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

THB GQ-OPBMATIVE CREDIT BANK. Mr. Richard Ban-sssr Oakley was further examine! before the Lord Mayor upon the charge of obtaining large sums of taomey from the public by false and fraudulent pretences. Mr. R. W. Hndswell, the accountant of the bank, was further examined. He said that in the balance- sheet of Ssptember, 1875, the securities were des- cribed as Gilbert axd Chendiena Gold Mine Shares, £ 2300 value ordinary shares in the same oompany, .£7300; Warrington Bottling Company (shares), £ 200; Oxford Bnildiag Society, £1200; Aue- tralia,N Tin Mining Company, £ 550; Keokuk and Kansas Railway, J38550; and a foreign bill for £ 500. He obtained the value of these securities from the defendant, and he could not say whether they appeared in the books of the bank. Witness had n# personal knowledge whatever of the value of these supposed securities, but he took for granted what the prisoner told him. There were some Credit Fonowr debenture shares among the securities, but he could not say whether thoae shares ware same loogea by Mr. Do. Pre as eeourity for a loaa. The Lord Mayor said he supposed the fact was that the witness did sot at all make up the balance sheets from the books, bus relied upon the statements of the prisoner. Mr. Hudawell Raid that was so, aa far as the seen- ritiea were conoersied, but he saw the whole of the I securities. He did sot 'know what became of the Credit Fancier shares or the ahnrea in the Ox- ford Building Society. So know nothing about the Australian Tin Mine, or what had bscoaae of the shares. He could not say whether at the time cf I the stoppage of ths bank any of the securities hai beez realised. The expenses of carrying on the Co-operative Review for the quarter was .£715. The amount of the reserve fend was I, represented at £ 2016, which represented that profits to that amount had been realised, but the prisoner gave him no particulars with regard to what thia profit consisted of. In addition to this, the bnlauce-aheat represented that there waa a balance of £S005, so that the total amount of profit during the quarter appeared to ba .£10,021. He placed the cltJoim upon the Imperial Life Office as a disposed claim by the request of tie prisoner. If the securities to which ha referred had been left cut, the balance-sheet would have shown a. vary large loss. The Lord Mayor observed that, according tc the evidence of Me. M Lean, if the balance-sheet had been made up from the books it would have shown a loss cf .£27,000 instead of a profit of £ 10,000. II The witness said he bad not time to make out a balance-sheet from the books, f¡,1\d if the sscuritiea I had been good securities, and could have been realised, th« balance-sheet would have appeared in the form he had givan it. He did not discover that all the funds had been dissipated until January, 1876, and he then discovered that there were no funds to pay his expenses, find he had to take their returns as c-orreet, without having any oppor- tunity of examining the accounts. At this time I there really wera no funds in the b<¡,nl. but what came in from day to day, and he oonsulted a brother accountant. He spoke to the prisoner abo-at thia state of things on the Saturday before his arrest, and at this time there was an execution on the bank for .£250 upon the asooant of an accept- I ance given by him in relation to the Gilbert and Chendiene Mine. He told the prisoner that the bank I was in a hopeless state of insolvency, and that he was not justified in receiving any more mosey from I the public. The prisoner replied that he was quite juttined, and that money would be ooming in, and they should be able to tide over the pressure. He then told the prisoaer that he was criminally liable for receiving mosey under ftuoh. oiroum- staiscas, and he again said he waa per- ftotly justified, and he told witness to get cut the balarce-ahast, and he would call the depositors together, and afk them to increase their oubscripticMM. Witness found that cheques and ac- ceptnacee of the bank were returned day after day, and that it was becoming a great scandal, and he reHiind«d the prisoner that he WIWI liable at any EBomeai to have all t&e deposits recalled. He still teeiaed to be sanguine of success, and said tha.t EaoBey woula csma ia. There waa no money to pay the clorks' salaries in this week, and on the Mme day he had the conversation with the prisoaer a ehcqtse for .£1 waa presented, and there waa no moMj to pay it. He eventually remained in the honlte until Mias Matthews' shares were sold, sad the clerks were paid at the same time. Oa tho Monday or Tuesday following, Mr. Snolgreva, ens of tae trustees, called upon bin, and they placed themselves in coramunioation with Mr. Cravrfori, ani a warrant was obtained for the appre- hension of the prisoaer. OiL the day before the war- rant was executed the prisoner asked him if he had Baea Mr. Saelgrove, assd he said he hoped that wit- iwas had not opeBed his mouth too wide. Witsoori replied that if the depositors made any inquiries of him about the bank, h* was bound to reply. He understood that. Mr. Kemp waa the assistant financier of t'as bank nndar the prisoner. By the Lord Mayor: When lie saw that the ba.k '1\as so straitened for money, he advised tbe prisoner to realise the securities, and he told him they could nor be realised at OrHJ3. Prisoner waa again resaaa^ed, bail boiiig refused. Mr. Bichard Banner Oakley, WM again brought before the Lord Mayor for further examination upon the ca?ge of obtstkiiBg £ 40,000 from the pnblic by falsa and fraudulent pretenoea. Mr. St. John Wontner again attended to prosecute on behalf of the Treasury, The defendant oondaoted his own owe. Mr. Hudswell, the accountant of the bank, whose evidence, it will be recollected, was extremely im- portant aa regarded the insolvent condition of the bank, and the incorrect statement of its affairs thati,WAS issued to the public, was again called. He was ere*examined by the defendant. He said that the Credit Foncier debeatarea that ware-veined in the balance-sheet of September, 1875, amoag the securities were eventually disposed of for £ 360. There had been a call made by tha Cradit Foncier Company, and this occasioned a depreciation in the valua ef all their securities. The Lord, Mayor observed that when Mr. Huda- well was examined in tk. first instance, he stated that he knCff noshing about the value of the securities, and took for granted that what the prisoner tcld him about them was correct. It appeared now, how- ever, when questioned by the prisoner, tha.t he seemed to know all about the socuriaas, and of what value they were. Oa further cross- examination by the prisoner, the witness said he was aware wish reference to the Ana- „ tralian Tin Company, that the prisoner sent oat £ 550 to purchase certain olaiaaa in connection with that company, but ke know nothing about the nature of those claims. The shares in this company were a portion of the sscuritaa referred to in the balance-si eet. The prisoner observed tbab the witness had stated that he informed him that he only dealt with securities that were realisable lot a moment's notioe, but it was perfectly clear that bg oould not have m&de such a BiataEaatt, as the witness must have seen at once that Bwenntieit of this character were not iQimediately realisable. In further examination the witness said that the £ 10,800 bsUr.09 of profit and loss referred to by Mr. McLean, the acoountant, as omitted from the June balance-ah«et, was brought forward on the September balanee-aheet. By the Lord :M"yOl' The prisoner suggested that tbe balance-sheet should be made out in this form. He agreed to this suggestion. The Lori Mayor Of course you agreed to it, be- I cause yeu gigned the balance-sheet that was issued to the public, but the prisoner suggested the mode ia which it should be made out. Mr. Hudswell said that was so. He went on to say that the balance-sheets were not made out from the books, but he bhd vouchers for all the payments re- presented to have been made, and he certainly did not agree with the opinion of Mr. McLean, that the balance-sheets were fictitious. In answer to further questions put by the prisoner, the witness said he had nothing to do with the books, and the prisoner never interfered in ary way with the bookkeeping. The cashier recorded the transactions of each day in the books as they oocurred, and the various vouchers, whether of debit or credit, were at once handed to the witness thrcugh a window. The deposit receipts also passed through witness's hands, and he filled up the promissory notes that were pur. chased by the public. The Lord Mayor said that he could hardly see the object of this testimony. The prisoner observed that his object was to show that all the transactions of the bank were carried on in a regular and business-like manner, Mr. Hadswell then said that the cash and securi- ties were kept in the iron safe but he did not have the keys of this safe, although, of course, he could have access to the safe to examine it when he pleased. H0 had an access to the cash. The Lord Mayor aaked the witness what he meant by this ? He replied that the keys were not in the posses- sion of the prisoner. The Lord Mayor But he could have obtained the keys whenever he pleased to ask for them P Witness Of course he could. (Laughter.) The Lord Mayor Then he had access to the OiMh ? Witness Of oonrse he could go to the safe if he pleased. (Renewed laughter.) The witness was further cross-examined at some length by the prisoner, and the case, after a short sitting, waa again adjourned.

TEBlilBLE SUFFERINGS AT SEA. The ship GrQta, Captain M'Credie, has arrived in the Mersey from San Francisco, having on board the captain, first mate, and eight men of the sailing ship Great Britain, whom they had picked up in an open boat in the Atlantic about 600 miles from Capo Clear. The statement of the master of the Grea.t Britain, Mr. H. K. Chilcott, of Liverpool shows that they passed through a period of terrible suffering. The vessel was bound from Darien to Liver- pool, with a cargo of timber, but encounter- ing very tempestuous weather, she became completely water-logged. The crew remained by her, however, for some days, during which the captain's two sens had died. At last, seeing no hope of rescue, the captain and crew, number- ing thirteen men, took to a boat, leaving the captain's dead sons on the vessel. The provisions having been Dearly all spoiled very little could be taken on board the boat, and for six days they were tossed about, enduring the agony of Blow starvation. On the seventh day a steamer was sighted, and every possi- ble means were taken to attract the attention of those on boaret, but without success, and as the steamer disappeared the unfortunate crew gave themselves up to despair. The cook, who up to that time had been the most cheerful and had tried to keep up the fpirifca of his companions, became com- pletely despondent, and died that night from exhaus- tion. Next day another man died, and, as those who were left had been without food or drink for three daj 8, they ate the livers of their dead comrades, selecting these parts on account of the blood which they contained, and with which they quenched their terrible thirst. On the following day a. third man died, and the remainder were so reduced that they could barely crawl about the boat. On the ainth day after leaving their vesselth ey were picked up by the Greta and taken on board, where every kindness was shown them, but in spite of the care with which they wsre treated their privatioss had been so severe that when they were landed at Liverpool the ma- jority were so weak that they had to be taken to hospital. The oaptain, however, waa able to go to his own home. The Great Britain was a ship of 888 tons register, built at St. John, N.B., in 1846, aad was owmed by Mr. Willia.m. G. Bragg, of Liverpool.

8TN&ULAB ACTION. The Lord Chief Justice aad a special jury were occupied in trying a straage case, in which the plaintiff sought damages for a murderous assault committed on his mare by the mare of hia Neighbour. Plaintiff sad defendant were tenants of adjoining fields at Epsom—a fence separated their lands, and accsrding to plaintiff's view of his own case, this fence wan repairable by the defendant. Each tenant bad on his ground a. mare at gross. The plaintiff's was brown, and the defendant's a grey tsare. The plaintiff having two animals on his grewnd had hia mare-the brown exe-uu. shod-ihe defendant's animal had shoas on. The fence was broken down. Evidence waa given on the part of the plaintiff that the pieces of the broken wood were found on his owa ground, which would, of course, raise the presumption that defendant's anisnal caused the breach. The broken wood was aleo indented from the defendant's side, and grey haira were found sticking to it. A witness eayv the two mares galloping wildly in the defendant's field, and it was not denied that the pUiniiff's attimal sustained very serious damage. She had been worth £ 200, and was now so injured as to have only a nominal value. For the defence, it waa shown that the fence in question had been originally put up, not for the purpose of separating fields inteaded for the grazing of cattfo, lint was merely a division between the lata cf ground parcelled cut to be let for building purposes. The defendant stated that the mare was the quietest animal be had ever seen. He had bought it eight years ago, and it WM now 22 years old. One witness had accused the animal o! pulling long faces," but it wag explained that thia witness was a Scotchman, 01", as the counsel said, "sonaded like one;" and the Scotch call pulling a long face what is techni- cally known south of the Tweed as savagisg," i.e., showing her teeth. The dark mare was aleo sub- jected to hostile criticism, and one witness said she had got acme blood in her, and that she used to bite the defendant's trees." Mr. Watkin Williams and Mr. Reid having addressed the jury, the Lord Chief Justice directed them that for the purposea of ihe day they might take it that defendant undertook to keep the fence in a proper state of repair. It was for them to say whether with relation to the use for which it was designed there was a fairly efficient fence between the fields. The jury found their ver- dict for defendant. ICE RINKS.-It appears that Mr. Gamgee's ex- perimental ice rink is not the first of its kind in this country. In July last year there was exhibited a small tkatiug floor of dry hard ice, so oold that the surfaee was covered with snow, and there has just been publicly exhibited an ice skating rink in the hot workshops of some engineering works at Birming- ham. Brine has been used as a refrigerating agent for the last thirty years. It was adopted by the late Mr. Daniel Siabe, C.E., and ueed by him with an ether machine so far back aa 1857. With regard to the chymical action of the saline solution upon metals, that is counteraotet1 by galvanising the iron plates and tioiug the oopper tubes. Messrs. West and Davfellon hope during the month of April next to have an ice ink of 2000 square feat, costing JJ2000, open to skaters at the Lillie Bridge Grounds, and until then they ask the public to withold their opinion on the merits of the ice rinka constructed by makers who have made ioe-making apparatus their study and business for nearly thirty years.

TEE «LENNIE" MUTINEERS. At Bow-street Matteo Cargalis, 36, Paroseoa Leosis, 26, Pascalea Caludis, 31, Giovanni Saves Moroa, 31, Greeks; Giovanni Carcaris, 21, George Kaida, 19, and Georgius Angelos, 20, Turks; Gaiseppe Letter, 22, an Austrian; Giovanni Caneasa, 35, an Italian; Peter Petersobn, 25, a Dane; and Charles Betaken, 24, an Englishman, ap- peared again before Sir Thomas Henry on the charges of mutiny and murder of the captain and two mates of the Btitish shi^ Lesnie on the high seas, and under the jurisdiction of the British Ad- miralty. Mr. Poland, instructed by the Solicitor for the Treasury, prosecuted Mr. Sidney Woolf, and Mr. Beard defended the prisoners. Mr. Poland asked for the discharge of the prisoner Lottes, the Austrian. He said he now felt it was clearly his duty to call him as a witness. With re- gard to another of the prisoners he had not yet fully decided, it was a matter of great importance to decide correctly as to which he should call. The prisoner was discharged and placed in the witness-box. Guiseppa Lettes, who said be woald like his evidence taken in Italian, stated I am an Austrian, aged 22. I have been seven years at gea. In October last I went from London to Antwerp, and there joined the British ship Lennie. I went there with the prisoners new here. Mr. Long, the ship's agent, took me over. On board the Lennie I signed the ship's articles (produced) as an able seaman. I waa in the chief mate's watch. After leaving Antwerp all went well for some time. Oa the morning of the 31st 0-st. I was in tha chief mate's watch from twelve till four. Daring that watch the captain came on deck, as did also the second mate and hia watch. They were all on deck. The second watch came on about half-past three. The men in the chief mate's watch wer,) the boatswain (Canesaa), Charley (Renken), Kaida, and Aidgoloa. Under ordinary circumstances, Moros was in one watch, but on tha t particular nig ht he was ill in his berth. When the second mate's watch waa up, Moros did not come ap. All the others came up in the second mata's watch, They came up be- fore there was time to put the ship about, and the captain was giving orders to go about." He was swearing because the men could not pull well the braces. I was with dye others pulling on the quarter- deck, and the captain said, Pull those braces well, sons of b-s." Big Harry (Oaludia) put a knife into the captain's stomach. It was his own knife. (Witness gave all thia part in English). He drew the knife from his sheath. The captain was close to the cabin coor. I was about two feet from the captain. Big Harry was talking Greek. The captain, when struck, ran right round the poop. I don't know what he Raid. He gang out something. The second mate was on the poop. French Peter (Csrgalis) stopped the captain, and put the knife in the front of his head. (Witness imitated the act of stabbing.) It waa dark, I did not see what sort of a knife. It was a knife. French Peter then struck the captain in the side, juat above the hip, on the left aide. Then Caludis cstched hold of the skipper, and heaved him down upon deck. He took the cAptAia'slougbot)ts and cap off, and threw them down on tie decsk. There was blood all over the deck. He was still alive when the boots were pnlkd off. I taw blood, on his face. I saw the five first prisoners (Carga'i?, Car- cst-ris, Lectispv, Caludis, and Kaida) go down on to the mfda deck, where the second mate now ap. peared. The second mate was cryicg, and put his hands to boatswain's neck, end said, "Bo&t-swain, save my life." He ha.1 been on to the poop, snd had tried to pull the skipper into the o«.bia. Big Harry put a knife through him twice while he was trying to do this. It was then he ran forward, and asked the boatswain to save his life. The boatswain shoved him away, and Bi-g Harry again struck him several times in the neck. All the five and the boatswain were there at the time. The mil-te fell down on deck, and one of the men took off his boots. We braced the foreyards sharp up, all sails beipg Bet. I do not know who was at the wheel. Kaida had been at the wheel when the captain told the men to put the ship about. Lips (Kaida) now went on the fore-rigging. The first mate was sitting in the middle of the forejard. I did not hear him give any orders, Lips had a revolver in his hand. It was the piatol belonging to Joe, the cook (Careark). With this pistol Lips fired on the chief mate he was then in the middle of the fare-riggiag, near the mate, who was above him on the middle of the foreyard. Lips fireql four times altogether. When he first fired the mate said Ah ah I could not see whether the shots hit the mate. I had heard no shots before. The chief mate then lowered himself down on to the deck by the fore-bunting, Carcaris was there with a knife which he drove through the mate several times, about twenty times-I can't say how many-all over him, and in his breast. I could not see what sort of knife it was. I saw blood on the deck. French Peter put his foot on the breast of the mate, and then sut his head half off. (French Peter is Cargaiie.) The five I have named were all stand- ing close. (French Peter here made an observation in Greek to Leouses, at which they both laughed.) They got about ten fathoms ohain and made it fast to the chief mate's leg. All the five helped. I can't say which actually fetched the chain or tied it on. There were only those five there at the time. They then heaved him overboard, with his clothes and all on except his cap, which was taken off. They hauled the body and the chain together. Joe, the oook, made fast the oat block to the second mate. All the five I mentioned were there. The second mate wag gead, He was hsaved overheard. The Englishman, RenkeD,waa then at the wheel, I did not see what became of the captain, M I left him on the poop, and went forward with the five, when I saw what I have told about the mates. We after- wards went below into the oabin. The doors leading up from the cabin were shut by Leouses, who made them fast with a. rope. That rope was tied round so that a person from inaide oonld not open it. He did that at the time he struck the captain. Witness explained that Leouses did not strike the captain him- self. He put the rope round at the time the captain was struck. The last time I saw the captain he was still alive. I did not roe him dead. Daring the time the effuers were killed, Petersen WAS on the look-out forward. He and Kinken went to the coal kcker. I know that because the boatswain (Cameron) called them twice after the bodies had been thrown over- board. He called them to tell Petersen to go and look out and Eanken to go to the wheel. I then saw them come from the coal-looker. I can't remember what time they went to the coal-locker. They went down below with us. I think every one went down all the ton. Moros was down in his bunk sick; he was not on deck. Moros wa, dotn below, but I can't sa.y when he went there. Little George (Angeloe) went down into the cabin, They were all down having their coffee. I took charge of the wheel. I relieved Charles Renkeo. He gave me the c-urse, S. by E. It was daylight, about six o'clock, when I went to the wheel. Before the morning on which the officers were killed, I heard something said about it. All the five men I have previously named (Car- galia, Carcaris, Leouses, Caiudis, and Kaida) had talked about the klufo." I do not understand much Greek, but I heard them aay something about "knife." (Witaess here gave the Greek word for knife.) They were all swearing in Greek about the captaiu, and called him a "cuckold" oaptain. I heard nothing- more. I do not know who throw the captain overboard. I did not see who washed the blood up. I saw some of them take the name of the ship off. They painted it over. Joe, the cook, and Lips did it off the stern. I was relieved from the wheel at about eight o'clock. I think it was Peter- sen. After thia the steward had charge of the ship, and the boatswain waa officer of one watch, aid the steward of another. The men wanted to go to a Greek place. Oae of the men (Joe the cook) told me in Italian. He said they were goirig to a Greek place, make a hole in the ship, and let her go down in the water. Canessa told me in the French prison that he had put some iron in the compass to disarrange it. I do not know whether he did do that. He said it was to prevent the ship going to Greece, as he was afraid that if the ship got to Greece the Greeks would out the heads off the others. He told me the same once on board ship. He speaks ItaliaDt English, and Greek. I know that Petersen took charge of the ship for some time. I do not know when he took it, but the steward took it again afterwards. I remember the French pilot coming alongside, and I remember the five men leaving the vessel in a boat, The arrangement for them to leave was made between them in Greek. They wore oilskin. I don't know what they had underneath. They took bags with them. I don't know what these bags contained. They took tins of meat and other things with them in the boat. I had taken my share of work in the vessel. I obeyed orders given me. The day after the six men went in the boat the man-of-war came, and I helped to lower a boat for the steward. I was afierwsrda taken into custody. I took none of the property be- longing to the captain, or mates. I occupied my old berth on board after as before the captain was killed. The piatol used by Lips (Kaida) was a revolver. It had five chambers. The barrel was broker. I had seen it before. I know it belonged to Joe, the cook, as he had said so to me. A knife (produced) be. longed to Joe, the cook. Another knife (produced) was used by evevy one. never saw a pistol with two barrels. I did not know that Joe, the cook, had another. Mr. Poland said there were inquiries being male which made it undesirable to call another witness that day, and as Mr. Woolf did not wish to cross-ex- amine, Sir Thomas Henry agreed to another remand.

RUSSIAN ACTION IN OOREA. The Paris correspondent of the Times, after noticing the report of a commencement of war between Japaa and Corea, says I learn that a Russian army of 12,000 men has entered Corean territory on the Northern frontier, under pretext of pursuing brigands. If, then, Japan had been really led into a war with Corea on the Southern Ccast, Russia would have been quite ready by a singular coincidence to offer aid to her in the North. An occupation of Corea-or, at all events, of her ports—- by a Russian force may be presumed to have been a sot unforeseen consequence of this position. Ja. deed, the need of a really good port on the Pacific shore is so strongly felt by Russia that she may be expected to neglect no opportunity of ac- quiring one. As early as the year 1861, when that seed waa lees pressing than it is now, she seemed inclined to occupy silently the Japanese island of Tsasima, which lies between Japan and Corea, and which happens to contain one of the best and largest natural harbours in the world. On that occasion, however, the English interposed to prevent annexa tion. We shall, perhaps, bear more before long of Russian action in Corea, for that country is con- veniently placed for the gradual extension of the Russian frontier towards Chîna. Meanwhile the Russian Government has taken measures practically to utilise its recent acquisition of the southern half of Saghalien. A special office for the aàminiBirÜion and development of that island has been organised at St. Petersburg, and a regular service of steamers is about to be commenced between Saghalien and Shanghai. It is announced that those steamers will be gunboats.

THE LADIES' CAGE IN THE HOUSE OF COMMONS. (From the Daily News.") Amongst the batch of notices of motion given on the opening night of the session was one by Mr. Serjeant Sherlock, intimating his intention of moving a resolution condemnatory of the railing before the Ladies' Gallery in the House of Commons, A notice to a similar effect stood on the paper throughout last session, classed with Mr. P.J. Smyth's resolution for the Repeal of the Usion and others in the forlorn list of notices for which no date has been fixed." On this occasion Mr. Sherlock has been more fortunate, and, taking time by the forelock, has succeeded in getting his motion on the paper for an early day. It is not difficult to forecast its fate should it reach the dignity of being put as a question by the Speaker. The House of Commons has in recent times struck with unflinching hand at ancient institutions, and h«s not bfen stayed in the progress of what it held to be reform by consideration of respectable anti- quity. But the iron bars whereby the Ladies' Gallery is made a cage are typical of much more than meets the eye, aad represent one of the most cherished privileges of the House. Few things have been resisted with stouter obstinacy, or yielded to, when concession became inevitable, with worse grace, than the presence of strangers in the House of Commons. Male strangers are even now allowed to enter under restriotioms which suggest a lingering fear of a re- petition of the Gunpowder Plot. Only a limited number are admitted, and these only when their respectability is personally vouched fcr by members of the House; and being ad- mitted they are placed under the strict sur- veillance of an arbitrary official. The presence- of ladies is an innovation of still more moderate date. Private members, blest with wives and dowered with daughters, were able to bring to bear sufneient -in. flaesca to secure the inclusion in the design of the preaeat Houses of Parliament of a Lidies' Gallery. The claim for admission on the part of ladies was recognised as irresistible. But it was felt that the line must be drawn somewhere, and it was ruled with iron bars across the gallery appropriated to their use. Whether the removal of the heavy trellis work in front of the gallery would abolish all the in. inconveniences that pertain to the Laciea' Gallery is a queetion it will be time enough to discuss when the House of Commons haa shown a disposition to entertain the bold and chivalrous proposal which aims a heavy blow at one of its most eaoreS tradi- tions. FATAL ASSAULT.—■ Michael Carney has died from the effects of injuries received in a brawl. Whilst in a beershop some men entered &nd began play kg at dominoes, and deceased pointed cut some unfair play, when Bwney Flaherty knocked him dowjj. Whilst the deceased was rising James- M'Cue felled him with a. violent blow under the ear. Dacessed'a eon went te hia assistance, when he was severely maltreated, and one of the savsges bit cff a portion of his thumb. Carney was able to wa.lk home, but he was in a very weak condition, and died next morning. Flaherty and MICue and another man are in custody. PRINCE Lours KAPOLEON'SS TWENTIETH BIRTHDAY.—Prkc-3 Louis Napoleon ha2 attained hia twentieth year. The event was very quietly observea at Cnisiehurst, the Prince being aver.se from celebrating his birthday by any festivities ia existiug circumstances. What occurred may bo very briefly narrated. At half-past nine o'clock the- Esapresa went to the Raman Catholic church dedi- cated to St. Mary. Shortly before ten her Maiesty was joined by the Prince, on whose behalf a Mass was saiJ by the RJV. 1. Goddard, cur é of St. Marj's, assisted by tha Ven. Abba Freschia. During the day several adherents of the. Imperialist cause left bouquets at Csunden. place, and a large number of congratulatory telegrams were received by the Prince from Franca. The Empress and Princo were aonompariied to church by tha Duo de Baasane, Comte Clary, Baron Corviaart, Dr. Con- neau, M. Pietre, the Comtesse Clary, and Mad;4!LO Lebreton-Bourbaki.