Evening Express

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MARl AND NEWS qF VW IWO '.1'ni:. PRICE OiOS ITSNST. BUSINESS ADDRESSES. NOW READY, E RN MAIL ALMANAC AND YEAR BOOK FOR 1897, ALMANAC, ENCYCLOPEDIA, ") TN /"VNE AND DICTIONAKY X U* The following are a few short notices of this very useful book: — "Among these 550 pages (the price is one shilling) there is scarcely one that does not- contain something interesting or instructive, from the laws of card gamea to the statistics of we Armies and navie* of Europe, from a table of precedence to a universal chronology. The volume is copiously illustrated with portraits, diagrams, and maps."—The "Times." "A remarkable shilJing'8worth. Described as a vade mecum for readers of all cla58es. it fairly earns this title, for in it are to he found references not only to the great events and discoveries of past ages. out to those of recent date. 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Telephone. National, 502; Port-office. P5. Telegrams, •'Express," Cardiff.

Bill Banter's Budget i I am feufferin' very condign, Dear me! They spesks of the contest as "fine," But Oil, "eavens! Dash! Plague you! j II I'm down winv the ague, Tihrougii sit.andill' upon the touch-line With nine I Bleomin' icicles freezin' me spine! ] And there's mere of us down, I opine, 1 Oh, lor! | What, with whisky and water and v me, I And jaw! i I don't see no fun in The rivulets runnin' Continual down, a bloke's spine; There were nine Different rivulets runnin' down mine! BILL HIGGINS. Poor Iliggins is really in a bad way. I ex- pected much from Hi.srgiru?, but this is a world of disappointment. Poets were ever uncertain. They do not seem to stand the ordinary wear and tear 'that falls to the lot of a mortal. I lc,L Higg'ns at Newport, and' I met him again t the hour of twelve on Saturday night, with a few thousand others w-ho had earnest- endeavour^ I to drive the Newport chill out. of their system. There was no room for rheumatism—whilsfr' Wales was winning. There Was no thought of the morrow whilst humanity celebrated the victory. But, alas! The ills that flesh is heir to,claim their victims by the hundred this morn- ing. "Bill," said Higgins on Saturday nipht, '"Introdueush me t' yer eleven brothersh." "Higgins," I respond-ed, "I am alone." "Blamed lie!" replied1 the poet, gazing at me "Blamed lie!" replied1 the poet, gazing at me intently. This was language that, at another moment would have been resented with the violence neces»?ary to emphasise it as out of order. But there were reasons why the noc-6 should have suffered from severe visual derrange- ment. Things are not) just what they seem at the hour of twelve after a famous victory. There is a similar visual derangement observable in the efforts of "Democritus," the sweet songster of the "Athletic Ntws," which I observe this morning. I quote them below to show that poets who have had no reason for exceptional celebration are better off the next morning, and are goirvj stronger than the patriotic Higgins. Let us steady ourselves and read: — read: — t ''Bedad, I'm (t broth of a bhoy, So oome on, ye canny Scotch Laddie, Cc.me England a.nd Wales, An' I'll thread on the tails 'Av yeT coats once again I th.imcTers Paddy. "It's the Champion's flag that I hould, An' to grab at the same yo re all waitin', But to do the sWate trick Ye must fight like Oul Nick, For ye'11 have to give Paddy a batin'! To perform that same nat,,3 little job 'Twill your arms and your leg.4 put a tax on For in 'Ninety-six, ahure, 'Twas meself wiped the finre Wid the Welsh, and the imme wid the Saxon. An' I could have sent Sandy to pot, But I knew I'd be top of the nations, So we drew for I felt Th^it the fieel and the Celt Are (as histhory telLs uti) relations. But this year the skulls of the lot I'll be splittin' wid pleasure most hearty, And you'll say when ye see How I crack all the three Its meself that's the gre^t Irish Pa.rty. An' if I but Had a look in At the Calcutta Cup, I'd be troublin' The Scots for that same At the end of thg game, An' we'd fill it wid whisky in Dublin! But come on! the fun has begun, And the balls are bogiimin' to rattle-, So ye divils, wade in If ye think ye can win Tho great International battle! Ooh, W alee, wid some beautiful kicks Yer, have given the Saxon a hckin' And it'3 Paddy that's glad. But bedad. vou'll be mad When I start the performance of kickin'. Och, sorrow's the day, Misther Bull; Ere yez come up again for a tussle. I'm '.hinkin', me bhoy, That ye'11 have to employ Some time in improvin' your muscle. thread on the tail ov me. Whirroo! Mind your eye, my braw Laddie An Taffy and John When yè're ready, come on For you've all got to reckon wid Paddy!" DEMOCRITUS. Saturday's team should be aible to teach Paddy and Scatty a thing ov (two. What did I say before the match? Ah it w pleasant to look back fii-d feel predictions realised! I said that Rhondda football was defined to become, this season and next, the football power of Wales. Without the Rhondda quartrtite in the forwards the Leek would almost to a. certainty 'have lo,,t. The result of Saturday's success wilt be that more attention will be directed towards the strkles made by football in the ql,iet valleys of Walee that t.he old-established Weleh clutirs will foraice their conservatism when the football fixture lists come to be pre- pared that wholesome admiration az)o respect for Rhondda football will re-mit in a victorious career for the Principality in the future. Lhvynypia, Penygraig, Treherbert, Moun- tain Afti, Aboravon, Bridg-end, t:1 roiilv- pridd should, if only for the futu: ? of the Welsh international team, figure well upon the fixture lists of Cardiff, Newport, Swansea, Llanelly, and Neath next .«ea«*H!. • <: u;. nypia have begun pretty well, with Newport, Swan- sea, and Llanelly upon their fixture card. The reason for pointing to .the extreme impor- tance of recognising the newer clubs fully is obvious. Under present conditions, the Welsh Rugby Union has small opportunity of fishing in the Rhondda. There are still men in the new Valley club? worthy of inter: luional places -more worthy th:r.11 men who have been chosen internationals during the last season or BO. The fir?t recognition by the match committee of Rhondda. football has been encouragingly auspicious. When, in future contests with the five old, haary club?, the Rhondda men are seen, o-nd compared, man to 'ivan, there will be an end to the succession of Welsh inter- national defeats. Englishmen may crow over their Yorkshire forwards; tLFy may say, when it is too late, t'.1a.t a Yorkshire pack would have turned the tabfles a,g>a,iawt Wrlsl at Newnort. We may say. with greater truth and confidence, the a search next season in c-he Rhondda will produce a pack to licik taything in creation. From football to sweating does not appear to be a long step. Some little time ago facts were brought to my notice which I duly passed on to pals. They related to the existence of a colony of sweaters in Cardiff—a colony of cl-eap labour which has brought deplorable results. Tho facts were scarcely creditied :è the moment; thev appeared incredible. We have heard of sweating in the London "lum. we have read horrible stories that re-call Tom Hood's "Song of the Shirt," with unpleasant vividness, but we were loth to believe that such things could in n.ny measure be related of Cardiff. Some more facto are at hand in the "Express" to-day. I

DEATH OF A FAMOUS JOURNALIST. I A Central News telegram from Victoria on Sunday night says —The death is announced of Henxy Lawson, editor and coloniet. He was j the pioneer of journalism in Canada.

-? j Horses Roasted to Death I $ STABLES GUTTED AT ARRAJS1- STEE'ET, CARDIFF. i The inhabitants of Arran-street, Roath, Car- di!f, and the thoroughfares abutting were rudely awakened out of their slumbers shortly ¡' after midnight on Sunday by loud cries of "Fire followed by the screech of a police- man's whistle, and in a short time there was a scene of animation in the neighbourhood, people jumping out of their beds, dressing hur- riedly, and rushing into the street. in the meantime an alarm reached the Central Fire- station from iS o. 3 Street Fire-box in the vici- nity of Cotterell-road, and the "William MoKenaie was soon on the way to Arran- street in cliargo of Superintendent Haywarcl and Chief-engineer Geen. An alarm of fire was also received from the Roath Police- station. whither Police-constable Nelmes bad hasletu 1 after observing flames issuing from the Roatii Park Mews, belonging to Mr. F. Wake- ham. cab and brp.Ü;: proprietor, which was the locale of the outbreak. The stables and = carriage-sheds 'forming the mews bein<* oon- 'et-ructed for the greater part of wood, which had Uteri tarred, the fire soon got a complete hold of the buiilding, and when the fire-engine arrived the premises were one mas,s of flames. Before the firemen got on the scene, however, the large doors of the stables had been burst open, and two of the wagonettes kept in the shed had been taken out into the gtre-.t with only slight uamaige. The hose was expeditiously affixed to the hydrant, and there being a plentiful Kupplv of water, the conflagration was got well in hand by a quarter past one. The outbreak was confined practically to the stables, where Mr. Wakeham had three horses, valued, he stated, at not under E20 each, and the poor animals were literally roasted to death, and then buried beneath the debris formed by the falling rcof and portions of the wall. Among the onlookers the rumour was stated that there were pome lads sleeping on the premises, but V/hen Mr. Wakeliain arrived—he lives at the Wirdsor Mews—all doubts were set at rest. The premises, he staged, were all right at 9.30 o'clock in the evening, and there was no one left personally in charge of the stables. By 1.30 the fire had been extinguished, and tlie water was shut off. Mr. Wakeham was unable to estimate his loss off-hand. The premises, however, are insured. In addition to the lass of the horses, a. lot of harness wa.» destroyed, and a cab and some of the breaks were damaged. ?.

IRISH POLITICAL EEISQXsfiSS. AMNESTY MEETING AT CORK. A largely-attended ( pen-air meeting in sup- port of the amnesty of the Irish and America,1 political priscners was held on Sunday even- ing, the Mayor of Cork presiding. The prin- cipal speakers included Messrs. M. Healy, Doncgan, Flynn, Crean, and O'Brien, members of Parliament. Resolutions were adopted pro- testing against the fwt-h-ar incarceration of pri- soners who were convicted on evidence to "I in which grave suspicion attaches, pointing out that they were tried under the statute against political oifenoes, that the maximum penalty which could have been inflicted under tlie ordi- nary law would in all cases have long since expired, .and urging upon the Home Secretary the humanity and necessity cf a general amnesty. ?.? -?-

BUSINESS OF THE LAW. COURTS. COMIHGr CAUSES CELEEBES. The Law Courts open to-day (Monday), a.nd 'm the special jury lists are several actions for libel, including that of Cay ley v. Labouchere, and fire actions by Mr. Brooks against London evening newspapers. There is also an action J, libel against the "Daily Chronicle"—Foyle v. Edward Lloyd and Co. There are four breadi of promMe and several slander actions, including the breath of promise brought by Miss Duncan, an act; j against Captain Crplbbe. There are five other similar actions, and numerous slander and seduction caries are set down in the common jury list.

FRENCH NAVY. CONFLICT OF OFFICIAL OPINION. A Renter's telrgram from Paris on Sunday says:—The "Echo de Paris" states that tha conflict of opinion betwec n Admiral Besnard and the Council of the Admiralty turns exclu- sively on the question of the tonnage of the future iroaciads. There is a complete agree- ment to reject the programme of Admiral Aube, the Minister of Marine, and the Council of the Admiralty rare in favour off u«ing squadrons in time, of war, and reject the idea. of forming p fleet of fast cruisers, in view of privateering, the inter- pretation of which would appear to be that She prcisppct of war with Great Britam is not con- templated as likely to coine within the sphere cf practical politics. -?-

KILLED BY A LEOPARD IN PARIS. A bueine-ss manager, named Medan, aged 65. living in one of the suburbs of Paris, was hurry- ing home on New Year's night, says the "Dailv Giaphic," kden with presents for his wife and children when he was killed by a leopard. This animal had for years been the favourite of an acentric old lady, who oared for it as though it were a child. But leopards are not immortal, and eventually the old lady's pet died, and was stuffed. The stuffing was so hadly done, how- ever, that it soon bs?,gan to smell, and the old lady ordered her servant to get rid of the beast. The girl, in great perplexity how to get rid of it, opened the window awl dropped the stuffed animal into the street. It, unfortunately, fell I 'kf. i 3n M. Medan'* head, arad' he was so frightened that he had an apoplectic fix, from which he died.

-?-? STRANGE' STORY OF TWO HUSBANDS. A PAINFTTL SEQUEL. The extraordinary story of Mrs. Musk, of Stcrmont-road. Bsittersea,, who on Thursday informed the magistrate uhat she had uncon- sciously been wife to two trot-hews, was followc 1 on Saturday by an appfeftion to Mr. Francis, at the South-Western P<ssice-court, made by Mr. Mantle, one of the relieving officers undev the Wandsworth and CSnpham Board of Guardians, for n. certificate from the magistrate to the effect that she wn* not under proper control. The landlord of the house h«d in- formed 'him that she wa, not under proper control. Mr. Francis: Bat I understand that the is under the control of her husband—a reypeotable man who is will in g to look after her. Mr. Mantle contended that by Act of Parlia- ment lie was bound to apply for such a certi- fico.t". Mr. Francis, nft/-T consultation with the clerk, refused to grant any certificate unless a sworn informabioryfebrtiug all the facts of the case were laid before him. Inquiries show that the woman is clearly not in her right mind, and ;nuoh sympathy i-a felt for the husband, v ho has been made the victim of her delusions. -===- ???'???

DUELLING IN GERMANY. The very halting decision which the Kaiser 113.5 arrived at on the subject of duelling in the German Army has been mixta commented upon. It would appear t.hat in 1390 there were eleven duels for 30,600 officers; "IL 1891 tiiers were seven duels for 31,700 officers.; in 1893, of 32,000 officers ten fought duels, and in 1894-, of 34.000 oiiicors, nineteen wsre engag-ad in duels. The ligures for the civilian part of the population show that from 1882 to 1893 1,215 persons were punished either for duelling or for aiding- and abutting the practice. Amongst these 1,215 persons there were fifteen w<om-~n, who, how- ever, had not fought duel*, 'ji.: isd acted as e-acords or as conveyors of ci» ■ages. About iw.ihirds of these condemned people were less than 25 yeara of age, and of foe 1,215 duellists 897 v. ere Protectants, 237 Iwman Catholics, and 74- Jews.

A MILITARY" FASILY. There is living in Bristol a woman who was born in the Army, and lived neiirly the whole of her r.uimocl life with the service. She iii, seen the presentation of two sets d colours, one at Cawnpore and the other i- Jersey, which latter are now in Gloucester Cf.theciral. She has six eons, all in the Army. The deceased's father served 2H years. Ho t<n]is+ed ;n the 61st South Gloucester RegimE-nt, in No,:ch he obtained his commission a,I quartermaster and licii. t n.fter eighteen jr-ears' service. This officer served through the Indian Mutiny, for which lie got the medal, and present at the storming of Delhi. Tbie two elder brothers wear the good-conduct medal, and the fact that all but a boy-brother are non-com- missioned testihe^ to their worth in -the rervice. ,.?.?..?- -]??t?

EMPLOYMENT FOR "DR. PETESS. A Oantral News telegram front Berlin on Saturday says:—The charge <ft kit-ailt brought by Merr Lange. tlie editor, again«i Dr..I'eters has ended in the latter's acquittal. The only new and n0'teworthy point reveafed in the couufia of the proceedings was that Dr. Peters has not entered tht British service-, but that of an international, unpolitical, industrial, and com- mercial undertaking in which. besides English, Gorman capital is inveeted. I Peters ener- getically refused to give any ni<-x,i exact infor- mation about tho undertaking. It juiglit eas^y be utilised by rrcnjpeiitors.

I Questions of the Hour SPEECH BY MR. BALFOUR AT MANCHESTER, IMPORTANT DECLARATIONS No Rate Aid for Voluntary Schools- Denounces the Irish Commis- sion's Report On Saturday Mr. A. J. Balfour visited his constituents a.t Manchester and delivered an address at the Artillery Drill-hall, Ardwick. It was a year, lie said, since he addressed a meeting of his constituents within those walk. The inevitable process of change had gone over the f.ice of public affairs at 'hame and aibroad. When he last spoke there was great anxiety at the unexpected trouble that seemed to beset theni from opposite quarters of the heavens. There were the difficulties with regard to Venezuela and South Africa. He was glad to think that during the twelve months the prospect had been steadily brightening; the clouds which had obscured the horizon had been largely dissi- pated. (Cheers.) The confidence which the country had felt in the foreign policy of the present Prime Minister—(che?-rs)—had grown and strengthened each month in which he had conducted foreign affairs. While it Was too much to say that, so long as Turkey remained an unreformed empire, and so long as the Eastern question was in its present position, the outlook was absolutely serene, they might say, with feelings of horpe, if not of absolute confi- dence, that the proapeots of the present year were far better than we had a right to expect twelve months ago. The Government had earnestly and conscientiously endeavoured to redeem in Pari faineant tHe pledges which they gave when they asked for the suffrage of the constituencies. lie repudiated the suggestion that the release of the dynamiters was connected in any way with the Parliamentary proceedings in the Irish Land Bill or with the policy of the Government in the House of Commons. NO RATE AID FOR VOLUNTARY SCHOOLS. Proceeding, Mr. Balfour said: Mr. Alderman Mark (the chairman.) a/ppenrs to think that I am going to indulge in a great many confidences as regards the future. That would, I think, be unusual—(Raughter)—and it would certainly be inconvenient. (Renewed laughter.) But there is, however, one topic, not perhapa sv topic specially poipuiLar among the friends whom I am addressing, and on whicfc for that very reason I feel bound to say a word. It is the subject of rate aid to voluntary schools. I know, of course, none knows better—(laughter) -that Lancashire generally, and Manchester in particular—(hear, hear)—is the headquarters of the rate aid movement. (Hear, hear.) Nobody knows better than myself the groat ability with which the rate aid movement has? been sup- I ported by the managers of voluntary schools in Manchester, and there ds a friend of mine, and a constituent of mine—(a Voice "Canon Nunn ') --who has 'been conspicuous in the very fore- front of the battle, and has shown singular ability in fighting for the cause which he believes, rightly or wrongly, to be the cause of religious education in this country. Now, I am not going to give an opinion in the abstract for or against rate aid to voluntary schools. I am a Scotchman—(laughter)—and I come from a country where the rates are habitually and almost invariably employed for the support of denominational religious education. I, there- fore, certainly have no prejudice against the system, nor do I 'believe that in the abstract there are any solid argniments to be devised against a general scheme of education denomi- national in its character, and supported partly out of rates and partly by the State. (Hear, hear.) But we have to consider the actual circumstances, not of education in general, noi of education in Scotland, but of education in England, and the system which has grown up in England* sijiC-e 1870, &,rd I state here that the decision of the Government has been that, so far as the Bill which will be immediately brought in for relief for voluntary schools is concerned, they do not propose to make any proposals with regard to ra.te a.id for the support of those schools. (A Voice: "They ou^ht to have.") I do not mean to occupy your time in arguing the matter at length or giving a full justification of a policy which has been most carefully thought out, but it is enough if 1 tell you, what I think nobody will be prepared to deny; it is that public opinion in this country—I do not mean the opinion of those who differ from us in politics, nor tine opinions of those who differ from us in theology, but the public opinion of the Unionist party and of the managers of voluntary (lchools in general is not ripe for any change of the revolutionary character which rate aid would necessamy involve. (Hear, hear.) The ratepayers would object to it, large sections of the clergy would object to it. ("No, no.") I say large sections; I go no further than that, and even amongst those who have devoted most time to the sub- ject opinion is not united. And to go into a fight 011 this question with our forces divided would, believe me, be the work of political lunatics. You eann.ct carry proposals unless your own moen-your own followers—are pre- pared to support you in your proposals, and if the Unionist forces, if the Conservative forces, if the religious forces, if the educational forces, on which you have a right to rely are not united on this point, It would be folly to encumber the Bill, which nvust do great good, and which may do all that is required, with proposals lending themselves to endless con- troversies and to endless divisions of opinion. IRISH TAXATION. With respect to the financial relations between tli is country and Ireland, continued Mr. Balfour, the Chancellor of the Exchequer had very rightly observed thnt the proper place for thrashing out tlie question was on tfce floor of the Hou.se of Commons. It was a singular thing that there should be any new discoveries to be made upon this subject in 1896 and 1897, about 80 years since the Exchequers of Ireland and England were amalgamated, and, since then, to all intents and purposes, they became one country for fiscal purposes. During the latter portion of that time the opposite side had been in office for the greater number of years, with leaders iike Mr. Gladstone—(cheers) -but it was not till 189o that the discovery wiw made that this country had robbed Ireland to the extent of £ 2,700,000 a year. (Laughter.) How had that startling conclusion been arrived at? The very simplicity of the argument should have induced the able Englishmen v.ho had given their adherence to it to look at it with critical suspicion. Great question. of finance were not eisily settled bv quite such plain methods. How was this £ 2,700,000 obtained? (A Voice: "Whisky," and laughter.) It was obtained by taxation upon commodities, principally, as a friend of his had observed, from the duty on whisky. (Laughter.) He confidently laid down two propositions in re- spect to this. First, you could not treat in- direct taxation by tho simple aro^metical svsl&m which these Commissioners had adopted. If the argument of the Commission was just as between Ireland and England, it must equally bo iuas between two taxpayer? living in England or two in Ireland. ("No.") Take, for instance, the ca-e of a working man earn- .1 ing 15s. a week. (''Not enough," and laughter.) Well, he would take the case of an artisan earn- ing 50s. a week—("That is better," and laughter) —and who either from taste or conviction was iv, tt(In a teetotaler. On the principle adopted by Hle Commission, the tax-payirg capacity, he sup. posed, of the first man would be about 10". and of thr second 45s. The second man paid, or might pay. absolutely nothing in taxes; the first man might pay a great deal in t Did they think that the first mar was an object of commiseration? Did they think that ihe country owed him a debt? Did they think that there was an accumulation of wrong l!l1ch:r which he had been suffering, and which required legislative redress? The fact was that with regard to indirect taxation there was what there was not with regard to direct taxation, namely, an element of free will. A man mipht or might not consume, as he thought best. (Loud cheers.) In other words, there was a philan- thropic side to this alcoholic taxation. It was a farce to try to argiie the financial relations between the two countries on the logical and arithmetical basis which the Commission had nut forward. (A Voice: "Is Lord Farrar a fc ?'') He (Mr. Baifour) did not say 1'0. (Cheers.) Thev did not admit that the whisky d--inker in England had a right to complain of the exis-Hug "yst{>ffi of taxation, and, as his whisky-d-o kmg brother was in the same posi- tion, and had no individual grievance, it fol- lowed that Ireland had no grievance from the accidental consequence of the indirect taxation upon spirits. However they looked at it, they would, in hi.? opinion, come to the conclu- sion at winch he had nrrived. that the Com- mission had. adopted an utterly orropeous method of arguin" th's question, which ¡ landed them in hopples* logical absurdi I ties, and if can-led out would laud them in hopeless practice! administrative confusion, and which had no real basis in^ sound fir.arcc. (Cheers.) He went further, and said that, taking the method^ and arguments adopted by the Commission, Ireland was a great gainer by the existing system. The actual expenditure of iSgdand upon Imperial' nurposee wai csxaa- -??,-?-?-- tbing ovar a million—the contribution which Ireland ought to make was about £ 33,1C0,100. IRELAND'S "GREAT GAIN." That Ireland did not contribute what she cugiu to Imperial purposes has been admitted by Mr. Asquith. If Ireland's fair share was £ 5.300,000 for Imperial purposes, and her existing government cost, as it did, over £ y,uuu,000 she oug'bt at that rate to be taxed a.t the rate of £ 9,000,000 a year, but as her fair taxation, according to the Commission, was only £ 5,300,000 a year, it was clear that there would be a deficit on the Irish Budget of nearly four millions per annum. It might bo said that waa because the Irish Government was run upon an extravagant scaie. He denied, however, thut there was such a disparity a.s Mr Asquith had complained or between the cost of the government in Ireland and HeJtÓum, and said it was really very small. It had been said that -there should be economies in the government of Ireland, and that they should be allocated for tlie benefit of Ireland, but that carried with it the further consequence that any increase in the cost of the government of Ireland should be berne by that country, and there could be no worse bargain for Ireland. We could not look forward to government any- where becoming cheaper than it is furthito demands upon local or Imperial funds wota* likely to increase, not diminish. Tho demands, especially of the Irish community, upon Im- perial funds were likely to increase, and though some economies might be exercised, no one "hould 100e their hopes for the future in run- ning the Civil Government of Ireland for very much less a sum than that for which it was run in 1836-7. HOME RULE SPELLS BANKRUPTCY. Mr. Asquith thought that the result of the report would be to justify Home Rule. One way out of the difficulty was to give Ireland the control of her own finances, but Mr. Asquiih bad abo committed himself to the proposal of a find; charge upon these finances as a. twentieth purt of the Imperial expendi- ture. To that he pinned Mr. Asquith, and he (Mr. Balfour) said that if they were going to n-ake this £ 3.311,000, as it ought to be made. :t. first charge upon Irish finance, Irish Home Rule finance spelt bankruptcy, a.nd nothing else. The more this question was discussed the more it would be seen tftat so far from losing by her partnership with England, Ire- land gained enormously by it. and as they Unionists held that in matters of general administration, in matters of Imperial nolicy, it was not any good for the United Kingdom, but Kood for Ireland, that they should remain one nud undivided, so it would ever become plainer and plainer that Ireland's one hope or solvency or prosperity was to maintain the partnership which, to the mutual advantage of Ireland and England, had been in existence for nearly 100 years. (Loud cheers.) THE INDIA X FAMINE. Mr. Balfour, speaking at a luncheon given by the mayor of Salford on Saturday, referred to the Indian famine, and said the Indian Government had rightly declared that the wIulc responsibility of the conduct of the relief works must be left ir, their hands. Any interference by a.nother and independent organisation would b¿ productive of nothing but waste of public funds. .?

SUPERANNUATION. IMPORTANT QUESTIONS AT MERTHYR Mr. F. T. Jam'?s, clerk to the Meithyr Board of Guardians, was on Saturday instructed to forward to the Local Government Board a letter involving important points with reference to the superannuation allowance to which Mr. m. J. Jones, the late assistant overseer and collector for the parish of Merthyr Tydfil, is e.ntitbcl under the Poor-lww Officers' Supe-" ?': o rannuftion Act, 1896, Mr. Jones having been appointed by th? guardians. The first ques- tion was whether tho gTOC-S amount of his salary as avistant overseer end collector or the net amount, after deducting wages to darks employed by the assistant overseer and paid by h'm. in to be taken as the b:wis (apart from the period of service) in fixing the superannua- tion allowance. Mr. James has adviaed the guardians that the allowance is to be based t pon the salary paid by them to the assistant overseer. The second point was whether the emoluments received by the assistant overseer by virtue of his office, such as for his sc-rvices 'I in connection with the county and borough registration lists of voters and preparation of jury lists, are to be reckoned in com- puting the amount of such superannuation allowance. Mr. James, with reference to this, has advised the guardians that the average net income derived by the officer from those sources for the nait live years, after deducting printers' bills and other out-of-pocket expenses, should be added to the amount of his salary foiMhe purpose of arriving at the amount to which he is entitled, and that, liavii-t- regard to Section 3 of thie Act, Mr. Jones having been in the service of the guardians of this union for a period of 47 years, is entitled to an annual allowance of two-thirrls of such average amount of his salary and emoluments. -?.

EXTENSION OF JAPANESE INDUSTRIES. VISIT OF EXPERTS TO ENGLAND, There are now in this country (says the "British Trade Journal") a number of Japanese exports appointed by their Government to study the iron and steel-making processes and plant of the leading European and American work". Having visited the largest, works in Scotland and the North of England, they proceeded to Sheffield, where they inspected those of Aln«r^ Ciias. Cammeli and Co. and Messrs Thos. Firth and Sons. They will leave shortly for the Con- tinent to examine the principal iron and steel centres of France, Belgium, and Germany, and probably of Austria and Sweden, returning to this country to visit South Wales prior to their departure for Japan, via the United State*. At the end of their tour they are to dccide upon the processes and plant best adapted for the production .J steel and .iron from Japanese coal and ore, the Japanese Government having voted £ 500,000 for the establishment of works for this purpose near Simonoseki. The build- ing of these to begin next autumn, and they will, when finished, have an output of 100.000 tons a year.

CYCLING. ENGLISHMAN'S VICTORY IN PARIS PARIS A Renter? telegram from Paris on Sunday I' r:i vR :The 50-kilometre bicycle race for a. stake of 10.000 francs between C. F. Barden. of j Putney, 'nd Constant Tluret, the French )"ider, who holds lie 24- hours' world's record, took place this afwnoon at the Velodrome d'Fiver, in the presence of a large number of .spectators. Tlie English man won in Ih. 1mm. SsPc. ?? "4.?

HAMBURG D0€K STRIKE* A Central News telegram from Hamburg o\ Saturday soys :—Drifting :c hinder- movement in the harbour, where 147 shin? are working and 47 are idle. At the quays 63 phins are working, and in all 2.144 workmen aire in em- ployment. The weather was bitterlv cold tn- day, with lftdegs. of frost. Many 'arrests of turbulent strikers have been made ot Altoua, but there is no indication that the me-), will return to employment save under some scheme of arbitration or honourable compromise.

Wn. WOLCOTTJIN ENGLAND, Tho Canard steamer Campania arrived :t Liverpool on Saturday, among her passengers be"ntr Mr. Wolcott, United. States Senator, who is said to he on a special mission to Europe from Mv. M'Kinley in connection with the currency nnestion. Ho declined to bo interviewed, and Jcf'; for Euston by special train.

HONOURS FOB BKTTTSH SCIENTISTS. Rcuter s telegram rrom St. Petersburg on. Sunday says:—Tlie Russian Academy" of Science to-dev elected Lord Kelvin an honorary me-mb'-r and Lord Ruyleigh and Professor 'Bury, of Dublin University, corresponding members. -??- n_

DEATHS OF X'ROXINENT MF-N The RpY. Dr. Stubbs, Senior Fellow of Trimty College, Dublin, died on Sunday after- noon at h!s residence. Upper Fitzwilliarn- street, Dublin, after II short illness. .Mr. Jnmes Poole Maunseli, proprietor of the "Daily Express." Dublin, died on Saturday nught a% the residence of his father, in Low Churchtown, Dmidrum, County Dublin. On Sunday nVht Mr. John 'Wai-on. white- smith. A'c., of Wakefield, died suddenly while attending service in the West-parade Wesley an Chapel. Deceased wa« about 60 years of ago. ??. -?. ??-

SUICIDE OF A CARDIFF MAN IN BRISTOL. John Barnes, whose home is at 23, Comet- street, Cardiff, shot himself in Bragg's-lane, St. Philip's, Bristol. OIl Sunday. The inhabi- tants and pedestrians were shocked to see the man standing ih the roadway with a revolver, which he discharged at his head. He fell unromeioU3 with blood "ouring from terrible wounds. Dr. Maedonald pr.ssed along ft. few minutes later, and examined the man and found lim clead. The body \ra« removed to the St. Philip's Police-Station to await an inquest. ?

On Saturday morning the greater portion of the Bii-hop Auckland Post-office was destroyed ~.v' hrt>. The damage done was considerable. A Router's telegram from Berlin on Satur- day shteg to intelligence from Vienna, it is reported that King Alexander of Servia is a suitor for the hand of the Aroh- duchess Maria Christina, eldest daughter of the ^witduke Frederick, A

-?- Liberal Churchmen and the Opposition. The "Church of To-Day" publishes a letter to Mr. T. E. Ellis, M.P., the Opposition Whip, in which the present position of Liberal Church- men with reference to the Opposition is defined. The letter bears the following signatures: -—H. &'ott Holland (chairman), Canon of St. Paul's; Charles R. St abbs, D.D., Dean of Ely; C. H. Bromby, D.D. (bishop), AM Saints', Clifton; Charles Gore, Canon of Westminster; Walter G. F. Phillimore: T. C. Fry, D.D. (hon. secre- tary), headmaster of Berkha-msted; James Adderley, St. Philip's, Plaistow J. W. Hors- ley, St. Peter's, Walworth; G. W. Kitchin, D.D., Dean of .Durham; W. R. W. Stephens, Dean of Winchester; E. C. Wickham, De.an of Lincoln; Robert Eyton. Canon of West- minster H. J. Torr; E. L. Hicks. Canon of M-anchefeter; H. Russell Wakeftettd, St. Mary's, Brvanston-square; and H. C. Shuttleworth, oSt. Nicholas, Cole Abbey, E.C. After referring to th9 result of the last general election and its bearing on the political situation, the signa- tories express the opinion that it is a social policy which the Liberal party now wants and a leader who believes in it. The letter goes on to sav Yet it is with labour that official Liberalism appears to us to be oUt of touch; the very growth of the I.L.P. is a symptom of it. The rich Liberal capitalist is not neces- sarily more in sympathy with the workers than the rich Tory capitalist. Parliament is still made up for the most part of wealthy men nor does official Liberalism show much readiness to concede a fair of representation, to labour men. This is suicidal and unjust. Further, we are Churchmen, and we fed strongly that more room may yet be found in Liberal counsels for Liberal Churchmen. There has been a great development of social1 enthusiasm amongst our fellows. and it .is regrettable that by any want of generosity, any refusal to see our reasonable claims, in education or in Church reform, so an opportunity of attracting to the party of progress this new social earnestness should be lost. In education we only ask that Church teaching may be absolutely secured to the chil- dren of Churchmen; this done, we fchould wel- come the fullest popular representation on boards of managers. In Church matters we ask that Church reform should not he opposed by the Liberal pn?,y really, though not ostenBibly, on the -tactical ground that a reformed Church wonlld be easy to disestablish. Such a course we should regard as little less than im- moral; azid, indeed, we know that genuine Liberals, devoted to the cause of labour, are held back by the identification of Liberalism with a policy that seems wilfully unfair to the Church."

I THE THIEVE Si* INSURANCE. "Thieves are hardly a provident dlass as a rule," said a detective to the writer, "yet it may surprise you to know that there are a large number both of burglars and pick- pockets who habitually insure themselves against capture and imprisonment. Thert are two or three men in the East-end whe do an extensive business insuring thieves. These pay a small weekly premium, varying according to previous "laggings," and every conviction raises the rate, very old and 'un- lucky offenders being often released altogether. When a thief gets 'nabbed' his insurance money usually goes to pay a 'mouthpiece' (or solicitor) to defend 4iim. One of these fellows, a man of much their own class, has over fifty thieves insured with him, for sums varying from H2 upwards. He has a care- fuily-coinpiled iigt cf their convictions, and actually teeps books, in a primitive style, and he has found the money towards defend- ing several criminals we've put in the dock. Not long ago a notorious rascal was enabled by him to engage one of the sharpest police- court solicitors, and was actually acquitted 0.1 a purely technical point; undefended, he'd have got a heavy sentence. When a case is so black that no solicitor will defend it, the thief draws his insurance money 011 coming out of prison. A burglar I once caught iu Hackney was insured with four different men, and after his sentence expired he drew from them in all about -245. He was 'nabbed' again the next night on anothe 'job.' and had hardly a, penny in his possession,"

AN EXTRAORDINARY BOOK. Probably the only gold-and-silver-bound. diamond-in crusted book in the world was lately enshrined. in the holy Mohammedan city of Tsnan-Ruza, Persia. The book is, of course, a copy of the Alkoran, and is a gift from Abd-ur-Rahman, Ameer of Afghanistan. Tho covers of this unique volume, the sides of which, are 9iin. by 4in., are of solid gold- plate, one-eighth of an inch in thickness, lined with silver sheets of the same thickness. The centre-piece, as well as the corners, i.s a. symbolic design, wrought in diamonds, rubies, and pearls. The centre figure is a crescent, with a star between its points, the whole design being composed of 109 small diamonds, 167 pearls, and 122 rubies. The diamonds on each corner, which are almost hidden in their golden setting and the orange-coloured lacquer with wlmch they are fastened, are each worth abotft i £ l .250. The book itself is on rarchment, entirely written by hand. --?.?-?-

"LOSS OF THE GRIP-" One of the curious consequences of the Modern division of labour is the cramp that attacks those who constantly use their hands in one particular manner. Writers' cramp was the first to appear, being quite un- known until the introduction of steel pens. It affects men far offener than the fair mx, and. singularly, those who suffer are not literary men, but copyists. It is almost in- curable, and even when the left hand is used the cramp very soon crosses over to it. Musicians of every khM are attacked. Among pianists it is chiefly ladies ambitious to become professionals who are the vic-tims. "V.'olent pa,in. weakness, and fatigue of tlvs arm make playing an impossibility. Violinists are affected both in the fin "ers < of the left hand and the hand that hold's the bow. Clarionet players get cramp of the tongue, and flute players get cramp in the larynx. Telegraphists suffer very often, and they call it "loss of the Tailors pet cramps in the legs a.s well as hands. Smi+h-s and car- penters get what is called "hammer-cramp." resulting from the enormous number of blows sttuob. It is estimated that a forger of knives and scissors strikes 28,000 blows everv day. < ??-

THE MODERN MARSMALSEA. The Court of the Marshaisea transacts a deal more business than its sister court, and costs, with its officers and police-constables, in salaries alone J61,924 a year. Its jurisdic- tion extends over all the other pa.laces, with the exception of Buckingham Palace, whose Board of Green Cloth claims Dowers within a. circuit of twelve miles from Whitehall. Both courts are presided over by the same- functionaries—the Lord Steward, Treasurer, Comptroller, and Master of the Household. When her Majesty ascended the throne the powers they wielded were much more exten- sive than they are now—all crimes, even those of high treason, felony, and murder, if committed within the precincts of the palaces, being adjudicated on by these courts. But although shorn of much of their ancient splen- dour. these tribunals still possess very cor- sirlerable powers and should the proceedings be of more than usual importance, they infuse into their deliberation's a lofty spirit of judi- cial impartiality by securing the advice of the But. as a ft,l" they are mostly concerned with questions of etiquette and precedence. "??r<:s;1r,

DR. LEYDS AND MR. CONYNGHAM GREENE. According to th? Johannesburg "Star" Presi- dent Krugitr was particularly anxious that Dr. T,cv, should formally welcome Mr. Conyng ham Green; on his ar-ival. in order that no suspicion of a slight should be aroused. Dr. Loyds mentioned that he had an engagement to go to the Ranrl. and it was arranged that he should meet, and welcome Mr. Greene m the trains crossed. He did not do it. The result was thn"- there was :t violent scene in the Executive H-unof!, in which the President freelv expressed his anger and annoyance at tlrt omission. FATAL FALL DOWIT A SHAFT, On Saturday an eneiivm-u namad Nicholas Lyan, aged 57, fell down the pumpir.f shaft at Lumlev Sixth Pit, near Newcastle. He was dashed to pieeee.