The Cardiff Times

CHRISTMAS DAY IN LONDON. The day opened with weather as genial as a spring morn- ing. Towards evening, however, rain began to fall, and the hundreds of visitors who went to hear Tietjens aud Drasdil, Foli and Agnesi sing "The Messiah" at the Royal Albert Hall (where b-y-the-bye Sims Reeves also was announced to appear, but did not), had to return beneath heavy showers. No church services were held in the evening. In the morning appropriate discourses were delivered at all the places of public worship At Westminster Abbey Dean Stanley preached, and in the course of his sermon re- marked that there are many thoughts which Christmas Day suggests. There is the joyful thankfulness for all the blessings we enjoy—the contrast with the Christmas of last year—the contrast with what the Christmas of this year might have been if the dark shadow which has been falling upon us had not been averted. There is also the general duty of Christmas— peace and beneficence, our duty to man, to those whom the revelation of Christ shewed to be our brethren. There is also this, not the less important, the light which Chrirt- mas Day throws not on the nature and duty of man, but npon the nature of God. Practical, no doubt, is far greater than professed religion." At St. Paul's Cathedral, the Dean, Dr. Church, chose for his text that passage in Haggai which describes the final changes that the world is to undergo. He pointed out that the name of Christ is that which draws to it the sympathies of all, the spell which binds all together into one. which in days of hope and gladness, and still more in the waste and dreariness and emptiness in which life is consumed, charms down restlessness and shames fretful- ness i lit" patience. The" Desire of all nations, to bonded and free, to Greek and barbarian, to prince and peasant, to th" scholar and to the child, to us "the heirs of all the a i s," and to the undeveloped natures in the isles of the ■i\i. in whom conscience is painfully breaking through its '■louds. begins dimly to shew what is to belong to the race into which the Son of God was born At the Temple Church, the congregation was very numerous. The sermon was preached by the Hev. Dr. Vmghan, from the opening words of the Gospel of St. Matthew, "TIle book of the generation of Jesus Christ." He remarked that both Testaments began with a genesis the Old Testament with "agenesis of heaven and earth;" the New with the generation (or more correctly, the ;>nesis) of Jesus Christ. The genesis of the Saviour was tje mystery of Christmas-day. He would ask them to accept the New Testament as God's Christmas gift to tlieni- as telling them of the coming into being, of the beginning to be, of a person, living and dying and again living for man, without whom this life would be a very 'liferent thing from what it was—there would have been no Christendom, no modern Europe, no emanci- pation for the slave, 110 dignity for woman, 110 elevation of humanity into the virtue of unselfishness, into a duty of fruity. Then there would have been no birth of philan- thrope as the mother of beneficence, no charity kindled at ('hrist's altar, to be the light of suffering, struggling, down trodden humanity. Civilization itself would have been impeded, and theology would have been still the prerogative of the Jew and the synonym of all narrowness, exclusiveness, bigotry, and self-righteousness. The reverend preacher then went on to make application of the genesis of Christ to man, and said t]¡.t, it had a lesson for all stages and ages of human life. A grand characteristic of the genesis of Christ was that he came to cany our sorrows, and was constantly em- ployed in doing good. After enumerating other effects of Christ's genesis on the regeneration and comforting of the world, the preacher observed that the year had been one full of remarkable events, and of a very recent one which threatened to make their Christmas-day a day of national mourning, yet now, in the great mercy of God, and, as he doubted not, in answer to ,t country's prayer, was exchanged into a day of joy and of thanksgiving. Last year 142,879 persons in London were in receipt of outdoor or indoor relid this year 123,091 representthose on whom public charity is bestowed. Of these 35,275 were on Monday regaled on Christmas fare within the walls of the metropolitan workhouses. In most of these places ar- rangements had been made, through the liberality of the vestrymen and other friends of the poor, to add to the fare ]i"ovided by the parishes such luxuries as tobacco and snuff for the adults, with fruits and sweets for the children. The elders, besides, were treated each to a pint of stout, which, it is said, greatly increased the general satisfaction. I '\en the tramps, who, as casuals, had no local claim, were fed well, and treated at erening to tea amI bread and butter, and outdoor paupers had extra relief; while the men who work at the yards, in most cases, received a bonus iu the shape of two days' pay. There were not many "charges" resulting from over- iwlnhence on Christmas Day hefore the metropolitan magistrateson Tuesday morning. The chief misdemeanants were, a-s usual those accused of drukenness.

BOXING NIGHT. OU Tuesday evening the theatres of London were, as usual, the most promillent attraction for the holiday seekers- for, indeed, the day was observed generally as a holiday in town. The night was gloomy and somewhat wet under foot, but the rain had fortunately ceased falling, and the illuminated gas fires over the several houses of entertainment, lent a gaiety to the thoroughfares surpassing even that which the closing of the shops took away from them. At Covent Garden Theatre Mr. Byron's pantomime of "Blue Beard" was producecl. The chief spectacle possessing novelty in the piece was that where the nine headless wives of the Oriental tyrant narrated to Fatima their histories,.and a capital representation of the mimic autumn manoeuvres. At Drury-lane "Tom Thumb, or Harlequin King Arthur" was the pantomime, and a large cow brought on the stage swallowed the diminutive hero, Holus Bolus, in strict accordance with tradition. The oddest of entertainments was doubtless that at AstleyV f:ivnnn« mil phi theatre, where "Lady tiodiva" (Miss Amy Sheridan) was announced to form the subject of the pantomime. Mr. Gilbert furnished two pieces—both of the classical order, Pygmalion and Galatea at the Haymarket, and Tliespis (in which Mr. L. Toole appeared) at the Gaiety. At the Princess's "Little Dicky Dilver ma.de his appearance. "Snow White was put upon the stage of the Adelphi. The Vaudeville, Lyceum. Prince of Wales, and Strand Theatres adhered to their usual pieces, nearly all of which have beeu running for several weeks, and promise to fetch pleasing audiences for many more. Among other "entertainments" which offer themselves to the varied tastes of the public may be mentioned that by Mr. German Reed at the Gallery of Illustration; others by Professor Pepper, Mr. Buck1and, 11.11,1 their fellow-workers at the Polytechnic, the exhibition of W;tx-works at Madame Tussaud's, awl the burlesque imitations of Mr. Maccabe at the Charing-cross Theatre. The" Bronze Horse promises to be a brilliant success at the New Royal Victoria Palace.

THE EX-EMPRESS'S JEWELS. Tho htest rumour ahout 1m perial matters is that a well-known West End jeweller ln's just concluded the purchase of a number of the Empres8 Eugenie's jewels. It is stated that the sum given for them was no less than £ 80,000. —Scotsman. The correspondent of the Dundee Adrertiter says :— The sale of a large portion of the ex-Empress's jewels is ovevywliere understood to tell a story which negatives al- together accounts of plunder and of hoarded-up wealth so freely circulated concerning the Emperor and his family. The Emperor took nothing with him out of France except a ruined reputation. As is pretty well known, the private funds of the Empress aided to support him at Wilhelmshoe, and her private funds, more than the returns from his small investments in Stocks, have been the mainstay of the family at Chislehurst. The recent visit of the Empress to Spain had something to do with finance. Whispers are abroad that there have been unfortunate speculations, and bad management of certain estates with which she is connected, and that some of that which was considered safe against changes of Government has dwindled away, When in Spain the Empress lived as much in seclusion as she doss at Chislehurst, saw only friends, and made no display whatever. In her changed fortunes she continues her contributions to most of the charities she helped to maintain in better days, anel she yet supports the children of some of the victims of the Mexican war she took under her care when that painful bit of history came to an end.

Dr. Balfour Stewart has received £2,200 com- pensation from the railway company for the injuries he suffered at Harrow. On the 8th of January Dean Stanley will com- mence a course of four lectures in Edinburgh, on The History of the Church of Scotland." A LOCAL RATING BILL.—Mr. Christopher Nevile, who has come forward as a candidate for the vacancy in the representation of North Nottinghamshire, says he is a Liberal, but announces that he would have opposed Mr. Goschen's Local Rating Bill.—Lord Halifax (the Lord Privy Seal) being present, as an ex-officio member, at the Donca: • Board of Guardians on Saturday, intimated that the Government intend to bring in a bill next session dealing with the whole subject of local rating. COLONEL FRASEK'S APPOINTMENT.—We are glad to bear that the appointment of Superintendent of the Royal Small Arm Factory, Enfield, vacant by the resig- nation of Colonel Dixon, has been given to Lieu- tenant-Colonel Fraser, R.A., an officer in every respect well qualified for the post. His rule commences with the introduction of the new Martini-Henry rifle, and it will fall to Colonel Fraser to make the issue of the first of those arms for service to the troops and we trust that as many as 20,000 will be issued by about the close of the present financial year.-Pall Mall Gazette. TICHBORNE IN AUSTRALIA.—The Melbourne Age of November 6 contains the following paragraph :— "Mr. H. F. Purcell, one of the counsel for the defendants in the Tichborne case, who has recently arrived in Melbourne in order to prosecute certain inquiries and obtain evidence on his side, has found it necessary, in the course of his proceedings, to ask the Castlemaine bench of magistrates for leave to convey to England, for use in the Tichborne trial, the books of the local police court, containing the names of the prisoners and the charges brought against them during the years 1858-00. The bench forwarded Mr. Purcell's request to the Solici- tor-General, who has decided that it cannot be granted. Mr. Purcell has visited Wagga-Wagga, amongst other places, to obtain evidence respecting the man Cresswell. said to be identical with Arthur Orton. "HONESTY,—THE BEST POLICY."—The public are cautioned to avoid spurious imitations of Ifoitxi.irAxV. celebrated packet tea, none are genuine unless signe WH & FJ HORNIJIAN & Co," Local Agents advertised in this paper. INDIGESTION. -The Medical Profession adopt MORSON'S PREPARATION of PEPSINE as the trhe remedy. Sold in bottles and boxes from 2s. 6d. by all Pharmaceutical Chemists, and the manufacturers, Thomas Morson and Son, 124, Southampton-row, Russell-square, London. 164

DEATH OF LADY EDITH FERGUSSON. The South Australian Register of November 7 contains the following account of the death of Lady Edith Fer- gusaou, which took place at Glanville Hall, Adelaide, on Saturday, October 28 :—"Her ladyship had been for a long time suffering from an exceedingly painful malady, and little hopes of her recovery had been entertained for several days previous to the fatal issue. During the last hours of her life the acute pain which she had endured considerably moderated, and her end was very peaceful and happy. The deceased lady, Edith Christian, was second daughter of James Andrew, tenth Earl and first Marquis of Dalhousie, who will be well remembered as Governor- GeiMjral of India from 1847 to 1856. Her mother was Susan Georgiana, daughter of George, eighth Marquis of Tweeddale; anù the only suniving member of the family, Lady Susan Georgiana, is married to the Hon. Robert Bourke, brother of Lord Mayo, the present Governor-General of India. Lady Edith was married to Sir James Fergusson in 1859, and leaves four children, oneiof whom has been born since his Excellency's arrival in the colony, in February, 1869. Although her ladyship has frequently been in feeble health during her residence in South Australia, she has well discharged the duties of her exalted station, and has been foremost—although in an unobtrusive way— in works of a charitable and religious nature. Her death will be deeply felt throughout the country, and will throw many distinguished families in Great Britain into mourning."

CHINA AND JAPAN. News from China and Japan up to November the 15th says that some interest is gathering in.r apan concerning the revision next year of the treaties between that coun- try and foreign nations, and many concessions are ex- pected, in view of the progressive spirit generally exhi- bited by the Government. It is asserted that buddhism has been abolished as the national reli- gion, and the monasteries are confiscated. Ths right to export nath-e rice has been granted, and an active trade is expected. The Japanese Governor of Kanagawa has been elected a member of the Foreign Club. The loss of the native steamer Scotland, with 70,000 dols. or more of the new coins, has placed the Mint employes on over- time. The all-absorbing political question in the North of Chinlt is the starvation caused by the floods. About 2,000,000 people are expected to suffer, and very inade- quate means are taken by the mandarins to alleviate the distress and save life. No steps have yet been taken to stop the gaps in the river banks, except praying to snakes, and other, tuperstitious acts. In Hong Kong opinion has been freely canvassed as to t'he advisability of granting certain powers by ordinance to the Hong-Pier Company and the Legislative Council in Select Committee, have sat on the bill. The residt lias not yet been made known.

INDIAN INTELLIGENCE. The Indian papers of the second of December, contain the following news: — The native papers all deplore the illness of His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales, and they pray to the Almighty to restore him to health. A camp telegraph office in connection with the Iyooshai field force has been opened at Mynadhur, forty miles from Cachar. The shareholders of the London, Bombay, and Mediter- ranean Bank, in liquidation, are about to institute crimi- nal proceedings against the directors, both in England and Bombay. III Persia the famine continues, we learn, with in- creased severity. No rain has fallen, and the distress is terrible. The King has expended vast sums from his own funds to aid the starving crowds, but multitudes have made and are making their way to Herat and Candahar. The notorious Kooka sect have become so much annoyed at their late notoriety that they have decided to discard the name Kooka and adopt that of Namdaree. In consequence of the heavy port dues at Aden, the Peninsular and Oriental Company have in contemplation a. plan for keeping their steamers outside the port of Aden. The bridge across the river Vellaur, between Chillum- bruni and Cuddalore, has been washed away by a flood twenty days after it was opened for traffic. The bridge contained eleven arches of forty-five feet span. An insurrection has broken out in the Asseeree country. Wahe Pasha proceeded against the rebels with 600 Turkish soldiers, massacred the inhahitants of a village, and was then attacked by the tribes, who cut off all the soldiers but one hundred. Cholera has broken out in the Rudder Bazaar at Delhi. For the past fortnight there have been cases at Lucknow, and it first shewed itself in Delhi three or four days ago. Up to Thursday eighteen cases had proved fatal at Delhi, and it is feared that the epidemic may possibly inter- fere with the arrangements for the Camp of Exercise. Most of th 3 troops for the camp have now reached the neighbourhood of Delhi, and Lord Napier was expected to arrive on Thursday evening. The suspension of Mr. Roberts, chief magistrate of Cal- cutta, by the Lieutenant-Governor of Bengal, without any reason for the suspension being given, has caused con- siderable dissatisfaction in Calcutta.

AUSTRALIAN NEWS. The Melbourne papers of November Gth give glowing accounts of the discoveries in the Sandhurst gold fields The Airgv.s says there has been a speculative mania of share-dealing during the earlier portions of the past month, caused by the splendid yields returned by the Golden Fleece mine, on the Stafford line of reef. The reef in the Golden Fleece company's claim is considcied one of the best defined of any in the district, being 15 feet wide in some parts, and yieltling as much as 3->z. to the ton. Adjoining it, and on the same line of reef, was the Richard Heales Company and or'hcr claims, which were expected to cut the same rich reef as was found to he so wdl defined in the claim of the Golden Fleece Corn; any, and there was a great rush to inve.-t in all these claims. With such an anxiety on the part of the general public to become shareholders in such promising reefs, the shares net only in the companies nar..ed, but in almost all of the Sandhurst mines, speedily rose in value, a11(l a large amount of business was done. It was calculated that the increase in the price of stock in the Hustler's and Stafford lines of reef, which ;v'e only two out of the numerous lines of reef in the dis- trict. amounted in one week alone to one million pounds sterling. Men whose only property a short time ago con- sisted "f a few hundred worthless shares, are now, accord- ing to report, in possession of fortunes of from £10,000 to £ 40,000. Though many of the new ventures will not. of course, g-et beyond the initiatory stage, a fair proportion of them will be proceeded with, to the great benefit of the district in particular, and the colony in general. It i" almost needless now tn mention the immense value of some of the quartz reefs in the Sandhurst district. Manyof t1".w have returned splendid yields of gold for years past, and still seem inexhaustible. Some of them liave bean worked from the surface to a depth of over 700 feet, the reef. being taken out all thy way down, yet the stone ex- tracted is as rich as ever. It is now considered that there is scarcely any limit to the depth at which quartz-reefs may be considered payable, and it is not unfrequently stated that they may be worked down to 2,000 feet with results quite equal to those obtained nearer the surface of the earth. So much work is now being done in the dis- trict, that many companies are at a stamlstill through want of miners, even though £ 2 10s. per week per man is offered. A local paper states that there is room for hundreds more miners in the district. It would appear from the discoveries in new auriferous ground which are made from time to time in Victoria that nearly the whole colony is auriferous, and that gold will be extracted from it for all time to come. Only recently a payable gold-field was found at Stockyard Creek, near Port Albert, in the most south-eastern portion of the colony, far from the legion of what had hitherto been termed gold country, and now reports come to hand of the discovery of good quartz reefs in the south-western portion of Victoria, at some distance beyond the existing ''A estern gold-fields. The locality of the new field is in the vicinity of the Grampian and Victorian ranges, about 4S miles west of Ararat and 46 miles north of Hamilton. Some stone whieh was struck within three feet of the surface has been analysed, and found to contain gold at the rate of an ounce to the ton. What is considered to be the main reef has been struck at a depth of eight feet since the leader was found, and it is said to be much richer than the stone tried from the leader. There has been quite a rush to the scene of this new At Ballarat, which must'still be considered the nletro- pobtan gold-field, mining continues to be pursued in the most steady manner, and, judging from the returns, very satisfactorily. The total yields from the whole district are well kept up, and they have not as yet been equalled by Sandhurst or any other division of the colony. Discussion iR still going on regarding the Sabbath ob- servance question, and the point as to whether or not the irollebd Cerberus is to be open to visitors on Sundays (out of which the whole controversy ha.s arisen) is as undecided as ever. In the face of such conflict of opinion, the Government has been unable to make up its mind on the matter. The majority of the Cabinet, according to the Chief Secretary, concur in the views set forth in the Anti-Sabbatarian petition—he himself does so heartily—but at the same time they feel bound to respect the conscientious scruples of an influential portion of the com- munity, Mr. Duffy thinks the Government should obtain the opinion of the majority of the people on the question through their representatives, and he has sug- gested .,0 the petitioners on each side that they should get a friendly member of the Assembly to raise the question in the house, the Government undertaking to abide by the decision of the chamber. The promoters of the proposed asylum for inebriates have obtained a promise from the Government of a site, with suitable buildings upon it, with a grant of £1 for every £.1 collected privately, provided that a few hundred pounds are previously raised from the public. An effort is being made to collect the necessary funds, and the Go- vernment is to be asked to grant the old Model Farm as a site for the institution. t> The board appointed to advise the Government on the subject of the sewerage of Melbourne has agreed to a re- port, in which it is recommended that trigonometriealand engineering surveys should be made of the country within a certain radius of Melbourne, in order that the necessary data may be ascertained on which to base a sewerage scheme. The board further recommends that the direc- tion of the survey be entrusted to the Government astro- nomer, Mr. R. L. J. Ellery, and that it be carried out by a competent staff under his direction.

Attention has been called in Harper's Weekly to the injuries to the Florida submarine cable, supposed to have been caused either by the bites of the sea-turtles, or from some kinds of Ugh and we now learn that in 'lima a similar difficulty has been experienced in conse- quence of the attacks of a minute crustacean. It has become necessary to envelope the cables in certain locali- !i s v.'Mi an external supplementary layer of metallic wire, order to prevent injury in this iftfcnner. In the Dublin Queen's Bench on Friday, Judge Keogh refused a motion to exhibit interrogatories to the Marquis of Hartington, as to what orders he had given to the police authorities on the occasion of the Phoenix Park riots. At Lewes Assizes on Friday, the Grand Jury found true bill* against Christina Edmonds, on three charges of administering poison with intent to murder, and one charge of having actually murdered a boy. The trial will take place at the Central Criminal Court.

THE CONTAGIOUS DISEASES ACTS. An important memorial, bearing the signatures of nearly all the leading medical men of London, has been forwarded to the Home Secretary, urging that in any future legisla- tion no change should be made in the essential principles of the Contagious Diseases Acts now in force.— Evening Standard.

MR. HERON, M.P., ON THE IRISH LAND ACT. At a meeting of the Irish Statistical Society Mr Justice Lawson in the chair—Mr. Heron, Q.C., M.P. for Tipperary, read a paper on the Irish Land Act, One of the first results of the Act, he said, had been that in many counties the practice of serving notices to quit had altogether stopped, except for non-pay- ment of rent. The second portion of the Act, to facili- tate purchase by tenants, had not been long enough in operation to produce general results, but up to the present month f:m,OOO had been lent by the Treasury to tenants, and applications for £28.000 more were under consideration. If the Act had been in force years ago and the tenants bitterly regretted it was not—a quarter of a million evictions between 1840 and 1852 would have been impossible, and appalling misery would have been prevented. But th? Irish tenant farmer, holding from year to year, was now in abetter position than the bulk of his fellow-sub- jects in England or Scotland. Large sums were now being expended by tenants on the land, and the value of the feo -nnple to the owners had increased. Agrarian crime, as a consequence of evictions, had nearly ceased, and the system of half-yearly notices to quit had gone for ever. The Land Act had disappointed many. and a further development of tenant right was hoped for. The paper gave rise to considerable discussion.

THE ATHANASIAN CREED. "Ang-1icnllus," who is very generally believed to be Dean Stanley, writes to the Times a history of the Creed of St. Athanasius for the advantage of all those who would be obliged to hear it on Christmas-day. Two different trains of research haye been opened, oile hv the Hev. C. A. Swr.inson, Canon of Chichester, and Norrisian Professor of Divinity at Cambridge; the other by the Rev. E. S. Ffoulkes, whose fame as a learned con- troversialist ha.s filled both the churches to which h" 11:1. belonged. From the researches of Canon Swainson, it appears that the present translation was not 111 uie from the original Latin, but from a faulty Greek translation, which the compilers of the first Prayer Book mistook for an original' work of Athanasius, and that what is now read does not convey the sentiments of the original author. It, moreover, seems to contain more than one passage altogether misleading, and one, at least, which "savours of heresy." It is, perhaps, in consequence of these manifold errors that a project has been lately set on foot 1w -rime of our prelates for producing a fresh translation different from that which has hitherto received the sanc- tion of the English Church. It is right, therefore, thatthe public, when they hear the Creed recited on Christmas- day, "twuh1lw on their guard against accepting itas a true statementof orthodox doctrine, even putting aside the ques- tion of the condemning clauses. By Mr. Ffoulkes's conclu- sions the real claimant of the creed, Anglicanus says, has been h-ir.ght to light. The creed was furnished in fhe year 8:2 to Charlemagne, hy Paulinus, Patriarch of Aguileia. < "narlemagne was desirous of having a creed which should war the unquestionable badge of the Double Procession for the discomfiture of his rival at Constantinople. This creed was reproduced at Aix, under the name which it has ever since borne, of the creed of St. Athann.Mus. Such a conclusion as this, Anglicanus says, must of course be well sifted before it is admitted as cer- tain. but. thus far not one of the hypotheses hitherto sug- gested can stand comparison with it for a moment. The fact that the origin of the creed is Carlovingian, andthechief object of its publication the condemnation of the Greek Churches, can hardly be doubted. It may be a relief to many to find that the scope and spirit of this famous for- mulary belong to an age which, however frought with romantic interest, is not a a period to which we usually turn for light to solve our theological difficulties. Review ing the opinion on the creed a.t the present time, the writer says—The American Episcopal Church, which has rejected the Creed altogether from its formularies. has recently expressed its desire that on the subject of "the Ancient Creeds," and therefore we may presume on this one in particular, the English Church should come to the same conclusion with itself. The Church of Ireland, a« far as can be inferred from the determination of the Committee appointrd to revise its Prayer-book, has re- solved to withdraw from the Creed the clauses which have hitherto constituted its chief interest and its chief offence. In the English Church itself thepresent enforced use of the Creed has been (to speak onlv of the most con- spicuous living ecclesiastical authorities) publicly dis- paraged, questioned, or condemned. he Archbishopsof Canterbury and of York, the Bishop of Winchester and St. David's and in its present form or in its obvious 1n(,:1IJin;:it has been, explicitly or implicitly, repUlliated by every prelate who, within the last twoydars, has expressed au opinion on the matter.

THE NEW CONSTABLE OF THE TOWER. On Saturday the ceremony of the installation of Field Marshall Sir George Pollock, G. C. B., S. I., as Constable of the Tower, fortress, and palace, was duly performed within the precincts. The ceremony was interesting, but of course the effect was entirely marred by the heavy darkness which overshadowed almost the whole of London. Earl Sydney, the Lord Chamber- lain, accompanied by the Hon. Spencer Ponsonhy was the first to arrive, soon followed by Sir George, who looked in excellent health. They were received at "The Queen's House" by Major Millman. the Fort Major, and the pro- cession was speedily formed. The troops in the 1'1wer consisting of the first battalion of the Scots Fusilier Guards, under the command of Colonel Hepburn, and a company of the Coast Brigade of the Royal Artil- lery formed three sides of a square on the Governor's Partide. The Yeomen WaMers, headed by the Yeoman Porter, Mr. H. Hughes, and the Yeoman Gaoler, with the "Axe df State," were drawn up in a semicircle facing "The Queen's House." The procession was composed as follows Major 1\lil1man. Earl Sydney, Sir George Pollock, Mr. T. W. Ratcliff, the Steward and Coroner of the Tower, Mr. Richards, the Deputy Coroner for East Mid- dlesex (in the unavoidable absence of Mr. John Hum- phreys), Dr I vey, the phvsiciaif, the Rev. Graham Green, the chaplain, amI other Towel" ofIici[1L;. with Sir George Pollock's staff officers. On reaching the parade, which was artificially, and but scantily illuminated with blue lights, Earl Sydney, presenting the keys, said, "In the name and by command of her Majesty the Queen, I now give, Sir George Pollock, to your custody the keys of the Tower, Palace, and Fortress." Sir George having taken charge of them, Mr. H. Hughes, the yeoman porter, said in a sonorous voice, "God save the Queen," the warders loudly responding "Amen." The troops then presented arms, and the band played the National Anthem." Mr. Richards then read the patent, creating Sir Geerge as atx'os totlllorum, and then as Lord-Lieutenant of the Tower Hamlets. After wards Mr. T. W. Ratcliff read the patent creating Sir George Governor and Constable of the Tower, Palace, and Fortress; Mr. Hughes then again announced the prayerful hope "God Raye the Queen." and the" Amen" was uttered with deep feeling. The troops again presented arms, and the National Anthem was played, after which Sir George handed the keys to Major Millman. the Fort Major, who officially said, "I will now, Sir George, give you possession of the Queen's House." This provoked a smile from many of the bystanders, and the remark from one, that's a pleasing fiction," as the domain in question is the resi- dence in reality of the gallant Fort Major himself. This concluded the proceedings. Amongst the invited company present were Captain Lambert and Mr. Robin Allen (as a deputation from the Corporation of the Trinity House), Sir Andrew and Lady Waugh, E. Pollock, Q.C., Mrs. T. W. Ratcliff, Lieutenant-Colonel Macdonald (1st Surrey Rifles), General, Mrs. and Miss Eardley Wilmot, General the Hon. A. Dalzell, Sir Albert Woods (Garter King at Arms), and Miss Woods, Colonel the Hon. H. Dalzell, Sir G. H. Patrick Lawrence, General Matthew Smith, Captain and Mrs. Harcourt, &c. The office in which Sir George Pollock has just been installed dates from the time of the Conqueror, and the gallant veteran's immediate predecessor was Sir John Fox Burgoyne, who in May, 18G5, succeeded Viscount Combermcre, who was preceded by the Duke of Wellington.

v NEW MAIL STEAMERS.—The directors of the North German Lloyd have contracted with Messrs. Cairn and Co., of Greenock, for the construction of three additional first-class steamers for their mail services, making altogether five new steamers shortly to be added ■to the company's fleet —namely, two for the New York line, two for the West India line, and one for the New Orleans line. THE VENDOME COLUJIN.—According to the Gaulois, the Colonne VendÙme will shortly heOrestored to its former position. All the fragments of the column have been collected at the Depot of Crown Property in the Rue derUniversite. There are in all 272 pieces, only two of which will require recasting--those which formed that por- tion immelliately beneath the capital, representing in relief the soldiers who fought at Austerlitz. DISTRESSED LADIES.—Mr. J. Rice Byrne, one of her Majesty's Inspectors of Schools, in a letter to the Daily News suggests that there is one honourable profes- sion open to ladies, which appears to be generally over- looked. He means the profession of tellchers in elemen- tary schools under the Committee of Council on Educa- tion. The salary varies from £40 a year to £80 or £100, or higher, according to circumst[1nces, with or without a fur- nished house and a garden. The hours are easy—from nine o'clock in the morning till twelve, and again from two to four in the afternoon, with a whole holiday on Sa- turday, and not unfrequently on Sunday. The writer adds that there are two courses open to a lady, by either of which she might attain to tj»e ^j*fghts and emoluments of a certificated teacher. If ftiTficiently .young to com- mence a college course, Phe "might present herself as a candidate for admission to a training college at the examination held simultaneously in all the colleges every December. After passing it she would undergo one year's instruction and training for her future duties. Or there is, again, an easy method. She may at once undertake a school, if the managers agree to it, foregoing for the first year so much of the salary as would otherwise have accrued to it from the Government grant had the teacher been certlncated, but engaging at the end of the year to submit herself to examination for cer- tificate as an acting teacher. There is at this moment, as one result of the operation of the Elementary Education Act, an extraordinary demand for elementary teachers, and a corresponding advance in their salaries and to meet this demand peculiar facilities have been created for the admission of persons who have not passed through the usual term of apprenticeship as pupil teachers, to all the advantages attaching to the Dossession of a Government certificate. SMALLPOX, SCARLATINA.—To ward off an attack of these dangerous maladies, Or to purify, disinfect, and sweeten the body after an attack, use the COAL TAR SOAP, Wright's Sapo-Carbonis Detergens. Itremoves all pimples, blotches, and roughness from the skin, and imparts to it freshness, fragrance, and smoothness. Recommended bv the Lancet The Mediccd Times, and Medical Journal. Sold by all Chemists, Perfumers, and Grocers, in Tablets, 6d. and Is. ¡ each. W. V. WRIGHT and Co., Southwark, London. 1538

A NEW CABLE TO AMERICA. The London correspondent of the Scotsman says :—"A few weeks ago, a gentleman left here for New York, charged with the mission of effecting a contract with the newspaper publishers of that city for the transmission of all their telegraphic news for the term of ten years, at the rate of one shilling a word, through a new cable to be laid by a company now formed in London. This company proposes to lay a cable from some point 011 the western coast of England to New York, thus avoiding the repeti tions of messages, and the consequent delay which now occurs at Valentia and at Newfoundland, and to enter into obligations not to ally itself with the existing companies, or with any other Company which may be formed. The rate now paid, and the rate that has been paid since June last, for all press messages to and from New York, is 4s. a word. The reduction of this rate to Is. a word, it is thought, will increase the number and length of press despatches more than fourfold and if the new company secure, as they expect to do, a monopoly of the press despatches, they will have a large and certain revenue secured to them from the commencement of their operations. The capital for the enterprise, I believe, has already been secured.

PUBLIC HEALTH IN THE CAPITALS. The Registrar-General's return states that in London 2,203 births and 2,121 deaths were registered last week. After making due allowance for increase of population, the births were one below, while the deaths exceeded by 491, the average numbers in the corresponding week of the last ten years. The annual death-rate in London, which in the three previous weeks had been 30, 31, and 30, rose last week to 34.—In Edinburgh the annual rate of mortality from all causes last week was 34 per 1,000 persons living, in Glasgow 39 per 1,000, and in Dublin 42 the 249 deaths in Dublin included 20 from smallpox, equal, to an annual rate of 4 per 1,000.— In Paris 929 deaths were returned in the week ending last Friday, and the annual death-rate was equal to 27 per 1,000 of the estimated population. In Brussels 108 deaths occurred in the week ending the 9th, and the an- nual death-rate was 30 per 1,000. In Berlin during the week ending the 14th, 653 deaths were recorded (including 1G3 from smallpox), shewing an annual rate of 3b per 1,000. In Vienna the 382 deaths in the week ending the 9th gave an annual rate of 32 per 1,000. III Rome 199 deaths were registered in the week endiu; the 3rd, and the annual death-rate was 46 per 1.000. The increase in the deaths from smallpox in London which has been noticed in recent weeks was fully main- tained last week. During the past four weeks the fatal cases have steadily increased from 67 to 106, the latter number exceeding by 87 the corrected average weekly number in the ten years 1861-70. Enteric fever has declined, and it is probable that the sudden increase of deaths from this cause was due to the sudden depression of temperature which set in on the 4th, and attained the lowest pitch on the 8th of the month. By inducing pulmonary complication, the cold proved fatal to the "yskm suffering from the fever in itf; advanced stages. This shews the vital importance of sustaining the night temperature as well as purity of air in enteric fever. With the mild weather the deaths will decline; but the great excess of the week arises from the accumulation of deaths from bronchitis and other diseases previously contracted. The following cases of complicated typlnv.d fever were recorded, in addition to those printed last week a retired grocer, aged 38 years, died 011 the 15th inst, "from typhoid fever, 10 days, con- gestion of lungs, 4 days;" a housekeeper, aged 53 years, on the 14th, from "typhoid fever, 13 days, pneumonia, 4 days a blacksmith, aged 37 years, on the 11th, from "typhoid fever and bronchitis. 13 days;" the son of a packer, aged 3 years, on the 15th, "from pneumrihia and enteric fever;" the daughter of a gentleman, aged 7 years, on the lltli, from typhoid fever, 3 weeks, congestion of lungs, 8 days."

There is some talk among Conservatives of start- ing Mr. Bouverie; or some other member of the same school, in opposition to the Liberal candidates for the Speakership. In consequence of the importance which the Cuban question has suddenly acquired in the United States, Colonel Manias, the envoy of the. revolutionary Government of the island, has sailed from Liverpool for New York. He intends to proceed thence to Wash ington. We take the following remarks from the Mtte(iroloc/ische Currespondcnz:—"The low temperature which was noticed in the middle of September lasted with- out interruption through the whole of October. The mean temperature in the whole of this couutry was below the average and in Northern Germany by 3 deg. C. In the German Ocean and the Baltic, storms were not so frequent last October as is usual in that month, but the gale Avhich was signalled by the meteorological office of the south-west coast of England on the 30th September, advanced with such unusual velocity as to reach our shores some hours before noon, and then passing in an incredibly short time from Borkum, Emden, and Minister along the North-German plain over Torgau, Berlin, Breslau, Posen Dantzic, and Konigsberg, it took the direction of Riga. The winter com- menced much earlier than usual this year. It generally begins about the 10th November, but this time it made itself felt in the first days of October. The cold commenced in the steppes of Russia and extended thence westwards. On the 4th October the winter had set in at Smolensk, the water-courses being frozen and the fields covered with snow deep enough to permit of the use of sledges. At 7 o'clock 50 minutes on the evening of the 13th October a brief earthquake shock was observed at Marktneukirchen and Wolhausen in Saxony." THE OAKS OF EUROPE.—Land and Water snvs that according to a recent retUTI1, oak timber is rapidly disappearing from Europe. In France, since 16G9, no oak lias been felled until full grown—that is, until within thirty years of its probable decay. The consumption of oak timber in France has doubled during the last fifty years. In 1866, £170,000,000 worth was consumed, of which £;iO.COü worth was imported, against £3.000,000 worth consumed in 1820, of which £400,000 worth was imported. France requires even- year fifteen million cubic feet of oak fimbjr for wine casks, 600.000 for her fleet, 150, OoO for railway cars, and 750,000 for building purposes. In 1826 the total value of im- ported staves was £SOO,OOO; to-day the total value is £ 5.000,000. A similar increase of the importation of oak for the next thirty years would probably double the price. France, after losing Alsace and Lorraine, contains 13.1,000,000 acres, of which 20,000,000 are covered with forest. In Norway, the Administration of Forests de- clares that it is necessary to stop the cutting down of timb'T. The same enormous consumption is going on all ov, 1- Europe. Holland and Belgium are nearly denuded of timber, and are large importers. North Germany is rich in for»**t, but within half a century has begun to cut down young trees. Austria has sold her forests at auction since rai ways have been introduced. Spain and Greece are almost wood less. TuF. 1 NTKLNATIONAL.—The quarrel in the coun- cils of th" International, whieh began the other day, has gone on so raoidly that a secession of the French sections of the Association is now imminent, and that this will be 1 a complete disruption of the society is prolicide. The eomplaint of the French flections is, that thr Oei na1 Council in London, under the dictatorship of Karl Marx, insists 11pon confining the work of the Association to purely trade interests, and to sup- porting strikes only for trade purposes; while the French sections demand that the Associa- tion shad regard political questions, and shall use its machinery for the promotion of revolutions. Affairs have renche 1 such a stage that the French members of the t leiieral Council, who are also at the head of a French f 'ouncil of the Association, have presented an ultimatum to the General Council, demanding the deposition of Marx, allli the substitution of one who would <:arr,yout their own policy and in the event of this demand being refused, the French section will at once cut loose from the (leneral and set up business on their own account. The meeting at which this ultimatum was presented was enlivened by many bitter attacks 111'011 Marx, who was accused of being in the pay of Bismarck, while he retorted 11\' denouncing his dlief accuser afl a .1 ullas. While this is going on. a movement is being made among the English trndos \!I!II1- which have hitherto been "affiliated" with the International, for the purpose of separating themselves from the association, and it is likely that a formal declara- tion of this separation ivill be made at the approaching National Congress of Tradss Unions at Nottingham. It would 1lnt llJuch surprise me if a complete disorganisation of the International occurred within a few months.— Correspondent of Scotsman. Ilnsn SOCIETY FOR WOMEN'S SUFFRAGE.— The cO\11mittee of the Irish Women's Suffrage Association have just met at Blackrock, Dublin, the rneeting having been postponed till last week in consequence of the dangerous illness of the Prince of Wales. r-liss Anne Isabella Robertson presided. In opening the proceedings, Miss Robertson said Among the many arguments used, by our opponents, who seem now to be rather at their wits' ends for grollllds on which to base their opposition, perhaps I should allude to the argument that women should not get the franchise because they cannot be soldiers. In answer to this, the simple fact may be stated that our soldiers have not got the franchise them- selves. They are not householders, they do not pay rates, and, therefore, soldiers are not by our law, qualified for the franchise. Those persons who say women should not he vovers because they cannot be soldiers appear to be somewhat confused in their minds respecting the British Constitution. Piobably they have picked up at random objections to women's suffrage started in foreign countries, where universal male suffrage exists, and where soldiers consequently vote as well as all other men. A gentleman of education would be ashamed if his grown-«qpi"8on made mistakes con- cerning the geography of different countries, and con- founded one place with another. Yet some of our oppo- nents, even members of Parliament, make just as great mistakes in adopting objections to women's suffrage made in other countries, with a constitution quite different from their own, and so confounding the different principles which guide the representative systems d different nations. If we admit that the liability to be called on to bear arms in defence of one's country forms an indispensable qualification for the suffrage, then to be con- sM-tent wp should disfranchise leading political men and heads of departments when they arrive at an age unsuitable for military duties and certainly such a course would be very detrimental to the interests of a nation, as well as to the welfare of the individuals themselves. The injustice to women consists in excluding them from the franchise when they are householders and ratepayers, and legally qualified in every respect, but that of sex, thus casting a stigma on womanhood, which women suffer from in every department of life. A reso- lution was unanimously passed, thanking Mr. Jacob Bright rH. P., for his intention to bring in a bill next session: ")f Parliament to Remove the Electoral Disabilities of W Uen. EPPS'S CHOCOLATE. —La Situation (the Imperialist organ), in an article entitled "France et Angleterre."says —Nous n'avons en France qu'une seule usine ou la. pre- paration du Cacao emploie un materiel et un personnel aussi considerables que ceux que nous avons vus dans l'usine de Messieurs Epps. C'est unt veritable curiosite dans son genre quecette immense fabric! The wrapper of each cake of Chocolate prepared by this firm is labelled "JAMES Errs & Co.. Hcmoeripathic Chern.;sts, London." Also, makers of Epps's Milky Chocolate and Condensed Milk). 138-1

AFFAIRS IN FRANCE. PARTS. Tuesday It has long been thought that the grand festivals ant.™* receptions of the season would bring the question of the capital prominently forward. It now appears that a troublesome point of etiquette has been satisfactorily decided. On New Year's Day M. Thiers, as President of the Republic will receive the great bodies of the State in Paris at the Elysee, but on the preceding evening he will himsqjf pay a State visit, with all his Ministers, to the President of the National Assembly as the represen- tative of the sovereignty of the people. This is considered a very happy solution of the difficulty, as it affirms the right of Paris to pre-eminence, and the selection of the Elysee as the place for the receptions is very appropriate. M. Thiers is no doubt very anxious for tb" .establish- ment of the Government in the capital, but the majority is as obstinate as ever on the point. The Avenir National asserts that the Monarchists in the Assembly are deter- mined not to concede the point, because they wish to re- serve the glory of bringing the Assembly to Paris for the Due d'Aumale. Christmas being more of a religious than a social feast in Paris, the churches formed the centre of attraction yes- terday. Crowds wended their way to the various edifices from an early hour. The Madeleine was an object of great interest from the striking con- trast which it presented to the events of last Christmas. The Abbe Deguerry, who officiated on that occasion now fills 9 martyr's grave. The Church itself also bears traces of the fiery ordeal through which it passed, many of the exterior columns having been chipped by shells. Louis Blanc has written to the Figaro explaining his reasons for not sending to that paper his contribution on behalf of the widows of the gendarmes assassinated by the Commune. M. Blanc says that where the Figaro sees a party question he sees only matter of humanity, and he does not wish a political meaning to be attached to his act, which does not accord with his feeling. The Temps has made a welcome announcement in an- ticipating the report of the Minister of the Interior re- specting the treatment of journals which publish incorrect news. Instead of prosecuting them at once on the charge of spreading false intelligence, rectifications of the state- ments will be sent to the papers. These will simply refer to the subject in question, and will not be actuated by the bitter spirit which habitually distinguished the Imperial communications. Should this prove correct, it would be a great improvement on the old regime with respect to the press, for few prosecutions are so difficult to meet as those which come under the category of false news. It is im- possible for journalists to avoid the commission of mistakes occasionally and the most superior papers will be the first to appreciate the importance of rectifying any error which they may inadvertently have made. Mme. Thiers has placed herself at the'head of an Asso- ciation of ladies, which proposes to execute a worthy task. Their mission is to collect means for rebuilding the peasants' cottages that were destroyed during the war. Those per- sons who desire to join in the laudable undertaking are to contribute a sou a week, but several payments can bo made in advance. It is almost impossible to form a correct estimate of the distress occasioned by the ruin of so many thousand cottages during the war, and\*ny plan that tends to ameliorate the condition of the sufferers should meet with encouragement. It is reported that the German authorities in the Ardennes have already acted on the instructions of Bis- marck's dispatch, and arrested a notability in consequence of a scuffle which took place between the French and the Bavarians. This will add greatly to the difficulties c the present state of things. In connection with this subject it may be mentioned that the Paris papers seem never weary of reproducing articles from the English journals on Bismarcks dispatch. The condemna- tion it has generally received from them, has caused the most lively satisfaction over here. In the event of M. de Remusat accepting the offer of the Northern Candidature, his success will probably be secure.

MR. CHILDERS AND HIS CONSTITUENTS. Mr. Childers arrived at Pontefract on Tuesday after- noon, and was cordially received. He is the guest of the Mayor and the Rev. Dr. Bissett, the vicar. The following address has been issued :— To THE ELECTORS OF THE BOROUGH OF PONTEFSACT. Gentlemen,—When I was taken seriously ill some months ago, and ordered to abstain from public business of any kind, you adopted in public meeting a resolution which enahled me to ahsent myself for a time from Par- ment. without feeling that I was acting otherwise than in accordance with your wishes. I have now returned to England, thoroughly restored. I thank God, in health, and able to attend fully to my Parliamentary duties. I lose no time in coming among you to thank you most warmly for the great consideration you shewed me when you sanc- tioned my temporary absence, and for the many marks of kindness which I have received from yon..1 uring my illness. I return to the House of Commons with renewed deter- mination to act up to those principles which I have uni- formly professed when a candidate for your suffrages, and 011 the faith of which I have been for twelve years one of your members. I trust that I may thus continue to enjoy the confidence of your ancient borough, whose interests and wishes I shall do my utmost to forward.- I have the honour to be, gentlemen, your faithful servant, HUGH C. E. CHILDERS. Cantley, 23rd December, 1S71.

The North Bridge of Edinburgh is to be altered and widened at a cost not to exceed £10,0)0. Miss Macpherson, from Canada, is at present in the North of England, trying to secure domestic servants to take back with her to Canada. Among the legacies left by the Duke de Girgenti in his will are the sword he wore at Alcolea. to Queen Isabella his walking-stick to Don Francisco d'Assis; GO.OOOf. to his secretary, Besta and a like sum to his aide-de-camp, Baesa. He appoints the Archduke Albert as his executor, subject to the consent of his own nearest relatives. The late Rev. Dr. Hayne, for some time Rector of Mistley and Bradfield, Essex, has bequeathed £ 100 the poor of those parishes to be distributed in such a man- ner as Mrs. Hayne may deem best. The bearers of his coffin were, bv his special direction, "eight poor labourers four from each parish, God-fearing men, and not given to drink. Earl Granville has received an intimation from the French charge d'affaires that in consequence of the improvement in the sanitary state of the coasts of the Baltic and North Seas, vessels running between France and Endand may now, under cerbin conditions, make their voyages without being obliged to produce bills of health. The Bishop of Bath and Wells has, it is stated, intimated to the rector of Glastonbury that he cannot sanction the use of the "Churchman's Manual," or any other books save the Bible, Prayer-book, and Hymn-book, in church. At one of the services held during the "St. John's Mission" at Glastonbury, the bishop is announced to have risen from his seat during the service and openly protested against such teachings as inviting the congrega- tion to attend confession. MR. BUTT, M.P., AND THE LAXD ACT.—It is announced that Mr. Butt has been retained for the Downpatrick Land Sessions, in the case of Patrick Keown v. Lord De Ros, on the 1st January next. He is engaged by the plaintiff to argue a point of considerable importance to tenant farmers, and one on which considerable diversity of opinion exists among professional gentlemen.- Free- man's Journal. Bvmor Goss ox THE FAIR SEX.—In the course of a sermon, preached on Sunday last, Dr. Goss, the Roman Catholic Bishop of Liverpool, said a few words about strong-minded women. While he e:lVc them credit for a desire to aid the poor by enter- ing the medical profession, becoming members of school boards and boards of guardians, it must be remembered, he remarked, th^j^ woman had a mission to fulfil in this world, and 110 so^^r did she leave her own Rphere of action than she had to grapple with the rougher nature of man, and thus, so to speak, she "unwomanized" herself. Hence, if woman were well advised, she would, he said, endavour to rule by her domestic virtues, and not set herself on an equality with man. FRENCH SOLDIERS AT ALDERSHOT.—Lieutenant- General Sir Hope Grant received on Friday last. at Aldershot, the two eldest sons of the Due de Broglie, who were presented to him by the French Charge d'Affaires, M. C. Gavard, and had some very interesting manoeuvres performed in the presence of these two young noblemen, who both fought during the last war, and one of whom still belongs to the etal-major of the French army. The Princes de Broglie and M. Gavard were afterwards pre- sented by the gallant general to the mess of the 9th Lan- cers, where they met with the most cordial hospitality. They were conducted by Majpr Hardy and Lieutenant Lord William Beresford through the barrack's and tents, and e*nressed themselves highlv satisfied with all they saw. SIMPSON'S CAITLF. SPICE. —This seasoning powder to sprinkle amongst the food f.,r horses, cows. 'ves, fat tin"' cattle, sheep, pigs &■ poultry, is the iir.-t e'ver'sold as Cattle Spice," and ten times strongci m„ any initia- tion its wonderful effects are proved all •, ,WOr"l — Sold retail in halfpenny packets, and s> .)ac]<t^s by grocers, druggists, and corn dealers with the makers' trade mark and signatm r >'•> PASTRY MADE-EASY. A fair ;1 Simpson's "Clipper" Custard Flout j v Baking l'owder-t}lree new and mos> in large penny packets, & sixpenny bo\ ;u .<)Ce^ drviggists. and confection.-js every win r. ( so'e manufacturers). Chiswell-street, L FLORTLINE.—Fou THE TEITH AND :• V'f, drops of the Fragant Floriliue on a r (iru<.h produces a delightful foam, which cl":1 fh'e Teeth from all impurities, strengthens and har.'a-i> the •-uins prevents tartar, and arrests the prowess frcn\* it gives to the teeth a peculiar and beautiful v • i-r imparts a delightful fragrance to the biv.- all unpleasant odour arising from decay ordered stomach or tobacco smoke. Floriline is purely vegetable, and v and young. It is the greatest „ v", Sold at 2s: Gd. by al" -*1- Lt only by H. C 'v- according!; word';r;oriiiI1e»«nte''«I for buu. t: