no evidence, to which with, considerable reluctance, the agreed.—Under his lordship's directions the jury re- turned a verdict of not guilty.

WEEKLY REVIEW OF THE CORN TRADE. (From the Farmer.) When opinion is in face of general and conflicting I" s which closely balance each other's influince, in h .:)'?< personal desire is apt to turn the scale t. own side. Thus the London Exchange daring the cast week has been weighing the chances of peace or war in the East, and as merchants have seen the advantages to themselves of war. they have inclined towards holding grain with c mfidence. On the other hand, purchasers have ex- pected a decline in prices with the least particle of reassuring news, and not finding any reduction admitted have generally kept from buying. No staples, excepting barley, beans, and peas, can be quoted as any lower in price on the week and the decline on these three articles has not exceeded Is, per quarter, neither has it extended to all samples and sorts. Danubian barley, and the best English peas and beans, stand, with wheat, flour, oats, mane, malt., rye, and seeds, among the staples which maintained on Monday the prices current a week ago. On Monday week wheat, flour, and barley were dull at cnrrencies; oats were firm maize rather depressed beans and peas declined Is. on the quarter. On Wednesday, English wheat was slow at Monday's rates. At currencies, foreign wheat was in moderate, steady demand. Barley was dull of sale. Oats were quiet; maize firmer from Monday. Beaiis and peas were unchanged. Flour was not to be bought at any less money than formerly. On Friday, English wheat was firmly held, and so was foreign in the majority of instances. Barley was Is. cheaper on the week for most soits, and oatil were barely maintained in price. Maize, beans, and peas made fully former quotations. Flour was quite steady in value. Malt was firm, but slow. Linseed was steady. Rapeseed nther dearer than on the Friday previous. Other seeds were quiet. Rye was verydull. On Monday at Mark-lane the tone of trade was in holders' favour, although the weather continued we., po itics quiet, and supplies from abroad were heavy of all the leading staples. English wheat made former prices without difficulty, and so did Rus-' sim sorts. American made 1?. more money on the week. oils. Gd. for Californian, 51s. for Canadian and Oregon, 40s. for spring wheat. Australian also advanced Is. and the secondary descriptions of Indian Is. fid. to 2s. per qr. Barley was quite unchanged in price. There v.-as a very slow demand. Oats were steady except for Russian descriptioiis,which were Is. cheaper on the week. Maize was 6d. dearer for all sorts and in fair request at the advance. Beans were steady at 33s. to 38s. for foreign, :128. to 57s. for English. Peas were firmly held at currencies. Flour was in fair demand, and full prices were in all cases obtainable. The seed trade was firm and steady. CURRENT PRICES OF BRITISH GRAIN AND FLOUR IX MARK LANK. Shillings per Quarter. Wheat, I'"ssox & Kent, while.old -15 to 4tf new 4fito5l 11 "red. old 43 45 new 45 4!) Norfolk, LincoliiHh and Yorks. red old 44 new 45 40 liarley — to — Chevalier new 36 47 Grinding 30 3'2 .Distilling 2S 30 I Malt, pale (jS 72 old. 62.. brown 47 52 live 86 38 Outs, tOnnlisli, feed 27 to "0 Potato — Scotch, feed. — Potato. Irish, feed, white— .FlIle. — Ditto, lilajU 26 -a Potato .— 34 35 Ticks 80 44 Harrow — — Pigeon, old 45 50 Peas, white, boilers 33 42 Maple 36 to 40 3rey 33 39 Hour, per sack of 28'>lbs best toivn households 38 46 liest country households, eld 36 38 Norfolk ami Siilfolk, old 32 33 FOIi lilON OKA IN. Shitting T)erQn<n tor. w lo-at.,l>niit/,iu,mixed 52 to 51 extra — 65 Knir,. n-ry 50 52 extra 54 old "ii". lall. red whito Poiik-im., .Mt-ekherg., and Uokermk red — — Ghirlia, 45 to 47 Hussian, hard, -14 to 46 Saxon-dta 47 50 Danish and Holstein, red 4 i 4t» red American 48 53 Chilian, white 4S Califorinau 50 Australian 61 5S bnilex, jfrindiii'23 to 25.. distildni* 32 35 Oats, Dutch, brewing and Polands 23 to 26 feed 22 24 Danish and Swedish, feed 24 to 56 Stralsund 24 25 Canada '?2 to 2 i, liiga 21 to 23, Arch, —to—, P'sbtf 23 27 Tares, sprinir 42 48 I'eans. Kriesland and llolstein — — Ita ian 35 to 36.. Egyptian 34 35 Peas, feediii:; and maple 38 .30- fine boilers 38 42 Maize, white 28 29..yellow 26 27 Flour, per sack, French 30 pet- sack American, per barrel 24 25..extra and double. 26 27

It has been resolved to postpone the exhibition of busts, pictures, and books, once the property of Lord next May. A fire, alleged to have been the work of an incen- diary, has been discovered on the premises at Cuerden Hall, six miles south of Preston, the seat of Mr. Townley Parker, formerly member for Pipton. Tha damage done was considerable. A reward has been offered for the apprehension of the incendiary. Captain Shannon, of the Pacific Company's steamer Iberia, has been presented by the Liverpool Local Marine Board, on behalf of the French Government, with a handsome binocular glass. The gift was in recognition of services rendered-in saving 46 lives of the French steamer La Louisiana, which was nunk after being in collision with the steamer La Gironde, in the ftrer Girond.,ip. Deotmber last.

.>>i-V.Y r\V nr n l'j A r ,A N A i; Y" j .t".l. c) I J J' J l,. J J. 1 I, A t YiuWti lie r.iontJily ntpefinty of t lis board was held at the Lown Ihili on J.'oiidtty morning. The chair was Inker: by Tajo'- l.'oytl Philipps and ihere were :so ,resent Mos»rs. „T, Vati'than Davic.s, J. J. A'wood, Abraba: James, Thomas Da vies (Padarn Villa), ol Jn'i.i forgan (('.wurall;) Hug-h I'ugbes (cde.h). Morris ,Ior!»s (medical officer), and David Jon-s (inspector of nuisances). ili- ■ iini11 os of the last meeiinj. were read and confirmed. < Hurt, Water ^apply—Mr. Abraham Javes said tlio committee appointed to consider lii s subject had 1 o' been able to ooo: and ihe hoard ilieretorc aJ- jon iird the m-.U-r unti; the next meeting. 'I he l-lan.-p lunar n .Niits//nrr. — Dnrin: the read- ing o; =:>«• ..linutes Mr. Vaughan Da vies >id hs had ■v'Ceivod ? lettci fioni the inspector rcspi'C'ing thn -bo-.c iiriitiT. rVoui what was >a id in the letter it i'ppeand as if mo facts were not exactly pu Ii as those slated ir the iniroih s. A great dea' of dis- cission had taken place respecting the subject, wlrcb a id be> n w> II considered by the board and by tho magistrates sitting at Idanilar An order was 'Dade by th- bench, and h" very :!tlch d(.),lbled if it was in the power of the board or any other author- ity, except one of the supreme courts in London, to .in away with such an order. He had Inken a very good opinion on the subject, and had conmltcd with several magistrates nil agreed that the.c was no power to annul the order.—Th.- Chairman after de- tailing the exact particulars andibe order made in the rasp. said there was a great deal of discussion at the la*t m.-eting rpspeting the subject. It was quite true that til's board had not the power to do away with the magistrates' order, and had no wish to do so only ihey had requested Mr. :.lorri.s Davies to visit the place-and asc rtain whether It was a nuisance. Mr. Davies did so, and said the place was not injurious to health, being kept perfectly clean, an opinion in which the inspector agreed. Mr Dnvies stated al.-o that tbe closet was properly looked after, aul there was no other po ition in the neigh- bomhoodavaitablefurit. It was necessary to have a closet there, and seeing that it was ill the least objectionable situation the hoard decided, witiiout intending any discourtesy to the Llauilar mauistrates, to take no steps towards enforcing tho order.—Mr. Davies replied that the board had no power to cancel an order made by a bench of Magistrates and he would say nothing about the iaste of a magistrate who recommended the board to cancel a magistrates' order which he had himself signed.—The Chairman said Mr. Morris Davies was not present, and therefore the best course to adopt would be to postpone the consideration of the ma. ler anti 1 tlu Li-xt meeting. Mr Morris Davig" was one ■ ■•f the magistrates who signed the order.—Mr. Vaughan Davies assented, and said Ifr. Morris i bivies had also acted as inspector.—Mr. Atwood rt.marked that no court save the court of Queen's ijeiiCh had the power of annulling a magistrates' order. lie »ugg> s'ed that the medical oiffcer should ne requested to visit the spot accompanied by the lo.speeior if Hie medical officer reported the place io b a nuisance they would know what to do. t'rif proposal was adopted—The Chairman then referred oi the letter which I he inspector had written <o *1 Vaughan U,ivies, censui ing ;.im strongly for com- municating respecting the uuisn,.s" 01 Ihe board with a private member. The inspector had no right to send letters on such subjects to any member 01 the board. He thought the board would quite agree with him.—Mr. Abraham James and several mem- bers endorsed the chairman's observations, Mr. Atwood remarking thai the inspector must not '-do it .i^ain." The conversation then ceased. Yiiyxlas.-—The Inspector reported that since the last meeting opei ations had been commenced for putting ilie cotiag s al Ynyslas in a sanitary con- dition. Provision had been made to prevent rain water fiotn entering the houses through the doers uut no damp-proof floors had been constructed. The tilack Lion Inn, Llanbadarn-fawr—The ln«pi ctor reported as follows:—"The magistrates' room al this place is in a condemned house. The inspector humbly nquesh before he is asked to pro- ceed further ill the matter that steps should be aken al. ihe proper quarters to provide elsewhere a I eiter place for the administration of justice Apart from the state ot ihe house of which it forms a part, thi- room in these days oi sanitary strides may be i\ garded as utterly tnsuita'ole in itself for such a purpose. It lias no sufficient height no proper mtans of ventilation when crowded j whilst the earthotthe graveyard tests against its pine- enct wall to a neighl not far fiomtevet with its ceiling." Theini-prctorsatdn was not fit tor habitation apart from other considerations the loom was nut tit for the magistrates' meetings, he chairman stud the inspector had nothing to do with Il it the magistrates chose to sit there they musi do so. The board ordered, alter some discussion, that tho huilding should be examined by the inspector, accompanied by the medical officer, and that a f. poi i, siiould be presented to the next meeting. The meuting was then adjourned to .Toaday, January 7th, at 11.30 a.m.

LOCAL LAW CASES. AI'PKAi, BY THE CA.UUKIA X RAILWAY. EAGI.£snELD V. THE AlAUQUESS OF LONDON- DERRY. In the High Court ot Justice, Chancery Division* IIn .J.t'lIllay (I)elo, I' LOI'Lis Justices James and Bug- gcibuy, and Sir U Biamweil), an appeal was made oy the Cambrian ICtilway Company against the decision of lht Master of the Rolls, who determined that the plaintilT was entitled to the return of tO.UOOi 2Seulh and Brecon debentures, which, lie alleged, he exchauged for what was represented as -No 1, iJ per ceut prefeience stuck, hUt w, iLl¡ pruve.i 10 l.lt" Nu, ;3 prdU'IlJJ¡;" :sweI" tly tile atnbiian ivailway Act, 180-1, various companies weie united III Ihe CaluullUll Itaihvay CUlUpaHY aim 86.UO'.1'. ol prelereuce capital, of winch 10,000/ ad been issued udlltr tllC Mid-Wales Hailwi,y Act ot I860, was classed as Llanidloes .No 1, 6 per cent, preierence stock. In Alarco, t6(io, the wdiole of the additional preierence stock the Cambrian Company was authorised uy LH; various Acts tu raise was to their contra tor, Mr. t homas iSavin. The 10,00U(. stock in ques'ion in the suit was part ol thy lofcu, ami tile cunsitieratieu 1111' its purchase was the iia-.Siel' tu ,\11, iSavin oi ä nk<' amount 1.1 eaLJ all,1 Ureeou debentures. Mr. Ea^lesdehi, who negotiated the purchase, ail- ged that he stipulated mr No. 1 ,lallllÍ.OlS .> per cent, preierence ..t, k, lld Ilw stock was so ues~ribed ill Mr. bavin's certificate 01 Hropi ieiorsbip, which was lodgt d at the company's UiJil" prior to the transfer lu the plaintiff. IL (ifjcaring alter *o.ijC time iliai. the stock was not .\11. I i.lanidloes o per cent, stoi-k at all, but Llau- diocs and .Xewtomi slock ot 1804, which were said io tie comparatively v. orihlcss, the plaintiff fi.ed his iitii for relief, oil tile gi ouiui that lie had been in dueed to acci-pt the stock ou and lor Llanidloes ,\u. I stock by misrepresentation on the pai t of the oinp.thy and its agents, the directors,and secretary, Lila Mr bavin was the registered proprietor ot so much Llanidloes No. 1 preference stock, whereas the fact was that he had never been the proprietor ot any such stock, but ol the stock of 1864 only..Mr ■Savin himself had been a bankrupt since the trans- .cuoii, and was alleged to be in insolvent circum- stances, tor which reasou be would not make a party to ihe suit. The defendant answered that it was a misiepresentaLiun ot law, for which they oughl nolto lie helli responsible, the certificate huy- ing been been issued under legal advice as to the .rut.' construction of the Cambrian Itailway Act, 18(14, regulating the priority inter ne oi the various stocks ol the company, and in the bona-Jide behet that the slock was similar to the Llamdioes No. 1, created by the Mid-Wales itailway (Extension) Act of 1800. The Master ot the ltoils ordered that the plaintiffs liould give up the No, ii stock, and that the defendants should find 10,000i Neath and lil t con debentures tor the plaintiff:, or if that should turn out to be impossible, they should pay ior the value of the debentures at the date ot the transaction, alld inttres'. at the usual rate. Mr. Cotton, Q.C' Air. Marten, (4.C., Mr. Fry, Q.C., Mr. Crackweil, and Mr. bpeed appeared for llle appdlauts; and Mr. Southgate. Q C., Mr. Davey, Q.C and Mr. Pheur appeared for the responded Iii. i lien Lordships were of opinion that the plain- tiff'hud lailt d to make out tje case 01 deception on which his claim dt■ p« nued, and therefore, rever- sing the dt cisiott of tiie court below, dismissed the oill with cust".

CORRESPONDENCE. No no'-ce ran be taken of anonymous communicaliins, IV; a'c*cr is intended Jcr inse;:ion must be aulhen- by the name and address »,* the w, Her not nere-sc; </ for pu.ol.cai 'on, bui as a gua"a,.lee of ;/ooii faiiit. fi e or does not hold h'.velf responsible for the of his corre*poad-Ht; itor is Ic si opposed, io adopt iheiii as his own.

LLAXSAIN'iTFKAID (U.D.) SCHOOL BOALD. To the /So if or of the Aberystwyth Observer. Sir,—As a ratepayer in the above named selic uoard district, 1 was very glad co read in the columns oi clie Uu;;c/'cc" that the board had muslered courag-j euouga to pads a resolution that children, notwith- standing the parental obstinacy, must attend scnooi. Many persons thought that theooard would sleep out the remahiuer of its existence, and leave the work to its own i ate but I am glad that it still has some life. \V bether the motive of the act is brokenhearted- ness on account oi the disappointment which the board met with from the hands oi the district magis- trates when in fcue discharge of its duty in prosecu. ting some oi the worst delinquents, viz., refusing to send and keep their children at school as ordered, or whether the board indulge in their neglect of public i.utyaud lorget that it is responsible to the rate- payers tor the work undone, 1 am at a loss to under- stand, and consequently in an improper position to judge. One thing is certain, the schools ot the board arc oioie than half empty, while the children swarm- ing both in village and country are growing wildly ignorant—breaking hedges for turnips and doing every uns. hici within their power, thus causing a. ia. gc amount of damage and annoyance, all moreover the expense oi the ratepayers. Hie rate it is said is 011 the increase, and how else can it be, whilst the machinery is m full employ and has nothing to per- ioral, but consuming itsell wastefully at the expense 01 the public, lí, 1;; Oi no use to question parents about ttic-ir children or exhort them to send them to schoui advice and questions are in many cases im- pudently reciprocated, although the parents are oitoii doubly supported by the ratepayers entirely disregarding also the moral culture and the future loss oi their children. 'he Acts oi Parliament bear- ing upon public education are in themselves excellent, and ,1,:1 immense boon to the public ii properly worked 111 tiie absence of prejudice. if the magistrates, in the interest of the ratepayers and the community at large, were to render the school board as a public functionary, that assistance which devolves upon them its authority would be established, and its claims feit, instead oi being ridiculed as. at present. A capital grant must also be gained or lost in pro- portion as the children attend their respective schools, and a grant cannot ever be Expected whilst one children remain at their homes more than eight months out ot every twelve. No doubt the loss of grant sustained on account of this negligence will be trom seventy to eignty pounds this year alone—a sum suilicient to maintain a fair school. This deficit must be obtained from rates, whereas it could be easily obtained from a capitation grant, whilst the schools would reliect great credit upon the county. 1 trust that the magistrates and board will co-operate to alleviate the rates and improve education generally. A fiATEfAl'EK.

sOYCs OX THINCS NOTEWORTHY. ■:o much has been •said lately about the speed of trains especially iu connection with the last accident, to dIe "idying Dutchman," that the following authentic instances of high railway speed, which i take from the Jingincer, may prove interesting to your readers :—Urunel. with the Courtier class of locomotive, ran It! miles in 10 minutes, equal to 78 dies an hour. Mr.-Patrick Stirling, of the Creat Xor hern, took, two years back, 16 carriages 15 miles in 1*2 minutes, equal to 7J miles an hour. The (.! -eat 'Lord of the alld 'Iron Dake.' broad gauge engines on the Great Western lie. il way, have each run with four or uve carriages from Pad- ding ton to Didcot in 47 J minutes,equal to 6t) nules an hour, or an extreme running speed of 72 utiles an hour. Tho new Midlan coupled express engim s, running in the usual course, have been timed liS. 70, awl 72 1.:iles an hour. Tho 10 a.m. express on tlw Great Xorthern, from Leeds, we have ourselves timed, and found mile after mile at the rate of a mile in 52 seconds, or at ô9 miles an hour. I sec that Mr. Valentine Baker is extremely care- ful iJl his selection of officers to serve under "hiin in the Turkish Cavalry. It is annouueed that he will admit none into his corps except such as he knows to be good and efficient officers, who have nothing against them in any way. When the words "nothing against him" are used with reference to a person in this country, they are generally understood to mean that he had never been convicted of any crime. Ex-Colonel Baker, remembering why he is an "Ex," is determined to have no more than wne tainted reputation in his corps. The noble service of the Turkish Army and the unsullied character of Mr. Baker are not to be discredited by any sort of "loose fish," The prophets who write for Old Meore and Zad- kiel do not often commit themselves to very clear or definite statements. Their predictions usually allow considerable scope for "hedging." Somethiag which is not very clearly defined is announced for a, date which is not very clearly stated, and under such cir- cumstances it requires but little ingenuity to satisfy the simple people who buy such stuff that a predic- tion has been really verified by the event. This year one of the prophets has grown bolder and ventured to predict in very definite terms, that, in the month of June, 1877, a very important discovery in chemis- try will bo made, which will go far towards solving the problem of the disposal of sewage. I shall pin the prophet to that prediction, and make a note of i:, But I have no doubt the prophecy will be ful- filled, for, as the prophet of course knows, scarcely a month passes '.tow without some important discovery of the hind being announced. Local authorities around us who are at their wits ends to know what to do with their floods of filth had better wait another eight months before committing themselves to any particular scheme, and if this prediction is only brought under the notice of the Law Courts, the judges will ccrtamly postpone the hearing of all cases under the 1 fivers Pollution Act until after next Midsummer. Mr. Guildford Onslow announces with a joyful shout that his agent iu Australia lias discovered not ouly tha real Arthur Orton, but also one of the crew of the Bella, and that Tichborne" (that is the man at Dartmoor) will be free within six months. As Mr On: low has offered a reward of two to three thousand pouuds, it is not unlikely that somebody is trying to get it.; hut I trust that even Mr. Onslow is not "green" enough to pay over tlie money until he lia^ at least satisfied himself (to say nothing of a British jury) that he has found the genuine article. Has Mr Onslow forgotten the perjured scoundrel who during the famous trial declared that he was with the Clf im mt on board the Bella ? And has he forgotten further hat the Claimant readily and joyfully recog- nized hint as one of the companions of his vovage ? Afte" that exhibition, Mr. Onslow will perhaps excuse rie from belieyin_ or the present that he has found a member of his civ,v. As for the "eal A "thuf Orton. T canaotat present believe h8 is in Austr dia. because I believe he is at D "tiuoor, and I hove gone far enough into natural philosophy to find ''i;it a body, howeve" large, cannoc oe on opposite sides of the world at. I he the same time. St'dl I aai op-.m to conviction; and if the coming Australian really proves to he Arthur Orton, 1 will apologise like a gentleman to the Dartmoor convict, and to his faith- ful friend Onslow, Towyn, December 1st. DIOGENES.

Rowlands' 0 oOX 0 w">" ens pud p ves ;ha teeth, p e vTen; « p ?d p •■ p^is tln?'v decay, prd n'tves a pleasing ftagrancetothe breath, Of all chemist^ and perfumers a.t 4s. 9. per box.

II A MORAL REFOIUTEK." Acolourod man, says the Bolton correspondent of :.he JJrcrpool Post, is wanted bj the Bolton police on & charge of ob1 lining goods by false pretences. He was recently engaged by a local tradesman to travel for 0 ders for Bibles and other books. He assumed tie character of a "moral reformer," and occasion- a'lv lectured on teeiotalism. Some days ago he .• 'led upon Mr. James Preston, watchmaker and j eller, Bolton, and after giving the name and dress of a gentleman who was afterwards dis-, c veied to be dead, he succeeded in obtaining t ee gold Albert chains, and two silver lever, i dies, a!(.¡wether of the value of £IS. The man 1 also obtained from a portion of the religious j • lie of bv borrowing and other contrivances, m of .E)2<). He decamped last Friday with a 'ftnt girl, although he has a wife and child living. He J. ottive of America, and has a thoroughly negro en- "f countenance. He is about thirty years of ago, una of good address and gentlemanly appearauoe.

R f I. ii, AT ABERDEEN. lie Right I W E. Forster, M.P., and Lord tor of Abe ii,-en University, has been presented h the freedom of the city of Aberdeen. The took place in thc J\fl{sic-hall.in the presence about 3.000 persons. In acknowledging the honour. Former delivered an addrtss in 1 he coune of which .■<■ touched at some length on the Eastern Question. Ie did not recollect any publicquestionengrosfint; ])]1:cl1 attention as t'lis had done. and when Prime Minister introduced into his speech reference o a possible campaign of two or three years' dura- ion, it was not surprising that a keen interest should !>e felt in it. Lord Beaconsficld had greatly increased he difficulties of the situation. This country could never attain that cordial agreement with Russia which was absolutely necessary to prevent a terrible war breaking out in Turkey so long as we had an unfounded msnicion of that country. 'ihe ri^ht hon. gentleman defended Rm sia's action as perfectly fair, and alludinl to the Conference, he hoped that Lord Salisbury Iyould join with Russia in seeking to obtain guaran- tees, and not mere promises, from the Turkish Govern- ment that they will no longer misgovern the Christian provinces of Turkey.

ARCTIC MEDAL. It is reported that the new Arctic medal is to be An oval. Acorrespondentwritestosuggesta hexagon (the typical shape of ice) as more appropriate and handsome than either the proposed oval or the old octagon. The London Gazette states that her Majesty having been graciously pleased to signify her commands that a medal be granted to all persons of every rank and class who were serving on board her Majesty's ships Alert and Discovery during the Arctic Ex- pedition of 1876-76, and on beard the yacht Pandora in her voyage to the Arctic regions in 1876, the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty hereby give notice of the same. The medal will accordingly be awarded, as follows 1st. To the officers, seamen, marines and other persons serving on board of her Majesty's ships Alert and Discovery, between July 17, 1875, and Nov. 2, 1876. 2nd. To the officers and crew of the yacht Pandora, between June 3, 1876, and Nov. 2, 1876. Notice is hereby given, that all claimants to such medal should apply by letter, with the words Arctic Medal on the outside, to the Accountant General of the Navy, Admiralty, New-street, Spring- gardens, S.W. Every applicant must state his rank or rating and the name of the ship on board which he served in the case of every petty officer, seaman or marine, it is indispensable that the application be ac- companied by a certificate of service, unless the appli- cant is serving on board one of her Majesty's ships, when the application should be made through the commanding officer.

THE FAMINE IN INDIA. A painful account of the state of matters in tha famine-stricken districts, says the Bombay Gazette, reaches us inalettet dated Sholapore, 31st uit. On that r1 iv. at the Mungul Bazaar, the Goojurs and other people brought about 1.500 animals, of which 500 were taken i. "the compound of the Sholapore Spinning and Weaving Mills premises. Theee, with the animals that were there before, made a total number of 2,500. I' i 1. r has considerably risen in price and is still l i-ing. On the date above mentioned 15,000 animals in all were brought for sa'e, and many more were expected to be brought in the next day. So great i. the scarcity of fodder that many of the owners, for want of means to feed the animals, left them in the compound of the mill premises and walked away, Arrangements were being made to send away the ani- mals to stations at a distance where grass or fodder eould be had. The 20.000 rupees unexpended balance of the Madras subscriptions to the Bengal Famine Relief Fund will he now utilised as the nuoleus of a Madras Famine Relief Fund.

A WIFE'S TRICK. Patrick Wallace, a labourer, of St. Olement's-road, Netting-hill, has been charged at the Hammersmith Police-court with assaulting his wife.— The complyn- ant said her husband had been a teetotaller for a long time. On Saturday he was drinking, and could not find her. as she removed to other lodgings. He did not stride her, and she had not any marks. She did notwish to charge him.—Mr. Paget Why did you give him into custody ?—The wife (smiling) To keep him quiet, as I did not like to take him to fresh lodgi"ffs. (Laughter.)—Mr. Paget ordered him to be discharged.

The Arctic ship" are to be paid off at the commence- ment of next week into th9 First Division of the Steam Re&erYe. go that they will not be dismantled, but be ready for flUther service if required. A colonred gentleman, described as Signor de Tomanzie," who practises as a doctor, has been elected a member of the Derry Town Council. He promises to discharge the duties of hit? onice "in a manner be- fitting a Hindu." The Rev. Thomas H. Ball, vicar of Hartshill, has been before the Birmingham Bankruptcy Court. He said he had had a family of eighteen children, fifteen being still alive, and eight being dependent on him. His inoome was JEI30 a-year, though twelve months ago his wife had JMOO a-yea* settled on her. The proceed* t W wen ftdieuratdt

CHARGE OF WILFUL MURDER. A t the Old Bailey, on Saturday, before M r. Barol Hawkins, John Sltee, 35, wall indicted for the wilfu murder of John Budgen. The prillJner and oeceaserl were labourers. The lattei, with n woman nampå Piiillia Palmer, while drinking at It public-house at E lenbridge, ]1rl1r were joined by the pri. 1I);)Cr, who was anentire stranger to them. They re- mained some time drinking at the inn. and left to- gether about ten o'clock at night. He haa forgotten hi- reaping hook, and it wall hrought to him from tloe inn. The three persons then conLinned their wny. there being no quarrel or unpleasant conversation, aJ- though prisoner had been heard to say during the evenH1g, referring tn his reapmg hook, "This is:t mark 011 some one to-night." After they 11lvl goue some difdance Budgen was recn to fall. and immedialelv cried out, My life blood j< coming froJll me." 'Die prisoner ran across SOJ11e fields, and Budgen died in a few minutes, 011 (;x:1mina.tion it was found that he bad been hamstrung. The prisoner gave variou8 accounts of the transaction, one of them being that the deceased asked him to Rhew him the seven cute,!lnd that while doing so he accidentally struck him witI, the hook.-The evidence of the woman Palmer, who had been walking some distance from the prisoner and decessed, and that of another witness, who accidentally passed thpll1,tending to the probabi lity that, this statfment was correct, the prosecxtion abandoned the charge of murder by the advice of his lordship, and, after some consultation, the jury found prisoner guilty of manslaughter. He was sentenced to one week's imprisonment.

ATTEMPT Tu i'SoA l'iO i C '.f V Hull merchant. ¡I::n:] Jam's 0 tr.vivs War', bo stands comm.if fed for trial at (be Assises at i-il a fortnight hence, for forgery and fra- r1. L:;< -er. attempting t" bieal: < r.t "f g;o I. It Fill be rr i' inhered Ilmt the prisoner absconded frc Tn Hull tr: 'iji. a year ago, p.fter forgirg hins of lading atid i ,licies of iusu :1¡-"(' to the oinonnt <• £ £ H.f 00. After \'1 adventurous carrer in t1I"t co',7n\ he WHS ar. •ested, and detained until a Hull fetched ion home. After many remands he-was committed Ir trial last week. 0111" of the prison servants haf .:)]Cp found a file ill his room, and that one of the wiod"W liar. had Leen filed entirely through, <11111,L *"cond one partly. Tlw prisoner JI:1' been searched i.od money, thongh only a few .1,illingR, found npon "1m. A 11 inquiry has been h, id r.t the gaol.-with a v ew to finding OIJt. W']" i" to 1 .lame for his being pos •• "ed "f the file a1ll11 ho •• v. as nil prisoners an • opposed to be searched r nig iie prison.

KNGLAND, RTT-<1\. AND CON STANTINOPLE. T'1 i11e eyes of 'be tOin;. Constantinople, says the Telegraph, i- a pi '11'1"(' metropolis seated ••i lie western ,J¡, e ,I' r h" P in-: hut regarded i)" the statesman and -ill -jpm s-mioiiin' ■live--a strong, perh-nw • id posi Ii, com • a .tiding the channel w in h >epar..te« two continent* t;ld controlling the inlets and IIutlels of two seas, As the straits are narrow and easily fortified it might "'(1ilv be made the seat, of a formidable naval force. V- have also described. 1111,re than once, how nearly i 'i -'gnable hnes c'¡uId be constructed on its western nit. so that ill the hands of a great aggressive wer Constantinople would necessarily become nditary an,1 naval centre radiating its in- nee. if nllt, its arm", hundreds of miles in By acquiiing this singularly advan- • oos 1".sitiun Ita.;sia. for example, won1.-1 be at once, striking a fnrthcr blow, mistress of the Sc:s. Tbe Turkish rnvv would hll with the 1'ur- ,II rule. Thcie ,o111.11Ic no-ival afloat to the new oner ft IIlll the 111"111 h of the DardaneJIes to the "1 sns. The entire command of the great trade lti-- \on1d go with the capital, and n prohibitory ,iff "II111d he interposed between the West and the ;"t, The occupation "of Bulgaria, if it were art ■ ui pli^hed fact, would confer, so long ItS it lasted, ie ma>t-erv of the Danube, and during the period i' it5 continuance would constitute a" standing ii m '.ce" at the gates of R:ambonl. Rut. thp seizure Constantinople would make it extremely difficult for "11- lither Power to withstand Russia either in Bnl- ;ria or Roumania. The weight of the antbority ■ tablished on the Dardanelles and the Bosphorus >v -u 1 <1 be felt. throughout Central and Western Europe, n t, less in Paris than ir, Vienna, nor in Rome less than in Berlin. So far as Engiand is directly con • o ried. Rhe would 1earn fir8t by increased naval esti- n.i tes what the acquisition of Constantinople meant For her: for, if she intended to l emain a great Medi- terranean Power,her fleet in that inland sea. would have be doubled.

A WELSH MINING COMPANY DISPUTE. THOMPSON V. CAKKJtGIE. in the Common l'leas Division of the High Court of Justice, Westminster, on ,Friday (before Lord Coloring*; aud a special Jury), the case "f Hiompson Cd ingle was tried. The plaintiff, for whom Mr. Morgan Howard Q.C., and Mr Lamisou appeared, was surgeon, residing at Edinbuigh, while the de- lenoant, w ho was lepresenttd by Mr Day, Q.C., and Mr. iloll, was a merchant carrying Oil business in Bishopsgate-sireei, London, being sued as chair- man of the Aih-y Crib Silver Lead M'mng Com- pany (Limited), whose properly was situated near Aberystwyth, ou the state of Sir Pryse l'ryse. It seemed that in 1869 a man named Gurdwood ac- qniied the right io work the mine tor a few hundred pounds,-and that lie suhsequenily sold it to a person called CurteiS for =2-10,000. Negotiations were en lei-td into for the ioruiation of a company, and in 1^71, Cut teis, tiiiouyii a Mr Abbot, agreed n'soil the mine to the company lor £ 28,000, JMO.dOO to be paid in cash and „ £ 18,(»00 in shares. The compauy was practically a failure from Ihe outset, and ulti- mate y went into liquidation; and the plaintiff now complained that he was induced by the defendant to become a shateholdt r by staiements that all the shar-s had been issued, that the company had been properly piacedon the divirlend 1ist, and that one dividrnd of Gd per share, had already been paid out of profits, The orig1nal pnce of the :"llart':s was £:?, but the plaintif facquired one hundred at £1 pre- mium, afterwards also obtaining ten debt-ntures at :{: IV each. lie alleged that the representations which were made to him as to a dividend having been paid out of profits were utterly untrue, the company being at the time in a state of the most extreme embarrassment. The plaintiff wa.i examined, and he declared that he was first apprised of the existence of the mine byacireular from Mr. Pell, who represented himself to be a broker, and who spoke of the pros- pects of the company in glowing terms. Among r he other witnesses who were called was Mr. Robert Dunn, a former director, who, in cross-examination by Mr. Day, admitted that the shareholders, at a general meeting, declared a dividend in opposition to the views of Mr. Carnegie and the rest of ihe board. The shareholders were afterwards informed that the condition of the :nine was such that the com- pany must either be wound up or debentures issued, idio la!ler alternative was decided upon, entirely on the responsibility of the shareholders. The people who were as';e<l to lake debentures were supplied with reports as 10 the real condition of the mine. Mr. CtM'dwood, who originally acquired the pro- p-rly from Sir Pryse Pryse, stated that, in cense- quence of a visit to the mine after the company pur- .• based ii, he wrote to the board, saying that the reports as to ihe working of tiie mine were reports as to -he working of tiie mine were ruis eading, nnil that the properly was being mis- managed. At the conclusion of the evidence forthe plaintiff, M Day submitted that there was no case to go to the jury. Lord Coleridge said i.ev.-ag strongly of that opinion, but ho should not withdraw the case from the jury. A juror inquired who introduced Mr. Fell to the plaintiff. Lord Coleridge stated that there was no evidence to show that the defendant did so. Nothing had tieenbrought forward to support the charge of fraud, and the only question was whether the defendant by his uegligence made representations which were untrue, and by which the plaintiff was induced to become a shareholder. Mr. Day contended that there was not a title of evidence to support the odious charge which had been orought against Mr. Carnegie, whom he should [dace in the witness-box in order to be cross-ex- aminpdbythpoppositeside. Mr. Carnegie .having been briefly examined, Mr. Morgan Howard admitted that in the ab- sence of Mr. Fell, who had failed to appear, his case had broken down- Lord Coleridge said that although he was always ready to denounce negligent conduct, he thought that the change in the present case ought never to have been made, or at all events ought never to have been persisted in on the evidence which had been produced. The jury at once returned a verdict for the defen- dant, and Lord Coleridge gave judgment accord- Ingly,