The Illustrated Usk Observer and Raglan Herald

A DESCENDANT OF BLAKE.—There is now working in the Southampton Docks a labouring man named Samuel Chap- man, a direct decendant of Sarah Blake, the sister of the great admiral of that name who fought our sea battles in Cromwell's time. She was attainted of high treason for carrying the sword and Bible to the Duke of Monmouth. Chapman has in his possession the original document by which she was pardoned by James 11. in 1687. This docu- ment is a very curious one, and in excellent preservation. The pardon is general, and exempts her from all future prosecutions. It is written on vellum, with a profusely pictured margin, in Latin, and in an engrossing hand. The pardon is granted to Sarah Blake, spinster, late of Taunton. After being pardoned, she married William Chapman, who was the last mayor of Chard, in Somerset. A large sum of money was raised by the Blake family to obtain the pardon. The document spoken of is evidently one of those issued by James II. for raising revenue. Samuel Chapman was the grand-nephew of a Mary Chapman, who left large property, which got into Chancery, and which he was unable to obtain, through his poverty. THE Electric Telegraph from England to India-which was a dream-bids fair to become a reality. The inventor of the submarine telegraph has completed his line across the Mediterranean, and is desirous to extend it to the In- dian Peninsula. As far as Suez he will be supported by the British Government, and his success is certain. From that point, however, he must trust to the East India Company for official aid, without which it is impossible to raise the required capital. The projector, we believe, is convinced that a single copper wire, covered with gutta percha, and secured by galvanized iron wire, could be laid down for £100 a-mile. He asks, we believe, a guarantee of 5 per cent. on a capital, say, as an extreme estimate of < £ 1,000,000 sterling. In return, the Governmeut will possess an exclusive right to the line for a certain number of hours a-day, and we presume a general control over the undertaking.-Friend of India. LORD PALMERSTON FOR THE CITY.—A movement, it is said, is on foot amongst a large number of influential citi- zens for making arrangements to return Lord Palmerston for the City of London at the next general election. M. DE LAMARTINE is expected to be present during this j year at the usual annual soiree given by the members of the Huddersfield Mechanics' Institution.

PREPARATIONS FOR ANOTHER ATTACK BY THE RUSSIANS. The Courrier de Marseilles publishes the following letter, dated Camp of Inkermann :— While the Allied armies were only bent on preparing for themselves winter cantonments, and every one regarded the campaign as definitively closed, owing to the immovabi- lity of the Russians, the report of a proximate attack of the enemy began to circulate, and disturbed the dearly-acquired repose enjoyed by our soldiers. This is not a vague rumour. The advices received by our Generals, the accounts given by the deserters, and the reconnaissances effected close to the very lines of the enemy fully convince us that the Russians are about to make a forward movement. They have of late reinforced their bridge equipages and collected on certain points the materiel necessary to convey their artillery across streams and ravines, Those preparations may have two ob- jects in view—either to serve for a retreat or an offensive movement. Opinions are divided in the Allied camp, and each party adduces reasons equally admissible. Be this as it may, there is one fact well known to everybody and ad- mitted by all-namely, that fresh troops and divisions of the Imperial Guard have lately joined the army of Prince Gortschakoff. The Russians were hitherto sufficiently strong to maintain and defend with advantage the long line of en- trenchments occupied by them, from the northern fort to the plateaux of the Upper Belbek. Nothing even obliged them to retain their positions to the north of the roadstead. There is consequently every reason to believe that the reinforce- ments received by the Russian Generalissimo will inspire him with a desire to retrieve the prestige of his arms by I some desperate attempt. The resolution of the enemy is the I more probable as the fears he must have entertained for I Cherson and Nicolaieff, since the capture of Kinburn, and which must sooner or later bring to the banks of the Dnieper and the Bug a large portion of his contingents, impose, to a certain degree, on Prince Gortschakoff, before he quits the Crimea, the obligation of offering battle to his adversaries. Thus the project attributed to the Russians of directing a new attack upon our lines of the Tchernay does not indicate that they will not evacuate the Crimea. It is a mere point of honour with them, for they certainly cannot indulge the hope of driving us out of our position. Those different con- tingencies have not been overlooked by our chiefs, as you may suppose, and, notwithstanding our anxiety to see the Russians at last descend into the plain, every precaution is taken to guard the army against a surprise. Our entrenched lines from Balaklava to Inkermann are carefully inspected and constantly extended and improved by our Engineers. The points easily accessible have been defended by new works, and on every point their armament is truly formidable. This will not prevent us from going to meet the enemy, if he affords us the opportunity, but, as I have already stated, no precaution is neglected. The armament of the new works erected on the Feduikhine heights, commanding the only passage through which the Russians can debouch on the Tchernaya, has fixed the particular attention of our officers of engineers. The French divisions are constantly kept on the qui vive. At every moment some engagement between the outposts induces a belief that the Russians are about to attack us, but hitherto none of their movements have indi- cated such an intention on their part. The Sardinian army is perfectly well installed on our left, and equally desirous to have another brush with the enemy. The English continue to occupy in great force the neighbourhood of Balaklava. There is nothing new at Sebastopol. The Russians and Allies cannonade each other across the port, but with little or no effect. The camps of the Russians on the other side resemble mole-hills. It is astonishing with what activity they dig the ground. We often ask ourselves if this is not a phantasmagoria, and what can be the utility of those im- ( mense works, which add nothing to the security of the main army ? On our side numerous batteries are being erected, particularly around Fort St. Nicholas. We daily expect our floating batteries from Kinburn, and with their co-operation we hope to silence the Russian batteries which prevent us from taking up our quarters in Sebastopol."

THE DEAR BREAD QuEsnoN.—On Thursday evening a meeting of operatives was held at Manchester to consider the questions, "Why are provisions dear?" "Why is employment scarce 1" The People's Institute was the place of meeting, and nearly 2,000 people, mostly very young, were present. A working man named Gill was called to the chair, and, in opening the meeting, repudiated any connection with the Peace Society, whose bills about dear bread had been posted on the walls of the room by consent of the owner of the building, and not with the knowledge of the promoters of this meeting, who had no intention to advocate anything in opposition to the war. The speaker praised the course taken by the Emperor of the French in forbidding the exportation of corn, and said our Government ought to adopt similar measures to defeat the object of speculators and capitalists. An amendment in favour of the Maine Liquor Law was put and lost; but resolutions against the exportation of corn, and in favour of the People's Charter, were carried. The speeches made were mostly vague and declamatory, but there was no violent speaking. A CONSIDERABLE number of live shells have been removed from the arsenal at Woolwich to Tilbury Fort, in barges con- taining from 600 to 800 each, in consequence of the crowded state of the storerooms at the former place. A number of casks, containing purified coal-tar for dressing asphalted felt for the tops of the huts in the Crimea, are lying on the quay ready for embarkation from Woolwich. For several days past there has been no transport at the arsenal moorings, con- sequently the ordnance and other stores have increased to an extraordinary amount. Some specimens of cartridges com- posed of the Waltham-abbey powder have been received at Woolwich, and have been satisfactorily proved as possessing more than the ordinary strength. A LARGE issue of 500 tons of copper coin lately made to the public having proved inadequate to the demand, a new contract for 250 tons additional is required. THE Cardiff Guardian says, that a child has just received at the baptismal font, Merthyr, the soul-stirring name of "James Louis NapoleonrMalakhoff Broom," His parents are labouring people.