The Brecon Reporter and South Wales General Advertiser

THE MYSTERY OF FRENCH EGGS. An astonishing paragraph has been going the round of the papers, professing to describe the proceedings at certain vast French poultry establishments, where fowls are kept in large numbers, and fed upon a diet of horse-flesh, with a view to promote the laying of eggs for French and English consumption. It was further stated that the eggs produced by these hippophagous hens were sold to the dealers at five centimes a piece, and moreover that this peculiar diet accounted for the very strong flavour of French eggs. The fact that French eggs have no stronger flavour than English eggs of the same number of days old did not seem to strike the writer of the paragraph in question, nor those who believed what he said. But now a special correspondent of The Times, after criticising the poultry shown at the great omnigenous exhibition, says that the whole story is a fable from beginning to end, with the additional information that the story could not possibly have been true, because "the fowl is a granivorous and not a carnivorous bird." But what (remarks the Pall Mall Gazette) is to be thought of the ideas on poultry furnished by a critic who believes that fowls do not eat animal food ? Did he never see cocks and hens picking up worms and grubs in a field ? And is he not aware that every housewife who keeps poultry carefully saves for their benefit every scrap of cooked meat that may be left unconsumed by her household ? The puzzle still remains, how it is that eggs can be produced in France and Belgium at such a price as to pay for their transit to England and yield a profit to every one of the several hands through which they pass before they are finally deposited in our English kitchens, and yet be sold at a lower price than English eggs. The difference of the cost of rearing poultry in France and England is far greater than can be accounted for by the difference in the cost of grain and of labour.

The LAW of FOREIGN DECORATIONS Consistency," addressing The Times, explains the state of the law affecting the acceptance and wearing of foreign decorations by British subjects. He says that there is no law prohibiting the practice. An in- struction to that effect, drawn up and signed by Lord Clarendon when Foreign Secretary, exists, but that instruction has no legal force whatever. The Queen may and does prohibit British subjects wearing foreign decorations without her special permission from appearing at levees and drawing-rooms, just as she may and does prohibit persons wearing ordinary trousers from appearing at those ceremonies but the latter prohibition has never been supposed to signify that a British subject may not wear ordinary trousers elsewhere than at Court if he pleases. Lord Claren- don's instruction limits the acceptance of foreign orders to such subjects of her Majesty as have received them in consequence of active and distinguished services before the enemy either at sea or in the field, or have been actually and entirely employed in the service of the foreign sovereign by whom the orders have been conferred. But the Prince of Wales is the first subject in England; he has neither distin- guished himself actively before any enemy, nor has he been actually and entirely employed in the service of any foreign potentate, and yet he is covered with foreign orders of all kinds.

HOW MAXIMILIAN WAS CAPTURED. The following letter, dated Queretaro, May 20, gives some details of the betrayal of the unfortunate Maximilian :— The principal defence of this town consists in the vast convent of La Cruz, situated at the south and on the side of the city of Mexico. This building, a relic of the splendours of the Spanish domination, is con- structed of stone and adobe (bricks hardened by the sun) a part of its enclosure is, besides, protected by earth intrenchments. The convent covers, with its dependencies, more than ten acres of ground, and forms a citadel on which siege artillery only could make any impression. Such, five days ago, was the principal position of Maximilian, who for some time had made it his head-quarters. Immediately opposite in the Corretas mountains, the Mexican General Escobedo was established, and his advanced guard occupied the valley which separates La Cruz from the Corretas. In the night of May 14 there was a council of war in the town. The Imperialist army had exhausted all its supplies, and was likely to be soon reduced to the last extremities. As flour was wanting, the Intend- ance every day caused to be slaughtered a certain number of horses and mules which there was no means of feeding from want of provender. Even this resource threatened to fail before long, and for that reason Maximilian resolved on at- tempting a vigorous sortie, and opening for himself a passage through the enemy's lines. At eleven o'clock the troops were under arms and the artillery in position; everything was ready for the attack. But at the last moment, in consequence of the slow movements of his generals, the Emperor found himself obliged to coun- termand the expedition. Already at that moment the army had been sold to the enemy. The fort of La Cruz was to have been occupied an hour later by the troops of the Liberals. It was notorious that there were a considerable number of persons in the ranks of the Imperialists disposed to give up the town, but who would ever have suspected the Colonel of the regiment of the Empress, the keeper of the key of Queretaro, the commander of the fort of La Cruz, Miguel Lopez himself ? He was the man who, in the evening of the 14th, sent to Escobedo a letter in which he offered to betray his companions in arms for 3,000 ounces of gold (48,000 dols.) Escobedo naturally did what any other general would have done in his place—he accepted the proposal. Towards midnight the advanced guard of the Liberals, protected by the darkness, left the camp, and arrived without noise before the con- vent. Colenel Lopez, ordering his soldiers to ground their arms, opened the gates to the enemy. From that moment, the Emperor Maximilian, who was sleeping tranquilly in another part of the building, was irretrievably lost. At the first gleam of the morning the Archduke was on foot, and immediately perceived that some extraordinary event had taken place. Rousing up the Prince of Salm-Salm, his aide- de-camp, Maximilian directed his steps towards the outer enclosure of the convent, but had scarcely advanced a few paces when he was surrounded by a detachment of soldiers commanded by Colonel Ringon Gallardo. Lopez himself accompanied the detach- ment, and pointed out the Emperor to the troops, crying out, That is the man—seize him." A curious incident then occurred. Colonel Gallardo, a brave soldier, who did not seem greatly to relish the treachery of Lopez, stepped up to Maximilan, and said to him, You are a private person and not a soldier; we have nothing to say to you, go about your business. With these words he pushed His Majesty outside the convent. Five minutes later I met Maxi- milian, who seemed not to have yet recovered from his surprise. He was walking as fast as possible towards Cerro de la Campana, at the other extremity of the town. This position is a fortified hill commanding the northern part of the place. On his arrival there he was joined by Generals Mejia, Castillo, and Avellano, the Prince de Salm-Salm, and several others of his officers; but it soon became evident that any resistance was impossible. Four battalions of infantry and all the Liberal cavalry were surrounding the Cerro. The white flag was then hoisted, and the Archduke with all his staff surrendered to General Corona. The prisoners were allowed to retain their horses, arms, and personal effects and a ) few hours later they were conducted to the convent of La Cruz. The first companies of the Mexican ad- vanced guard which had entered the town committed some excesses several houses were pillaged and some persons rifled in the streets, but immediately after the arrival of the general officers order was re-established. On the whole, fewer acts of violence were perpetrated than might have been expected. A subsequent letter from Queretaro, dated May 25, con- tains the following:- From the convent of La Cruz the Prince was con- ducted, with his officers, to that of Santa Teresita, where they were placed in rooms devoid of all comfort. During three or four days they slept on the bare ground, and their food was very insufficient. The arrival of the Princess de Salm-Salm and her remon- strances with Escobedo had the effect of ameliorating the condition of the prisoners. They were transferred to another convent, that of Las Capuchinas, and they were permitted to receive from their friends provi- sions, wine, and clothing. The adventures of the Princess de Salm-Salm would form a strange chapter in a romance. Twice did she traverse the Liberal lines to reach the capital and return from it, and on two occasions was fired at by the Mexican sentries. She was afterwards detained prisoner for two days at Guada- loupe by General Diaz for having distributed money to the German captives at that place. She at length ob- tained a passport authorizing, or rather ordering her to proceed to the coast and quit the country. But with that passport she made her way to Queretaro and San Luis during the siege of the first-named town. She was accompanied by only one female Mexican servant. Subsequently she had interviews with Pre- sident Juarez and General Escobedo to intercede in favour of Maximilian and her husband. It is said that the Archduke wept like a child on hearing a narrative of the heroic peregrinations of this courageous lady.

INSANITY IN ENGLAND. The Commissioners in Lunacy report that the number of insane persons in England and Wales liable to official visitation at the beginning of the pre- sent year was 49,082, an increase of 15,291 over the number ten years ago. 42,943 were paupers, seven- eighths of the whole number; and more than 10,000 of these are in workhouses. Provision is made in asylums for only 61 in a hun- dred of the insane poor the pressure for further ac- commodation is most urgent in many districts, and it is unsatisfactory to observe the tendency in many counties to remove the harmless chronic cases to the workhouse, where they must receive inferior treat- ment. Of the private lunatic patients visited, 6,139 in all, the great mass are persons in licensed houses and hospitals only 223 are persons residing as single patients with relatives or others. But there is no doubt that this last number does not at all represent the patients who ought legally t<? be visited by the Commissioners, and that a very large number are still received to board and lodge, or to be taken care or charge of for profit, by persons other than committees appointed by the Lord Chancellor and the Com- missioners express their fear that grave abuses still frequently exist in reference to the treatment of this class of the insane. Of the 24,748 pauper patients in public asylums in England on the 1st of January, 1867, only 10 per cent, are described as offering any hope of recovery of the 22,257 incurable, two-thirds are returned as "excited, violent, or dangerous," and one-third "quiet and harmless." At the commencement of the year 1866 there were 30,868 lunatics in asylums, hospitals, and licensed houses, and 31,914 at the close of the year; in the course of the year 3,432 were discharged, recovered, and 3,223 died.

WHICH IS THE BRUTE? A. correspondent, signing himself" Phillipus," writes the following to the London Times:- I was witness the other night to a piece of stupidity, rather than cruelty-at least, I hope so--in the Cavalry Camp at Hounslow, which may, perhaps, be prevented in some future case if noticed in your column- and which, at any rate, may help to illustrate the need which exists for endeavouring to make the trooper as intelligent as the noble animal whom he so often misuses. I saw a Dragoon pulling, might and main, at the tether, whereby he wanted to attach a horse to the picket. The horse was standing on three legs, naturally unable to advance, and his fourth leg, extended from the shoulder, was being hauled at full length by the tether round the fetlock. A sergeant—who, I thought, might have interfered sooner-said, Drop his leg and lead him," which at once met with perfect obedience on the horse's part. I was put in mind of a story I heard Captain C urnegie tell at a public dinner at the time of the Crimean war. He was on shore, and saw a party of S >ldiers endeavouring to boil a kettle. They put sticks o i the ground, wedged the kettle into them, and then were surprised the fire would not light. "Hang the kettle above," said he, "shake the wood loose, and then try." A lame horse in the morning or a supperless squad at nightfall are appreciable losses, but it need not cost a farthing more to put the recruit's mind, as well as his body, through a few extensive motions while he is learning the details of his profession.

THE HISTORY OF MAXIMILIAN IN MEXICO. The Moniteur of Sunday morning contained the following sketch of Mexico and its unhappy state :— The crime of regicide, of which Mexico has made herself guilty against the person of the Emperor Maximilian, is not the first deed of the kind which has been perpetrated in that unhappy country. In less than half a century, and since its so-called inde- pendence, the ancient Spanish Viceroyalty, so pros, perous and so tranquil under the Government of the mother country, has three times stained its soil with the blood of the chiefs of its Government. In 1824 the Emperor Iturbide was shamefully delivered up and shot at Tampico, and in 1829 President Guerrera, basely betrayed for a sum of money, suffered a like fate at Acapulco. But whatever interest may attach to the memory of these two personages, nothing in their origin or in their lives is comparable with the illustrious victim, whose fatal destiny the entire universe will learn with horror. A descendant of that glorious Emperor Charles V., in whose reign Ferdi- nand Cortez and his bold companions founded the Mexican monarchy, the Emperor Maximilian, Arch- duke of Austria, formerly the Lieutenant of his brother, the Emperor Francis Joseph, in the king- dom of Lombardo-Venetia, brought up according to modern ideas, and in the continual habit of govern- ing, seemed a Prince designated by Providence to create in the New World a dynasty worthy of his House and of the Sovereigns who hastened to recog- nize him from the moment of his accession to the Throne. For 50 years Mexico had been a prey to the most horrible anarchy, acts of pillage, and civil war. He who wished to consecrate his efforts to pacifying the country, filling up the abyss of revolutions, restoring order, and endeavouring to render happy a country so favoured by Heaven-this Monarch, betrayed by one of his subjects, whom he had loaded with benefits, has fallen under the bullets of assassins. The details of the act of regicide, committed on the 19th of June, are not yet known, but those of the act of treachery of the 15tn of May have reached Europe. The Emperor bad been two months and a half at Queretaro, at the head of 8,000 men, commanded by Generals Miramon, Mejia, Mendez, Castillo, Arellano, the Prince de Salm (Chief of the Imperial Staff), and several European officers. On the very night that it had been seen that the town was no longer tenable, and that it was decided to attempt by a vigor- ous sortie to break through the lines of the dissident leaders, Corono and Escobedo, and retire either to the city of Mexico, or towards the Gulf, a man (we dare not say a Colonel) to whom was intrusted the guard of the fortified convent of Santa Cruz, which com- mands the whole position—the man Lopez, for 3,000 ounces of gold, gave a silent passage to the enemy, and himself pointed out to them the person of the Emperor, surprised in the middle of his sleep. In vain did General Miramon attempt to resist; he fell grievously wounded, and the Imperial army, surrounded unawares by superior forces, was obliged to capitulate. We shall know in a few days by what show of judi- cial forms the murder of the Emperor Maximilian- accomplished by Juarez's orders-was preceded. The Emperor Maximilian, second brother of Francis Joseph, Emperor of Austria, was born at Schoenbrunn on the 6th of July, 1832, and married, the 27th of July, 1857, the Princess Charlotte, daughter of King Leopold, then hardly seventeen years old, and whose double misfortune now excites the sympathy of all hearts. On two occasions the Archduke was the guest of France-in 1856 and in 1864-and every one was enabled to appreciate his chivalrous character, his solid and varied attainments, and his precious personal qualities. After long and difficult negociations, skilfully directed by the valiant and lamented M. Gutierrez de Estrada, the Prince, on the 10th of April, 1864, ac- cepted, with the assent of his august brother, the crown which had been offered him on the 3rd of Oc- tober, 1863, at the Castle of Miramar, by the commission despatched to him by the Assembly of Notables who met at Mexico, and who brought him the result of the vote of the Mexican population. A few days after- wards the Emperor and the Empress Charlotte left Trieste on board the Austrian frigate Novara. They landed at Vera Cruz on the 24th of May, and made their entry into their capital on the 12th of June, 1864, amid unanimous acclamations. During the space of three years the Emperor Maximilian did not cease to occupy himself with the reorganization of his empire, and, by means of numerous journeys through the country, he had acquired an exact acquaintance with the wants of the provinces, and these wants his Govern- ment neglected no means to satisfy. On the 5th of February last the Emperor placed himself at the head of his army and left Mexico to en- counter the Juarists who were in the northern pro- vinces. It is there that the crime was consummated. Its punishment cannot, doubtless, be long delayed, and Mexico would be but too happy if she should dis- appear from the number of independent nations, and find herself absorbed by powerful neighbours. But the hour is not yet come. Her history since 1810 explains her present state and her future. The division which already exists among the ambitious bravos of Juarez will drown the country in blood and assume terrible proportions. Every element of civil power will be destroyed, armed bands will devastate the country, and impose contributions on the towns.

TRADES' UNIONS ABROAD. Apropos of the inquiry into the principles and practices of Trades' Unions, now going on before Royal Commissioners at Sheffield and elsewhere, the appearance of a blue-book, in which is reprinted a considerable quantity of correspondence on trades' unions, as existing or conducted in various foreign countries,will be cordially welcomed, and an epitome of which appears in the Sandard from which we extract the following relative to France:- The special commerce" of France, grew from 900,000,000 francs in 1825, to 1,700,000,000 in 1845; again to 4,000,000,000 in 1860, and to about 6,400,000,000 in 1866 so that the French foreign trade, divided in nearly equal proportions between im- port and export, is more than seven times as great as it was forty years ago. To this astounding augmenta- tion Mr. Cobden's treaty has largely contributed, but France has also done an immense business with Bel- gium, Germany, Italy, and other countries. She is rapidly developing her mineral resources, no fewer than 1,184 mines having been opened last year, of which 598 were coal, 249 iron, and 337 miscellaneous an 1 though agricultural progress has been less marked, it has nevertheless been considerable. Those indus- tries which it was supposed would suffer most severely by competition have steadily increased, and in some instances have made extraordinary progress a re- mark which applies alike to cotton and woollen yarns and woven goods, to hemp and flax, to metals and machinery. The value of exported manufactures in 1859 was 309,076,000 francs. In 1864 it had risen to 521,794,000, an increase of 212,718,000. The rate of wages has gone up rapidly, though, owing to the augmented cost of living, the advance in money wages rather more than represents their ex- changeable value. In Messrs. Schneider's mines and'forges there are 9,950 workpeople, of whom 250 are women, whose wages have advanced 38 per cent, be- tween 1850 and 1866, some of the men now earning from 8f. to lOf. a day, and enjoying in addition, great facilities for feeding, lodging, clothing, and educating themselves and their families. Marne's printing and binding works at Tours employ 1,000 hands, whose daily wages vary from ninety centimes to 2 francs for women, from 3i to 8 francs for men. At Roubaix good workmen earn from 6 to 10 francs, women from 3 to 5 francs, and children 1 franc per diem. At Bessand's 2 clothing establishment the best men earn 5A to 6 francs inferior and female hands being paid n pro" portion. On the whole, the advance in the money rate of wages may be taken at 40 per cent. in the last fifteen i ears, and making all allowance for the rise in the price of commodities, the labourer can feed, clothe, and lodge himself "somewhat better" than he could fifteen years ago. This has caused a flow of labour from the agricultural districts to the great centres which has sometimes seriously embarrassed the farmers' who have not been able to supply the deficiency from abroad, though in the towns there are large numbers of foreign workmen, as many as 8,000 Germans being congregated at Mulhouse, and 15,000 Belgians at Roubaix. In France, as in England and Belgium, combinations for influencing wages are not illegal, unless accom- panied. with violence, menace, or fraud, the severe pro- visions of the Penal Code previously existing having been modified m 1829, and repealed in 1864. Before then the law was very harsh and the penalties exces- sive, including imprisonment of from two to five years. Within the last three years almost every trade in France has taken advantage of this change, and has established societies with objects very similar to those aimed at by our own trades unions. Strikes, general or partial, have become common. The workers in bronze last March "went out" to enforce a demand for wages, calculated on two-fifths of their employers' profits; while strikes among skin dyers, carvers, plumbers, and slaters, have lately occurred or been threatened. Frequently, however, these ruptures have been prevented by the friendly intervention of the authorities, and the law regulating political as- semblies has prevented the application of trade societies to political purposes. As to the advan- tages or disadvantages of these organisations, the masters and men are as much divided as they are here, the latter saying that they have been of benefit to themselves, while the former denounce them as instruments of tyrannous coercion, which are brought to bear, as with us, just when employers have time contracts on hand which they must perform or cc be ruined. The consequence is that many such con- tracts have been rejected, and so have passed into the hands of foreign manufacturers who have not yet fallen under the tyranny of their workmen." There are plenty of prophets of evil, who say that the ope- ratives' unjust pretensions must be controlled by law, or French manufacturing industries will be ruined and there is sufficient truth in these statements to make moderate men think that in France, as in England, these complaints I must be made the subjects of governmental inquiry." There, as here, it is felt that economic laws will ultimately set things right; but there, as here, it is feared that. meanwhile, much mischief will be done. Various suggestions have been made for preventing this danger, most of which point to making the workman, in some sense, a partner in the concern, and causing his wages to depend upon the profits realized. Patent objections to these propo. sals, of course, are numerous, but the natural genius of the French for organization has led them to unite in co- operative societies, which may be divided into three classes. The first are societies of consumption, like the Rochdale stores. The second, societies of credit, which open credit accounts with, and advance loans to, their members. The third, societies of production, who sell the work and manufactures of their members. The last, however, is the class most favoured in France, as the second is in Germany, and the first in England. The first attempts at societies of production was made in 1831, and their special characteristic was the formation of a permanent and indivisable fund, in which nearly their whole capital was comprised, but on which no retiring member had any claim. "The consequence of this exaggeration of the principle of a reserved fund" was that nearly all these societies were ruined in the course of a few years, though one of them, "La Societe de Bij outiers en Dare, founded in 1834, still exists and thrives, though under a new constitu- tion. In 1840, however, M. Leclaire, a house painter, tried the experiment of giving his 200 workmen a share in his profits. He assigned a fixed allowance for his own services as manager; took a stipulated rate of interest on his capital; paid his men their full current wages, and divided the residue proportionably among them. Of this society we read There are now two proprietors, Messrs. Leclaire and Defournaux and there are 59 associate and from 100 to 200 "non-associate" workmen. The benefit society of the workmen, which has accumulated a considerable capital, enters with 100,000 francs as a partner into the concern, in which each of the proprietors has invested a capital of 100,000 francs. The annual profits of the establishment are thus divided:-25 per cent. to each of the two proprietors, who receive besides a salary of 6,000 francs a-piece as mana- gers the remaining 50 per cent. are assigned to the clerks (employes) and workmen in the proportion of two-fifths to the benefit society, and three-filths to be divided among the clerks and workmen who have rendered themselves worthy of this recompense. It is stated that the conduct of the workmen is exemplary; that the best relations subsist between them and the proprietors; and that the participa- tion of the workmen in the profits of the establishment has exercised considerable influence both upon the rapidity and quality of the work executed. After the revolution of 1848 a great number of co- operative societies were established onradically unsound principles; but notwithstanding liberal subsidies by the state, the greater part of them collapsed after a very brief existence. Many others, however, have been constructed on better models, and are doing well, though in several the attempt to admit all workmen to a share of profits has been abandoned. The society of "Facteurs de Pianos" was founded in 1849 by fourteen workmen, with a capital of 229f. 50c. It nevec received any subvention from the state. It struggled on through many difficulties, and it now possesses a capital of 180,000f., and does an annual business of 190,000f. The society of the Ouvriers Lunettiers" was so fonnded in 1849, and did last year a business of 600,000f. In 1851 a co- operative society was formed at Vienne (Iserej, which was at first a cloth manufactory, and has since added a flour-mill, a bakery, a grocery-house, a coal depot, and a farm. It does an annual business of above 1,000,000f. There are three great co-operative societies at Lyons, of which the largest-" Société des Tisseurs "-comprises 1,800 members; and the "Association des Poibanniers" at St. Etienne counts 1,200 members, and possesses a capital of 1,200,000 francs. There are also in France a great number of establishments in which the proprietors have voluntarily introduced a form of co-operation with a view of raising the moral and material condition of their workmen. The iron foundry of M. Godin-Lemaire at Guise employ 900 workmen, who are known under the' appellation o Familistere de Guise The proprietor constructed in 1859, at the cost of 800,000 francs, a large house containing 250 separate lodgings, let to his workmen at a rent of 3 per cent, on the capital expended. This property is now being divided into shares purchasable by its inmates, who will eventually become its sole proprietors. M. Godin-Lemaire is about to follow the same course with his foundry. The value of the plant is to be divided into shares of 25 francs, by means of which he aims at associating the whole body of his workmen in the industrial enterprise which he directs.

CURIOUS NEW ENGLAND CUSTOM. The Boston correspondent of The Times writes :— "In the early days of the colony a company of artillery was formed, and existed without much change down to the War of Independence. After that it assumed the title of the Honourable and Ancient Artillery Company but it ceased to be an effective corps, and persons were elected to it as an honour, without being expected to perform any duties. Every year the governor of the state goes upon Boston Common, and there, in presence of the regiment, receives the com- missions of the retiring officers and hands new ones to their successors. By the courtesy of the present governor (Mr. Bullock) I witnessed this ceremony. Thousands of spectators had gathered together to see officers appointed to a corps which exists only in name, and to show their respect for a usage which has nothing but its age to recommend it. It was the 229th anniversary of the society, and because it is old, and for no other reason, it still lives. Only on one day in the year does the company meet. Then the members dress in the uniforms of any corps of militia to which they may happen to belong. It would be impossible,' said a gentleman to me, whose name is well known throughout Europe, to let this company of artillery die out. I do not suppose that one among them knows how to fire a gun. What you see to-day is in itself an absurd ceremony, but it proves that a young republic, as we are called, sets a high value upon every institution that has the seal of age upon it. In England you think we despise such matters; on the contrary, we prize them more dearly than you do. We like to have things about us which seem to give a gray and worn look to our Democratic fabric.'

A VOLUNTEER SCHOOLMASTER. The Banffshire Joumal records the death of Jaiiies Beattie, sen., Gordonstown, better known as the Aucterless John Pounds, which took place a few days ago. The deceased was born 27th January, 1781, in the parish of Rayne. About the end of last or begin- ning of the present century, Mr. Beattie removed from the parish of Rayne to Gordonstown, in Auc- terless, and there commenced business on his own account as a shoemaker. At that period schools were few and far between, and many, especially in rural districts, thought it only a useless expenditure of money and time to send their children to school until they reached the age of twelve or thirteen years. Owing to this state of matters, Mr. Beattie was not long in observing the lamentable state of ignorance which then prevailed around him. Many had grown up to man and woman's estate unable either to read or write, and who with respect to religious instruction were equally ignorant. This first suggested to him the idea of himself becoming a volunteer instructor. On his intentions becoming known, many of his neighbours placed their children under his tuition, and such was his art in gaining the affections of the young folks that his workshop was soon filled with the rising generation of both sexes, and he had often to work till past midnight to make up for time spent in teaching during the day. For the long period of sixty years Mr. Beattie conducted a school at which there were daily in attendance from thirty to forty scholars, and nothing would have offended him so much as to have offered him anything in the shape of school fees.

DREADFUL SUICIDE THROUGH LOVE AT DERBY. Late on Sunday evening a most shocking suicide was committed at Derby. A girl, sixteen years of age, named Maria Smith, residing with her parents, had been keeping company for some time past with a young man in that town, and from some unexplained cause a slight disagreement had arisen between them. The re- sult was that the unfortunate creature had been in a low state of mind, and early on Sunday evening called upon a female companion to take a walk. She showed an anxiousness to walk by the river side, and it was accordingly agreed between them that they should stroll up Darley-grove-an outskirt of the town-and enter the fields surrounding the Derwent. There they remained till between nine and ten o'clock, when several boys came up, and noticing something very peculiar in the girl's conduct, kept eyes upon her, although she and her friend went into the next field. In a few minutes afterwards they noticed deceased take her hat and cape off, and on her rolling her dress sleeves up the boys i an to the spot and heard Smith requesting the other young girl to take them home, adding, she did not intend to go home that night." The youths then urged her to go home, but she refused, again remarking that if she did go home they would have to carry her." Becoming excited, the lads seized hold of her, and declared they would take her home, but just at this moment the unfortunate girl rescued herself from them, and jumped into one of the deepest parts of the river, screaming, You re- and was drowned in their presence. Alarm was imme- diately raised, and two police-sergeants attended with the drags and soon recovered the body.

THE LATE EMPEROR MAXIMILIAN. A writer In the Paris Figaro gives the following details concerning the late Emperor Maximilian:— His Majesty's guard, called the Palatine, was splendidly dressed, composed of forty halberdiers, under the command of Count de Bombello, a friend of Maximilian from his childhood. At all the receptions the Emperor was dressed like the Mexican generals black pantaloons, with high boots to the knee, black riding coat, with gold epaulettes, with the riband of the Golden Fleece round his neck, and latterly the Cordon of the Eagle. He had also created another Order, that of Merit." A private letter relates that two days before the treason of Lopez, the troops voted, by acclamation, to Maximilian the cross of Commander of the same order of Mlrit, for his gallant defence of that place. At the tiiri. when the institution of the decoration in question das under consideration, the Empress Charlotte had a rather sharp dispute with an important personage who was remonstrating with her Majesty, in the name of the French Government, on taking the colour of the Legion of .Honour for the new one. Being hardpushed in the discussion, carried on by letter, the Empress pasted in a page of letter-paper three leaves of papaver sylvestris, or wild poppy, and wrote these words underneath :—" I adopt for my Order the shade of this flower, which was created, I rather imagine, before the Legion of Honour." I have myself (continues the writer) read this phrase in a curious collection of autographs of Charlotte and Maximilian.

THE TRADES' UNION INQUIRY. The following is a copy of Mr. Hardy's bill to extend the Trades' Union Commission Act, 1867:- Whereas it is expedient to extend the Trades' Union Commission Act, 1867: Be it enacted by the Queen's Most Excellent Majesty, by and with the consent of the Lords spiritual and temporal and Commons in this present Parliament assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows 1. One of her Majesty's Prin- cipal Secretaries of State, upon the application in writing of the chairman of the commissioners acting under the commission relating to trades' unions men- tioned in the said Act, may from time to time, by order under his hand, direct that the said Act shall extend to any place in respect of which such applica- tion has been made, and the said Act shall be deemed to extend to such place accordingly; and the said commissioners, or such one or more of them as they may appoint, or any person appointed in pursuance of the said Act, may conduct at any such place as afore- said an inquiry of the same description as is now by law authorised in the case of Sheffield, and in relation to any such place the said Act shall be construed as if throughout the same the name of such place were sub- stituted for Sheffield. 2. This Act may be cited for all purposes as the Trades' Union Act Extension Act, 1867.