Welsh Newspapers
Search 15 million Welsh newspaper articles
9 articles on this Page
C, QØur 1tlJnûn Comsganieni
C, QØur 1tlJnûn Comsganieni £ We deem it right to state that we do not at all t'tiap Ifientily ourselves with our Correspondent's opinions. The seals of office are about to be transferred from the old Ministers to the new, and, when this ceremony has been accomplished, there will have been four Administrations in England within the brief space of thirteen months. This is a circumstance for which we shall have to look back a long period to find a precedent; a-'ld at the first thought many people may be inclined to think that England is drifting into the same course as France, and is "using up her Ministers quickly. But a second consideration will disclose a diflerence which is important, and which is in favour of England. Althotigli there have been four Administrations, there have been only two Prime Ministers—and for a statesman to be Premier a second time in France is so rare a circumstance as to be especially marked, because 111. de Freycinct, the present holder of the office, and M. Ferry, his predecessor, have accomplished the feat. And not only have there been only two Prime Ministers, but the personnel of the four Administrations have practically been only that of two. In Englind, when a Govern- ment is beaten jither at the polls or in Parlia- mentary conflict, its members are not in the political battle slain, but most decidedly live to fight again. It is our great good fortune that in this country ostracism is not a question in politics. The nation either likes or dislikes certain measures, and according as it decides one set of statesmen is in office or another. But, not only has impeachment gone out of fashion—a process which in former days often led straight from the Senate House to the block -but the desire to crush a politician utterly because of his failure to carry a particular measure, is unknown to either party in English politics. There is another marked difference between English procedure at a change of Ministry, and I y the plans which are adopted in various other countries. It is not our custom when one Prime Minister gives place to another, to purge the army," as the phrase runs in Franco, to weed the magistracy," or to reconstruct the civil service. The question is not asked whether this General or that Admiral is a Liberal or a Con- servative, and his command is not rendered de- pendent upon the political principles he may chance to hold. Similarly no judge is re- quested to retire, and no magistrate is shelved when one party or the other comes in or goes out. "And thus two of the pillars upon which the security of the subject rests—the army and the magistracy-are not dependent upon political considerations. It is the same with the civil service, upon which in a far greater degree than the general public realises rests the good government to which we are so accustomed that we do not always recog- nise its value to the fall. If we tried for a moment to realise what a change of Ministry would mean if every civil servant, from the highest to the lowest, then had to yield his place to another, solely on political grounds, we should find what a blessing it is for a country not to have grafted such a system on its public life. The spectacle of excisemen and Customs officers, of postmasters and telegraph clerks— in fact, of all those employed by Government- being turned adrift because one party succeeded in obtaining a majority over the other, would be lamentable in the highest degree and it is com- forting to know that no serious person has ever proposed that in England we should in the slightest approximate to such a ruinous system. One of the fashions in which we of the present day have taken a step that our forefathers would scarcely have approved is that of providing gymnastic exercises for women. And yet, seeing that we are doing this at the same time we are securing im- proved methods of education for the gentler sex, there can be little doubt among those who believe in the necessity for a sound mind and a sound body to go together, that we are on the right track. Side by side with records of the progress of lady students at Girton and at Newnham, and of the establishment of fresh high schools for girls in different parts of the country, we see reports of lawn tennis tournaments, gym- nastic performances, and even occasionally cricket matches in which ladies have taken part. We have, in fact, left far behind the days when dancing, deportment, and calisthenics v were all the physical exercises in which girls were trained or which they were supposed to need. The old practice with that instrument of female torture known as the" back- board" is now found to be insufficient, and even the dumb-bells have been discovered to fall short of the ideal position in which once they were placed. Delicacy of mind and idea will always be hoped for from women, but delieate- neS3 of health will not be insisted upon. There was a period when a girl, if she looked ruddy and well, was apt to think she appeared unladylike, but this strange idea of ladyhood has passed away. The results are apparent on every hand, and even those persistent denouncers of the present day who cannot, or will not, see good in anything which marks this third quarter of the nineteenth century, will not be hardy enough to contend that our women are less strong, less 9, graceful, or less amiable than were their mothers in by-gone times. While we are in this way attending to our girls, our boys are not being neglected. We have not as many public playgrounds in London as we should like, but a stroll through such as we have on any summer evening, or especially on a Saturday afternoon, will convince anyone that they are much appreciated. The amount of cricket which is played is something astonishing, and any who move about that por- tion of the parks devoted to the game have to keep their eyes open, lest a ball, struck from one of the multifarious wickets, hit him when least expected and when not at all desired. Bicycling and tricycling also have their votaries in some of these places, where the old restrictions have been removed; and in some of the parks there are gymnasiums, upon which the boys enjoy them- selves to their hearts' content. The spectacle afforded by this successful pursuit of pleasure on the part of so many young people is almost a cure for low spirits. It is a poor heart that never rejoices, says an old proverb, and it is a poor heart that is never the happier because qthers rejoice, may be observed with equal truth. He must be a misanthrope indeed who cannot smile when he sees children at play. The complete manner in which they abandon them- selves to the pleasures of the moment may furnish food for the meditations of a philo- sopher, but to the ordinary true-hearted man the spectacle of their happiness untouched with care can scarcely fail to bring joy. This is the time of year when London is con- ventionally said to be empty, and a very large proportion of those who have left it for a season have gone to the seaside. There is no mistaking a train bound for some favourite watering-place, if one happens to be at a metropolitan terminus when it is about to start. The anxiety of the fathers about the luggage and of the mothers lest their little ones should in their eagerness fall under the wheels or get lost in the crowd, are only what would be observed if the excursion were intended to proceed to some point inland. But the spades and the pails with which the children are provided, equally with the sand- shoes which are on the feet of some, tell plainly the destination for which they are bound. And when the train reaches the selected spot, while parents are often harassed by the difficulty of procuring suitable lodgings, the whole anxiety of the children centres upon getting an in- stant view of the sea. They are not con- sent until they have had a chance of di- vesting themselves of shoes and stockings and paddling in the waves, and when the time comes for them to be stripped of everything and to be bathed, the initial nervousness is soon got o over, and great is their delight. Just as some of our watering-places are given up to invalids, others appear almost entirely devoted to children. Adults seem really the minority in these latter cases, and the merry voices of the little ones are the chief sounds, just as their merry faces are the chief sights presented by human beings as com- panions to the ever recurring ripple of the waves, and the ever frowning heights of the cliffs which form their boundary. Many Londoners who like a change at each holiday-time, who have been to our chief water- ing-places, and who have exhausted the pleasures of Dieppe and Boulogne, go up their own river and spend some weeks on the upper portion of the Thames. The trip is one which, in point both of health-help and picturesqueness, may be commended; and it can be made with such comparative ease, that the wonder is that it is not more popular. But the British public is very gregarious in its instincts, and in no way is this more plainly shown than in the choice of holiday resorts. There are cer- tain watering places to which a number of people go, not because they are particularly pleasing or especially healthy, but because a number of other people have gone there before them, and it is thus" the proper thing to do." For much the same reason, many visit the Continent, forget- ting that, for a right appreciation of much that is there to be seen, almost a special education is needed. And this is the more strange because these same folk do not take the trouble to visit places of equal beauty and interest in their own country, though they could the more appreciate them because they would understand their asso- ciations. There are many Englishmen who have been to Versailles, and who have never visited Windsor; many who have been to Fontainbleau and have never visited Hampton Court. Places of artistic beauty and historic interest, which we have practically at our very doors, are thus neglected, while others are favoured principally because they happen to be outside our own land, and some sort of distinction is supposed still to attach to going abroad." We are not hearing as much about mad dogs in London this summer as last, and those who are timorous concerning hydrophobia have felt relieved accordingly. The police, however, still keep a vigilant look out for any animal of the canine species which betrays symptoms of in- cipient madness, and snaps and yelps at passers- by. Sufficient credit is not always given to the constables for the pluck they display in pursuing and killing dogs in this condition, for they are armed only with a truncheon, and that is not the most effective weapon against an agile, powerful, and rabid dog. Occasionally the police are even treated with contumely when they are doing their best to prevent the spread of hydrophobia, and a case which came before a metropolitan magistrate a few days ago, illustrates a difficulty with which they have sometimes to contend. It appears that an inspector pursued a mad dog, near Regent's-park, and had just succeeded in over- taking it and striking it a heavy blow, when a lady came to the upper window of the house and threw a jug of water over him, as a protest against the animal being slaughtered on her doorstep. Such conduct, of course, could not be suffered to go unpunished, and the lady was taken before a magistrate and fined, which was only just, as her action was scant encouragement to the police to continue doing an irksome and dangerous duty. A. F. R.
I THE CRAWFORD DIVORCE CASE.
THE CRAWFORD DIVORCE CASE. This case which bad occupied the President of the Divorce Division of the High Court of Justice, and a special jury, seven days in hearing, and which was unique in revolting disclosure?, was concluded up the latter end of last week. The following counsel had been engaged in the case :—Sir Walter Phillimore, Q.C., and Mr. H. B. Deane for the Queen's Proctor Mr. Henry Matthews, Q.C., Mr. Inderwick, Q,C.,and Mr. R. S. Wright for the petitioner and Mr. Lock- wood, Q.C., M.P., for Mrs. Crawford. The Attorney- General and Sir Henry James, Q.C., watched the case on behalf of Sir Charles Dilke, and Mr. Murphy, Q.C., held a watching brief on behalf of an interested person." On Friday Sir James Hannen commenced to sum up. After pointing ont that Mr. Crawford was entitled to have the decree which Mr. Justice Butt granted made absolute and his marriage dissolved; unless it be established that the finding was contrary to the right and justice of the case, and that it had been obtained through material facts not having been brought to the knowledge of the Court, his lordship alluded to the last trial, remarking that, according to the position now taken up by Sir Charles, be allowed the Court, to be grossly deceived, and a tisf-ue of falsehoods put forward and acted upon. If Sir Charles had gone into the box to clear his honour and character from what was alleged to be a wicked conspiracy, it would have destroyed the effect of the confession made by Mrs. Crawford, and the de- cision would have been the other way. On the other band, his lordship pointed out that Mrs. Crawford could not be regarded as a witness of truth, because she denied to her husband that which sne now ad- mitted—her adultery with Captain Forster. Passing on to the evidence which had been called by the Queen's Proctor, Sir James Hannen remarked that if Mrs. Crawford had never been to Warren-street it was an extraordinary coincidence that she should have fixed upon this house, and commented upon tha fact that no evidence had been called to show that the sketch of the rcom she had made was wrong. In the course of his observations his lordship referred to an incident which he said he did not remember to have witnessed before in a court or justice—when a man was asked to step forward who was supposed to bear a resemblance to Sir C. Dilke in order to see if the Helliers had not made a mistake. Contrary to his expectation, after this line bad been adopted this man was not called. In conclusion, after a review of the case, which was perfect in its judicial impar- tiality, and exceedingly able in the arrangement of the facts in connection with it, his lordship reminded the jury that if they thought that the Queen's Proctor had established his case, they must come to the con- elusion that Mrs. Crawford had not committed adul- tery with Sir C. Dilke. THE VERDICT. The jury retired to consider their verdict at seven minutes to three, and returned into court at eight minutes past three. Mr. G. J. Widdicombe (Clerk of the Rules and Orders) Gentlemen, have you agreed to your verdict ? The Foreman We have. Do you find whether the decree nisi for the dissolu- tion of the marriage of Donald Crawford, the peti- tioner, and Virginia Mary Crawford, the respondent, was obtained contrary to the justice of the case by reason of materials facts not having been brought to the knowledge of the court. The Foreman: We find it was not obtained con- trary to the justice of the case by reason of material facts not having been brought to the knowledge of the Court. Sir Charles Pilke has issued an address to the electors of Chelsea respecting the verdict. Observing that, as far as public life goes, he has no option bu to accept the verdict, he protests against its injustice, solemnly declares that he is innocent of the charges i brought against him, and respectfully bids his former constituents farewell.
AN UNPLEASANT TRAVELLING ICOMPANION.
AN UNPLEASANT TRAVELLING COMPANION. William Street, a soldier discharged from the Derbyshire Regiment, stationed in Dublin, was charged at the Eddisbury Petty Sessions on Monday with travelling on the London and North-Western Railway without a ticket. Two ladies, who were travelling from Holyhead to London, were alone in a first-class carriage, when they were greatly startled by the appearance of the prisoner, who had hidden him- I self under their seat. At Calverley Station, in ] Cheshire, they called the station master, who, with the guard, went to the carriage. As they opened the door the prisoner leaped through the window. The guard seized his leg, but was compelled to relax his grasp. The prisoner then fell on his head on the line, and was promptly secured by some platelayers. He was charged with riding from Chester to Calver- ley, but it is believed he had come throagh from Holyhead. The Bench sentenced him to a month's hard labour.
THE ROBBERY AT WHITCHURCH.
THE ROBBERY AT WHITCHURCH. EXTRAORDINARY STORY. j Dr. Vivian, of New York, having several aliases, said to be known to the police as "Jim Barnett," who was arrested by Detective Whitcroft at Aston, Bir- mingharn, under sensational circumstances, on Thurs- day last, was brought up in custody at Whitchurch, Salop, on Saturday, charged with stealing during the night of May 28 about £ 7 and twenty old Roman; coins, belonging to Charles Henry Prowse, traveller i for a firm at Leicester. Mr. Prowse was staying at the Victoria Hotel, and the money and coins were I stolen from his bed-room whilst he was asleep. The prisoner slept in an adjoining room, and decamped early: he next morning. Evelina, the wife of John Wright, landlord of the Victoria Hotel, said she recol- lected perfectly well the accu>ed, whom she took to be a travelling jeweller, being at the hotel, and examining some old coins which were being shown by Mr. Prowse. She had no doubt a3 to his identity, having particularly noticed him. Other witnesses identified him, one saying that if the prisoner's life de- pended on what he said he should swear he was the man. Another proved that Vivian, with whom he had several drinks, asked him where the principal hotel was, and also where the cattle dealers stayed at. After other evidence had been given, the defendant was remanded in custody until Friday. Mr. James Etches, who appeared for the defence, said his client was prepared with substantial bail, mentioning, amongst others, the Rev. Mr. Ives, vicar of St. James's, Edgbaston, Captain Gordon, of the Langham Hotel, London, and Mr. Lawrence, a guest there, and Mr. Taylor, Monument House, Edgbaston. Superintendent Edwards strongly opposed bail, saying he should prove that Vivian was a notorious convict, and was wanted in Manchester, Liverpool, Shrewsbury, and many other places. Bail was refused. The prisoner, on whom was found a large quantity of money and jewellery, was allowed S5 for the purposes of his de- fence. Under the beading of Miss Wilkes's Story," the Birmingham Daily Mail publishes the following It may readily be imagined that the revelations of the last few days have caused the greatest consternation in cbe house of Miss Wilkes, aunt of the young lady whom Vivian' married on the 13th inst. Miss Wilkes, the tenant of the house, her sister, brother, and niece have lived in Aston for upwards of 20 years, and are throughout the manor known as a highly respectable family. They are greatly grieved at the circumstances which have brought them thus prominently before the public, and speak sorrowfully of the way in which it has all happened. When the representatives of the Mail called this (Saturday) morning at the house he was told everything that it was necessary for the public to know relative to the connection of the family with Dr.Vivian.' 'Vivian,'as before reported, on becoming ) acquainted with Misa Wilkes, the niece, described him- self as a medical man who was on a pleasure tour, his family residence being in San Francisco,, while he also possessed extensive estates in Canada, and was worth quite half a million of money. His assertion of wealth was backed up by the most liberal display of cash, jewels, and clothes. He was at that time putting up at the Queen's Hoiel, where he lived in the best of style, and it was his custom never to walk when he could ride. Cabs, carriages, phaetons were all in turn used by this medical Crcesus. It was his custom when he was admitted to the Wilkes's house as the future husband of the niece to drive down to the house in a stylish Stanhope phaeton drawn by a spanking mare. In this vehicle Miss Wilkes, who is a skilful driver, used again and again to drive about town with him. Up to the very day of the marriage, as she remarked to our representative, there was not the slightest circumstance to cast suspicion on his bona-fides. He in no way avoided publicity, but, on the contrary, seemed happy in driving his promised bride about Birmingham and the district, and they were frequently to be eeen in the centre of the town doing the purchasing entailed on the preparation of an elaborate bridal trousseau and outfitting, or driving for plea- sure, and they often made excursions all round the district. This openness, this ostentation and display, Miss Wilkes thinks, might have attracted the atten- tion of the police. Since the marriage, however, several circumstances have happened which at the time caused the young bride great uneasiness, and which, viewed in the light of the latest revelations, appear highly suspicious. On the afternoon after. the marriage ceremony (Tuesday week) the newly-married pair went to London, and put up at the Langham Hotel. Here Vivian's conduct become strangely at variance with what he bad previously displayed. He had up to that time been the most devoted of lovers, and could hardly let his sweetheart out of his sight, but at the Langham Hotel he suddenly deve- loped a custom of going off by himself and leaving his wife alone. This made her most miserable, and her agitation was increased when on the Thursday he left her alone in the hotel and went off to Liverpool. He stayed two days at Liverpool, and on the Satur- day came back to Aston and went to the house in Albert-road. His young wife had considered it prudent, when she found herself alone in the hotel, to place herself in the care of the proprietor, and by his advice she returned to Aston, where she of course met I Vivian' on the Saturday. He appears to have exercised a peculiar power over her, which might be described as one of awe, and owing to this she did not dare to question him very closely as to his reasons for going to Liverpool, and the inquiry she made was met with a most frivolous excuse. It had been at first arranged they should stay at the Langham Hotel till last Wednesday, when they were to sail in the Assyrian Monarch from Gravesend for America but at the meeting on the Saturday in Albert-road, Vivian announced that he bad changed his mind, and that be would take a house in Liverpool, and furnish it, his intention being that they should stay there till next' spring, when they would go to America. His bride pointed out that their tickets were taken out for the Assyrian Monarch, and that they would forfeit these tickets if they did not go. This, however, troubled him but little, and on Monday in accordance with his newly announced intention he went off again to Liver- pool. He left the house while his wife was absent on an errand, and took with him more than half her belongings in the shape of clothes, jewellery, &c., and also the greater part of his own property. When she learnt this on returning home she was very much put about, and determined to go to London to see about the passage money on the Assyrian Monarch, taking a lady friend with her. It was on the following day that the first tidings of suspicion reached Albert-road in the shape of a detective, who wished to know all about' Vivian.' Vivian "joined his bride the same day at the Langham Hotel, where she had put up. When he made his appearance she was anxious about the ex- pensive way in which they were living at the hotel, and he pooh-poohed the mention of it, telling her she need not bother about money. At the same time, however, remarked the wife to our representative, her friends had to pay for every yard of her outfit, and they had since to find £ 36 odd for the second hotel bill. On Wednesday she and her friend went down to Gravesend and boarded the Assyrian Monarch, with the view, if possible, of recovering some of the passage money. They all retired on Wednesday night in quietude, but in the early hours of Thursday morning the uncle, in consequence of the persistency of the police inquiries and the charges that had been made against Vivian,' appeared at the 5Lang- ham Hotel. He told 'Vivian' frankly what had caused him to come, and was told not to vex himself about it, that it was all a mistake, and he (' Vivian ') was ready to go back to Aston to meet the charge. Accordingly the party returned to Aston, arriving at the house early in the afternoon. On entering the house I Vivian' was taken aside by his young wife and asked pointedly if there was any truth in the charge that a photograph that closely resembled him was produced by the police, and was said to be taken just before he was liberated from Chatham. Vivian' continued, however, to deny the identity and the charge?, and then said he would go to the lock-up immediately he had dined. In accordance with this he left the house to go to the lock-up, and had only been gone a few minutes when Detective Whitcroft made his appearance and inquired for him. Singular to say, the Wilkeses found it necessary to describe Vivian minutely to the detective, his appearance being so very different from the photo which they possessed. Whit- croft, as stated yesterday, succeeded in apprehending I Vivian,' who was to all appearances not going towards the lock-up, but towards Aston Railway Station. One of the most mysterious phases of the case is the large amount of money which Vivian seemed possessed of. On Wednesday, while at the Langham Hotel, his wife saw him with a roll of bank notes to the amount of S2000, which he said be had drawn from the bank, and when they left on their honeymoon he took a cash-box, which was well filled with notes and gold. The police theory that the Manchester robbery accounts for this money ia not sufficient. It may have supplied some part of it, but only a part. Apart from the Manchester affair there is no known source from which 'Vivian' got this money, and till this is cleared up the case will con- tinue to be mysterious' Yesterday a message came from the Aston lock-up to Albert-Toad asking Miss Wilkes to go and see Vivian.' She felt unable, however, to do so, and her aunt accordingly went to the station and had an interview with Vivian.' He maintained in the most emphatic manner his innocence, and gave her aunt & bag, in which there was a sum of money, which ho said was for Emmie,' and further, that there was a large sum of money at Liverpool which would be placed at her disposal. It is needless to add that the Wilkeses have no intention of making use of this money. Mrs. Law (nee Barnett), sister of Dr. Vivian, says that she has lost sight of her brother for many years past, and that he made his appearance at her house last Easter, when he explained that he had been abroad and had accumulated considerable wealth. She denies any knowledge of her brother having been convicted of felony, and does not think him capable of doing anything wrong. He was always, she states, of a roving disposition, and she never knew where he was spending his time. In fact, in consequence of his lengthy absence, his friends supposed him dead, and were very much surprised when be turned up at Aston a few months ago. In reply to a question as to why her brother adopted the title of Dr.' Mrs. Law states that he was always a clever man,' and that it was easy enough to purchase a degree in America. She acknowledges that the man in custody is her brother, James Barnett, and asserts that when she last saw him he appeared to be in well-to-do circumstances." A Birmingham correspondent adds :—The Aston and Whitchurch police, assisted by plain clothes officers from Scotland-yard, who have been in Bir- mingham to investigate the possible clue to the Lang- ham Hotel thief given them by the Vivian exposure, are unceasing in their efforts to establish "Dr. Vivian's identity with that of the notorious criminal Jim Barnett. They have obtained some fresh and important evidence in the case, which will be adduced when the prisoner is again brought up for examina- tion at Whitchurch on Friday next. It now tran- spires that "Vivian," if he really be Barnett, as the police say, is a native of Prince's End, Stafford. He bore the r3putation of being idle as a boy, and a rogue as a man." It was there that he first showed himself after his release recently from penal servi- tude, when he made his re-appearance. His outfit did not support the idea of his having plenty of money, his clothes being old and shabby, almost unto raggedness, but he told his friends on leaving that he would return soon a gentleman, with lots of money, plenty of valuable jewellery, and fine clothes. His parents, poor old decrepit people, were ignorant of this visit of their son to Prince's End. Barnett dis- appeared for several weeks without exciting any curiosity, but on the 30th of Juno he fulfilled his word and returned a fine gentleman. He drove into Prince's End in a stylish turn out belonging to the Birmingham Cab Company, and accompanied by a man whom he called his servant. Election work was then in full swing, and the conclusion was that the impressive stranger with his fine clothes, blazing jewellery, and grand style was some political big- wig. The horse and trap were put up and orders were given by the master that the driver should be entertained with the best the house could afford. The landlady's curiosity was much excited by the grand appearance of the little gentle- man," and the stories that the driver told in his absence of the lavish way he threw his money about, and her curiosity was heightened when Vivian came back with a neighbour's son, and conducted himself as hail tellow well met" towards him and his body servant. In the kitchen be began to talk to one of the daughters, and said he knew her father well, and was very sorry to hear he was dead. Thereupon she asked bluntly, "And who are you when you knew my father?" He replied, "I am Dr. Vivian." He added that he was worth any amount of money, was a mining engineer and surveyor, and a doctor and a major in the American army. He had also made a lot of money in India, and to substantiate that assertion he proceeded to give a few facts con- cerning that country. On his departure a man named Bunch, who had been going about the place with him, was applied to for further information, and he thereupon stated that the "Dr." was none other than "Jim Barnett," but he had gone to a registrar, and, paying £20, had had his name changed to Vivian. Bunch further charged the people of the inn not to give him old name, as be did not like it. An the "Doctor's relatives in Prince's End declare that as far as their knowledge goes, he was an unmarried man until the 13th of this month, when he married Miss Wilkes, and during the time Law, ""Vivian's" brother in-law, who was engaged at Aston-park, fre- quently introduced him as a doctor who had recently come back from America. Law said that in conse- quence of the return of hi3 brother-in-law he was pretty well independent of work. On its being remarked that Law had never previously mentioned Vivian's existence, the former said, Well, he goes under the name of Vivian, but his proper name is Jame3 Barnett." During the time he was residing in Aston Vivian also paid a visit to Manchester, and on his return showed two handsome diamond rings which he stated he had purchased from Bishton and Fletcher, of Birmingham, for £ 43 16s. In conse- quence of Vivian's mysterious conduct and his con- stantly lounging about the hall and park, Mr. A. J. Bodway, the curator, felt it his duty to instruct the officials to keep a watch upon the man whenever he was seen about the place. On one occasion, whilst talking to one of the keepers at the hall, he pulled out a roll of bank-notes, and in the course of con- versation said he was shortly going to America, and that his valet was at the time busily engaged at the Queen's Hotel packing up his baggage prior to his departure. He also stated, in reply to an inquiry, that he was related to Messrs- Vivian, a large firm of Birmingham manufacturers. The elaborate fraud alleged by the police is becoming more apparent every day, and nobody believes in" Vivian's" identity with Jem Barnett more implicitly than his unfortu- nate bride, who has expressed her Irrevocable deter- mination to wash her hands of him for all time.
Sir A. GALT on a COMMERCIAL…
Sir A. GALT on a COMMERCIAL UNION Sir Alexander Gait, formerly High Commissioner for the Dominion of Canada, has just returned home after a visit to this country. While in England Sir Alexander attended the meetings of the Imperial Federation League, of which he is a member, and gave very valuable information and advice with regard to the question of federation generally, and as viewed from the Canadian standpoint in particular. Before leaving this country, acting on the sugges- tion of a member of the Imperial Federation League, he put on record the following brief suggestions for a commercial union within the Empire, a step which, in Sir Alexander's opinion, is a necessary pare of any effectual scheme of federation. The following are the terms of the late High Com- missioner's memorandum: SUGGESTIONS FOR A COMMERCIAL UXIOIT. It is proposed to form a Commercial League between the Self-Governing Colonies, to which the United Kingdom and the Crown Colonies, and India, might become parties. The principle to govern the terms of the League to be:—1st, Perfect freedom to establish any Tariff of Customs Duties 2nd, Agreement to grant an estab- lished rate of discount on the duty on any article imported on proof of origin in a country party to the League. The result being the exchanges of the industry of the contracting countries on terms more favourable to each other than to foreign nations, and even to such portions of the British Empire, as might not enter the League. As the principle suggested is that of a reduction of duty, it would not affect the free list, and would meet the objection of the Free Trade School—that Commercial Union means the imposition of duties by the United Kingdom on food and raw materials. It is further suggested that if the United Kingdom joined the League, it might be provided that discount on duty should only be allowed when importations were made in British ships. This plan would certainly tend, to develop: the Inter- Colonial Trade, and it may be hoped would, in the end, lead to other more direct favour being shown to British Industry throughout the Empire. (Signed) A. T. GALT.
[No title]
The striking manii reached tb6 150 girls in a beau- picking establishment in Chicago the other day. A committee of three waited upon the proprietor, and as they entered the office he asked, Is it a strike?" That depnids. We have come to demand, not in- creased pay or shorter hours, but the removal of the' paint on the windows, so tWt we can flirt with the boys in the engine-house opposite." Are you de- termined f" No flirt, po. stay." "Your demand is granted. Go back to your beans." And that afternoon the paint was removed and the girls sang the songs of victory.
------THE POLITICAL SITUATION.
THE POLITICAL SITUATION. THE NEW PRIME MINISTER. Lord Salisbury returned to London on Monday morning from Osborne, having accepted the commis- sion of her Majesty to form a Government. Before leaving he kissed hands on his appointment as Prime Minister and First Lord of the Treasury. No other appointments had been made on Tuesday morning, but the fact of Lord Salisbury having assumed the office of First Lord of the Treasury as well as that of Prime Mmister disposed of the rumour that Lord ,clddesleigh was to return to the post he held in the previous Conservative Government. Throughout Monday Lord Salisbury was in con- sultation with his colleagues at Arlington-street, and it was decided to hold a meeting at the Conservative party at the Carlton Club at 2 o'clock on Tuesday. It is, the Times believes, without precedent that on such an occasion a meeting of the party should be held previous to the formation of the Cabinet, but Lord Salisbury's object in calling the party together was to give him an opportunity of explaining to them the action he had taken with regard to the Liberal Unionists. A meeting of the Conservative members of both Houses of Parliament was held at the Carlton Club on Tuesday afternoon. Lord Salisbury explained that Lord Hartington, whilst feeling unable to join the new Administration, had given most satisfactory assurances that every possible support would be given to it by the Liberal Unionists. A purely Conservative Government would, therefore, now be formed. The noble Marquis added that he proposed that Parliament should assemble on the 5th of August, and sit continuously until the Estimates had been disposed of. Lord Carnarvon promised his cordial support to the Government, and several members of the House of Commons having expressed approval of the course proposed, Lord Salisbury, replying to a question as to protection for the loyal people in Ireland, said the existing laws would be strictly enforced, that if it was found necessary the Government would ask Parlia- ment to give them additional powers, but that it was not desirable to raise that question at present. The Morning Post of Thursday says Con- siderable progress was made yesterday towards the construction of the new Cabinet, and we are now in a position to announce that appointments have been made to seven of the most important offices in the Administration. The post of foreign Secretary was in the first in- stance offered to Lord Lyons, her Majesty's Ambassa- dor at Paris, but has been declined by him on the ground of ill-health. Failing his acceptance it was hoped that Lord Salisbury would, at least temporarily, resume his former place at the head of the Foreign Department. The heavy strain which the acceptance of double duties would have imposed upon the Prime Minister has, however, induced him to relinquish the idea of being at the same time First Lord of the Treasury and Secretary of Stata for Foreign Affairs, and the latter post will be filled by the Earl of Iddes- leigh. Our readers have been prepared for the announce- ment which we now make that the office of Lord Lieutenant of Ireland has been accepted by the Marquis of Londonderry. Lord Londonderry, who was born in 1852, as Viscount Castlereagh repre- sented County Down in the House of Commons from 1878 to 1881. Charles Stewart Vane-Tempest Stewart (tho paternal surname of Stewart having been re- sumed in addition to those of Vane Tempest by Royal license in 1885), sixth Marquis of London- derry, Earl Vane, Viscount Seaham, and Baron Stewart, sits in the House of Lords as Earl Vane, having succeeded his father in the peerage in November, 1884. He married in October, 1875, Lady Theresa, eldest daughter of the 19th Earl of Shrewsbury, and by her has had three chil- dren, two sons and a daughter. He possesses con- siderable estates in the counties of Down and Dur- ham, and also extensive collieries in the latter county. He is a deputy-lieutenant of Durham and Montgo- meryshire, and lieutenant-colonel of the 2nd Durham Artillery Volunteers. His principal seat in the North is Wynyard-park, near Stockton-on-Tees, where the Prince of Wales was recently his guest. He also owns Seaham Hall, near Sunderland. He was educated at Eton and at Christ Church, Oxford, unsuccessfully contested South Durham in 1874, and the Montgo- mery boroughs in 1877; and in the following year was returned for county Down. The office of Chief Secretary for Ireland has been accepted by Sir M. Hicks-Beach, who in returning to the arduous post which he filled with such conspicuous success from 1874 to 1878, has displayed a patriotic self-abnegation which the country will not be slow to recognise. It is his desire to devote all his energies to the duties of this, perhap3 the most difficult, post in the new Administration, and in order to be enabled to do so he has requested that he may be freed from the exacting demands which the continued leadership of the House of Commons would make upon his time and strength. Lord Randolph Churchill succeeds to the Chan- cellorship of the Exchequer, and will also be the Leader of the House of Commons. The other ap- pointments are but the resumption of offices by their former holders in Lord Salisbury's last Government. Lord Halsbury will again occupy the Woolsack as Lord High Chancellor; Mr. W. H. Smith returns to the Secretaryship of State for War; and Lord George Hamilton resumes the post of First Lord of the Admiralty. The other offices are not yet settled, but there are certain to be some changes in the miner appointments consequent upon the introduction into the Government of one or more gentlemen who have not previously had official experience. It is probable Viscount Crantrook will again be Lord President of the Council. The following is a list of the new Administration so far as it has been completed Lord High Chancellor Lord Halsbury. Foreign Secretary Earl of Iddesleigh. Chancellor of the Exchequer 1 and Leader of_ the House of I Lord R. Churchill. Commons J Secretary for War. Mr. W. H. Smith. First Lord of the Admiralty Lord G. Hamilton. Chief Secretary for Ireland. Sir M. Hicks-Beach. (The above will be members of the Cabinet.) Lord Lieutenant of Ireland. | London According to the arrangements which up to the present have been made at Portsmouth for their conveyance to the Isle of Wight, the outgoing and incoming Ministers will proceed to Osborne on Mon- day next, for the purpose respectively of delivering to her Majesty and receiving the seals of office. The Central News states that Sir John Gorst told his supporters at Chatham on Wednesday night that he would probably have to seek re-election on appoint-, ment ,0 a post in the Government:
---__-CHOKED BY A CHERRY STONE,
CHOKED BY A CHERRY STONE, On Monday at the Enfield Petty Sessions, before Messrs. H. C. B. Bowles and A. G. Kitching, divi- sional justices, Edward Fenn, of 1, Sham brook- cottages, Alma-road, Enfield-wash, bootmaker, was charged on his own confession with causing tho death of his son Edward, aged five years, by throwing a cherry stone down his throat at the above address. The prisoner, on being placed in the dock, seemed much affected, and his wife, who was weeping on her entrance into court, became hysterical, and had to be carried away in a most prostrate condition. Constable James Agg, 187 Y, stationed at Enfield- highway, deposed that at five minutes after two on Sunday afternoon he was on duty near the church at Enfield- highway, when prisoner came up to him and said, I have choked my son." Mr. Bowles What state did he appear in ? Witness He seemed in great distress, and was crying very much. I said to him, How did you choke him ?" and he replied, I was playing with him with cherry stones, trying to throw them into his breast." I then asked him how he knew the boy was dead, and he answered, I am quite sure, because he was black and cold before I left the house." I then took him to the police-sta- tion, where he was charged. The other testimony showed that prisoner was a respectable man, and that after dinner on Sunday he was endeavouring to pitch cherry stones down the neck of the deceased, the collar of his shirt being open. Several attempts having been made, the next stone thrown went into the boy's mouth and lodged in his throat, drawn there by strong inwardly breathing at the instant. The lad began to choke, and died before assistance could arrive. Dr. Shaw, who was summoned to the case by the police, found the cherry stone sticking in the throat, and removed it, but the unfortunate lad had been dead for some time. The Bench were in- formed that notice of the occurrence had been given to the coroner, and prisoner was remanded on bail to await the result of the inquest,
--PiaaUanmts ntelligtttt
PiaaUanmts ntelligtttt HOME, FOREIGN, AXD COLONIAL COLONIAL AND INDIAN EXHIBITION.-The number of visitors to this Exhibition for the week ending July 24 was 166,781 total since the opeumg, 1,970,398. COPYRIGHT A CENTURY AGO.—Dr. Johnston, a hun- dred and ten years ago, discussed the laws of literary copyright, in some remarks t,bat are still to the point." Those interested in such matters will find the doctor's ideas displayed in four quarto pages under the date March 7: 1774. A MMEESTO.—Lady Shelley has shared a lock of Shelley's hair with Miss Alma Murray, as a memento of the latter's assiduous impersonation of Beatrice. The fragment has been set by Lady Shelley's own hands in a locket of fine gold. The colour of the hair is dark brown intermingled with a few threads of silvery grey. WHOLESALE DEVASTATION. Daring the last few weeks g"eat tracts of the fertile island of Seeland, in Denmark, have been devastated by ma; bugs, whole fields and meadows having been laid quite bare. Liost year the damage done was very great, but this year it is far worse, being estimated at some £ 25,000. The distress among farmers is in consequence very great. CHINESE POSTAL SERVICE.—China will shortly have her own postal service. First, a regular post is to be inaugurated between the Treaty Ports, worked by the Customs, and thence the service will be extended throughout the country. As the Celestials are great letter-writers, it is expected that the scheme will prove highly profitable if the letter-rate is not fixed too high. LAST Week's WRECKS.-Seventeen shipwrecks were reported Isst week. Six were British owned, of which four went down off the United Kingdom (one by col- lision), as well as one German sailer. Two British sailers and a foreign sailer were reported with all hands, and a Norwegian steamer was burnt at sea. The number of collision cases was 15. Total wrecks for the j ear 772. HOUSE OF LAYMEN.—The new House of Laymen will be elected by the Diocesan Conferences of the various dioceses of the province of Canterbury by Aug. 6, the date of the forma) meeting of Convocation, but will not he called together by the Archbishop until Convocation meets for business, probably in February, 18S7. DEATH OF SIR MATTHEW WYATT.—The death was announced on Saturday morning of Sir Matthew Wyatt, at the age of 82 years. The deceased knight, who was the grandson of Mr. James Wyatt, the celebrated architect, was a lieutenant in the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms from 1848 to 185:?, and also standard, bearer He was created a knight in 1843. FORGED BANK Nons -The metropolitan police authorities notify that a number of forged Bank of England notes, principally 150 denomination, but also Y,100, have lately appeared. The execution is suffi- ciently good to render it expedient to put the public on their guard against taking any notes unwarily, as the inferior character of the paper is evidently not an adequate protection against their being pa-sed off. ) TYPE FOUNDING —Mr. Talbot B. Reed has in the ] press an exhaustive history of the Old English Letter Foundries, with Notes Bibliographical and Historical on the Rise and Progre- sof English Typography" The work will bring to light much fresh information con- cerning the origin and development of tvpe founding ia England, and will give biographies of the chief type founders from the earliest time, to the year 1830. THE" FOUNDER OF THE NATIONAL UNLTY.The monument to King Victor Emmanuel, unveiled the other day at Genoa, was executed by the eminent Milanese sculptor Barzaghi, who received for the work 165,000 francs. The equestrian statue of the King, iB the act of saluting the peopl", about 20 feet high, is mounted on a pedestal rather higher. On the front of the pedestal is the inscription, To King Victor Emmanuel II.—founder of the national unity-the Genoese." SCOTLAND 120 YEARS AGo.-At a meeting of the council of the Scottish History Society at Edinburgh on the 15th it was resolved to print as their first publi^ cation Bishop Pococke's Tour in Scotland, 1760,' from an unpublished manuscript in the British Museum, The subscription list has been quickly made up to the requisite 403, and a number of applicants in excess of that number are condemned to wait until vacancies occur for their admission. GEORGE AUGUSTUS SAT.A.-The first portion of Mr- Sala's autobiography (which will be issued shortly by Messrs. Bentley) will describe his boyhood, 1828-35, and will then give an account of the tea years 1835 to 1845, and will contain reminiscences of Bellini, Grisis Paganini, Lablache, Braham, Tom Moore, Theodore Hook, Dickens, Thackeray, the Duke of Wellington, Lord Melbourne, the "mad" Marquis of Waterf_rd, the Countess Waldegrave, the Duke of Brunswick, Harriett Duchess of St. Albans, Count. d'Orsay, Napoleon III., Mark Lemon, Buckstone, Webster, Madame Vestris, Charles Matthews, Dajazet, and others. CURIOUS HOUSE ADORNMENT.-Madame Christine Nilsson's new home at Madrid, where she will live after her coming marriage with the Comte de Miranda, is decorated in somewhat singular fashion, if were are to believe the Independence Beige." Wreaths, garlands, and faded bouquets presented to the singer cover the walls of the drawing-room, the boudoir is papered with the scores of the different operas in which Madame Nilsson has sung, and the billiard-room is hung with laudatory articles cut from the journals of all nations. So at least declares the Brussels organ. THE DUG D'AOTIALE'S HUNTING SEAT.—The Or" leamst hunting seat of Novvion-en-Thierarche, where the Due d'Aumale last week received his sentence of banishment, is one of the finest sporting preserves in France. Situated among the spurs of the French Ar- dennes, about three miles from the Belgian frontier, the forest of Nouvion covers over 13,000 acres, and abounds with game. The Due, however, hunted very little ab Nouvion, only going there for a few days io July and November, and the game was chiefly utilised to stock the Chantilly preserves. In the forest are two magnificent old oaks, dating from the thirteenth cen- tury, and called Henri and Frsngoipede Guise. Nouvion was part of the vast Guise inheritance, and was ap- portioned to the Due d'Aumale, when the Orleanist property was divided amongst the family according to French law. There is a small modern chateau in Louis XIII. style,surrounded by fine beeches. THE DUKE OF YORK'S COLUMN.—At the suggestion of the Home Secretary the Board of Works have deter- mined to seek the necessary powers for taking charge of the Duke of York's Column, which since the death of the last survivor of the trust has been a property vested in nobody in particular. The column, designed by Wyatt, and mentioned by Dr. Waagen as a bad imitation of the column of Trajan," was built by what can hardly be called voluntary subscriptions, since each soldier was called upon to contribute to this monument to his deceased commander-in-chief oue day's pay- The amount raised was E26,000, of which a balance of C-3587 still remained as a fund for its maintenance. The sta'ue of the duke in bronze, which surmounts it, designed Ly Westmacott, weighs between seven and eight tons, and the mere raising of this mass to its present position in 1834 wag stated to have cost £ 400. FE'.E DECORATIONS.—The National fete in Paris last week produced very few noteworthy decorations, Hitherto enthusiastic Republicans have decked their houses and shops with ingenious and comic devices, but this year they seemed indifferent, and merely hung out tricolour flags, with a few paper garlands, Chinese lanterns, and coloured lamps. One shopkeeper near the Place do la Bastille, however, had filled his window with tiny wax figures of French soldiers surrounding a brilliant daub, representing the old Bastille, and 10- scribed The fortress from life, by one of the victors., I Wear the Opera, too, an atiti-republican bootmakei had shut his shop, and hung at the door a tricolour fi»& veiled in crape, and a placard. "Closed on account of the public ruin." Even the authorities spent less money on the fete than usual, the expenses comipg to instead of the customary £ 20,000. THE ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY—The additions to the Zoological Society's Gardens, Regents'-park, London, during the past week include a Rhesus monkey fro India, presented by Mr F. W. Steward; a ring-tailed lemur from Madagascar, presented by Mrs. Collcutt; six prairie marmots, from North America, presented by Mr. F. J. Thompson; two common foxes from RassIS, presented by Mr. Harrison Cripps F.R.C.P.; rhea from South America, presented by Mr. J. W Be» > four red-bellied squirrels from Trinidad, presented by Mr. R. J. Lichmere Guppy; two Peba armadillos frolu South America, presented by Mr. J. Clements; 8 greater black-backed gull, British, presented by Henry Stevens, M.D.; 24 sand»lizards, a sJowworiDj commoh snake, from Germany, presented by Mr. S* Schaefer; two Sarus cranes from North India, eig"" European tree frogs, from Germany, purchased; two long-fronted gerbilles, an Elliott's pheasant, a bronze" winged dove a barred-shouldered dove, bred in the gardens. Nature." 11 ESQUIRE.—A correspondent of Notes and Queries writes: Mr. Walford, in a note, quoting the words* "the Hon Horatio Walpole, Esq. adds [sic]," intitns. ting, I suppose, that the title esquire is incocopa* tible with honourable," or superfluous I know of oy monument in a church to Rev. E. Stanley, Eeq., with "Esq." defaced, as I think, improperly- Esquire is a title, as Knight" or Baronet," and therefore borne by any one entitled to it in addition to any other title he may possess. We write, the Rev Lord A. or the Hon. and Rev. B. C., or "the Re". Sir D. E. why not "Rev." or "Hon. H. Walpole, Esq. supposing him to be possessed of an estate mansion entitling him to the title of esquire," I. ^a.j. occasion to procure my baptismal register lately 10 « my father was designated Squire," in the column rank or profession, and this not by an ignorant perso » but by Dr. Grey, afterwards Bishop of Hereford, brother to the late Earl Grey. He, at least, conside it as a title. The late Bishop Wilberforce invehted word Squarson" to describe the combiu&tjon squire and parson,"