Monmouthshire Merlin

SHE RE ALI & THE INDIAN GOVERNMENT. [FROM: THE "TIMES."] That he was well-disposed towards England as latelv as 187-' is shown by the remarkable letter which he wrote to the acting Viceroy of India on hearing that Lord Mayo had been assassinated. In that epistle he intimates that he had intended, if the affairs of Afghanistan would permit, to ac- company 1-ord Mayo on his return to England, so tha.t he might Lave the gratification of a perso-nai interview with the Queen and derive pleasure from travelling in Europe. It is possible that the subsequent change in his disposition may have teen caused by some mismanagement on the part of Indian officials, as well as by his own capri- cious ir.ture. But it is too late to discuss such speculations; they are worse than futile. The mischief has been done, and cannot be undone. Shere Ali has peremptorily and, it would seem, finally refused to let an Enghsh envoy enter his territory, while he has given a welcome to an envov from Russia. Y/ere such a decision merely unfriendly, it might be beneath the notice" of a great Power, and we could afford to wait for some returning gleam of courtesy. But everybody knows what is meant by the presence of a Russian envoy in a capital at tho very gates of India. Russia could not afford to throw away such an opportunity of gaining power in a country which, in some crisis of European diplomacy, might enable her to act with decisive effect. It would be pharisaic to blame her for making hay while the sun shone. If subsi- dies were to find their way into the hands of the Atneer, if skilled officers were to drill his troops, if they were to be armed with breechloaders, and if the outlets of the passes were to 10 fortilied by all the skid of European science, Russia'would only hpvo done what any of her rivals would do in similar circumstances. But we have a right to bo put in a position of equal advantage. We must bo allowed to guard our own interests. How th^iy can be most effectively guarded is an entirely different question, and it must bo answered by the military experts. Some of them think that, although the presence of a Russian envoy at Cabul would be a grave embarrassment, we could best defend our interests by strengthening our own frontier. Such we take to be the opicion of Lord Lawrence, and we should rejoice exceedingly if, after due examination, it were proved to be correct. Other authorities argue that our position destines ns to QCCUDV the whole of Afghanistan some day, and that we had better seize this opportunity of making the inevitable advance. A third set of mi ita.rv guides admit that we mnat invade the Ameer's territory and reduce him to submission, but they decline to say What measures of posses- sion may then be needful. The country will be happy; to receive further guidance frpm these authorities while discussion can be of any avail. So far, the only ground of agreement is that the north-western frontier must De made secure, and that not a square mile of territory more than is absolutely necessary shall be added to the empire.

Sir Samuel Baker is about to make a tour to Cyprus, and afterwards through Asia Minor. SENTENCE OF DEATH. — At Northumberland Assizes, on Monday, a maaon named John Ander- son, was sentenced to death for the wilful murder of John Riddell at Elsdon, on July 31st. MB. BUTT AND THE HOKE RULBBS.—-JJIr. Butt on Monday sent out a letter disowning any sympathy with the Parnell party's principle of indiscrimi- nate obstruction, and staling tbftt he would not hold bis seat on condition of adontina Ü.

■■ — FOOTBALL BY ELECTRIC LIGHT. Jpwards of 20C0 persons assembled on Monday to witness a match at Birmingham by electric light. The •veatr.er was very much against the experiment, not- vVitiistunaing which it was a decided success. The ;oneral impression on the public was favourable, and Iiie game, with one or two interruptions, was witnessed with great interest. Nottingham kicked off, and u'ter a quarter of au hour's play the home ccaiu scored. Shortly afterwards they scored igam, and when half time was called the visitors had failed to alter it. When end- were changed the Nottingham team set to work in earnest, and although the Birmingham goal was seriously jeopardised on several occasions, the visitors could not score. However, ju.,t before the finish of the match the Notts men lauded, making it 2 to 1. The giiinc thus resulted in a victory for Birmingham. For the home team Ramsey kicked the first goal, and Webster the second. The whole of tho arrangements were under the superintendence of Messrs. Maceabe and th.Uoa.

THE ARCHBISHOP OF YORK ON CHURCH MISSIONS. On jTonday afternoon, a numerous meeting was held in the l)e Grey Kooins, York, the company present being the subscribers and friends to the York Branch of the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel. A favourable r"11°. was read by the hon. secretary, the Rev. W. aiter which The Archbishop of YOKIC delivered an address. He was gh'.d to say that there was fresh information to impart as to the cause of missions. He was free to admit that there was a. slendernesa to regret as regarded the results. That, however, was no argument for inactivity in the caune. The results might appear to them discouraging, not that the Lord's arm was shortened, for that could not be the case. In Tinnevelley and Ramnad it was satisfactory to know that native's had come into the church by thousands, and the same grand movement was stiil going on. Such being the case, how necessary it was that in the systematic prosecution of missions there should be greater efforts put forth to train up the Christian natives as missionaries for the various districts. This was going on under God's blossing, and it wai certain that it was a step in the right direction. It was im- possible that they could supply clergy and ministers in adequate numbers, and therefore they must look anxiously forward to the labours of native teachers. The great sucoess that bad attended the work for con- verting tue natives of India. was to be attributed to tha efforts which bad been put forth in connection with the famine by the English people. The natives said that there must be something good in the people and in their religion, because of the succour which hud been afforded to the sufferers in their dire neces- sity. Let them, however, endeavour to do more for wi". sions than they had hitherto done, for there had long been a spiritual lamine which they had never yot eifectually dealt with. Allusion had been made in the report to the late conference at Lambeth, and he was glad to remark that a spirit of unanimity was exhibited there which he had never expected to see respecting the nresecution of mission work. The general conviction that prevailed was, that in missionary work many hindrances which bad been experienced would be taken awa-r, in consequence of that Lambeth con- ference. lie was not going to criticisc or speak of the Book of Common Prayer, as that would bo sheer impertinence on his part, on account of its excellence; but it must be remembered that it was prepared for the use of the English people only, and it must, therefore, be conceded that in the world there must be manv races of men to whom that book did not so readily'commend itself as might be expected in the case of new churches. It was now sought, through the influence of the Lambeth conference, to cultivate a greater amount of intercourse between Christian Chnrchcs than was the case before. The meeting was subsequently addressed by the Bishop of Nova Scotia and Archdeacon Potter, from Victoria.

MORALITY AND ART. [FROM THE STANDARD."] A paper was read on Saturday before the Social Science Congress on "The Nude Figure in Art," in which the connection between a.rt and health, and between beauty and morality, was dis- cussed at some length. The reader, Mr. Rath- bone, who entertains strong views upon tho subject, laid special stress on the mischievous influence which had been exercised on female dress by ignorance of the human form, and in the discussions which followed. What the I objections are it is almost unnecessary to state. The study of the nude is said to be offensive to modesty, and injurious to morality. And to illustrate his meaning Mr. Rathbone told his audience what occurred at Liverpool in relation audience what occurred at Liverpool in relation to Alma Tadema's picture of The Sculptor's Model. This beautiful picture, which, as lie said, bad bung in the Royal Exhibition for three months without provoking any animadversion, was no I sooner exhibited at Liverpool than it called forth I a series of indignant protests from "offended fathers, and offended mothers, and offended I grandmothers." Whether this only means that Liverpool is more moral than London, or that London is more artistic than Liverpool, we will not undertake to determine. Whether such sights are really calculated to corrupt the morals of young mcnj or to shock the delicacy of young women, is a question not lightly to be answered either oneway or the other. But what does occur to one en reading of the outraged feelings of the people of Liverpoolis that all such objectors are strainingat a gnat and swallowing a camel when they condemn such a picture as The Sculptor's Model," and I tolerate such works of fiction as proceed from the pro. s every day. In its effect upon the passions imagination is more dangerous than the senses: and the morals which are not impaired by those highly-coloured and suggestive narratives, I in which vice is made all the more seductive I because it is only partially revealed, have little to fear from all the nude figures in the world. These novels do not even pretend to serve any such purpose as sculpture and painting profess to serve. Yet, if they are cleverly written and truth- fully designed, if they rerlect with fidelity the man- ners of anv class of society, they are praised as wo r ks of art, and read by young people of both sexes with- out reproach or interference. Then, again, there is the stage. How many moralists have protested against that, and how many fathers and mothers think it right to keep their children away from it. It is not, of course, meant that immoral plays, in the sense in which Congreave and Farquhar I were immoral, are now brought upon the stare. On the contrary, dramatic virtue is now probably, higher than domestic. What is meant is that the stage has still traditions and associations of its I own which recall the manners of an age very different from the present; that of a ceria-in class of theatrical performances it is charity to say that they verge on indecorum, and that altogether many things cal- culated to give rise to a loose train of thought must constantly be witnessed by a regular fre- quenter of the theatre. But who stays away from them on tkat account? The general theory tha.t dramatic representation is one of the fine arts is allowed to cover many blemishes. And yet it is a moderate estimate to say that for any one young man who has ever been led astray by a picture thousands might date their ruin from the stage. We do not believe ourselves that either the one or the other actually produce these dis- astrous effects; but, allowing that they do, who can doubt which is the more fsuitful of them ?

THE WHITBY FISHERIES.—On Monday there was a very large importation of herrings into Whitby from the off-ground, Four large yawls discharged cargoes ranging from 30,000 to ,0,000 fish per boat. The prices realised are £ 13 to .Bio per last of 10,000. On Saturday there were about 20 lasts discharged, which averaged £ 13. l(!s. per last. There was an abundant supply of codfish. whic>i sold at If. to Is. M. eacb. Loss OF AN EMIGRANT !5TEA3IER»—A telegram received at Lloyd's from Wellington, New Zealand, dated October 23, reports that the New Zealand Company's ship City of Auckland has been wrecked at Otak (probably Otaki, a village on the south- west coast of North Island, and at the entrance to Cook Straits). All the crew and passengers were sa.ved. The rail mills onging to the Great Western Railwav at New Swindon, opened in 1861, have this week been closed, 170 men being thus thrown out of work. It is said the company can pur- chase steel rails for less money than they can manufacture iron at Swindon. Many of the dis- charged hands will be taken on in other depart- ments. The Bristol Timet understands thrt £ 9G,0C0 out of the £ 100,000 proposed to be first raised for re- starting the Counterslip Sugar Refinery has been subscribed, and thb directors, representing them- selves, it is said, between £;0,000 and £ 10,OMO, have given instructions for the company to be re- gistered, so that work may begin as speedily as possible. Some time ago a gentleman, whose name has not transpired, announced his intention to give £ 100 to each of the Metropolitan parishes, to be expended on the purchase and planting of trees in the principal thoroughfares. The same person has now made a similar offer to the Hornsey Local Board for the purpose of planting Higbgate with trees, and the offer has been accepted.

PAINFUL ELOPEMENT. A correspondent writes in the Birmingham Mail■—A painful case of elopement comes to me from one of the Birmingham suburbs. A young lady of independent mean-, who was only married a couple of months ago to a manufacturer of this town, disappeared the other night, and has not since been heard of. She left behind her a lett-er expressing her full conviction of the great wrong she was doing, but explaining that she was led on by "an irresistible influence," which she had battled with for a long time, but could no longer con- tend against. The "irresistible influence" is said to take the form of a snake in the grass specimen of friend, who had been admitted into the husband's house only to abuse the confidence reposod in him.

THE APPROACHING ROYAL MARRIAGE AT WINDSOR. During the absence of the Queen and Court in Scotland, the various departments have been busied in the restoration and renovation of several of the principal State rooms at Windsor Castle, in anticipation of the approaching marriage of the Duke of Connaught, which will take place, ac- cording to the most recent arrangements, about the middle of February. The Waterloo Chamber, which is used for State banquets, is now in the hands of the artificers, and the valuable historical portraits which adorn its walls are being cleaned by artists employed for this purpose..In the Green Drawing-room, another of the State apart- ments, the rich and costly furniture, unique of its kind, has been re-covered and restored. At the present time a large amount of work is going on within the interior of the palace, most of which, it is expected, will be finished prior to the return of her Majesty and Princess Beatrice from Balmoral about the 21st of November.

Dr. Tocllranter has just finished his drama of Alcestis." He has treated his subject in the spirit of the nineteenth century, placing modern tbought in ancient mouths, and striving to follow the example that Shakespeare has set. A Wrn: DEVOTION.—During a gale in the Atlantic, a few days ago, the American ship Biidgewater, from London to New York, sprang a leak, and lost her foretopmast. She became unmanageable, and was believed to be sinking. The captain and crew were rescued by the p German barque Consul-Platin, from New York to Plymouth, with a cargo of oil cake. A tremendous sea was running at the time, but after an interval of some hours the captain of the American vessel resolved if possible to recover his ship. His chief officer and crew of five men volunteered for the dangerous duty, and were on the point of depart- ing on their perilous mission when a romantic episode occurred. The wife of the chief officer declared that her husband should not go without her, and in answer to all remonstrances simply exclaimed, "We will die together." With the tenacity of her sex she olung to her resolve, and was the first person lowered into a boat, which many people believed was destined to be swamped. Such, however, was not its fate; the boat and its :rew ultimately succeeded in reaching the wreck. A supply of provisions was taken on board, and in the end the Bridgewater was brought into Queens- town, where she remains.

THE ROBBERY FROM THE BANK OF ENGLAND. COMMITTAL OF THE PRISONER. William Ohmann Stafford, the clerk in the Liver- pool branch of the Bunk of England, who absconded on the 3rd Oct., with £ 15,030 in notes and securities, and who was arrested in Jersey on the 12th, was again brought up at the Mansion House on Oct. 23rd before the Lord Mayor. Mr. Poland ap- peared for the prosecution on behalf of the Governor and Company of the Bank of England. The prisoner, on being placed m the dock, appeared to have lost altogether the iuditierent attitude which be manifested on the previous occasion, and to feel his position acutely. lie still wore the yacht.ng dress in which he was arrested. Several witnesses having been examined, proving the facts already published, the prisoner (who was not re- presented by counsel) was formally cautioned, and asked whether he wished to say anything. The Prisoner: Well, I am certainly guilty, but I re- serve my defence. The prisoner was then committed to take his trial at the next sessions of the Central Criminal Court.

THE YEAR'S STATUTES. The Queen's printers put 79 Acts of Parliament in the volume of the Public General Statutes of the Year 1878," or, as we persist in phrasing it, "passed in the 41st and 42nd years of the reign of Her Majesty Queen Victoria." There were 32 other public Acts passed, but as they were of a local character (confirming provisional orders of the Local Government Board, (\:e.), they are placed among the" Local Acts of the Session, bring- ing the number of local Acts up to 238, and there were also seven private Acts passed relating to settled and other private estates. The list of local Acts includes 83 railway Acts, and large numbers of Acts relating to gas and water supply, improve- ments in towns, and various municipal and local government matters. The 79 public general statutes may be classed as follows:—20 related to the United Kingdom, 23 to England (with Wales) only, 11 to Scotland, 12 to Ireland, 1 to England and Scotland, 1 to England and Ireland, 1 to the validity of marriages in Fiji before it was a British colony, and 1 to the application of a fund founded in 1820 for relief'of widows, Ac., of persons in the employ of the East India Company

DEATH OF CARDINAL CULLEN. Cardinal Cullen, Archbishop of Dublin, died on Thursday, Oct. 24th, at four o'clock, at his resi- dence, 59, Eccles street, Dublin. Though tho de- ceased Cardinal has been for some time past in feeble health, there was nothing whatever to anti- cipate so sudden a. demise. The Cardinal was transacting business on Wednesday, and he re- tired shortly after dinner, complaining of being slightly indisposed. During tho morning, the household were greatly alarmed by the symptoms getting considerably more threatening. His medical adviser, Dr. Cruise, was at onco sent for. The Rev. Mr. O'Reilly, the Cardinal's chaplain, arrived immediately. The Cardinal was then in a sinking state, and the doctor announced that the heart was failing. The last rites of the Catholic Church were then administered to him, and he died in the full possession of all his facul- ties. His Eminence was a most distinguished theologian. He was born in the year 1803, in Kil- dare, and was educated for some time in a Quaker's school in Carlow. Ho was ordained in the Irish College, of which he was afierwards made rector. In 1850he was appointed Assistant Bishop of Armagh, and in two years following ho was transferred to Dublin, where he became the Archbishop. In 1806 lie was made Cardinal, his being the first appointment in this country since the Reformation. He supported the dogma of in- fallibility. In Irish politics the deceased Cardinal was one of the extreme Ultramontanes. His de- nunciations of Fenianism and Freemasonry and his silence on the Home Rule question created great disaffection among the ,o called popular party. [FROM THE TIMES."] Thanks to his influence, the Queen's Colleges lie under the ban of the Catholic clergy, and he also did much to destroy the unsectarian charac- ter of the national schools. Thus he earned by zealous service the rank of the Cardinalate—an honour which was the more marked in his case because he was the first Irishman to whom it had been given since the Refoimation. In the same spirit, but with still greater boldness, he strove to lesson the independence of the parish priests and to make them subject to the will of their bishops, who were subject to the will of the Vatican. The priests bad inherited consider- able rights from the time when the discipline of Home was lax. But those rights would be fatal to the perfect working of the system which Cardinal Cullen had come from Home to establish. He could not secure the requisite freedom from friction until he could declare, as Cardinal do Bonnechose did in the French Senate, My clergy are a regiment, and when I say to them 'March!' they march." But he did not find it easy to drill Irish priests into a semblance of the ecclesiastical janissaries who in other lands are the mute servants of the Vatican. Father O'Keefe's vehement appeals to the canon law and vigorous denunciations of his ecclesiastical superiors betrayed an embarrassing tamper. Again, however. Cardinal Cullen and his party were absolutely successful. They were on the crest of the wave which was submerging all forms of ecclesiastical nationality, and the Irish priesthood will soon learn to obey the word of command as silently as the French. Car- dinal Cullen was an interesting man precisely because he was the agent of a great change, and because he was admirably fitted to be the instru- ment of it. His ascetic temper cut him orf from the cultivated, easy, tolerant ecclesiastics of a past generation. To him Rome was everything, and he looked askance even at social pleasures which threatened to blur the line between her fold and that of heresy. To him obedience to the audible word of command was the first condition I of order, and order the first necessity of a Church. He was an ecclesiastical Imperialist, and he governed in a perpetual state of siege. Such I a man could not have the play of mind or the broad sympathies which bring mental and moral influence, but the very narrowness of I' his view tended to give him fixity of aim, and to Sh07 him the shortest way of victory. His hatred I of misrule was beneficial to the English Govern- I ment in one way, because it rendered him the determined foe of Fenianism and secret societies. But he will be chiefly remembered as the prelate I who made Ireland an essentially Ultramontane country, and thus began a new political as well as ecclesiastical chapter of her history. Fervently sincere, single-minded, devout, unflinching, dis- I trustful of culture, a. Catholic, and nothing but a Catholic, domineering, andyet absolutely obedient, he represents the militant temper of his Church. If he was not a great Irishman, he was at least a great Ultramontane. I FROM THE "D.ULY NEWS. "1 The death of Cardinal Cullen, which took place in Dublin, on Oct. 24th, would at one time have been a matter of considerable ecclesiastical and political importance. It is not so now. The change which the Cardinal was instrumental in effecting was fully accomplished before his death. Z, The conversion of a national into a Roman Church has been going on in every Catholic country; and in none has the revolution been more complete than in Ireland. The Papal Monarchy has established itself. A sacerdotal Creearism rules from the Vatican. The Gallican and all similar liberties which gave variety and freedom within the limits of the unity of the Church have disappeared. Cardinal Cullen was the principal agent of this change iu Ireland. His work is not likelv to be undone. By his training in Rome, he bad almost ceased to be an Irishman when he was elevated to the Primacv of Ireland—that is, of Roman Catholic Ireland. A monk in habit and sentiment, he looked with morbid suspicion on even the most innocent participation of his clergy in the gaieties and amenities of life. The° difficulties which he had to encounter in his conllict with the traditions of a Catholicism more national than that which he professed dis- appeared as the representatives of an elder generation vanished, and a priesthood trained in his school, and made by habit and interest after his own image, took its place. Versed in the discipline of his Church, and sufficiently stored with its artificial learning, Cardinal Cullen was whollv without that tincture of polite letters, and that taste for large specula- tion and scholarly research, which liberalise! and humanised the sacerdotalism of Cardinal Wiseman. A narrow, rigid devotee and discipli- narian, conscientious, according to his lights, and benevolent from a strong sense of duty rather than from a genial human nature or a. saintly temper, Cardinal Cullen has passed away, having won the respect of men of all creeds in Ireland, and the reverence, perhaps, of the members of his own Church, but not the strong affection nor the kindly regard which it is the privilege of more happily endowed natures to awaken.

A SWISS ROMANCE. OT A romance in real life, ending in what unlikely to prove a tragedy, is reported ^ie(j Berne. A good many years since a ma-11 ■, Bobren left his wife and his native went to America. For a long time no to in* vas heard of him, and his wife, thinkingby informa_ dead, and being confirmed in thib bo retu tion she received from a Switzer w marri from America, accepted an tribunal of Wim Kerr Zumbrunn, president ox tlie cant(m p mis, chief town of a district ine. A few weeks since Bob/ecuimed his wife"8?>nt everybody, came back an p it e- Lut according to the law ofcf Zumbrun„ 0t ^u,te clear that Fran Boh^ hfe Se may be her right ber up> aud The p* evi- dent declined to g husband oi ° liei P decidedly P^^ed who had so of a lawsujt o t:hc be" came the Unfortn w 4. ortuuately, however, Bohren does no o have brought back with liim froBa na4.: .tes any great respect for tho lawS native land and on Saturday JIT'S Pot » summary ecd tl the 'a,1:uie tie life ol his adver- sary- wnnr,v President with a pistol, genousiy wounding him in the arm and chesthimsâredlately after this exploit, Bobren gave himself Up to the police. Thus while a civil two men nJv ascertaining to which of these tedS Ol rao -Bohren, or Zumbrunn, is legally fTnetriJ cnttHnal court will be occupied with mnvdor n* first husband for the attempted hpina •, ker second; and in the event of her likeW are<l the wife of Bohren, and if, as is y en°Ugh, he should be condemned to im- and°nif*or l^e' she will be in the singular hn J1 0rtonate position of having lost her second eband, and found her first only to lose him, ncl "without possibility of marrying another so as the latter may live. But divorce i6 easy in the Protectant cantons, and should the lady *nd herself in so unpleasant a matrimonial fix it 18 not likely that the courts would refuse her

FUNERAL OBSEQUIES OF THE LATE CARDINAL CULLEN. The funeral of Cardinal Cullen took place in Dublin on Sunday, and was witnessed by about 60,OCO persons, whilst about 10,000 persons took part in it. The remains were brought from the cardinal's private resi- dence, Eccles street, to the pro-cathedral, which is in the centre of the city. The body was enclosed in three coffins, one of lead, another of pine, and the other of polished oak. On the coffin breastplate was an inscrip- tion, announcing the birth and death of the cardinal, and stating that he died in the 29th year of his episcopate, and in the 76th year of his age. Seven bishops and the members of the Dublin Chapter, robed in ermine, passed around the body while it lay in state. After the hearse, followed in state the Lord Mayor and members of the Corpora- tion in their robes, and their carriages were drapod in mourning. The hearse was of an ordinary kind and was drawn by four horses. Amongst those present were Lord Justice Dcasey, Lord O'Hagan, Chief Baron Polios. Mr. Justice Fitzgerald, Mr. Justice Barry, the Right Hon. Mr. Cogau, M.P., and the other mem- bers of Parliament present were Messrs. Butt, Gray, Browne, Brookes, Smyth, O'Leary. Cawlan, Shiels, ilartin, Sherlock. and O'Leary. The leading mer- chants, barristers, and doctors of the Catholic com- munity, together with hundreds of priests and hun- dreds of members of religious societies, and boys and girls belonging to institutions founded by the Cardinal took part in the procession. The Dublin Metropolitan Police kept the route of the procession, and some companies of mounted police also assisted to keep the route clear for the processionists. The procession, which started about three o'clock, reached the c+ithedral at five o'clock, and the remains were there received by the chapter, and amidst the chant- ing of the clergy it was carried to the catafalque. Among those named as the probable successor to his eminence are the Primate of Ireland (Dr. Moron), the Bishop of Ossory (the Cardinal's nephew). Archbishop Crokp, of Cashel; and the Rav. Jno. II. Newman, of Birmingham.

PETERBORO' ELECTION. RETIREMENT OF MR. POTTER. The Press Association announces that Mr. Potter iyis retired from the contest, and has issued the follow- ing address To the Electors of the City of Peterboro'. Gentlemen,—In consequence of the direct and earnest appeals which have been addressod to me person- ally by men occupying a foremost position in the Liberal party, I have consented to place my candidature in the hands of my committee and my lricnds. Acting under their advice, I respectfully submit to their decision in regard to the course which it is my duty to pursue at this election. They urge that I should unreservedly withdraw from the present contest. To this counsol I yield, having full confidence in the integrity and sound judgment of those by whom it is given, notwithstanding the fact that I have received an amount of support which would amply justify me in going to the poll. The dissensions which exist among the Liberals in your borough are due to others, and not to myself, but upon this it is now useless to aweli. I leave to those who are re- sponsible for the complications whioh have been pro- duced tne consequences of their own acts. In now re- tiring from the field, I desire to liberate all my local friends and supporters from the pledges and promises that have been so generously accorded to me, aud hope that they will vote for the best Liberal candi- date, For myself, I shall continue, to labour for those great principles of Liberalism for which I have worked during a long and active political life. Only those with whom I have been in close and daily confidence understand the difficulties by which I have been surrounded, and the sacrifice which this step, on my part, involves. But it is not the first time I have made personal sacri- fices for the political friends with whom I am iden- tified, and who will ever command my earnest sup- port. To my numerous supporters I offer my heart- felt thanks for their mauly and generous support dumg my candidature, which will ever live in my memory. I am, yours obediently, (Signed) GEO. POTTER.

THE SWISS MYSTERY. The Geneva correspondent of the Times writes under date Oct. 24: The mysterious murder of a young girl at Fribourg, some particulars of which I briefly 'telegraphed to you yesterday, remains as much a mystery as ever. All the exertions of the police have failed to throw any light upon it, and not the slightest clue to the child's identity has been discovered. It was at first thought that a double crime had been com- mitted-a belief, however, which the post- mortem examination did not confirm. Tho -victim could not have committed suicide, for it was impossible for her to have attached herself unaided to the beam in the shed where she was found hanging, and the doctors say that the autopsy clearly indicates that she must have b"en killed either by strangulation or suffocation before the rope was put round her neck. A pi .ce of paper was found on the ground near the body, purporting to have been written by the chiid herself, in which it was stated that, having stolen Rome money from her mother and fearing to face her, she bad resolved to hang herself. But the handwriting is considered to be that of a grown person. No money was found in the girl's pockets, and the address given as the residence of her parents is a false one. Moreover, two workmen who passed the shed near the station on the evening before the day on which the body was discovered (the 17th inst.) heard a sound as of crying and sobbing coming, apparently, from the shed, to which, unfortunately, they paid no attention. The time at which this happened corresponds, in the opinion of the medical experts, with the time about which the murder was probably committed. Photographs of the victim have been taken and circulated, and some people say they saw her, or some one very like her, a few days previously in company with a band of strolling musioians. some one very like her, a few days previously in company with a band of strolling musioians. Altogtlier the scanty indications gathered point to the probability that both the child and her murderers were strangers to Fribourg, perhaps to Switzerland."

HEALTH OF THE. TROOPS AT CYPRUS. A telegram received Oct. 25th at the War Office from Sir Garnet Wolseley says:—" Have first visited 42nd and 71st; both in capital spirits, and in good health; the men well fed. Those in hospital are nearly all very slight cases. All sick doing well. Hutting going on satisfactorily. Climate extremely pleasant uow, no rain of importance."

PROPOSED STATUE TO EARL BEACONSFIELD AT HONG KONG. HONG KONG, Oct. 24.-Governor Hennessey has received from Mr. Belilias, as director of the Hong Kong and Shanghai Bank, the sum of £1000, for the erection of a statue to Earl Beaconsfield at Hong Kong.

ATTEMPT TO ASSASSINATE THE KING OF SPAIN. MADRID, Oct. 25 (Evening).—As the King was driving through the Salle Mayar this evening, a man dressed in a. blouse, standing in front of one of the houses, fired a pistol at his Majesty, who, however, escaped unhurt. The perpetrator of the act was immediately seized by the soldiers and conveyed to prison. The King continued his way to the palace amidst the enthusiastic acclamations of the crowd.

FOOTBALL BY ELECTRIC LIGHT. On Oct. 25th the Yale of Leven Club (holders of the Association Champion Cup for the past two years) and the ord L.U. V. Club played a. football match at Glasgow by tho aid of tho electric light. About seven thousand persons were pre- sent, and the match was highly successful. Complete failure attended the football match which was to have been played by electric light at Chorleythe previous night. About 8000 people at- tended, but owing to the rain the apparatus would not act.

RECENT FAILURES: MEETINGS OF CREDITORS. At a meeting- of the creditors of the firm of Hender- son and Diruiuock, and the Drunricllier Coal Com- pany, last week, in Glasgow, it was cpClrictl that tho firm had a surplus of £30,GÚJ. It was resolved to re. start the works at once. At a meeting of the creditors of Messrs. Cooper, Scott, aud Co., a composition of 12s. Gd. m the pound, 2s. 6d. of which is contingent, was unanimously ac- cepted. The liabilities are about £ G0,0CK}.

AN AGRICULTURAL LOCK-OUT. A lock-out of agricultural labourers is said to be impending in Kent and East Sussex. About 2000 men, it is stated, have already received notices of reduction of wages from 2s. 6d to 2s. yd. a day, which will certainly not be accepted by members of the Kent and Sussex Labourers' Union, whose enrolled number is about 15,000. The society lias been in existence about six or seven years, and of the 15,000 subscribers about 11,000 are paying to the Bick fund. There are various other benefit funds attached to the union, among them being a land and cottage fuud on the building society principle; and a few men have thereby been placed on free- hold piots. In the Dartford district wages are higher as a rule than elsewhere, owing to its nearer proximity to London. The farmers in the Beckley district of East Sussex are reducing wages to 2s. 3d., and applications thence are already being made to the headquarters of the society at Maidstone for lock-out pay. At Robertsbridge, eight or nine miles from Beckley, the same reduction is announced. The Harbledown farmers have likewise agreed on lowering the rate of pay. All round Sevenoaks, and through the whole of the West Kent district, the movement is gradually spreading, and about a dozen discharged labourers from that quarter have come upon the union funds. The labourers contend that 2s. Gd. a day practically does not make more than 12s. Gd. a week, if so much, a deduction being inevitable on account of rainy weather. Rents are much higher, too, in Kent and East Sussex, than in Norfolk, where the cottages are scarcely worse. Delegates from various districts have met in Maidstone, and kave brought counter statements to bear on the complaints of bad times which form the plea advanced by the farmers for reduc- tion. The labourers spoke of the wheat harvest as splendid, and denied that the price of stock had decreased in any way. Some speakers charac- terised the style of farming in East Sussex as reckless, and forcibly contended that the labourer should be the last man to suffer by mismanage- ment for which he was not accountable.

DISCOUNTING A COUNT.—A rich American wo- man has brought up her accomplished and beau- tiful daughters to do washing and ironing. When questioned, she replies: Oh, it is always well to be prepared for any contingency. Perhaps some of the poor children may marry an Italian Count." THE EFFECT OF MusIC ON ANIMALS.—The varying influence which music has on different kinds of animals forms a subject possessing considerable interest. Desirous to test the effect of the blow- ing of a trumpet upon a horse, an ass, a dog, a cat, a deer, and some small birds, a certain writer states that'he once collected one of each of these animals together for that purpose; and the follow- ing was the result. The horse, he tells us, stopped short from time to time, raising up its head as if it were feeding on grass; the ass appeared totally indifferent to the sound, and continued to eat its thistles peaceably; the dog continued for a long time seated on its hind legs, looking steadfastly at the player; the cat was not in the slightest degree affected; the deer lifted its ears and seemed very attentive; while the small birds, which were in an aviary, were so pleased and excited" that ther, almost tore their little throats with singing^ Hares are said to be very fond of music, and it related that one of these animals was .kuown^ leave its retreat to listen to some C^°"st^jerscy, were singing on the banks of the riv?rreappear- returning when they ceased to sing, an1 *nta and ing when they again commenced. ^gptible to snakes are reputed also to be very ^aa been muaic—indeed an angry rattlesna. among known to be appeased by its strain^, French other instances that might be confined in writer tells ns that an officer monotony of the Bastile used often to rf^on j,is flute and en- his imprisonment by plfJinjf LittU Folk*1 Maga- ticing forth mice and sjpiders. It tie.

THE LADIES' COLUMN. The newest ulsters have five capes, and no bands I & cross the back. Opportunity is the flower of time; and as the stalk may remain when the flower is cut off, so time may remain with us when opportunity is gone for ever. The cheerful are usnally the busy. When trouble knocks at your door or rings the bell, he will generally retire if you send him word you are engaged." CONTENTMENT.—To be at poace with ourselves, to be in harmony with our surroundings, is more to be priced in this every-day world than wealth or genius. To WAsn COLOURED STOCKINGS.—Put a table. spoonful of salt in a quart of water. Let the stockinas soak in that for 10 minutes, and then take them out and wash in soap and water.. [ CAULIFLOWER SALAD.—Boil a cauliflower till j about two-thirds done; let it get cold, then break it in branches, lay them neatly in a dish, adding salt, pepper, oil, and vinegar, and serve. Husband and wife should converse together much and often; and each should aim to intro- duce such topics of conversation as are known to be agreeable, and to carry on his or her part of it in such a manner as to please and edify. CHINA ASTER (Double)-I Partake Your Sentiments. Yes, I am thine! Upon thy bosom leaning, No grief hath power to damp my fervent bliss, Nor can such love to thee be overweening- Thou art deserving all, and more than this! Beloved, ne'er from thee a moment straying, My heart shall twine its roots upon thy truth; All lighter loves than this are fast decaying, Lost in the dying years of sunny youth. -Language and Poetry of Flmcers. LADIES' MAIDS.—It is obsolete now for ladies' [ maids to wear caps; very few would submit to such a thing. They generally wear aprons when dressing their mistresses in the morning. It is more usual for them to wear bonnets when travel- ling with their mistresses; but unless the hat is very remarkable, the lady is wiser if she does not make a fuss about it if the maid is otherwise satisfactory. The age of sumptuary laws is gone, never to return. KIINEY TOAST.-Chop up very finely some mutton kidneys, season them with salt, pepper, and a little cayenne, if liked. Toss them over the fire in a stewpan with a little butter, until cooked, but not overdone; have ready some slices of hot buttered toast, and just before putting on to the toast, add to the kidneys, off the fire, the beaten-up yolk of an egg, and a squeeze or two of lemon. Spread the mixture on the toast, put it into the oven to get quite hot, and serve imme- diately. To MAKE OLD BLACK SILK LOOK LIKE NEW.— 1 Unpick the garment, and wash the pieces in hot c soapsuds; rinse by dipping up and down in hot water, then dip in a second water, prepared as f follows:—Boil 2oz. logwood chips in five quarts of j water, add ioz. copperas; strain through an old I bit of calico dip your silk into this dye. Let the | 4 bit of calico dip your silk into this dye. Let the | silk be pinned on to a line by the corners, and hang until it is nearly dry; then take it down, and iron it between two pieces of old black silk; it will look hke new. WHAT A WOMAN CAN Do.—Mrs. Clara. S. Foltz lias been called to the Californian bar. The Echo says:—Mrs. Foltz is a widow, who has pursued j her studies under difficulties that would have dis- j couraged most men, having no property to speak of, and five small children to provide for. Most of the time she has done her own housework, and has occasionally delivered lectures to eke out sub- sistonce. She has now passed successfully through a severe examination. A woman who can do all that for herself is likely, we should say, to take good care of her clients. CHEAP ADVICE.—A physician writes to young men as follows:—" My profession has thrown me among women of all classes, and my experience teaches me that heaven never gave man a greater proof of his love than to place woman here with him. My advice is: Go and propose to the most sensible girl you know. If she accepts you, tell her how much your income is, and from what source derived; and tell her you will divide the last shilling with her, and that you will love her ■ with all your heart into the bargain. And then keep your promise. My word for it she will live within your income, and to your last hour you will | regret that you did not marry sooner. Stop worry- ing about feminine extravagance and feminine un- truth. Just you be true to her, love her sincerely, and a more fond, faithful, foolish slave you will never meet anywhere. Yon will not deserve her, I know; but she will never know it." DECLINI: or BLACK IN PARIS.—It is curious how much black has gone out of fashion. Although still the" best dresses" of la petite bourgeoise, black silk has ceased to be tho standard toilette of those who pretend to follow the mode, as for so many years it has been here. By fashionables black silk is worn only for mourning, even black velvet has degenerated into the chaperon's robe, and black brocades, moire, and gauzes are not in half the request they were some time since. A black robe is almost an eccentricity for full even- ing dress. For my own part, I deplore this ten- dency. True, white and light tints look blighter in a room than sable draperies, but the latter are often, in my opinion, preferable to such ineffec- tive night colours as bronze, dark green, sapphire blue, violet, fawn, &c. Black lias disappeared even more completely from milinery, when the all- black bonret means mourning absolutely and nothing else, the black felt hats being hardly nu- merous enough to make an exception. For cloaks and mantles black is in greater request than in any other branch of trade, for the black garments for out of doors must hold the first place. Indeed, there is only fawn drab and coffee colour that can in any way vie with it, except of course, for car- riago "mantles, that are, more properly speaking, wraps. All kinds of black cloth, cashmere, Sicilienno velvet, plain and figured, are used up by the Marcliand de Confections, who likewise makes a large consumption of black silk. Black silk is also extensively used by all women em- ployed iu the shops and showrooms; it is the uni- form of the trade to those who are superior tc cashmere and merinos. — Warehousemen and ■hr •■■per* Tradr Journal- The Bishop of Batn and Wells presided over & temperance conference at Erome on the 23rd Oct. He spoke of the temptations to drink to which working people were exposed, and the counteracting influences of working men's cluba I and coffee-houses. He thought that those places should be managed by working men, whom he exhorted to patronise them as much as they could,. and to prevent them from collapsing, as had been the case iu several instances. The Shah of Persia has recently authorised a banker of Constantinople and Paris to raise the money for a railway from Enzeli to Teheran. The capital, about fifty million francs, is to be raised in shares, the Persian Government guaranteeing per cent, on the capital out of their Custom- house -revenues. Should there be any surplus II after paying expenses aud the (>h per cent. on the CAPITAL, it is to be equally divided between the I Company and the Persian Government. FAILURE OF THE WIIALE FISHING.—The whaling ship Arctic, Captain Adams, arrived at Thurso on Oct. 23rd, from Davis Straits' whale fisbing, and reported that the catches of the ships composing the fleet are as follows;—Jane Mayen, 2 whales; Aurora, 1; Narwhal, 1; and Polynea, 1; the other six vessels being clean. All the vessels bore up for home on the 13th October. The fine steamer Camperdown, of Dundee, Captain Gravill, is re- ported totally lost, but the crew has been saved. She was worth £20,000. THE BRISTOL MURDER.—DISGRACEFUL CONDUCT. -The inquest on Emily and Thomas Cockin re- sulted, a few days since, in a verdict of "Wilful Murder" being returned against their father. Amongst the witnesses was Dr. Lilly, infirmary house surgeon, who stated that the bodies of the children were removed by their mother and aunt to the latter's house, where they were ex- hibited at a penny a head, hundreds of persons satisfying their curiosity by seeing the bodies. Tho jury expressed their disgust at such an occurrence, and the coroner regretted he could take no official cognisance of it. CATHOLIC FOREIGN MISSIONS.—A crowded meet- ing was held last week in Liverpool in support of St. Joseph's Society for Foreign missions, the Bishop of Liverpool presiding. Cardinal Manning made an urgent appeal on behalf of the society, and speaking of the duties of Catholics, said they partook of the greatness and glory of the British empire, and therefore also of its responsibilities. Father Burke also delivered an eloquent address, urging all Catholic Irishmen to support the society. Cardinal Manning then read a telegram just received announcing the death of Cardinal Cullen, and the meeting was brought to an immediate termination with the recital of the 1 De profundi-