Potter's Electric News

LORD NAPIER ON HIS POLICY IN ABYSSINIA.! On Saturday afternoon Lord Napier of Magdala, in ac- cordance with an engagement of long standing, paid a visit to Welsbpool, where he met with a most enthusias- tic reception. His lordship arrived in the town at three o'clock., and proceeded in company with the Earl of Powis to the noble earl's residence near Welshpool. At six o'clock a banquet was held in ? tent erected be- hind the Royal Oak Hotel, to which about 200 guests sat down. The chair was occupied ty the Mayor (Mr T. D. Harrison), who bad on his right and left Lord Napier, the Earl of Powis, Captain Scott, Mr C. A. Tracy, M.P, Captain Crewe Read, R.N, General Scott, General the Hon. Percy Herbert, MP., Mr R.Jasper More, M.P., Captain Wingfield, Commodore Jenkins, C. B., and Captain R. D. Harrison. The usual loyal and patriotic toasts having been dis- posed of, The Chairman proposed the toast of the evening, the health of Lord Napier, whicfe was received with load cheers. He would ask them to drink the tonst with all their hearts., wishing long life and happiness to Lord Napier, and that tie might Song continue to enjoy those honours whtch bud been showered upon him, and which he had so justly deserved. He coupled with the toast the names of Lord Napier's gallant companions in arms. The toast was drunk standing, amid enthusiastic cheers, which were renewed on Lord Napier's rising to re spend. His Lordship said he thanked them very sincerely for the kind way in which they had received the toast so flatteringly proposed by the chairman. It was not for him to comment upon the terms in which the Mayor had been plerqed to speak of him; but, as regards the army which be had had the honour to command, he was ex- tren)el,y gratified by the way in which they had been mentioned. He could assure them that no army ever w-eout forth more esrnestly desirous of fulfilling the c-mn- fnands of its country—(cheers)—and when he spoke of the army he spoke of the whole force—the soldiers, the sailors, the mercantile marine, anti the galiant remnant of the Indian army, which he was representing there that night, all acting as one army, animated and maintained by one spirit. '(Cheers.) The duty and the whole aim of the expedition was to release their fellow countrymen from bondage, and to vindicate the honour of England, at the smallest cobt and suffering to the country upon which they entered. The border which separated thecountry through which they travelled from the country adjacent was a disturbed one—something like what the Welsh border had been three or four hundred years ago. (Laughter.) He could not better illustrate the style of things which existed there than by relating a circumstance which happened to him during the journey. There came to his cump one day an African chief ra ther scantily clothed, though be certainly had three or four ostrich feathers on his head. He said to his lordship, 41 am a warrior and a very powerful man in my country, and you must give me something.' His lordship rather de- murred to this sequence, but he listened. The scantily clothed warrior continued, I go down into the country of the Gallas, and the first person I meet who looks a com- petent fellow I kill him. (Laughter.) I have done it. three times and I mean to do it every month, so I think yoa ought to give me a piece,)f cloth.' (Loud laughter.) He thought he wanted a piece of cloth very much, so he ga^vehimone. (Laughter.) That was the style of things that existed on the border, and occasionally they had to dispense a little rough treatment to the unruly natives but be did not think that an army passing through a country ever before did so little injury and conferred so many benefits as did the army of Abysinnia. (Cheers.) The object he had in view was to release the British sub- jects, and the manner in which he intended to effect that object he communicated to no one except his military and political secretaries. His purpose was to receive no proposals for parley from Theodore, to meet all communications from him with a simple demand for the possession of the prisoners, and to advance upon him whether he released the prisoners or not. He determined to have no communication with the King, but to take the prisoners, and then advance upon him and take himself; for he considered that the honour of England required that the cruel man should be forced from his place. (Cheers.) No one was authorised by him (the noble speaker) to depart from that resolution in the i-lighteet degree. They had read the history of the war, and knew how the army advanced and stormed Mag- dala. The result of that advance was the complete de- moralisation of Theodore's army. Theodore's own courage failed him. He believed that the King's nerves were so shattered by debauchery and drink that there were periods when he was depressed by paroxysms of despair, and others when he was elated by paroxysms of excitement. In one of his fits of despair he arrived at the conclusion that his soldiers could not withstand the British army, so he sent back all the prisoners for whom he (Lord Napier) was responsible. It had been said in some quarters that Theodore had been deceived and he was very glad to have that public opportunity of saying that no one was ever authorised by him to de- ceive Theodore, or to lead him to believe he would ac- cept one jot less than he demanded. (Cheers.) The firv4 person Theodore sent to him was Lieut. Prideaux. Theodore said Yesterday I thought myself the strongest man in the world. To-day I know that there is a stronger than 1. I want peace.' He sent back word to the King, saying, 4 Surrender to the Queen of England. Return all the prisoners, and you and your family shall be honourably treated.' His object was to give the King no grounds for expecting less than be had always demanded. Lieut. Prideaux returned to Theo- dore with the letter containing this message. The per- usal of it made Theodore excessively angry, and he sent it back with one of his own. Upon receiving this he felt the full difficulty of the situation, but he also felt that the honour of England must be considered before all- (cheers)-and he sent Lieut. Prideaux back again to say that no terms would be accepted but those first demanded. On his way Lieut. Prideaux met the greater number of the prisoners, who, during his absence, had been released.. He returned with them, and by night all the prisoners for whom his lordship was officially responsible were in his camp. Now, he thought it might be accepted as a mathematical fact that, if he sent /1 Lieut. Prideaux back to almost certain death-and he must say, to the credit of the young man, that he be- haved most gallantly, and, though he felt his fate to be imminent, he did not by a word demur to the sentence pronounced-if he sent Lieut. Prideaux back to suffer death at the hands of the tyrant because of the uncom-1 promising message that he bore, was it likely that he woule parley with Theodore when he had obtained the object which he had gone to* Abyssinia to effect? (No, no, and cheers.) He thought the question answered itself. (Cheers.) Whatever Theodore might have con- ceived in his own mind, he (the noble speaker) thought a British general could not, in the situation in which he was placed, authorise any departure from the original terms put forth. After the descent upon Magdala, and during the time that Theodore's army took to surrender their weapons, there was an interval of three hours. If, during any part of these three hours, Theodore had hung out the simplest bit of rag as a token of his submission, he would have been received to mercy. But his (the noble speaker's) belief was that Theodore never could believe that the conquerors would show mercy, for he had never shown it himself. When the Abyssinian soldiers found that upon their surrender they were not to be slaughtered, they could hardly believe it to be true, and exclaimed, This must be the generosity of angels!' Theodore could not believe in mercy after conquest, so he died by his own hand. Something bad been said about the sufferings of the people who had left Magdala. The fortress was not an Abyssinian fortress. It had belonged originally to 'the Mahomedan Gallas; and had it been left in their hands it would have been a weapon of offence against Christian Abys- sinia. He offered it to the only chief whom be thought capable of holding it, and that chief said he could not hold it. Therefore he did all be could to render it harm- less. He destroyed the fortress and blew up the guns, (Cheers.) There were about 30,000 persons of all classes in the place whom the people of the country bad no reason to love, and many reasons to hate, and they would have had no safety in Magdala. In order to protect them in their exodus, be placed guards upon all sides of the. valley tbrough which they had to pass. They were permitted to take all that belonged to them; and he was afraid there were not many particular on this point, but took a great deal that did not belong to them. (Laughter.) In fact, everything was done for them that could be done under the circumstances. It was possible that some might have suffered from robbers along the route, but, as far as he could see, there was no great suffering amongst them; and he believed they were very glad to get oat of Theodora's hands, Amongst the crowd was an old woman afflicted with leprosy, who could not well get down the bill; and a soldier of the 33rd, perceiving her condition, lifted her on hiss honlders, and carried her down the hill. (Loud cheers.) He (the noble lord) had himself noticed an old woman on the way forsaken hy b-er friends, and. on drawing the atten- tion of an Indian soldier to her, be took care of her, put her on a mule, and brought her into the British camp (Cheers.) Whett any fell sick and bad to be left behind, they were put in the churches, under care of the priests, and everything that possibly could be done to alleviate their sufferings was done; for it bad been his desire that, in that. strange country, the British army should maintain the character of Christian soldiers. (Cheers.) With regard to the Queen of Theodore, it had been mentioned in a rccenf. publication that she had been insulted by the soldiers. He could only say that immediately after the 8torminfr party entered Magdala the Queen was brought to him, and he gave her into the charge of Mr Rassam, who took!kerto his own tent; and if any insult was offered to her, he (the noble speaker) did not know of it. and he did "not believe it. (Cheers.) From first to last every respectful attenton was paid to the Queen. His own surgeon visited her three or four times a day. She was supplied with clothes and all other neceessaries; his own servants attended upon her to the last; and she was followed to the grave with all the honours that military men could confer. (Cheers) He believed that the Government bad acted wisely in deciding not to retain any part af the country of Abyssinia, There was much to be said in favour of the people. They were a kindly race, and interesting to us from the fact of their being a Christian nation; but be felt certain that a British occu- pation of the country would have resulted in coristant disturbances, interfering as it would have done with the native aystem of rule by numerous petty chiefs. liis lordship concluded by warmly thanking the people of Welshpool for their hospitable reception, and sat down amid renewed cheers. IMPUDENT ROBBERY.-Another impudent robbery has been accomplished at Brighton. Lieut.-Col. Caoipbeil was staymg at a house on the Marine-parade, and left in his bed-room a portmanteau containing notes to the amount of X150 and jewelry of considerable value, one ring alone being worth £110. While Colonel Campbell was absent, some one entered the house and cut open the portmanteau, stealing the notes, but leaving the jewelry, which probably escaped observation. BRUTAL MANSLAUGHTER.—At the Leeds Assizes, Thomas Casey was indicteJ for the manslaughter of Elizabeth Davies. It appeared that the prisoner had lived with the deceased as her husband for two or three years. He was in the habit of ill-treating her, and on the day of her death he had threatened to murder her, and had been beating and kicking her at different times during the day, both upon the road and in the house. At last a blow was heard by some one in an adjoining room, and the deceased was heard to cry out. She went away down the road, and he followed her. She was afterwards found nearly dead, and she died before the doctor came. The jury found the prisoner guilty, and his lordship, saying that his conduct was a scries of brutal outrages, sentenced him to ten years' penal servi- tude. A BRUSH WITH PIRATES.—The honour and glory (coupled with the ri3k and danger) of probably the first organized naval engagement with the pirates of these coasts have apparently fallen to the share of the com- mander (Lieutenant Domville) of Her Britannic Ma- jesty's gun-boat Algerine and his officers and men. At mid-night on the 9th of June the gunboat returned with a captured junk and a number of prisoners, and the particulars of her cruise appear to be as follows In company with Mr Deane, acting superintendent of police, Lieutenant Domville started on the 26th ult in the Algerine in sesrch of a junk or snake boat which had committed a piracy just outside the harbour but Mr Deane returned when he had reached as far as Stanley. The Algerine then proceeded round to Mirs Bay, where, from information given by the Mandarin, she captured a piratical junk of about 100 tons. As soon as the gunboat hove in sight, the pirates, whose craft was at anchor in a small bay, immediately took to the land, where they were soon followed by a party from the Algerine, who landed and gave chase but as the pirates had the start of our men, and the country was rough and hilly in that region, they escaped, notwith- standing the shots sent after them by the disappointed Jacks. The party having returned, Lieutenant Dom- ville set fire to the junk, and returned to Stanley for fresh information. On board this piratical craft, how ever, were found unmistakable signs of her true character, one of which was a machine for casting musket-balls for the Brown Besses' which the pirates had carried with them on their inland tour. At daylight on Sunday the gunboat again set out, this time directing her course frcm Stanley to the West Coast. Dodging into Macao for further information and fresh water, she afterwards made direct for Namoa, and it was on her return from that place (between Namoa and St. John's) that she met her opponents in the shape of a large fleet of eight heavily-armed piratical craft. This was on Wednesday, the 3d, about 3 o'clock in, the afternoon. On hailing the junks, and asking 4 whither bound and where from ?' Lieutenant Domville received the reply, 4 From Macao to Hainan;' but, on being asked for their papers, they refused point-blank, defied the gun- boat, and threatened to blow the diminutive 4 Fan- kwwei' out of the water. This was, however, a task not quite so easy of accomplishment; and the little gun. boat at once sent a feeler' in the shape of a shot be- tween two of the pirates' junks. Thus challenged, the pirates, now in full line, immediately opened a brisk firo upon the gunboat, which was returned by the Algerine in a general sort of way, with shot and shell, for about four hours, at the end of which time the little gunboat was as far from being blown off the scene as ever. AIL this time the gunboat was rolling heavily, but, in spite of this, her gunnery told with considerable effect upon the sails and hulls of the opposing junks. One of the latter, while trying to skulk in towards the land, was cut off and boarded her papers were found in a measure correct, but as she had been also engaged, her guns were tumbled overboard, and her captain taken prisoner on board the gunboat. The Algerine next gave chase to the remainder of the fleet, which in the interim had sheered off to the westward, and came up to them about dusk, when it appears one of the briskest engagements with Chinese on record ensued. Having hailed the pirates with the same result as before. Lieutenant Dom- ville and his men began work in earnest at close quarters; the Algerine's fire was quickly returned, the result of which was that some sails were cut and the fore rigging was considerably damaged, and this lasted for about an hour and a half. During the early part of this scrim- mage the pirates are said to have manoeuvred their craft with considerable skill, but the volleys of grape and canister from the big gun of the Algerine at point- blank range appear to have been too much for them. As darkness was. now coming on, and they were getting into shallow water, while at the same time the Chinese were beginning to show signs of havirg had qui'e enough of it, the chase was given up. The junk which had been crippled at the commencement of the action was now found to be trying to get off to seaward but the gunboat, too quick for her, immediately gave chase and succeeded in capturing her about two hours after dark. She was found to be well armed, with eight guns and 21 of a orew, besides the captain previously captured, and to have on board a miscellaneous cargo of about 7,000 dollars in value. At midnight last night she arrived in tow of the gunboat. The prisoners are a sorry- looking lot of fellows, as they now appear on board bound to various places on deck, and two of them are severely wounded by the bursting of shells. They will most probably be forwarded to the Chinese authori- ties. It is said that the Chinese have never been seen to stick to their guns so pluckily as they did on the pre- sent occasion, they having fought well, and never whispered of surrendering. Considering the long odds between the combatants the result is, to say the least, most satisfactory, and reflects no small credit upon the lieutenant commanding and the officers and men of the Algerine. That no casualty oocurred on board the gun- boat is owing to the fact that the pirates fired at much too high a range, and consequently damaged the rigging only. It is calculated that the Chinese must have num- bered over 800 men and about 130 guns, while the Algerine, with her 4 Big Ben' and two small guns, has a complement of only eighteen or twenty, all told.- China Mail. THE WOLVERHAMPTON BEER POISONER.—An opera- tive brewer named James Lewis has been committed for trial, charged with attempting to aggrieve and annoy Joseph Paulton, landlord of the Star inn, Horseleyfiel"8? Wolverhampton, and others, by giving nine ounces ot muriatic acid to the prosecutor's servant girl, and re- questing her to put it into a tub of ale in the prosecutor a cellar. The stipendiary said that it was only by God S mercy that hundreds of people had not been poisoned. RIDING THROUGH THE VETCHES.—A verdict for 1,170 has been obtained at the Co^k Assizes by a farmer of the neighbourhood of Ballincollig, named Murphyi against Mr Thomas Smith Dorrien, of the 10th Hussars, who, on being warned against riding through a field ot vetches on his return from hunting, struck the plain* tiff with his clenched fist, and then with his riding whip beat him on the head.' Defendant had lodged 5i in court as compensation for the injury, and £1 for the trespass. The jury, however, took a more serious view of the matter, and the judge strongly condemned the defendant's language to the plaintiff, which was stated to have been, You and your vetches be d— get jut of the way, we will pay you.' EMIGRATION FROM LIVERPOOL. — The Government officials at Liverpool issued their usual monthly report of the emigration from the Mersey on Saturday. FrotB their statistics we learn that under the Act 21 ships sailed to the United States, with 85,868 passengers, consisting of 501 cabin and 85,376 steerage of the latter 3,829 were English, 311 Scotch, 1,649 Irish, and 2,727 fo- reigners the cabin are Included in the nationalities. To Canada there were five ships, with 1,772 passengers, of whom 763 were English, no Scotch, 96 Irish, and 6l3; foreigners. To Victoria one ship, with 616 passengerst of whom 247 were English, 93 Scotch, 252 Irish, and 24 foreigners. The vessels which sailed not under the Act are as follows --For the United States, eight obipst with 673 passengers; Newfoundland, one ship, with six passengers; Victoria, three ships, with 79 passengers; South America, four ships, with 70 passengers; Africa* two ships, with 24 passengers; China, one ship, with 27 passengers. Lii)etpool Albion. ELEMENTARY EDUCATION IN Sc TLANI).—The report of the Registrar-General for Scotland, or rather (as the fact is) the Report of Dr Stark to the Registrar General shows that in the year 1865, 88 58 per cent of the mefl who married, and 77'78 per cent. of the women, were able to sign their names in writing upon the register. The ratio is rather lower than in some recent years, bttt still education spreads; in Scotland, in the five years 1856-60 the average of men signing their names was 88'6 per cent, of those who married, and of women 76 7 per c "nt., but in the five years 1861-65 the average among men advanced to 89'1, and among women to 78 0. Is England in 1865 only 77'5 per cent. cf the men marryirg and 68 8 per cent of the women signed their names; 11 per cent. more of the men marrying in Scotland, and per cent. more of the women signed the register. in Scotland the north-westorn counties-Ross. Cromarty*, and Inverness-arc those which year after year show the highest proportion of persons unable to write. After them come tho counties and towns containing the largest proportion of Irish. Thus, in Glasgow in 1865 onlf 83 55 of the men and 65 75 per cent of the women who married were able to sign their names, while in Edin- burgh the ratios were 95-41 per cent, of the men, and 91'09 per cent. of the women-a difference in favour of Edinburgh of no less than 12 men and 25 women every hundred.