The South Wales Daily Post

THE DEATH OF NELSON, WHO FIRED THE FATAL SHOT? It may be of interest, in connection with the Nelson bazaar, to quote a from the memoirs of Robert Guflleinard, who was posted in the shrouds of the Redoubtable during the battle of IVafal^ar:—"Near the stern of the Victory was an officer -.covered with decorations, and liavin^ only one arm. From what I had heard of Nelson, I feit no ooiibt that it was he. He was surrounded by several officers, to whom he appeared to be giving orders. At the moment of mv per ceiviiiR him several sailor* fell near him. struck by the shote from the Redoubtable. Receiving no orders to descend, but seeing my.seli forgotten in th^ shrouds, I thought myself bound to ilr- at the deck of the English ve,«el, which I saw unprotected and very near me, might even have aimed at individuals, but I lired in succession on the different groups formed bv the sswlors and their officers. Sud- oenly J noticed a great oommotion on the Victory People hurried round the officer whom I believed I had recognised a8 Nelson, lie had fallen, and was being carried awav wrapped m a oioak. His starr at that moment sihoweci me thai J waa not mistaken, but that it was really the English admiral. A moment taterthe lotory ceased tiring, the deck was deserted ov all who had becri stationed there and 1 presumed that the consternation caused by the admiral's fail was the cause of this sudden inactivity." GuiWard, on learning that iNe,son had oied from-a shot entenmr the shou.der and passing through the spine, was con firmer m the belief that in this, his first lTsnSal. the dreadwl E"if:

"AUNT MARTHA^sTWELL. rruH?i^^NDS A LETTER OF THAIS Kb FOR SOME CAKES. On Saturday Mr Alfred L. Jones, of Liver- Pool, rweived another letter from the little, ii,ran vv,olnan' who, a few years apo, travelled from Liberia, nf->-V ^,000 miles, to s vueen V lctoria, whenA< i ,<ty graciousiv de iffhted the o}d lady witli an intei-view. Mr .lones sent her some Christmas cakes, when the toilowing quaint and original letter was elicited.Clav Ashland, January 36. 1895. ■f friend, A. L. Jones,—I sit do-.vn to inform you tliat I received your letter and a ,x: ln waa the best sweet, good lovely fake that ever I enjoyed in all my life; and to let my people know you are my friend indeed 1 &ent my president Cheeseman and lady a I slice oi several sorts; also Mr. and Mrs. Sher- I Mrs. Williams, and a fow others, to let them know that yon were mv friesd while I was present- wi-h you ever since you first saw me a stransr m Liverjxtol. YoG took me in anci tonnd or jrot me a place and u>ld the man to wrap me up and not. let me ketch cole. A friend m need is a friend indeed. Liberia you near Them say don't the people in England love Aunt Martha. I WU them yes and I love them, i tell theiri that the English people are my Pmole au^.ipv friends. M*- God bk',3 vcu with good heaith and long life and trust after I yon go to sleep—Jesus. It is a wOTlder to Liberia yet how the Queen of England receiver I me so kindly and treated me so" lovely and still extend the same toward me. Many thanks and good beter and Best wishes to vou. I hope to see you again if I live. God Being my j helper Wha- more can I say. My Rest wishes to My, Dear Sister and friend I oft think of her aad my dear friend I took Tea with the firot night my Beet wishes and compliments! to her and my Dear young Ladys when I speak HiJGufc my sister I mean your, sister my dauters and all my inouiring friends I hope you en- joyed a happy Christmas. With my l>est wishes that. may enjoy one pleasant aad joyful year I Uiifd next year.—Now may the Iiixrd be with yours truly M. A Ricks."

THE AKMY OF THE CZAR. SOME OF ITS FEATURES. The Russian Army is full of funny things (the "Indian World" says). Thus. the biggest fellows afe detailed for duty in the bodyguard legsnient-, Preobarsheiisk founded by Peter the (^reat, originally i-omposed of that n anarch's personal friends, all giants in their way. The Czar's family take gr.at pride in this regiment, and, on the name day of its patron samt, attend the festivities in a body, usually reiiifcrued by foreign Ambassadors and Minis- ters. Then the^e is the Ismailowski Regiment, where only blondes are tolerated, and the well- known Pawlow Guards, all of whom mast have turned-up noses. The regulations of the Guard Chasseurs, on the other hand, admit oidy dark- itaired men. The Guard officers, being privi- lesred by birth as well as rank in their choscai i.Tofessions, treat tbpir colleagues in the Line almost ae badly as iho latter tijat their subal- terns. lTp to a few years ago the distinction I betwten them was suoh rhit a Guard lieutenant I bad precedence over the captain of the Line, The late Czars father changed the state of things somewhat, hut not much. A major of tho tiuard i would, even to-day, rank higher ttiar. a Line ooloriel, if there were such a person. i'j the advancement of a regulair army ctficer stldoitt surpasses tlie rank of battalion chief. Men having attained that distinction are gene- radly made "oonnna.nd",rs" of a small preeiucl, while disgrared Guard officws obtain the colonel- s up ^or lieutenant-eolonelship of the regiment to w,i iph they devoted their ihes. Only very rarely does a Line officer succeed in obtaining I a commission in the War Academy, and evan- tnalry in the general staff. It should be men- honOO, however, that the majority are unfitted for such adviun(^iiient. The requirements of the oftiws examination in the Lino are con- siderabl) less strmgejit than those upon which n. admirsion to the Guards' officers' corps are f nased; the aspirant's social standing is not at ail considered, and to complete the wretched- ness ot the Line officer, his pay is ridiculously small and inadequate, especially that of the miantry officer, the lieutenant receiving not II more than £40 per year all told. The .■aptain has a little over JB60, the major je90. The most abject poverty prevail* among them, and only I a few of the younger .officers owu more than ¡ one uniform, which must do service both on and off parade The infantry private of the Line receives in money 15s. per year, including the Czar's and others' presents.

A HARE BIBLE, An unusually interesting Bible has been pre- sented to St. Stephen's. Bays water, by Dr. Cook. It is a, huge voiump, splendidly boand m purple, and there are only seven similar copies in existence. Those tomes, which are facsimiles of the book ured by William TV., were printed at Cambridge. The irst eight pages were taken off the press by eight promi- nent men of the day- namely, the Marquess _amd^ii (Chancellor of the "University), the d,' e, ° £ r.huKibeT^aiKl (High Steward), his the Duke of Cumberland, hie the." A ^>riDce George of CambrKig-e, WelHn^^1 t*^ Canterbury, the Duke of CIisjk?^ Hardwioke, and the Vice-

A KEIGATE HERO. • Y: h,s life while hercncallv^S^ l0St a drowning lad, the son to r^oue Town, named Cyril Newnham '<u!U>i f ,^pe thwrnpL the ice or the new kyJat SlswS ASSY zp&w&sii! tr: P^nte, enough remarried to erect a monument br Kray»- 1 his will be a dirk-grey ffranite i^i^L,m h^u:' and b'lr tt)p following ~i. ? numument i« erected by p inhaiwtacts of the borough of Reigate. Greater love hath no man than this, that a xv^iy- for hw friwids.'—John Xy,. 13,"

NOTES FROM THE METROPOLIS. (FRO. OUR LONDON CORRESPONDENTS. ] LONDON, Tuesday. MONDAY Night's DIVISION. The Mimeterial majority last night was one better than they were entitled to by the rulrss of the game. Their normal majontjy of fifteen has liven reduced to thirteen by the secession of Mr. Higgins, who, -vith the approval of his constituents, sat and voted for the Opposition for the first time last night. The loss of a vote to the Tories bv the v&eancv at Colchester was balanced by the illness of Mr. Speaker. Five hundred sikI eighty members went into the Lobbies. The tellers were four and the pairs 76, so that, excluding Mr. Speaker and allowirg for the Colchester vacancy. eight mem- bers ware absent unpaired. The Tories did much better than they had ex- pected. Owinff to the heavy tick list on onr side, it wae feared that the Government majority would gro np, to eighteen. «ta.ppily, some of our sick gallantly left their beds and came up to help the attack. By the way, the secession of Mr. Clement Tliggins, Q.C., from the Downers is now fully accom- plished. It was not by accident, but by ■ -rate design, that he last night not only voted, but sat. with the Opposition. THE PREMIER and His CABINETS. Lord Roseberv's fourth surprise Cabinbt to-day fell ílct. This was in despite of the fact that- th' t'remier before entering the Cabinet conlcrre*! with Mr. Tom KHis and "Alderman" Tweedinoutli, the new Whip and the old. Under ordinary circumstances, this conference would have been ominous. Accus- tomed to Lord Roseberv's surprising ways, however, people were content to accept the rather ordinary explanation that the Primer only ftesired to be informed about tne divi- sions last night Nevertheless, it ;s par,ent that the Premier's position has been shaken during the debates on the Address. It is significantly pointed out that the Premier's followers ha.ve all through the debate either let him severely aJone or have only men- tioned him with scoffs and sneers. As for the purpose of the Cabinet, it is supposed to have be- n to deal with the affairs oi Egypt. I should think that tlie arrangement of pabiic business had also a great share of Ministers' attention "Labour" MEMBERS. It was noticed that during Colonel Howard Vincent's motion a-gainst the importation of pri.son-ma<le goods not a Labour member was ir. the House to-night. If a.n Irish question were under discussion thev would all be there* but when a question intimately affecting the interests of Labour came on with one consent they remained away. A Chamberlain ite Incident. A Chainberlain-c'im-Courtney incident thct occurred in the debate last night appears to have escaped.: the attention of the recording angels who sit up aloft. Mr. Chamberlain came in after Mr. Courtney had be^n up some little time, and he dropped Into a seat pext the orator. As Mr. Courtney .Irished his notes ha dropped each sheet earele.ssly on the seat behind him. There was 'Tie such sheet fiuttorintr along when Mr. Ohanib^rlun entered. He took it up. read it carefully, i.nd ioc.ked all over it, and then put it bach, apparently all unbeknown to Mr. Courtney. We wondered whether he. waiS seeking fo;- a wrinkle ia note compilation, or was <;nly making himself ao;minted with what his lieutenant had said in his absence. I Professor Lord Acton. It is a new departure that a Lord-in- Waiting should be created an Oxford pio- fessor, but, unless for the novelty of such a conjunction of offices, there is no exception to be taken to Lord Acton's nomination to tht: Regius Professorship. He is a, learned :oan, holds the honorary D.C.L. of both univer- sities, and has been honorary fellow of All Souls', Oxford, since 1890. He is the dosn friend, and almost the mentor, of Mr. Glad- stone. a'tliough he is a quarter of a oenc-»ry younger than.the veteran statesman. John Fmerich *Kdward T)albcrg-Acton comes >{ an ancient and respectable family. their baronetcy dating from 1644, when it was conferred f-r devoted loyalty to Charlev I., our Martyr Kins. The peerage d*ates from i when it was conferred on the present Lord Acton, probably as consolation | for a. somewhat chequered political ca^er, which, commencing at Carlow in 1869. was terminated at Bridg- north in 1865, when he had tlie mis- fortune to be unseated on petition. His lord- ship is onlv half English. Hill mother was the only dnnjrhter of the Duke of Dalbc?, who afterwards liecame the first wife of the late Earl Granville, and died in 1860. Lord Acton followed his father':? example in seek ing a foreign bride. His wife is the daughter of Count Arr-o Valley, of Munich. None so POOR AS do THEM REVERENCE. The depth of distress to which Minis- ters have fallen was fully apparent in the House last night. Not only wa.s the unpopu- Urity of th»» Government shown hy the singu- lar lack of enthusiasm in the House, but by the way in which its supporters spoke of it in private. A friend of mine, who is in the habit of moving freely among Radicals, tolls me he was painfully impressed by the don't- oarishness of Ministerialists. None of them wonkl sav a good word for Ministers, but some of them had a bad word of a very decided character to say. Their attitude Tm- pressed my friend, who is a keen observer ani a. sagacious judisre of feeling, very strongly wit,h the opinion that this Government is cn its ln«rt legs. It has outlived its strength, and is rapidly failling into a condition of senile decay. Please to remember that this is not my Tory opinion, but the frank con- fession of supporters of the Government. AN Artist's Model." "An Artist's Model" DM been reformed and altered so as to get rid of one or two points which excited unfavourable comment on the first night. This work has been done by Mr. George Edwarde-s himself, and, as he is & master of stage management, it may be taken as well done. The piece certainly plays much closer now. while none of tile brilliant Ijictoxial effects or touches of fun have been ost. Rather have they been enhanced; and, anyhow, the play is now assured of a. long run, such as may rival even the phenomenal popularity of "A Gaiety Girl." A THBATMCAL Experiment. Messrs. Waller and Morell gave their first fiv. o'clock matinee this afternoon at the Hay market Theatre, when "An Ideal Hus- band" was performed before a crowded house, which included Lord Wharnciiffe. Sir Edward Lawson. Mr. Oscar Wild11. Mr. W. S. Penlev, and many other theatrical and journalistic no&'bil'tifts. The five o'clock roatinee is likely to be repeated, and it seems probable it may become a. regular institution. Baths AT the Hoose. Baths are not in great requisition at the House. Whether this is due to the weather, as some suppose, or tha.t few members care for a bath in the middle of the day, as others bslieve, th" foot remains that up to the pre- sent only seven baths have been had by the 670 members who constitute the Assembly- Mr. Herbert Gladstone's innovation may become more popular in the summer, but it is evident that' baths—for which, by the way, a dharge of one shilling is madie—are not naeded just now. Tha shaving and sham- pooing departments are, however, in great demand. For 10s. 6d. any member can have all his wants attended to during the session, and, needless to say, many are availing tl.em- selves of this privilege. Lively Pictures. Mr. Harrv Lnndv, the new manager of the Oxford &usie-hall, made a new departure in taoleanx last night. Instead of t.he usual living picttncf, we were treated to a series of highly diverting burlesques on popular songs and pictures. "The Laet Grip. for iMttamce, was represented by a dog clinging to the skirts cf a burglar scaling a garden wall; "Home, Sweet Home," a festive husband being taken gently and firmly up the stairs; "The Midnight Raid," the same lady exploring the mysteriM of her siumbering husband's pockets^ "The Lit tie Stowaway," a young urchin caught by & hard-visaged female in the jaan cupboard; "The Transit of Venus," a soiled dtrve of alcoholic tendencies being borne off to Bow-street on a stretcher, and 90 on. The pictures, it will be seen. are not characterised by refinement, but they appeared to appeal to the tactes of the Oxford bit bitueA.

TIN-PLATE BOTHER WELSH WORKMEN CONDEMNED IN AMERICA .HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR THE AMERICAN REDUCTION. An interesting letter was received on Saturday by a. tin-plater employed at the South Walts Works, Llanelly', from his brother, who is also a. tin-plate worker, and left his native heath for Patagonia, U.S.A., a few years ago. Among other things, he says:—"We ha.ve started work since January 21 on the 15 per cent, reduction. We had been idle for eighteen weeks, commencing on September 15, and the strike during the whole period is acknowledged to be the very best. on record in any country. Although the men have resasted all the efforts of the masters I to obtain concessions, they have oonuucted themselves in a very creditable way; not a single one has been assaulted, neither has an arrest been made for breaking any law of the country. The strike was carried on by t.ne holding of meetings twice every week, at which songs, recitations, and addresses were given by different workmen. At the works where I am employed there are six mills at work, and there is considerable activity shown in making extensive additions. The contract for 5c>ur new mills is already i settled, a.nd it is the intention of our firui to secure as soon as possible 24 mills. Messrs. Norton, of Chicago, are joint pro- jprietors here, as well as important New York capitalists. There is now not the least doubt that the tin-plate trade has come over here to stay. All the American manufacturers are well up in all the tricks of the trade, and, as an instance, I may mention that at our works the proprietors have put in a. new automatic shearing nmchine, to dis- pense with the expense of manual labour. [ These machines are a wonderful invention. fA 20in. by 56in. sheet of tin is placed in by boys, and comes out cut in two on the oppo- site side, where the second boy (the only two required) receives it. This sheet is nicely cut, the curl in the middle being treated at the »ame time. It is only twice cut befure the sh.eet passes on to the openers. You wili, therefore, understand that nothing will be spared by the Americans to make the tin- plate business a smccess. When our masters over here first asked for a reduction stood out against, it Tor the sake of our fellow- workmen in Wales, as well as for oar own interests and hoped Welshmen would do the wme. Imagine our regret when we were in- formed that the tin-platers in Wales iiui accespttd 10 per cent., as this IrWWlt that we in the States would have to give in, and we did to the tune of 15 per cent. Our Union secretary would not dare oarry on any arrange ment with the masters unless the men trad given liim power to do so. might add that a rollerman 2ets 4 dollars 50 cents, per ton, .'w:! ea,l'1l"f.. L lOs, a day. We -xjuld ►am three I times more here titan at *>rane before wc i.ectpted the reduction. I don't think the reduction was necessary in Wales, and if the men had hekl out a little longer they .vouid have certainly won the contest, which was the general hope on this side the Atlantic. have certainly won the contest, which was the general hope on this side the Atlantic. But you have no Union, your combination is weak, your officials are not "trong, Your advisers are on the wrong side, your friends ui-e exhausted—in a word, everything or your side was against a fisdit, and you had .0 accept a reduction, which was the orJy course you could have pursued in your disor- I ganised and ill-advised position. We would never have givt-n w. to lowering or a "cut" in the wagv-rsi*- ira/i not Wales granted the concessions in the first place.' OFF TO YANKEELAND. On Tuesday morning four of the South Wales Works employes—tvo rollerim-ii a,.a two furnacemeu-—left Llaueily for Liverpool, where will embark for Gas City on tlie White Star iiatr.

TECHNICAL INSTRUCTION. MEETING OF GLAMORGAN COM- MITTEE AT CARDIFF. — i 4 'lh? quarterly meeting of the technical ir,- struttion co nnuttee of the Ghur.or £ Jui County I Council was held on Tuesday at the county offices, Cardiff, wl".m Alderman the Rev. Aaron Davies, Pootlottyn, occupied the chair.—Votes I of sympathy were parsed. with the chairm-wi (Aiderjua'i the Rev. Aaron Davies) and Alder- man J. Jones Griffiths, the .v.rnU.ir owing to I his bereavement by the death of his wife, and the latter upon the decease of his daughrer.— A representative deputation of eight gtuitieme/i fiom Treharris, introduced by Coii.ncillor J), Picsser, attended, and asked the committees ixumission that Mr. Harry D" its, of Tre- harris, publio lecturer in mining and geohgy, become a candidate for election on the Merthyr School Board.—It was unanimously rewolved that the permission asked for be granted, pro- ¡ vided Mr. Davies's duties as wemher of the school board did out. interfere with his duties as mining lecrurer.—The C'h rk reported that, while in London recently, he had made various inquiries of the Charity Commiaskmers and in other quarters as to the delay in opening lhe intermediate school; i'A «*iunty. which wre re:.dv, The whole scheme ot witermcdiate niu- I ci.tion in Glamorganshire proposed by the Charity Commissioners and approved by the county council, it was pointed out, was still blocked, owing to an appeal from th: local managers o" the exiting school at G-elligaei, who object to the proceeds of their own endowment being alienated and merged into the funds of the general ooonty scheme. The meeting felt that the delay thus caused was a very vexatious one, especially inasmuch as five intermediate schools out of thirteen proposed were now completed and lying idle waiting for the opening.—In reply to ail inquiry, the Clerk stated that the accumulation from the penny rate and Excise contributions amounted to about £ 13,000.—Mr. F. Cory Yeo raised the question of the probable appointment of Mr. Hew. the organising atremt of the com- mittee, as registrar of the university college, and suggested that a recommendation be made to the new committee for an adequate advance of salary to Mr. Hogg with a. view of securing his services as agent.—The Chairman declared the question out of order.—The Clerk read a letter from thft committee of council on educa- tion, stating that they could not see their way clear to recommend examination papers being printed in Welsh as well as English, owing to the scarcity of adequate scientific terms in, Welsh.—A penny for technical instruction, purposes dVtring the current year was agreed to, Mr. Hogg remarking kk»' the amount actually spent for technical education purposes was about £7,000,

TAFF VALE RAILWAY. ESTIMATES OF CAPITAL EXPEN- I DITURE. Mr. George T. Sibbtring. C.E., has pre- pared the estimates of capital expenditure re- quired in the event of Parliament sanctioning I the new works sought to be carried out under the powers conta.ined in the Taff Vale Railway Bi!l of the present session. The total esti- mated exoenditure ss set down at £ 43,565, of which £4-6,090 is required for the proposed ex- tension of the sea wall on the south side of the sea entrance to the Penarth Dock Basin. The balance of £2,475 is for lengthening the bridge which carries the public road over the com- pany's main line at Geiliwastad. The pro- posed lengthening of this bridge will citeud for twenty yards on the west side and eight yards on the east aide. ——

CLERGY AND BURIAL FEES. DEPUTATION TO THE HOME SECRETARY. On Tuesday Mr. Aaqoith Fooeindin the con- ference-room of the H»nse of Commons a depu- tation from the corporation and bnrial boards of Worcester, Leeds, Hull, Wimbledon. Hamp- stead, Dewshnry, Hastings, Ac., to seek legisla- tion against fees charged by local clergy for graves, monuments, tombstones, &c., in con- secrated portions of cemeteriosuprovided at the expenee of the ratepayers, The HomeSecretary, in reply, said the grievances eet forth by the deputation were covered by the Burials Act (Amendment) Bill, for whieh Mr. Carvell Williams had secured a favourable place in the House of Commons on March 6. He (Mr. Aequtih) would then be able to announce the position the Gkrrarnmem took in respect to the matter.

RISEN FROM TRE RANKS. STXQ08SS OF A WELSH SOLDIER. Sergeant-major R. S. Ransome, Royal Welsh Fusiliers, has been ttelectedfor promotion to the quartermastership of the 1st Battalion, with the honor* rank of iienten*»fc.

TH £ VEEN'S DRAWING- ROOM. FIRST OF THE SEASON. A BRILLIANT SPECTACLE. FLOWERS MORE IN VOGUE. Tn suite of the 'severe weather, the first Drawing Room of the season was well attended on Tuesday, and every lady who possibly could made a point of being present at the Court, which was held by the Sovereign in person. The materials used were of exceptional li.uiy, and the colouring and designs were r.i s.'Ore perfect than those seen last yea.r. 'a- tiie whole, flowers were more used than plumes to trim the trains und Browns. Embroidered lace was greatly in favour, and several ladies had their own old family lace worked over in fine gold sequins or beads, in accordance with the prevailing fashion. Many of the corsages were made with full box-pleai fronts, instead of the plain, Dointed Court bodice which was formerly de rigueur. The sleeves, although very full, were not high, but. drooped gracefully, especially towards the back. and were in many cases open, to ^liow tlie upper arm, or held flat below tho shoulder by a large diamond ornament, The trains, slung from both shoulders, and attached by ropes of pearls or diamonds or tiaiis of flowers, had a regal etiect, but in a number of very successful gowns the train suranc from the waibt ii, of old. Warm toneet in materials appeared most suitable to the wintery temperature T,viui_h prevailed, and bright poppy-red looked signally well used with black or silver grty. English silks were patriotically worn by a numbar of ladies, who followed the example set by her Majesty and her daughters, who liave always made a point of eiKJOuraging the hoine manufactures. Her Majesty wore a dree:, and train of English black satin brocade, trimmed with Russian sable ?nd tine jet, headdress and veil of Biussels 1a,ce, surmounted by a coronet of diamonds. Ornaments: Diamonds. Orders: The Star and Ribbon of the Gaiter, Victoria aaid Albert, tln Crown of India, the Prussian order 8t. Catherine of Pruesia, the Spanish and Portuguese, tile Hes- sian and Coburg family ordtas, and the Bul- garian order. Her Royal Highness the Princess of Wales wore a gown of black silk, embroi- Clued with sequins, corsage and train to ¡,¡or- i<*punu. Headdress: Black feathers and ■veil, .%ad diamond tiara. Ornaments Pearls and diamonds. Orders: Victoria, and Albert, Crown of India, St. Catherine of Prussia, St. JuiiTi of Jerusalem, the Prussian and the Danish family and golden wedding orders. Her Royal Hignra \ss Princess Henry of Batten- berg wore a bodice and skirt of grey and green brocade, trimmed light grey crepe, Pond a green veh et train. Headdress: Diamond tiara, wi ite Limerick lace veil, and feathers. Oma ments Diamonds and pearls. Ordera Vic- toria and Albert, Crown of India, Hessian, and the -Saxe-Coburg and Gotlia. The Duchesi of York was entirely in white, wearing a rioh toilet of satin and brocade, draped with ex- quirite lace, and magnificent diamond tiara, nptHaCf anid other ornaments. The Soiialiie Ids brocade selected by Princess Beatrice wa", a superb specimen of rich stuff and handsome design. The dominant tOIli": wtr j soft sTeeoi and a dark shade of salmon pink, forming scrolls, and small training iioml pattern, round medallions of pearl grey satin. So subtle a.nd harmonious was the blending of the silks that the shades changed with every movement and with every variation of light. Soft pearl grey gauae, finely plea d and gathered at the top, was let into the bodice, back and front, tapering to a point at the waist-, and set in by a dep salmon pink velvet "thboit, forming bows the shoulders and falling' in lornf Iikjds and ends in front. At the back the loops were *horW, coming over the train of m h green English velvet, lined with silk to matc", The pretty sleeves were composed of frills of pleated grey guuxe, crossed by a. bracelet of the pmk veh et, and headed by a. bow of th* same. The orders and unigiuiicent jewels worn Ly the Prinoft>s completed a very handsome toilet. Of exceptional richness, yet almost t plain, was the toilet worn by Countess Spencer. Both gown and iiuin wero of velvet, in tlia.t dark-reddish shade of violet seen in ■»!ne panties. 'llu- train was lined with satin of the xajue wiade, and there were shoulder ps of Rui-a' sabl'i. The t-liort full sleeve* hold do%vn by diamond sprays, and the ■rroni of the bodice, which was in three pleats, w;w tlraped with old lace studded ^ith diamonds. Lady Sutherland, wife of ohair»i»an of the Peninsular and Oriental Company, wore a gown of dee-p cream a material restuubling moire lightly powderetl o>-er with crisp snow. She had a wide waist- band of yellow satin and a piece of yellow cloth embroidered in Unc gold and silver beads set in across the decoiietage under folded lisse, ia which splendid diam onds were embedded. The sleeves were e>|)eu in the centre and bordered with dark sable, And strips of the same fur showed on each shoulder. The t.raÍll was of rich yellow and while brocade in a new and graceful design, and was lined with turquoise blue silk. Lady Overtoun wore a pink and green shot satin gown, l>rocadfrd with bunches of ror-es and a green elvrt train, and carried a Goodyear bouquet of green and whi'te orchids, white lilac and pink rose^. The Countess of Romnev's pale blue brocade gown was trimmed with fine creamy hoe. and WM worn with a yiik velvet train, lined with pale blue satin and edged with wide blue satin ribbon. Ladv Het^chell wore a, train of Parrpa. violet velvet over a gown of reseda brocade, with lace-like design worked in cream silk. The front, of white satin, was veiled in Venetian point lace-, and the train was ornamenkd with the same lace and large bows of reseda- ratin ribbon. Miss Reiss. of Jodrfcll Hall, Chester, wore a rich toile>t of white satin and brocade, trimmed with chiffon and silver embroidered, and white gar- denias. Lady Frances Balfour's silver grey satin dress was trimmed with a. quantity of Flemish laoe. and her black velvet train, falling from bolth shoulders, wae lined with apple- green satin. The Hon. Mrs. Playfair, of Minde Park. Hereford, wore a, satin gown in a lovely shade of tender green. The centre of the bodice was embroidered finely in silver, continued down the skirt wife one long middle band between two shorter ones. There wae a bunch of pink carnations on the shoulder, and the train of green satin was brocaded wiith similar carnations. Mrs. Playfair carried a Victoria shower Ixuquet of pale green foliage and r-i»k aama-btons. Tha Hon. Mrs. Oorry wore a black satin gown richly worked over in jet and trimmed oil the bodice with ropes of jet, a black satin AAoSn, and a cluster of TX»h> yellow roses on the shoulder. The train was of rioh black and white brocade, velvet lined and turned back with prey a.nd pink shot moire. The gown was of grey satin, made with pink velvet sleeves and a hand of pmk velvet across thr bodioe front, crossed hv chains of fine pearls. A lovely gown worn by Lady Windsor, wa* of cream satin, covered with a bold design, embroidered with diamonds. The bodice was finished with folds of soft chiffon and bunches of Parma, violets, and the train was of Parma viol ft velvet. The Hon. Mrs. Chichester wore a handsome toilet cf grape-colooral velvet and pale green moire, and held a Goodyear bouquet of mauve orchids and green and brown foliage. Lady Med'.vav'-3 silver grev brocade gown was aminffed on the ôoclice with old Venetian lace, diaping the decollptapf and falling in tapering noints to the waist behind. At one side was a knot, of dark sable and pop{irv-red satin ribbon. The black velvet train was lined with poppy- if-d ondine silk, and bordered down one side with deep sable, and down the other by a flounce of Venetian point lace and wide red satin ribbon, forming large bows. This was one of the most successful ffowns worn at the Drawing Room. Ladv Tvcatrh's train and bodice were of magi!if.- ont black velvet, the train slung to the shoulders by ropes of lovely pearls, and richly embroidered with iet. The petticoat of black satin was al-1o richly ornamented with je-t, and superb diamonds and pearls were worn. The Hon. Mary Bvng, one of her Majesty's Maids of Honour, was dressed in fancy black grena- dine. profusely draped with fine Chantilly lace, caucht with moire ribbons on the black satin train. A shawl of the lace formed a graceful veiling. The Lady Mayoress of London was very handsomely attired in a gown of orchid mauve satin under cream net, embroidered in pearls and ivory sequins. The bodice was extremely pretty, the satin forming a fan-like front, terminating at the shoulders in upstanding bows lined with pale green velvet, and held by pearl and gold clasps. The wing sleeves were of the satin and velvet, softened bv the embroidered net, and the waist was out- lined by pearl and gold passementerie. gra- duated bands of the same; rich trimming coming down tlie skirt in points, finished off by pearl tassels. The white satin train was brocaded in mauve and tones, reflected in the bouquet of pale pink roses and fcnder green orchids. The Lady Mayoress wore splendid diamond and pearl ornaments. A remarkably handsome gown, worn by the Countess of Dart- mouth. was of doudt-blue satin brocade in Lcwris XV.. bunches of pink roses, and chains of raised black velvet. The corsage was veiled in black net worked over in jet and cloud-blue puillett^g, and the sleeves were of black chiffon. The blade velvet train was attached to one shoulder by a trail of Hack and pink roses, con- tinued acrosej the figure, and two long trails of the same flnwesrs started from a.n enormous bow of blue eatin lined with pink and placed in the centre of the train. Mrs. Wyett, of Edgell, Exeter, presented in a charrc'ng sown of white satin and brocade. f'n:1,ffiF if'fl wit" whita-jatin ribbons, and lilie* nt the valtev.

PRISONS-MADE GOODS. THE INJUSTICE TO BRITISH LABOUR IMPORTANT SPEECH BY MR. CHAMBERLAIN. In the House af Commons *n Tuesday, Colonel HOWARD VINCENT (C., Shef- field) then moved: — "That, in the opinion of thin House, it ia incumbent u- on her Majesty's Government, in the iaterest of tlie industrial classes of the United Kingdom, at once to take steps to restrict the in-peatation of goods made in foreign prisons by the forced labour of oonvicsts Mid felons." At present goods were being manufactured in German prisons and stamped with forged trade marks, so that they might be pasted off as En glish manufact ures, the prioe at which they were offered for sale being considerably less than the cost of the labour aloaie would amOJ nt to in this country. It was estimated that there were on "the Continent 57,256 prisoners, a.nd in the United States 45,277, making to- gether 102,533 foraign felons competing with British labour. In the discussion which followed speakers on both sides of the House appealed to the Government to protect British workmen and British trade against the importation of foreign n.ade prison goods. Mr. BRYCE (President of the Board of Trade) said tiiat he had waited before inter- vening in the debate in order tliuD he might obtain as muoh information as possible from the various speakers with reference to the evils complained of. It was natural that those who were suffering from waut of employment should attribute to the importation of prison made goods a muoh greater importance than belonged to it. ne did not think that the existing de- piession in our trade and industry was to any great extent due to the competition of prison goods. He did not find from the reports laid an the table that any British industry suffered fiom the importation of goods from Germany. it would be found that the production of no single article in the prisons of that country went on to such an extent as to interfere with the demand for goods of a "in: ûar kind made by free labour. No one had yet shown how our Custom House oould discriminate between foreign gcods which were and those whioh w^-re not made in prisons. He was, howevei, quit" Ladv to consider the whole subject with a perfectly open mind, and he quite agreed that it was cWirable to probe the whole matter in order that, if possible, a remedy might be .applied to the evil com- plained of. He would, tht-reforo, suggest that a oommittee should be appointed to inquire into the whole matter. (Ironical cheers.) Mr, CHAMBERLAIN said that he had been iiviiilv rewarded for remaining 1ll the House by listening to the speecfc jusi- delivered—(laughter) —by the President of the Board of Trade, who had thrown to the wind, the political economy of the Chancellor of the Exchequer, and had "otK^deu the whole <3ase made bv the hOD, and gallant member for (Sheffield. This question had nut hitheito been political, but it would be so mi future, for the working classes took far more intere.3: in this question than in many of the Imperial questions on which the two parties were divided, (Ohwrs.) hat had beer, the course taken by the Governn:ent? In the Krat place, he charged them with promoting- the rtittainpted count—(hear, hear)—-and then the President of the Board of Trade had delivered an official answer in which he had. in the usual official manner, attempted to minimise the evil and to exaggerate the dim- oiilties in the way of dealwp# with it. But, admitting those difficulties, it was the duty o: the Presideait of the Board of Trade t. find some means of meeting them. (Hear, hear.) He maintained that the brush adf had been seriously interfered with. But that was not all. The Germams were now making twenty different articles, and no doubt when thev had ruined those British industries then would go into some mON, (Hear, hear.) Ther'- was not, in fact, a British industry which was safe under this state of things, and, having admitted the existence of the evil, it was the dufey of the President of the Board to find the means of meeting it. Instead, the right hon. gentleman proposed a Committee. (Laughter.) More than that, the right hori. gentleman complained that the Oppo- sition had not found a policy run- him. (Laughter.) He was a member of a (-oveiiiH:it which had forgotten how to govern and had not learned how to re" (Laughter.) Let him resign, and the Oppo it-ion would find a jxdioy. But they were not going to give the right hon. gentleman tb< ii prescriptions while he pocketed the fees. (Cheers.) Whatever the House did, he hoped they would not accept a Committee, which would oid,\ lead to indefinite delay. This was a niat jer which the Government should take mto their own hatidt- and take action upon. The diN- cuss-ion had shown that, whatever interest the Govefnuaeat might take in large question.- which involved the destruction of an Empire, thoy took no interest in those social question- which affected the weitare of the people. (Cheers.) Mr. J. MO RLE Y (Chief Secretary ion- Ire- land) said that the right hon. gent-cman !->d oharged the Government with indifference i o this que4ic:m because they had not cai-i. measures to keep a House. But let them look .'t tin: Front Opposition Bench. It had only been occupied by threw» right hon. gentlemen, aaid only two were then present. (Cheer. Where was the late President of the Board ot Trade (Sir Michael Hicks-Beach)? (HeM, hear.) He was not present. (Hear, hear.) it '.vas .absurd, under these circumstances, to aggert that the Opponiticn had a monopoly of interest on this subject. He denied that. there was ooy antagonism between the economical views expressed by the Chancellor of the Ex- chequer and tho^e expressed by the President or ihe Bo3Jrd of Trade. There" WM no question of Free Trade here, for no Free Trader was bound to permit goodu ;prorlm:.lP11 by prison labour to come into competition -with thv.se made by free labour. Mr. CHAMBERLAIN said that the incon- sistency between the statement of .he Chan- cellor of the Exchequer and that of the Presi- dent of the Board of Trade lay in the fact that the former right hon. gentleman had said that the cheaper goods were the better for the country. Mr. MORLEY thought that, as a general preposition, this was undeniable. (Hear, hear.) At the same time, if anyone could show how it was possible to ldemtify prison- made goods when they reached our shores he should be quite ready to do his beet to exclude them. That would only be consistent with the course which they took to prevent as far as pota ble the competition between goods made in our own prisons and those made by free labour. He did not think that it had been proved, or could be proved, that the depression in British industry w, in any respect due to the importation of prison-made foreign goods, but if it could be shown that these goods could lie exoluded he should be willing to fall in with any method proposed, if it could be shown that this would not entail greater evils than existed a.t present. He trusted that the proposition of the Government to appoint a Committee to investigate this subject and to point out the best mode of applying a remedy to the evils complained of would receive the general assent of the House. (Hear, hear.) After further considerable discussion, the motion was asrreed to without a division, amid loud cheers and laughter from the Opposition.

THE UNEMPLOYED. MEETING OF THE SELECT COMMITTEE The Select Committed of the House of Com- mons appointed to inquire into the question of the lmEm111':ovf'd met 011 TuEtidav for the purpose of taking evidence. Mr. Campbell- lVax.nerman presided, aaid nearly all the mem- bers of the committee were present. Sir Hugh Owpn, permanent secretary of 'the Local Government Board, said that on the 24-th of January the Board issued a circular to 93 provincial unions, and certain Metro- politan unions, requesting information as to whether there had been any material increase in applications for relief. In about 50 out of 70 replies received from the provinces it was stated there was no mate-rial increase, and that the guardians did not anticipate any difficulty in meeting the destitution with which they had to deal, and only in two cases did they contemplate exceptional arrangements. He oould not say generally whether the dis- tress among tho wcwking-cla«»es who had not applied for relief had increased. In some cases the guardians reported that it had in- creased.

ILLNESS OF THE PRINCE OF WALES. The Central News says the Prince of Wa.les made an effort on Tuesday, although suffering from a severe cold and distressing cough, to attend the meeting of the Royal Commission on Old Age Pensions. The commissioners present advised the Prince to go home, and at half-past one be returned to Marlborough House and paced himself under medical treatment.

ILLNESS OF MR. HENRY IRVING. Mr. Henry Irving is suffering from a bad cold. He did not appear at the Lycenm oh Monday night, and was absent again on Tue? day evening

m COLCHESTER ELECTION RESULT OF THE POLL. The polling for Colchester took place 011 Tuesday, in fine and sunny weather, and every- thing passed off quietly. The candidates were Captain Vereker (C.) and Sir Weetman Peara>a (L.). Both candidates had commenced to drive round tho constituency by nine o'clock in the morning, and when the poll was closed at eight o'clock in the evening each (•andidate had visittd all the polling station* twice. Voting progressed slowly, though steadily, during the morning, but in the dinner hour large numbers of workmen recorded their votes, and after lour o'clock in t-he afternoon ixiliinz again became brisk. When the polling ccased it was believed that the poll had be?n a very beavy one. Both stdos were well supplied with vehicles, most of which were adorned with party favours. During the afternoon 40 inert of the Norfolk Regiment, now stationed at Warley, were brought into the borough, to vote, and created AT^at enthusiasm, being loudly and repeatedly cheer(d as they drove past the central Conservative committee rooms. About eighty freemen, a l-umbiv of whom, engaged in the oyster fishery, live outeide the eityj, irecorded thieilr votes, and several voters were taken in carriages from the horpita! to the polling stations. The result- was declared at eleven o'clock, as follows Pearson (L.) ",559 Vereker (G.) 2,296 Liberal majority ?M I mis is a gain of a seat to the Liberals. I The Central News says :—The Lib*r.> i victary I was not unexpected, even in CesserTative i quarters, where it is attributed to the local t popularity of Sir W. Pearson and hi* ^-M'-i»ujs and prolonged nursing of the constituency an^ fche comparative weakness of the Opposition i candidate. The news caused great jubilation at j the Liberal clubs and amongst MiiiisttrriaKate' at the House, and there was a general exrtr^-igjoa I of opinion that it will encourage the O i-mnant' to persevere with their legislative pvn imp ) the session. PREVIOUS ELECTIONS. i 1885- Bye-Electiijvi 1888. Trotter (C) 2,044 Lord Brooke. (0) 2,136 Caueton (L) 1,878 J Sir W. Gur-ion (I,) l,6tiV j Majority 163 Majo. ttv 439 1886. 5 1m Trotter (C) 1,996 Naylor-Leyfend <C> 3,173 Cftuston (L) 1,701 Pearson (L) 2,"?S 1886. I 1m Trotter (C) 1,996 Naylor-Leyfend <C> 3,173 Cftuston (L) 1,701 Pearson (L) 2,"?S Majority. 295; Major i>$1 f ■■■' ■ "fim |

WELSH EDUCATION. THE APPOINTMENT OF A CENTRAL BOARD. I Mr. Herbert Lewis (L., Flint), in ib-> liotue of Commons on Tuesday, ;u-krd V, President of the Committee of Cln Edu- cation what was the present, position tiie> scheme for tho establishment of a \1.,h boa.rd of intermediate education. :] Mr. Acland, in reply, said When tins was submitted to the Education )>cpa<! uciit by th" Charity Commissioners last yeai it was thought best to defer its considersfei«;*t uiitd tbu I various comity schemes hud all fecooine 1, as otherwise difficulties might hav arisen with regard to tho oon.stitutio?i of the ••entral board, These county schemes have 110". :,1' "oeeomo law, with the exception of th'tt fot trie canty of Glamorgan, against which an Dp..>eil liai, been made to the Judicial Committee ,)f the Privy Comical. I-, -dew of thA fa/it ibat ewntai county councils are already activtiy pmseoutirig work under the couuty poheme*. a-Ttd of tha further delay which must occur ocfore fche rafe- r-ence to the Judicial Committee in tiu> Glauwr- •ranshire case can be disposed of, I to re-con«i-ler the question whether r*. deeir^b'-e to delay the progress of the inst-ay "1>1' iwy lemger.

GOTHENBURG AT ST. FAGAN'S. LORD WINDSOR AKR VNGIKG AN EXPERIMENT. Lon], Windsor is pei-fecting arrangcaients its- making an interesting experiment .ai. a -¡:ub!iG- house which lie owns at St.$«.< £ sn's. The Plymouth Arena stands oppos-jto Lor<i Wind sor's residence aH. St. Pagan's. a.-vl ln»> :v -t- ship's intention is to api>iy somb modification of the Gothenburg system at tbe "r>xibU»" in (tucation. Ttte Hate of liquors in Wsu ot smail WHl no M_l'> the manager of the house, the profit- iieinp v. tined to tea and coffee and ?' int-jiic-itiTs generally.. Throi;gh 'thk. arr.eng>sBscid the manager will have ho inmost in the sale of intoxicating- dtinks. •uid as the place will If- scrt of hostel in connection with th* castle, the experi- ment will he doubly inter^st-innr. l.^rge alterations are to he made in.P?*'w to the house to the new cirounwtari^iv. >n<t ih' re- formed building will have a*tr&t4io«« for visitors.

-c. WELHH MINING THE APPOINTMENT OF IN- SPECTOR* In the House of Commons on Tuesday Mr. T). A. Thomas (the Liberal member for Merthyr) asked the Secretary of State for the Howe Department whether, ir view of the extent of the districts over which present inspectors ot coal mines in South Wales and Monmouthshire exercised supervision, the especially dangerous character of the collieries in those districts, and the very large number of persons employed, be would consider the advisability of appointing sub-assistant inspectors of mines from amongst the workmen to assist the inspectors In their duties. „ Mr. G. Russell (Under-Secretary for the Home Department) replied in the aosenoe of Mr. A squith, and, referring to tho answer made last August, said his right hon. friend had not found himself able to go beyond what lie then stated had been done.

FORESTRY IN SOUTH WALES QUESTIONS IN PARLIAMENT. In the House of Commons Air. Da rid Thomas* (tho Liberal member for Merthyr) has given notice that lie will on Thursday ask the Secretary to the Treasury what inquiry has been made by the Departmental Commwsioner in South W:tles on the subject of re-afforesta-- tion; what Crown lands are available for the piurpose; whether any plantation lias been made ill South Wales or Monmouthshira similar to that made in Morionethshirei, and wlather his attention has been drawn to the evidence recently given by Mr. Muir before the Welsh Land Commission upon tho exceedingly profit- able results likely to be secured by pla-nlting larch upon suitable land near collieries.

GLAMORGAN CHARITIES. AN INQUIRY TO BE HELD. The technical instruction committee of the Glamorganshire County Council received a communication at their meeting fit Cardiff on Tuesday aft- moon from tlie Charity Commis- sioners, announcing thalt Mr. Rhys Williams, B.A.L., had been appointed assistant-commis- tiorter to hold an inquiry with reference to the charities of Glamorgan. The committee received the .information with sati-s- faeton, anà. deojded to recommend to the county council the desirability of appointing sub-commit bees 'to obtain information from all parts of the county to be laid before the com- missioner.

TORY PROSPECTS IN WALES FARMERS COMING OVER. It is difficult (says tne "World") to exagge- rate the importance of the change which within the last few months has come over public opinion in Wales. On the Disestablishment ques- tion there is a marked waning of enthusiasm for the impression has spread that Mr. Asquith has been go6 at, and does not intend to press his Bill with any real vigour. Only the pro- fessional extremists are still keen, and they, as always, are in it, minority. Tn other respects, also, Young Wa.1es lias been found out-nota-blv on the land question; and many of the farmers who were once burning and shining lights of Radicalism, having fovnd how utterly they have been duped on "the tithes and similar questions, have openly gone over to the Tories. The Opposition electoral authorities are con- fident of winning at least Angiesea, Pembroke Borongihs, North Carnarvonshire, and Car- marthen. and hopeful of several other consti- tuencies.

THE REPRESENTATION OF CARDIGANSHIRE. The North Llandyssul Liberal Association has decided to send delegates to Lampeter on the 21st, who are to vote in favour 1 of Mr. Vaughan Davies, of Tanybwlch, and, failing him, Mr. Wynford Phillips. The South Llim. ] clyssul Ass-Ksist'oi: arc :,i fav t-r m £ Messrs. le^ve'yn vVi^'i >M-'

EMPLOYERS' LIABILITY. CLAIM BY A CARDIFF MECHANIC. FIFTY POUNDS DAJJIAGES RECOVERED. On Tuesday at Cardiff County-court ^before liiii Honour Judge Owen) George Luther Hill- man claimed JB50 damages from Mhssrs. Thomas and Sons, ironmongers, for injuries received at defendants' works in PenarJ/h-Toad, Cardiff, while iu their employ on the 21st of May last. Plaintiff lost two of his fingers through falliiv against some, machinery, which was alleged to bo defective and dangerous, because it. was un- guarded, and it was sought to be shown tliat defendants had lieen negligent iu consequence. Mr. Arthur Lewie (iiistmoted by MT-. Joseph Henry Jones) appeared for the plaintiff and Mr. San key (instructed by Mr. F. Richards, Swansea) defended.—Proceedings were taken on the initiative of Mr..Tonkin .Tones, district representative, and Mr. T. Davios, branch feorefcary of the Cardiff Society of Amalgamated Engineers.—In opening the case, Mr. Lewn said it wa« brought under the Employers' Lia. hility Act. Plaintiff was employed as a turner at a wagie of 36s. a week, and on the 2ht. of May ho Jiaxi occasion to visit, the machine- room, which contained three rows of lathes, driven by machinery. On his wav he met an other man coming1 in the opposite direction, and, stepping aside to allow hiln to pass, he> stumbled over some castings which lay in the gangway, and fell. Be held up hi? left hand to save himself, when it was drown into the machinery, with the result tint he lost his second and third fingers.—Plaintiff was called. and-nftM 11." «MfSer«i foe fi^ months from the arfvjdont. He had often viu 'ight the unfenceil IY,:iomiierT dangemus. bm- never made any eom- nJaint.- -After Irtaring otlier evidence, Mr. David Tlioma?. OlW of \fI. defendant?, said he had nat-er witioipated <fen»?r from the lathes, a.:d had alw;«vp oompJied, u> far as possible, with the ingfeircfc'ons rtf the .factory mspectors. -Tolm (rrh-'on, a SMQagnr' of a works in Lon- don. wd defendants' ^>rcm}»n at the time the ai«Md«nt huppcs)^, did not th'nk it necee-^ary I to gnar«l lathes, «id fxr^i. 'l opinion that i< would lie iofiiJMViW)' "0 do 00 for oiling I purpose*.—Kis Hewiopur ga<r« jiKlgment for tlie plaintiff for the full amount.

TRADE REPORTS. SWANSEA.. Fix- :akgb, Toesday. Th&e» w;'a a large attend;, tee on 'Change to- day, and. tivo u>ai-c:\ity wbndi has prevailed for ftoiiw time yontiircos. The warranty in pig iron eouroeiy naintained lhair position of last veek, and shipments have irr-f>n greatly retarded by the inol^tii'isicy of the weather, hence the dirucut.on "!)\Jli the la?t. return and the conse- quent mcrca.^ in the i?tock. and this notwith- jtandt if the strike hi tbe Cumberland district. whkV is likely to coafciB! for some time, a.nd j that a further nnmber cf i.'C-i will be added to tltogi! alvsa iy ont. "fcece is no increase in the d^a»9:id in fiei^lied ii-tai and steel, and the mills are iar iirotr..heing fully .in; 'oyed, and tliero is o9 i)i\n.edi« v=. pr6.$pe^t of any improvement, The dccrease in the quanliiy ot pb.Le8 shipped i*. 1;a attrihsrfcei to the aovore weather, which grbS'ly iiJii.-eded tke mevoment of vessols. There lttu audi -.ior.nl number of mdls stopped, while it iis stated o». <*J1 pides. tbat the present low iis stated ot Adl pides. tbat the present low prjcea, whi ;b belc-w possible cost, will mtfa.y about fcrfeher «tofp^ges of works and 5oere* «ng the tdready ai»yert» distress amongst the The coai trade is also suffering, in sympathy *-itb :.Ùê djpiOssioB. in all other 1>re.lle" Piil Ulasgovr warrants, 41s 4d, 41« "4Jd. ami 41 ► c?-'i buyers. Middles- borongkNo. 3. 34s id tc 34s-4|d prompt other nur»'>ere t roporiifen '-lemn.tite wan-ants, 42*(for' Wixed n«tuix"i'« f.o.b. Cumberland! I to brand.. M« 'dlpsborongli hematite I 41s -t«t. I W&W, &w.-i.Ah. ia £5 angles, &<s., at I.o.t, at — £ 0 f¡,£b v -<. f.o.t. a.t works, i iiail».Heavy jgS 15s 6d to £3 «x&s; tisbl 1IQ.:tJç"8, 4:4 5s to £5 f.t.; jsiemtArs, Mgka,. Hiaucpie. -Src., according to j c^tica snd specification. Sietl 'Sheets, — £ 6 to £ 6 5s, Tvith the osteal extras for the hit he r t/auges. r'f-sswer §^ — lln-;J>o carsf £ 3 15s to t £3 I7? 6d Siemens tin-plate oars, best, £ 3 18,; 1 io £4--aU delivered in 'fit' district, net. Tm-soloJwt.—Makew' qn .feations for Bessemer ? wteel coke#, 9s 6.1 tc ••■)<! nil Siemens (coke finhh) 9:& 9d to 10b 1 er donble box, 28 by 20 C, lÍÀ fcd, 19, io 3:" 6d best charcoal", 10. 6 i to 12* 6d, accordinis* to finish of brand; waotera, 6d to Ispsr box less than primes. Odd I j skea, usual entrae. Ail delivered at Prince of I Walc-t? Dook, 3w*»ss«a: less 3 and 1 per j oent. Oof par.-rvhili bct-r4, £ T.97s 6d to :f37 8s 9d. Spotter.— £ to £ 14 2s 6d per telegram recfdrcd on irfdd £ 9 ISs 6d to £ 9 15s Spantsb, £ 9 *0* to £ 9 Hp..3d. £ nikracif& ijnal — B««t wig vein, selected fer maiti^pta-pofe;13b to 12s 6d second quality ;litto. Jt»to 10s 6d ordinary large, according to quaUty ai-.d selection, 8s 9d to 9s 6d small rubbiy ohim 1/'11' ten; tj 4s 6d-all delivered I t.?».b. nsea, Cthelt in -3 days, less 2i per cent. 8kmi Cmi*, -ittopv, Itfe to 10s 6d; second j quality ditto, 5% tc. 1C.< • bunkers, accord- (»ng to quality, \#ijt. l&g small, 48 ta 4s 6d fper ton* 'wljv«r9<l t.o.h ?-nausea, cash JO days. [ leaf '!» pei -at. I rum# Ooah i,i*ge 3 Rhondda., 10= to li-: thi-nnsrh, 9s YS 6d; small. 68 6d te I 7s per ton laige N, 2. Rhondda, 9s 6d to 10s through, 88 to 8s 6d; small, 6s to 6s SQ. delivered f.o.b. Swansea, cash in 30 days, less 2 £ per cent. Cc-L; Best foundry, 17s 6d to 185 furnace, 12s to 12s 6d per ton, f.o.b. Swansea, cash 30 days, less 2 j per cent. Patent b'uel.—10s to 10s 6d. Iron Ores.—Tafna lie; Knbia 113 3d te 12s per ton, ex ship, cash 30 days, with an additional charge of Is 6d per ton for selected large. Pitwod.—16s to 16s 6d per ton into trucks net cash 30 days.

GAZETTE NEwS. BANKRUPTCY ACTS. 1883 AND 1890.— RECEIVING ORDERS. Robert Miller. West. End-terrace, Ebbw Vale, Man., draper. Josoph Evan Williams, Salamanca-road, Liimelly. draper. FIRST MEETINGS AND DATES OF PUBLIC EXAMINATION. David W. Jones, of Tynewydd Hotel, Porth, licensed victualler; first- meeting February 28, at noon, at the Official Receiver's, Merthyr; public examination March 26, at two p.m., at the Court-house, Pontypridd. William Lewis. High-street, Swansea, 1(,t()(''f'1''S assistant, law; grocer; first meeting Eebruarv 27. at noon, at the Official Receiver's, Swansea: public examination March 21, at 11.30 a.m., at. the Town-hall, Swansea, Florence Edwaids, Hannah-street, Porth, outfitter and gents.' mercer; first meeting February ?.8, at three 1),m,. at the Official Receiver's, Merthyr; public examination March 26, at two P,Jll,. at the Court-house, Ponty- pridd. The Milford Haven Shipping Company, late of Hamilton-terrace, Milford Haven; first meet- introf creditors ana contributories February 27, at eleven a.m.. at the Official Receiver's, Car- marthen. J Henry Pavntc-r. Castle-road and Custom I House-street. Cardiff, lately trading at Clifton svred. Cardiff, stationer, tobacconist, and hair- dresser; first meting February 28, at eleven a.m., at the Official Receiver's, Cardiff: public examination March 12, at ten am., at the Town-hall, Cardiff. Town-hall, Cardiff. NOTICE OF DIVIDENDS. John M. Williams, of The Watton, Brecon, srrocer: first, dividend 2s. in the J6, payable February 27. at the Official Receiver's, Merthyr Tvdfil. Edward Knapman. of Plassey-street and James afreet, Penarth, lately trading at Lan- dore, near Swansea, blacksmith and wheel- wright first and final dividend 6s. 2d. in the £, payp.ble February 23, a.t the Official Receiver's. Cardiff. John T. Lloyd aud William A. Williams, trading as Lloyd and Williams, at The Haves., Cardiff, grocers: second ¡wd final dividend 3 ?.9-20d. in the jE, payable February 22, at tho Official Receiver's, Cardiff. Thomas H. Meager and Walter J. Meager, trading as Meager Brothers, at Castle-road, Cardiff, cycle agents: second and finaJ dividend 6 11-16d, in the J3, payable February 22, at the Official Receiver's. Cardiff. Morris Raynor, of Cowbridgtvroad, Cardiff, latelv New-stret and Little Millicent-street, Cardiff, fishmonger; first and final dividend 8|d, in the £ payable February 23, at the Offi- cial Receiver's. Cardiff. NOTICE OF DIVIDEND.—AMENDED NOTICE. Jonathan H. Thomas, Station-street, Porth, tailor a.nd cuaper; first and final dividend 3a. 3 7-16ll in the J6, payable at the trustee's office, -31, Qraen-street, Cardiff. ADJUDICATION. Robert Miller, West End-terrace, Ebbw Vale. Monmouthl'1hire. draper. PARTNERSHIPS DISSOLVED. J. Powley, E. F. Thomas, and A. J. Lusty, trading as Powlty, Thomas, and Cei., at Cardiff, London. Newport (Mon.), Porthcawl, Genoa, and Paris, oolliory proprietors, eoUiery com- panies' agents aud other agente, coal mer chants, pitwood merchants, shiiiowners, ship- managers, and shipluokcrs. J. Powley retires. A. Lewis and W, Keene, trading as Lewis and Keene, at 7, Tudw 1.tn-p. Cardiff, electric light and r.o-wcr rr\? • ""r-i.. W. K-c" ^irc-.

SHIPPING DISAS?#^ CREW OF A ;j KESCUEP- Tho German ship arrived at Queens town on u having on board the captoin a w lii$ crew of the Spanish vessel .T t^' abandoned at sea in a sink^1*. ^jUijo the 6tli inst. 'live Baquio^ ^-itli ? Puebla del Carminal to gpd 0^ of pitwood, and on the 3rd, rL>, she experienced a hurricane, w vvlank^^rtoi)^ ihe rudder and tore opao the V ^a^er vessel, through which tons into the hold. The sails into riWxms, tli-u bulwarks eilbie n & t-lio ship reodereei an unm»' 1 The orew were utterly worn ti Magdalene hove in sight. a oh8^ M lowered the lifeboat. H T^it«isj *^0^ the chief officer. After hiuTicane for three houi^. at iu taking off the Si>auish ere • J tun ate sailors le>st everything jiff? Tho reecue was a most ft0d -fa? were, running very high- was pitch dark. When th^ to the Magdalene slie was fan "A COW ARDLY C*« £ gg Captain Allison, of tl'.e Loch his arrival in Dundee, Tin0<+<? statement oonneoted with a0 tiw of the vessel off the Irish °°*~ inst. On that date 'the the that tilley had dev-id^l to bec°t?J&, the coal and provisions .» hawted. As starvat'oo was and the other officers -cided th0 to the. behaviour of tbf cr.e A g»y? after abandoning the- re;,sei; i^d more cowardly set of n-n *5 RoroRS. They would not do ^gle 1 and he oould hardly r .H th9$ water, the officers haMn-r too he had onlv known what & suffer with thc?e tnen in j: have starved em the T.och Ma leave p'ApT^IN ANj) The "Freeman'? Jorrnal Simday the Norw^prian oargoe ptLrf logwood, from Mexico for B wlKJ Valencia in charge of the tliat the oapt.ain and two of tn jjep$ on the vovage,.and thct- <everal °« ill. The. vesid was over She hael efficountered al0° had Iryat her head sails. She na° of provisions. — f

RULE OF THE RQAP a f 'important STATES^ BOARD OFTBADlf SOUND SIGNALS 1^ F rS T^< £ *1 The President of tho addressed a communication f iate president of the C-hambe the United Kingdoni, and 10 A chairman of the Lb e'P00* ,|a8 Association, stating ;uuir c th6 appointinenc of a tJouimittee i^0J:si0O^ m Commons to deal with Rtue ? revised ieg.alatk>as for s»ia, on tho gixiuud that no J^k)H oifartd to :vu authontu-ive th^, argimients of 'those who °PfP^T of the revise! regula^m^ aa rommunication pr<x>ee< t<» !T o» the objections raised to ther 9i dent says:—"As regards t«D» jt matter at the present nAr the Board of Trade that e «ea ijU# f iug that ?deuti'ai rules ot tJ»e dr adopted by the several adopted by the several •veighs asiv objections to Ar th^_f vised rule-! which you oo5;> o0 hour, pi-ess ujKm, them- s}fi so important as to (T^*t proved and uniiorm code ° -tt^ be put in foree.. It » rigula'tions contain many were they to tie dropped- or 0 to hav« them modified by afl mauv years might PfSs *■ I favourable opixwtunitv w ^$fM t code would recur. A ya _^ved agreement has now >>eea long and full delate among Board of 'Trade are of op^iotriier9 service wild I-e dont> to jtr than to disturb it. wit both' "j. i&JV Sir Donald Currie ina- notice on the Parl;au«* da.v (Wednesday): —"lhat tee. be a-y"TX>inted to which luive. been ri 'S^d je' Order in Council of R''1p J? national regulations, for at sea, dealing with foimd »»c<yX>te*r ^us^re^ted bv tl»? W considered, bv 'the iraritip*

SHIPPING^ j SIGNALLED OFF Feb. 19.—Passed Plymouth steamers 'iiueT for Rotterdam; a Nations fr»m West Indies for Newcastle. Passed West. Sandefjord; barque, in T4varP°°i.' st^ London Many down, of UrJ\■jTSg* Fischer, from London for%. Zaandam, from Amsterdatn Graceful, of Liverpool; « M '3 the Tyne t,-v Philadelphia of Indrani, of Liverpool; Ad^rjTid-^ King Ja Ja. of Swansea.- b*1" weather, cloudy; sea. steady.. SIGNALLED OFF THE f*\ Feb. 19,-Wind, S.E., f^a, smooth .—Passed Depeaux. of Rouau; j-y' S Severn, 01* Glasgow P £ jftsb Manhanset, of Bristol Am*1?;ifP* Strait Fisher, of Barw* V& Rouen 5 Tyne. of -,c7Si Whitehaven Omerod, of ..C! SWANSEA.— j v., Gerda. 13&, -Ar twerp, phcsplw W Feb. 19.—St. Mirren, »■. J99, J)trb '■ m- SOW" K& f Feb. 19,-Douro, s, 21C. »' VO^g^jT PRINCE n Feb. ia—Oomorin, s, ,71 Green a, 43d, Gaen, nil. rl v Tf. 1 & NOTi'rrt Feb. 18.—Talbot., b Feb- 19-—Ktswillisiri, ^^riy. m&n-J. e (De (Jrnchy), 1R SOUTH Feb. 18.—Squirrel (Bakerh && (Fife), Treport s A Feb. 19.—Teat, e pe er's *rf lLo* (Attwooll), Gateshead A entered oirrw-v^f 1>5,4, Venice, Sydenham, s, 3 art St>!Nazaire, Hart, s, B. T».vlor' Charente, Donro, s, B. ItiOJna8' and F^iid r-^vprs Guernsey, Prircill^ B, Vi f' fcro0Nf Havre. AI'kw Depe^x sl> Caen, Ohai-.zy, s, l^,1" u. 0- Morl,U. A B. D.. F, ^7bert, Bordeaux, Marguerite, r, hrUar.v **• OLEARED-O Havre, Alice. Bepeaux 0, MoriaiT, A. H- Caen, Chanzy. s, F, 800 gQO f., St. y*«ure. Meraano, s, n, » ^gOO c SI. Na?aire, \Vi\ber £ orce, |,0y Guernsey, Fnscina.B.al y Trcuvillp. Tync, s, T., 780 ry l9yivif^ Antwerp, Gerda, cre. 1 O^f'Tto, Douro, s. 34 ton- _-F(>br° IM PORTS COAS" Bristol, Collier,- s, ST«ne.r<l; Bet»l 1 Bristol, Rio Forntoao, t>, *• RXl'ORTS COA.vv Bristol, Collier, s, general „el,erftl x SoKt gf lliracombe, Rio I' •» Mewry, Mnttme, s, 250 n > # Newquay. John, 60 Belfast, St. M.rren, », taJ coal, Harries Broe p. ssxz SA r« 0** NEATH ANP BBrtOS Feb. 18.—Hoffiuiug, -fimericfc- sujS^ ]!fr Feb. W.-Clytie s ,77, g9, S* 110, rorti-ca.c, ballast. vgf^ SAlU^iaixi}. V Feb. 18.—Faqua>ot -trie (Pittaway). Watcnet.. M ftrtc (l"ittaway). 1— .1 f

LOCAL BILLS IN F In the Hause of L#r^^gie ing Bills were read a B'20 Laugharne, and Bendi .,j Docks Acts Amendments Wyjl Swansea Bay Jlajl" .;u,' w Bni'

Whilst a namtar upon the frozen ^i tb'' London, on Tuesday <? £ ^1^' aoveval fell into the i-yjus) y/i& escaped sa.ve two b<>?3.. gOJiB of George and Robert Ha \A at Islington, who were 111 _|l* Printed and P«blisjieu tfte. 9%^ DAVTD PAVD'f sv^a, Wraes Da'.lv K •?a.