Monmouthshire Merlin

MISCELLANEA. The Nord announces that Mdlle. Nilsson has be- IItow-ed her hand on a duke. Mr. Trust, the excellent harpist of the Royal Italian Opera, died a few days ago. IIundreùs of United States soldiers stationed in 4cotah are said to be married to Indian women. .A Kentucky newspaper announces that w the Organ of the people and of the Bourbon whisky hade." Madame Alboni is, within a few days coming to London to sing Rossini's Mass. She is to get £120 a night. The gold medal of the Institute of British Archi- tects has been awarded to Professor C. R. Lepsius, of Berlin. The Stockbridge Indians of Wisconsin, once a powerful tribe, now number but 300, and are said to be in want. A comedy by the Duke of Massa and M. Aurelian pchol is among the novelties anticipated at the Theatre Francais. nrnrr!3"11^68 '13'6'- ^r- William BrOUgh, upon theun- °f Joan of Arc, is the Easter offer- ing at the Strand. T At a recent sale of autographs of Presidents in New York, those of Washington and Lincoln brought the highest prices. Madame Patti made her re-appearance at the Italians, Paris, on Tnesday night, in the Traviata," and was most enthusiastically received. According to the Friend of India, the late Nizam's favourite amusement was to drive a hansom cab round his gardens with the groom inside. Mr. Byron's new drama, "Minnie or, Leonard's Love," was brought out last week at the Globe Theatre. The interest of the piece is domestic. A wonderful violinist is creating a sensation in Paris. His name is Bartelloni, a Roman by birth. He recalls by the furia of his execution that of Pag- anini. Mr. Hardwick, the architect of Lincoln's Inn Hall and Library, has, after long service in his profession and the Roval Academy, determined to surrender his seat as R.A. The driver of an engine was killed at Edgeware- road Station on Monday morning. He was engaged In oiling the machinery, when he was thrown from the engine and killed on the spot. ACanadian newspaper indirectly reports the depth of snow there, by announcing that a traveller's worse was fatally injured by becoming entangled 'WIth a telegraph wire 20 feet from the ground. The Spiritists of Lvons are about to hold a meet- lDg to endeavour to assure the co-operation of the soul of the late master of the sect, M. Allan Kardec, Whose sudden death in Paris was recently announced. Mr. Marks, it is said, will send to the Royal Academy a picture representing a party of minstrels traversing a corridor in a lordly house, on their way to the nailery which is appropriated to them, above the dining-hall. A dramatic company is being organised among some of the most popular performers of Spain, for a professional tour to the chief towns of France, in- cluding Paris, and under the direction of Madame Llanosde Bremon. On the 17th January, an ex-Catholic priest, Ati- lano A. Lorano, was married in Cindad Guerrero, by the civil magistrate, to Donna Carmen Cautu and an ex-nun, from one of the convents ill Puebla, has lately been married in Mexico. A limited edition of Watson's "Choice Collection of Comic and Serious Scots Poems," 170G, 17011,1711 is announced by Maurice Ogle and Co., G.r.sgow. The book is to be re-produced in fac-simiie—10 copies on large reaper and 150 on small. Mr. Woolnerwill probably contribute to the'P.oya! Academy his statue of "Ophelia," companion to I the "Elaine" which was shown last year. Also busts of the Right Hon. W. E. Gladstone, Sir Bartle Frere, of Bombay Mr. Joseph Pease, of Darlington and Mr. Charles Darwin, of The Origin of Species." Apropos of the Ameer of Afghanistan and his Jisit to India a good story is told—that, while pro- fessing himself ready and anxious to submit freely to all arrangements prepared for him, he made one stipulation only, viz.,—that he was not to be re- quired to travel by rail by night.—Bombay Gazette. Dr. Cornthwaite, the Roman Catholic Bishop of Beverley, has issued a circular to all the clergy in his diocese, commanding a collection to take place in their churches next Sunday on behalf of "Peter's pence." It is stated that next Sunday is the 50th anniversary of the celebration of Pope Pius Ninth's first mass. The scheme of opening the Lyceum as a lyric thea- tre has been Publicly advertised, under the title of the New Italian Opera." The season is to open on Monday the 3rd of May, and the orchestra will be composed of the members of Mr. Mapleson's late and. The principal singers are not yet oflicially announced. THE PROJECTED TURRET SHIPS.—The Star says that Mr. Corry deserves warm praise for his spirited and intelligent opposition to the Admiralty project to build the two largest armour-clad ships in the world, pending experiments which may tend to solve some of the present uncertainties in the science of naval construction. SUICIDE OF A NOBLEMAN.—On Saturday Lord Cloncurry committed suicide by throwing himself from the window of his bedroom, at his residence Lyons Castle, County Kildare. His lordship was under restraint for sometime, but managed 011 Sat- urday to elude his attendants. He was the third baron, and had attained the age of 53. The remarkable caverns at Guildford have been to some extent cleared of the debris with which they were encumbered. A safe place of access is being formed for the public, and, if the necessary consent can be obtained from the owners of the soil, in all Probability the caverns will be opened for the in- spection of the curious during the coming summer. Messrs. Laidlow and Son, of the Barrowfield Iron °rks, Glasgow, have just completed a gas-holder c;>f colossal proportions-it is the largest ever made In Scotland-for the Collingwood and Fitzroy Gas Company, Melbourne, Victoria. It is 160 feet dia- meter, by 25 feet deep (single lift), and is made to contain no less a quantity than about 600,000 cubic feet of gas. A duel was fought near Paris on Friday between a Hanoverian Baron and an English ex-officer. It originated in another recent encounter. The prin- pals posted down to the ground, were both seconded by Englishmen, and fought with sabres. The Eng- lishman was wounded, but not grievously his an- tagonist was calmly smoking his cigar in the Bois" before six a'clock p.m. Mr. T. G. Appleton, of Boston, who is now in ^avfn«aofP^ r,S nth^Splendid Section of en- ber and l L c"d*nal Tosti, 10,000 in nnm- rarv Six hn^eTted lfc to the Boston Pnblic Lib- FRCOMPAN^D B^ ^^O^^PHE^ARE time'to tleUbSffi JTctSlTslellln. It has already been stated that the Prince Impe- rial is universal legatee to the late Princess Bacioc- chi. Among other estates which His Imperial High. ness has thus inherited is the Villa Vicentina "an immense property of from 1,200 to 1,500 hectares (2t acres each) in the environs of Trieste. The di- rector of the Emperor's private domain has just left Paris to visit the estate, in order to decide whether it should be preserved or disposed of. THE CONVENT CASE.—A statement has obtained currency to the effect that the Solicitor-General has returned his fees iu the case of Saurin v. Star in the belief that Miss Saurin's friends were not in a position to pay them. We have authority to state that the Solicitor-General has not returned his fees aud that Miss Saurin's friends calculated the cost before instituting proceedings, and are quite pre- pared to bear them, should the appeal on points of law reserved terminate adversely to her-Laiv Time a THE ABSORPTION OF THE TELEGRAPHS BY THE STATE.—There is no longer any room for doubt as to the completion by Her Majesty's Government ol the transfer of the telegraphs of the State. The ar- rangements for the transfer are progressing rapidly, and we are in a position to state that the Govern. ment acquirement will include at least one of the cables between England and the continent, in addi. ion o the properties of the companies at present per orming the inland service of the United King« doxn.-RylandS, Iron Trade Circular, • Tr Archbishop Maiming nals declined to allow, memo- rials, praying for the release of the Fenian prisoners, to be left at the doors of Moorfields Cathedral for signature. Dr. Manning holds that it is not possible to allow the Catholic churches to be used for any but religious purposes. Any political or other peti- tion must be signed elsewhere. Mr. Charles Lucas died last week, at the age of sixty-one. In his youth he gave promise of creative power, which his after-life failed to justify. But for many years lie held a recognised position among English musicians. He retained the post of-firrt violoncello in all the best English orchestras until an accident disabled him from playing, and he suc- ceeded, on his retirement, Mr. Cipriani Potter as principal of the Royal Academy of Music. Among many other works, Mr. Lucas wrote an opera, "The Regicide,"—noteworthy because it has the strange distinction of having been published and never played. A CORPORATION CHARGED WITH CRUELTY.— "The mayor, aldermen, and burg-esses of the borough of Liverpool" have been prosecuted, though unsuc- cessfully, by the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. The charge preferred was that a horse employed in the scavenging department, had been worked whilst suffering from an injury to one of its feet. That the horse was lame was admitted but for the defence it was contended that the injury did not cause the slightest pain to the animal. Veteri- nary surgeons gave evidence in support of the charge whilst others justified the line of defence taken. These doctors differed very widely indeed. The bench were satisfied that the case had not been sus- tained, and dismissed the summons. BREECH-LOADING RIFLES.-The final report of the special committee on breech-loading rifles was published on Monday morning last. After a careful consideration on the relative advantages and disad- vantages of Henry and Martini systems, and the re- sults of,the many trials to which both have been sub- jected,the committee decide on giving the preference to the Martini breech mechanism, and on recom- mending it as the one best qualified for a military arm of any that has been brought before them. They also recommended the Martini system of breech mechanism in preference to the Snider system. The committee, however, prefer the Henry barrel, and the general conclusion at which they have arrived is that the combination of the Martini breech me- chanism with the Henry barrel does not cause any deterioration in the efficiency of either piece, but that an arm combining the two systems the one best adapted to the requirements of the service. HORRIBLE DISCOVERY NEAR SEVENOAKS. — On Sunday morning an agricultural labourer passing along the main road, between Dunton-green and Sevenoaks, discovered the dead body of a woman, almost in a state of nudity. Some yards from the spot where the body was found the footway on the side of the road presented an appearance such as would be produced by persons struggling together. In the field, on the other side of the woodell paling adjacent to this point, most of the articles of the deceased's clothing were picked up. On examining the corpse more closely, it was observed that the face was much bruised and discoloured. No trace of blood, however, was found either on the body or on the ground. The body was identified as that of a woman who, two days before, had taken up her quarters at a common lodging-house, in the village of Dunton-green, and who had been begging and selling matches in the neighbourhood. She was last seen at half-past twelve o'clock on Saturday night, in company with a man known to the police who have arrested him. THE OPENING OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM ON SUNDAY.—The Home Secretary on Monday received a deputation from the National Sunday League, in favour of opening museums and other institutions on Sunday. In reply, the Home Secretary said his opinions on the question were well known. In fact, he had been advertised as a person unfit to repre- sent a religious community, but the matter was one not to be decided by his individual opinions, but by the entire Government, and they had to consider the national feelings and prejudices. For himself, he thought that much mischief had arisen in this coun- try in consequence of Sunday being considered as the only day for entertaining religious feelings. He promised that the matter should have the careful consideration of the Government. The deputation then withdrew.—Mr. Bruce also received a deputa- tion from the Working Men's Lord's Day Rest Asso- ciation in favour of opening museums, &c. on week- day evenings, and against the opening of such places on Sunday. The deputation, which consisted of over 100 working men, was headed by Lord Shaftes- bury.—The Home Secretary said he could not see what harm the opening of the British Museum on the Sunday would do. Kew, Chiswick, and similar places had been open on Sunday for years but, as he was appealed to as a member of the Government and not for an expression of his own views he might say that he believed the feeling was to keel) the Sabbath as it now is observed, and if that were so he would be the last man in the world to offer any opposition. He had no doubt whatever that the Go- vernment would act in accordance with that feel- ing.-The deputation then withdrew. A NEW METAL-The discovery of another metal- lic element, by means of spectrum analysis, is again announced this time by Mr. Sorby, who found it m the course of an examination of some Ceylon hyaemths orjargon (zircon), as the stone is some- times called. Hence, Mr. Sorby proposes to calHhe new metai jargonium The characteristic spectrum of the supposed new element is a series of 1,1 ant sorption bands, and in connection with these h t right to mention that Professor Church, who i's well! known by his researches on some of the rarer and more expensive minerals, had noticed in 1866 that some zircons gave a series of black bands, from which he then inferred the presence of a new element and proposed the name of nigrium for it. Earlier still Svanberg, oy a chemical examination of zircon, came to the conclusion that it contained a till then undis- covered element, which he did not succeed in com- pletely isolating from zirconium, but for which he suggested the name norium. Whether the metals thus independently discovered are one and the same or three distinct elements, remains to be settled by a more complete examination. We fancy, however that there can be little doubt that Professor Church's nigrium and Mr. Sorby's jargonium are identical. The minerals which contain these metals are so rare that the discovery is of little importance, except in a scientific point of view. But we must quote one practical application of Professor Church's discovery which he has pointed out in the "Intellectual Obser- ver" for May, 1866. The orange hyacinth, and which shows these black lines very distinctly, is extremely i a: e, and very precious, and other and cheaper stone cmnamon-garuet, is commonly sold for it. The lat- ter gives no black bands, and hence the spectroscope affords a ready means of detecting the imposition Mechanics' Magazine. IMPRISONMENT FOR DEBT.-The bill is published, having for its object the abolition of imprisonment Im for debt, the punishment of fraudulent debtors, and other purposes. There are, however, certain excep- tions made with regard to the first provision, and these are Default in payment of a penalty default in payment of any sum recoverable summarily de- fault by a trustee or person acting in a fiduciary capacity in payment of any sum in his possession or under his control; default by an attorney or a so- licitor m payment of costs when ordered to be paid for misconduct as such, or neglect to pay money in his character of an officer of the court making the nf » L'l in payment for the benefit of creditors Spft n/+i°r SUm accruing Periodically in re- spect ot the payment of which any court having a""S( 'J'0n ln bankruptcy is authorised to make snect nffv, a ^fanlt in payment of sums in re- measnr« ninPa^m?nt of wlu'ch orders are in this inferior onn f0"8™to made in county and other inferior courts. The bower of committal by county °"?Verj to continue in cases where goods have been obtained by false pretences, fraud, breach of trust, or without reasonable probabilitv of being able to pay for them and in cases also where defendants who refuse or neglect to obey a judg- ment have the means of payment, but the aggregate term of imprisonment is not to exceed three°months. Power is, moreover, reserved for the arrest of de- feudants whose liability amounts to £50 and up- wards, and about to leave England pending the suit. With respect to the second part of the bill, any per- son adjudged a bankrupt, or whose affairs are in process of liquidation, is to be deemed guilty of misdemeanour, and may,on conviction, be sentenced to a term of two years' imprisonment, with or with- out hard labour, for fraud, of which sixteen different Kinds or degrees are enumerated under this heading. Uiese comprise, amongst others, the secreting of property which ought to be handed over to trustees, the fraudulent removal of property, false statements |l to estates and effects, and suppression of the truth. The bill is endorsed by the Attorney- General, the Solicitor-General, and the Chancellor of the Exohequer. I FFNTFNCE OF DEATH.—At the Gloucestershire -wisea on Saturday last, Charles Wiltshire was con- vic'pd'of the murder of Harriet INnrse, at St. Genre's, near Bristol, on the 31st January under circumstances of great atrocity The trial lasted two days It maybe remembered that the deceased had been drinking, and had become m a state of in- dication She was proceeding homewards, and had sat down by the side of the road, when the prisoner and another man, named Milsom, came up, and the former, after using a threat as to what he would do to the woman, proceeded to carry out his threat, his companion standing by, and, according to the account, endeavouring to dissuade lum from the act Milsom left him with her m the lane. Next morning her body was found in an adjoining field, with her clothes much torn and disordered, and marks of considerable violence on her body. For the prisoner, his counsel (Mr. Griffits) suggested that death might have been caused by exposure to cold and wet, and not by violence. His lordship occu- pie(j over two hours in summing up, and the jury found a verdict of guilty. His lordship passed the sentence of death. The prisoner walked from the dock apparently quite unmoved. IRISH OUTRAGES.—On Friday, an inquest was held on the body of Mr. Topham, who was murdered on his farm in the neighbourhood of Fethard, Tip- perary, on Wednesday night. No evidence afford- ing a clue to the perpetrators of the crime was given, nor is it considered probable that any will be ob- tained and an open verdict of wilful murder was returned. The causes of the shocking crime can- not be surmised, but it is believed not to be an agra- rian murder, as Mr. Topham was on good terms with his neighbours, and had in no way run coun- ter to the popular opinion in agrarian matters. Many years since he took a small quantity of land over the heads" of the former tenants, but no ill- feeling seemed to be cherished upon that account. Three brothers, named Fitzgerald, distant connec- tions of the deceased, have been apprehended on suspicion arising from the fact that there were some family differences of an ancient date between them and Topham.—Another outrage is reported to have been committed in Kerry. A bailiff, named Kelly, in the employment of Captain Meham, the agent of the Trinity College property at Valentia, was fired at while riding home on Wednesday night, but escaped uninjured. As no trace of a bullet has been found, it is suspected that it was blank cart- ridge that was discharged merely with the intent of frightening the man. THE GATHURST MURDER.—The shocking murder of a little girl, named Annie Houghton, at Gathurst near Wigan, in December last, will be fresh in the memory of our readers, and it will not be forgotten also that the exertions of the police to discover the murderer have hitherto been unsuccessful. That they have not given up the search, however, may be gathered from the following placard, which was issued last week by Mr. Superintendent Ellison :— £ 100 reward. Further information regarding the murder of Annie Houghton, aged 12 years, daughter of William Houghton, farm bailiff, at Ackhurst Hnll, Orrell, near Wigan, who was murdered at her father's house during the absence of her parents, by some person or persons unknown, between half-past qi x and half-past seven o'clock on the evening of the 15th of December, 1868. At the time of the mur- der a silver Geneva watch, of which the following is a description, was stolen from the house :—No 424 white silver dial, with gold centre and yellow figures, in old English the spring of the back case is weak, and-a slight shake will cause the case to tly open, A reward of dElOO, namely jE50 by Her Ma- jesty's Government, and J650 by Mr. Joseph Roper, of Ackhurst Hall, will be paid to any person who shall give such information and evidence as shall lead to the discovery and conviction of the murderer or murderers, and the Secretary of State will advise the grant of Her Majesty's gracious pardon to any accomplice not being the actual murderer, who shall give such evidence as shall lead to the above result Information to be given to the Chief Constable* County Police Office, Preston to Mr. Ellison, super- i Itonrlellt of the county police, Pemberton, near Wigan or at any of the police stations in the county of Lancaster.—By order of the Chief Constable. VELOCIPEDE RACE FROM CHESTER TO NEAR LIVERPOOL.—For a considerable time past much ill. erest has been created in Liverpool by recurring discussions as to the powers and qualifications of the bycyclc or velocipede as a means of locomotion, aud no small amount of controversy has been eiici- tod in connection with the subject. For some time past stray performers on the implement of travel have been to be met with in the streets of Liverpool lint much more numerously in the suburbs. As a test of their utility as means of transit, a prize con- s:stin<? of a silver model of a bycycle, was offered bv Mr. Browne, an extensive manufacturer of the vehicle, as a prize for the successful competitor in a race of bycycles from Chester to Rock Ferry, and the race was fixed to come off on Saturday. No fewer than twenty gentlemen entered as competi- t >rs for the prize, naming their velocipedes respec- tivcly as Knight of the Garter, Firefly, Templer, Centaur, Mandarin, Pegasus, Hermit, Maccaroni, nladiateur, Parisian, Doctor, Aurora, Comet, Mis's Julia,1- Mensehikoff, Black Bess, the Britannia, Jupiter, Chester, and the Flycatcher. The start was fixed to take place at Chester at 2.15 p.m. pre- cisely, and the high mettled racers" were ex- pected at the winning post, at Rock Ferry, about naif-past three p.m., long before which time a large crowd had assembled at the point where the i;ace was to terminate. As in other cases of a similnr character, all who booked did not practically come up to the work. Ultimately, however, 12 out of the 20 booked came to the scratch," and they started, as nearly as could be made out by the report of the starter and umpire, about a quarter before three o'clock. An immense crowd had assembled to wit- ness the start, which occasioned some difficulty at first, but eventually all was cleared up, and the gal- j lant velocipedists started oil their journey. Many inconveniences they had to encounter, not the least of w of which was a strong, north-east wind, which greatly impeded their progress. The race was ex- pected to terminate, as already stated, about half- past three, but it was ten minutes past four when Mr. Eaton, riding Miss Julia, arrived at the winning post, and was hailed the victor. He was evidently much exhausted. Two minutes afterwards, Mr. Notasa, riding the Comet, came in second and five minutes subsequently, Mr. De Wolfe rode in "queer" third. After that the other competitors came drop- ping in, and the whole affair, which had created great interest, was concluded. OUTRAGEOUS CONDUCT OF A FATHER.—At the Chesterfield Police-court, on Saturday, William Draycott was charged with assaulting his' daughter Mary Ann Draycott, on the 26th of March. In answer to the Bench defendant said Yes, I am guilty, I did beat her.-Complainant, who said she was 17 next birthday, deposed that her father beat her with a stick because she had not done enough work for him. Her stepmother was in bed poorly.—By the Bench I broke a dish one Saturday night, and he got a rope, tied it round my waist, and fastened me to the ceiling. My feet did not touch the floor. The stick produced (about one inch thick) is the one lie beat me with. He broke it over me.—The Bench Do you ask her any questions ?—Defendant Oil, she tells her tale, sir, and it's correct.-Police- constable Mercer From information I received I went to Grassmoor at three o'clock on Good Friday afternoon. 1 went to defendant's house, and asked for him. I questioned him as to the row that had taken place ill the morning. He said his daughter did not get up early enough for him, and I asked to see ler. Ie called her in, and sho had a large bruise on the left cheek, which was much swollen. I removed her dress on the shoulder, and I found her body on both sides was very much bruised and corT-r' 1 ^ave me tlie Stick 0f his ac- cord Complainant, in answer to the Bench, said she did not know what her father struck her on the facewith.-Stephen Hill described the language used by the defendant to his daughter. He was t ra Ho cnl^H T, I'? aa he could for tive minutes, lie could hear the blows very plainly in his own house, lie heard defendant say he would kill her, and he thought he was suiting the action to the word. Sue went to the pump, and her arms were all over blood. There was a place on her face two inches wide, and there was not a bit of skin on it He with some other neighbours, went to the police at once, ihe mother-in-law was as bad as defendant. Defendant was not drunk when he beat complainant -he scarcely ever had a pint of ale-Defendant I beat her because she was a bad girl, and did not get up in the morning. I asked her if she was not ashamed, and she said sho was not. She was saucy and that is the reason why I beat her.—The Bench said it was a most shameful and cruel assault and they should commit him to prison for three calen- dar mouths with hard labour, and to pay the cost of these proceedings, amounting to £ l 12s., or in de- fault to be further imprisoned for one calendar month.—Defendant paid one aovereign. and was re- moved iu custody. WOMEN'S RIGHTS IN RUSSIA.—Those interested ¡ in women's suffrage and in the reform of the law concerning married women's property may be sur- prised to learn Russia is in advance of England on those questions. We are informed on undoubted authority that married women in Russia can hold property and dispose of it as they please and as the qualification for the franchise includes the posses- sion of a certain amount of property, women who possess that amount have the right to vote, though it must be exercised by proxy, a male relative or friend representing them at the election. THE BIRTHDAY OF NAPOLEON I.—The Emperor, Empress, and Prince Imperial, the Prince Napoleon, and the "rest of the royal family," as you say in your toasts, will leave in a splendid flotilla in the autumn for Corsica, on a pious pilgrimage to Ajaccio to celebrate the hundredth century of Napoleon's birth in his birthplace. The great Napoleon did not see the light, however, on the 15th of August, 1769, but one year earlier. He palmed this little fraud upon French patriotism for his interests. Ladies are given to post-date their birthday, but Napoleon was troubled by no such vanity. At the period of his birth Corsica belonged to the Genoese, and he was, in fact, born an Italian subjoct. It fell to France in 1769, and Napoleon Bonaparte, when lie saw the purple and the imperial diadem whirling before him in the murky horizon, felt that France might object to be ruled by a foreigner, and thus post-dated his birthday. This question was elabor- ately discussed many years ago in the Quarterly Be- view, and proofs were given of the authenticity of a fact which is never mooted in France without ex- citing much irritation.—Observer. THE EMPEROR MAXIMILIAN.—A slight but not uninteresting contribution to our knowledge of the events of Maximilian's brief rule is made by Mr. P. C. Scarlett, formerly representative of the British Government in Mexico. Prince Salm-Salm has stated in his published Diary" that Mr. Scarlett advised the Emperor to make a stand in Queretaro. The Prince now acknowledges that this was a mis- tr1 ke, caused by his not revising his work before pub- lication. As we pointed out before, there are many similar inaccuracies in the book which require cor- rection. Mr. Scarlett tells us that in 18C6, the Im- perial party being then at Orizaba, there was a question whether the Emperor should not embark immediately on a British man-of-war, and proceed o Cuba. The French were on a point of quitting the country, and a general opinion prevailed, in vhich his Majesty concurred," that his abdication would be sooner or later an inevitable necessity." It was the Mexican Council of State which, in Nov. 1q66 decided that the Emperor ought to return to Mexico, and soon afterwards he took this course. It tl.lIS appears that Maximilian did not stay in Mexico from sheer obstinacy or pride, as some have repre- sented, but complied with the resolution of the Council of State, by which he conceived himself to be bend. Mr. Scarlett's letter also shows that at one time the Emperor had almost resolved to escape from a position attended with so much dan- ger and so little honour, but it was not the least of the misfortunes of his latter days to be surrounded by evil councillors. EARTHQUAKES AT NAPLES.—The correspondent of the Athenceum at Naples writes Reports of shocks of earthquake have been circulating for the I. t fortnight in Naples, and though all have eag rly listened to them—as who does not to anything I u it of the regular course of things ?-few have given credit to such reports. On the 22nd Match, how- ever, Professor Palmieri, our great authority in such matters, published the following notice: 'The seismograph of the Observatory on Vesuvius con- tinues to register shocks of some considerable vio- lence, which, without having any resemblance to those that mark an immediate eruption, are yet an indication of earthquakes taking place in some part of Italy, or on the neighbouring coast of the Mediterranean. Of some of these shocks I have al- ready received information, but I believe that there are others yet unreported to me. The very fine sand which, falling over us, was considered by me as coming from remote countries, appears indeed to have come from Africa, as the shower has been more copious in Sicily, and on the coast of Cala- bria.' Thus far Professor Palmieri reports but during the last three weeks the meteorological dis- turbances have been continued and more violent, so as to astonish even the oldest inhabitant. Tem- pests have raged from every quarter of the com- I y pass. Snow has visited us from the north, and sand from the deserts of Africa—the post and tele- graph hrve each been interrupted—and the damage to the shipping has been most serious. All nature appears to have been plunged into a revolution, the struggles of which are not yet over. Since writing the above, another communication from Professor i'almieri has been published to this effect:—'On the night of the 24th-25th a fresh shower of sand, i mpalpable and yellow in colour, fell over the city. T e wind, which was in the south-east (Sirocco) travelled at its greatest velocity at about 800 metres a minute, as was registered by my electro-magnetic anemograph. The barometer, too, was very low at '-he time, standing at the sjtecola of the University, which is 57 metres above the level of the sea, at 637 metres. From south-east the wind veered round to the east, and afterwards to the north, threatening great danger to navigation on the northern coasts of Sicily. The rapidity with which the changes of wind occur,lead me to believe that the great cyclones are traversing Europe, arriving from the south. Between the storms we have a few hours of calm which is but the avant conmer of a tempest.' WILLS AND BEQUEST — The will of the Right Hon. Katherine Elizabeth Fleming, daughter of the tenth Earl of Dundonald, G.C.B., Admiral R N was moved under £9,000 personaltv. Her ladyship was h,orn in 1821, and married in 1840, Mr. John Willis- leming, of Stoneham Park, Hants, formerly of the Ureuadier Guards. The wills of the undermentioned were also proved in the London Court, viz. — The Hon. Elizabeth Ann Gore, under £j,OOO; the Hon. Henrietta Maria Russell, £ 6,000; the Hon. Maria >v ilkie £ 3,000 (her ladyship was the daughter of the second Viscount St. Vincent, was born in 1796, and married, in 1838, Mr. George Wilkie, M.D.); Dame Isabella Gilbert, £ 3,000 and Dame Sophia Anne Watson, £ 30,000. The Hon. Chas. Welbore Herbert Agar, son of the second Earl Normanton, died intestate letters of administration of his per- sonal effects were granted under £ 14,000. The de- ceased was born in 1824,and was late of Her Majesty's army. The will or Scotch confirmation of Sir Wm. ackenzie, Bart., was sworn under £10,000 person- alty, and sealed in the London Court on the 13th lilt. The will of Domaico Francisco de Ungula y rruelaj merchant, was proved under £ 40,000 per- sonalty in England and that of Andres Ysidro Breton-Martinez under £100,000 personalty in Eng- au to each of the following fourteen hospitals in London the latter leaves a legacy of £ 50 Christ's Jlospital, St. Bartholomew's, St. Thomas's, Guy's, ijethlem, London, St. George's, King's College, University College, Westminster, Charing-cross, Middlesex, St. Mary's, and St. Luke's. The will of Mr. Thomas Waring, of Caroline-place, Bed- ford-square, was proved in London under £40,000. The executors are Mr. Charles Reeve, manager of the London and the Westminster Bank (Holborn branch); Luke Sykes, manager, London and County Bank (Holborn branch); and Mr. Walter Waring, jarrister-at-law, Inner Temple. The testator has H, 1 small legacies to relatives and friends :e plate, jewellery, pictures, furniture, and other effects he leaves between Thomas and Walter War- ing he also leaves between them his lands and houses and all his other estates. He directs the interest of £4,000 to be applied by the said Thomas u aring for the support of his mother, and the prin- cipal sum at her decease to fall into the residue. The will of the late Miss Sarah Roper, of Lansdowne parade, Cheltenham, was proved under £ 9,000. She has made the following charitable bequests, all free "f^uty •'—To the British and Foreign Bible Society, •' ^mrc'h Missionary Society, London City Missions, Pastoral Aid Society, Irish Church Mis- sionary Society, and Cheltenham General Hospital, each £ 100 the Societies for Promoting Christian Knowledge and Christianity amongst the Jews, and the Blind School, York, each £ 50 to the Chelten- ham Boys' and Girls' Orphan Schools, cachings., and a like bequest to the Female Refuge, Chelten- ham. The interest of the residue of her property is to b8 given to the poor of Cheltenham. The will of the Rev. John James, D.D., canon of Peterborough, and rector of Peakirk, Northamptonshire, was proved at Peterborough under £:20,000, He has made be quests of portraits and numerous theological works. The will of the Rev. Thomas Ambler Bolton, vicar of New Basford, Notts, was proved at Nottingham under £ 30,000. He has left £.500 to the governors of Wakefield charities for special purposes. The will of the Rev. John Rigg was proved at Derby under £ 4,000. He has left an interesting collection of hooks and articles of virtu, including a baptismal font, (Catholic), and many ancient relics.—Illus- trated London News, In recent shipping news from New YorK a fact is mentioned which may be recommended to the no- tice of the advocates of women's rights, aud the enterprising theorists who hold that woman is "un- developed m"n." The ship Chieftain sailed from Calcutta for New York. When five weeks out, the captain was incapacitated, and confined to his berth by fever. His wife, Mrs. Maguire, thereupon took command of the vessel, and brought lie. safely into port. On a former occasion, under somewhat simi- lar circumstances, a similar feat was accomplished by this enterprising captainess, who has sailed the sea for 20 years, and is evidently well acquainted with the working of a ship. LONDON, CHATHAM, AND DOVER.—We rro in- formed that the representatives of the different classes of debenture and preference shares of this Company have during the week had under their consideration various plans of compromise, based more or less upon the scheme which weshadowel forth last week. No definite arraugement has yet been come to, but there is every reason to believe that a scheme will shortly be maturerl by which the lino will be taken out of the control of the Court of Chancery, the funds in hand amounting to -FoOO.OOO, be distributed, and a termination be of the costly litigation which at present is doing so much injury to the property.—Railway NClcs. The return called for by Mr. Baines relating to the East Indian Council has been issued. It gives the names of all the members, numbering fiftepn, eight of whom were appointed in September, 18;): and the others sin-e 1859, the last three being ap- pointed in September, 1868. The salary 0" each mem- ber of the council is £ 1,200 a year. With the ex- ception of Sir H. Rawlinson, Sir R. Vivian, Sir F. Carrie, Mr. H. T. Princep, Mr. R. D. Mangles, Mr. E. Macnnugliten, and Sir J. W. Hogg, none of the mem- bers served in the direction of the East India Com- pany but Sir II. C. Montgomery, Sir T. Erskine Perry, Major General W. E. Baker, Sir E. R. Cierk, Sir H. B. E. Frere, Sir R. Montgomery, Sir F. Halli- dav, and Mr. W. U. Arbuthnot have each been en- gaged in the public service of India. I ■ The Athenamm is able to state, on authority, the intention of Mr. Henderson, of Montagu-street, to bequeath to the British Mnsenm, Department of Prints and Drawings, hismble collections of fhe works of David Cox and William Muller. The Da- vid Cox's" alone consist of between fifty and sixty important works of richly-diversified subiects. i valuable as illustrations of the progress of the gieat landscape painter, and faultless as pi'-hires. Tie drawings by Muller comprise a number of studies and sketches made during tours in Rhodes, Lycia, and the neighbouring countries of Asia Minor, Eng- land and Wales. These works are of grent value and importance. It is believed that Mr. Henderson also intends to bequeath to the Department of Au, tiquities, British Museum, his fine collection of bronze, Oriental, and other vessels. THE HUNGARIAN ELECTIOXS.— In reading the notices in the Vienna papers of the conflict's—in more than one instance resulting in bloodshed and loss of life—which took place in Hungary during the elections, it was difficult to account for them by any mere difference of party. It now appears that the bitterness and exasperation of the elections have arisen out of the "land question." One by one," says the correspondent of the Times, m"-n who have been kept down in the country by the e ectlons are coming up to town telling their tale. A!l those who come up from the Hungarian district are un- animous about the dangerous turn which electoral agitation, above all within the last fortnight, had taken. To listen to them the agitation in many dis- tricts had quite an agrarian character, so t! at the parties who stood against each other were no longer Right or Left, but greater and smaller proprietors— that is, rich and poor." The fate of the Royal Marines is at length decided, an order in Council having been just issued direct- ingtlle redistribution of the force on its redact-!o-i and the breaking up of the Woolwich division. T..e whole establishment may be summarised as fol'o.vs: Royal Marine Artillery, 2,887 Roval Marine Lgt Infantry, 11,103. The general staff of the corns v.iil consist of deputy adjutant general 1; assistant adjutant general, 1 quartermaster (for special duties), 1 chief clerk (with the authorised :d',ow- ance of 6s. 6d. a day), 1 clerk's staff sergeants, H making a total of 13,987. Supernumerary lieu- tenants, 34 making a total in all of 14,021. T e marines in all ranks form a gallant cor; s, with little interest to save their great merit. Tne time may come shortly when another redistribution will restore to the country valuable services, and to the oHirers who now suffer by the passing s-drit of economy the means of escape from many privations. -Brqad Arrow. We understand that the Admiralty have sanc- tioned a repetition of the dredging expedition, by Dr. Carpenter and Prof. Wyville Thomson, to the north-west of the Faroe Isles, during the coming summer. It will be more prolonged and better furnished than that of last year and as the Porcu- pine surveying ship is named for the cruise, we may hope that certain important questions involved in the investigation will be settled. These are, the temperature of the sea at all (lepths from surface to bottom, the density at different depths, the exist- ence and extent of currents, whether on or below the surface, and whether any and what relation exists between the currents and the sea-bottom. Docs a warm current in the North Atlantic throw down globigerina mud, and nothing else,—and arc there really great deposits of chalk now in proves of formation ? If the expedition should bring home answers to all these questions, in addition to a good collection of up-dredged marine animals, its co°t need not be complained of even by a Chance; lor of the Exchequer bent on rigorous economy.—Athen-vum. A short time ago, the antecedents of a notorious burglar, who called himself George Roberts, formed the subject of comment in the House of Commons. He had returned from transportation three time' had suffered various terms of imprisonment, for larceny, and a few weeks ago, on being found under suspicious circumstances in the area of a house in Trinity Square, Southwark, was sent to Wandsworth Gaol for three months as a rogue and vagabond. Roberts was on Friday brought up at Bow street, charged with having returned before the expirv of a term of transportation for life, passed in 1842. He had previously escaped from serving out a simi- lar sentence passed ir >37; and soon after lie had been conveyed to Hobart Town the second time, he obtained a ticket of leave granting him the liberty of the colony, and entered the police. While in the force he saved £50, escaped to America, and was robbed of his money. He returned to England, and in 1851 was transported for the third time. Once more he was carried back to Hobart Town, again escaped, and came back to this country. He has now been committed for trial for having evaded his life term of exile. Roberts is G5 years of age. CORRUPT BOROUGHS.—The Times says there can be no question that the principle enunciated by Mr. Hardy oil Friday night as to the way of dealing with boroughs where corrupt practices extensively prevail is that to which the House of Commons ought rigidly to adhere. It commanded the immediate absent of the Members present. It must be observed, also, that Mr. Hardy's rule of action involves something more than the acquiescence of Parliament in an ad- dress to the Crown for tile issue of a commission when ajudgereports his belief that corrupt practices have extensively prevailed Mr. Hardy declared his opinion that it was the duty of the law officers of t he Crown in the House of Commons to take the initiative in moving such addresses, and Sir Robert Collier accepted with satisfaction a declaration lie had prac- tually forestalled. It is rather hard upon Norwich the Standard thinks, that, having vowed reforma- tion, and practically kept the vow, it should be visited with a punishment which, so long as it sinned openly and grossly, never threatened it. Not, only will this unhappy city have to pay for this inquiry but all the old sores, which one might have regard- ed as atoned for by the virtue of the last few years-a virtue not easy to practice in a community so accustomed to backsliding-will be ripped up, and the tale of antiquated corruption will have to be told for no other purpose than to furnish amuse- ment to careless newspaper readers. Still, thirei an be no doubt that, under the circumstances, it was right for the House of Commons to address Her Majesty for the commission. After Baron Martin had reported his belief that corrupt practices had ex- tensively prevailed, it was morally, if not legally, the duty of the Attorney-General to propose the commission, and of the House to vote it, The Star remarks that the Conservatives, as one of their jour- nals, (the Herald) proved on Friday by a signifi- cant article, have begun to see that either some very stringent provisions must be adopted against corruption or the Ballot must come. It must be the first care of the Liberals to show that there is no such option, and that the Ballot must come without any alternative whatever. The disfranchisement of boroughs ought not to be resorted to even in th e gros- sest cases till the Ballot has been tried as a quieting, a protective, and a purifying experiment. A vast revolutionary plot is said to have been dis- Is- covered at Faenza, and though the details are un- known, it is reported that one of the main objects of the consp ratore was to assassinate Victor Emanuel, as a preliminary to establishing a republic.-Tablet. AN EXPENSIVE CEREMONY.—Preparations have already been begun for the fetes which are to take place four or five months hence, on the occasion of the circnmcison of Prince Yusuf Izzeden Effendi. The scene of the ceremony has not yet been decided on, but the plain of Haidar Pasha is spoken of as the must likely. On Thursday last, a- special commis- sion was formed at the ministry of the civil list to receive tenders for the supply of the clothes which are to be given at his expense to the many thousand Mussulman children on whom the rite will be per- formed at the same time. The festival, which will include intertainment to allcomers, and large dona- tions of clothes, food, and money to the poor, will extend over several days, and is expected to cost more than £ 300,000.—Levant Herald, March 24. MAHOMED AN ENCROACHMENT ON CHINA.—The Mahomedan movement which has expeiied the Chinese from Eastern Turkistan since 1863 seems to be anecting the north of China. Tne uncle of the Emr-eror has led from Pekin the Imperial Brigade of Guards, to Kwe-hwa-cliing, a large mart in the Slianse province and beyond the Great Wall. This wealthy place, which is about 400 miles north-west of Pekin and 240 west of the pass of Kalgan, has been threatened by the Mahomedan rebels, who have hitherto attempted to enter Shanse along the great middle road which leads through the centre of China to Tientsin on the seaboard. The Kalgan pass is that by which the Mongol hordes have always invaded China from Central Asia, and if the Mahome- dans seize it before the Pokin general, the conse- quences will be very serious. With Russia pressing every year more and more on tne Mahomedans of Turkistan, this movement towards and into China proper is likely to be more marked every year.— Friend of India. TRAGEDY ON BOARD OF A STEAMBOAT.—On the afternoon of the 17th nit., three men went on board the steamer B lie of Memphis, Island No. 10 (says a St. Louis paner11, and stated that they wished con- veyance to Craig's Landing, some distance above. Two of them are brothers, named Durnell the third is as yet unknown. All were armed wit-h shot guns and pistols but as this is a common practice in that section of country, nothing was thought of the circumstance, and it occasioned no remark. Oppo- site Watson's Landing, the Belle was hailed, and took on board a Captain Lane, his wife, and two children. A brother of the gentleman and a friend of the name of Edwards, who accompanied him as far as the stage ,_>1 -uk, witnessed and shared his fate. The Darneli and their comrade apnear to have been on the forecastle of the boat, and while Lane and his family were going up the stairs, one of them shot him in the back, inflicting a mortal wound. The other Darnell, standing on the other side of the gangway, behind two passengers, imme- diately levelled his gun and shot Lane's brother, who was still on the bank, killing him instantly. The third member of the gang completed the triple murder by shoooing Edwards, then forty yards dis- tant, and running for his life. Thelatterfeli to the ground, writhing in agony, when the miscreant de- liberately went ashore, walked up to his victim, shot him again, and thus finished the work of death. Captain Lane, in a dying condition, was carried on shore by the crew of the steamer, and left in the midst of his horror stricken family. The anguish of the widow and fatherless children, thus robbel in an instant of husband and parent, may be imagined but not described. After this wholesale slaughter, one of the assassins quietly told the captain of the Belle to "take good care of the lady and children, as they were nice people, and he would pay ail ex- penses." He and his companions then departed un- molested, the passengers being aparently so par- alysed by the scene as to be unable to even attempt their arrest. It is supposed that the affray origin- ated in a family feud. A CITY SWEPT AWAY BY A FLOOD.-The FAN Francisco Bulletin gives the following particulars, written by an eye witness, of the destruction of the Mexican fdtv, Alamos, Sonora, by a mo't tremendous flood The agony we have all gone through within the past few days is impossible to describe. Pro- bably vou have heard ere this that the city of Alamos is in ruins but as you may not have heard all tho particulars, I will give you all I-know. On the 15th of December it commence.! to rain, and on the 16:h a genuine wind and rain storm set in, lasting until the ISth. It seemes as if the very flood gates of Heaven had opened, and that a second deluge was upon the world. The wind too, roared with dreal- fnl fury, and all the elements seemed combined for some dreadful carnage. We little saw what was in store for our beautiful city. But soon the tale was told and the destruction was complete. The storm lasted until very late on the evening of the 18th. During its continuance it appeared as if no human being could live at all within its reach. The Alamos river was swollen to a great height, and, in its wild, headlong course, it carried everything before it. Houses were swept away like so many straws, and whole blocks of buildings were thrown down like so many rotten trees. The wind was no less terrible than the water. Houses were unroofed and bio.vu to shatters tiles and like material were scahered through the air like chaff and strong tree" were uprooted as if they had been cornstalks. The best part of the city is now totally destroyed. About the o ily buildings saved worthy of mention are the Mint, the church, and the old state college. Th"te stood 0:1 high grounds, and this advantage, with their solidity, saved them. Dr. Hill, an American, resident, hal three houses carried away, and is the loser to thf amount of about 10,000 dollars. T. Robinson Burns, an American, doing a banking business here, had his banking house swept away. Others have suffered severely. The loss of life had been quite large. Sixty dead bodies have now been picked up some of them were mangled fearfully, and they could scarcely be recognised. Many of the bodies were found miles down the river. Undoubt- edly, the number will be largely increased by other unfortunate ones. I have written these few lines hurriedly, but do not attempt to describe or explain the most extraordinary phenomena of a two hours' severe whirlwind and deluge. TIle ruined city of Alamos was the Athens of North-wesrern Mexico, or, ar least, had that reputation. At the time of its destruction it contained a population of about 7,000 souls. MARRIAGE OF A BOURBON PRINCE IN NEW YORK. -The marriage of a prince of the House of Bourbon, which we announced on Saturday as about to take place in this city, was celebrated on the afternoon of that day at Jefferson Market Police Court, by Justice Dodge. The bridegroom, Prince Louis, of Bourbon, or more extensively, Prince Louis-Marie-Ferdinand- Pierre-d'Alcantara, is the first son of Count d' Aquils, uncle of Francis II., the ex-King of Naples, and the Princess Marie-Januaria, daughter of the late Em- peror of Brazil, Pedro 1. The bride was Miss Ame lia Isabel Hamil, a Havana belle, or more properly an American belle, for our Havana correspondent, in his last letter, said she was a native of New Orleans, whose family removed to Havana some fifteen years ago. It was in Paris that the lovers met, and our Paris news some weeks ago contained an account of their romantic attachment, and subsequently we had an account of their elopement from Paris to Cologne. The prince's father had refused his assent to the marriage, and at Cologne the authorities of the Church refused to permit its celebration, but the gallant prince was not the man to be overcome by political, dynastic, or ecclesiastical obstacles; and it happened that the father of the bride, who, unlike the father of the bridegroom, was willing, telegraphed from Havana, via New York, to Paris, through the Cuba and Atlantic cables, that the pair should come to this city and have their nuptials celebrated in a free country. Here they arrived last week, (the bride being accompanied by her mother), but here also the authorities of the Catholic Church stepped in to prevent the marriage at the very mo- ment of its celebration. Daunted, doubtless, but not discomfited, the prince determined upon a civil marriage, and proceeded to the City Hall to have his honour the mayor perform the ceremony. But Mayor Oakey Hall happened to be absent (we do not fuppose lie will ever forgive himself for that absence which destroyed liis chance of marrying a Bourbon prince), and the prince and his lady love proceeded to Jefferson Market Police Court (what a dreadful thought), « ere Justice Dodge performed tne mar- riage ceremony, as by law provided, and the twain, now man and wife, proceeded to their lodgings. Tne whole story is like one of the olden time. It is L ia a real love adventure of a gallant young prince and a fair lady and his labours with his proud father, his devices with the Freuch Emperor, his pleadings with t he ArchbishoiJ of Cologne, his difficulty with the Catholic ecclesiastics of New York, and his linaiJ triumph and the consummation of his desires by a i.appy marriage, will constitute material for a first c I ass tale, illustrative of the fact that the course oi true love never did run smooth. He is not yet twenty- four. New i ork Times, March 22.