The North Wales Express

AN EXTRAORDINARY CASE OF ABDUCTION. The extraordinary Monasterio case in Paris has entered a new phase. It may be stated that Mdlle. Fidelia de Monasterio had inherited a large fortune from her father. Her mother having squandered her own means in disastrous speculations, Fidelia generously supported her. Ultimately, however, the daughter desired to go to Chili, where her father's family live. To prevent her doing so, the mother, with the co-opera- tion of two doctors, had her carried off to a lunatic asylum. The affair causing the indignation of the neighbours, the Police Prefecture interfered, and, finding by independent medical evidence that she was not insane, decided to order the release of Mdlle. de Monasterio. Before, however, he could do so, the mother and confederates got her out of the asylum and disappeared with her. The police were then set to work to discover their whereabouts, and soon succeeded in finding the mother and her confederates, who were at once taken into custody. The daughter's hiding-place, however, remained a mystery. Now she has been found, and the prisoners are to be released but she is about to take proceedings against them, as well as against the doctors whose wrongful certificates caused her consignment to a madhouse. The case excites great interest.

THE postal authorities are using every endeavour to introduce the new parcels post at the earliest possible moment, but it is no secret that the undertaking is one which is beset with greater difficulties than were anticipated at the outset, and will involve a more extensive outlay of public money than its pro- jectors contemplated. Several dates have been mentioned by our contemporaries for the commencement of this new enterprise, but we have every reason to believe that the new system will not be in working order until the month of July. The excavations now in progress at St. Martin's la-Giand, arc in connection with the parcels post, and it will no doubt interest the citizens to know that there is no intention to abolish the right-of-way from Newgate-street to Foster-lane, which will be re-opened as soon as the operations now in progress are complete.- City Press. MR. K. B. MTTRRAT, secretary to the London Chamber of Commerce, has received a telegram from the Calcutta Chamber of Commerce stating that resolutions have been adopted at a public meeting against the pro- posed alteration of criminal procedure, the first amend- ment of the law being considered unnecessary in the interests of justice, and uncalled for by any administra- tive difficulty, based on no sound principle, founded on no experience, and (whilst forfeiting many valued privi- leges of European and British subjects) confers no benefit upon natives, but rather imperils the liberties of Europeans, and affords no additional protection to natives, it will likewise deter the investment of British capital by a feeling of insecurity. The libertv and safety of Europeans has been endangered, and already there has been stirred up on both sides a feeling of race antagonism and jealousy unknown since the Mutiny of 1857. A second reso'ution provides that protests be prepared and circulated throughout Bengal, and that petitions praying for the protection of the rights and privileges and liberties of European subjects should be presented to Parliament. IN the Queen's Bench Division the case of Thompson v. The London General Omnibus Company, has been heard before Mr. Justice Denman and a special jury. This was an action brought bv the plaintiff, on behalf of herself and three daughters, of the ages of 12, 9, and 7 respectively, to recover damages for the death of her husband, caused by the alleged negligence of the defendants' servant. The deceased, a coachman, was driring his master's family to church, when an omnibus driven by one of defendants' servants, ran into the carriage and overturned it, the coachman receiving such injuries that he died shortly afterwards. The jury found a verdict for the plaintif fwith £ 525 as damages, beinc L360 for the widow, £ 50 for the eldest child, £ 75 for the second child, and £100 for the youngest. An action was also brought by the owner of the carriage to recover for the damage done to it, and it was agreed that a verdict should be taken for the plaintiff, the damages to be assessed by a coach-builder. FIVE hundred pounds has been contributed by the Grocers' Company of London for the restoration of Peterborough C?thedral. The fund has now reached £ 12,000. A COUNTY CONFERENCE on the Sunday closing question has been held at Newc;istle-on-Tvne, under the presidency of the bishop. There was a large attendance. The bishop strongly advocated the closing of public- houses on Sundays, and said that this movement came from the working classes themselves. Resolutions in favour of a bill being introduced in Parliament were carried, and it was decide! that Mr. Burt should be re- quested to take charge of the memorial. Other local members arc to be asked to support it. THE Cheshire police are still engaged in trying to trace the bank-book that was stolen from the home of the two victims of the double murder perpetrated near Crewe some time since. The woman Marv Murphy, who was apprehended with the prisoner Patrick Carey, in Manchester, has been released on bail. The clothes which Carey wore at the time of the murder have been examined by the county analyst.

ROYAL COLLEGE OF MUSIC. By command of his Royal Highness the Prince of Wales, the following letter has been addressed to the district boards of the metropolis and other local authorities throughout the kingdom: "Gentlemen,—I am desired by the Prince of Wales to inform you that his Royal Highness hopes to open the Royal College of Music in May next. The amount of money already subscribed enables him to place fifty open scholarships before the country for competition. The I successful competitors for these will have the oppor- tunity of acquiring, without cost to themselves, a thorough education in the art and science of music, under the professors of the coTlege, extending over a period of three years and upwards, according to the branches studied. The competition for the scholarships will take place in April next, at the college, Kensington Gore, London; but, in order to save many candidates trouble and the expense of the journey, which must be defrayed by themselves, his Royal Highness proposes to hold preliminary examinations throughout the country, with the view of affording to all persons within the proper limits of age the opportunity of profiting by the great advantages offered. With this view I have, by his Royal Highness's directions, communicated with the Mayors of the provincial towns of the United Kingdom, and have received very prompt and satisfactory re- sponses. His Royal Highness feels confident that he may rely upon your co-operation in the same national cause, and I am therefore directed to express his hope that you will allow the preliminary examination for I your district to take place in your public buildings, beginning on March 2S, and that you will nominate three professional musicians of your district qualified and willing to act as honorary local examiners, whose duties I will be to conduct the local preliminary examinations, to report to the director of the college the result of such examinations, and to recommend the candidates qualified to proceed to the final competition before the director and board of professors at the college in Kensington Gore. The three gentlemen nominated by you will have their names submitted to the Prince of Wales, and their ap. pointments will be ratitiel in a document bearing the signature of his Royal Highness, which will be forwarded to each of them before the date fixed for the examina- tion, together with detailed instructions and requisite forms of report, &-c. I have the honour to be, gentle- men, your obedient servant, CHA.KL.ES MORLEY, Hon. Secretary."

'COST OF THE EGYPTIAN EXPEDITION. A Parliamentary paper has been issued containing the following Treasury minute, stating the cost of the expedition to Egypt, and the amount of the contribution which Her Majesty's Government propose to make to the Government of India on account of the Indian share of the cost of that expedition The Chancellor of the Exchequer states to the Board that her Majesty's advisers have had before them estimates of the cost of the Egyptian Expedition to the Imperial and also to the Indian Exchequer. From these estimates it would appear that the charge for army ser- vices to the Imperial Exchequer is about £ 1,640,000 of which £ 900,000 has been voted already, and that in like manner the charge for naval services is about £ 1,7 76,000 of manner the charge for naval services is about £ 1,7 76,000 of which £1,400,000 has been already voted. Thus the total charge for the Imperial forces is about JE3,416,000 of which £ 2,300,000 has been voted already, leaving about £1,116,000 to be provided, of which 11,078,000 will come into course of payment before the close of the current financial year. The charge to the Indian Exchequer is estimated by the Government of India at £ 1,14^,000. The Chancellor of the Exchequer is of opinion that provision should be made for the Imperial expenditure under the form of supplementary estimates to be pre- sented by the Secretary of State for War and the Lords of the Admiralty respectively. He states, further, that her Majesty's advisers have decided to ask Parliament to grant £500,000, during the current financial year, as a contribution towards the charge incurred by the Government of In4ia in conduct- ing its share of the expedition. A further sum of £ .30,000 is included in the Admiralty estimate as to the cost of transporting Indian troops back to India. He recommends that a letter should be written to the Secretary of State for India in Council, intimating to him the decision of her Majesty's advisers, and stating the manner in which it is intended to give effect to that de- cision. My lords take note of the communication made to them by the Chancellor of the Exchequer, and they desire that an estimate be prepared for presentation to the House of Commons for a vote of jE500,000 in the year ending the 31st of March next, as a contribution in aid of the expenditure incurred by the Government of India upon the Expedition to J'gypt. This vote will be accounted for by the Treasury."

A SERIOUS FIRE broke out recently at Cliff House Foundry, West Hartlepool. It originated in the office, and spread so rapidly to the stable, that a horse in the latter was roasted alive before a rescue could be attempted. A large portion of the foundry, with plant of the value of £1500, was destroyed. THE gunnery officers in H.M.S. Excellent. have conducted an important test on board the target ship Nettle, at Portomouth. An armour plate, manufac- tured on the Ellis system by Messrs. Brown and Co., of Sheffield, was fixed in an iron plate and fired at three times by an 18-ton muzzle-leading gun, placed only ten yards distant, and charged with a 4111b. chilled Pal- liser shot and 701b. of pebble powder. The plate was a section of a large one intended for the side armouring of H.M.S.Warspitc being built at Chatham, and it re- sisted the severe test in an eminently satisfactory manner. Only comparatively few cracks, and thuse of a superficial character, weie developed, while the penetration was as little as three inches in one instance, and did not exceed four in the others. AT a recent meeting of the Leeds Town Council it was resolved to invite the Prince and Princess of Wales to visit Leeds in July, for the purpose of for- mally opening the new municipal offices which are being erected at a cost of .EOO.OOO. 0 MARTIN MOTLEY, a Frenchman, has been arrested by the Ncwcastle-under-Lvme polic- charged with having committed a burglary at the Temperance Hotd, Market Drayton. Prisoner, who was fashionably attired is stated to have sto en the property of two com- mercial travellers. Proceeding to Newcastle he engaged rooms at the chief hotel, and subsequently was found offering some of the stolen property in pledge. He has been handed over to the Shropshire police. ENMAMIN SINGLETON ABBERLEY, solicitor, prae lsmg at Hanley and Longton, was charged at the Longton Police-court with embezzling large sums of money, amounting in the aggregate to about JE1500, and also with stealing a large number of legal documents most of which were mortgage deeds of great value. The prisoner was committed for trial, bail being accepted- himself in £ 2000, and other sureties in JE2000. In de- fault of bail he was removed to gaol.

The tremendous struggle between France and Germany still forms the key to the present state of Europe, and the death of lJI. Gambetta seems, its THE TIMES re- marks, to change in a moment the destiny of nations, and to turn aside thn course of the World's history." At this time, therefore, the desire will be universal to read the stirring narrative of a War which has profoundly affected the course of European History, and an opportunity will be afforded of so doing by the immediate publication of a NEW Serial Edition In MONTHLY PARTS, price 7d., of Cassell's History of the Franco German <Y W Er. With about r>00 IT, 7. VSTIHATIOXS, consisting of Battle Scenes, Portraits, and Plans of the Battle Fields. PstJiT 1 nenv 1 price 7(f., including LARGE" PRESENTATION" PLATE. (To be co lpleteci in 24 PARTS.) Prospectuses at all Booksellers', or post free from Cassell, Fetter, Calpin L- Co., Ludgate Hill, London. £ 'i" The commencement of a New Year is a time for beginning many fresh things, and few of these can be more important than the judicious selection of books for household reading. There can be no doubt that the difficulty of doing this lies chiefly in the choice, for of books there is no end, but we think that our readers will not make a mis- take if they include in their selection these four Magazines—THE QUIVER, CASSELL'S FAMILY MAGAZINE, LITTLE FOLKS, and THE MAGAZINE OF ART." MONTHLY, Gd. The Quiver, q I For Sunday and General Reading. "A safer and more interesting Magazine we do not know than THE QUIVER.—Standard. "An outlay of sixpence upon THE QUIVER will not be regretted." -Gua1'diaJl. "THE QUIVER is widely know. as one of the very best of Magazines."—Record. MONTHLY, 7 d. CASSELL'S Family Magazine. "The stories in CASSELL'S FAMILY MAGAZINE are good, the pictures are clever, the selection of subjects is strikingly varied it contains a variety of useful information, and altogether a glance through the pages shows that their contents are unusually attractive."—The Times. MONTHLY, Gd. "Little Folks" Magazine, FOR ALL GIRLS AND BOYS. The JANUARY PART commences the NEW VOL UME. If any father of a family—of ages ranging from eight tl fifteen years—knows how to spend sixpence a month in litera- ture to better purpose than in the purchase of LITTLE FOLKS, we should be glad if he would enlighten us."—Literary World. Cassell, Patter, Galinn £ Co., London and all Booksellers. Monthly, price One Shilling. The Magazine of Art. The Magazine for every Cultivated Home. The NEW VOLUME for 1883just commenced. "THE MAGAZINE OF ART is a very storehouse of Art."—TIMES. The THE MAGAZINE OF ART are ef exquisitt- beauty."TANDARD. "Its critictsm is full of interest And value. "-SATURDAV. REVIEW. CASSELL, PETTER, GALPIN & Co., London and all Booksellers.. MONTHLY, price 2d. BO-PEEP MAGAZINE for the NJJUSEItY. The Jittle children's magazine j>ar excellence is BO-PEEP." —Manchester Guardian. A perfect treasury for little ones."—Globe. Cassell, Petter, Galpin £ c. London and all Booksellers. NOW READY, PART 1, frice 6d., of THE PEOPLE'S EDITION of Professor Morley's &J LibraryEnglish Literature. With Several Hundred Authentic illustrations. libr^t HS=SrSOr °( th:5 >Vo!:k has the contents of a great use o?them.r/°f.w'„^? h°W he nay make the beSt Cassell, Petter, Galpin & Co., London; and all Booksellers. Books that should find a place in every Student's Library. 116th ThStrongly bound in cloth, price 3s. Gd. Cassell's French Dictionary (French- rencn). Revised, Corrected, and considerably En.arsed irom the Latest Edition (1S/7) of th? K A t Y 0f ,the rcnch Academy by Prof. E. ROUBAUD, tf.A. i aris. ^ira crown Svo, 1,150 pp. Gcrman-Ergiisl^ and Englisli-Gsrman Dictionary (Cas3ell's). 30/^ Thousand. 3s. Gil. Latin-English and li'n^lisli-^ -g 'i^ Dic- tictiaxy (Cassell's). 43'd pfiusand. 3s. (,iI. Professor Morley's Sne-b'sh (A First Sketch off a Edition. 7N. «< LRW MOKI.EV. Spelling (A Complete Manual of). By r.D. MORE1.L. LL.D" H'M' Insi*«or «f Schools. 73rJ j ;wlua¡¡d. Js. French (CasseIFs Lessons in). New and clo™ each' Thousand. Parts I. and II., Ch' -*• U(l- < complete, is. (id.; KEV, IS. C^sell, Petter, Galpin & C, London; ami all Bookseller's. VZ- A marvel of cheapness, even in these days of popular reprints."—Tiic fir,:rs PRICE ONE SHILLING. JUBILEF. EJJI:k-vON OF rKR LIFE of GLADSTONE. By BARXETT SMITH. Ctascll, Petter, Galpin & Co., London; and ail Booksellers. A Cvof. ?nn^Fr?vT'IIf: NEWLY MARRIED AND -OR FLLOS^ COA IEMPLATING MARRIAGE. Now READY, price (is. THE MAKEXAGS RING. By WILLIAM LAXDELS, D.D. Royal i6mo, white leatherette, gilt edges, in box. Cassell, Petter, Galpin ct Co., London; and all Booksellers. -=-=- N otice.-A Classified Catalogue, ;\Ies?«. VASSELL, PETTER, GALPIN & CO. b 1101 (ra tions, ran-ing in price frow Sixpence to Twenty-five Guineas, Will he sent on request POS T PRIZE TO ANY 4 DDR ESS T,iSC.°fains « tar^c variety 'of Volume's *• PUlposes, and Presentation. CASSELL, PETTBR, GALCV, & Co., Ludgate Hill, Londoa.

w.J- EPITOME OF NEWS. 'I THE committee of the Suffolk Hunt have ecided to discontinue hunting the Thurlow country unless a subscription of £ 400 per annum is guaranteed. TT. r a congregation at Cambridge, the ice-Chancellor presiding, the lionoiwy degree of Doctor of Music was conferred upon Charles Hubert Hastings larry, of Trinity College. Ax a recent meeting of the Essex Chamber of •Agriculture, at Chelmsford, it was resolved, oa the mo- tion of Mr. Round, M.P., seconded by Mr. Gardiner, That the continued imposition of taxation for national objects on one description of property is unjust, and that this Chamber regrets that no legislation in reference to local taxation and the disproportionate burdens upon owners and occupiers of land has been proposed by her Majesty's Government/' As a carter named Meers was returning from Salisbury to Binghams Melcombe, he fell off the waggon and was crushed under the wheels. This is the fifth death which has occurred in the neighbourhood within a month under similar circumstances, and drink is asserted to be one great cause of the accidents. AT the Borough Polioe-court, Shrewsbury, John Page, who said he lived at the Old Kent-road, London, and was removing to Shrewsbury, was fined £ o, and 14s. costs, for cruelty to a horse, by causing it to travel when it was not in a condition to do so. James Beckley, in the employ of the last defendant, *as fined 40s. and costs for interfering with the police. AT the Liverpool Sessions, Henry Mee, a Middle-aged man, formerly a cotton-dealer in Liverpool, ^"as recently sentenced to twelve months' imprisonment, '*ith hard labour, for dealing in stolen cotton, and being concerned in extensive cotton frauds in Liverpool ten years ago. The prisoner was committed at the time for trial, but liberated on bail, and iie absconded. Since then he has ied a curious and romantic life, having been dis- covered in December lait in the wilds of Anglesea. He ^ad a cutter moored in a remote inlet on the coast, and ^vod chiefly on board, mainly by fishing. ENOCH BHAYFORD, a dealer in scrap iron, has "^n committed for trial by the Walsall magistrates, on a charge of receiving from Isiah Agar, clerk to Messrs. Simpson and Wood, several tons of linished and scrap *r°n, knowing it to have been stolen. The prisoner ab- sconded when Agar was convicted, but was apprehended on a vessel at Queenstown, on his way to America. -IN the action of u "Willi&ms v* Clark, dccid^u by Lord Chief Justice Coleridge and a special jury, the rlaintiff claimed £ 10,000 from the defendant, on the ground that the latter, whilst acting as solictor for the former, made a false compromise in dealing 'wi'h. the settlement of property belonging to the plaintiff s late ^ife. gome surprise was expressed by the Lord Chief Justice at the claim «f the plaintiff that he had been un- justly prejudiced in the settlement of money which did not belong to him on a daughter of his late wife, and a Verdict was given for the defendant with costs. MR. G. W. RENDLE, Civil Lord of the Ad- miralty, and Mr. N. Barnabv, C.B., Director of Nayal Construction, recentlv arrived at Portsmouth Dockyard, and visited the Colossus, 6, double screw, steel armour 0' plate turret ship, 9150 tons, which is being brought for- ward for her steam trials this month. They also visited the Imperieuse, 10, steel iron screw cruiser armour Plated, 73.90 tons, now b.ilding, and whose boat and field Armament is to consist of two nine-pounder, an eight- pounder, and two seven-poundtr raazrle-loadera. It has transpired that the Secretary to the Admiralty misstated the estimated cost of the repairs of the Royal yacht Vic- toria and Albert. The amount is now stated to be £ 54,000, and not £ 45,000, as stated by Mr. Campbell- Bannerman in answer to a question. MB. JUSTICE CHITTY has had a motion before him, in the Chancerv Division, to commit the editor of the Era for contempt of Court in publishing paragraphs Which it was alleged prejudiced the defendant in the unfinished action of "Ward r Sullivan in which the question to be decided is whether the play called The Beautiful Wretch" is an infringement of the copyright in a plav named" Forget Me Sot." The evidence of the defendant that there was no intention to prejudice, the trial was accepted, and the motion was dismissed with THE ship Maulesden, L 00 tons, Captain Miller has left Glasgow for Brisbane, having on board 3í6 adnlts -vi- 44 single w men, 170 single men, and lb- married couples. Also the steamer Roma, Captain ann' for Queensland ports, has left Plymouth, having on board 191 single men, 85 single women. 132 married couples, 112 children, and 11 infants—total, 531 soul., equa to 4G4 adults THE death is announced of Matilda, Powager Ladv Massv, at her residence, Milford House, Lunenck, in her 85th vear. Her ladyship was the; voun^ fonghtcr of the late Mr. Luke White, M.P., of W oodbl\'(]" county Leitrim, and sister of the first Lord AnnaIy, and she married in 1826, Hugh Hammond, fourth Lord Massy, who died in 1S36.. The deceased lady was the mother tf the late and present Lords Massy. A PARLIAMENTARY PAPER has been issued Containing a return of proceedings under the Land Law (Ireland) Act, 1«81, no to the 31st day of January, 1883. From this it appears that the number of applica- tions to have fair rents fixed in court up to that date Nv"s 90,262 the rents fixed, 22,091 the applications dismissed or struck out, 4222 and the applications with- drawn, 3180; total disposed of, 29,493. The agree. Oients out of court fixing fair rent were -6,440 The applications to have leases declared void were 1500; the leases declared void, 104 the applications dismissed and struck out, 672 and the applications withdrawn or com- promised, 387; total number of lease cases disposed of, 1163. The number of miscellaneous originating notices (e.g. sale of tenancies and resumption of holdings) received Was 193 the number disposed of, 24; the number of appeals lodged. 5742 the number heard, 1304; and the number withdrawn, 067 total number disposed of, 1971.. „ n AT the regular communication of the uranci Masonic Lodge of Ireland, held in Dublin, a letter was read from Lord Wolseley, asking for a duplicate certi- ficate, which was granted, His lordship stated in his W that he wasfwhen in the 90th Foot,, in. -ted in July, 1854, in the Military Lodge (<~S) of i? 'H; company with Lord Ferrers, then a brother officer. His original master's certificate was lost ^Jdaome Recked in the Transit; and a duphc«|g and time afterwards was destroyed, with < in74 chattels,'• when the Pantechnicon was burne 3e desired another certificate in view o coming opening of a new lodge in M?nchef m' nce Earned after himself, and to be worked on tempe Principles. • The embarkation of troops for India, W place under the direction of Colonel .i Canyon, Assistant Qnartermaster-(-eneral, ha „ completed, the Serapis has sailed from ^nsmouth In the course of the day the Duke of Cambndge, ^Jo has be< n on a sho t visit*to Prince Edward of Sa^ » Vl<ited the troopers and inspected the men. ;B^to'can *hich takes out new scrcw-blades for the ri at Queenstown. Pnrtp is IT is stated in Constantinople that the Porte is «n the point of giving its adhesion to .Barw C Jice^ Position relative to the junction of the T European railw.ns.. dis- THE Town Council of Salisbury R wn Mil] Cussed the feasibility of purchasing the ol<1 deepcn- the Dean and Chapter of the Cathedral, aidldeepcn_ lnS the river Avon, with a view of P^eve" The rence of the recent disastrous floods «oods did damage to the extent of ±-0(J • .u A cohkbsIoxpexck on tbe subject Of pthe P^chu^nas has taken place between e ^or tj10 tecUon Society and the °d Derby letters polonies. The society forwarded to Lord nrltive roni the Bechuana chief Mankoroan Vj Society teacher at Taungs-whcre the London Missio ^ve a station—complaining that Partl<* robbin" the 0m the Transvaal were murdering ,'°^.ton, ?<itives in Mankoroan's country. Mr Johni ^ha]f »n a recent letter, acknowledges on Lord There receipt of these commumcat.ons addin occupat^n and Plotectl0* ^hers of the Stock THe manner M which M recent,y shown f-^change are sometimes defrauae London. A P a trial at the Central Crl™ed with fraudulently ^eek named Bensulen was ^ar- g t0 buv shares for niducmg several firms of stockbrok improved in illm and it was stated that if the but if tji0 value he appeared and took the (i bjm) and Prices "were lowered nothing more •« as Recorder the purchasers had to bear the^ 'niposed a sentence of six months har a nauper THE Conference on the treatment OR children has been concluded at the rooms iherdare. Arts, London, under the Pre3'dencj\°.1/1r,n instead of e system of boarding out poor c schools, was maintaining them in workhouses or industrial sen foe of the principal subjects discussed, and It app he regarded with general favour, the chai approving of it. 'I SIR GEORGE rOWEN, after some stay in Egypt, j has left Cairo for nong Kong. ii(l,)n after an LORD MAYO has arrived in London after an absence of nearly a year spent in travel in W esLern South I Africa. THE Queen and rrinwas Eeatnre are ex- pected to reside at Windsor Cattle till about the 22nd in.t, when the Co.-rt will go to Osborne THE Commons Preservation Society have decided not to oppose the bill for the construction of a railwav between Chingfurd and High Bee. h. There was a division of opinion on the subjeet.- Laiid. A COMMITTEE has, it is stated, been appointed to report on the different patterns of magazine small arms j which have been submitted lo Lhe Ordnance Department { for trial. The committee will consist of Colonel I'. Smith, Grenadier Guards (president), Colonel Arbuthnot, K.A., t Colonel Slade, Iiii'Ie Brigade, Lieutenant-Colonel Sir II. Halford, and a naval officer, who has not as yet been nominated. Major Salmond, Deputy Assistant Adjutant- General of musketry, will act as secretary. The com- mittee will also conduct experiments in connection with the improvement of the M.irtini-Henry rille. ARRANGEMENTS are stated by the Hindoo Patriot to be making on the Indus Valley State Rai)- way for improving the third class railway accommoda- tion by introducing carriages litted with batli-rooin appliances." This, it is observed, will prove a great convenience to passengers, and may fitly be adopted for all other lines. LETTERS from the Channel Fleet describe the serious encounter of the ships en their outward voyage with heavy gales. On ooard the Agincourt Lieutenant Bayly broke his collarbone by being thrown across the bridge, and quantities of water got into the fore com- partment. The admiral allowed two days to refit ships, as all had defects to make go ^d, both in rigging and hull Amongst other accidents Mr. Montcnara, mid- shipman of the Northumberland, was thrown ou his head and remained insensible for several hours. One junior officer of the Minotaur broke his collarbone, and another had his foot smashed through a ladder falling on it. As to steadiness in the heavy seas, the Northumberland claims to have done the best; but as all the ships knocked their pendulums against the side of the case, it is hard to say which should be awarded the A PETITION to Parliament is beinsf extensively circulated bv the Working Men s Lord's-Day Rest Associ- ation, of Bedford-row, London, which states that the sale of intoxicating liquors on Sundays is a fruitful source of drunkenness, immoralitv, and crime that in Scotland. Ireland, and Wales, the Sunday-closing of public-houses has been attended with the most satisfactory results that public opinion in England is rqie for Sunday-closing and ) that the vast number of publicans, with their barmen and barmaids, need to be protected against the Sunday labour which they now endure. The prayer of the petition is that the bill for closing public-houses in England on the whole of the Sunday may become law. THE marriage of Mr. Charles Critchett, of Duchess-street, Portland-pla.-e, with Miss F. E. Whallcy, younger daughter of the late Mr. G. Hammond Whalley, M.P., of PI as Madoc, Denbighshire, has been solemnised at All Souls', Langham-pl ice, London. The ceremony was performed by the Bishop of Gloucester and Bristol, assisted by the Rev. Canon Barker, cousin of the bride, who wis given away by her uncle, Mr. Houghton, of Armsworth, Hants. ,< LAST YEAR lS,5:?J,lí:? centals of wheat passed through the Golden Gate, Pan Fcm^co, value of £ 31,000,200, or upwards of i,(),000,uuu. Wheat is the leading article exported from the State The above export, large as it was, fell short of that of 1881 by 1,500,noo centals, though the total money value was slightly greater in H'.c2. In Janua-y of last vear, shipping wheat averaged per cental it fell to$1-61 in April,and fluctuatedfrom ^TG'G in May to §1*70 in August, closing the year with a firm quotation at$1-73. Although a few cargoes shipped at southern ports might be included, they would not materially affect the foregoing statement. MAJOR-GENERAL BCRROWS, who for many years past has resided at Bournemouth, has died sud- denlv in the Bournemouth Town Hall, where the postmen and railway porters were being entertained to a supper. DEFINITE ORVERS have been given regarding the scale of allowances to be paid to the officers and men of the Indian Division of the Egyptian Expeditionary Force, who lately vi'ited England, and that accordingly |1) British oflic'ers will receive their full Indian pay^and allowances, with full stiff salaries, for the whole period (2) to native officers and men full pay, together with staff pay of any regimental appointments they have held, such Ws subadar ir.;i or, adjutant kote dnffadar, pay, h.rivild;(i, fcc., also field batta for the whole period of their absence, and'until thedav thev re;oine their corps (:!) oOiccrsand non-commissioned officers (British as well as native) who mav have acted for the absentees pro tnn. will be granted the usual acting allowances; and (4) such advanoes of nav as mav have been made to the party in England ■will be recovered at the official rate of exchange for t e A CRUEL case of child neglect and alleged murder has just occurred at Glasgow, the victim being &ir ih a^l seven vears, the daughter of Archibald Fallow, a 5 writer, residing in Preston-street. The mother died some time ago, and since then the children, of whom theie are two have been neglected. Sarah was recently found wandering about the stress and taken to the eastern police-office, where she remained three days until her father claimed her. He took the child home, and the neighbours next morning were _j'on-ified to see ie child fall from the window and killed. It is alIe-el that the child was thrown out by the father, but after that the child was thrown out by the father, but after he was apprehended he said that the girl jumped through the window. It is now stated that the deceased wa afraid to go home, as her father would thrash her fo having stolen a penny. In the meantime the police are M THI Crownl'nnce of Austria has consented to IBE^R VIENNA Electrical Exhibition, and the°Eniperor°bas signified his intention of devoting some I ishlj. L.n.tcd .o.™ effccts of incandescent 1«1(or 1.»« b«.n otmM. tit. receipt of pp mikinfJ arr;!ngerncnt3 for a transit on all goods forwarded to Vienna for cxlubi ti w'ine harvest last IT IS wel compared to that of France year was scanty in Italy, I France scarcely ^rVs 'sVSVettnlitrc.. Tl.c lurvcrt In France, wa. w ■ni W cttolitrm H.an that otoine.l there in hi Vt'ly I. -» P^ter hv litres'th.™ the a en/e production, thou;;h below the pro- shortly be i "n'the south transept of Canterbury Cathedral as placed in th Mnrqnis Conyngham. The cost a memorial o subscriptions from present and ex- will be defrayed by Kent^ounted Rifler> officers an l nl.en jece^scd nobleman was honorary of which regiment tnc colonel. occasioned in Exeter by the suicide ol -.i • cre(]itors together, and deceased had rccen y < (hat negotiations which after reading comlihttd had fallen he had looked upo anj with a razora'most through, he went to his jle leaves a widow severed his head fromi his bodj. and several ^own up children OF TROOP9 THERE has been a fall «R^E|P(;OR(1ON (who is in at Chatham garrison, whc'\C o'° Hls t0 those who temporary command) P«e»^; 5 ^vcral had' served througho^t^W 1.1^ complSLSte'/both omcers. and J^aUho0^ :S:>nn5S0^h,U.heen engaged. pr0vi9ionsof the Explosives engaged. pr0vi9ionsof the Explosives 1 OR infringing P the license of his powder Act by neglect.^ brick intnufactnr,r, A\'est magazine, Joscp „ an(J c0^ts. On the 22nd Bromwicli, has bc('!11 defendant's works ljcwt. of lt. the police sei^ Jt^«hown that lie hail not lasting P°^e;n'se sincc December 1«81. He had been renewed his similar offence. previously fined for wjlful damage has AN «tra0iinhaJ\^e Portsmouth magistrates. A been investigated o.\ s|I(,wn to have slammed man named John II< .mn covering 0f a manhole down and thereby b aj,e <)oiu, amounting to 19s. of the main drain, vt.re down the drain, he replied, When told that two me acting borough engineer "Letthemget upaga1"- re„Ce not bwn observed proved that had tli men wouI,l probably and the manhole opened, lffocalion. The magis- have met with their deat of tjie gravity of the trates marked their appi month's imprison- oiTcnce by sentencing the prisoner to a ment with hard labour AHiance, in the AT a meeting of the.rarme ]eairable t0 Town Hall, Northampton, it A resolution establish .branch Sort m,ntion of agriculture tenant-right in the (,2ueen 8 Speech. AT a recent meeting oc the Eastbourne Looa. j Board it was decided to refer the disputed Town Hail plans to a competent architect, for him to report as to j the defects which they are alleged to contain. HE. MITCHINSON, the county coroner, Lincoln, has held an inquiry at Bardney, into the circumstances attending the death of John' Flack, who was cut to pieces on the Great Northern Railway. Flack, who is a native of Suffolk, was in search of employment, and while walking up the line towards Bardney was over- taken by an up passenger train. A verdict of "Acci- dentally killed" was recorded. AT Scarborough the premises of Mr. Peter Tiss iman, ironmonger, Victoria-road, were lately found to have been broken open during the night, and a quan- tity of articles stolen. An examination of the back premises showed that the thieves had forcedthe back door, and then broken open the shop door. THE memorial stone of a Primitive Methodist Chapel, now in course of erection in Shakspeare-road, Sittingbourne, was recently laid, in the presence of a large gathering. THE annual report of Dr. H. G. Sutton medical officer of health, shows a death-rate for tht sixteen rural parishes around Sittingbourne of fourteen per 1000. MB. U.W. ACKRELE, a member of the firm of Mes.-rs. Llewellyn and Ackrell, solicitors to the Tunstall Local Board, registrar of the county court, and clerk to the Pott ries Manufacturers' Aisociation, has died sud- denly at his residence in that town. THERE is reason to believe that the Prince and Princess of Wales will accept the invitation of the Mayor and Corporation of Leeds to open the new municipal offices ill J ulv. A DETERMINED ATTEMPT was recently made to throw the train which runs between Halesworth and Southwold Stations, on the Great Eastern Railway, off the metals, outside the former station. Fortunately the obstruction, which consisted of a plank of wood, was dis- covered in time, otherwise it would have resulted in the train rolling down the embankment. A FIRF. recently broke out in the Abbey Brewery, Edinburgh, occupied by Messrs. W. Younger and Co., and damage was sustained to the extent of about £8000, which is covered by insurance. The fire occurred in a three-storey building, the upper flat of which, where the fiames were first observed, was used as a hop store. This flat and the one below, used as a fermenting room, were destroyed, with their contents. AT an early hour a fire broke out on premises occupied by Mr. G. Mattison, cabinet maker, St. Paul's- road, Bow-common, London. A large timber shed, 60ft. long by 20ft. wide, used as stables, was soon ablaze, and two houses were destroyed before aid could be obtained. The engines from Whitechapel, Bethnal-green, Hackney, Poplar, Bow, and Shoreditch, under Superintendent A. Campbell, were stationed all round the fire, but they could not prevent the flames spreading to two of the arches of the Great Eastern Railway, used its a manu- factory, which soon bla :ed fiercely. The stacks of timber and two other sheds were ignited, and it was some hours before the fire was subdued. THE charge of perjury preferred against Captain William J. Tonge, arising out of proceedings at the Divorce Court, has again occupied the attention of Mr. d'Eyncourt at Westminster Police-court, London, and at the close of the evidence the accused was com- mitted for trial, but admitted bail on his own recog- nisance?, the magistrate at the same time expressing an opinion that he did not for a moment think that Captain Tonge would be convicted. MR. GEORGE LATHAM, the Liberal candidate for M id-Cheshire, has addressed a meeting of his sup- porttrs at Knutsford, where the Conservatives have their headquarters. In the evening the Conservative candidate, the Hon. Alan Egerton, spoke at Lymni. Votes of con- fidence were passed at these gatherings. AT the County-court, Stoke-on-Trent, the North Stafford Steam Tramway Company was sued by John Woodcock, grocers' agent, for £ 50 damages sustained by reason of defendants' car running into his horse and trap, and thereby causing personal injury and damage to his horse and vehicle. The judge awarded him .£30, on the ground of negligence. A MEETING of the superintendents of the various departments of the Civil Service Co-operative Society, No. 28, Haymarket, London, has been recently held at No. 39, Charing-cross, when a testimonial, consisting of an cper^ne of solid silver, surmounted with a vase of cut glass, was by them presented to the Hon. Gerald C. Talbot (late of the India Office), on his retirement from the chairmanship of the of Directors of that society, which position he had held from its commencement in 1861 until last year, when he was compelled to resign from ill-health. Mr. Ta bot acknowledged the compliment, and said that although he had with great regret been compelled to resign the presidency of the board, yet he trusted he should still have the pleasure of meeting those around him for many year-; to come. DURING the prevalence of a fog two trawiers named Jasper and Armenia, of Ardrishaig, were wrecked on the Whelk rocks on the Aryshire coast, about seven miies from the fishing village of Girvan; and three fishermen, named John Hamilton, Archibald Gilchrist, and Archibald Dawson, wer-c drowned. The eight men who manned the boats all belong to Ardrishaig. The five survivors were saved by another fishing boat. THE passenger and goods guards of the Mid- land Railway have been informed that the directors of the company, after full consideration, cannot accede to their demands for increased wages. Very reliable men, they say, can be ca-iln, procured in their place. The guards intend to apply for relief from Sunday duty, or payment for such duty as overtime. The porters and other servants are also pressing for a similar concession, and they point out that although the reduction of wages was only temporary e::ch man has alieady lost,over ten guineas by the reduction. THE Hev. J. Pridger, emigrants' chaplain, St. Nicholas Church, Liverpool, and the representative at that port of the Emigration Committee of the Society for the Promotion of Christian Knowledge, is arranging to take a party of settlers to Manitoba and other parts of Canada, leaving England on April 19. Very encouraging letters have been received from many of the farmers and others who accompanied Mr. Bridger on previous occa- sions, amLit is very probable that further parties, in addition to that mentioned above, will be sent out under careful superintendence during the coming season. IN the French Chamber a debate has talcen place on the question of taking into consideration the pro- posals concerning the revision of the Constitution. M. Jules Ferry declined to take any steps in the matter, on the ground that it would only bring about a conflict between the two Houses. To organise a campaign against the Senate would, he said, be to misunderstand the true opinion of the country. The mass of the people simply wished to follow their occupations in peace, and would withdraw their support from the Republic if they saw that it mear.t insatbility and agitation. The Govern- ment therefore opposed the motion to tike the subject into consideration, M. Clémenceau said that further explanations from M. Jules Ferry were necessary, and he moved the adjournment of the debate. The motion was carried. AT the Folice-court, Crewe, Henry Brassing- ton has been charged with stabbing Peter Williams, a labourer, at Wybunbury Wakes. A row took place at the Wakes, and a witness stated that he saw prisoner rush against Williams, and strike a knife into his breast. The police stated that Williams lay in a dangerous con- dition the wound was deep, and the doctor said he might succumb at any moment. Prisoner was remanded, and a magistrate at once went to the house where the injured man lies, and took his depositions. A LITTLE GIRL named Kate Watcborn. of Himley-street, has been run over and killed in High- street, Dudley, and the driver of the cart, James Marsh, was arrested by the police. Being the annual fair, the thoroughfare was unusually crowded. A CORRESPONDENT in New York telegraphs that the English mails had arrived with the full testimony of Carey, making the case against P. J. Sheridan appear much stronger than before. The British Minister, it is said, will take no action until the depositions reach him. EACH of the candidates for Mid-Cheshire has addressed one meeting. The Hon. Alan Egerton spoke to the freeholders at Winsford, and Mr. George Latham at Altrincham. Mr. Borlase, M.P. for East Cornwall, is assisting the latter in his candidature AT the Central Criminal Court, London, before Mr. Justice North, Elizabeth Stanger, 3:1, the wife of Urban Napoleon Stanger, a baker in Lever-street, St. Luke's, London, who so mysteriously disappeared in November, 18S1, wa3 recently brought up for sentence, she having been found guilty on an indictment for perjury committed in evidence given upon the trial of a man named Stumm, who had taken the place of her husband in the management of the business. Mr. Justice North sentenced her to twelve months' imprisonment with hard labour. AT a Town Council meeting at Accrington a discussion recently took place on the adoption of a peti- tion in favour of the Ribble Navigation Scheme. Coun- cillor Baron said it would be far more beneficial to Accrington and North-East Lancashire than the Man- chester Ship Canal, and would not cost one-tenth the money. The petition was adopted.

MR. RUSKIN'S SHEFFIELD MUSEUM. .t ..a. :j 't L. 1. The offer of Mr. Ruskin to establish a museum on a large scale in Sheffield is exciting general interest, and it is hoped that, after certain legal difficulties have been obviated, a definite scheme for enlisting the sunport of the public will be placed before the community. At present it is impossible for any more of Mr. Ruskin's art treasures to be housed in the little building at Walklev, and the curator, Mr. H. Swann, is having another tern- porary house built simply for storage purposes. Mr. Ruskin, writing to Mr. Swann recently, States that he hopes to be in a position, when he has some leisure from his duties as Slade Professor at Oxford, to turn his atten- tion once more to the development of the museum at Sheffield. This intimation has caused much gratifica- tion, as it was feared that the delay which has already taken place was one reason why Mr. Ruskin had con- templated the abandonment of the Sheffield project, and re-accepted the Professorship at Oxford. During the time the proposal has been before the public requests have been received from Manchester and other towns, stating that if Sheffield had any hesitation in the matter, they would be glad to take it up and act upon it promptly. In Manchester an association has been formed, which is working vigorously on the same lines as Mr. Ruskin has laid down for his museum at Sheffield. One gentleman has subscribed £ 1000, and a free site for the building has already been obtained. At present Mr. Ruskin is not forwarding any further objects to Sheffield, but is distributing portions of his collections in various centres. His interesting collection of shells has gone to Nottingham, and a large picture of Venice to the Wheatlands College. The site suggested at Sheffield for the museum is on the Endcliffe Hall Estate, but the officials of the several trades unions, who are intcrestin"' themselves in the subject, are urging that some place more easy of access should be selected, as artisans after a hard day's labour, could not possibly get to Endcliffe for study for any profitable purpose. The objection to I, having the museum in the centre of the town is that the smoky atmosphere would seriously damage the paintings and other works of art which Mr. Ruskin intends to place in the building.