County Observer and Monmouthshire Central Advertiser Abergavenny and Raglan Herald Usk and Pontypool Messenger and Chepstow Argus

EPITOME OF NEWS. --+-- O'DONOVAN ROSSA has become editor of the New York Era, which he states will be American and Republican. A BLADE STRIKER named Howson was killed by lightning during the recent terrific storm which raged at Sheffield. PRINCE FREDERICK CHARLES OF PRUSSIA has been invited by the University of Moscow to be- come an honorary member of that body. THE PRESBYTERIANS have started a project to raise £ 10,000, to provide additional accommoda- tion for worship in Ireland. THE Duke de Persigny has gone to the south of France, his health, it is said, being in a pre- carious state. HER MAJESTY, it is understood, will for the ( present remain at Windsor Castle. It is now uncer- tain when the court will remove to Osborne. THE FIRST Levee at Dublin Castle for the season is fixed for Tuesday, the 30th inst., and the first Drawing Room for the following eveningl THE WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT of the New York Herald states that it is generally under- stood in the highest legal circles that the Geneva Conference will be a failure. NAi BIN SURAWONGSE, a young Siamese nobleman, cousin of the Supreme King of Siam, is on a visit to Sir John Bowring, at Claremont, Exeter. CAPTAIN GLYN, brother of the Hon. G. Glyn, M.P., is recovering from the accident he recently met with whilst out hunting with the East Dorset hounds, near Sutton. A TOBACCONIST in London, named Clariison, has been fined < £ 25 and costs at the Marylebone Police-office for using his place of business as a betting-office. A TELEGRAM from Constantinople states that a fourth Christian has been appointed Under- Secretary of State—Vahen Effendi, to the Minister of Public Instruction, EARLY in the approaching session Mr. Birley, M.P. for Manchester, will introduce a bill for the prohibition of the Sunday Liquor Traffic, exception being made for travellers and lodgers. THE COUNTESS DE DANNER, widow of the late King Frederick of Denmark, is at present in Paris, and has received visits from all the Danes of distinction in the French capital. WE (Echo) have reason to believe that if her Majesty's present anxieties are then happily at an end, and her health continues good, she will open the Session of Parliament in person. ANOTHER death, that of John Macdonald, 59 vears of age, has resulted from the late boiler ex- plosion in Glasgow. This makes the total number of deaths eleven. A JEALOUS SOVEREIGN—The King of Bur- mah has just degraded one of the ablest and most powerful men in his dominions—Yau Atwcen VV oon for drinking-, wine, taking bribes, and speaking ill cf his Majesty." THE COMMUTATION to penal servitude for life of the sentence of death passed upon Samuel Wallis, at the late assizes at Derby, for the murder of his wife, took place upon the recommendation of the learned judge before whom he was tried. THE KING OF THE BELGIANS, who was present at the first performance of the opera of Hamlet at Brussels, has raised the composer, M. Ambroise Thomas, to the dignity of Officer in the Order of Leopold. A TELEGRAM from Versailles says that the commission appointed by the French Government to examine the project of transporting trains on large steam-vessels between Dover and Calais has reported in favour of the project. THE Civil Service Gazette hears rumoured that General Hanyngton is not to have the Indian Auditorship, for which he had been designated. The post, it is said, will be given to Sir. Blackwood, of the Treasury. THE death is announced ci Dr jrlenrj Mills Grace, the father of the three brothers who have lately' made that family name a househeld word among cricketers all over the world. Dr. Grace died of inflammation of the lungs, in the 64th year of his age. THE somewhat sudden decease is announced of Rear-Admiral Charles Calmady Dent, which took place on Wednesday at Great Yarmouth. Admiral Dent was twice married, the second time to Lady Selina Hastings, daughter of the late Earl of Hastings, and sister of the present holder of the title. THE MERCERS' COMPANY have voted a do- nation of £ 1,500 to the Derry Diocesan Fund, on the sole condition that it shall be devoted to the susten- tation of the church in five parishes in that diocese. Sir Thomas Tilson has also contributed a donation of < £ 250. PRINCE DE METTEENICH'S horses and car- riages have just been sold in Paris by auction. Of eight of the former, three were bought in, and the others were disposed of for 8,000f. a small brougham, a Victoria, and a laundelet were sold for 3,670f., the whole proceeds being under 12,000f. THE Lord Advocate for Scotland, in address- ing his constituents at Stranraer, stated that the first measure of next session woftld be "the Ballot Bill," and the second an Education Bill for Scot- land," under which that portion of the kingdom would get a quarter of a million sterling. AT THE annual congress of National Schoo teacher's held at Dublin, resolutions were adopted that the salaries of the principal male teachers should be at least £100 per annum; that pensions should be granted and that teachers be requested to teach the Irish language as a special subject in their schools. THE LOOSHAI EXPEDITION.—Advices have been received at Calcutta from the Looshai expedi- tion on the 1st inst. The British forces were advancing and destroying the villages which they found deserted -by the enemy. There had been some slight skirmishing, but the casualties were trifling. One tribe was seeking to obtain terms of peace. A GOOD-LOOKING, well-dressed young woman, who gave the name of Sarah Jane Collins, who had come from Scarborough, and for some days had been a servant at the George Hotel, Malton, was charged at the latter town with an assault on the police. Prisoner had thrashed all who opposed her, and then fought the police. Committed for seven days. THE REV. RICHARD RAWLE, M.A., who was in 1869 presented to the vicarage of Tamworth by Mr. C. H. W. A'Court-Repington, has accepted the unanimous invitation of the clergy and lay members of the Church of England in the Island of Trinidad, where he is well known, to go out to them as their first bishop. PROPOSED MEMORIAL IN HONOUR OF THE BABOXESS BURDETT COUTTS — A movement is on foot, proposed chiefly by working men at the East- end, but not confined to either locality or class, for a memorial in honour of the Baroness Burdett Coutts. It is proposed that the memorial should takethe form of a work of art-either a sculptured bust or figure. THE following advertisement from the Petites Affixes may interest bachelor readers Marriages. -Two sisters, very distinguished, of the first nobility, retired from the world, aged 19 and 23 respectively, with a fortune of four millions each, desire to be united to two gentlemen, not older than 50, possess- ing titles and fortunes. Address for particulars, &c." THE SCARCITY OF SILVER.—The Globe f understands that the payment of weekly wages to the ) crews of her Majesty's ships in the home ports is a ) matter of some difficulty, in consequence of the in. ability of the banks at the seaport towns to supply silver enough to the paymasters to meet the demands made upon them by the new system of payment. DEATH OF THE OLDEST FRE EMASON IN ENGLAND.—Mr. Mathews Greathed, of Richmond, Yorkshire, died there on Sunday, in the hundred and second year of his age. He was born at High Cunnis- cliffe, near Darlington, on the 23rd of April, 1770, and was believed to be the oldest Freemason in Eng- land, having been a member of a lodge for seventy- five years. AN AMIABLE WIFE.-In the London Bank- ruptcy Court, the discharge of a debtor was ordered under peculiar circumstances. He had been arrested in consequence of a quarrel with his wife, which led to her informing a creditor that her husband intended to leave the country to avoid payment of his debts. There appeared, however, to be no I foundation for the statement. t THE AMERICAN PAPERS publish a despatch from Cincinnati, with the date of December 20, which says :—Jesse R. Grant, father of the President, was stricken with paralysis at one o'clock this after- noon. He fell to the floor at the Covington Post- office, and remained insensible an hour. He re- covered so far as to be able to sit up and converse during the afternoon. MR. CHILDERS.—-We (Timesj are authorised to state that Mr. Childers, who acted as agent for the colony of Victoria from 1860 to 1864, will, in accordance with a telegram from the Melbourne Government, take temporary charge of the agency, pending the appointment of a permanent successor to the Hon. George Verdon, C.B., who has resigned the office of Agent-General. BISHOP DUPANLOUP AND THE FRENCH ACADEMY.—The resignation by Bishop Dupanloup of his seat in the French Academy, in consequence of the election of M. Littre, a well-known materialist, has been discussed by the Academy, and a hope was expressed by M. Guizot that the Bishop would withdraw his resignation. It appears, how- ever, that Mgr. Dupanloup will persist in his resigna- tion. THE LATE PHCENIX PARK RIOTS.-A sum- mons on behalf of Mr. A. M. Sullivan, proprietor of the Nation newspaper, has been served upon the Lord-Lieutenant, Mr. Thomas H. Burke (Under Secretary), Colonel Lake (chief of the City Police), and Superintendent Howe, respectively claiming 000 damages for assault and battery committed on plaintiff on the 6th of August last, on the occasion of the affray in Plicenix-park. SCENE IN A OOURT.-At the Sessions in Sheffield, a woman named Hackett, who had been sentenced to seven years' penal servitude, when she received her sentence took off her boot, and threw it at one of the witnesses, saying she would be revenged when she came back. She also attacked two police- men who were in the dock in a savage manner, utter- ing loud oaths and imprecations, and some minutes elapsed before she could be removed. THE CIVIL SERVICE CO-OPERATIVE MOVE- MENT.—The Civilian says :—" A decisive blow was on Thursday night struck against any further exten- sion of the Civil Service Co-operative movement, when the shareholders of the Supply Association, by a majority of 306, passed what was virtually a vote of censure upon five of the directors who had assisted by their advice, in the formation of the New Supply Association." THE CAPTAIN RELIEF FUND—A meeting of the general committee of the Captain Relief Fund has been held at Portsmouth, Admiral Sir James Hope in the chair. The final report of the manag- ing committee showed that the receipts, including interest had amounted to £57,824, in addition to gratuities exceeding the sum of < £ 5,600 awarded by the Admiralty, The money raised has proved amply sufficient to carry out the system of relief as origin- ally contemplated. DECREASE OF VAGRANTS IN BERKSHIRE. At the Berks Quarter Sessions the chairman reported a decrease of 50 per cent, in the number of vagrants applying for'relief in the various unions for the quarter ending Christmas, the result of the stringent measures taken for the suppression of vagrancy. The system adopted is to supply the vagrants with endorsed tickets for presentation at the next union, and thus disarm them of any excuse for soliciting charity. TRADE BETWEEN THE SOUTH OF IRELAND AND AMESICA.—Hitherto the American steamers calling at Queenstown have been able only to convey passengers and mails from thence to America. By a new arrangement and concessions made by the Customs and Harbour Boards, goods can now be conveyed by these steamers. The new regulations have come into force, and it is thought the result will be to open up considerable trade between the south of Ireland and America. RAILWAY COLLISION.—An accident, attended with fatal consequences, has taken place on the Great Western Railway near the Tredegar Junction. Two mineral trains, one of which :s said to lave becn shunting, came into collision at the junction of the Great Western with the Sirhowy line. The guard of olke of them was cut to pieces the driver was also badly injured. The traffic of the railway was sus- pended for some time, till the debris was removed from the line. DEMONSTRATION AT LAUSANNE.—A great demonstration was made on January 7 in memory of the French soldiers who died in Lausanne while the army of General Bourbaki was interned in Switzer- land during the war. Six thousand persons walked in procession, preceded by music, and by the tricolor flag veiled in black. A mortuary statuary was unveiled at the Montere Cemetery, a deputation from the Council of State being present at the ceremony. EARLY SPRING.—Several hawkers of chick- weed and birds' food have brought into town from a few miles out of London baskets of primroses, and f violets in full blossom. The vendors met with a ready demand, and informed the purchasers that the flowers were by no means rare at present in Surrey, Kent, and Hertfordshire. In a few days, they said, they could take young nests of blackbirds they had found. The hawkers, who gather wild herbs for botanists and druggists, stated that they never knew so early and mild a season. THE WICK ELECTION.—Mr. Pender has ad- dressed a public meeting of the electors of Wick. He justified this candidature by alluding to the fact that Mr. Laing had announced that he would not contest the seat if opposed, as well as to the numerously signed requisition which had been pre- sented to him. He advocated the ballot, economy in public expenditure, and a national system of educa- tion. At the close, a resolution declaring Mr. Pender a fit and proper person to represent the burghs in Parliament was carried by a large majority. THE FAMINE IN PERSIA. — The following telegram has been received by the Committee for the Relief of the Famine in Persia from Mr. Bruce, at Ispahan —" Thanks for one thousand pounds. The famine is worse than ever. Ten thousand persons are dependent upon us. The daily deaths from starvation are three thousand. The Feridan Chris- tians are starving in addition. The Ispahan poor are thrown on us. The Jews are starving. What can we expect ? Throe thousand pounds monthly will not feed all." THE CRYSTAL PALACE MUSIC PRIZES.—The rules and regulations drawn up by Mr. Willert Beale for this undertaking were adopted at a late meet- ing. The Challenge Prize of £ 1,090 will be awarded L- to the most efficient body of choral singers. Purses of 50 and 25 guineas will be given as prizes to the best church choirs, glee vocalists, military bands, j volunteer bands, soprano, contralto, tenor, and bass solo singers. Each class will have the privilege of electing its own jury by ballot from a council of eminent musicians. SNOW STORM IN EDINBURGH.—There has been a heavy snow-storm in Edinburgh and neigh- ( bourhood. The snow commenced to fall early in f the morning, and continued until the forenoon, when 1 it lay several inches deep. Tramway traffic between ( Edinburgh and Leith was entirely stopped; but some ] of the cars managed to run in the streets of Edin- j burgh. A number of the telegraph wires throughout the country were broken by the storm, and were repaired during the day.. THE MURDER OF A GERMAN SAILOR AT SHIELDS.—An inquest has been held on the body of Louis Pritchenhard, the German seaman, who was murdered on the morning of New Year's Day by being thrown into the River Tyne, at South Shields. The jury returned a verdict of "Wilful murder" against William James, a young man in custody, and he was committed, on the coroner's warrant, to take his trial at the Durham Assizes. Another young man named Edward John Nesbitt, also in custody on the charge, was acquitted by the jury, they not con- sidering there was sufficient evidence against him. SPAIN AND THE UNITED STATES.-By a telegram from Washington, received in Madrid, it has become known that an official decree has been published ordering the abolition, from the 1st of February, of all the differential duties on goods im- ported- into the United States by Spanish vessels proceeding from Spain or her colonies or any foreign country. This measure, together with the conclusion of the Treaty of Peace with the Republics of Peru and Chili, about to be signed through the mediation of the American Government, has given great satis- faction in Spain. REDUCTION OF COUNTY COURT JUDGES.— The Law Times is informed that Lord Cairns, as chairman of the Judicature Commission, has signed a report recommending that the number of County court judges should be reduced to thirty. It is stated that Mr. Ellis M'Taggart succeeds Mr. Blaine as Judge of the Marylebone County Court. Mr. Harington, the recently-appointed police magistrate, will, it is said, succeed Mr. M'Taggart as Judge of Circuit 34, which includes towns in Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Lincolnshire, and Northampton- shire. SHOCKING MURDER OF A CHILD BY ITS MOTEEB.—At Cupar, in Fifeshire, a few days since, a woman named Batterson cut the throat of her daughter, aged seven, whilst in a fit of drunkenness. It appears the woman had been drinking for some days. The body of the girl, half dressed, was found in a pool of blood by a little girl, who immediately gave the alarm. After she had committed the deed Mrs. Batterscn procured a, gill of whisky with her hands covered with blood, which she accounted for by saying she had cut them whilst cutting steak. Having drunk the whisky, she remained in a state of stupor till she was arrested. EXTRAORDINARY MUNIFICENCE.—The death was lately announced of an eccentric old lady named Reid, to whom belonged the houses which have been so long left tenantless and dismantled in Stamford- street and Snow-hill, London. It was then stated that she had bequeathed her property to the Brompton Consumption Hospital, but no estimate could be formed of the amount of which she died possessed. It has since been found that it will reach at least £110,000, and it is believed that even this immense sum will be exceeded when the overdue rents and other sums due to the testatrix are collected. TOWN AND GOWN RIOTS AT CAMBRIDGE. -At the Cambridge Quarter Sessions, the Hon. John Henry Trollope (eldest son of Lord Kesteven), late of Magdalen College, and Charles Drummond Stooks and Henry Hutt Cunningham, of Clare, surrendered to their bail on a charge of rioting in November last. The grand jury ignored the bills against the two latter, and returned a true bill for a common assault against Mr. Trollope, who pleaded guilty. The recorder, in inflicting a penalty of 3e20, warned the undergraduates that the next similar offender would be sent to prison. NAVAL COURT-MARTIAL.—A naval court- martial, held at Devonport, has sentenced Henry Hall, private Royal Marines, to two years' imprisonment, for leaving her Majesty's ship Indus, on board which he was serving, without leave, and striking a sergeant of marines on the shoulder with an iron spanner. The sergeant had reported the prisoner for being absent, and the latter broke away from the place where he was confined, and, seizing the weapon referred to, walked to the sergeant's mess, and in- flicted the blow. Another sergeant seized the prisoner, and, throwing him to the ground, called for a guard. THE KERRY ELECTION. — Mr. Ponsonby Blennerhasset, the home rule candidate for Kerry, attended a large meeting of the North Kerry Farmers' Club, held at Listowel. Mr. Fitzmaurice, the Protestant rector, presided. The following resolu- tion was unanimously adopted:—"That we, mem- bers of the North Kerry Farmers' Club, having read the addresses of candidates seeking representation of the county, unanimously, in accordance with our former resolutions, accept Mr. Blennerhasset as a fit and proper person to represent our views and interests in Parliament, and pledge ourselves to return him by all means in our power." THE GOVERNOR OF NEW YORK'S ANNUAL MESSAGE.—The Governor of New York, in his annual message to the Legislature, announces that the State Debt amounts to 29t millions. He recom- mends legislation for removing all disabilities from aliens relative to the possession of real estate and for imposing additional penalties on bribery and corruption at elections. The Governor thinks a re- vision of the State constitution desirable, with the obiectof giving to the Governor more power and re- sponsibility. He recommends the passing of a new charter for New York city, and that recourse shou'ld be had to legislation in order to facilitate the expo- sure and punishment of corrupt officials. The Go- vernor justifies his course regarding the Orange riots. MELANCHOLY DEATH FROM HYDROPHOBIA. —A most melancholy death from hydrophobia has occurred in Great Freeman-street, Nottingham, the victim being a boy about fifteen years of age, named Robert Kenton. The unfortunate lad, it is sup- posed, was slightly bitten on the eye about eight months ago by a small terrier dog which his father kept. Symptoms of hydrophobia began to manifest themselves on Sunday, and he died at ten o'clock on Friday morning, having been unconscious seven hours. The circumstance is rendered more painful from the fact that about seven months ago the boy's father died from the same dreadful malady, having been also bitten by the dog which has caused the death of his son. DEATH OF SIR EDWARD R. GAGE.-Sir Edward Rokewode Gage died on Wednesday last, at his house in Seymour-street, Portman-square. He was the second son of Sir Thomas Gage, seventh baronet, by his wife, Lady Mary Anne, eldest daughter of Valentine first Earl of Kenmare, and was born on the 20th March, 1812. He married, in August, 1842, Henrietta Mary, youngest daughter of the Rev. Lord Frederick Beauclerk. He was formerly in the Scots Fusilier Guards. He succeeded his brother, Sir Thomas Rokewode Gage, eighth baronet, in 1866, who in 1843 had assumed the additional surname and arms of Rokewode by Royal sign manual under the will of his uncle, Mr. John Gage Rokewode, of Cold- ham Hall, Suffolk.