Weekly Mail

TIDE TABLE. FOR TEE WEEK SMHNG MARCH 3, 1882. ? 3 n ~ji i i i >ATS0FTHB WMte..5 « „ 5 8 "3 M 5 ? s =« i «i 5 t w ° I 6 {Morning | — 11 54 11 91 — 12 36 SATWD? < Evening 12 7 — 11 40 12 5 1 1 (Height 24 4 27 1 25 8 27 2 18 3 ( Morning 12 39 12 23 — 12 34 1 30 STTTDA? .< Evening 1 14 1 2 12 14 1 8 2 9 | Height .122 7! 25 0 23 7 25 1 15 S ( Morning I' 1 55 I 1 47 12 54 j i 48 2 54 i(3J»2>aT«< Bvening 2 44 J 2 37 1 37 2 31 3 44 ( Height 21 2 24 10 23 2 24 6 15 3 ( Morning 3 2S 3 26 220 3 14 j 433 TUESDAY < Evening 4 16 4 8 3 1 3 56 5 15 1 Height 2? 3 26 2 24 3 26 0 17 ?■ 4 Morning 4 48 4 3S 3 37 4 31 5 46 WKWDT.V Evening 5 24 5 7 4 7 5 ii 8 1* > Height 24 7 28 2 26 0 28 3 19 3 k Morning I 5 45 j 5 30 4 36 j 5 30 6 37 TmnwDYEvening 6 13 5 52 4 59 5 53 6 59 I Height 27 0 30 4 |27 9 30 3 22 2 Morning | 6 29 J 8 iS i 5 22 6 16 1 7 20 FRIIXILT. 1 Evening I 6 54 I 6 3i I 5 43 I 6 37 I 7 38 Height.! 29 2 31 3 29 1 31 10 23 3

h h SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 1882. THE malodorous BBADLAUGH question has assumed a new aspect. The gentleman whose cause the PRIME MINISTER has neither the courage to champion, nor the wish to oppose, has been expelled the House, his seat declared vacant, and a writ issued for a new election at Northampton. After the events of Tuesday and Wednes- day, the House was more than justified in taking these decided steps in order to vindicate its authority and resent the gross insults Mr. BBADLAUGH has inflicted upon it. Taking advantage of the courtesy by which he has been allowed to oocupy a seat below the Bar, Mr. BRAD- LAUGH on Tuesday suddenly advanced to the table, where, pulling a small book and a sheet of paper from his pocket, he proceeded to repeat the words of the oath, after which he kissed the book and signed the oaper. Having done this, he announced ..loud that he had now taken the oath according to law, and should proceed to ;ake his seat. Quite recently Mr. BRAD- ..Å.UGH publicly declared that he had matured plan of operations which, he believed, would >e crowned with success, and he intimated his .atention of making the experiment unless egislation were introduced in his favour. vV'ben Mr. GLADSTONE asserted that he lid not intend to introduce an Oaths Bill this .saiou, it became necessary to put this scheme into operation. And the world now I knows that the tactics deliberately deter- ftiined upon by Mr. BBADLAUGH, were those which enabled him, by resorting to a con- temptible trick, to go through the formality of taking the oath. It is not a matter for wonder that the House, both collectively and individually, felt itself grossly insulted by this profane and dis- creditable action. Even the PREMIER characterised the scene of Tuesday night as not only painful, but scandalous in the highest degree." But, not contented with having ridiculed the House to its face, disregarded its authority, and mocked its ancient and sacred forms, Mr. BRAD LAUGH on Wednesday afternoon perpetrated the crown- ing outrage to all his other flagrant offences by deliberately taking his seat and voting in a division in spite of the orders of the SPEAKEB. Mr. BRADLAUGH seemed to be- lieve that the House of Commons possessed the patience of a JoB, and the meekness of a MOSES. He has by this time discovered his mistake. There is a limit beyond which even the toleration of legisla- tive bodies cannot be stretched. No doubt the PRDlB MINISTER and his colleagues are heartily delighted to be re- lieved of the contingency of Mr. BBADLAUGH'S persistent and periodical irruptions, but the nation will not forget the shameful part which Mr. GLADSTONE has played throughout the whole of these scandalous pro- ceedings. Last year he undertook to in- troduce special legislation, in order that Mr. BBADLAUGH might take his seat. Upon mature consideration, fearing that such a course would prejudice him in the eyes of the electors, he shirked the responsibility he had assumed, and attempted to extricate himself from the bog into which he had fallen by forcing the House into allowing Mr. BBADLAUGH to take his seat. The result of this cowardly action was that the Government sustained a heavy I defeat in the first division taken this session. On Wednesday, as on former occasions, Mr. GLADSTONE tried to screen himself behind Sir STAFFORD NORTHCOTE by abdicating his position of leader of the House of Commons, and thrusting the initiative upon the head of the Conservative party. The overwhelming majority by which Sir STAF- FORD NOBTHCOTE'S motion was carried proves very conclusively that upon at least one question the House sides entirely with the Opposition against the Government. By the prompt and wise action of the Leader of the Opposition Parliament has been able to vindicate its authority, and wipe off the dastardly insult inflicted upon it by Mr. GLADSTONE'S latest yroteye. It has got rid of an objectionable and disagreeable member, and we shall be greatly surprised if the electors of Northampton again return Mr. BBADLAUGH.

THE most considerable portion of Mr. GLADSTONE'S speech introducing his New Rules for the reform of Parliamentary Pro- cedure was devoted to demonstrating a fact admitted by both Conservatives and Liberals. Everyone is ready to concede that it is highly expedient to provide means for preventing a email minority from unduly prolonging debates. The question which has excited the attention of the country for so long is not whether it is advisable to put down ob- struction. Upon that point all parties agree. But the issue raised by Mr. GLADSTONE'S First Rule is of an altogether different nature. What the House of Commons has to decide is whether it is advisable to place the power of closing debates in the hands of a bare majority. Upon this point Mr. GLADSTONE said as little as possible; nor were the argu- ments he adduced to prove that the adoption of the Cloture by an absolute majority would not lead to legi- timate debate being stifled calculated to deceive any person capable of seeing through sophistical plausibilities. The PRIME MINISTER was profuse in assuranceip. He as- sured the House it was sheer nonsense to sup- pose that any SPEAKER would ever become a partiaan of the Government, and that, therefore, the rights of minorities would be amply pro- vided for by vesting the initiative in the hands of that dignitary. Before the Cloture can be voted the SPEAKER must intervene. H And what does that mean? demanded the PREMIER. In the first place that the SPEAKER perceives the evident sense of the House. It is not for me to give an authori- tative construction of those words. It does Dot mean a state of things in which a majority is loudly clamouring one way, and the minority is loudly clamouring another. The SPEAKER must be satisfied that it is the evident sense of the House, and even then the resolution did not say that he must' put the question, but that he may put it." It would be difficult to imagine finer straw splitting than t':1Îs! But in spite of 11 such exquisite distinctions the fact remains that the tirst of Mr. GLADSTONE'S Rules in its present form is highly objectionable, and if adopted would give the Government powers capable of the grossest abuse. The alteration which the PREMIER has made in this Rule does not afford additional protection to mino- rities. It simply provides that in all cases in which the votes against the proposal to ter- minate a discussion amount to lesa than forty, the votes recorded in its favour must not fall short of one hundred. In other words, the Cloture will be practically out of the question in a House of less than one hundred and forty members. A majority of two hundred and one may still silenee a minority of two hundred, while a minority of forty-one may silence a majority of 199. There is not a gleam of sense in this ridiculous arithmetical puzzle. The fact cannot be denied that this First Rule has been. framed, not to provide against obstruction, but for the purpose of silencing the Opposition when the Government finds criticism to be inconvenient.

« THE course adopted by the Government with regard to the Committee of the House of Lords to be appointed to inquire into the working of the Irish Land Act and the condition of the Sister Isle admits of but one interpretation. When Earl GRANVILLE announced on Monday night that the Ministry would not be "justified in taking any part in the constitution or the pro- ceedings of the Committee," he acknowledged that they dreaded the result of an inquiry into the manner in which the Land Act has been administered, and regarded with appre- hension the divulging of the truth as regards the eocial status, character, and attain- ments of the Sub-Commissioners. Except on the ground of timidity, the action of the Government is absolutely inexplicable. Mr. GLADSTONE is aware that a revelation of the gross injustices inflicted under the Land Act is incompatible with the maintenance of his position. What but the consciousness of this fact would have urged him to give notice that he would move I next Monday a motion which, if adopted, would amount to a vote of censure on the House of Lords ? Such a step is unprece- dented. It is impossible to find in Parliamen- tary history an instance in which the House of Commons has ever been called upon by its leader to pass a resolution reflecting on the conduct of the Upper Chamber. As Mr. CHAPLIN declared, the House of Commons has no right whatever to take cognisance of the action of the House of Lords in appoint- ing a Committee to inquire into the working of the Land Act. In attempting to justify the unusual course adouted hv t.hA Government, the PREMIER indulged in those vague statements and dark innuendoes for which he is so famous. He intimated that he and his colleagues had the gravest and strongest reasons for bringing the action of the House of Lords under the notice of the Commons, and that those reasons had relation to the necessities of society and of govern- ment in Ireland. It is not difficult to understand what is the meaning of these Jesuitical expressions. The credit of the present Cabinet is involved in the Land Act. Anything that would discredit that measure would, therefore, seriously damage the already injured reputation of the Govern- ment. The PRIME MINISTER can at all times command an interminable series of arguments to malign his opponents and glorify his own party. It will not, therefore, be difficult for him to adduce plausible reasons to show that an inquiry into the working of the Land Act would increase the anarchy and disorder which at present pre- vail in Ireland. But the country will not be deluded by such specious, rhetorical assertions. It will not submit to have the truth burked to be blind-folded, and hood-winked by a man who seeks to acquire to himself absolute power in order that he may stifle the voices of its representatives, and trample under foot that "viper," Free Discussion. The nation will not be frightened by the intimation thrown out by Mr. GLADSTONE, that if the I resolution passed by the House of Lords last Friday stands the government cannot be carried on. It will not accept this arrogant threat as a reason why all informa- tion as to the character of the Sub-Com- missioners, and the manner in which they perform their work, should be suppressed. The fact is undeniable that the Land Act has been administered upon principles wholly at variance with the assurances given by the heads of the Government during the progress of the measure through Parliament. The defendants of the Land J3ill in the Houses of Lords and Commons stated emphatically that it was intended to fix rather than to reduce rents; to give the tenants a sense of security rather than to make each of them a present of a substantial slice of their landlord's pro- perty. Even Mr. GLADSTONE dared not attempt to refute the statement that the rents of all Irish landlords have been indiscriminately reduced more than 2.5 per cent, by the tri- bunals created under the new Act. Nor has the Government been able to contradict the statement that many of the Sub-Commis- sioners are men totally unqualified to fill the positions to which they have been appointed —men whose partiality is notorious, and whose ignorance of the agricultural value of land has been ridiculed by the most expert valuers and by almost the entire press of the United Kingdom. It is to prevent the disclosure df official information which would confirm these charges brought against the iniquitous ad- ministration of the Land Act that the Go- vernment is moving heaven and earth. Will the country be content to allow the work of landlord plunder which is being carried out in Ireland to go on ? We have too high an idea of British justice to imagine for one moment that the nation will permit a large and influential section of the community to be robbed and beggared by an Act of Parlia- ment being administered upon totally diffe- rent principles than those originally claimed for it by its friends and advocates.

4. MR. GLADSTONE'S speech in the House of Commons on Thursday week removed any doubt which may have existed as to the rea meaning of his recent remarks upon the Home Rule question. The PREMIER is ál master of fine-sounding phrases; but it requires no extraordinary amount of acumen to perceive the sophistry of his arguments. His explanation of what Mr. O'CONNOR POWER described as the most statesmanlike utterance in Parliament for three-quarters of a century" was at once candid and Jesuitical. He did not pretend that his mysterious language referred only to possible reforms in Irish municipal and county government, or to the reference of matters dealt with at present in private Bills to Commissions, or Local Boards. On the contrary, he substantially confirmed the surprising views he expressed in a short speech recently made by him on the general subject of Home Rule." He emphatically stated that in his opinion a demand from Ireland that purely Irish affairs should be entirely under Irish control was not so dangerous that it should be refused grave consideration. The PREMIER declared that he had the strongest objections to the tendency which he saw constantly prevail to the centralisation of government. He held this tendency to be open to the gravest objections, and he would take it and profess it at all points as a cardinal rule of policy, so far as he could with regard to the general structure and safety of the Empire, to decen- tralise Parliament." It is almost impossible to define the exact meaning of these Machia- vellian phrases. We must confess that this portion of the PRIME MINISTER'S explanation is almost as obscurely worded as his original astounding statement. He went on to protest, as he protested before, against any scheme which would menace the integrity of the Empire or the supremacy of the Imperial Parliament over the affairs of the sister kingdom. But in the same breath Mr. GLADSTONE intimated that he was con- vinced that the establishment of a Parliament in Dublin was perfectly compatible with the maintenance of the integrity of the Empire. It is almost impossible to believe that any sane person should contend that it is highly advisable to grant the Irish people complete control over the affairs of their own country. Until last week the idea never entered the mind of any politician that such a step would not be disastrous Hitherto English statesmen have resolutely opposed the Home Rule agitation. The PRimE MINISTER does not, it is true advocate the repeal of the Act of Union, but he concedes a portion—and the most impor- tant portion-of the demand of the Irish Separatists. If the proposals which he sanctions were carried out, Ireland would be almost as independent of England as the Transvaal is at the present moment. The British House of Commons would only possess authority over the Irish National Parliament in matters of Imperial policy. This is the scheme of disunion to which Mr. GLADSTONE has given his approval, and which he con- siders should receive the serious attention of the House of Commons. No one can doubt as to what effect this language of a responsible Minister will have upon the Irish nation at the present time. Unscrupulous agitators will regard it as a direct incentive to continue their demand for Imperial disintegration, only they will adopt Mr. GLADSIONE'S own words, and call it Imperial decentralisation. It would, indeed, have been strange if so wary and plausible a politician as the PRIME MINISTER had not left himself a way for disowning these startling opinions if they ever became inconvenient. We know through what strange loopholes Mr. GLADSTONE con- trives to escape when he wishes to avoid a disagreeable inference from an admitted pro- position. But the means he has reserved for retreat in the present instance are at once the most artful and cunning ever devised by a politician. The subject of Home Rule, he said, is one on which I have very distinct and clear opinions—opinions which I have "never scrupled to declare. They are not held by many gentlemen, probably, m this lvalq,- TMlJ mall be considered of a mmen- latit- chai-actei-, rnd it i.R highly unlikely that 1 I shall ever be called Upon to take pract ical "part in relation to those opinims'' It is difficult to imagine anything more hypo- critical than these qualifying statements. After advocating the establishment of an Irish National Parliament, whose privi- lege it would be to manage the finance, education, public works, and all other internal concerns of the Sister Isle, Mr. GLADSTONE vindicates his right to make such utterances on the ground that they are of a speculative character," and that, as he is about to retire, it is highly improbable that he will ever be called upon to consider any particular scheme for the disintegration of the Empire which his words may have instigated the Home Rulers to propound. We know how the Jan- senists tried to believe the POPF, in- fallible in matters of doctrine, and, at the same time, to believe doctrines which he denounced to be heretical. It appears to us that the supporters of Mr. GLADSTONE are reduced to the same strait as ,the disciples of CORNELIUS JANSEN. Liberals strive to believe in the infallibility of the PRIME MINISTER, and to reconcile his revolutionary theories with common-sense. It is not a matter for wonder that many have found their strength unequal to this Herculean task, and have, in conse- quence, had their eyes opened to the truth. The results of the numerous by-elections which have recently taken place prove that the nation is rapidly awakening from the delusion that a Liberal Administra- tion is an unmixed blessing; and we shall feel greatly surprised if Mr. GLADSTONE'S Home Rule declaration does not have the effect of destroying any confidence which the country may still retain in the Government.

.0. THF. publication of the protest made by the French and English Controllers-General in Egypt against the recent changes in the Government of that country, which have transferred the real power from the KHEDIVE and his Ministers to the Chamber of Notables and the Army, has placed the perils of the politioal situation in Egypt in a clear light before Europe. The Controllers are under no delusion as to the character of the revolution that has taken place. Lord GRANVILLE, in his dispatch of January 26 to Lord DUPPERIN, expressed a sentiment of benevolent neutrality towards the popular movement in Egypt, which he defined as not wanting in the promise that it might have beneficial effects if kept within proper limits, though he admitted that if pushed too far it might trench upon the KHEDIVE'S authority. But the Controllers, w ho understand the true significance of re- cent events, deolare in precise and fearless language that the proper limits have been exceeded; that a most serious outrage has been committed against the influence of England and France by the enforced resignation of SHERIF Pasha because he opposed the claim of the Chamber of Notables to vote the Budget, and that the influence of the Anglo- French control has been positively annihilated by this interference with their financial func- tioIi. Sir AUCKLAND COLVIN and Monsieur DE BLIGNIERES assert that the revolution pro- moted by ARABI Pasha haa undone all the work they had accomplished, and they predict that the days may already be foreseen when the financial disorders which were remedied by the commissions of inquiry and liquidation will re-appear. The frankness of this protest accounts for the rumours that the Controllers had resigned, for they practically say that they are powerless, and Egypt must be aban- doned to anarchy unless England and France actively intervene. In effect, therefore, they uphold the policy of M. GAMBETTA, and censure as wholly inadequate the timorous proceedings of Lord GRANVILLE and M. FREYCINET, who, not daring to take action themselves, have invited the other Powers of Europe to cover their retreat. M. GAMBETTA himself has returned to Paris to condemn the feebleness of his successors. As for Lord GRANVILLE he has evidently acted with regard to Egypt as he acted in Central Asia, and as Lord KIMBERLEY acted in the Transvaal. The policy of the English Ministry in all these cases is simply a policy of abdication. The peace purchased by such ignoble concessions cannot possibly endure.

WHAT appears at first to be a harmless joke is being perpetrated on the innocent and law- abiding farmers in the county of Cardigan. A circular, emanating from no one knows where, and written by an anonymous scribbler wofully ignorant of the QUEEN'S English, is obtaining currency there. It advocates a method of procedure evidently modelled on the lines of the Land League: with this difference, however-the extraordi- nary proposals do not appear to be sanctioned by any personages of weight or. influence. But, notwithstanding this, the recommendations are sufficiently startling to give rise to the impression that Mr. GLAD- STONE'S confiscation policy in Ireland has turned the heads of the sober Welsh farmers, and that some of them, at any rate, are bent upon inaugurating a reign of land terrorism in the quiet farms and hamlets of Cardiganshire. The grievance complained of is that if a tenant, in order to obtain an amelioration in his rent or an improvement in his holding, gives notice to his landlord, a number of farmers are always ready to bid for the prospective vacancy. The farmer, it is alleged, is thus often thrown out of the farm upon which he has expended valuable time, and in many instances money. Against these interlopers the crusade is to be bitter and unrelenting. The circular promises that should a tenant have the temerity to take a vacated holding "he shall be proclaimed throughout the whole country, so that he shall not have quiet- ness until he gives up the farm to the old tenant." If it were possible that this agitation, floated in so singular a manner, should succeed, we would lament more than ever the demoralising effect of recent Glad- stonian legislation. But, as we have before said, the Welsh farmer i& too sober and sensible an individual ever to be beguiled by the clap-trap of an anonymous agitator into a warfare which can only tend to his own dis- advantage. It will be surprising indeed if this precious document, signed by an Old Farmer," does not defeat its own ends. The farmers, whose cause it professes to advocate, will prove by their apathy that they are too old by far to be caught by such chaff.

THE recent large and successful develop- ment of the Royal Naval Artillery Volunteer movement in Swansea, and its proposed ex- tension to Cardiff and Newport, raises the two questions-What is the distinctive value of this last new reserve force? and what position does it occupy in the estimation of the country at large, and of the War Offioe authorities in particular ? The profes- sional in soldiering, as in everything else, has an ever-ready sneer for his amateur com- rade in arms, and, therefore, perhaps, too much stress should not be placed on the criticism that the new and favourite corps are of no uae and very little ornament 1" It will be within the memory of all who interest themselves in such matters that the institution of Royal Naval Volunteering ia due to Sir T. BRASSKY, K.C.B., and that the first corps was called into existence some seven years ago. After the enrolment and equip- ment in London, Liverpool, and Bristol of about twelve hundred men, the whole thing hung fire for some time. But when, at the last grand review at Windsor, the place of honour at the he of the column in the march past, next to the Honourable Artillery Company, waa ceded to the Naval Volunteers, and when their blue-jacket uniforms and .uiart appearance evoked the most pro- nounced proofs of Royal and popular favour, the cause of Naval Volunteering was half won and the desire of the population of the sea coast towns to take part in the move- ment is now only restrained by reason of the present deliberative attitude of the Admiralty authorities. Swansea has the honour to stand fourth on the list of towns which have been permitted to form a naval corpa. The consent of the anthorities was obtained by Swansea in order to make a remarkable experiment as to the least possible time in which such a force could be raised and equipped; and the result has been a sur- prise of the most gratifying kind to all con- cerned. The question was first mooted in August ldst, when the Committee of Inquiry into the Defences of Commercial Harbours into the Defences of Commercial Harbours visited Swansea. Sir DIGBY MURRAY, Admiral PHILLIMORE, and their colleagues expressed some surprise that so wealthy and important a harbour as Swansea, backed as it is by such extensive works, .should re- main so thoroughly unprovided with means of military or naval defence; and a hint was understood to be conveyed to Mr. ROBERT CAPPER, the harbour-master, that Swansea would be a proper place for the establishment of such a Naval Brigade as might by and bye command the use of a gun- boat in the bay. The arguments that such a force might be useful, and that it might be well as an experiment to see how soon a body of one hundred or two hundred men could be raised and equipped in an emergency, were used before the Duke of EDINBURGH, who, in his capacity of Admiral Superintendent of Coast Defences and Reserve Forces, gave consent. Within the short space of nine days about one hundred and fifty men were enrolled, drilled, and accoutred, and they presented so smart an appearance on the occasion of the Royal visit as to win the most favourable verdict, as well of the Royal party as of the populace. This feat was accomplished, notwithstanding that the whole of the uniform had to he made, and the arms aDd accoutrements had to be specially marked before they left the Govern- ment stores at Plymouth. It will be remem- bered by all how commendatory were the remarks of his Royal Highness the Duke of EDINBURGH when he visited Swansea shortly afterwards and the Royal Duke has since reiterated his congratulations to Sir THOMAS BRASSEY, who has communicated them to Mr. J. -T. JENKINS, M.P., the commanding officer, and to Mr. ROBERT CAPPER, the harbour-master. The Swansea Corps has now reached the handsome muster of two hundred and forty-five men, or about one- eighth of the whole of the Naval Volun- teers in the kingdom. Bristol, the present head-quarters, has only one hundred and eighty men. It is understood that, Cardiff has already upwards of eighty men ready and anxious to enrol themselves as soon a?) they have permission, and Newport is said to be in the same attitude of loyal waiting. It seems a reversal of the order of things that Swansea, with its two hundred and forty-five men, should be reckoned as a mere contingent of the Bristol Corps, with only one hundred and eighty men; but it is only following the already reoognised plan of grouping. The London centre includes Brighton and some other towns; Liverpool reckons with Preston; and it is intended that Bristol shall form the centre, with con- tingents in all the ports on the Channel, under the name of the Bristol Channel Royal Naval Volunteers. When this has been arranged a large ironclad or a. lesser gunboat will either be stationed in, or will frequently visit, the Channel, and will be used as a means of training the Naval Volunteers in the practice of gunnery. The great question which still remains unsettled is that which was distantly alluded to by his Royal Highness the Duke of EDINBURGH when addressing the men in the Swansea Music-hall—namely, whether the Government will make a capita- tion grant to these as to the other volunteer forces Some of ths most ardent friends of the new movement think no such grant should be made, at least for a year or so, as it is found that the necessity of paying fifty shillings each for their own uniform tends to keep up the standard of intelli- gence of the men and the status of the corps. Indeed, so comparatively select has the enrolment been kept hitherto in Swansea that the members are for the most part young men of good education and posi* tion, many of them in professional life. The question has been laughingly asked whether men of this kind are likely to remain in the corps; whether they can stand "life on the ocean wave;" and whether they would be likely to yield ready obedience to any un- palatable order of their officers. The answer to this is, that the better educated the class from which the men are drawn, the aooner they learn their drill. Modern warfare is as much a matter of intellect as of bone and sinew. And, for the rest, Englishmen have suffered no declension; in volunteering, as in enlisted soldiering, they may be depended on to do their duty.

— Mr. H. H. VIVIAN, M.P., has recently painted a most cheering picture of the prosperity which Swansea must attain in the almost immediate future. As President of the local Sailors' Society, the hon. member is in the habit of giving his hearers a risume of the work of the past year, and indicating the leading features of that which is to come. The hon. member's conclusion as to the trade of 1881, as given at the meeting held last week, is that, although there has been some slight diminution, due to the general de- pression of trade, "yet, on the whole, Swansea has held its own, and is now in a soiyidand sub- stantial position." The return of the trade of Swansea Harbour, which is just issued, is interesting as demonstrating the fluctuations of local trade. The disastrous weather of the past year, which culminated in severe storms and the loss of many large vessels and valuable cargoes, is held by the Harbour-Master to have postponed the commercial and indus- trial revival which was eagerly and confidently looked for towards the end of 1880;" but, notwithstanding this, the coasting trade with Swansea, import and export, shows an increase of 76,000 tons, made up chiefly of pitch, copper ore, building materials, chemicals, and agricultural produce imported, and an increase of 50,000 tons of coal exported. There was a falling off of 8,000 tons of copper ore from Chili, but this was partially made up by an increased import from Venezuela. Chili bars have now gone up, however, from L- 62 to t70 per ton, so that the loss may soon be made up. There is a decrease of 39.080 tons in the imports of iron ore, except in that brought from Algeria, which has increased slightly. The exports of tin-plates have in- creased during the year about 5,000 tons, which re9ult has been secured by the concessions recently made in the town dues and rates. The exports of coal to foreign ports show a considerable decrease. In 1880 these exports were 952,707 tons in 1881,912,346 tons, thus showing a falling off of no less than 40,421 tons, but the exports coastwise more than make up for this, the grand totals of coal and fuel exports being- for 1880, 1,209,054 tons for 1881, 1,219,381 tons, the balance being 10,327 tons in favour of last year. In the export of patent fuel there is an increase of 7,000 tons. Taking the total trade of the harbour, imports and exports, there was a loss for the past year of 17,067 tons as compared with 1880. The Harbour Superintendent directs attention to the fact that of the 241,708 tons of Welsh coal which found its way to London last year in 273 vessels, though rather more than a third part of this coal was anthracite, only 42 vessels sailed from Swansea, with a total of 10,952 tons, for the Metropolis. As steamers continue to take the place of sailing vessels the export of cargo per ton register shows a great increase. In 1865 it was at Swansea 1*41, and now it has reached 1'70 per ton. Swansea's trade direct with Spain is large, the imports from that country being 77,195 tons, and the exports 85,828 tons. The imports from France stand at 39,33b, and the exports to that country 441,101 tons. With Italy, too, a good trade is done, the imports being 19,287 tons, and the exports 83,99,9 tons. During the past year 4,790 vessels, registering 838,107, cleared from Swansea, and paid in rates £23,382 Os. 9d. The amount of the falling off is again shown by the fact that in the previous year the ships were 5,126, the ton- nage 885,362, and the rates received £ 25,004 5s. lid.; in other words, the decrease is 336 vessels, 47,255 tons, and £ 1,622 5s. 2d. tonnage rates. In the last 30 years, from 1851 to 1881, the number of Swansea coasting vessels has decreased from 3,223 to 2,623, but at the same time the coasting tonnage has increased from 208,824 tons to 255,231 tons. The foreign- going vessels have increased in number in the same period from 388 to 2,167, and the ton- nage from 60,630 tons to 582,876 tons. There is evidently plenty of room for expansion of I Swansea trade. As Mr. VIVIAN has pointed out, with 19,000,000,000 tons of workable coal in the South Wales Coal basin lying to the westward of Bridgend, and with a "fine new dock of 23 acres at Swansea, the possi- bilities of the trade of the future are simply incalculable. All that is wanted is skill and capital and determined perseverance in the present task of developing the resources of the district.

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT. THURSDAY. e heard Mr. Finigan's sweet voice this afternoon for the first time this session. The chosen of Ennis had a petition to present for further drainage in Ireland. Why it was I cannot conceive, yet the House laughed thereat, amid which ebullition of sarcastic emotion Mr. Finigan deposited his petition in the bag" set apart for silent manifesta- tions of public opinion, and disappeared hurriedly within the seditious gloom behind the Speaker's chair. Nothing further occurred to break the silence until half-past four, when Ministers and ex-Ministers trotted in. Mr. Metge fell into a trap in his attempt to run an Irish grievance to earth; but the person whom he said was languishing in prison was stated by the Irish Attorney- General drily to have left for America. Mr. Metge hereupon occasioned roars of laughter by naively remarking, Then, all I can say, sir, is that his mother doesn't know it." Mr. Cowen produced a little tension between the two sides of the House by calling atten- tion to the legality of the Marquess of Ripon in subscribing money for the purpose of in- fluencing certain Parliamentary elections, he being a peer of the realm and a lord-lieutenant of the county when the election took place. The Speaker interposed, pointing out that the hon. member should have risen to a question of privilege, but not having done that he had lost his right to call attention to the subject. Mr, Cowen, in that case, gave notice that he should move a resolution on a eenerftl Question of the legality of peers to interfere in elec- tions. The subject then dropped. Mr. Warton caused some laughter by getting into conflict with Sir Wilfrid Lawson on the Welsh Sunday Closing Act Amend- ment Bill, and was twice called to order by the Speaker. Mr. Gray had two private questions—one affecting Mr. Fotterel and the second glorifying the editorial rectitude of the Freeman's Journal. After a little further by-play, the adjourned debate on the report to the Address was re- sumed by the Irish Attorney-General. The House was not very full, but Irish members were present in good force. With many signs of interest they followed the Attorney-General's remarks, which to a large extent were a reply to the recent speech of Mr. Sexton. Especially obnoxious from their point of view Was the definition of the test cases, which the Attorney-General described as having been cases in which rent was already so equitable that there was little like- lihood of reductions being made. It was, he held, by getting up such cases that the League had hoped to prejudice the people against the Land Court. The Parnellites raised loud "Noes," but the right hon. gentleman was not to be checked. Passing to the present position of the agitators, he described them as sheltering themselves under petti- coats, an allusion to the work of the Ladies' Land League, which Mr. Sexton appeared to regard as especially offensive. He ejaculated a repudiation of the charge of fear which the Attorney-General put forward, whereupon the latter gentle- man remarked that if the hon. member made the same remarks outside the House as he had made inside, it would be his duty to see whether he could not be made to be afraid. Mr. T. D. Sullivan followed, addressing himself to an almost empty House. FRIDAY. Down to the hour of commencing public business the House was nearly empty, and only Mr. Forster, Sir Charles Dilke, and Lord Richard Grosvenor had put in an appearance on the Treasury Bench. ^Vlr. David Macliver, however, made his debut, for the session this afternoon, and signalised his advent by giving notice of his intention to call attention to the industrial condition of Ireland, and the sinis- ter operations in connection therewith of the Free Trade policy of the Government. The questions on the paper were few and with the exception of Mr. Labouchere's' relating to Mr. Bradlaugh, were without public interest and devoid of the elements of excitement. From this point we passed down to Lord Randolph Churchill's facetious question as to whether her Majesty's Ministers enjoyed the privilege of deserting the House during the dinner hour, and leaving private members to keep the debate alive. Mr. Gladstone was absent, and the Marquess of Hartington, on rising to reply, was discou- raged by loud Ministerial cries of No! No The debate on the Queen's Speech was now resumed by Sir Walter Darttelot, who expa- tiated on the sufferings of agriculturists. The Parliamentary interest to-night, how- ever, centered more in the Lords than the Commons. Lord Donoughmore, refreshed by a recent tour through the big cities and prairies of America, moved his resolution for the appointment of a Select Committee to inquire into the operation and effect of recent land legislation in Ireland. Although some good speaking was expected, the attendance of noble lords was. not so large as we were accustomed to on some of the great field nights last session. The front Government and Opposition benches, however, were well filled, and several leading members of the other House, privileged to stand near the Throne, flitted in and out, dividing their attention pretty equally between the two Chambers. MONDAY. Members of the House of Commons began to arrive and secure seats as early as noon. The air was filled with notes of war. Every- body seemed anxious, preoccupied, and excited. There was a full and early attendance of Ministers and ex-Ministers. Members were noisy, but the hubbub tools the form of very articulate Opposition cheers as Mr. Allsopp, escorted by Mr. James Lowther and Mr. Gibson, walked up to the table to take. the oath and his seat as member for Taunton. The hon. gentleman's burly and good- humoured person instinctively suggested the presence of John Barleycorn. lie was cordially welcomed to the House hy I Sir Charles Dilke, Mr. Courtney, Mr. John Holms, and Mr. Trevelyan. The welcome of Mr. Speaker also was more than ordinarily cordial, all of which seems, to prove how commanding is the personal popu- larity of this latest recruit to the House of Commons. The first movement towards the real business of the day was Mr. Gladstone rising to propose the postponement of the orders of the day in favour of the Procedure Rules; but, before Mr. Gladstone rose to this end, he projected a bombshell into the House against the destructive division of the Upper House on Saturday morning on the Irish Land Act. A fine breeze hereupon arose. Bold Sir Walter Barttelot intervened with a denunciation of the proceeding, which, he said, would inter- rupt the gagging business for which the House had been brought together to-night. Mr. Gladstone with some temper, and rolling articulation, declined to follow the disorderly example of which the hon. baronet had accused him of being guilty, and briefly moved the postponement of the orders of the day. The House cheered and cheered again the assailant of the Prime Minister and the rejoinder of the right hon. gentleman. It was evident that we have been brought face to face with a lively kettle of fish. Mr. Newdegate dashed in with an impas- sioned condemnation of this veiled censure of the other House, a sentiment which brought up Mr, Chaplin, echoing in more effective -o. rhetoric the indignation of the member for North Warwickshire. Mr. (I or at created some diversion by cynically suggesting that the House should postpone the Procedure Resolutions in favour of the River Conser- vancy Bill, while Mr. Biggar contributed to the complexity of the situation by stigma- tising the Land Act as a gross failure. The hon. member for Cavan evidently felt that here was a fine opportunity for re- opening discussion upon the Bill of last session, and was evidently proceeding with a long speech when he was called to order by the Speaker. Then up rose Mr. O'Donnell, declaring with passionate vehemence that the Government evidently desired to gag the House of Lords, as a preliminary to muzzling that Chamber. The sally was received with rounds of Opposition cheering, and the House altogether presented a scene of startling and unexpected excite- ment. Sir Stafford Northcote's rising was the signal for a fresh outburst of Opposition cheering, which was renewed when, quoting Lord Beaconstiekl's bon ?not, he declared that it was always the unexpected which happened. The leader of the Opposition proceeded, in a quiet and practical way, to suggest that it would be better to take no division against the motion before them, but to reserve their action till next Monday, when a resolution condemning a committee of inquiry would be moved. Sir John Hay moved the adjourn- ment ot the debate, but eventually this was rejected witiiout a division, and the motion for postponing to-night's orders was agreed to. Then, amidst the 11 warmest cheers of his followers, the Premier rose to move the first Rule of Procedure. The right hon. gentle- man, prior to his speech, had sat on the Treasury Bench, looking as though he were labouring under no little physical and nervous exhaustion. When he stepped to the table, however, his manner was marked with all that perfect self-possession, that indica- tion of the presence of a great power to accomplish a great task, which of itself has so often helped to command the attention, if not the sympathies, of those who may be within the spell of his oratory. In his peculiarly characteristic way he opened with .a magnificent enlargement upon the gravity of the circumstances which have ne- cessitated his proposals being made. There was little in the historical and practical bearings of the case which he did not glance at; and, with matchless lucidity, he then proceeded to analyse the details of the resolu- tion which the Government had to propose, and a resolution which the Government in- tended to maintain in its entirety, making, however, slight additions, which would leave the resolution in such a position that, whereas it was necessary in the original motion either to have 200 in the majority or 40 in the minority, it will now be necessary to have 200 in the majority, or, in the event of the minority being less than 40 that the majority should be over 100. This addi- tion was one that appeared to commend itself to the judgment of the Premier's followers, and it was clear that it contributed greatly to remove many scruples which bad been operating in the minds of hon. members. All the more enthusiastic, perhaps, was the Premier's tone when he drew to a close and positively electrified the House by one of the most effective perorations that he has ever uttered. Especially pathetic and power- ful was his declaration that though there was hardly a man whose Parliamentary tenure could be frailer than his own it was his greatest desire not to close his career with the House paralysed in the performance of its duties. His speech carried the debate into the middle of the dinner hour, and thus when Sir Stafford Northcote rose to move his amend- ment hon. members on his side of the House were sorely vexed between their allegiance to their chief and the calls of the inner man. Sir Stafford Norfchcote's speech was, as usual, calm and judicial. He opposed the Resolution because be objected to the prin- ciple upon which it was based, and thought that safeguards would be ineffectual if they once admitted that principle. To the other Resolutions he had less objection, but, gene- rally, he entreated the House to pause before it adopted the first Resolution. Mr. Marriott gave the first note of opposition from the Radical Benches, by moving an amendment against the power of closing debate being conferred on a mere majority. The hon. member spoke amidst repeated cheers from the Conservatives and the Parnellite party. He was replied to by Mr. Goschen, and the debate was then adjourned on the motion of Mr. Railces. In th Lords the chief feature *as the announcement of Earl Granville that the Government would not countenance a Select Committee to inquire into the working of the Irish Land Act. TUESDAY. On the whole the temperature of the House of Commons presented an agreeable contrast to the heat which prevailed on Monday. Mem- bers were fewer in numbers, and their demeanour generally was tranquil. True, there were rumours of a possible scene in re Bradlaugh, but we have grown so accustomed to seeing the hon. member for Northampton riding his pegasus under the clock that the prospect of Mr. Labouchere rising to a ques- tion of privilege, therefore, occasioned very little, if any, interest. A succession of loud and ringing Conserva- tive cheers welcomed the notice of Sir Staf- ford Northcote to oppose the Prime Minister's attack upon the House of Lords. A similar outburst welcomed Sir George Elliot, who took his seat for North Durham, Earl Percy and Mr. Elliot escorting the hon. baronet to the table. We soon reached what was in- tended to be the event of the evening, to wit, Mr. Labouchere's motion for a new writ for Northampton to elect a member in the room of Mr. Bradlaugh, disqualified. by the House of Commons. But although the hon. gentleman supported his case by a string of more or less apposite precedents, Lord Randolph Churchill met the proposition by an- amendment which changed the words disqualified by this House" for the sentence 11 disqualified by law," deny- ing the imputation that the House had acted arbitrarily, and contending that it had acted strictly in ac- cordance with the law, and that such dis- qualification was not of a temporary cha- racter, that might at any moment be re- versed. They must, he said, uphold the law until the House thought fit to change the law, and his lordship twitted the Government with not going on with the Bill altering the law which the Attorney General introduced last session. The Attorney-General, in replying, made it evident that the House was to some extent in a corner. In the cases of Baron Roths- child and O'Connell, which were referred to as precedents, the members themselves re- fused to take the oath. In this case, however, Mr. Bradlaugh had offered to comply with the requirements of the House in this respect. The House, therefore, was asked to declare vacant the seat of a member who offered to take the oath, and for this there was no precedent. The putting of the question did not pass off without a highly ludicrous incident. Fifst of all the House eliminated the latter words of the motion relating to Mr. Bradlaugh having been disqualified by the House, but it at the same time refused to put in the words suggested by Lord R. Churchill, declaring him to be disqualified by law. When this position was arrived at, however, considerable merriment wascreated by the discovery that in the eliminations the word whom had been forgotten, and this would be found standing at the end of the motion without any con- ceivable or grammatical connection with the context. Unfortunately, the rigidity of the rules of the House did not permit the Speaker to exercise the discretion of taking the word out, and accordingly the House divided on ±6 "W'ith the offending pronoun standing in solitary majesty asserting its rights and privileges very much in the fashion of the hon. member for Northampton himself. The motion was, of course, rejected; but no sooner was the fact made known than Mr. Bradlaugh was seen advancing to the table. A few hisses wert heard from the Opposition Benches, but at once the temper of the House became oner of simple astonishment and curiosity when Mr. Bradlaugh, producing a neat little Testament from his pocket, begun to repeat the words of the oath. Before the hon. members could well re- cover breath, he kissed the book in the ordinary fashion, and spreading out a document which he held in his hand, bearing the declaration he had taken upon it, he rapidly appended his signature, and then stood at the table to await the development of events. Perhaps the first to recover from the surprise was the Speaker himself. Taking no notice of the form Mr. Bradlaugh had gone through, he requested him to retire below the Bar. The hon. member complied, but at once came forward again and took his seat with his Radical friends. Again the Speaker re- quested him to retire below the Bar, and this time to remain there. Complying, with a protest that he was qualified to sit, Mr. Brad- la ug h then sat in his now accustomed seat below the Peers' Gallery. The hon. member having thus been disposed of, the question of the I further action that the House should take was at once pressed for solution. I Lord Randolph Churchill being of opinion that by his extraordinary conduct Mr. Brad- laugh had put himself out of court and prac- tically vacated his seat, moved for the issue of a new writ. The Attorney-General coun- selled moderation, and suggested that, to pre- vent hasty action, they should adjourn the discussion till the next sitting. In this Mr. Gladstone joined, and after an exciting de- bate, the suggestion having been adopted, we passed from storm to calm on Mr. Clarke rising to propose his resolution relative to the taking of Bills in successive sessions when they were not disposed of in the course of a single session. The motion was ably commended to the House by the hon. member himself and by Mr. Northcote, but was finally rejected. Mr. R. Paget then moved his resolution for the evils of the present incidence of local taxations on real property being remedied by adequate contributions from general taxation. The motion was seconded by Mr. Duckham but ultimately negatived by a small majority! WEDNESDAY. Another sensational Wednesday. The new phase of the Bradlalugh problem had a highly attractive effect upon hon. members, their wives, and their friends. Mr. Gladstone did not go to church. He called together his colleagues in the Cabinet, and held a Council of War in his private room in the House of Commons. The right hon. gentleman entered the crowded chamber within five minutes after the Speaker had taken the chair, and his rising was greeted with loud Ministerial cheers. He frankly admitted that the conduct; of Mr. Bradlaugh reached the highest latitude of provocation and insolence, an admission which evoked loud approving cheers from both sides of the House. But this admission Mr. Gladstone im- mediately qualified by asserting that the course pursued by Mr. Bradlaugh, though violent, insolent, and irregular, did not materially affect his own opinion of the wisdom of the course pursued by the House throughout these wearisome and unfortunate proceedings. This announcement, as may be supposed, was received with loud ironical laughter from the Opposition, as it was totally and unexpectedly opposed to the Premier's bellicose exordium. Mr. Gladstone raised further cries of impa- tience and shouts of laughter by saying he should not make any definite proposal to the House, feeling that he was in a minority on this issue. The right hon. gentleman re- sumed his seat after an eloquent declaration of his sorrow at the humiliating position in which this noble House now found itself placed. Sir Stafford Northcote, who, it was believed, accepted the challenge to undertake the direction of the House and lead it out of the Serbonian bog in which it now found itself, then rose. Loud and prolonged Opposition cheering followed the rising of the right hon. baronet, but the House quickly found itself in error, for after a little sparring between Sir Stafford Northcote and the Prime Minister upon a trivial (?) assertion as to the conduct of the Speaker last night during Mr Brad- laugh's raid, the leader of the Opposition declined to accept the responsibility of guiding the House after it had been deserted by its leader. This sally, of course, evoked loud and ringing Opposition cheers, which were answered by counter cheers from the Ministerialists. Rather illogical as it seemed, Sir Stafford Northcote interpolated a. resolution that the Serjeant-at-Arms should be instructed to prevent Mr. Bradlaugh from coming within the precincts of the House, but, as a matter of fact, the right hon. baronet adhered to his announcement. The House greeted this amendment with cheers, and the language which followed showed that there was considerable fight in the Chamber. Mr. Whitbread and some other Ministerial speakers spoke against the conduct of Mr. Bradlaugh, and Mr. Labouchere, posing like Pontius Pilate, washed his hands of the present complication and de- clined to oppose the amendment. A slight diversion was occasioned by Lord Randolph Churchill, who stigmatised this amendment as milk and water, and he should certainly vote against it. But the debate afterwards proceeded with comparative composure until Mr. Bradlaugh entered the House shortly before four. At first he sat upon one of the cross benches under the Peers' Gallery, but coming down to the Bar, this movement led to the impression that he contemplated yet another raid. Excitement rose in due pro- portion to the momentous character of the frowning apparition at the entrance to the Chamber. The apparition, however moved within the Bar, and took his seat on the third bench below the gangway, whence he attempted to address the House. Cries of Arrest him "Arrest him proceeded from all sides of the Chamber, and the ominous words, coupled with the injunction of the Speaker to withdraw, caused the hon. gentleman to go below the Bar to his old seat. A scene of extraordinary excitement now ensued, in the midst of which Sir Stafford Northcote—now really assuming the leader- ship of affairs—moved that Mr. Bradlaugh be expelled the House. Mr. Gladstone inter- posed to say he did not dissent; and, after some further sparring, the motion was put, and carried by 291 against 83. Although Mr. Bradlaugh voted for himself in the division he discreetly withdrew from the Chamber on learning its result. So, when the announcement was made that Charles Bradlaugh, Esq., should be expelled, there was not a Mr. Bradlaugh in the House to expel. Then came a motion declaring the second seat for Northampton vacant, and so ended a day of dramatic episodes. One may say with Count Fosco— J J Phew! the fight was hot While it lasted!

THE SWANSEA TRAMWAYS, The Swansea public will learn with satisfaction that the corporation and the tramways company have at length settled their differences, and that there is now almost a certainty of the scheme for the extension of the tramways being carried out in its entirety. The company, it is said, intend to make the three sections which are included in the Bill. Immediately after the passing of the Act they purpose connecting their Morriston and Cwmbwrla sections with the Mumbles section by a line from High-street through Alexandra- road, Grove-place, Delabeche-street, and Cradoc- street into Northampton-place. There may possibly be some opposition to this route, but it will be of a private nature, and is not expected to have much weight. The company propose to con- struct next a line through Union-street, Green- W- STREE^' ANC* ^Utland-8treet, to the bottom of in street, which will practically give a connec- tion between the residential suburbs in the western part of the town and the docks. The time allowed for the completion of this section is two years, wing to want of capital, the company are not 0 widen Greenfield-street and pull down part OT the Rutland Arms, works which the corporation insisted upon as absolutely necessary, and hitherto this has been the difficulty in the way of the scheme. Now, however, the council do not insist upon the widening of Greenfield- street, and instead of partly demolishing the Rut- land Arms, they will remove the premises in Church-street, on the opposite corner, which they have acquired under the Artisans' Dwellin cr Act, and the company will pay them a yearly rent for the property thus dealt with. The Walter's-road line is also provided for in the Bill, but the com- pany ask for two years and a half in which to con- struct it.

THE WELSH EDUCATION BILL. The Times understands that the Education De- partment is now drafting the Welsh Education Bill, and that the measure will follow very closely the recommendations of the Commission which re- cently visited Wales under the chairmanship of Lord Aberdare. THE MINING ASSOCIATION OF GREAT BRITAIN. Mr. W. T. Lewis, the Marquess of Bute's managing agent, has been unanimously elected president of the above association, which has for one of its chief objects the watching of all Parlia- mentary matters relating to mining.

The document which Mr. Bradlaugh signed and left upon the table of the House of Commons on Tuesday night turned out to be a copy of the Par- liamentary Oath. The manuscript was sub- sequently taken possession of by Lord Randolph Churchill. The New York correspondent of the Standard SaysIn the year 1864 England, France, the United States, and the Netherlands joined in a combined expedition to punish the Japanese feudal Prince who attacked the vessels sailing under the FLAGS of those countries. The Japanese Govern- ment subsequently paid the indemnity. The American share grossly exceeded the actual damage, and the House of Representatives has applauded the passage of a Bill ordering the repay- ment to Japan of 1,770,364 dollars, being the! balance of the fund and interest, after the pay- ment of all demands.

GENERAL. The Bank rate was reduced to 5 per cent. yester- day morning. John Ross, who killed John Manly, at Leeds, last Christmas, has been respited. Messrs. Sutcliffe and Son's corn mill at Rochdale was destroyed by :fire yesterday morning. The loss is estimated at £ 60,000. At the London Bankruptcy Court yesterday Mr. Chatterley, accountant, Queen-street, Cheapsido, was appointed receiver of the estate under Mr. Hampden Whalley's liquidation. lhe Morning Post says Lord Ramsay intends to ask the House of Lords to re-appoint the Select Committee of last session on the state of the law relative to the protection of young girls from artifices to induce them to lead a corrupt lite, and into the means of amending the same. The Morrdnc, Post says Mr. Chamberlain and Mr Mundelia presented a touching spectacle of human sympathy on Tuesday when they conducted Mr. Bradlaugh into the lobby to vote against his own expulsion. The two right hon. gentlemen took him by either arm and led him to the wicket, where his name was taken down by the division clerks. A meeting attended by several members of Parliament was held on Wednesday at the West- minster Palace Hotel, London, to establish the *nti-AG?ression League, which seeks to brine public opinion to bear moro powerfully than hitherto on the conduct of foreign and colonial anairs. The speakers included Mr. John Morlev w 10 presided, Mr. Herbert Spencer, Mr. Frederic Harrison, Sir Arthur Hobhouse, Mr. Dillwyn, M P Mr. Marjoribanks, M.P., Mr. Hutchinson, MP« Mr. Henry Richard, M.P., and other?

FOREIGN. The rumours of the relapse of Garibaldi are wholly unfounded. Some Socialists were arrested on Wednesday in Western Galicia. A representative of M. Nordenfeldt has signed a contract for the delivery to the Porte of 200 mitrailleuses. 1 RAIO RKI8H F°R 069 IN Y EMEN' AMOUNting hitherto to 18,000 men, have now been reinforced by a further body of 9,000. THe Morning Post Berlin correspondent says- Prince Bismarck is at present suffering from great hoarseness, and is unable even to give audiences. A "Reuter's" telegram from Berlin says the Prussian Government will shortly present to the Diet a Bill for the cutting of a iaanal from Ems to the Jahde. A "Reuter's" telegram from St. Petersburg sajsCount Peter Grigorovitch Schouvaloff, who was recently appointed President of the Appanage Department, died suddenly on Tuesday night from the effects of a stroke of paralysis. The Paris Journal Officiel of Wednesday an- nounces the appointment of M. Tissot as Am- bassador to England in the place of M. Challeinel- Lacour, recalled at his own request. The Marquess de Noailles succeeds M. Tissot at Constantinople, thus creating a vacancy at Rome. M. Rous tan'3 impending transfer to Washington is confirmed, but his successor at Tunis has not yet been decided upon.

GENERAL SKOBELEFF RECALLED TO ST. PETERSBURG. A "Reuter's" telegram from St. Petersburg, dated Tebruary 22, saysIt is positively stated that Prince Bismarck has demanded explanations from St. Petersburg with reference to the recent speeches of General Skobeleff. The matter will be discussed in the Lower House of the Prussian Diet during the debate on the Estimates for the Ministry for Foreign Affairs. A St. Petersburg telegram states that the Czar has given orders that General Skobeleff shall be summoned to return to St. Petersburg. The General is consequently expected here very shortly and will be required to give an explanation of the speech he delivered to the Servian students in Paris.

REVOLT IN THE HERZEGOVINA. The Times correspondent at Vienna, talegi-aphiag on the 22nd inst., says --From Dalmatia it is re- ported that the insurgents of the Crivoscie, strengthened by several bands ro- £ Ur*EFFo- vina, attempt every night to surprise the troops- In one case they attacked two companies of jagers, but were repulsed, leaving five dead and several wounded. Of the soldiers one was killed and three were severely wounded. As soon as the fortifications are ready and all the reinforcements have arrived the occupation of the rest of the Crivoscie will be begun.

TURKEY AND GREECE. THE CESSION OF TERRITORY. A telegram from Constantinople, dated Feb. 22 saysIt is expected that the Porte will shortly give orders to deliver up to Greece the points on the frontier which have been the subject of dis- pute, with the exception of Analepsis, and it is now stated that the latter place was never claimed by the Greek Government.

THE CALVINISTIC METHODISTS AND THE COLLEGE QUESTION. RESOLUTIONS IN FAVOUR OF CARDIFF. The Calvinistic Methodists of East Gltroorgan. shire, representing about fifty Churches, held their monthly meeting at St. Fagan's on the 21st inst. The Rev. E. Matthews was moderator, and the Rev. Mr. Williams, Hirwain, acted as secretary. The following resolutions were passed: 1. "That we desire to express our unabated confidence in Mr. Gladstone in the present grave crisis in the history of Parliament." 2. 11 Thatwe hope the Welsh Educa- tion Bill will be introduced as early as possible in the present session of Parliament." 3. That we believe that Cardiff is the best site for the pro- posed college for South Wales."

BATH AND WEST OF ENGLAND SOCIETY'S SHOW. FORTHCOMING VISIT TO CARDIFF. We understand that in view of the visit of the Bath and West of England Agricultural Show, and of the Annual Movable Committee of the Manchester Unity of Oddfellows to Cardiff, Messrs. Daniel Owen, Howell, and Co., the enter, prising publishers of the Cardiff Tide Tables and Almanack, purpose issuing a cheap, profusely illustrated guide to that town, giving full informa- tion concerning all its publicjinstitutions, plans of the route of the procession of Oddfellows! and of tue showyardin the Cathays Park, together with Dar- ticulars of the various places of picturesque and antiquarian interest in the immediate vigy

THE QUEEN'S VISIT TO MENTONE. A ^CP0R<^N" ^E. LATEST arrangements the Queen rmcess Beatrice will leave Windsor for Men- one on or about March 15, accompanied by a small suite, which will include Sir William Jenner. The Royal party will embark on board the Victoria and Albert at Portsmouth and proceed to Cher- bourg. During her stay at Mentone the Queen will occupy a chateau belonging to Mr. flenfrey, the owner of the villa in which she resided during her visit to Baveno in the spring of 1879. Her Majesty is expected to return to Windsor on Saturday, April 15. The Admiralty have asked the dockyard authorities at Portsmouth: whether the Royal yacht Osborne will be available to accompany the Victoria and Albert, with the Alberta, tender, and Galatea, Trinity House yacht, to Cherbourg, on the occasion of the Queen's departure for Mentone. The reply is in the negative, the Osborne being in- sufficiently advanced with an extensive refit, pre- paratory to being employed on special Roval service, probably for a sea cruise by the Duke of Albany and the Princess Helen after their mar- riage.

THE ACTION AGAINST MR. BRADLAUGH. THE APPEAL ALLOWED WITH COSTS. The hearing of the plaintiff's appeal in the case Clarke v. Bradlaugh was resumed in the Appeal Court, London, on Thursday morning. Mr. Brad- laugh addressed the court in support of the deci- sion granting a new trial, and complained of the position IN which he was placed through Sir Hardinge Giffard having made no allusion to dis- crepancies between the witness Stuart's evidence and his written proofs. He regarded Mr. Newde- gate as the real plaintiff in the action, and be was, therefore, entitled to take advantage of hi* evidence. Mr. Bradlaugh having concluded his argument, their loidships reversed the ruling of the court below for a new trial, and declared that Mr. Bradlaugh had failed to make out the charge of perjury against Mr. James Stuart. All the JNIGES concurred, and the appeal was, therefore, allowed with costs against Mr. Bradlaugh.