The Brecon Reporter and South Wales General Advertiser

POLITICAL GOSSIP. --+- AT this moment every member of the reigning familyof this country is absent from it there is no Parliament (duly sworn and authorised) in existence, scarcely any,of 'her Majesty's Ministers are resident in town, and yet, notwithstanding the machinations of the Fenian Brotherhood, peace reigns in all our' borders. LETTERS from Homburg say that that favourite watering-place has just now a large number of lions. Chief among them is Von Bismarck. Besides him, Lord Granville, Sir Charles Wood, the Duke of Man- chester, the Earl of Dartmouth, and nearly a dozen other English Peers either are or have been staying there. THE Conservatives of Totnes have served notices of objection on 130 voters, tenants of the Duke of Somerset. It has been stated that all these voters are manufactured. THE Ifl. F. Lygon, M.P. for West Worcestershire, -will,it,y, nderstood be one of the whippers-in of the Oonserity hre party in the new Parliament, in the place 6^0 ct, Henry Whitmore, who has lost his seat for BriagAll'th. A SHORT time since an unlucky vestryman in a "council north of Oxford-street happened to tell the favourite orator of the vestry that his proposal was contrary to an Act of Parliament. Acts of Parlia- ment be anathematised!" returned the indignant lopea-ker, "let's have a show of hands." ON Friday the Act 28 and 29 Yia., cap. 68, came into force, allowing the duty on malt to be charged according to the weight of the grain used. The standard is fixed at 53 lb. per measured bushel. The number of bushels is to be ascertained by gauge (as usual heretofore), but this number is diminished increased in proportion to the weight of the grain before the duty is charged—thus As 56 is the weight of the barley, so is the quantity per ga-uge, to the quantity to be charged with duty. Hence it appears to be an advantage to the trader in respect of those samples weighing less than 53 lb.; but for those more than 53 lb., the Chancellor of the Exchequer has the advantage. It is, therefore, a problem for the maltster and the farmer to resolve as to the value of the ad. vantage this Act affords, and they are allowed for the testing of the operation, four years; which is fixed for the continuance of the Act. PREPARATIONS FOR A REFORM BILL.-In accord- anco with a resolution of the House of Commons, moved for by Mr. Balaes, the clerks of the several boards of guardians have received from the Poor-law Board, London, a circular requesting to be furnished. with a return of male occupiers who are assessed in the valuation lists now in force at the gross estimated rentals as follows:—-Under X4, J £ 4 and under £ 5, < £ 5 and under X6, X6 and under £ 7, X7 and under .£8, ■ £ 8 and under £ 9, £ 9 and under £ 10, < £ 10 and ov«, to^6tn6t wif.li tlao .pouoJatTAn. fffrtss rental} and number of electors on the register, with an esti- mate of the number of electors if the franchise were extended to male oceupiers assessed at a gross esti- mated rental of .£9, .£8, .£7, and J26. ABOUT 300 of the butchers of Preston, with their wives, paid a visit to Knowsley, in compliance with an invitation given a short time ago by the Hon. F. A. Stanley, M.P. The party were received most hospitably by the Earl and Countess of Derby. An excellent dinner was provided for the men, end their -wives, at the request of the countess, partook of tea, at the hall. During the day Lord Derby joined the company, and expressed the pleasure he had felt in entertaining them. The butchers of Preston have long been stanch supporters of the Derby family, and whenever Lord Derby has visited Preston, they have always given him a most enthusiastic reception. When the Hon. F. A. Stanley made hia appearance at the iate election at Preston the same party were the foremost to welcome him. Here would have been a good opportunity to discuss the cattle disease, which, -for want of the idea,, has been lost to all ages. SHORTLY after Mr. Gladstone lost his seat for the University of Oxford at the last general election a large number of gentlemen who appreciated the ser. vices which, during a period of eighteen years, the rigbt hon. gentleman rendered to the Church and the. Unive^sity, determined to ■commemorate those ser- vices by some adequate memorial. A subscription ( was at once opened, confined to Masters of Arts and such as have taken higher degrees, whether their jiamesare at preselat on the books of their colleges or not, ^,D~, ierable sum has already been con- tributed jnr.Ji6 ot:)ject in view. What is to be action foi I!ty large ?u? r OvforrT8^3' exhibitions, and other benefactions at Oxford, it ^was generally thought undesirable to add to them ln the p *esent stanee. It was next suggested that a portrait of the right hon. gentleman should be placed in the Bo4]e-iall library, a proposition which met with very conquer- able favour. Another proposal, originating with an influential section of contributors to the fund, was that a marble statue, representing the right hon. gentleman, should be placed in a conspicuous position in the University. Judging from the expression or opinion amongst the subscribers, so far as opportunities have been aforled for obtaining it, the last suggestion is •that most in accordance with the views of the great ,body of contributors. Immediate steps, however, will be taken to ascertain what are really the views of the subscribers generally to the fund, and then jwxlelay in immediately carrying them out will be per- mitted.

LITERATURE AWD THE AKTS. Asi admirable likeness of 14r. Mffl (after a pkoto- graph by Messrs. J. and C. WlIotkins) appears in the present number of Lctsseil s' MvustpQfofi family Pamper. AN autobiographical work, interelersed with golden rules for money-making, is said to be in preparation by Mr. P. T. TSamutn, who, since the burning of his museum in New York, has found time to devote to literature. IT is rumoured that Longfellow, the poet, ig engaged on a new story in verse, the incidents of which are drawn from the great contest which has just closed. MR. JOHN BRIGHT, in a note to J: E. Fulton and Co., of Boston, acknowledging the receipt of a volume of "Sermons on Mr. Lincoln's Death," says, "I feel mujh happier now than I did a year ago, for your great war was a burden on my spirit. I think all men should feel thankfal to God that it is ended, and that the main cause of it is ended with it. Henceforth you are a free people, and a great future is opening to you." THE Scientific Review is now generally acknow 'edged as the best journal of science and art extant. The Observer, in speaking of the September monthly <i Tr, on oy.far>io on thn TeleLrrayahic Cable by Captain J. H. Selwyn, R.N., valuable obser- vation's ate offered on soma causes tending to produce tho unsuccessful result of the recent attempt to esta. blish telegraphic communication between England and America. The writer also expresses regret at the post- ponement till next ysar of any attempt to pick up the cable. He sajs: 'This is madness. No harm could fee <ione by the trial. It could be done in three weeks from this date. And next year the cable will have rusted, and seriously lost strength.' An article on 'The Cattle Plague,' by Geo. Armitage, Esq., Prof. Vet. Mat. Med. in the Albert Veterinary College, sup. plies a good deal of most serviceable information on this important subject. The present number also con- tains articles on Lord Stanley's Fallacies regarding Patents,' by E.. Marden Latham, Esq., secretary to the Inventors' Institute; on Guns,' on Patents and Armstrong Railway Fastenings,' by W. Bridges Adams, Esq., C.G., and other able papers record- ing the advance of scientific and industrial progress. IT has been decided to erect a monument in Coventry to the memory ef the late Sir Joseph Paxton, who for ten years represented that city in Parliament. A FAc. simm, E of the statue of the late Prince Cow- sort inaugurated at Coburg the other day has been placed in the central transept of the Crystal Palace. THE insect exhibition of Paris is to be followed by one at Brussels, not less singniar, and perhaps as practical-an exhibition of oysters, snails, mussels, and all sorts of flabby things of this genus. THE monument erected in the orypt of St. Paul's to the late "Sir Duncan MacDougall, by Mr. G. F. Adams, sculptcr, was uncovered on Friaay, in the presence of a large circle of that gallant officer's friends and relatives. AfjSTTER from Mr. Samuel Baker, the discoverer of the Albert N'yanza, dated June 21st, says that he has been able to verify Speke and Grant's account of the discovery of the source of the Nile. He says, There is no longer any mystery connected with the Nile, nor any necessity for expeditions on that head, unless it is desired t8 explore the great lake that I have discovered (the Albert N'yanza). This can only be done by building a vessel for that purpose on the lake. I shall never undertake another expedition in Africa. For the last three years I have not had one day of enjoyment, nothing but anxieties, difficulties, fatigue, and fever." THE Exhibition of Manufactures in Paris has been a success. The general distribution displays that taste for which the French are proverbial. The first view on entering the nave from the Champs Elysees is strikingly beautiful. In the centre, cast-iron groups for fountains, of excellent execution, and all around the choicest articles of dress or furniture, pianos, organs, clocks, vases, lock and gun smiths' work, &e., besides kiosks, and summer-houses, and every imagin- able contrivance for luxury or comfort, may be seen arranged to the best advantage among the flower- beds interspersed here and there. But the chief attraction to connoisseurs is the Musee Retrospectif, on the first floor, to which an elegant double- branched staircase, expressly built for the purpose at the western end of the nave, gives access. Here the visitor will find the choicest specimens of old manufac. tures, borrowed from the richest private collections in the capital; Beauvais and Flemish tapestry from the Mobilier de la Couronne; splendid jewellery, plate, enamels, old earthenware of Bernard de Palissy and Luca Delta Robbia, from the collections of MM. De Rothschild, Delange, Signol, Baur, &e. old bronzes, cutlery, marbles, and carved furniture, from those of MM.fflNolivos, Reoappe, Lecarpentier, &c. There is nol^^m short, a single class of articles of veriu un- represented in this magnificent exhibition, not even excepting the famous flint implements of antediluvian date, and Greek and Tuscan vases. One room is specially devoted to Polish antiquities, lent by the Czartoryski family. It must be said, however, that, notwithstanding its excellence, this exhibition is inferior to the Kensington one in the matter of old plate and earthenware of the reign of Henry II. Separate entrance fees are paid to visit the photo- graphic exhibition, highly vremarkable in its way, situated in the south-eastern pavilion, and the exhi- bition of insects in the south-western pavilion, nearly opposite the panorama. Besides the Japanese silk- worm, which is here exhibited alive, feeding on the leaves of the ailanthus, the most interesting object, although the least striking to the superficial observer, is the exhibition of Mr. Townend Glover, entomologist to the Agricultural Department, Washington. It consists of three volumes of coloured plates, repre. senting the insect world of North America, so arranged as to show the particular plant which is attacked by each insect, with other important details, into which we are precluded from entering- This remarkable seriea .of plates, the resultjof mauy years of patient research, forma part of a vast work the learned entomologist is preparing for the press, under the patronage of his Government.

DEAD BODIES IN THE THAMES. Readers of Mr. Dickens's latest fiction will remem- ber the powerful description of the bird of prey" with which it opens, &nd will readily recall the night scene on the river, when the boat is towing a recently- found corpse in its -wake, and the boatman peers eagerly into the darkness in the hope of spying out and recovering others. Gaffer Hexham is true to life, and every night throughout the year boats start on the same unholy mission as is ascribed to him. Men live by fishing for corpses. This ghastly trade is at least as profitable as regular labour, and as it unites somewhat of the excitement of gambling with not a little of the savour of larceny, it is perhaps not wonder- ful that, to a certain class of mind, its attractions should be irresistible. First, there is the chance of a reward, sometimes as much as £ 100 having been offered for the body by the friends, or legal representa- tives of the deceased; secondly, there is the chance of valuables and money being in the dead person's pockets and in the event of both these contingencies failing, there is still the six shillings paid by the coroner, and this, as was pertinently remarked to us, is a good day's work for the like of them." Whea a watch or purse is found on a body, for which a reward s not been offered, they are, as a rule, quietly pocketed, and their late owner put (back into the river that he may be picked up either by the police or some brother professional. That the men following cms ioatnsome calling are callous, hardened, and brutal is a matter of course; that they should long for a crop of well-dressed, rich-ly-appointedsuicides as eagerly as the sportsman hopes for a good bag is not wonderful, and that they are as unscrupulous in their dealings with the dead as they are persevering in their efforts to capture them may be taken asinevitable. The' strange and repugnant calling once known and realised, the character of its professors may be easily conceived. Of course, the Thames Police take prompt charge of the bodies they see, but the range of their duties is wide, the number of boats and men told off to a prescribed number of miles of river comparatively small, and the result is a not unprofit- able opening for the lighterman who, half thief, half body-snatcher, turns his attention and de- votes his nights to looking up and down the river for corpses. A short time back one of the best known of these fellows was seen about two a.m. pulling stealthily jn shore, with what seemed, in the dense mist and ■ a+^.110ss' to be a passenger or fellow-labourer sitting stern. Something in the uncouth swinging to Kno iVO ^tter excited the suspicions of the po- °? daty. and, fearing that a helpless drunkard ffA«f^ +V^-oevil hands, and would be robbed and mal- Tf Wat thTn kghterman was hailed and ordered to pull to. T Wo that the man supposed to be drunk was vXnlnttl ordinarily used for towing the subjects from where they to wharf inthe pme p«ris was out °f order and the lighterman had m wared the corpse up with its back to the !„ lndh an Allude ttat tie eS%fm» th"JI .If hithe," was snlkily gi^n m reply fche tiou put; afterwhichthespeaker was permitted to pass on, and tofdeposit his prey and claim his reward in — due course.—Express.

A VALUABLE MEMBER OF AMERICAN SOCIETY.— Recent advice from America informs us that the importers, bankers, and traders of New York, have offered 5,000 dollars reward for the apprehension of Edward Ketchum." A defaulter, whose capture is considered to be worth so much as that, must be a precious rogue. Not a few, perhaps, of Mr. Ivetchum's countrymen have been heard to express the hope that Ketchum will be ketched. BUOYANT INSCRIPTION FOR THE ATLANTIC CABLE.—"To be left till called for." PLEASE THE PIGs.-With a view to timely pre- paration against the threatened epidemic, the autho- rities of Hogsnorton have instituted a system of stye to stye visitation. W THE BILL-STICKER'S MOTTO.—Application.

A STRANGE BUT TRUE STORY. | An incident is just now being discussed in military circles so extraordinary that, were not its truth capable of being vouched for by official authority, the narra- j tion would certainly be deemed absolutely incredible. Our officers quartered at the Cape between fifteen an.4 twenty years ago may remember a certain Dr. Barry attached to the medical staff there, and enjoying a reputation for considerable skill in his profession, espe- cially for firmness, decision, and rapidity in difficult operations. This gentleman had entered the army in 1813, had passed through the grades of assistant- surgeon and surgeon in various regiments, and had served as such in various quarters of the globe. His professional acquirements had procured for him his promotion to the staff at the Cape. He was clever and agreeable, save for the drawback of a most quarrelsome temper and an inordinate addiction to argument, which perpetually brought the former peculiarity into play. He was excessively plain, of feeble proportions, and laboured under the imperfection of a ludicrously squeaking voice. Any natural chaffing" with regard these, however, especially roused his ire, bat was at length discontinued on his calling out" a perse- vering offender, and shooting him through the lungs. About 1840 he became promoted to be medical inspec- tor, and was transferred to Malta. There he was equally distinguished by his skill and by his pugnacious propensities, the latter becoming so inconveniently de- veloped upon the slightest difference of opinion with him that at last no notice was allowed to be taken of his fits of temper. He proceeded from Malta to Corfu, where he was quartered for many years, still con- spicuous for the same peculiarities. When our Govern- mentceded the Ionian Islands togreece, andourtroops, of course, quitted the territory, Dr. Barry elected to leave the army and take up his residence for the rest of his days at Corfu. He there died about a month ago, and upon his death was discovered to be a woman Very probably this discovery was elicited during the natural preparations for interment, but there seems to be an idea prevalent that either verbally, during the last illness, or by some writing, perused immediately after his (for we must still use the "masculine") death, he bad begged to be buried without a post- mortem examination of any sort. This most likely only aroused the curiosity of the two nurses who attended him, for it was to them, it appears, that the disclosure of this mystery is owing. Under the cir- cumstances, the fact was deemed so important that medical testimony was called in to report upon and record its truth. By this investigation not only was the assertion placed beyond a doubt, but it was equally beyond a doubt brought to light that the individual in question had at some time or another been a mother! This is all that is as yet known of this extraordinary story. The motives that occasioned and the time when commenced this singular deception are both shrouded in mystery. But thus it stands an indubitable fact that a woman was for forty years an officer in the British service, had fought one duel and had sought many more, had pur- sued a legitimate medical education, had received a regular diploma, and had acquired almost a celebrity for skill as a surgical operator. There is no doubt whatever about the fact," but we doubt whether even Miss Braddon herself would have ventured to make use of it as a fiction.

OUR MISCELLANY. -+- City Wealth.-The prodigality of Henry III. be- came so flagrant, that on the assembling of Parliament in the year 1248, the barons resolutely told him they wondered how he could renew his demands for pecu- niary aid without blushing, seeing he had so often forfeited his word to them. On finding his request refused he dissolved the Parliament, and, being re- duced to very great straits, sold his jewels and plate to discharge his debts. When this resource was first pointed out to him, he asked where he could find pur- chasers. Being answered in London, he replied, "If the treasure of Augustus were to be sold, the city of London could purchase it. Those clownish Londoners, who call themselves barons, abound in all things, while we are reduced to want. City Press. The Tower of Babel.—The Tower of Babel, on which late accounts announce that a cross was recently placed by a missionary, consists now of only two of the eight stories formerly erected. The remains are, however, visible from a very great distance. Each side of the quadrangular basis measures two hundred yards in length, and the bricks of which it is composed are of the purest white clay, with a very slight brown- ish tint, which in the sun assumes a wonderfully rich hue, scarcely to be imitated by the painter. The bricks, before being baked, were covered with charac- ters, traced most surely with the hand in a clear and regular style. The bitumen which served for cement was derived from a fountain which still exists near the tower, and which flows with such abundance that it soon forms a stream, and would invade the neigh- bouring river did not the natives from time to time set fire to the stream of bitumen, and then wait quietly until the flames should cease for want of aliment.— Galignani. The Origin of Species.—In my musings upon the signs of the times," I naturally ran against the pseudo. scientific polygenism of our ethnologists and anthropologists. These gentlemen will have a distinct Adam and Eve for every variety of the genus homo, and the most curious part of the business is that some polygenists are also developmentarians. So it turns out- for these philosophers are not very nice about pride of lineage-that the Adam and Eve of each "variety" were themselves a viriety of the ape! Thus the American is traced to the broad-nosed Simian of the New World.; the African to the Troglodytic stock; the Mongolian to the Orangs; and these apes, no doubt, according to the tlieory of the principle of development, had a common origin at some remote period, now in oblivion. Such con- clusions are profoundly scientific; but no philosopher can accept the doctrine of Moses—viz., that humanity is a single family; yet even a philosopher must admit that no tribes of men differ anything like so widelv as the chimpanzee, the orang, and the American ape.— Herald of PeaGe. Prince Albert's Pets.—Prince Albert was in- tensely fond of animals, and especially of birds. Few gardens have been so densely peopled by the feathered songsters as those attached to the palace at Pitnlico, for it was a place of privilege to them; not a nest was ever knowingly disturbed, and it was the constant aim of the royal father to teach his children to show ten- derness to helpless creatures. The princes and prin- cesses had each their-little garden; nests were often watched—not to terrify the parent birds, but to guard them from accidental disturbance, so that every family of fledgings had from the moment of their birth a guarded home on sacred ground. On one occasion one of the children found in the garden a blind sparrow. This member of a great pugilistic com- munity had had its eye scratched out in a fight, and when found was completely helpless. The child was much concerned about its fate, and secured the good services of Mrs. Wyness, the gardener's wife, begging her-NO nurse it while the family were away at Osborne. On their return to Pimlico, the child, who had never forgotten the blind sparrow, hastened to inquire of Mrs. Wyness respecting it, and was deeply erieved to hear that it had died, in spite of the most careful tending.—Hibberd's Gardeners' Magazine. Sadness and Literature.—One of the anomaly of literary history is that it has often been theTot of those men who have contributed largely to the or recreation of others to endure a mire than ordTnary share of-misery and want in their own lives The most entertaining portions of Hte»tB^wliJ!jSSJ hyZZ7J wW 'W W Unbowed by sc-rro w and at moments w^ that sorrow has been heaviest. It was ™ gkom of a mother's death, deepened by his -n Johnson penned the charming tale -Kasseias; it was in the chill desolation of a bare ana nreless garret that poor Goldsmith, the beloved vagrant of literature, sketched the brightest pictures or domestic happiness the world has ever had; it was irom a siek bed, in sore distress, and ia a necessitous exile that Tom Hood shook all England with laughter. The enchantment of Scott, the satire of Jerrold, half the gems of English wit and humour, have been thrown out by genius in its most sorrowful momentr.Dublin University Magazine. Where the Atlantic Cable will Lie.—There always seems to be a. mysterious influence in the sea— itself a mystery, covering three-fourths of the surface of the globe, and hiding the earth and its inhabitants from the gaze of the lords of creation." How little do we know, compared with the unknown, of three- foarths of the world that is buried in the sea! We tried," says Sir James Ross, "but did not obtain soundings with 4,600 fathoms of line, or 27,000 feet upwards of fire ariles," And this i» fche deep sea." From the bottom of this vast expanse the plummet brings to the surface evidence of the past existence of myriads of minute organisms. "Theocean," writes Lieutenant Maury, especially within and near the tropics, swarms with life. The remains of its myriads of moving things are conveyed by currents, and scattered and lodged in the course of time all over its bottom. This process, continued for ages, has csvered the depths of the ocean as with a mantle, con- sisting of organisms as delicate as the mackled frost, and as light as the undrifted snow-flake on the moun- tain." And that these fragile and delicate objects repose at peace in their ocean bed is now past a doubt. My investigations," writes Profesnor Bailey, show that the bottom is so free from currents and abrading agents that a rope of sand, if once laid there, would be stout enough to withstand-the pulling of all the forces that are at play upon the bottom of the sea." An Oriental Judge.—A certain merchant left in his last will and testament seventeen horses to be divided among his three sons, aceording to the following proportions:—viz., the first was to reoeive one-half, the second one-third, and the third a ninth part of the whole. But when they came to arrange about the division it was found that to comply with the terms of the will, without sacrificing one. or more of the ani- mals was impossible. Puzzled in the extreme, they repaired to the Cadi," who, having read the will, observed that such a difficult question required time for deliberation, and recommended them to return in two days. When they again made their appearance the judge said, "I have considered carefully your case, and find that I can make such a division of the seven- teen horses among you as will give each more than his strict share, and yet not one of the animals shall be injured. Are you content ? We are, O Cadi! was the reply. "Bring forth the seventeen horses then, and let them be placed in the court," said .the Cadi. The animals were brought in, and the Cadi ordered his groom to place his own horse with them. He then bade the eldest brother count the horses. "There are eighteen in n-umber, O Cadi!" he said. "I will now make the division," responded the Cadi. You, the eldest, are entitled to half; then take nine of the horses. You, the second son, are to receive one- third take therefore, six; .whilst to you, the youngest, belongs the ninth part, namely, two. Thus the seven- teen horses are divided among you. You have each more than your share, and I may now take my own steed back again." 0 Cadi! your wisdom equals that," said the brothers, "of our Lord Solioman, Ion Dhood.Notesfi-oin ISrineveh. Your Rich Uncle.—I have known a rioh uncle and so, no doubt, have you-an uncle who lived by himself in a fine house, securely guarded by a spiked wall behind, and a dragon of a housekeeper in front. We all look up to that uncle, and have expectations of him. But, generally, that uncle looks down upon us, and disappoints those expectations. It is no easy matter to pass that dragon of a housekeeper, looking out from her tower of observation in the front parlour. She has a keen eye for nephews wanting afewpcunds, or a suit of elothes, or a letter of recommendation. It is really wonderful how very often an uncle of this class, so guarded, is not at home." And when he is at home, and you are admitted to his benevolent pre- sence, does he poke you in the ribs, call you a sly dog, and chuck you purses of money ? Does he P But why do I ask, when I know it is much more his disposition to slap you in the face, call you a lazy dog, .and turn you away from his door. If he gives you anything— which he rarely does without consulting his house- keeper-he gives it you grudgingty, telling you that this is the last time, and you mustn't apply to him any more. And how does he ask about his dear brother, your papa ? Does he not ask after him as if he were a low, unfortunate person, and who had no business to be his brother ? And when you tell him tha.t your papa has had another misfortune, he says Humph! which is a word which is never used by any one but curmudgeons and grumpy uncles. Is it in your recollection that, when you VÍ.:lÎt a rioh uncle of this kind, you are always sharply told to wipe your feet, and not to make a mess with the crumbs of the dry stale biscuit they give you for refreshment ? How often does this uncle make a fool of himself (and of you) by marrying that dragon of a housekeeper, or leaving all his money for the promotion of something —which is anything but the welfare of his own flesh and blood?— All the Year Round.

SINGULAR COMBINATION OF CIRCUM- STANCES. On 25th August, a gentleman residing in Garnethill, Glasgow, received a letter from one of the superinten- dents of the Ayrshire constabulary (Mr. John Men- zies) informing him that the body of a man who had been drawned near Old Cumnock had been found a few days previously, and that there existed no probable means for the immediate identification of the individual but through the name and address of this gentleman that was written on a scrap of paper taken from de: ceased's pocket. The letter of the chief constable contained a carefully written account of the circum- stances under which the unfortunate man had been discovered, and a minute description of his per- son. The person receiving the letter, instantly replied that he had not the remotest eonoeption who the deceased might be, nor how he could have become possessed of his name and ad- dress. On receiving the answer to hia letter, Mr. Menzies at once perceived the identity of the handwriting with that on the fragment of paper, and instantly forwarded it enclosed in .a second letter to the same person, in the hopes of throwing some light on the matter of inquiry. The handwriting on the scrap was acknowledged as being his by the person to whom it was sent; but still no account could be given of the deceased, nor any suggestion drawn from the incident at all, and so the whole inquiry seemed. to be hopelessly abortive. The body of the deceased was buried in New Cumnock churchyard, and his clothes were kept for identification. The purely acci- dental part of this matter, which led to the knowledge of who the deceased had been, comes in at thia point. The gentleman to whom the several letters were sent by the superintendent af police is on the staff of the Mail, and his wife and family are at present residing at Largs. On going dswn some days since to this watering-place he showed Mr. Men- zies's first letter to a member of his own family as containing a matter of painful interest which lie wished he could clear up. The landlady of the house ■ IT shown i^ter also, when £ refer » man whom her 5 who had been missing from Largs for f°- Ji lt" P10 father of the missing man, on fw, fi i letter containing the description of deceased, at once, with distressing grief, re- cognised it as answering to that of his son; the' stature, complexion, dress, and sundry minor ?, identity all corresponded so perfectly to him that no doubt could exist on the matter. The mystery about the fragment of paper which formed the link in the connection which led to the discovery of who the deceased parson Lad been was at once explained. It contained the name and address of the writer of that series of articles on Our Coast and Country Summer Residences" whi^h lately appeared in the North British Mail, and the correspondent of that paper on visiting Largs had employed the deceased to assist him in his inquMaa about the town, and, on leaving, he had left his ad dress with this man, written in pencil on the frasm^ found in his pocket. The deceased was a shawl in trade, who was out of employment andTr. distressed circumstances. He w^ avonrf rather/ good sense and intelligence, and hia relatwJL ma^ °! to mourn his untimely end. ves Me left

THE COURT. -+- THE commander of the Victoria, and Albert Royal sf)eam yacht received orders on Saturday to make the accessary preparations for the reception of her Ma- 1 jesty and Eoyal Family, who left Coburg on Monday f: on their return. to this country. The Queen arrived k( at Windsar Castle on. Thursday, the 7th inst. Their 3 Eoyal Highnesses the Prince and Princess of Watee ? accompanied her Majesty across the sea. The Queen remains at the cast-1,3 until the 11th inst., and then goes to Scotland, and after a residence of fire or six weeks will return to Windsor Castle for the season. AT a meeting of the Local Board of Health, held at the Town-hall, Woolwich, one of the members, Mr. Tuffield, in reference to the visits of her Majesty to Woolwich for embarkation, &c., said her Majesty had hitherto been received on her arrival at the Royal Arsenal lioy the naval and military authorities. In other towns the corporate body, representing the in- habitants, er a deputation from such body, was allowed to be present on such occasions, and he thought that ought to be the case at Woolwich. He moved that a eemmunication be forwarded to the War De- partment on the subject. The far. W. Brown, rector of Woolwich, said that on sucA occasions at Wool- wich, invitations were only sent to individuals, as it was Tifell known that since tlte lamented death of the Prince Consort her Majesty wished to travel in a quiet manner, and without t&e usual display of Royalty, which was proved by thQ fact that when she embarked at Woolwich a guard of honour, Royal salutes, Ac., vere dispensed with. Mr. Tuffield, after some con- versation, withdrew hia motion. A GBANB review of the volunteers of the whole -^northern counties is proposed on the occasion 'of the Prince and Princess of Wales visiting Dunrobis Castle this month—probably about the 15th.

Terrible Fatality iu. a Slate Quarry.-—An accident of a very appalling nature,^ which threw a gloom over the busy locality of i estiniog, occurred on Friday in a slate quarry belonging to Mr. Morgan Lloyd, barrister-at-law- Four young brothers were working a level mine'into the heart of the rook by means of blasting, when, through some inexplicable cause, a hole exploded while being rammed home by one of the brothers. Two of the young men, who, it appears stood close by heedlessly witnessing the operation, were instantaneously hurled into eternity, whilst the operator mysteriously escaped with severe, but not mortal, injuries. Fortunately the young brother had just previously made his exit from the scene of destruction. 1

EXTRACTS FROM PUNCH & FUN." The Bad Beef of Old England. A Lay of the Rinderpest. On fish and on poultry you safely can dine; But to these I'd advise you your meals to confine Beware, lest you taste buttock, sirloin, or chine Of the poisonous beef of Old England Beware of the poisonous beef The Rinderpest weekly, nay daily, we see Extending itself in a fearful degree; For reasons explained by Professor Gamgee, Who lectures on beef in Old England, Who lectures on poisonous beef! From whatever infection the plague may arise, The butcher, before a poor animal dies, Disregarding the horrible look of its eyes, Just "sticks" it for beef in Old England, And sells us his poisonous beef! It's hard that a fellow is forced to forsake His dainty aitch-bone and his succulent steak- But on geese and on salmon a meal he can make, Though deprived of the beef of Old England, The juicy and jolly roast beef! The Worse for Liquor Law. Poor Lawson, from Carlisle, Alas! Thou ait discarded. And yet the wise may smile To see thee thus rewarded For that Permissive Bill John Barleycorn to slaughter. There go, thy tumbler fill, And drown thy grief in water. Thou, Somes, dismissed from Hull, About thy business wander; For making Sunday dull, On schemes, in private, ponder. Down in oblivion sink, Thou, who wouldst by coercion, Have barred, from needful drink, The people on excursion. Pope, too, of Main Law fame, Thee Bolton has rejected; Defeated is thine aim, As was to be expected. Retire, resume the stump; The House is not thy station. Betake thee to the pump, Thence draw thy consolation. Substitute for News. The enormous gooseberry just now is ant of season, but in its place we are presented by a contemporary with a very peculiar species of "RARA" Avis.-A few days since Mr. White, a gentleman residing at Erith, shot a heron in the marshes near the sewage outfall at Crossness Point, and wishing to have the Scarce bird preserved and stuffed, took it for that purpose to a naturalist at "Woolwich, who found in its gizzard a full- grown rat, the tusks of which were nearly an inch in length. The common heron is not a scarce bird. Eats, how- ever, are rarely found in the stomachs of kerons. Did the writer of the above paragraph mean to make out his Rara AVIs" a rat ? Discovery of a Horrid Plot. Robert Brown, Esquire, senior, opened by mistake a letter addressed to Robert Brown, Esquire, junior, the author of an (unpublished) sensational novel, and this is what the poor OlH parent read: "Dear Bob,- Yoa really must show more caution in constructing your plots, or the governor will be sure to discover the dead body of Geraldine in the cellar, and then your secret will be out. "Yon consulted me about the strychnine. I certainly think you aregivig it to him in rather large doses, and if I were you I would not have two illegitimate children. One is quite sufficient. Let Emily put her mother in a mad-house. It will answer your purpose well to have the old girl cut of the way. I think your forgery is for too small a sum Make- it three thousand. "Leave the rest of your particularly nice family- circle to me. I will finish them off, and send you back the 'Fatal Dagger' afterwards by book post. "Yours, "JACK." Hints on Etiquette; The more distant your friends are, the more you should eali-if you want to make yourself heard. When yon take a friend home to dine with you for the first time, count the plate before yon;let him go home. It eaves subsequent awkwardness. If a friend wants to borrow an umbrella send for a policeman at once, and give him in charge. It will guard against a repetition of the error. Should you happen in a discussion to find you and your opponent are likely to take opposite views, knock him down at once for fear you should be led into a parrel. Epigram. Bx A BAD TRA YELLER. i Bother poets! How they rave, Sadly facts confounding; Call the sea "the boundless wave," When it's always bounding A Settler. First Little Boy (boasting) My father's got a balcony on his house. Second Ditto (ditto): Ah, but! my pa has a mart- gage on his! Young, but ArtfuL Frank I say, Arthur, I wish you'd go and kiss my sister There she is. Arthur: All right-what for ? Frank: Why, because then, I could kiss yours. Scene—A Railway Station. Railway Official (very kiitdly)., Nice child that, Mam. What age may it'be ? Delighted Mamma: Only three years and two months. Railway Official [sternly): Two monthsever three. Then I shall require a ticket for it, please.

The lagot of Silver.—A lad about fifteen vea-q of age entered a jeweller's shon on tvJ^ *} yJ 3 mornings since, and offered for «,! boulevards, two which he pretended to have iLtf fV0r- The tradesman told the W tw £ °un?, m the stre? 44fr but that y. tlie silver was wort Soositit with «.« had n.° riSht to sell it, and mus Srd^lv tl C^mifsary of police. The jewel' wWa took turn to tbat functionary's that Ti'a i, i closely questioned, the boy oonf tnat he had abstracted the ingot from a box in e elongmg to his father, a baker name B at Jroint-du Jour. The commissaire, thinkin strange that a baker should keep silver ingc cellar, went to the house indicated, and fon- boxes containing silver bullion. After variations, the baker at last stated that belonged to a man named R- employer in the establishment of an operative c asaayist. The investigation which folic that R-- had been for years robbing hit had employed the proceeds in building pre he intended to commence business on his The baker and the foreman have both be' for trial.