The Aberystwith Observer

The Daily Telegraph has also an article descriptive of the scene in the Houses of Parliament on the Indian debate. The following is an extract thereupon:- "In the Commons, all the features which have attended so many important debates during this momentous session were reproduced. Hon. members crowded the benches on both sides, and it was especially noticeable that, with the exception of Mr. Bright, not a leading man of either party failed to put in an appearance. Very soon the Members' Galleries began to fill also, and it is needless to state that every seat devoted to strangers' had an early and eager occupant. A string of questions having been disposed of, the orders of the day were set aside nem con. and im- immediately the Speaker called upon Lord Hartington to move his resolution. The noble leader of her Majesty's Opposition never made a more charac- teristic speech, nor one, perhaps, which less excited the ardent spirits below the gangway on his own side. He made use of no heroics, but, calmly leaning his right arm on the books before him, discussed a constitutional question with a coolness and fairness that refused to let him wander for a moment into the more exciting matters not strictly within the scope of the motion. The Government "claim the right,' said Lord Hartington, to use troops raised in India and not under the control of Parliament in otner parts of the Empire in time of peace. We deny the right.' Quietly as the mind of the Opposition was thus stated, without a gesture or a higher pitch of voice, It gave opportunity for the first hearty cheer of the evening. A wave of applause rolled along the Liberal benches, and when it subsided the speaker went on to assert the special control of Parliament over the army, going back to the Bill of Rights, the principles of which, as regards the matter in question, have been always sedulously carried out by the action of the Legislature. Parliament, he contended, must sanction not only the cost of the army but its number, and he quoted various authorities and precedents in support of the view. But the Indian army, according to the noble lord, stands on a very different footing from her Majesty's other forces. It la a 'non-Parliamentary army.' The Queen may move her Parliamentary forces as she pleases, but the Indian troops cannot be called out of India without becoming Parliamentary also, and as such chargeable to the Imperial revenue. It follows, of course, according to the speaker's argument, that the con- sent of Parliament to their removal is necessary. Havine cited the precedent of Indian troops in China in time of peace, for whom estimates were voted year by year the noble lord concluded this part of his argument by saying in effect, Let the Government come to Parliament in the same way now, and all will be well.' Turning to tha financial part of the question, and indulging in a ltttle quiet sarcasm about the Chancellor of the Exchequer's scruples on a former occasion, "when his majority was not so large," the noble lord became unusually animated as he pointed out that the credit of England had been pledged'by the mea- sure of the Government, and that the House could not refuse to pay the bill. What is the justification?' he de- manded with a raised voice and added emphasis, whereupon the Liberals cheered heartily. Why was Parliament kept in the dark ?' went on the speaker. Parliament was sit- ting when the order to move the troops went forth. But we are told it was desirable to keep the matter secret. Why ?' Here the cheers again burst forth. 'This was ene of a series of military demonstrations; but what is the use of a demonstration when kept sefcret ?' A burst of laughter from the now lively benches behind greeted the query, changing to louder cheers than ever as the noble Lord declared that the secrecy of which he com- plained was part and parcel of a deliberate assertion of a right never before exercised or claimed. He had no desire to obstruct the Government, but a precedent ao momentous should not be established without full discussion. Turning to the amendment of Sir M. Hicks-Beach, Lord Hartington again evoked cheers by quietly saying that the pro- visions' therein mentioned might be sufficient "if they were observed," and as to the control of supplies Par- liament had always claimed more than that. Thon, professing to regard the amendment as a vote of con- fidence, he made another 'hit,' by conversationally remarking that it is not usual for members of a Government to propose confidence in themselves. Finally. he protested, amid loud cheers, against grave constitutional questions such as the one at issue being treated on strict party lines. Government,' said the speaker, • can carry a vote of confidence in anything, and the practice would cover any illegality.' Upon this the noble lord sat down, having started the debate by a speech in his best manner- one as free from personalities as from appeals to passion or Prdjudice, clearly argued, whatever the merits of the case set forth, and distinguished by a statesmanlike desire to per- rorm a necessary duty without embarrassing the Government further than that duty compelled."

AGRICULTURAL PROSPECTS. Monday s Magnet says :—The weather during the week has been hardly so favourable. The growing crops are beginning to suffer from an excess of moisture, and some dry, sunshiny weather is now required in order to check the tendency towards depre. ciation. The plants have grown rapidly, perhaps too rapidly, but there is now rather too much flag. In some fislflfs, also, discolouration is noticed. Nothing jerious has, however, occurred, and a few days of } warm dry weather would soon restore the crops to J their forager excellent condition. Meanwhile, the j ippearance ci the pastures and meadow lands is about idl that could be desired, and there is every prospect if a good hay crop. Prom the Continent reports tally very nearly with our own, but as the inclination of ;he markets is mostly towards weakness, it is but fair ;o assume that favourable results are anticipated. American advices are much to the same effect as those ] )reviously received, and may be considered to be in 1 he main satisfactory. I

BEATI POSSIDENTIS.—Query, when possession costs >200,000 a day ?—Punch,

THE EASTERN QUESTION. I ST. PETERSBURG, May 22, Evening. The Agence Russe of this evening publishes an article, 'in which it says Only those whose interest it is that -war should break out can labour to prevent an understanding between England and Russia. Everything, however., tends to the belief that their efforts will be in vain, as is. already shown by the latest news from Constantinople aud Berlin, and therefore that a Congress will assemble."

Under date St. Petersburg, May 21, the Correspondent of fAe Times says The conciliatory disposition which has been for some time displayed by the Government and the organs of the Ministry tor Foreign Affairs seems to be spread- ing to the Press in general. The newspaper which has been hitherto most bellicose and which has systematically urged Government to adopt a policy of reckless defiance has to-day suddenly changed its tone. It says In Russia there is a complete readiness for reconciliation, though it should require concessions to be made In the Russian Press there are no traces of Chauvinism, and all the newspapers with one voice recognize a pacific agreement with England as the best means of solving the present difficulties in the East. All the surroundings favour the diplomatic work. In such exceptional circumstances we must hope that a just and durable peace will soon be

A special telegram to the Pall Mall Gazette, under date Berlin, Tuesday, says :—"Russians in this country express themselves very hopeful, and consider the main difficulties of the situation to have been overcome. They talk of having good reason for believing that the Congress will meet early in June. Semi-official journals in this country, on the other hand, express themselves in more guarded and less con- fident terms, and warn the public against rash and prema- ture hopes of peace, on the ground that the concessions of which Count SchouvaloflE is affirmed to be the bearer are not in themselves sufficient to ensure a pacific solution, and that much still remains to be done by negotiations, the success of which is not at any rate absolutely certain."

Letters from St. Petersburg in the semi-official journals state that the Emperor William and Prince Bismarck, as well as the Crown Prince of Germany, in London, have used their influence in a peaceful direction, and that on the 15th of May the Czar consented to considerable concessions.

Colonel Wild, a Swiss Artillery officeftgerving in the Rus- sian army of the Caucasus, in a letter published in a Zurich paper, says that the Russians have lost more men by war typhus since the conclusion of peace than they lost by battle throughout the entire campaign in Asia Minor. He speaks warmly of the high qualities of the Russian soldier, de- scribing his attitude in the presence of pestilence as no less noble than before the enemy.

A Berlin telegram says it is officially denied from St Petersburg that the Russian military authorities intend marching on Constantinople.

The South Russian Railways are so crowded with stores and troops for Roumania that the directors have refused to convey any stores of the Red Cross Society until further notice.-Mayfair.

The Romanul, Government organ of Bucharest, published an extra sheet on Saturday night containing the announce- ment in large type that it learned from Russian sources that the St. Petersburg Cabinet had taken the first step towards a peaceful solution of the Eastern Question, and that the meeting of an European Congress is thus assured. Under date Philadelphia, May 20, the Correspondent of The Times says:—" Large gangs of men are working day and night, refitting and transforming the steamer State of Cali- fornia into a Russian cruiser.—The Russians have also bought the steamer Columbus, heretofore on the New York and Havannah Line, paying about 300,000 dols. for her, though temporarily her possession is vested in a United States broker. The Columbus has steamed from New York to Philadelphia, where she now lies alongside the State of California. Her alteration into a cruiser will be imme- diately taken in hand. She has a tonnage of about 2,500, is four years old, and is the swiftest coasting steamer in the. American Merchant Service.-The Russians are guided in their purchases and outfits by the best authorities in the matter of steamers in America. Their object is to buy only the most available vessels, being very particular on the point of speed."

"We are informed that the fortifications at Odessa are assuming a formidable character. Eight of the batteries have received their complement of 11-inch guns, and ord- nance of a still heavier description is on its way from the workshops at Essen. Battery No. 1, which has « frontage of 600 yards, is provided with an electrical apparatus for throw- ing a light four miles across the roadstead."—Whitehall Review.

Twenty thousand soldiers are lying ill at the hospitals of Constantinople and typhus is increasing here and at Gallipoli.

AMERICAN HUMOUR. The divorce market must be still easy in Indiana. A country paper in that State heads the list of marriages Limited Partnerships." A citizen entered a saloon and called for a cigar. The bar-keeper handed out the box, and a cigar was selected but the customer did hot appear to be very much pleased with it. Where's the corned beef i" he inquired. "Corned beef ?" the bar-keeper repeated "Why, what do you want with that?" "Well," was the response, "corned beef and cabbage always go together. I've got the cabbage here "-indicating the cigar-" änd ought to have the beef to match it I" A very mild man happened to say something ex- tremely unpleasant of a ferocious fire-eater, who vowed vengeance, and the first time they met at the New York opera rushed upon his enemy and commenced to ad- minister a severe chastisement. Whereupon the mild man closed both his eyes, and appealed to those present to come to the rescue of a poor blind man. This they didjkand the fire-eater, after being well punched, was forcibly ejected A contemporary describes a new bracelet that has lately been thrown on the American market as outwardly of a most chaste, innocent, and beautiful design, but inwardly a ravening wolf. It has a wicked little secret spring that reaches out and nips a fellow by the euff the moment he touches it, and holds him there until pa' can come into the parlour, and, gazing sternly upon the affectionate and perturbed tableau, demand of the young man what are his intentions." A Cincinatti minister advertises that he will per- form marriage services with neatness and dispatch." A Minnesota father who has five grown-up daughters has sued the county. He claims that his resi- dence has been used as a court-house for the past two years. What on earth do you mean, waking me up this time o' night f" angrily said the occupant of a state room on the overland road to the conductor.—"Why, I want to tell you that your wife has just fallen off the plattorm thought you might want to telegraph back from the next station."—r Think she was killed ?"—" Oh, certain-dead as a door nail." Then why couldn't you just wired back yourself to have sent her after us in ice, and not disturb me m this ridiculous way ? For heaven's sake, young man, don't let this oceur again."—" Let what occur—" but the passenger was asleep. This ineident vividly illustrates the utter want of consideration exhibited by the railroad officials in this country. An irate youth of seventeen said to a girl of fifteen, "A woman was made to be kept under a man's thumb she's the weaker vessel; the Bible says so she can't reason like a man, she jumps to her conclusions by instinct; that's how you go ahead of us in the lower branches, but you fall be- hind in college, for you haven't the intellect nor the physical strength to dig deep." A few years later, when this boy had become a man, and the girl a woman, he asked her to be his wife. Taking his hand, and looking intently at it for a moment, she replied No John; your thumb is too smaUl" —Pacific Rural Prest

QØnt IMwra Corraptet. [We deem it right to state that we do not at all times tastily ourselves with our Correspondent'a opinions.] I The approaching marriage of the Duke of Con- naught with the third daughter of Prince Frederick Charles of Prussia will add one more link to those which already bind the Royal Families of England and Germany. About three months ago a daughter of Prince Frederick Charles was married to the Grand Duke of Oldenburg on the same cay thift a daughter of the Crown Prince was united to the Hereditary Grand Duke of Saxe-Meiningen, so that the two warrior princes, who had commanded two of the Prussian armies during the German invasion of France, appeared that day in capacities very different from those surroundings of misery and slaughter which were then so familiar. Your readers may re- member that Frederick Charles was known as the Red Prince," from the fact that he was a cavalry officer; it was he who encountered Bazaine at Gravelotte, and shut him up in Metz until the surrender of that famous fortress. On the other hand it was the Crown Prince who dealt the first blow at the French army at the battle of Woerth; who enclosed Marshal Mac Mahon in the cul-de-sac of Sedan; and was present at the surrender of the Emperor Napoleon. Then he marched on to Paris, and invested that city, enter- ing it in triumph with his father early in March, 1871. Again it was the Crown Prince who in the war between Prussia and Austria, in July, 1866, led his army through the mountain passes of Bohemia, and coming on the field at a critical moment contributed so much to the victory of Sadowa. It was Prince Frederick Charles who had the chief command of the Prussian forces in the war with Denmark in 1864. So that both their Highnesses have seen much active service, and have individually contributed to make their country what it is and to give it that commanding position which it undoubtedly occupies amongst the military nations of the Continent. The Crown Prince has lately joined his wife at Windsor Castle, and as they have occasionally moved about London with their little children, they have been cordially welcomed. The Princess Royal was always a favourite with the English people, and the manly form and frank open countenance of Fritz himself are always certain to create a good impression. The Duke of Connaught and Strathearo-titles, it will be observed, representative alike of Ireland and Scotland-is the third son of Her Majesty, and having been born on the 1st of May, 1850, the birth- day of the Duke of Wellington, was called after that great captain, and named Arthur. Thus far four of the Queen's daughters and two of her sons have mar- ried and, after the Duke of Connaught has taken upon himself that responsibility, Her Majesty will have but one son and one daughter remaining single. The Duke of Connaught, following the example of his brother, the Duke of Edinburgh, will be mar- ried abroad but it will be noted that the Prince of Wales fetched his intended bride from her father's palace at Copenhagen, and brought her to London, where the wedding took place. Of the six royal marriages to which reference has been made, that of the Duke of Edinburgh was solemnized in the winter Palace of St. Petersburg; that of the Crown Princess, in the Chapel Royal, St. James's; and those of the Prince of Wales, and the Princesses Alice, Helena, and Louise in the Chapel Royal at Windsor. It may further be of interest to know that the Princess Royal was married in 1858 at the age of seventeen; Princeas Alice in 1862, at nineteen; the Prince of Wales in 1863, at twenty-one; the Princess Helena in 1866, at twenty; Princess Louise in 1871, at 23; and the Duke of Edinburgh in 1874, at 30. The Duke of Connaught is now in his 29th year, Prince Leopold in his 26th, and Princess Beatrice in her 22nd. From Crown to Parliament is a natural step, and there can be no question that the present House of Commons has had more lengthened sittings than any of modern times. When the Great Reform Bill was in Committee in 1834. Sir Charles Wetherell once kept the House at work until I#lf-past seven in the morning insisting upon divisions; and on coming out and finding it to be raining heavily, declared that had he known it he would certainly have kept them longer. That was looked upon as most exceptional; but we all remember that last July there was a continuous sitting of twenty- six hours. Of course the Speaker or the Chairman of Committees, whatever might be the amount of his physical endurance, could not stand such a strain as that, so the occupant of the chair was relieved by one member of the House after another as the dreary work went on. How is it possible for legislation to be satis- factorily conducted if the House, meeting at four in the afternoon, sits until half-past nine the next morning, and again assembles at four the same day ? Time was when the House of Commons was called the first legislative assembly in the world; but its dignity has not been increased by the introduction of such sounds as the crowing of cocks, the mewing of cats, the braying of donkeys, and the imitation of vomiting. We used to read with astonishment of the rowdy scenes in the House of Representatives at Washington, but now it is almost a standing line upon the contents' bills of the newspapers, Another scene in the House of Commons." Those who remember what that assembly was a quarter of a century ago look with deep and unfeigned regret upon the incidents of the last three or four years. Whatever be the cause there has been a painful degeneration of Parlia- mentary dignity; and had not the Speaker been possessed of marvellous patience and consummate tact, the wrangling would have been increased a hundred fold. Paris has its Universal Exhibition this year; London is to have its Agricultural Exhibition next. People are already busy making arrangements for the latter, which has been fixed for the summer of 1879. The site selected, 91 acres in extent, besides a field of eight acres, which has to be rented in order to obtain access to the Show, lies near the Paddington cemetery, and has too railways, the North Western and the North London, touching it, while the Great Western is but a little way off. It seems in every way suitable to the purpose for which it is intended, and is probably the only plot of ground ef equal extent available so near the metropolis, and so easy of access. It is not, however, likely to be avail- able long after the holding of the show. The specu- lative builder already has his eye upon it; he is making annexations in that quarter, and, should trade .revive, j those wide acres would speedily be parcelled out into i building land. People who have gone out several miles J from the city, in order to obtain a little country air— northward to Highgate, southward to Norwood, east- 1 ward to Bromley, and westward to Bayswater— J find that the enterprising contractor pursues them ] whithersoever they may go. In the eventide, after the rush and roar of city life, the jaded Londoner, in his < suburban home, may love to look upon a field, or to ) listen to the murmuring rustle of the trees; but let the speculative builder come to know of the existence of i the said field, and ho proceeds without delay to j obliterate it. It at once becomes "eligible for the reception of bricks and mortar, and the city man speedily loses one of tho greatest comforts of his life. Go where he may he cannot escape from a knowledge of the fact.that there are houses, houses everywhere, and acutely enough is the truth brought to his mind that God made the country and man made the town. There is a point upon which architects have never i yet been enabled to agree, and that is whether a ( "oma or a spire is the more fitting for a great i ?aui'8' destroyed in the fire of I r JLOOO, a spite Sir Christopher Wren gave the pre- c sent structure a dome, and a grand and graceful one it 1 is. Viators to Paria this summer will note the dome 8 of the Invalided, (answering to our Chelsea Hospital), tiud underneath which are interred the remains of t Kapoleoc, just as those of Wellington and Nelson are a covered by the dome of &t. Paul's. But for symmetry a of its proportions and its imposing appearance, the dome of the Invalides, gaily gilded though it is, t caanot be compared with that of our cathedral. The t latter seems to he ever looking down like a guardian sentinel watching over thelife and prosperity of thecity, with its interesting churches, the noble hallFl of the guilds, the q iaint old-fashioned buildings which have survived tha birth and death of countless generations, £ but which are gradually becoming less and less. But you may still see the "King's Head" tavern in the Poultry, where Charles IL after bis restoration stopped to gratify the loyalty of the landlady in very different days from those of our own time, when Cheapside may truly enough be called the pulse of the world. One of the most delightful accessories of an English wood, a garden, or an hedgerow, more especially at the present time, is the song of birds. From early morning, when the streaks of dawn are brightening, the eastern sky, until the sun is wearing towards the west, the warble of the feathered musicians is one of the most delightful accompaniments in the contempla- tion of a rural landscape. How glad would the Australian colonist be to listen to some of those priceless notes! For it must be remembered that the enormous island which lies far away in the Pacific, and which is not much smaller than the whole of Europe, is truly enough a land of contrarities. Nettles grow to the height of trees in that country, any edible native fruit is almost unknown, and some of the trees cannot be said to have any real leaves at all. The animals &re as peculiar as the vegetation, for one quadruped, the kangaroo, habitually stands on two legs, and another has a bill like a duck. Its birds are brilliant in plumage but utterly songless; the silence of the woods and groves is oppressive and almost painful. The attempt to naturalise the best of our singing birds have met with very indifferent success, and the mischievous boys of England, who set out on their nesting expeditions, may be very thankful that they have not the Australian colonist to deal with, for that worthy would show such offenders very little mercy. Just now, in that colony the in- habitants are entering upon the little winter which they get, and that is not much. The colonists remain as loyal to the Crown as though they had never left the mother-land at home, and upon such occasions for instance as the celebration of her Majesty's birthday, officially fixed for the 25th instant, the manifestations will not be confined to the capital of the empire. Regent-street and Pall Mall will be illuminated, and the Queen's Ministers will give grand banquets in Whitehall; but Melbourne and Sydney will also commemorate the occasion, although twelve thousand miles of ocean roll between the two islands.

Writing from Pera, on the 19th, the Corespondent of The Times, says:—"I am informed that neither at Prince Lobanoff's official audience with the Sultan nor at the pri- vate audience which followed was a word of politics spoken on either side. In his later visit to the Porte Prince Lobanoff created a most favourable impression. Hopes of peace are scarcely entertained at all here to-day even the German Embassy, the most peace desiring and at the same time the best informed regarding the Russian temper, finding the sole hope to consist in the fact that no rap- ture has yet actually occurred. The Austrian Embassy appears to be much impressed with the irre- concilable attitude of Russia. The Austrian policy has taken a definite shape, ann the Porte has now no more mis- givings regarding the military preparations of that Power and the probable advance of Austrian troops into Bosnia, than it has of the presence of the British fleet in the Sea of Marmora. The Porte, being informed of the Montenegrin ( preparations for taking possession of the new territory an- nexed to that principality by General Ignatieff, perceives that Austria has real cause for anxiety in this manifestation of Montenegrin impatience, and I believe now fully acquits Austria of any annexionist designs."

In well-informed diplomatic spheres there exists no ap- prehension of a Russian coup de main on Constantinople (says the Correspondent of The Times) The strength and organization of the Turkish army of defence are now such that a prudent General like Todleben would hestitate to at- tempt it, while his rear is harrassed by the Rhodope insur- rection General Todleben's object all along has been, as previously stated, to take up a good defensive position. He was not allowed to fall back, as he wished to do, from the San Stefano position, and he therefore consolidated his men as far as possible by bringing up troops from the rear. It is manifest that the Turkish Army is not only strong enough to defend neutrality, but even to assume the offensive if that neutrality were seriously menaced by such an incident, for instance, as a Russian attempt to seize the Dardanelles. This fact sufficiently explains General Todleben's care to lift his army off the San Stefano flats to the adjacent heights, and give it a strong backing of support by bringing up troops from the rear

The Pera Correspondent of The Times says that more than 300 claims against the Russians for damage done to private property in San Stefano and the neighbourhood have been presented by the Porte at the Russian head-quarters. The Russians cavalierly reply that in a state of war such accidents are unavoidable. The Turks are very much nettled at this answer, saying that the state of war existed on the further side of the neutral zone, but that the Russians were bound to behave as privileged guests at San Stefano, especially as, after undertaking to bring only 1,500 men beyond Rutchuk Tchekmedje, they actually brought 60,000.

The Porte (says the Standard) is very firm with regard to the entry of ships into the Sea of Marmora, and being of opinion that the British force now within the Dardanelles is as strong as is called for in the present situation, it has been laid down that before any other ships can be admitted to the Sea of Marmora one of those now in those waters must be withdrawn Any exchange is permitted, but no addition to Admiral Hornby's squadron at the Gulf of Ismid.

THE PROSPECTS OF PEACE. One of our Scotch correspondents telegraphs :— "In passing through Perth yesterday her Majesty had two conversations with the Duke of Athole. Later in the day his Grace presided at a meeting at Pitlochry, and referring to Eastern affairs said he was of opinion that there would be a peaceful solution of the present difficulties. The Duke added that one significant fact seemed to point towards peace, and that was that the Queen had come to Scotland earlier than was expected."—Wednesday's Globe.

FEEDING THE CHILDREN AT MERTHYR. The following are extracts from a most interesting article, entitled Feeding Five Thousand," in this week's Mayfair, by the Rector of Merthyr "The great feed—5,000 children, every day, for seventeen weeks-is now over, and I am' just going to start for a. month's holiday, wife and I. But before I go, my first duty is to thank the English-speaking people, at home and abroad, for all they have done for as. At first I confess things looked serious but, thanks to the Press, we regained public confidence, and the money poured in in greater abundance than ever. Indeed I do not suppose there ever were such golden showers since the time of Dante. Every post brought letters by the hundred. The first great fall' was on a Sunday, the day after the account in the Daily News of the first dinner given to the children. When the bag came in I called my wife's attention to it before I opened it. It was filled to repletion, and ready to burst. Accompanying it was a kind of thick brown-paper bag, bearing an official stamp, and I wondered what it could be. But I did not care much about opening it, lest it might prove a damper to the joy raised by seeing how full the other bag was. I never dreamt it contained what it really did. It was much larger than my own bag. It had also two strong bands round it, looking like girders. Judge of my astonishment, when I opened it, to find it was full of letters Letters by the hundred It was, in fact, what the postmaster called a Registered Bag.' Thus I received, every day for weeks, between three and four hundred letters registered and unregistered, con- taining moneys in all shape and form—gold, silver, e iheaues, Post Office orders, stamps, drafts, recipes For making soup, samples of soup, inquiries for servants, and good advice how to face the diffi- culty without end. In fact, there never was I believe, such interest tafcen in any question before. These letters amount to severai thousands. I have kept them nearly all. My sons, who were working in the other room, burnt a few' after they had been an- swered, and before I had asked them to keep them as 3. record. They came from a--ll parts, wherever the. Daily News circulated, and som ° of the most interest- ing of them from children. Some children sent 7money for the little children's dinner at Merthyr,5 ) Y. which they said, would have been spent otherwise in t cakes and lollipops.' One letter came enclosing a good sum of money from the children of one of her Majesty's Ambassadors in an eastern country. Another came from the West Indies, enclosing £20 from a father who had just read the account of the children's dinner at Merthyr in the Daily News, and ex- pressing a hope that the draft enclosed would enable me to repeat it. I had the satisfaction of telling him that it had been repeated then daily for five weeks, and that I had money enough to repeat it daily for twelve weeks more. This gentleman, as I was afterwards informed, was so moved by the account given that, thinking of his own little ones out of health in England, he sent me the 220 as a thank-offering for their improved state since their arrival here, which news was conveyed to him by his wife by the same mail that took out the Daily News of the 5th of January. Then, again, other children sent me money, approaching nearly B20, which the parents said would have been the cost of the children's annual party, which, for the sake of the Merthyr children, they this year gladly managed to do without. The Rector then gives some very interesting particulars respecting the manner in which the children and the babies were cared for. He thus concludes his article, which is well worth perusal We have still a gloomy future, it is true, before us; but, as God has taken care of us in the past, I make no doubt that he will again help us in the future. I could say a great deal more. For instance, ask you what is to become of us if things do not mend ? How are we to dispose of these boys and girls that we have nothing to do for ? The girls that are budding into womanhood who have never been taught for service; who have looked .to the great works now stopped for their daily bread? Then the boys, what is to be done with them- big, strapping fellows of fifteen and six- teen ? All these are most serious questions; and yet, how are they to be solved-when work is so scarce everywhere ?"

DEPARTURE OF THE RUSSIAN SQUADRON FOR AMERICA. The Cronstadt cerrespondent of the Globe writes, under date of Wednesday, the 15th inst., as follows:— "Yesterday afternoon at three o'clock, the sixteen gun frigate Prince Pojarsky, under the command of Captain Basargin, and the clipper Djigite, under that of Captain Delivrone, left Cronstadt Road- stead for the sea. On their way to the Sound they will probably be rejoined by the frigate Petrapavlovski, and the three men-of-war will then proceed direct to the Atlantic coast. Some- thing will be heard of them, no doubt, when they pass Elsinore, but as they will thence proceed across the Atlantic by the unfrequented route past the north of Scotland further intelligence of their move- ments will not be received until they join the Cimbria. The Pojarsky was accompanied on its departure by the despatch boat Tchasavoy. Last Saturday the gun- boat Somoyard left Cronstadt for Revel, for the de- fence of the port there. Nothing else important has transpired since I despatched my last letter. Every day fresh men-of-war are commissioned, and pass from the Mole into the Roadstead, and on each of them large gangs of men are engaged getting them ready for sea. Under ordinary circumstances the work of fitting the ironclads for active service would not have commenced before the present week, but owing to the energy in- fused into the authorities by the Government at St. Petersburg the season has begun quite a month earlier this year, and a squadron has already left the port. I have tried to find out whether the Pojarsky and Dji- gite have got on board stores for the cruisers Russia is purchasing in America, but the secrecy of the authori- ties is too great for me to break through."

THE NEWSPAPER PRE S3 FUND. Lord Salisbury presided at the fifteenth anniversary dinner of the Newspaper PNSS Fund, which took place in London at Willis's Rooms on Saturday evening-. Mr. Archibald Forbes proposed the toast of the Military, Naval, and Auxiliary Forces, Lord Napier of Magdala responding for the army, Lord Clarence Paget for the navy, and Lord Gerard for the auxiliary forces. The toast of the Foreign Ministers, proposed by Lord Edmocd Fitzmaurice, M.P., was acknowledged by Count Beust, and among the other speakers were Prince Louis Napoleon, Lord Houghton, the Earl of Dunraven, Car- dinal Manning, Mr. Goschen, M.P., and Mr. H. M. Stanley. The subscriptions amounted to about £1,200. Lord Salisbury, in acknowledging the toast of his health, said that the speeches that evening had shown that" in all these violent party fights which seem to rend the nation asunder we do not even dis- turb by a ripple the profound harmony of national and patriotic sentiment. In this great and almost supreme crisis in the fortune of Europe (he added) I cannot but regard that as a favourable augury. I believe that our happy issue from the difficulties which may now seem to environ us will depend upon the harmony and the unity of that patriotism which will meet every danger except losa of honour."

FENIANS IN AMERICA. The American papers received by the last mail contain particulars with reference to the supposed raid on Canada in view of complications between Eng- land and Russia. A despatch from Buffalo states that the report of the contemplated invasion has created con- siderable sensation there. Many," it says, dis- credit any such Quixotic scheme but in an interview with some of the leading Irish residents here, the fact has been entertained beyond a doubt that such an invasion will be attempted, and also that there are a large number of men drilling nightly in various localities in the city and in other cities, and that when the time comes for action there will be a force fully competent to strike a decided blow, well armed and equipped with the most im- proved weapons of warfare. It is their design to pre- vent a repetition of the abortive invasion of 1866, and the attempt will not, therefore, be made until every- thing is in readiness for success. Some estimate the force actually drilling throughout the country at from 8J,000 to 90,000 men. One of the most influential Irishmen in this city states that it is the intention of Irishmen, in the event of a war between England and Russia, to prevent Canada from contributing any aid to England. Force of arms would be resorted to pre- vent this. No secrecy is made of the intention of the companies being drilled here."

DISTURNPIKED" ROADs.-The House of Com- mons' annual select committee on Turnpike Acts state in their report this Session that, considering the delay in passing a Highway Acts and the pressing necessity that something be done to prevent the further deterioration of roads which have been dis- turnpiked, the committee recommended that, without prejudice to further legislation on the subject, pro- vision should be made this Session in the Turnpike Acts Continuance Bill empowering quarter sessions to place upon the county rate, so far as they shall think ] fit, the maintenance of roads which have been dis- I turnpiked siace the 1st of January, 1870,

A NEW EXPEDITION TO THE NORTH POLE. Mr. James Gordon Bennett, of the New York Herald, is fitting up an expedition for the Polar Regions. The preparations are almost complete. Mr. Bennett pur- chased the Pandora, an English vessel which has already seen service in the Arctic Seas, and has been planned especially for that duty. The Pandora is being thoroughly refitted in Walker's yards on the Thames, and may be said to be almost a new vessel. She will be ready for sea in a short time. The United States Congress recently passed an Act giving the Pandora an American register, authorizing her to fly the American flag, and directing the President to as- sign to her command officers of the Federal Navy. Under this Act the Pandora will take the name of Jeannette, and the officers to command her will be selected from those who have seen service in the Arctic Ocean. It is Mr. Bennett's intention to send a thoroughly equipped scientific staff, composed of gentlemen competent to make observations in as- tronomy, botany, zoology, meteorology, and other sub- jects. The Pandora will leave for Havre as soon as her repairs are completed. A temporary crew will be shipped and she will sail for San Francisco. She will not go into commission for her Arctic service until after reaching San Francisco. It is Mr. Bennett's hope that his expedition will sail for the North from San Francisco in June, 1879. It will be seen from this that Mr. Bennett intends his expedition to go through Behring's Straits and try the Pacific ocean road to the Pole.—The Times.

ltisttllantllus HOME, FOREIGN, AND COLONIAL. GOUT AND ITS CURE. The last new cure of gout in Bohemia is the sting of three bees placed on the foot."—Daily Neivs, May 13th. He came in on the Bee's wing; He goes out in the Bee's sting.— Punch. PUBLIC INCOME AND EXPENDITURE.-A Return has been issued which shows that the total income in the year, which ended March 31, 1878, was B79,763,293, the total expenditure was £82,403,495, and the excess of expenditure over income £ 2,640,197. The balance in the Exchequer at the commencement of th year was £5,988,650, and at the termination £6,24:3,388 THE RAINFALL.-The heavy rainfall of the past fortnight has occassioned a. certain amount of anxiety as to the character of the season now opening, and this has been quickened by the prevalence of an opinion that the summer will prove more wet than warm, and fail to ripen the produce that increases on every hand. Without pretending to any knowledge of the future, we feel bound to offer a grain of comfort on the subject of the recent rainfall. In the first place, then, we have had a dry winter, and consider- able arrears of rain were due to us. Thus we may regard the extra humidity of the past two or three weeks as the restoring of a balance that had been disturbed, and from which we have already derived a considerable advantage, for the dry winter favoured out-door work to the advantage of the crops generally. In the next place, the districts that have been flooded are mostly in grass, and it is a truism that spring floods on grass land make great haystacks and abundant after-feed. Whatever may be in store for us, there is no occassion for fear or discontent at pre- sent.-The Gardener's Magazine. PARLIAMENTARY OBSTRUCTION.—A Dublin corre- spondent offers the following "suggestions as to dealing with Obstructionists in this House of Com- mons":—"Empower the Speaker whenever, in his judgment, the course pursued by any member is for the purpose of obstruction, to call for a decision of the House and take a division without debate; and if the House by a two-thirds majority, coincide with the judgment of the Speaker, let the following ensue :— First breach of rule, suspension from taking part in the proceedings then before the House; second, sus- pension during the sitting; third, suspension during the remainder of the Session. Assuming that the above was in force, the Speaker alone can take the initiatory step. This will prevent the proceeding being of a party nature. By requiring a two-thirds majority it will prevent even the strongest Ministry from unfairly controlling the freedom of debate. As doubtless, before the rule could be adopted it would be fully debated, no debate should be allowed when putting it in force, otherwise the object of the rule, to prevent delay and obstruction, would be to a certain extent defeated." SPECTRAL HARES !—A short time -since, a person residing some distance from Dantzig, having been re- quested by the proprietor of a menagerie in that town to forward two hares to his address, found himself confronted by a postal regulation forbidding the transmission of live animals by post. It then occurred to him to chloroform the hares, carefully calculating the dose, in order that they might remain in an insen- sible condition till delivered. But the train was late; the parcels were verified, and laid aside in the sorting- room to be sent out next morning. Accordingly, a sorter entered the room at dawn, went through the letters and parcels, and missed 108,109, two hares." He looked for them high and low, but in vain. Their disappearance seemed inexplicable the lock of the window was intact, the window barred, and the whole staff unanimously declared that the parcel of game was there the night before. As the bewildered sorter again looked round the apartment, one of the hares shot by him, followed by the other, on the back of which the post-office stamp at D-- was plainly visible; both darted at the open door. This was too much for the nerves of the sorter, who almost fell to the ground in astonishment; and the thought of the two spectral hares would have long embittered his lonely hours had not the proprietor of the; menagerie called to inquire after the expected consignment, and explained the circumstances. It is needless to add that "108" and his companion were never afterwards seen. MYOPIA.—Little Binks (to unsteady party who had lurched heavily against him). I beg your pardon, I'm sure, but I'm very short sighted "—Dissipated Strangsr. "Do'mensh't, shir—I've met goo' many shor'sight peopl'sh morn', bu' you're firsh gen'l'm'sh made 'shli'sht 'pology! "-Punch. THE TRAMP OF FLIES.-It seems from a paper read the other day before the Society of Arts by Mr. W. H. Preece that the flies which are now becoming so numerous with the increasing warmth have a speech of their own, and are not confined to the irritating buzz with which they have been so long associated. This fly language can be heard with the assistance of the microphone, which magnifies sound and aids the ear as the microscope does the eye. Mr. Preece states that with it he has heard the tramp of a little fly across a box with a tread almost as loud as that of a horse across a wooden bridge. A curious sound accompanied the tramp of the fly, which, it was suggested, was caused by the neighing of its proboscis. It is to be hoped that the flies have not got a habit of repeating all they hear while walking on the ceiling; if they have, what dis- closures might be made by some scientific eavesdropper with a stray fly imprisoned in a microphone! In these days of wonderful inventions a fly of the air may carry the matter as well as the proverbial bird. Pall Mall Gazette. INDISPUTABLE.—The Women's Rights advocates are about to hold a meeting in favour of securing votoa for female ratepayers. It has long been admitted that women ought to have votes (or, indeed, anything else they may choose to demand); while the way the Women's Rights agitation has been organised makes it clear that, whether or no a miss is as good as a mile, half a dozen resolute ladies are quite capable of becoming a League. Judy• OYSTER CULTURE IN HOLLAND.—The cultivation of the oyster is becoming an important branch of trade in Holland, for while the home consumption averages about 14,500,000 oysters per annum, almost as many are exported, France alone taking more than 3,000,000. Several artificial beds and oyster parks have been formed at the mouths of the Scheldt and the Msuae, and they are reported to be doing very welL Some years ago there were no restrictions witiu regard to oyster fishing in the Netherlands, and in const&iuence the natural beds situated in Zealand and the Texel were completely exhausted. But since 1872 the Government has farmed out the waters which are suit- able for the reproduction of oysters, and this system has been productive of the best results. Large quanti- ties of prawns, mussels, crabs,, and lobsters are also taken on the Dutch coast and exported to England and France. AN ALTERNATIVE.—(Time, 9 p.m.) Charles, love, Lady Ledbury is at home to-night, and has a concert, and there's the Duchess oi ipswicn s dance. Nowv are we going to these places. _o For if we are, it is time for me to go and if we are not, it is time for me to put a mustard- plaster on my chest, some flannel round y > and go straight off to bed —Punch. WASTE OF FOOD.—A. T. writes m the Queen .— Tn n,ollB Hav« of high prices and scarcity of pro- vaLt .ervaats Bpoken of with disparagement, as being wasteful and careless of the a en the heads of food under their charge but so long as the heads of the famiUes sanction and allow m their presence so much waste in the dining-room by leaving so much Sod op their plates and directly afterwards partaking of another dish, and again leaving half of that, we can hardlv expect to see any improvement in the servants. So long as this state of things is allowed in the dining- room, waste will be as great in the kitchen, aatbe example upstairs will be followed down below. It cannot be expected that servants will eat the refuse of meat, puddings, creams, &c. (butter at breakfast, &c.), left on the plates. Quite lately, at a small luncheon party of nine persons, sufficient was left on the plates for four servants' supper; this I can testify is a com- mon occurrence," BussiAN "HiDES. ""The Secret Clauses of the San Stefano Treaty.—Judy. A NEW WAY OF SPELLING POTATO I-Professor Knowlton made some interesting remarks upon pho- netic spelling at a late teachers' meeting in San Fran- cisco. As an example of one of the singular possibili- ties in spelling, a word from the professor's vocabulary may be given. To use his own language:—Will you pronounce for me the following word-" Ghough- phtheightteeau?" No, you cannot answer. Well, it spells potato. Do you see? No? Then I'll prove it to you. Gh stands for p, as you'll find from the last letters in hiccough. Ough stands for o, as in dough. Phth stands for t, as in phthisis. Eigh stands for a, as in neighbour. Ttte stands for t, as in gazette, and ea. stands for o, as in beau-and so from that jumble ot letters you unearth the simple potato. A SPECIALITY. Josh Billings" (Henry W. Shaw is reported to have made more money than almost any American author by persistent working of his peculiar vein of humour. Some years he has got 4,000 dols. from a weekly newspaper for his exclusive contri- butions has made 5,000 dols. or 6,000 dols. by lecturing, and has had a profit from his Almanack Of 8,000 dols. or 9,000 dols. more-18,000 dols. to 20,000 dols. per annum. That is five or six times as much as Emerson, Hawthorne, Lowell, or Holmes has ever made.—New York Times. GUSHING OUT!-The Springfield Republican says: They can just gush out on the 'Frisco papers. Hear the Alta go on; She is coming, the belle and heiress, Miss Jenny Latreille, the handsomest girl in the South-west—the finest figure, the smallest foot, the sweetest voice, the blondest hair and velvetiest eyes ever done up in one package-is coming to Oaklands to spend a few months with her relatives. She is said to be the most charming singer and amateur actress, and manages a horse like a Di Vernon and, more* over, is a lonely orphan with 1,500,000 dollars in het own right—a real bonanza. Such a distinguished: visit has not been made since the Queen of Sheba visited King Solomon. HAVING FOUR AGES !—Howard Paul relates that in a moment of wild forgetfulness he asked a well-knowB London actress, who makes up skilfully, her age. He* reply was frank I have four ages," she replied wit" animation the family archives unfortunately pro- claim that I am fifty by daylight I pass for thirty" six by gas-light not more than thirty and, with my war-paint on, in a soft light, and no rude glare, pass for five-and-twenty." A CAREFUL MOTHER.—A Highland lady, having heard that her son had gained in school, as a prize, It year's subscription to a popular youth's magazine* wrote an anxious letter to the publishers. She had never allowed her boy to read one sentence that waS not absolutely true; it was the object of her life to keep him from fiction and falsity, and she wanted to know if the magazine was free from these objectionably features.^ The answer was this: Dear Madam, le your notion is carried out strictly, there is but one pub- lication we can recommend, and, on second thought* we doubt even as to that. We were going to suggest the New Testament, until we happened to recollect that our Saviour therein is mentioned as speaking IJJ parables. THE BETROTHAL OF THE DUKE OF CONITAUGI-IT- The Berlin correspondent of the Cologne Gazette state that the Duke of Connaught's. engagement to the Princess Louise Margaret of Prussia was not alto* gether unexpected. There is an old saying in Germany that one wedding is apt to lead to another. At the marriage fete not very long ago celebrated at Berlin, where two Prussian Princesses were married on the same day, the Duke of Connaught was present, as It representative of Queen Victoria, and at the ball giveC in honour of the occasion it was observed that wheC the cotillon was danced he presented a bouquet to Princ ss Louise Margaret. That was the beginning0* his courtship. A JAPANESE NEWSPAPER.—A Tokio correspond' ent of the Chicago Tribune has been visiting the onico of the NichfrNichi Shinbun (Daily N ews) the leading paper of Japan. The paper pays thirty-seven pet cent. dividend annually on a capital of 50,000 dollars. Besides its editor, Mr. G. Fukuohi, a gentleman WI" visited America and Europe with the Iwakura bassy, the paper employs six editorial writers eight reporters, and local correspondents throughout the country; there are twenty-three hands in composing-room, including a foreman and two pr°°J readers; che business office and press and mail'10& rooms employ some forty men, and there are forty-fr^ carriers. The average daily circulation is 8,700. eluding the job presses, there are eleven presses ployed, one a Hoe cylinder press, which, by the is operated by hand, labour being cheaper, as motive power, than steam. A full fount of tyP comprises 50,000 characters, 3,006 of which are iOl constant use, and for 2,000 more there are frequeO" calls, so that it is no wonder that the proof-readero have to be persons of intelligence and high scholarship. The type is disposed about the room on racks liko those in a reading room, and the compositors up and down the aisles, setting type and takws exemise at once. ECONOMICAL CON.—Why ought poultry-keeping be a most profitable business? -Because for grain you give a fowl it gives a peck.-Judy. PAUPERISM.—A return has been issued giving a parative statement of the number of paupers of classes, except lunatic paupers in asylums and grants, in receipt of relief on the last day of e*jL week in VI arch, 1877 and 1878 respectively. first week of March, 1878, the numbers were 707, or an increase of J 8,133 over the corresponding of 1877. In the second week the numbers 705,042, or an increase of 15,106; in the third 704,094, or an increase of 14.899; and in the week 702,825, an increase of 14,222, or 2'1 per Compared with 1876 the increase was 2,493, or Der cent, RUSSIAN CRUSIERS.—A despatch from San cisco, dated May 6, says:—"There is nothing in rumour that Russian privateers are fitting out Ve0j There are no vessels in the port that could be used that purpose, not including the Occidental or M Mail steamers, except the steam yacht Sofia, rece»c''f arrived from Peru, the property of Captain Malloy> < New York. She is a suspicious looking craft, is lingering in the bay in a mysterious manner. could go into commission at once, and would dangerous to commerce. The Russian fleet, which h been at Vladivostock, on the Russian Asiatic coast winter, is composed of the Bovatin, Vaadnik, Abffl Toungovss, and Gamoston. The Russian Bnri Graysser is detained at San Francisco to carry news to that fleet of the declaration of war England and Russia, should it occur." RUSSIAN WAR ORUISEM. --Sarawak writes to Times.— j Sir,—When a youngster with Rajah Brooke in Borof%f have_ known many a pursuit of pirate prahus by vessel Her Majesty s Navy. The tactics of the natives were the same a rush to creeks and shallow waters enabled W j* e> n°t only to evade us, but to indule in the ridicule of our inability to pursue them. So it will be Asiatic Archipelago with the small fleet of cruisers .0 Russia is quietly preparing. We shall pursue theia vvl our big ships and get simply laughed at. PERE ET FILS.-Brown junior owns that his flltbe% is near and dear to him, but emphasizes the Brown senior reciprocates the confession, but stress on the dear.—Fun.$ THE OTHER SIDE OF THE PICTURE.—The ad Lane Express observes:—"The graceful antics^^e savouriness of rabbits are enlarged upon in an in the current number of Belgravia. The write* be —' One of the prettiest sights of the country is tojogg found on the outskirts of a wood any fine eve^;gC0 particularly if the wood adjoins a grass, field or a P of young wheat.1 Ye3; but there is ako » very » sight, namely, the piece of young wheat^ jci3# positively poisoned by these gracefu p 0t vermin. The writer would hardly fi"d f« owner the piece of wheat or e ven thi« pretty eat,jl,Ttahittrff V& of '*• given to understand that at all official banquets, intended to replace the time-honoured toast of Army Navy by Our Sepoys and SeaboJ8, Punch. I AN OLD PAPER SOCIETY.-Protestant numbers among its numerous charities an Old Society." The Roman Catholics of the Netherl»% (1,200,000 in number) send annually to the proceeds of the sale of old magazines, j°ur thi pamphlets and books. During the past y0ar.t)0fi society has acknowledged 4l2,0001bs. of waste PfZtf this was sold for 10,000 florins, and the been forwarded to Rome. THE FOOD SUPPLT FROM AMERICA.—DUFI» £ .*EF week the quantity of fresh meat brought to 0 pool from the United States and Canada anaouo 5,375 quarters of beef, 1,050 carcases of muttoV, 260 pigs. oval MASTER AND MAN.—Domestic servants are rally believed (by the uncharitable) to reap harvest in perquisites and percentages from (says the Pictorial World). These little are usually conducted sub ros&, but now-a-9 a8 ? servants are beginning to look upon a Percen.„ce matter of course. Doctor S., a few days si g^et^i occasion to engage a man-servant, who was t the patients and perform the customary duties* by a medical man. The salary had been set tfl the various.duties of the post clearly explain candidate, who expressed his approval of tn» ^ete» Apparently all was arranged, when the xna^ the aspect of affairs considerably by askin6> g what percentages will you allow me, sir, upon when you receive patients ?