The Illustrated Usk Observer and Raglan Herald

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT. -+-- In the House of Lords, on Thursday, the Lord Chancellor laid on the table a bill to amend the law on the subject of the Extradition Treaty with France. It had been found by the French Government that owing to the interpretation put by the magistrates of this country on the treaty it was impossible to obtain the extradition to France of offenders charged with murder, attempted murder, and fraudulent bankruptcy, for in such cases the magistrates required prima facie evidence of guilt and tb e verification of docu- ments submitted to them. Unless, therefore, some other course was adopted, France would find it necessary to put an end to the treaty. The bill, therefore, proposed that magistrates in England should admit certificates signed by French judges and sealed with tb.e seals of their courts as sufficient evidence without any further proof of their genuineness. The Earl of Clarendon said that the French Government had acted in a most conciliatory spirit in a matter in which this country was in error. The bill was read a first timt. The Revising Barristers Qualification Bill, the Piers and Harbours Confirmation Bill, and others were advanced a stage. The House adjourned shortly after six o'clock. „ In the House of Commons, in answer to ten questions from Mr. Stuart JYLill as to the course to be taken towards certain officials in Jamaica, The Chancellor of the Exchequer said that the form in which the questions had been put was rather in excess of the rule of the House. Nine of them inquired whether any steps would be taken as to occurrences in Jamaica which the question assumed to be illegal; and the tenth asked if those proceedings were illegal The allegations contained in the questions were not wholly accurate; and it was ignored that the acts complained of were committed during martial law, and there could be no irregu- fTu lrt "3e formation of the courts; in some v. 1 cases mentioned the acts alleged were not proved, while most of the charges, as alleged, were too sweeping and based on assumption. The commission ap. pointed by the late Government having reported, Governor Eyre was dismissed, and any farther steps against him could only be founded on a confusion of idea. as to error of judgment and malice prepense; while the Admiralty authorities bad decided that no steps should be taken against any of the naval officers concerned; and the Horse- Guards had not yet pronounced an opinion as to what was to be done with regard to the military officers. He could give no further information. In answer to Mr. P. A. Taylor, Mr. Walpole said that an order of the Chief Commissioner of Police, prohibiting a public meeting announced to take place in Hyde-park on Monday next, had been issued by his (Mr. Walpole's) direction and authority; he was entirely re- sponsible for it. Sir G. Grey said the prohibition in question was ia exact accordance with previous acts of the Rome-office on similar occasions; and he had before he left office given similar di. rections to the Chief Commissioner of Police. In answer to Mr. Mill, Mr. Walpole said the prohibition was founded only on the fact of the meeting being fixed to take place in Hyde-park, and had no reference to the abstract right of public meeting. Mr. Lowe moved the consideration of the report of the Helston Election Committee, in reference to the conduct pursued by the returning officer, who voted for Mr. Camp. bell previously to declaring him returned on an equality of votes. The matter was adjourned, on the suggestion of the Chancellor of the Exchequer, until Thursday next. In committee of the whole House Viscount Cranborne brought forward the Indian budget. Having entered at length into the history of the Indian revenue of the last three years, he said, for the current year more than £6,000,000 was spent on public works, which was a heavy item of expenditure, but it was, in fact, a large surplus which was invested in remunerative works. The railway expenditure had been a source of enormous success, for the repayment of the outlay was going on with extraordinary rapidity. Public works—particularly of irrigation—were going on railways advancing; the Ganges Canal had been rendered more fitting for its great purposes, and there was much evidence of prosperity. A discussion ensued, in the course of which Mr. Laing showed that since the equilibrium of expenditure and revenue had been restored after the Indian mutiny, it had on the whole been maintained; while the revenue had, in the last five years, increased a million per annum—and went into a comprehensive exposition of Indian affairs in all their branches. He was followed by Mr. Stansfeld, with a speech of a like character after which the debate was continued by Mr. Smollett, Mr. Crawford, Lord William Hay, Sir J. Fergusson, the new Under Secretary for India, &c. The debate was closed by a reply from Lord Cranborne; certain formal resolutions were agreed to, and the House resumed. The Thames Navigation Bill was then taken in committee, and passed through that stage. On the order of the day for the Representation of the People and the Redistribution of Seats Bills, Mr. Gladstone moved that the orders be discharged, ex- plaining that he had not done so earlier with a view to ascer- tain whether the Government would take any steps regarding them. Thatnot having been done, it was resolved to withdraw them, notice being given that any member might challenge t.lioi "WT'M tKiak propOS to deal with the question of Parliamentary Reform; andhe should be glad to support any measure which was satis- factory; while to any measure which might be reac- tionary and illusory he should offer all the opposition in his power. The orders were discharged, the other business dis- posed of, and the House adjourned at half-past two o'clock. In the House of Lords, on Friday, Viscount Stratford de Redcliffe brought forward the subject of the Danubian Principalities, contending that though in a manner inde- pendent they belonged to Turkey, and acted as a barrier between that Power and Russia. The union of the two principalities couldno6 be maintained under a native prince and, referring to the accession and deposition of Prince Couza, and the advent of Prince Charles of Hohenzollern, supported by Prussia, be showed that this was in contra- vention of treaties, and he asked for information as to the time •p0SIU0n those regions at the present The Earl of Derby declined to follow over the wide field of controversy which had been raised, or assent to principles which m effect would lead to the interference by force of this country m a foreign difficulty. He was inclined to think that the union of the two provinces was a som-ce o weakness rather than strength to Turkey; he denied that the accession of Prince Charles was the act of Prussia and tta u Eall1^Xen1eStl^haVhf.<lue3tion involved should ,ttled by neg f i!» J^nod^ of thought that the stipulation that the Mospodar the united provinces should not be a foreign power was not advantageous either to those princi- palities or Twlwy^and be trusted that the Porte would re- cognise Hospodar, on his promise to nav tribute and fulfil the duties discharged by former rulers A motion for papers was then withdrawn rulers- The bills on the paper were advanced a stage and the House adjourned shortly after seven o'clock. In the House of Commons, Mr. Disraeli said that on Monday he of the additional charge on the I^xcaequer WHICH had accrued since th« financial statement, and the course which the Government iBOn going int^committee of supply, "FVTr Gregory called attention to the evidence srivpn hap™* thfeommfssion on railways on the subject of tS^ralf- wavs showing that the fares were higher than those eit W in Scotland England, while there was the accommodation, and this to such an extent that it is as- serted that there was more accommodation in the old coach- ing times than now. The remedy was almost universally admitted to be thepassing-otto*^adwa in some shape or other into the hands of the (government. Mr. Pim seconded the motion. Mr. Gladstone said, in reference to a mea,sure m regard to Irish railways, which had been prepared by the late, and adopted by the present Government, that it would only enable the advance of about half a million. Its scope and purpose, therefore, was but small, and it could not be takea as a remedial measure for the great disarrangement of the Irish railway system. As to the motion m hand, it would be premature pending the sitting of the Railway Com- mission to enter on tbe immediate consideration of the whole ouestion, although in his opinion nothing more bene- ficial coufl be effected for Ireland than the development of ^i^^mud^p^ceeded to call attention to the present f.LnftCnavvand to the very small progress that has state of the yi. jate years, in its reconstruction been Pade'1,i; sefg and to compare these results with with iron-clad vessels, an t^ken plaoe) and is stm the great augmentation ™ Daviegof ofclier States< He taking place, m the armcmr £ 400,000 might suggested that VupplSleto the building of 12 vessels be asked for, to be ap^le™e^two-turret ships, each during the recess, two or tnem ue a + being one- carrying two 600-poundtr The total cost would be about £1,000,000, which might be spread over the esti m|irj?fpakingtonrsaid that the statement thoJeof tageous position of the English fi Tfai;an other countries was rather understated, even iron-clad fleet, to say nothing of that of France, npr:0y in fact, 58 ships armour-clad, being in comparison. _P to our own. He hoped that generally T. -Q. utilised by the improvement of our iron-clad ships, -tie y nouueed in favour of turret ships.. ,1„r.„no Mr. T. G. Baring asserted that, apart from coast-aeteri vessels, the sea-going armour-plated navy of Englanu was far greater than that of any other nation. We had a fleet oi 26 ships of this class, and the French only 17- With regara to guns, the 12-ton cannon and the other ordnance adopted in the naval service were of the best description.. The discussion was continued by Sir J. Hay, Mr. Lairu, Sir M. Peto (who censured the late Admiralty,^ and ex- pressed his gratification at seeing Sir J. Pakington in office), bv Lord J. Hay, Mr. Graves, and Mr. Alderman Lusk, when the subject dropped. Mr. Laing asked the Foreign Secretary whether he could give the 'House an assurance that no step will be taken which might commit this country to any intervention in the war now proceeding on the Continent, without giving Parliament a previous opportunity of expressing its opinion as to the poliny of such intervention. Mr. Horsman, who had a motion on the papir to call attention to the state of affairs on the continent, followed. Sir G. Bowyer eulogised the heroic conduct of Austria in the present crisis. Mr. Gladstone observed that recently military events had not only brought about a great change in affdirs, but had also brought about the disclosure of many purposes which had not been known before. Referring to the hitherto state of Germany, he maintained that she had long been a source of disturbance to Europe, and a cause of the huge arma- ments of other nations; while by her actual weakness she had not occupied her true place in the community of nations. Now, however, the problem of her position was about to be solved, and the result must be beneficial not only to Germany in general, and the triumphant Power in the war, but to that empire which had been worsted in the struggle. Lord Stanley said that as regarded intervention in the sense of armed mediation, or intervention calculated to lead to armed mediation, everything, in the opinion of the Go- vernment, the House, and the country, combined to give the best guarantee that no such policy could be now pro. duced. But as regarded the friendly offices of a disinterested Government in the interests of peace, that was an interven- tion which he felt liberty to adopt; but at the present moment her Majesty's Government stood free and unfettered by any pledge, and the diplomatic action of the Government had consisted in assisting to bring out the armistice pro- posed by Austria. As regarded the question of general policy, there never was a continental war in which the inte- rests of England were so little mingled nor did he con- ceive that the establishment of a great German Power was in any degree a danger or a menace to England. After a few words from Mr. B. Cochrane, the discussion concluded. The other business was disposed of, and the House ad- journed at 25 minutes past one o'clock. In the House of Lords, on Monday, the Marquis of Clanricarde drew attention to a statement made by Earl Russell at a dinner at the Cobden Club meeting, to the effect that a British Secretary for Foreign Affairs should have taken part in recommending an armistice to Italy and Prussia, founded on the cession of Venotia. to France. Earl Russell stated that what he said was, that for our Foreign Secretary to join France in asking Italy to agree to an armistice before any preliminaries of peace had been settled was an insult to the people of that country, con- sidering that Venetia had been ceded to France, and not to Italy. The Earl of Derby admitted that the cession of Venetia to France and not to Italy was calculated to offend the latter; but officially the British Government bad pronounced no opinion on the subject, had offered no advice, and taken no part in the negotiations, but the mediation between the belligerents had come from the Emperor of the French alone. The preliminaries of peace, however, it seemed, had been accepted by both parties, and he hoped that actual peace would ensue. Lord St. Leonards drew attention to the law relating to sales by auction, and signified his design of bringing in a bill on the subject. The National Gallery Enlargement Bill passed through committee; several other bills were advanced a stage, and The House adjourned at a quarter past six. In the House of Commons, on going into committee of supply, The Chancellor of the Exchequer rose to make a state. ment as to the supplementary estimates presented to the House since the financial statement of the present year, and stated that those estimates had altered the financial position. The revenue was estimated at £67,001.300, including jE500,000 New Zealand Bonds, and the expenditure at £66,727,000, including £500,000 for terminable annuities; leaving a surplus of £2.50,000. The increased estimates were £ 495,000, leavinga deficiency of £ 209,000. To supply this a new tax might be raised, but that was not a course very desirable. He proposed to remedy the deficit by relinquishing the pro. ceeding with the bill for the conversion of terminable annui- ties, which had been read a second time. It was a matter of regret to him that his first act as Finance Minister was to add to the burdens of the country. In laying down the principles which would govern his financial policy, he said he was of opinion that the financial reserve of the country was of more importance than military reserves, for if ever England entered into a contest for her honour and her in- terests, her financial position would enable her to go on in her inexorable purpose until her honour and her interests j were vindicated. The principle of the Government was economy at once judicious and tending towards complete- ness and efficiency. Mr. Gladstone said he adhered to the principles of finance 1 which he had developed, that of keeping up a certain scale j of liquidation of deut-principles which had received the assent of Parliament. Although the policy of liquidation of 1 debt by means of terminable annuities had been questioned, it was one of great importance, and one which he hoped the Government would bring before the House next session; and if not he should probably do so himself. After some further discussion the subject dropped. Mr. B. Hope moved that it is desirable that a new National Gallery be erected on the site of Burlington- house. Oa a division the motion was lost by 91 to 17. The House having gone into committee of supply, General Peel moved a supplementary army estimate of £2i5.000 for the conversion of muzzle-loading small arms into breech-loaders, and stated that by the 1st April next there would be 200,000 converted Eafielda for a sum of £ .145,^OOOj^the^ remainder of the sum beini loaders. After a brisk discussion the motion was agreed to. Mr. Corry brought forward the Education Estimates for Great Britain. The subject was argued with some elabora- tion, and the vote was agreed to; and the House resumed. The other business was disposed ef, and the House adjourned at half-past one o'clock. In the House of Lords, on Tuesday, the Postmaster- General Bill and the Piers and Harbours Confirmation Bill were read a third time and pas sed. In answer to Earl Granville, The Earl of Derby, in reference to the tumults in Hyde. park, expressed his regret at their occurrence, and urged that political discussion was impossible in an assemblage of tens of thousands of people. He admitted the good con- duct of the persons principally concerned, and attributed what had taken place to the idle and dissolute persons who always fringed a crowd. The Government had taken the steps they thought best under the circumstances. Earl Granville agreed that these monster meetings were only physical demonstrations, but he reminded the House that the working classes had been taunted with apathy in because of Reform. He admitted that such meetings ought not to be held in Hyde-park; and he regretted the deplorable occurrences which had taken place. He thought Further explanation was necessary, especially in regard to the calling out of the troops. The House adjourned at five minutes past six o'clock. In the House of Commons, Mr. B. Osborne asked what in- gtruetions were given to Sir Richard Mayne by the Home- taHyde park^00 meeting on the previous evening Mr. Ayrton said that everyone must regret that the peo- h f w uth 0b,rrghtY inito collision with the authorities; v. *?lg have been easy to have prevented what bad occurred. There had been a tendency of late rears on the part of a certain class of persons, small in number, to appropriate particular parks to their own use °^, 0116.5?ccasion,w hen this class required an additional ride, the railings of St. James s-park were at once levelled • while again a special part of Hyde-park was refused to the use af the general public, because it was required as a lounge for certain fashionable folk. All this was observed bv the tax-paying people, who had to disburse money for the 3pecial gratification of one class. Ho contended that the i people had a right to use the parks, as public property dedicated to a particular purpose. When a claim of right < bo use the parks was put forward a temperate and con- j siliatory proclamation explaining the rights involved would liave been satisfactory and accepted. Instead of this a lotification was placed on the gates of the park well calculated to arouse irritation, as it stated that the meeting 1 tbout to be held would lead to violence and disorder-a i false suggestion. This country was not governed by force, < ior was the army recognised as a part of the Government; ( ina tnerefore to appeal to force in the first instance by the ^e^liv^was a most deplorable circumstance. He hoped < the Government would not continue to attempt to keep 1 Ear hev«-n?i £ w-n by soldiers and police, which was a matter 1 by Sir R Mo P°W^V I?e asked if the notification issued 1 had been tahZn%wou^ on the table, and what steps » Mr. Waht?l« the peace of the metropolis. which the metronnlia J,u tb,e, try'»g circumstauces in sretion in not fS?i^ ,was placed he should exercise his dis- disquisition on gentleman through his different classes a(^ministration of the law towards sind the notice he hid )7aS Jaij.fcller from his intention, cognition of the m-ii i"6 .™ founded on a distinct re- There was no fnW equal Justice t0 all classes, notice; but ifc su8festion contained in that occurred in 1855 Dased on circumstances which park to demonstrnto? cro7ds assembled in Hyde- Great disturbances took ? 8unday Trading Bill, day—a Liberal Govern molfi- an<* !lle Government of the inquire into the proceeding aPP°mted a commission to then raised. The commissi a tlle "ghts which were measures should be taken tn „re??rted that it was fit that drive m the park undisturbfirtV^u al* P0ra°ns to ride or issued that such proc<eiinea „t, &a1Ji warning should be plated were illegal as being novoi recently contem- usage, Hyde-park not being a »rorif>i.a n°t sanctioned by y1?! „of Pera5>.n! for Political d&f„rfna*'OT l«ge. assem- I year a question was raised whetwT Ia the following were to be allowed in the parks ^Uda and Preaching of the law officer* of the Clown ^aa the opinion was a right to exclude the publie f^l J point of la^ there was no authority to remove persona bub that there music until notice had been given twachlnS wd playing could not be permitted; the publichav^ SUC? Pr°ceedings legal right to use the parks. Tjji» acquired any A. Cockbuin, Sir R. Bethell, and the^to 4.0piuion of Sir Willes. It was on that opinion £ Justice and the notice was issued solely on th ad acted; the parks being open to all classes on>>,Pou?d that interfered with by any meetings calcuk,?^ ?ot to be political excitement or religious demm^ tireafce Until assented to by Parliament, he f^f i atlons- maintain the opinion on which he had acted on tvIi°Und to occasion. If any words of his, uttered in a onln-eJent Spirit, could allay tlie agitation which prevailed, he wlulrt utter them m his place in the House, or anywhere elsl- w he fully conceded she right of public meeting, although th* parks were no5 the proper arena for such public meetinc- He had seen letters written to the leaders of the demonstra- tion for the tone of which the wi iters were responsible. He >vas sorry to s»y that some disturbances had occurred again in the park that afternoon, and measures as moderate as tion for the tone of which the w. iters were responsible. He >vas sorry to s»y that some disturbances had occurred again in the park that afternoon, and measures as moderate as the circumstances would admit had been adopted. He hoped that he might appeal to all well-judging persons for support in the position in which the Government was placed. Mr. Oliphant, while giving Mr. Walpole credit for acting to the best of his discretion, differed entirely from him as to the course pursued, for it happened that, whereas the right to meet in the park being a question, everything which had been done to prevent a meeting had failed; and the executive had been covered with ridicule. After some remarks from Mr. B. Cochrane, Mr. Layard, in justice to his constituency of artisans, was bound to say that the measures taken by the Government were most injudicious and foolish, on an occasion when the working classes attempted to answer in the best manner they could the taunts which had been levelled at them in regard to their indifference to Reform. There was no right to assume, as had been assumed in the notice which had been iisued, that the meeting would be riotous and tumul- tuous and if any rioting had occurred the Government was responsible for it; while an impression had gone abroad that attempt* had been made to put down Reform by force. Major Jervis urged that there was no need for the work- ing classes to come in crowds to let the people at the West- end know what their feelings were. It was Mr. Layard, and those who talked like him, who stimulated the people to extreme measures. Sir G. Grey said he kad stated that a peaceable meeting in Trafalgar-square was not illegal, and such a meeting was not interfered with. But when it was proposed to hold the meeting in Hyde-park, communications were sent to the Reform League that in accordance with custom an assem- blage in that place would not be permitted; and for this prohibition, he, being then in office, was responsible. From personal observation he could say that the leaders and principal persons concerned in the meeting, having tested. their right to enter the park, went peaceably away. He declined to express an opinion on the judgment which dictated the measures which had been taken to prevent the meeting. Mr. W. Cowper protested against Mr. Ayrton's assertion, that of recent years there had been an exclusive appropria- tion of the park, which was totally unfounded. Mr. J. S. Mill maintained that if the people had not the right to meet in Hyde-park, they ought to have, and if per- mission to meet was necessary, they ought to have that permission freely granted. He urged that the Government had been influenced by an objection to political meetings. tr> r' Sf)id that the House had had a specimen of the sort of rhetoric wbich would have been delivered at the meetings in question. He repudiated the motives which had been imputed to the Government, and protested against the assumption that a false suggestion was contained in the notice which had been promulgated, namely, that riot and disorder would ensue. The Government had the greatest confidence in the legitimate proposers and conductors of the meeting; and it was never thought that the working classes could be tumultuous or disorderly But it was what the meeting might lead to, and had led to, by the assem- blage in numbers by the scum of the population, which they had suggested. In answer to Mr. Otway, Mr. Walpole said that it was untrue that the Guards were ordered to load after they drew up in the park. After observations from Mr. Whalley and Mr. Hadfield, the subject dropped. Mr. Gladstone moved for a series of returns relating to public income and expenditure for the last 200 years, which were granted. The adjourned debate on the Compulsory Church Rates Abolition Bill was resumed by Mr. Hubbard. After some discussion, a motion was made again to adjourn the debate, which, on a division, was negatived by 108 to 64. A motion was then made for an adjournment of the House, and eventually the debate was adjourned to Wednes- day, 1st August. The other business was disposed of, and the House ad- journed at 20 minutes to two o'clock.

THE GREAT VOLUNTEER PRIZE MEET- ING AT WIMBLEDUN. The Wimbledon meeting this year has been distin- guished by a greater number of competitors, by finer weather, by better shooting, and by a greater attend- ance of visitors than any previous gathering, and by the gracious condescension of their Royal Highnesses the Prince and Princess of Wales it has been brought to an equally distinguished terminatissn. Late on Friday it was intimated to the council that the prize winners of 1866 would be honoured, above all previous winners, by receiving the trophies of their skill from the fair hands of the Princess of Wales. The number of prizes now won at Wimbledon is so great, that the distribution of them all at one time would be alto- < gather out of the question. The council have there- fore wisely favoured the practice of each winner taking his prize during the progress of the meeting, re- serving only a few oi the mote important prizes for the ceremony of formal presentation. This year some fifty prizes were goree-arvad, though there can be no doubt that had it been known sooner that the ceremony of distribution was to be performed by the Princess the list would have been vastly increased. The beautiful weather which has marked the progress of the meeting continued to its final close. That and the presence of the royal visitors were sufficient to account for an attendance unparalleled in the history of Wimbledon gatherings. The ceremony took place on Saturday in front of the huge circular tent which had afforded such grateful shade to visitors during the past fortnight. Under this tent, and under five marquees erected on either 1 side, a large number of distinguished spectators were accommodated with seats in a manner much more agreeable than in the unsightly expensive erection which in previous yoars occupied the same position with the dignified titleof the Grand Stand. Itisscarcely 1 necessary to say that the seats thus set apart were filled ] to overflowing, while the unreserved space right and left was crowded with interested spectators. Imme- ■ diately in front of the flagstaff, and some few yards from the iron railing behind, where the spectators i were ranged, an elegant marquee was pitched to shade the royal party from the ardent rays of the sun. The grass beneath was oovered with crimson cloth, and four elegaat fauteuilles in scarlet and gold were ranged in front of the marquee on an elegant Turkey carpet. Right and left of the marquee were large tables, covered also with crimson cloth, on which were arranged, with a shrewd regard to artistic effect, the beautiful samples of the silversmith's art which formed the principal prizes. A guard of honour, composed of one officer, one sergeant, and ten files of the different volunteer corps encamped on the common, was drawn up in rear of the marquee. It was under the command of Lord Bury, as the senior lieu- tenant-colonel on the ground, and consisted of detach- ments of the following corps, in the following order from the right of the lineThe Victorias, the Civil Service, the 1st Surrey, the London Rifle Brigade, the Queen's (Westminster), and the London Scottish. The fortunate winners of prizes were ranged in line in the order in which they were to come up on the right of the marquee. To enumerate the distinguished indi- Is viduals who occupied seats in the reserved spa^e in front of the royal marquee would ba to draw largely on the pages of the Court Guide. Benea-th the mar- quee itself, ready to receive the royal visitors, there were only Lord and Lady Elcho, Earl and Countess Spencer, Lord and Lady Conetsnco Grosvenor, the Earl of Lichfield, Captain Mild may, the secretary of the association; Colonel Kennedy, Lieutenant-Colon el Colville, and some few other officers and gentlemen, members of the council. Arrival of the Prince and Princess of Wales and the Drnce of Edinburgh. All was ready for the reception of the Prince and Princess by four p.m., but it was exactly an hour later before they arrived. His Royal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh reached the ground somewhat earlier. As the association clock strack five there was a stir amongst the visitors at the Putney side of the en- closure which indicated that the royal party had arrived. Thereupon the guard were called to atten- tion "and shouldered arms, and the royal standard was run up to the flagstaff head. As its silken folds fluttered out in the pleasant breeze, the royal carriage, with four horses and outriders, drove on to the common, and trotted up to the pavilion. As their Royal Highnesses approached, the band of the London Scottish played the National Anthem, the guard of honour presented arms, and the mass of spectators rose to receive them. The Prinae and Princess, who were unaccompanied, were received on alighting by Lord Elcho and Earl Spencer, and the other distinguished persons present, whose presence they graciously acknowledged. Her Royal Highness was then conducted to the seat of honour, and the ceremony of distribution at once commenoed. Lord Elcho,addressing the assemblage, said:—Ladies and gentlemen All who are interested in the success of this association will, I am sure, be glad to hear that this meeting has been a most successful one. It has moreover, as you see, been honoured by the presence of their Royal Highnesses the Prince and Princess of Wales and H.R.H. the Duke of Edinburgh (cheers). Her Royal Highness has farther done this signal honour to the association that she has graciously con sented to present the prizes to the successful competi- fcprs on this occasion. I shall now proceed to read the list of the prize winners, arid ber Royal Highness will graciously present them with their prbss. Distribution of Prizes. Captain Mildmay (the secretary of the association) handed the various prizes to the Princess, when the weight of bulk did not render such a proceeding im- practicable, and her Royal Highness, with a grace peculiarly her own, placed it the hands of the fortunate competitor. The first gentleman who was called to the front received as a reward of his skill one of the valuable series of extra prizes in the shape of a silver tea service, value .£52 10s., given by Messrs. Mappin. The bulk of this prize, which filled a large tray, obliged the Princess to limit her share in the pre- sentation to a little graceful pantomime for the skilful marksman, whose name was Mr. Fletcher, of Liverpool, who walked off with his well-won trophy. There was some laughter, mingled with approving cheers, from the thing being very suggestive of a waiter preparing for that social cup which we have the authority of Cowper for saying cheers, bat not inebriates." The several other prizes were then distributed, amongst which we may mention the Ashburton Challenge Shield, which is competed for by picked teams of the public school corps. This year it was won, for the third time, by Harrow, and a deputation of that school, consisting of Captain Shakespeare, Ensign R. J. H. Jones, Sergeant Harvey Templar, and Private F. Templar, carried off the shield amid the hearty plaudits of the assembled spec- tators. The Chancellor's Challenge Plate, given for competition between the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge, and won for the first time, this year, by the former University, was received on behalf of the corps by Ensign Kolle, New College; Sergeant Black- burne, Brazenose; Lance Corporal Winser, Pembroke; and Private Holmes, of Exeter College. The Inter- nationallrish Challenge Trophy, and a Cup value .£10, was won by Lieutenant Hopkins, 41st Middlesex, and carried off by members of the London Irish regiment. The International Enfield Trophy, which was won by the English twenty at Edinburgh some time since, was received in damb show by Captain Frield, H.A.C., the captain of the team. The next prize was the splendid Re- pousse Iron Shield, which is destined to carry down the nameoflord Etcho to remote generations as the founder of the crack rifle match of the year, namely, that between eight picked men of England and Scotland, and now also of Ireland. The ponderous trophy was borne off by the Hon. Mr. Malcolm, M.P.; the Hon. James Gordon, Private E. Ross, the Master of Lovat, Mr. Danlop, and Mr. Wilkin, headed by the veteran Captain Ross. The cheers which greeted this dis- tinguished deputation of Scottish Riflemen were as hearty as they were well merited. The Duke of Cambridge's prize of £ 50, for breech-loaders, won by private Radcliffe, South Middlesex, and H.R.H. the Prince of Wales's of £ 100, won by Sergeant Livesay, 1st Sussex (Brighton), were duly presented to those fortu- nate competitors, and then came the final act in the graceful drama of the day. Private Cameron, of the 6th Inverness, a petit model of a Highland Light Infantry soldier, a modest, young, yet manly-looking laddie withal, moved up in response to the sonorous announcement by Lord Elcho of the victory he had achieved, and received from the hands of the second lady in the land the gold medal of the National Rifle Association and a suggestive little blue packet con- taining a. cheque for the handsome sum of < £ 250. As the little Scot moved away amid the running fire of cheers which accompanied him, and received a paternal pat of approval from the father of British rifle shoot- ing, Captain Horatio ROSEl, the lovely eyes of the Princess followed him with a charming look of puzzled astonishment, as if in wonder that so small a man should have gained so great an honour. Lord Elcho then called upon the assembled spec- tators to give three hearty cheers for the Princess of Wales. Never was request more heartily oomplied with, and never did one cheer more" come out with more emphatic unity of purpose and of sound. A repetition of the operation was given in honour of the Prince, then the Duke of Edinburgh, and finally for her Majesty the Queen, who, as Lord Elcho, who aoted as fugleman, observed, is the great patron of the associa- tion. A Cheer for Eloho," proposed by some one in the crowd, was given with all the advantage of pre- vious practice, and then the proceedings came to a dose. The Review. The great concluding event on Saturday, and, with. aut doubt, the moat popular portion of the fortnight's proceedings of the Wimbledon meeting was the annual volunteer review; and on no occasion did the general public evinoe a stronger desire to participate in the pleasures to which an outing to witness a volunteer field day affords, than on the occasion of the Wimble- don gathering of the National Rifle Association for 1866. On no previous occasion was there such an immense array of carriages, such a crowding of the Grand Stand, or such a dense mass of spectators as were congregated upon this occasion within the enclo- sure, and consequently yielding an immense revenue to the association under the auspices of which the great annual gathering from all parts of the kingdom is fostered. No doubt, the fineness of the weather Bontributed very largely to this increased gathering of bho general publio, bat the announcement that the Prince and Princess of Wales were to be present wa.s i great additional attraction. The sham fight was well sustained, and volley after Follay was fired by the attacking party with such precision and regularity, as to bring down rounds of ipplause. After which the march past took place, headed by the splendidly-mounted cavalry troops of the Hon. Artillery Company, followed by the various artillery and infantry brigades. At the conclusion the Prince and Princess of Wales left the ground amidst loud cheers; whilst a. similar compliment also greeted the Duke of Cambridge. There were somewhere about 10,000 volunteers upon the ground, and the review passed off most success- fully.

MR. GOLD WIN SMITH ON REFORM. A meeting of the Oxford Reform League was held °? ™day evening. Professor Rogers, the president of the association, briefly addressed the meeting on the phase into which the Rsform question had recently entered, and on the necessity of exertion, and of regular co-operation with the other societies which are engaged in forwarding the cause in other parts of the kingdom. n i Yaa read from Mr- Be ilea, inviting the tjxrord Reform League to send a representative to the l/entral League in London, for the purpose of a con- ference with regard to the approaching Reform meet- ing in the metropolis. Professor Rogers was unanimously ohosen to represent the Oxford League on the occasion. When the business of the society had been ooncluded Professor Rogers called upon Mr. Goldwin Smith, who was present by invitation, to address the meeting. That gentleman then addressed the meeting in a long and able address. In conclusion he said: "The Tories show that they are wise in their generation by doing all in their power to keep up the prejudice against America; for I believe if the working men and the peasantry-the peasantry especially—of this country knew what America really was, they would be very apt to give up these controversies about the suffrage, and leave these few barren aores to Lord Grosvenor and Lord Dankellin; and then it would be seen whether wealth would stand by itself with. out labour, and how much jastice there was in its claim to be considered as an interest apart from the rest of the community, and to keep the supreme power in its own hands. A man must go to America to know not only what general prosperity is, but what a blessing it is to live in a state of equality, not in a society of extremes; and to be able to feel that all those around you are your fellow-countrymen and your fellow-citizens indeed. A man must go to America to know what a sense of security there is under really free institutions, and how great is the strength of a Government which nobody wishes to subvert, because it is the Government of the whole people. We cannot attain this state at once in a country circumstanced as ours, and with large masses of our people, especially among the agricultural labourers, in the condition in which they are now; but we can band our steps towards it, and bear in mind that the experience of the past, fairly read, points to the more generous, ii ot the narrower policy—that it teaches trast and not mistrust of man. Of our own colonies, the only one with which I am acquainted, and that but slightly, is Canada; but I believe the statement that the colonies are anarchies, and that you must either take away their responsible government or their ex tended suffrage, in order to make them fit to live in, is as wide of the trllth as the statements about America. When the object is to cast a stsne at America, the colonies are represented as admirable products of British tutelage, and contrasted with the untutored license of the United States. When the object is to prevent an extension of the suffrage, the same colonies are represented as anarchies where none bat rowdies and their demagogues can dwell. But though society and politics there may be rough, as they always are in new countries, it is impossible that the colonies can be anarchies, because they are notoriously very prosperous, as the statistics of their trade and of the growth of their cities and their population show; and this could not be if life and property were not securs. Bat to conclude, the worst argument of all is that the working-classes are silent-that they do not clamour for Reform. I fear if they are silent it is not, as ia complacently assumed, because they are too hacpy under the existing system to desire any change, but because they are organising themselves in the way that excites Mr. Lowe's alarm externally to the con- stitution, and therefore are indifferent about consti- tutional reforms. There is a danger that the struggle may in the end cease to be one between parties in Parliament and become one between classes, the class represented by the House of Commons on one side and the class represented by the trades unions on the other. Anything more calamitous could not possibly befall this nation. A true statesman would almost rather drag the working men within tha pale of the constitution by force than suffer them thus to organise themselves into a separate community oat- side it. Bat from whatever cause the tranquil atti- tude of the people on this subject may proceed, surely it affords the best opportunity for a calm and wise set- tlement of the question. Surely statesmen do not desire to see repeated the agitation of 1831, which brought the country to the very brink of a civil war. They are pledged all of them, past recall, to reform the repre- sentation of the people, and to make Parliament a more adequate organ of the sentiments and interest of the nation. It is a momentous and difficult task no doubt, but it cannot be evaded; and it is better under- taken now in a calm state of the popular mind than hereafter amidst violence and disorder. The address was listened to with great attention, and at its conclusion Mr. Goldwin Smith was loudly cheered.

DUTY ON FIRE INSURANCES. The Parliamentary return of the insurance duty paid in 1865 has just been published, and is the last return which will embody the differential rates on stook (Is. 6d. per cent.) and en buildings and furniture (3?. per cent.). For the purpose of comparing the business of eaoh company in 1865 with that in 1864, we have made up. an account for the two years as though the duty had remained at 3s. per oent. We thus get a measure of the progress of each company, and the result is as fol- lows. It appears that the Royal is again greatly in advance of all the other offices as respects increase of business. Increase in 1865 over 1864. ROYAL £ 17,703 0 Alliance and Birmingham District (Amalgamated) 5,690 0 Phcenix 4,983 0 Sun 4882 0 North British and Mercantile 3,376 0 Queen 3,146 0 Western 2,960 0 Norwioh Union 2,814 0 Law 2,753 0 London and Lancashire 2,575 (> County 2,475 0 Commercial Union 2,185 0 London 1,804 0 London and Southwark 1,716 0 Scottish 1,714 0 Manchester 1,607 0 Birmingham Alliance 1,583 0 Albert, 1,431 0 Home and Colonial. 1,319 0 General 1,310 0 European 1,309 0 West of England 1,244 0 Guardian 1,174 0 Atlas 1,168 0 Law Union 990 0 Scottish Union 824 0 Provincial 760 q Scottish Provincial. 693 0 Caledonian 684 a Herculea 579 0 Kent 530 0 Royal Farmers 473 9 Patriotic 435 0 Northern 373 0 Church of England. 350 0 Salop 268 0 Norwich Equitable. 245 0 British Nation 245 0 Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire 241 0 Yorkshire ]88 0 Prince. 155 0 Emperor 153 0 Lancashire 124 0 Midland Counties 112 0 Essex and Suffolk 94 0 City and County 87 0 Friend-in-Need 70 0 Royal Exchange 03 0 Shropshire and North Wales 60 0 Birmingham. 33 0 Netherlands. 28 0 Preserver 4 0 Stewarton, Dunlop, and Fenwick 0 3 Decrease. Oldham 4 0 12 0 Volunteer Service and General 109 0 Scottish National 157 0 Hand ia-Hand 221 0 Union 490 0 Imperial 767 0 Westminster 942 0 Liverpool and London and Globe 14,471 0

SINGULAR LIFE ASSURANCE CASE. At the Gal way Assizes, on Tuesday, a man named Kelly sued the National Assurance Company for .£500, the amount of a policy effected on the life of his daughter, Cecilia Ellen Kelly, in 1863. The peor girl was very far gone in consumption, but early in that year he proposed to the Albert Company to effect an insurance on her life for -6500. She w&a then under medical treatment in Dublin, but he represented that she was in a nunnery in Gal way, and induced the company to accept the report of a local physician as to her state of health. Before that gentle- man, however, Miss Kelly never appeared, but she was personated by a friend of hers, a Miss Ken sella, who was in robust health, and has since become a citizen of the United States. The report was favourable, and the policy was granted. Kelly then applied to the National Company for a policy to the same amount, and obtained it with still less difficulty, as be was able to refer to the Albert for a oertificate of his daughter's good health, and the same fraud was practised upon another medical gentleman. Emboldened by his success, he procured, by similar artifices, another policy for X500 from the Standard Assurance Company (against which he also had an action listed), and there is no saying to what extent he might have traded on his daughter's life had not her malady at last reaohed its inevitable termination. All his plans, however, were frustrated by her conscientiousness, for on her death-bed she made a written declaration of the whole fraudulent proceedings to which she had been an un- willing party. This declaration having been givea in evidence, the plaintiff elected to be non-suited, and withdrew the record against the Standard Company.