The Brecon Reporter and South Wales General Advertiser

NEXT WEEK ) WE SHALL COMMENCE PAUL RATCLIFFE'S ADVENTURES; y A new Story of Wild Life in the Prairies of America; based upon the experience of a gentle- man who has travelled in those isolated regions.

T 0 "W lNr T A L KZ. BY OUR SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT. -+-- OW readers will understand thatwe do not hold ourselves retpon- sibU/or owe able Correspondent's opinions. I LIKE to ride in a hansom cab—when I can afford it. Dr. Johnson was right—there are not many things in life finer than to lie back in a post-chaise—a hansom cab will do as well-and be whirled along; only if my enjoyment is to be without alloy, the poor beast behind which the whip cracks and whistles must not be ill-treated. Two days ago, in Farringdon-street, I called the attention of a policeman to a horse which was yielding and flinching. The "cabby" was hailed, and the horse, on being unharnessed, was found to be suffering from three great red wounds-one being on either shoulder, where the collar pressed, and one on the centre of the back. The crowd that had gathered could not help crying Shame." The owners of such horses ought to be well punished. They take care that they are well-paid, and they can have no excuse. Don't I hope that the magistrate before whom this. case comes may be in one of his most savage moods. This man would, a few years ago, have got off scot-free. I am thankful, however, that the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals prevents such conduct from going unpunished. What a wonderful revolution has taken place in this country The papers have not chronicled the death of either Col. Daw kins or Mr. Seymour; nor is the latter gentleman considered a coward "because, like Troilus, he cannot fight upon this argument." Yesterday I heard a knot of young fellows, whose grandfathers would have regarded the matter most seriously, laughing over the z7 "bellicose attitude of the colonel. Burke was right, The age of chivalry is gone," and we no longer think it the noblest way of spending existence to go- Caking about in foreign lands, With iron gauntlets on your hands, And on your head an iron pot." It is unnecessary to say that the Southey tragedy is regarded with the utmost horror. Some are diffident of discussing it, and when it is mentioned, merely shake their heads, as who should say, It is very sad we had rather not discuss it." Some cannot believe the man sane who could take three innocent children and murder them, and having looked on their lifeless forms, their little pale faces, about which clung a still and sorrowful beauty, go down to Eamsgate to seek two more victims. His ac- count of his life, his mawkish sentimentality, ex- cite universal disgust. Yet I have heard some condemn the press as too harsh in its treatment of this awful case. He could, at all events, they say, have been guided by no selfish motive. His acts seem the joint result of despair and insanity. The conduct of the Hon. Dudley Ward in repudiating the debt, I have heard strongly, and perhaps unjustly condemned. I heard a gentleman, who stands high as a lite- rary' man, express pointed disapproval of that gentleman's conduct, on the ground that within the gambler's circle the moral thing is to pay what you lese. And he went on to say that he could understand how the thought that he had won this money, and what he might have done with it-how he would have inaugurated a new and to him impossible career, in which that higher nature, about which we know more from Southey's talk than his conduct, would have developed itself, he could understand how these thoughts were always preying on Southey's, mind, and eating its soundness away. He had suffered destitution himself, he had stood in London without a penny and without a friend, and he would not be surprised at anything a man did under such circumstances, more especially if, as in Southej's case, the strength derived from good moral training be wanting. While in Ramsgate, Southey, or rather Forward, was a regular atten- dant at a debating society, and was considered a good speaker. He is well known in some of the West-end billiard-rooms. Xjnagine going in to have your harmless game of billiards and playing for amusement with such a man! The cattle disease, and the high price of meat, and vegetable diet—what of these? It is the opinion of those best informed on the two former subjects, that the veterinary surgeens are aggra- vating matters by their agitation. Butchers are dancing to the tune, and the public have to pay the piper. The cry against foreign cattle is considered a rap at free trade. However that may be, it is pretty clear from the number of foreign cattle imported that if you check their importation, meat would rise to double its present price, and London would have to repair its tissues with food less substantial. The farmers some say are behind the age, and can't produce as much meat as the nation requires. But they do not consider how crowded England is with towns, nor do they point out any practical way of improving matters, and increasing the native supply. There has been some talk of vegetable diet, but seemingly rather in jest than otherwise. Indeed, I have met but one vegetarian; he happens to be a member of the same club as your correspondent. He is a ner- vous person, and, at the first faint rumour of cattle disease and its terrible symptoms, he took to vegetables. Is there any connection between vegetables and moral courage ? From what source has he derived strength to endure all the chaff" with which he has been assailed ? One fiiend con- doled with him on the increasing greenness of his complexion (he is very ruddy); another exam- ined him very closely to see if there were any sicns of his sprouting; and another, whose fancy carries him very far, said that our vegetarian had become no assimilated to his elected food that he was regularly followed by three or four hungry butterflies. Luckily, he is very good-humoured. The Londoners are crowing over the defeat of Chambers for the championship of the Thames. Those of them, however, who went in for six to four against Kelly would have preferred suf- fering in their pride rather than in their pocket. I was near Kelly before he got into his boat; I never saw a healthier-looking man, and when he commenced to use the skulls I could guess" that he was, to use the words of an old fellow near me, a ugly customer to contend agen." This is the season when the Londoner takes his trip to Eamsgate or Brighton, to get some salt into his lungs and be able to talk about the chain-pier. It is also the season when the poor little ragged children have their humbler trips to the Crystal Palace, or Battersea-park, &c. At the latter place there were, a few days ago, a large i number of these urchins, not ragged either. A ■ pleasanter sight could not be seen. How they did enjoy themselves To behold them tuck in" was en in your case to be filled with envy, and carried back to a time when no tonic-bottles graced your bedroom chimney-piece. They played at ball and cricket; they scrambled for apples, breaking, the while, into shrilling cries.and jubilant shouts, and ringing laughter. Some rather big boys and r girls—were they teachers ?-were playing at "kiss-in-the-ring." I saw, after some little time, that the superintendent thought they had had quite enough of it, and the plan he adopted to put an end to it was almost Jesuitical — he took a handful of apples and threw them into 'their midst; off went a hundred boys, like so many arrows, into the "ring," which was hopelessly broken, and even some of the gallants themselves joined in the scramble, and I i so far seemed to prefer a rosy apple to a ruddy cheek. You are aware that in various parts of London there are' discussion halls, where you may inhale tobacco smoke for air; liquor up," as the horrid cant phrase runs, with adulterated drinks; eat a chop on which the flies have banquetedbeforehand; and hear oratorst who, like Justice Bolt, Feel their force In either way-to eat (to drink) or to discourse the speeches of these gentlemen being at times about as relevant to the subject in hand as the answer of the Cork fishwoman to her gossip's in- quiry relative to the death of a mutual friend- "Why thin, Peggy," says the gossip, "of what did he die, now?" ;.Why, thin, he died of a Tuesday," was the highly pertinent reply. In one of these places they have been discussing the affairs of Mexico, and the general opinion-you may take it for what it is worth-was, that Ame- rica would be sure to enforce the Monroe doctrine in relation to that country. I have often laughed over the Village Politicians;" is there no painter amongst us to transfer to canvas the no less comic traits of metropolitan ones ? Z. j

OPINIONS OF THE PRESS. A Cry for Foundling Hospitals. We are not surprised to find ourselves standing almost alone in the advocacy of foundling establish- ments, as a preventive of infanticide; but what does surprise us is the unvarying tenor of the opposition in favour of an assumed means of controlling this, frightful evil, based on the terror of illicit maternity. It is sought to be shown that the best safeguard against illicit amours and contingent illicit births, consists in devising means of keeping the pains, the penalties, the horrors of this even, well before the memory of the woman, the weaker party. Thus, and thus alone, it is asserted, can society be purified from this iniquitous stain—thus alone can it be regene- rated. It has, always seemed to us that this assumed safeguard had been tried out to exhaustion, and, by its results, proved defective; but a contemporary gave place to a letter yesterday, wherein the astounding testimony was set forth that, notwithstanding the prevalence of infanticide among us, we were still better in respect of this crime than other nations. If it be so, then we say God help this murderous world 1 -M,prning Post. It is not surprising that the disclosure of the crimes of the Devonshire murderess, Charlotte Winsor, has excited afresh the grief and alarm of society about the amount of infanticide among us. Perhaps we ought not to wonder at a repetition of what always follows such disclosures-a loud demand for foundling hospitals, as the natural, necessary, and appropriate remedy—the only preventive of the crime; yet it does seem strange that, if the proposers of this assumed remedy have not knowledge enough to be aware what they are asking, they should have no more reasoning power than to perceive that an institution which they praise as existing in former times and in foreIgn countries must have been discontinued in England and other Protestant countries for some reason..Con- sidering that infanticide is a crime which weighed heavily on the Pagan world, and then on Oathoho society, and then on Protestant, and that lungs and society, and then on Protestant, and that lungs and legislators, and saints and moralists, and just and benevolent persons everywhere, have followed the same coursein all ages an dull countries- of providing arefuge { for unwelcomeand deserted infants- there must be some I reason 'hv England and some other advanced countries have desisted from this particular method of dealii) g with the crrme. Those who are so ready to ant, and to compel others to act, on the first natural impulse in the case, might at leBfit. one would think, ascertain why England has ceased to follow the ancient and foreign m.1:,h,:¿t Ti f-y might at least inquire what has been the operation of that method in all the countries and states of society in which it has been tried If they had had the modesty and good sense to have done this, they would have found that wherever refuges for illegitimate or deserted children have been established, there has been an increase—not only of infant mortality but of child-murder, which is utterly appalling. One of the correspondents of a con- temporary announces that, in the hope of forming a central association to obtain a legislative establish- I ment of foundling hospitals, numbers of benevolent persons will exert themselves, among other ways, "in collecting statistics.' Let us hope that this statis- tical inquiry will go forward, and that it will be of the requisite scope. —Daily News. Fastening on the crime itself, people demand inter- I ference by the establishment of foundling hospitals, or receptacles like these which we see on the Continent for' foundlings. They argue that. if we make it so easy to get rid of children, we diminish the induce- ments to destroy them; and this is about'all that can be said in favour of the proposal. On the.other hand, the objections, are many and weighty. In the ifirst place, a foundling hospital is a little, and only a little, better than the den of the infanticide, Charlotte Winsor. It rescues children from one kind of death only to subject them to another, more painful and scarcely less sure than stifling between two mat- tresses. If this were all, however, we admit the ease would not be made out, because all that would be saved of those who would otherwise have been de- stroyed would be so much gained to society. But we must look a little deeper into the matter, and consider the causes that lead to the crime, and the influence that foundling hospitals would have upon its perpe- trators. As to the latter subject, it" is quite clear that foundling hospitals, by providing a means of dis- posing of children without the guilt of actual murder, and without the expense of supporting them, would furnish a most dangerous argument against fe- male virtue, and would thus greatly stimulate the cases in which the crime is committed. But they would do more than this. The act of disposing of a child in a foundling hospital is essentially immoral; it breaks down and degrades the character of the person who perpetrates it, and prepares the way for other crimes. The person who is capable of placing a child in a I foundling hospital, with the knowledge that in all probability it will die there, is far advanced in the way towards that state of mind which would induce her to kill the child herself. Take, for instance, the case of Rousseau, a man whom one would not willingly sup- pose to be incapable of tender emotion, and who has given us a delineation of female character which has drawn forth the tears and the sympathy of all readers. Yet this most sentimental of writers, ana most tender drawn forth the tears and the sympathy of all readers. Yet this most sentimental of writers, and most tender of moralists was so overpowered with the temptation which a paternal Government placed in his way, that fee has actually put on record in his own Con- fessions that he had the heart to send five of his own children to the foundling hospital, and this without reserving to himself the possibility of identifying them in case they survived. Nothing can be more odious than the arguments by which this sentimental philosopher palliates his guilt. He sent his children to the foundling hospital because from particular circumstances he feared for them a defective education if he retained them at home.-Ti-nes. Child-Murder. Mr. Justice Willes told the grand jury at Wells that in his opinion one cause at least of the crime of infan- ticide was the existence of defects in the law. Judges and juries in criminal matters were bound to accept the law as it stood, not stretching it to meet individual cases, not contracting it from any sense of obvious public advantage, and the law on child-murder was bad. In the first place, women tried on the secondary charge are punished not for concealment of birth, but concealment of the body, a distinction which not only increases the difficulty of obtaining evidence, but excites hopes in the criminal that if she can finally do away with the body she may be free of the law. Secondly, it is almost impossible, or in many cases quite impossible, to prove that the child was killed after it was fully born, and without such proof no conviction either for murder, or manslaughter can legally be obtained, a statement which, made from the bench and repeated, as it will be in the village penny newspapers, will of itself produce consequences Sir J. Willes would be the last to desire. He sug. gests therefore, as we understand, that concealment itself should be made penal, and that wilful killing at any moment after the pains have commenced should be accounted either murder or manslaughter. Now here at last are practical propositions, sugges- tions with a definite meaning, namely, to repress the crime by making the law more certainly efficient. So far as we can judge they certainly would have that effect. The first defect indeed is a real blunder, which can never have been intended by the framers of the law, and though the removal of the second would in-, volve some awkward questions, such as the legal light" of surgeons to sacrifice the child in order to save the mother, still these could no doubt be sufficiently well provided for. If the Legislature could be induced in addition to constitute infanticide by mothers a separate and distinct crime, neither murder nor man- slaughter, but child-murder, and impose a special penalty, say seven years' penal servitude, we should at last have a working law, a law under which evidence, would be simple, and juries would be induced to con- vict steadily, instead of convicting one day en evi- dence which they reject the next. At present the criminal runs an inappreciable risk of a capital sen- tence, a faint risk of penal servitude for life, and a great risk of two years' imprisonment, and the ex- change of all these risks for a certainty much heavier than the last might inspire a beneficial terror.-SPec' tator. The Financial Condition and Prospects of America. The daily operations of Jay Cooke, the Government broker in Philadelphia, are dispatched across the tele, graphic wires in every direction, and represented as the achievements of a great benefactor, who is strug- gling for the general good. Many journals are endea- vouring to force the conviction upon the people that five or six millions added each day to oar national debt, entailing an interest of nearly 7t per cent. upon every dollar, is not only an evisence of our sound financial condition, but is positive proof of the extraordinary sagacity of the great self-denominated financial str»t0' gist above mentioned. We do not hesitate to asser^ that we entertain directly opposite views. We look upon the augmentation of our national dene m any other light than that which marks tbf to financial distress and commercial ruin- •PjmPiy re- turning to the Government its paper and the notes of the national ban^s, inch are being increased in volume at the rate o* ree four millions a week, and receiving o e seven and three-tenths bonds is, ia our no of the soundness of the national ctf 1 01 healthy condition of its finances; it JP Proves that the currency is inflated, and preciated condition has closed many of the ordinary channels for safe investment. AT,« During the ° the fluctuations in the premium on coin created no more ntieasiness than what was J temporary excitement. The Government nooaea the country with green- backs to the extent or seven (hundred millions, and it was not that gold took a stand far above the representative 7 6 the legal tenders; but the premium f*otn day became greater or less as our prospects were brightened or clouded by defeat or victory on the field of battle. But now that the war ia ended what is there, it may be asked, to cause fluctuations m the price of gold, or even to keep it above the face value of Government paper which, for all purposes in our daily transactions, is its legal re- presentative ? The question is easily answered. It is simply the distrust which is engendered by the con- tinued increase of the currency and the enlargement of the iiational debt. We are in the same track that England pursued during the ten years subsequent to the final close of her war with France. The mistakes which the Govern- ment of that country made resulted not only in monetary revulsions and financial distress, which nearly ruined her trade and commerce, but in domestic broils and riots which threatened the very existence of the kingdom. If we do not commence early to profit by the knowledge we possess of the financial blunders which that country perpetrated, we must be prepared to witness a monetary collapse that experience has already taught us will spread disgrace and disaster through the heretofore prosperous Northern States.— New York Herald. —♦

THE PBAEL SEMOULB.—This very choice and pwre article or Diet is mucin prized for the DINNER-TABI.K, and invaluable for INVALIDS, CHJI-WREN, and INFANTS, Sold by Grocers, &c. J. FlSON, MANUFACTITKER, IPSWICH

AMERICA. The military authorities at Richmond have declare the late elections null and void, on the ground that tne soldiers who had absented themselves to serve intne Federal army were excluded from voting, under tne pretext of want of necessary residence qualifications, Whilst rebel soldiers were not thus excluded. issue at the elections was between those who aide^ the rebellion and those who defended the country, the former should notbe installed in office or entrustea j. with.po.wet.. The..officials elected have appoi»te<1 a committee to confer with the President. Numerous prominent pardoned rebels of Carolina have been designated as delegates to State Convention. It is reported that they will cot" ^l .the Convention and oppose the North_ Carolina to the tlnion as a free State. Unionists are;organising'an opposition to prevent t^0 Convention being heM. The Governpr of North Carolina denies that th0 habitants of that State manifest any ill feeling toW^1, the Northern emigrants or show any disposition rebel should the! troops be withdrawn. The Governor and the military authorities of h0 T? bave issued a proclamation, warning all yy* aided the rebellion against voting at the ^0 personal and political friends of Mr. have held a meeting at New York to adopt to secure his speedy trial and engage able counsel his defence. = ° H

NEW ZEALAND., V- MELBOURNE, JUNE 25. Intelligence received here from New Zealand nounces that William Thompson surreuderledto Brigadier Curry on the 2 £ th May, and the war considered at a,n end. The attempt to capture$| Yolkper's murderers had failed..

THE; CHOLEBA IN, MARSEILLES. PAKIS, Aug. The cholera has decidedly made its appearanCE) Marseilles, where as many as ten deaths have been i corded in a day.. From Egypt the Qazette gives details OP the ravages caused by the j which has now almost ceased. In one village in Delta, celebrated for the cultivation of water naeloi1' the whole of the inhabitants died. Being unable sell their fruit, they ate it themselves, and died t| last man. It was necessary to employ forced labjji to bury the last. In all it. is said that 82,000 vict^ of the contagion and bad living were buried in Eg?* within six weeks.

CHINA. SHANGHAE, JUNE ) In North China the rebels threaten the Itnpe^ • > city. 7,000 Chinese troops had embarked at ShangjJ I for Tienksin to operate against Nienfei. The aut/lo; rities at Pekiu have applied for British miiittli; officers. It is reported that Nienfei'had sacked V pillaged the city of Chufouhsein. Burgevine it custody of the mandarins at Foo chow. who refuse tI comply with the demands of the American consul j his release. Tywe Bad taken the field in VeT0^ I against Chusin. Sir Harry Parke a proceeds to J&P on the 23rd inst.

THE ATLANTIC 1ELEGRAPS. Failure of the Expedition. j The following telegram was received at Mr. ) office on Thursday — CHOOKHAVEN, AUG. 1''J |< The Great Eastern arrived off here this morning),9 I1 furnishes the following particulars of the oper»k°j|j j for laying the Atlantic Telegraph Cable, which it be seen have failed. A partial loss of insulation having been discover the Great Eastern was stopped to recover that P°r of the cable in which the fault lay," electrical placing it probably within six miles. The cable s passed from the stern to the tiowof the ship for pnrpose, and after getting in two miles of cablft J fault being still overboard, the cable broke about yards in board of the wheel at the bow, having injured by chafing on the stern of the ship. previous faults had been discovered the first, '1J soundings of about 1,000 yards, and the eeooB" „ about 4,100 yards, and had been successfully. covered and made .good,, in the first case ten Je and in the second two and a half miles of cable hauled in. After the cable parted, a grapnel with and a half nautical miles of rope were lowered d0 the ship being placed so as to drift over the cable.. The,cable w&s, hooked Qa thevSBd, -and 2,200 yards of the rope had been hauled in a swi^el J0 the latter gave way, and 2,800 yards-of rope lost, the cable having been lifted 1,200 yards fro01 bottdm.. w The Great Eastern, sailed froM Yalentia, aftfc* ing the splice with the shorfe end, on the. 3rd Jt^ continued On her voyage to lat. 51.25, Ion. 39.6, t 1,063 miles from Valentia, and 600 miles from Content, Trinity Bay, Newfoundland. She had paid out 1,242 miles bf cable when it parted" oB ittd'A«gust,iat 13.3S;p.ni;, in BoijBdingS Of 3,9007^ j yjjder the following circumstances :—, ,e3 ( L a b«oy with, a, flag and ball! was w.°? w i "with 500 yards of rope %o maife the place. It lSni lat. 51.35, loBg. 38.42,. 30. From the 4fib fog? M adverse^ winds prevented a further attempt until •>: (th, which was then made nearer the end of the I and was uneuceeeful from the; same cause wb0lliW cable had been lifted^ about 1,000 yards. buoy wasrher.e placed 51.28:30, Ion. 38. 66. A third attempt was* maderOh the 10th, which PM on account of the grapnel chain having flukes grapnel and last SOOY of rope came up coveted with'ooze. JI1" A fourth-attempt was made on the 11th at 3 which failed through the breaking of the gr LQ& ) rope, when the cable had been raised 600 the bottom. ,| The stock of .rope having now become it became absolutely necessary to proceed to for more and stronger tackle. lool-

G-entle Physicians.—The Female lege of Pennsylvania, now in the sixteenth, year lree existence, has just graduated a olass of twenty t tbot students;, and judging from the success that lady physicians have had in America, there *^0? doubt that they will find enough to do. The 0{ delphia North American, says there are some 0g« eight regular female physicians in that eity, daily practioa is equal to that of the average 01 physicianB. 3rd edition* now ready, enlarged and reviseG, an additional chapter, bound in cloth, price 4. The Renewing of Life;" or, the Treatment of Indigestion, Nervous Debility, and various^, tiona in both sexes, with remarks upon the £ of Sedentary Life. By John Harvey, M-D-j F.A.S., London, contributor of various p&pei3 Lancet," and author of the following works ? People's edition of above. Price Is. "Q??,' and its Diseases." Price Is. How to get Fat; A Leanness and its connection with Indigestion Nervous Disease. Price Is, A Letter on Flatftie w and Indigestion," its Causes and Cure. Just J lished. Price Is. "Dr. Harvey's name has long J bef<»^1th^)inedical woi-ld, both rak the author of y A j -able Works, and as a! successful practitioner- i treats, with sound argument, upon indigest'" general it'ervotiS debility."— I)over Chr&nr>de-eei)' author haS produoed a book which will be a P andfoturp hoon^o many.—Sha/refrolders A,'v —"Dr. HarVey'9 work deserves attentive per" ■„ "Thift work^^ serins toms Of ji 0"* "—Star.—" We can Recommend this work to iVjgli labouring under the particular malady of treats."—Sun. London: D;an & Bon, 65, hill, E C.; Simpkin, Marshall, & Co., Stationers hill, E.C., Simpkin, Marshall, & Co., Stationers court, E.C. rives'Sf Infltant of a date and peto^nent reliel! Solrf Ijy all Chemists, Is- v JMM» eoaa«U MMt €«.'« (Jberry Decifteaiy the bewt .preparation' for okaasim "J nrabat *+.■< Satisfying, Strengthening, tots, agreeable, digeaiblo, aouriB).un« fo.r.I ^incL PASBHT (ooofeedl FOO.l). Preven's- acidlty-and wnj f:d.. oheapest food. Of oHymists, in canister*, *d., da., IA, iVTA The Himalaya Tea Co. 's and ofwcdlmiquuMtfy; befugi whoUnomi, thertfor* the and o/wape* Soto Hoimaa'i Tootbaeb., I!Ip",dflt IS ,tM..e'the ",rell¡'¡j%: n*taiuly relieo€» without injuron# fcbt* t«c prif>e /or ijJ 1E recommended bs many eminent 3> A post free, 18 -jtamps. uess, M»d M ualnia, Aguu, Paoeaohe, liheumati^. J b. Dei of -atrm.'StS, or £