The Cambrian

DBA Mr. JA*j °m^?" -The death is announced of recent failure j well-known agriculturist, whose It took place at 8° a'an/ exPl'essions of sympathy. Mr. Mechi! the «l°n at TiP-tree Essex. Bologtva, who earlv in Uf Mechi, a citizen of a post in the household If n m England and obtained don, in May, 1802, aad wltorge,UI'' was born in Lon- engaged in the Newfoundland J lnT? mercantile houso the profits derived from an invention indnst,ry and enabled to start in business as » „ V J118 own» he was tween 1830 and 1840 realised a fSUer ln 1827> *>e- Sr strap which bore his name.^i^LV \he sale of a vear he bought the farm at Tiptree-hlath ?^-loned 140 acres of inferior land, and fI'^°D-slstlDS of cation of steam power. 'H<a'bed at by his neitrh bours as an enthusiast, but he persevered, and by.and by made the farm pay a handsome profit. in 1856 he appointed to the shrievalty hand Was elected the following year. About this time he presented with a testimonial of the value of £ o(^-8^»Ptibed by noblemen and gentlemen interestedscientific agricul. tare. He was a juror in the Department of Sconce and Art at the Great Exhibition of IBol, and:the Paris Exhibition four years later he was specially sent out by the English Government. After eight years service a8 Alderman of London, he resigned hls g°w°' against the wish of his constituents. Mr. Me^ *as author of several works on agriculture, themostpopular being, perhaps, How to Farm Profitably,' of which many thousand copies were sold. Doubts have been cast on the pecuniary results of Mr. Mechi's farming, bo<i in his circular made public last week, he re-affirmed that they were satisfactory, and declared that his failure was due to losses on his London business. The funeral took place on Saturday, at Tiptree Churchyard, near Kelve- Son. The cortege, which left Tiptree Hall at half-past two, consisted of a funeral car, two mourning coaches, and several private carriages, a large number of persons following on foot. Amongst those present were a depu- tation from the Royal Agricultural Benevolent Institu- tion, Mr. R. K. Causton, M.P., Mr. James Garrett, and Mr. E. Garrett. [

THE LAND AGITATION IN IRELAND. DUBLIN, Jan. 1.—The year which has just passed away was one upon which few Irishmen will care to look back at all, and none can look with satisfaction. They need no record to remind them of its character. Its horrid features will ever haunt the memory of this generation. Want and wickedness, misery and mad- ness, were stamped upon it, and its garments were dyed with blood. A more repulsive and terrible year has never come upon the country, and gladly would it be forgotten if it had not left memorials of its presence, which it will take a quarter of a century to remove, in the overthrow of law and order, of liberty and peace, of loyal feeling and moral principle, in the disruption the ties which hold civilised communities together, in the ruin of private property, and social influence, and the wreck of many fair hopes of national progress. The history of the year may be written in two words—dis- tress and disturbance. They comprise a summary of its character. It came in with the begging-box it has gone out with the bludgeon. The former has been broken to pieces, having served its purpose; would that the latter had been thrown away But, unhappily, it has only been transferred to the hands of the New Year. Relief of distress was the object of the Parlia- ment which met twelve months ago it is hoped that relief from disturbance will be the first object of the Parliament which is to meet next week. Its task is in- finitely more urgent and more difficult, The distress is exaggerated, and the immediate danger of national calamity was averted by the generous benevolence of the people of England, who responded to the womanly appeal of the Duchess of Marlborough. Her noble example stimulated the dormant energies of Ircal sympathy. Charity no longer wrung her hands in idle frenzy, but showed her true spirit in earnest work. Help came from Australia and America as well as from England, and the result was that a sum of half a million of money was collected to supply food, fuel, and clothing to the perishing poor 01 the west and south of Ireland. The Imperii Parliament, though slow and cautious in its action, was not illiberal, but voted over a million and a half out of the National Ex- chequer in loans to landowners to enable them to em- ploy the poor labourers and small farmers in useful works, and it added to this most useful measure ano- ther, which has proved to be of more immediate benefit, in the passing of the Seeds Act. It is humiliating to those who are concerned for the character of the country to find that so ungrateful a return has been made by many of the people who were so kindly helped in their time of need, and that their benefactors are held up to execration. It is a matter of still deePer concern to see that the first use they have made of the proceeds of the bountiful harvest which they were enabled by this timely help to realize, has been to arm themselves against the law and the rights and lives of the resident gentry who have burdened their estates with heavy charges in order to provide employment for them and improve their land. To release the country from vio- lence and anarchy will be a task for the Legislature, which it may be hoped will not prOVe beyond its greatest powers. The remedies whic> would have been effectual three months ago would be a onive now. It is not large masses of disorder ah" disattection which will have to be encountered, but a disintegration of society which is all but universal. en armed par- ties can parade the country without ear, though it is thickly studded with police a11^ I?1 ar^ barracks— when they can visit the homesteads ot peaceable farmers and terrify the inmates into submission to their rule- when they can make it impossible for o ers to buy or sell and can drive their cattle away h and leave their lands desolate and may well be said that society is being resolve into its orioinal elements of barbarism, and idle to pretend that the British Constitution has any practica existence. The shield which it was wont to throw over the persons and properties of loyal citizens is 8^a f.re_ f° Pieces by a power which has been allowed to at o such formi- dable proportions, while the atLth-ority l^'h ought to have long since put forth its strength to Ush it looked on in indolent repose. It will take many years to re- construct the social system which is n in ruins, and few can be sanguine enough to hope he task will ba accomplished in the present generation. On Saturday night a desperate an y^erious out- rage was perpetrated in the northern p of the city of Cork. So early as half-past 9 a tnan named Patrick Dynan, living in a tenement eoff Clarence- street, heard a knock at bis door, touowed by an in- quiry from the person who knocked, re you inside, Patsy ? Were you at the quays to- a Come to the door." Dynan, who is a quay 2Ur a lamp in his hand and opened the door. m }ely that he did so a man presented a revouer and fired. The ball eutered Dynan's neck, ana, passing to the rear, lodged near his shoultter-oiaue. Dynan at once rushed into his room, and wMueaomg so another shot was fired at him by his assai an u fortunately missed him. The assassin g°t clear away. Dynan, feeling'himself'da.°f r°"sIy wounded, left his house and ran towards toe i ry, situate at a distance of about 500 yards. e exhausted, however, on the way, and h6 ha 0»Q4.a^e^ infirmary, where he lies in a precarious e. The bullet was extracted next day. No arrest has been ^ade> The police brieve the affair is of a If "V'^acter, and that the inhabitants of the locality couia hfow an im- portant light on the matter if they e > but of this there is no certainty. The scene o 0|Jtrage was only a short distance from a police Dynan has stated to a magistrate that be who fired at him, but he would make no further Statement. A large farce of military and police was drafted into Kanturk for the purpose of suppressing tJie gantur^ meeting, according to the l0o issued by Government. A troop of the 3rd.fragoons, from Ballincollig, a company of the 60th a force of police were on the spot an founded the platform where it was contemplafce the meet- ing. Though it was known lke^overn J^had deter- mined to stop the proceedings, a large n er 0f peop|0 from the surrounding districts crowde o t^e towrK A procession, accompanied by bands an a1ners, was formed and marched through the tow i ut ma(je nQ attempt to reach the platform. The • ■Buckley addressed the people from the steps o 6 hotel, de- claring that, although they were no We<j to hold their meeting, they had gained a gr in tbe demonstration of the day. He cou,ls .1X1 to dis- perse quietly. As the Dragoons we ,JlDg in the evening they were hooted and pelted but no conflict occurred. The following tei => ox was de- spatched from E. J. Sinales, chair Southwark Radical Club .—"Tell our Irish brathi* *ew lsh thelD success at their meeting to settle the Irl- and question. The English must follow." v The mass meeting announced to d at clon_ dalkin, near Dublin, on Sunday, toge th meetings at Drogheda and at Lanfcurk« J^-Lmber?^ by tbe Lord Lieutenant. No Home-B^le members atten'ded> The people of the surrounding cou £ t Paraded with bands playing and banners fly^ig. attetnpt to hold the meeting was made. Tbe ^Ployed in seeing that the Government Q.*8 respected consisted of 200 men of the Colds r ^ftfds, under command of Colonel Lord Wm. SgJ^re. a*d men of the 19th Hussars, under P Gaston, and 500 or 600 of the Royal Consubulary county inspector, Mr. Jennings, bei f idente^ Command. Colonel Forbes and Major the T^agistrates, were present as directly represen g Irish Execu- tive. Mr. Kettle, « J^'and saw thel\UU.ve Land League, arrived from Dublm, a ^airman of the local committee, Mr. M. hi- not to attempt to hold the naeeiti fir. -e the Govern- ment was determined to re30'6 The Tnn.ecessary, in order to prevent its taking pjac • b a!"l0us contin- gents, headed by their marched through the village playing and cheering as they passed the military. endors^ n. 6 meeting as set forth in resolutions was Dr *he principles of the League, to protest ag Torv 6nt Prosecu- tions of its leaders and again \asc?r.dancy" in Dublin, and, lastly, to ^nch of the League. The meeting was P™™ > the Irish Executive, because there was be]Ueve that it was calculated to interfer hearin™r anci impar- tial trial of a certain cause fc. § lri Her Ma- jesty's High Court of Justice- y ng p^gg^ 0ff QUAtIland meeting, announced bJ held m Philips- town on Sunday, was abandoned, altboQgh platJm had been erected in the square- An Enniskillen telegram states that ^r> Qkel M.P., speaking on Saturday, earn it -&ng]ish .0 ouly understood the Irish lan y em they would not have tolerated it so long;as^ySeveral Orangemen spoke, and the meet ? principally of Protestants. A company f ™try from Ennis- killen were present, but no disturbance ar0se. A land meeting was held on Sa ur ay at Ballycastle, county Mayo, at which the that no rent beyond Griffith's valuation should be paxd. The Uce were present, but the meeting was orderly_ Another meeting was held at Lillala, the scene of the French landing in 1798. The usual rewlotions were pa8sed# A meeting, of which about 8,UUU persons were pre- sent, was held on Sunday at Barradore, a vill a £ out six miles from Killarney, county Kerry. Re6olution8 were passed in support of the Land Leagup. The members of the Land League at Drosheda hiv/f'V1 announced for Sunday had been pro- hibited decided at the last moment to h0ldit on Sifur. n„ •*<. ? 0 avoid a collision with the police Mr cornpanted F* Hea^ M-P" companied by a procession, and 10,000 peool as,em. bled m the Hall, pather MeKee, P.P., pre.idS £ ■ P spoken, Mr. Healy commenced hia ad- dress, when Messrs. Keogh and Lloyd, resid^t trates, came through the crowd, and called on the chairman to stop the meeting, refusing to giTe their authority; but saying that if the people did not dis- perse at once they would use force. Reinforcements of police were hurried in from the country, the Riot Act was read, and the people dispersed quietly. police were hurried in from the country, the R" tAt was read, and the people dispersed quietly. 10 c A telegram from Tuam says that a collision took place on Friday between soldiers of the Rifle Brigade and a crowd of country people. Some soldiers drew their swords, but did not use them. Stones were freely thrown, and the peasantry paraded the roads in mili- tary order. The land meetings announced to be held next Sunday at Clondalkin, Drogheda, and Kmturk have been pro- claimed. At a land meeting in Carlon, on Sunday, Mr. Gray, M.P., and Mr. Dawson, M.P.. urged if the Government introduced a Coercion Bill it should be opposed, even if a good Land Bill was thus lost, or the Liberal Go- vernment broken up. A land meeting was proclaimed at Philips own, Kmg s County, on Sunday. No dis- turbances are reported.

(Henxral intelligence. It is said that the late George Eliot has left behind her an unpublished work, written several years ago, on The History of Ideas of Immortality." According to the first count of the American census, which is nearly finished, the populatjon of the United States is shown to be over 51.000,000. An exciting scene took place at Cardiff on Monday. The police were informed that a foreigner had chopped a bailiff's hand off, and on going to the house the man escaped on to the roof, but was ultimately captured and brought down. The body of a respectably-dressed woman was found lying on Southsea beach by the Coast-guard, on Saturday morning, near the Royal Beach Mansions Hotel. It was subsequently identified as that of Miss Jiary Ann Good- win, of Besant Terrace, Fratton. The police have arrested Frederick Meyer, in White- cliapel, for housebreaking and attempted murder. When discovered on the premises of his former employer, Mr. Orb, of York-road, Battersea, he struck at him with a large knife, and inflicted a dangerous wound. The City Press says it is intended that Exeter Hall shall be transferred to its new proprietary—viz., the Young Men's Christian Association on the occasion of its jubilee, March 29, at which date it is contemplated all the improvements and alterations will have been effected. Before the Northampton county magistrates, on Satur- day, Eliza Johnson, aged 16, was charged with attempt- ing to commit suicide by throwing herself into a pond The cause of the attempt was a refusal to allow her to attend a sister's wedding. She was released to her parents. In its two last issues the Land Agents' Record contains the namas of eighteen landlords who have made remis sionsofrentsto their tenants. Ten have returned ÍO per cent., four 20 per cent., two 25 percent.; one has returned 50 per cent. on the arable land and 25 per cent, on pastures. Experiments are about to be ade at Portsmouth with the Gramme, Brush, and Jablockhoff systems of electric lighting, with the object of determining the one best adapted for lighing the dockyard. The experiments will be confined to the lighting of the docks, basins, and the "open" generally. At Gateshead, on Saturday, a quarrel took place in a common lodging-house, in the course of which a crippled tailor named Richard Davison stabbed a potter uamed Thomas Lancaster with a pocket-knife, death ensuing in a few minutes. Davison is "i custody, as well as a woman who was present at the time. A horrible murder was perpetiatea in Calton. Glasgow, on Saturday, a Mrs. Henderson being found in a pool of blood in her house. When examined by the doctors, sixteen stabs were found on her body. Her two sons, Alexander and Archibald, have been apprehended. The party were celebrating the New Year, and a quarrel is said to have occurred, i c n The approximate value of 0nationalities, with their cargoes, lost during r~e. }e^1' 1880 was no less than £ 63.327,000. including British proparty Tvorth £47,495,000, The total number ot wrecks reported was 1,680, which, compared with the total at the end of 1879, shows a decrease of eight. British-owned ships numbered 913, and those of all flags wrecked on the coasts of the British Isles were 480. About 4,000 lives were lost dur- ing the year. T Robert Alden, jun., was fined k,ZQ at Lancaster Petty Sessions, on Saturday, for cruelty to six oxen and three heifers. The cattle had been turned into an exposed field facing Morecambe Bay. A policeman desenbed the field as a complete puddle, there not being a spot in it on which the animals could lie down with safety. They were nice thriving cattle when put into the field, hut when ordered to be removed they were nothing but skinandbone." i 0 The Leeds Mercury says— The nirncmties which stood in the way of the marriage of Lady Burdett-Coutts have now been removed, at all events, to some extent, and the marriage will, it is said, take place at York next month. It is said that in order to put to silence certain ill-natured tongues, the Baroness settled some months ago £12,000 a year on the bridegroom-expectant. Of course the marriage still makes Lady Burdett-Coutts lose her share in the profits of the bank." The governors of St. Thomas's Hospital, acting under the authority of the Charity Commissioners, intend in the course of the present month to receive into St. Thomas's Home persons of the upper and middle classes able and willing to pay for the benefits of medical attendance and nursing therein. The governors have appropriated two wards in the hospital for this purpose, which are distinct from the other or ordinary wards, and approached by a separate gate and entrance. It is understood that the works which have been for some years in progress on Dover Pier—providing a battery and arranging for the re-arming of the present sea batteries—will be completed by the end of the present year, at about a cost of £120,000, the original estimate having been increased from £93,000 to meet the expense of additional protection rendered necessary by the abandonment of Dover Pier, and to provide machinery required for working heavy armament. At an inquest held on Friday, in London, relative to the death of an infant girl, the daughter of a labourer, a verdict of "Wilful murder" against her mother was returned. The evidence showed that the parents were in deep poverty, and that the mother, in a state of mania, drowned the child. The baby kept crying she said, when questioned why she had done so, and I had no milk to give it." The Coroner made out his warrant for the committal of the woman, Anne Goring, on the capitRI charge, On Saturday the statute passed in the late session to provide for the safe carriage of grain cargoes came into operation. The Board of Trade is to enforce the pro- visions, and precautions are to be taken as to the manner in which grain cargoes-which means corn, lice, paddy, pulse, seeds, nuts, or nut-kernels-are stowed, and penalities up to £100, may be imposed for false state- ments. The object of the act is to protect all persons connected with merchant shlppmg, and those on board vessels engaged in the occupation or otherwise. On Friday night the roads in the Bedminster, Dorset, Turnpike Trust, were handed over to the District High- way Board. At the gate leading from Bridport Station a demonstration took place as the clock struck 12. A mob that had assembled carried the gate by main force, and then men, mounted on horses, galloped up and down the road to assert their rights to use the turnpikes in the trust without payment of tolls. The man who kept the toll-house decamped. The toll-house, however, was broken open, and all the windows and doors were smashed with stones. The riot lasted till nearly two o'clock on Saturday morning. An important case was heard by the Stonehouse magistrates on Friday. A travelling auctioner, named Bennett, who has been doing a large business, and whose prosecution was said to be instigated by local tradesmen, was charged with conducting a lottery. Bennett has been selling 500 packets of tea per evening amongst the packets being ten coupons entitling the purchaser to a gold watch or other articles. The coupons, however, had to be nominally bought, half a crown or less, accord- ing to the value of the article, being paid on presentation. The Bench thought the lottery act had been infringed, and inflicted a fine of 20s. A terrible gas explosion, 'resulting in the deatn or three persons and the serious injury of at least ten others, occurred at Glasgow early on Saturday morning. From some cause or other gas had accumulated w the house of William McCulloch, mason, Henderson Stieet, ana at one o'clock it exploded with terrific violence shattering the tenement and blowing out the windows of houses at a distance of a hundred yards. McCull^h was killed ,u were also Hugh Reid and his wife who lived in the flat above, and of ten persons very seriously injured, one is the mother of Reid. The injured persons, some of whom are expected to succumb to their wounds, were conveyed to the hospital. A melancholy boat accident happened on the Tay on Saturday. In the forenoon Henry Holland, merchant, of Dundee; George Paton, son of J. G. Paton, merchant, of Dundee and a young man named Pritchard, belonging to London, who was spending Christmas with Paton, went out duck-shooting on the Tay in a fisherman's yawl, managed by Wm. Norrie, an experienced boatman. In the afternoon, while near the mouth of the river, the men stood on the leejside to get a shot at some birds, and caused the boat to lurch and ultimately to capsize. The party were thrown into the water, and all managed to get hold of the"gunwale of the boat, but the tide was so strong that Holland and Paton were carried away and sank." Pritchard seized an oar and attempted to swim ashore while Norris continued to hold by the boat. The accident was observed from the shore, and a boat sent out, when Norrie was picked up in an exhausted condil £ Pritchard sank when the boat was within fitty y» and him. Sunday morning the bodies of pritchard Paton were washed ashore. Paton an g of ag0 were unmarried and between 20 and and fiSye Holland was 35 years of age, and leaves children. the late Mr. Frank We are authorise oe^ei,rated, unique, and Buckland k&s beq Economic Fish Culture to the most valuable M der.ed still more valuable by the nation. T^be n on the decease of Mrs. fact that, ac f £ 5 QQO will revert to the nation, to Buckland a purpose of founding a professorship be aPP niseiculture in connection with the Buckland STSTtl.. &>«•• Mrf Art^Department .t South inP This generous gift demonstrates yet again MnTideawlicb preladed all Mr. Buckland's lahours His ceaseless work was to amass for the public .« .fi^l information bearing on the fisheries by all and everv means in his power In carrying it out with amazing industry he collected the finest piscicultural museum possessed by any nation in the world. It is wHh intense gratification we announce that this monu- ment which will bear undying testimony to the un- zeal of the enthusiastic naturalist and pisci- nnltnvist is not to be broken up and scattered, but is to remain a landmark and growing nucleus for the instruction and encouragement of all coming students of practical natural history and economic fish cuLure. The Lord Mayor (Mr. Alderman M'Arthur) received on Friday the following telegram from the Mayor of Athens: —" Athens, December 31, 8,20 a.m. We have to an- nounce good news at a moment when all Greece is in arms. A magnificent statue has just been discovered—a complete chef d'aurre of Phidias- the statue of Minerva Victorious." Lord Dunraven directs attention to a fact of which few people probably are aware. Most Englishmen sup- pose that Newfoundland is a dependency of Great Bri- tain, yet that idea is only partially true. The sovereign rights of the British Crown are recognised only over a portion of the island. By the Treaty of Utrecht fishing rights over the shore from Cape Ray to Cape John were secured to France and still remain in force. France claims a strip of land half a mile in width along the whole western seaboard of the island. The exact nature I of the rights she is entitled to exercise over the foreshore has never yet been determined. Whether the English may make use of the shore for fisbiug purposes—whether they may permanently settle and cultivate the land or work for the minerals—are doubtful points. They will have to be decided some day and meanwhile the uncer- tainty is a serious bar to the progress of the island. The Times remarks that the Revenue returns for the past year come fully up to the most sanguine estimates which have been formed about them. They show, in the first place, an increase of more thantGOO,000 in the gross revenue of the year. This is their performance, but their promise for the real financial year, ending March 3L. 1881, is much better than this. The increase of revenue duving the past twelve months has been progressive at almost every point. The year, which has closed well. began far from favourably. The first quarter showed a falling-off of gross income to the amount or nearly a million and a half. The recovery from this state of de- pression has been at once rapid and complete. During the remaining three quarters of the year there has been a steadily sustained upward movement. The figures for the quarter ending on June 30, 1880, are higher by about three quarters of a million than those for the correspond- ing period of 1879. Iu the next quarter, and in spite of various temporary drawbacks, there was again an advance shown. In the last quarter the gain has been the most considerable of any. It is just not a clear million, and it has been made under the most important headings, which bear clearest testimony to the fact of a revival in trade. The rejection of Commander Cbeyne's balloon expedi- tion to the North Pole by the Royal Geographical Society is not to be surprised at, considering the very uncertain character of aerial journeys. Indeed, there is a growing conviction that "individual dashes for the Pole are a visionary waste of money, and since the failure of the splendidly equipped attempt of Capt. Nares, it is doubt- ful if any single venture in the old style will ever again be paid for out of any national exchequer, Ships will. no doubt, be despatched by wealthy owners, eager for the fame of exploration, and valuable results will doubtless be obtained by these, as in the case of the Vega, Baron Nordenskjold's vessel; but the project of Lieutenant Weyprecbt for the establishment of international scien- tific stations in a great ring within the Arctic circle is the plan which will most likely be adopted in the future. This result will probably be hastened by the forced re- turn of the American exploring ship Gulnare through injuries sustained, and by the recent news that Mr. Gor- don Bennett's steam yacht the Jeannette is lost among the northern ice. Meanwhile, to hasten the execution of Lieutenant Weyprecht's plan we learn that Herr L. 0. Smith, a merchant of Stockholm, has placed jE4,000 at the disposal of the Academy of Sciences for use in set- ting up a scientific station at Spitzbergen. This might ¡I be made the first step toward the contemplated circle of observatories, and it is probable that England will also establish posts in North America.—Engineering. MASONIC BENEVOLENCE.—The extent of Masonic benevolence during the past year will be noted with surprise by many persons who believe that Mas >nic lodges are simply clubs in which the members call themselves brethren," dress fantastically, and terminate the proceedings with a dinner dignified by the title of a "banquet." As a matter of fact, it is stated that a great many lodges do not dine at all, meeting only for the transaction of business and that the business includes the outpouring of a considerable stream of charity is evident from the large amount subscribed last year. The sum collected during the year for the three Masonic Charities came to very nearly £.)O,OOO-to be exacr. £ 49 762 lls. 5d. Of this sum the Girls' School received JE17787 10s. lid. tbe Benevolent Institution £16,301 4s. iod. and the Boys' School £ 15,673 15J. Sd. In 1879 the largest amount ever received in one year by the three institutions was attained-viz., £ 14,583 Us. 9J.; but it will be seen that in 1880 that sum has been by B5178 19s. 8d. The fund of benevolence, out of which relief is distributed to cases of distress by the Lodge of Benevolence has been severely taxed during the past year, the poor brethren, widows, and orphans apply- ing for assistance having been as many a3 308. There are besides, it is claimed by the Masons, one or two things to be remembered. In the first place uo special call was made upon their benevolence during the past year, or the total would have been very greatly increased; and these sums, considerable as they are, do not include the amounts, very large in the aggregate, granted by individual lodges to brethren, or the families of brethren, whose cases have been specially recommended. There is also the purely private benevolence which, no doubt, many Masons are called upon to exercise. If, therefore, cynical persons choose to make fun of the aprons, gaunt- lets, jewels, and insignia of Masonry, it must at least e admitted that the society is not without use to its fellow- creatures. EXPERIENCES OF A SHIPWRECKED CREW.—Among the persons who arrived at Liverpool in the Cunard steam- ship Batavia, from New York, is James Tyrrell, who was formerly cook on board the wrecked ship Edward Cardwell, belonging to Mr. John Hendry, of Greenock, and who gives a curious account of himself and other members of the crew. The ship, which was 1,24.5 tons register, was bound from Quebec for Liverpool, with timber, and struck some reefs on the Labrador coast about five o'clock on the morning of the 31st of Octooer, immediately afterwards breaking her back. Seven men got off in one boat, and the remainder of the crew in the lifeboat, the master (Captain Campbell) being the last to leave his vessel. After pullinjr. for some four hours, the second boat's cr«w reached a &igh rock, and, ou asceuu- in» it, the men found their comrades of the first boat already there. The whole of the crew, 19 in number, re- mained on the rock all that day and the following nisht, and had no food. The shipwrecked men reached a fish- ing village, and gained an entrance to a fisherman's hut, in which they found a stove and some dried fish. The men were subsequently taken to Green Isle by Lloyd's agent, who had sent two boats to their assistance. They were afterwards received on board a small steamer called the Beaver with the object of being conveyed to Qiebec, but the steamer could not proceed far on account of the ice. The Beaver, which had 62 persons on board, was steered up a long creek, and taken far into the bush. There were little or no provisions on board the steamer. They finally found themselves on one side of a river with no food, while on the other side there were hospitably disposed person". A distance of seven miles, however, intervened, and the river was almost full of floating ice, which was becoming thicker and thicker every minute. It was a step confronted with much danger for the men to attempt to reach the opposite bank with tbeir some- what frail boat, but the other a'ternat^ve-to rema n where they were-seemed ^e^sXlly done7 the stranding „t the vessel. MR SPUBGEON ON YOUNG PREACHERS The first rmmher of The Sioord and Trowel for the new year con- tains a contribution of Mr. Spurgeon. Speaking of his own career, he says :—" My college course was after this own career, be says My college course was after this fashion. I was for three years a Cambridge man, al- though I never entered the University. I could not have obtained, a degree, because I was a Nonconformist and moreover, it was a better thing for me to pursue my studies under an admirable scholar and tender friend, and preach at the same time. I must have been a singu- lar-looking youth on wet evenings. During the last year of my stav in Cambridge, when I had given up my office of usher, I was wont to sally forth every night in the week, except Saturday, and walk three, five, or perhaps eight miles out and back again on my preaching work and when it rained I dressed myself in waterproof leg- gings and a mackintosh coat, and a hat with a waterproof covering, and I carried a dark lantern to show me the way across the fields. I had many adventures but what I had gathered by my studies during the day I handed out to a company of villagers in the evening, and was greatly profited by the exercise. 1 always found it good to say my lesson when I had learned it. Children do so, and it is equally good for preachers, especially if they say their lesson by hewt. Com- the ,»lae Spurgeon writes .-It kept men The about preaching church were usually those most uscful mem they were not doing good. V %SXT$S!3 £ XT|noValwaeysW| work he should worry himself or others, ^Vrhave nothing to the dormouse an^^ peopie outright. Active-minded fdlers were a curse to any community Lazy members of hurches if they had restless dispositions, became criti- cal hearers, grumblers, gossips, heretics, or schismatics. It was fine to see a sluggard lean over a rail and find fault with those who were hard at work in their shirt- sleeves be said they were out of order, and ought to wear dress coats. It would be better if they were to dress his coat for him. In my young days," Mr. Spur- geon continues, I fear I said many odd things and made many blunders, but my audiences were not hypercritical, and no newspaper writers dogged my heels; and so I had a happy training-ground in which, by continual practice, I attained such a degree of ready speech as I now possess. There is no way of learning to preach which can be compared to preaching itself. If you want to swim you must get into the waterj; and if you at the first make a sorry exhibition, never mind, for it is by swim- ming as you can, that you learn to swim as you should. Hence we ought to be lenient with beginners, for they will do better by-and-by. If young speakers m Cam- bridge had been discouraged and sdenced, I might not have found my way here, and, therefore, I hope I shall be the last to bring forth a wet blanket for any who sincerely speak for Christ, however humble may be their endeavours. The fear of there being too many preachers is the last that will occur to me. I rejoice in that passage in the Psalm, The Lord gave the word great was the company of those that published it.' Go forth, voune men, and proclaim among the people of this vast city all the words of this life. Among these millions yuu will all be few enough. Fill your baskets with living seed, and in due season bring them back laden with°many sheaves. My heart is with you my soul rejoices in your successes and I look tohhe great Head of the Church, through your means, to gather in His blood-bought ones.) ———— fl the Ari/n/ and ^\ac/i Qazette regrets the necessity for preparing the country for a very great surprise, and one not at all of an agreeable character. The army esti- mates will exceed £ 20,000,000 sterling. Making every possible allowance for reductions in the votes, the excess is so considerable over that amount that it will not be possible to get the estimates below £ 20,000,000 for the year. TRIBUTE TO MR. ToOLE-Ashort time»go we had the pleasure of noticing Mr. Toole's exquisite acting as old Calebb Plummer in Dickens's Dot, in company with Mr. F. Barnard. The clever and rising young artist was making some rapid sketches during the performance, and the result has since been seen in the Illustrated London, Ncics. The pictorial sketches are fittingly accompanied by a kindly and appreciative article by Mr. G. A. Sala, from which we copy the cuncluding sentences :—"The talent of Mr. John Lawrence Toole appeals to all classes, and he is every inch as popular with the gallery as he is with the stalls and private boxes. For the rest, it may be no violation of social proprieties to say that Mr. Toole is as much respected in private as he is admired in public life. I never heard that he had any enemies, and I am sure that he has not gone the way to make iuy. He ic eminently 'clubable,' a sparkling conversationalist, the owner of a rich treasury of droll anecdote, and as ful ot fun as a schoolboy. Some time ago he had a great sorrow, and hosts of friends commiserated him as though it had been; one of their own kindred that had beea summoned away. But time has been good to him, and to those friends he will be spared, I hope. for many years, to the fostering and innocent mirth and the wakening of gentle and tender feelings among those who witness his performances, be they grave or gay. In both moods he is a Master of his Art." There is no mora attractive performance in London than Dot at the Folly Theatre at the afternoon performances, occasionally changing place with the now famous Upper Crust, which is, says a contemporary, the greatest comedy success of the time. May stand side by side with Our Bops, and the dialogue is even more sparkling, brilliant, and original."—The Brighton Guardian. GAU.s GREAT PEDESTRIAN FEAT. — Ever since mid niirht of the 20ch of November lacf, at Lillie Bridge William Gale, of Cardiff, has continued his *elf-impused task of walking 2,-500 miles within 1,000 hours, at the rate of a mile and a quarter at the commencement of every half-hour— thus precluding more than a few minutes' rest at any period. Throughout the whole of this time he has had every form of bad weather to contend with, besides his struggle with nature, but, in spite of all obstacles, he had, up to Tuesday morning, faithfully complied with the conditions of his task, and answered promptly to the judge's signal which summoned him every half-hour to the track. Ou the second signal being given, at 4.30 a.m. on Tuesday morning, he turne-i out as usual within a few seconds of time; fut once ihe path it was with the greatest difficulty that he could be prevailed upon to move, and after he had wa'.ked three lips (1,460 yards) out of his allotted distan-e lie stooped, and flatly refused to move further, and at 4..57.56 be went into his house, and the match, as originally arranged, uae at an end. He had then been walking for 1,786 consecu- tive half-hours, in which he had covered the extraorii- nary distance of 2,232 miles. A doctor was called is immediately, and reported his condition wonderfully well, his pulse beating strongly at SS, only a trifle higher than usual. His breakown was the most extraordinary, as in all his previous walks he has never shown the slightest symptoms of cowardice. He slept heavily for about six hours when, after a hot bath, he once more turned out of his house on to the track, having pre- viously announced his intention of endeavouring to complete the 2,500 miles within the stipulated time— viz., 1,000 hours—although of course the original con- ditions of his contest were broken. He resumed at 11.30, and kept steadily on at intervals, although not under the old conditions, until at four o'clock on Saturday after-* n Ion, that being the conclusion of the 1,000 hours, nd when he stopped had covered 2,405A miles 920 yavd» This is in itself an unprecedented performance, and vefc but a mere handful of spectators put in an appearauce to witness the finish. Gait's excitability undoubtedly caused the collapse, and yet this is not to be wondered at considering what he had undertaken and the wretched weather lie has had to encounter. It is intended to give him a benefit shortly to recompense him for his failure. TAXES ON COAL IN LONDON.—The public are often told that they are indebted to the City of London for the acquisition ofEpping Forest, West Ham-park, and Euro- h,1111 Beeches. As a matter of fact, the funds from which the.-e open spaces have been purchased are gath.-rej from a duty on grain. Messrs. Coombe, Del.ifield, tisd Co., the brswers, challenged the City's right to charge for metage. Litigation followed, even up to tbe Hrase of Lords, resulting in a decision requiring the Cry to produce its charters authorising the charge complained of. The City declined, and abandoned the suit. VThea the public had forgotten all about it they introduced Bill to legalise the charge, reducing it to a mini m um, and agreeing to devote the proceeds to the acquisitk** of open spaces. Hence the acquisition of the spaces we have named. The public will soon be invited to make the same fight as to the charges levied upon coals coming inta the port of London. At present a duty is levied 8 Is. Id. per ton, and it is collected for 16 miles round London, from Yantlet Creek to Staines. We wi.i not now go into its history, instructive and necessary as that will be found. It is sufficient to say that 9J. of this duty is paid to the Metropolitan Board, and its period (!o[ collection was recently extended to enable that Board ie free the bridges. The other 4d. goes into the coffers of the City Corporation, and we will some day give its his- tory. Our object now is to explain that further chargee amounting to lid. per ton. are made upon sea boruc <•—* coming into the Pool. This charge is made by a com- mittee called the Coal Meters' Committee, which renders. so far as we can learn, no accounts, is self-elected, ar- ranges its own scale of fees, and recently made up an ac- count charging eight guineas fees for inspecting the repairs of a machine, the charge for which was 5s. No coal-owner is on this committee, so far as we know no representative of the public sees the accounts, or prevent* the total of its receipts, after paying the coal-whippeai 2d. per ton and the meters Gs. per 50 tons, going into the pockets of the committee. The ton is measured 141bs. short, which means to the shipper a loss of 5 tons in 800. When we say the fees amount to at least £ 10,000 per annum, and adds to the prices of coal to the p.-orest an appreciable sum, the public will begin to see their itt- terest in asking for the accounts of this mysterious body —their names, the origin of their appointment, and the basis of their authority as now exercised. A question i* Parliament may elicit the required information which may prove that the claim is as baseless as that of the corn metage to which we have referred, and that inouirf may produce results as valuable to the public as that which followed the rebellion of Messrs. Coombe, Dela- field and Co. Many coal-shippers to Loudon must be sensible of this grievance, must secretly rebel against It" and be ready to help to aboxisb the charge. The twe Parliamentary inquiries of 1838 and 18oo leave the k*5- tory of these charges unravelled, and we think that com- bination of shipowners and large manufacturing con- sumers might, in the public interest, effect a radical reform. Eclw. ALCOHOL IN HEALTH AND DISEASE.—A lecture OR Alcohol in Relation to Health and Disease W ¡h deli- vered on Thursday in the Memorial-hall, Farriuedoa- street byMr..H. Branthwaite.F.R.C.S., before the British Women's Temperance Association. The chair was lake* by Mr. Samuel Morley, M.P. The medical aspect of the question, of the use of alcohol in health and disease was, the lecturer said, one of vital importance. 0c9 thing was certain and was admitted by the strongest upholders of the use of alcohol, and that was itt noa- necessity. This was an important fact, for tiona and nervous people were kept back from doing what they were convinced was their duty from fear of the conse- quences to their health. If experience was of ai y V&Iae. the question of safety was sufficiently answereu by the fact that upwards of 4,000,000 of persons in our ow. country did now abstain from the use of alcoholic drinks. Considering the use of alcohol in two aspects, lie asked first what it did nst do. True food either replaced old a'ructures with new material or assisted by the geneia,t:o8 of heat to get rid of that which had already done its duty. Alcohol did neither. It could not repair, and so far from building up the structure of the body, it carried on a work of destruction. It reduced animal heat, snd so retarded Nature in her efforts to throw off the wasted tissues, For a long time it was contended that alcohol was a respiratory food, but the supporters of that theory had been compelled to abandon the idea. M:lk was a good example of what true food was. In passing, the lecturer dealt at some length with what he called one of the greatest delusions connected with this subject—the popular idea that beer or stout must be taken by nursing mothers. After a somewhat long and extensive experi- ence on this subject his conviction was that abstaining mothers suffered fewer complications, made better recov- ries, and had healthier offspring than those who took alcoholic liquors to enable them to perform what wa<s, after all, but a natural progress. Coming theo what did result from the use of alcohol in health, he sua that no medical man could shut his eyes to the fae, aat the use of intoxicating drink in health in what uiost inea would cttll moderation was positively injurious, citen de- pressing vital power to such an extent that nature WM utterly unable successfully to bear up when attacked by disease or prostrated by accident. Remembering the effect of alcohol in lowering the temperature of the body, we should cease to wonder at dyspepsia and lU- digestion being such prevalant affections. Th effect of alcohol upon the blood was very marked. Having a powerful affinity for water, it robbed the blood oi that element to such au extent that the solids were renaeres less able to absorb oxygen from the air. Hencs the feel- ing of drowsiness complained of by many af'tr mdia- gence in drinks containing it. The blood being poison&X, the heart and brain naturally suffered in co^equeace the heart, as a muscular organ, not only from it? n 'iriuoB being interfered with, but also from the extra work thrown upon it. Extra work meant a more speedy wearing out; .and yet utterly regardless of consequence*, the heart was made to beat many thousand t mes more in the 24 hours than it was intended to do. Tne number of sudden deaths from heart disease could not be wondered at. As usually taken, alcohol was neither stimulant nor a restorative, but a narcotic. He had not time to enter fully into the question of the use of alcohol ia disease, but his own experience had led him to the conclusion that it was to a very great extent useless, thw there were few cases in which it could be administered with any beneficial effects which could not be *ocare4 by the use of other drugs, and, further, that t^-re no injury, no disease, from which a patient who na* been an habitual abstainer wonld not more ea,i! i ee^r. without its use than one who had been accui-t mea to use it would if it was administered. No MEDICINE FOB THE CUKE OF ASTHMA, CO>»^ COCGHS AND BRONCHITIS was ever attended i T« and unfailing success as DR. LOCOCK S PULMONIC WAJ everv newspaper and periodical may tie seen testi their wonderful efficacy. Kotlung else gives such a "a-j freshing night's rest. In hysterical and heart s L J are unfailing, in rheumatic and nervous pains "they «« -J charm." To singers and public 8peakei's^they ;u-e n^!it)v_ for clearing and strengthening the voice. They taste p^a- Price Is. l £ d-. 2s. 9d„ 4s. (.id., and lis. perbcx- t^1'1 -y medicine vendors.