Flintshire Observer Mining Journal and General Advertiser for the Counties of Flint Denbigh

THE MASSACRE AT TOKAT. SBYBN IICNDBED ARMENIANS SLAUGHTERED. The latest information from Tokat shows that the massacre at that place was much more terrible than appeared from the first independent account received here, and that no fewer than 400 Arme- nians were killed. Disturbances are also reported to have broken out at Arbah, to the north of Tokat. The report appears to be well-founded, as it is announced from Sivas that troops have been sent to1 Arbah. Major Bulman, British Vice- Consul at Sivas, has gone to Tokat to inquire into the massacre at that place. Owing to fears of dis- turbances at Sivas, Mr. Terrell, the United States Minister, has asked the Porte for the re-establish- ment of military guards to protect the residences of the American missionaries there. According to information received by the Armenian Patriarchate, the number of Armenians killed at Tokat was 700. A feeling of apprehension prevails among the Armenian community in Constantinople. It is probably due to a report of the arrival in Constantinople of a number of the Armenians who took part in the attack on the Ottoman Bank in August last. To-day a number of the Armenian shops in Stamboul are closed. It is noticed that the patrols in the street have been strengthened. The military surgeons aud dispensers attached to the Pancaldi barracks have been ordered not to leave their quarters until Mon- day, and this gives rise to the belief that the autho- rities are apprehensive of disturbances. So far, how- ever, the city preserves its usual aspect.

BURGLARY AT A CATHEDRAL. Early on Sunday morning Llandaff Cathedral was broken into by thieves, who broke open several chests, which contained nothing of value. Thfcy also did other damage. Three chairs were drawn up in front of the stoves, and it is believed that the thieves were three in number, and that they passed the night in the cathedral. b

JUBILEE INSURANCES. The effects of the great boom" in seats to view the forthcoming Diamond Jubilee procession in London are indeed widespread, and have even entered the Room at Lloyd's, a place which is generally principally sacred to the interests of shipowners and those in other ways connected with shipping. The vest amount of money depending on the successful carrying out of the proposed festivities has had the result of making things hum in the in- surance world, for speculators, taking warning from the disasters brought about by the Duke of Clarence's death, are ready to pay enormous premiums in order to protect themselves from possible loss. Inquiries made at Lloyd's by a Press representative elicited the facts that a'large number of insurances had been effected on the life of the Queen at the rate of five guineas per cent. for three months. Double this percentage is the quotation for risks which guarantee the insurer from loss through the abandonment of the procession from any cause what- ever and as much as 20 guineas per cent. premium haa- been paid on earns varying from £ 3000 to EIO,000 against the risk of the route being changed. So much business has been done in this connection that nearly all except the most speculative under- writers will not touch any more. The lives of the Royal family are being anxiously watched by memuera of Lloyd's, and it is quite within the mark to say that an unforseen accident to, any one of the Royal House would create something like a panic among those whose financial position in the "Room" is, in their own metaphor, "AI at Lloyd's." The Transvaal also affords another opportunity for a sporting II risk," and insurances against war breaking out within the next six months are being freely effected at the rate of 15 guineas per cent. on large sum-, and this premium shows signs of ill- creasing.

As Irishman, struggling to get a pair of new boots on, exclaimed I shall never get 'em on at all until t wear 'em a day or two. To city and county authorities seeking a means ef commemorating the 60th year of the Queen's reign, Nature commends the example of the Royal Recep- tion Committee at Sheffield. This committee was entrusted with the duty of preparing for the Queen's visit to that city on May 21, and at the same time of arranging a suitable mode of commemorating the Diamond Jubilee, and they have decided that the endowment of the Sheffield University College is the best object. For this end, the sum of £ 30,000 is still required, and the committee have resolved to invite subscriptions through the Mayor, the Duke of Norl'olV, UNTIL the last Bradley-Martin ball, the record for extravagant entertainment was held by Mrs. W. H, Vanderbilt, the mother of the Duchess of Marl- borough. Her fancy dress ball in 1883, for which a thousand invitations were issued, cost between £ 40 000 and £ 50,000, and the dresses of the guests cost'at least as much more. The Bradley-Martm ball cost £ 60,000, and the expenditure of the guests on costumes amounted to 940,000. That is, an enter- tainment lasting six hours cost £ 100,000. The con- tract for the suppers was at jE5 a head. No one, however, seems to have remembered a famous "cotillon dinner" which the Bradley-Martins gave at Delmonico's in 1890. That little affair, to be sure, was a mere bagatelle to this year's ball, but it cost £ 20,000 all the same. The dinner was the most sumptuous that even the famous delmonico's had ever served. At the ball which followed the very favours which were distributed cost several thousand pounds. The chief expense, however, was for flowers, the profusion, of which was simply bewildering. THERE has just died iu the Great iarmouth Work- house Mr. John Riches, Who a quarter of a century ago was known to Methodists "all over the world as "The Norfolk Bean Grower." Riches was at that time a prosperous farmer, and the leading lay preacher in the Eastern Counties. Presiding one night at a meeting in aid of mission work, he received from some person in the audience a bag of beans, with the request that any tenant of land who was present should be invited to grow them and devote the proceeds to mission work. He accepted the idea himself. The first year's crop Riches kept for seed. The second year's crop was most prolific, and-again he kept it. The third year his land was insufiioient to grow all of them, but his zeal in working out the plan enabled him to persuade several neighbouring farmers to accommodate him with land. A very considerable sum was realised, and a great meeting was organised at Mr. Spurgeon's Tabernacle, at which the proceeds were handed over to the mission fund. Riches' fame spread abroad, and his portrait was sold everywhere. Unfortunately, he was overtaken by family troubles, ending his life ia a workhouse at the age of 71. IN Serajevo, the capital of Bosnia, there has been a large Spanish-Jewish Colony since 1481. They are the descendants of refugees from the Spanish per- secution of that time. They speak Spanish, and observe the-traditional forms and rites of their reli- gion. But the most curious community, from the religious point of view, is that of a sect of Roman Catholics who in their worship go through the genu- flexions, prostrations, and other attitudes practised by the Moslems m the mosquefl olose by. The custom is doubtless a survival of time when Christians, to save their lives, pretended to be Mohammedans. Yet the*, Roman Catholics would fight to the death for thib preservation of their Moslem ceremonies. > cc, I r ft1? i M*j I

THE EASTERN CRISIS. GREAT BRITAIN'S ATTITUDE.—IMPORTANT STATEMENT. A correspondent, who has access to the best sources of diplomatic information, sends to the Daily Graphic the following important statement: The situation is exceedingly grave. With tLe departure of the Greek Crown Prince for the Turkish frontier it would seem that the die is cast and that war with Turkey is inevitable. Indeed, it is the opinion of all who are best able to judge that the Greek Government could not now enchain the forces it has invoked. If the order were given for the army to retire it would simply make the best of its way back to Athens and dethrone King George. "In foreign diplomatic circles the blame for this condition of things is freely cast on England. It is said that but for Lord Salisbury's hesitation and his antipathy to the coercion of Greece, the danger never would have reached its present magnitude. Greece has been both helped and encouraged by the long negotiations among the Powers entailed by the emenda- tions introduced by Lord Salisbury into every coercive proposal submitted to the Concert. Thus the refusal to blockade the Greek ports simnltanwxisly with Crete enabled the Greeks to concentrate all their military strength on the Turkish frontier, the troops having been sent, for the most part, by sea to Yolo. The knowledge, too, that the Powers are no longer in complete harmony has encouraged the Greeks to stiffen their attitude vis-a-vis a possible compromise. A week ago they would have been satisfied with the withdrawal of the Turkish troops from Crete. To-day it is very un- likely that they would accept much more than thi? as a solution of the crisis. "The most serious element in the situation/bow- ever, is that the European Concert is no longer solid. I am quite prepared to hear this statement denied, and it is true that as yet there has been no actual rupture but it is equally a fact that Federated Europe, or rather some of its members, has come to the conclusion that its concerted action is a failure, and that if the present state of its counsels lasts another week it must dissolve. Certain of the Great Powers have all along been impatient of the indulgence shown to Greece. On account of what their Ministers have not scrupled to characterise openly as the perfidy' of that State, they have contended that such indulgence was not merited. When Prince George and his torpedo flotilla were sent, with a great flourish of trumpets, to Cretan waters, instructed to sink any Turkish transports which might be despatched with troops to subdue the insurrection in the island, the Greek Government knew that there was not the remotest chance of any such transports appearing, as the Powers had already forbidden the Porte to send them. The coup was intended wholly and solely to inflame the rebellion and defeat the pacificatory mea- sures of the Powers. Again, when Col. Yassos was Bent to rescue the Cretan Christians from the Mussulman yoke the Greek Government knew full well that the Powers had made themselves responsible for the pacification of the island, and that the aforesaid Mussulman yoke was already non-existent. Under these circumstances it is scarcely surprising that t.be endeavours of Lord Salisbury to temper the anger of the Powers towards Greece should not have met with unqualified approval, and that their persistence until the danger has become European has now given rise to undisguised irritation. The last straw has been the refusal of England to blockade the Greek ports at a moment favourable 84 to the preservation of peace, and her belated pro- posal to substitute for this coercive measure a sum- mons to both Turkey and Greece to withdraw their armies from the frontier. This proposal has not been accepted, and, indeed, is not likely to be. TThofficially the idea was broached by Greece herlf, a week or two ago, and it is suspected that Lord Salisbury's adoption of it was due to a suggestion which, unknown to him, had its origin in Athens. "The reason why it is not likely to be accepted is", very simple. The Powers most hostile to Greece believe that it is designed to mask another act of "perfidy" on the part of that State. At the present moment all the passes in the mountains, and, indeed, all the best strategical posi- tions on the frontier are held by the Turks, and it is in order to be able to rush those positions that the Greeks have proposed the simultaneous withdrawal of the two armies. If the Powers were to agree to the British proposal, Turkey would probably submit to their wishes, as she has done throughout the crisis while the Greeks, after a feint at compliance, would* one fine day, discover a pretext, similar to that by which Prince George's naval raid was justified, to turn right about flice and occupy the abandoned points of vantage. The Powers do not intend to lend themselves to a design of this kind, and, if they can help it, they do not propotte- toplaft themselves again in a position, to be deceived by Greece. There is another reason why the Powers are dis- inclined to entertai-the British proposal. Now that War is inevitable, "*hei3& most absorbing care must be to localise it and get it over quickly.. In their view the interests of European peace will be best seived by an early triumph of the Turkish arms. They have the fullest confidence in the ability of Edbem Pasha to repulse any attack of the Greek Army and to keep the struggle south of the Greek frontier. If they are correct in this view, they feel that they may await the development of events with compara- tive complacency. On the other hand, a successful invasion, of Turkish territory by the Greeks, such as might be rendered possible by the occupation of the passes in the mountains now held by the Turks, would very soon set the whole of Europe ablaze. Servia, whose army is already being mobilised, could not be restrained from interfering. The break down of the Turkish machinery of Government, which would result from a retreat of Edhem Pasha, would give the whole country up to brigandage. Austria would be unable to resist the temptation—I might almost say the necessity—to advance to Novi Bazar, and a counter movement by Russia would be unavoidable. The terrible events that would in- exorably follow need not be dwelt upon in detail. Every serious student of the Eastern Question is already sufficiently familiar with them. This is the situation at the present moment. I have only to add that the foregoing statement is made upon an authority that is unquestionable, although I hesitate to employ in connection with a narrative of so much gravity, a formula which has been discredited of late by its indiscriminate and exaggerated use." DEPARTURE OF FRINCH GEORGE. The Crown Prince of Greece left Athens for the frontier on Saturday amid great demonstrationet of enthusiasm. This event is referred to by the Times Vienna correspondent as of the gravest signifi- cance. The situation generally is regarded as unsatisfactory. There is quite as much anxiety as to what may occur in Constantinople as anywhere else in the Balkan Peninsula, and the St. Petersburg Government has thought it expedient to concentrate 200,000 men in South Russia. It is officially denied in Berlin that Germany has decided to withdraw from active participation in the European concert in consequence of the refusal of Great Britain to adopt extreme measures against Greece. A steamer, the Heraklion, laden with pro- visions for the Mahomedans in Crete, and for the Russian and British war vessels, was boarded at the Piraeus en Saturday morning by a number of armed Cretans, who threw the cargo overboard. THRILLING ADVENTURES. A special correspondent in Crete has just had some strange adventures among the insurgents. Having failed to obtain permission to get through to the insurgents' camp, he disguised himself as a Cretan prieet, joined the insurgents at Akrotiri, shouldered a rifle, and thrust a revolver in his belt. With his six companions he then marched to Korakes, and down the mountain to Suda Bay, on the shore of which they signalled to the Italfan admiral to ccnvey them to the opposite shore, according to their promise; but he requested them to come back next morning. fatigued to return after a wearisome march of 10 hours, with no food but dried beans and olive oil, they entered a cavern half-way up the mountain and slept on its rocky floor. The writer continues: "Next morning we de- scended again to the shore, and a boat took us to the Italian admiral's ship, where we each received a cup of black coffee and some cigarettes. Then Admiral Canivaro addressed us in French, saying that he and his colleagues would gladly accord the annexation, as the simplest and most natural solu- tion of the Cretan question; but the European Powers, for their own reasons, refuted to do so. Therefore, he urged us to accept autonomy, not as final* but as a basis which would quickly and surely lead to annexation. We then embarked on a Russian steam launch, intending to land on the opposite shore, but the weather being very stormy we had to abandon that enterprise, and 'were about to return. However, after two hours' tossing hither and thither on the sea, we finally landed at the foot of a steep mountain, in the province of Cydonia, by jumping into the surf, while the wind blew a gale and the rain poured down in torrents. Wet to the skin, we climbed an almost perpendicular pathless hill with burdens on our shoulders, slipping and falling at every step, and in imminent danger of being that by the Turks, close to whose fort we crept cautiously along. We marched onward in a snowstorm, having eaten nothing but dried beans, and drunk nothing but black coffee for 24 hours. Passing the ruins of the ancient city of Aptera, wo finally reached the large village of Armeni, so-called because Armenian colonists settled there 900 years ago. I witnessed a scene which I shall never forget. An old man, 75 years, named Milonoyanaki, formerly director of the Cretan Bank, said: 'We all want union with the mother country. On this point there are no dissentients. Europe may annihilate us, but cannot change our conviction. So long as one Cretan lives, he will exclaim, as I do now, Union or Death! My son George was killed at Akrotiri a fort- night ago. I loved him dearly, but gave him willingly, and am ready to saçrifice my family and myself as a protest against autonomy. We have lost our property and care nought for our lives.' Here- upon the crowd shouted, 1 We care nought for our lives Suddeuly I felt a strong arm tugging at my shoulder, and, turning round, saw a handsome man, armed, but dressed in clerical garb, his eyes rolling with passion. He shouted, You, sir, shall see what value we Cretans set upon our lives. You may go back and tell Europe that you saw me do this!' and he seized a long white-handled dagger from one of the by-etanders' belts, and one second later would have cut hie own throat from ear to ear had not I and others held back his arm in the nick of time. With extreme difficulty the dagger was wrestled from his grasp, and Father George Ehadzi Clagovilos was ultimately quieted." TURKS FIRE ON FLAG OF TRVCB. A Cabinet Council was held at Athens on Monday morning. It is stated that important resolutions were taken as a provision against the contin- gency of coercive measures by the Powers. Ac- cording to intelligence from Retimo, a strong mixed detachment, commanded by British and Russian officers, proceeded to that place to notify the insurgents of the proclamation of autonomy for Crel e. A flag of truce was displayed, and the insur- gents sent a detachment bearing a white flag to meet the officers. At this moment the Bashi Bazouka opened fire, and a brisk fusillade ensued between the Turks and the Christians. The foreign officers thereupon returned to their quarters. The Crown Prince and Princess, Prince Nicholas, and Princess Marie have arrived at Larissa. The whole garrison was under arms, and the throng in the streets surged upwards on to the slopes of the hills. Flags were everywhere, and the windows of all the houses were filled with spectators, among whom were very many ladies, who cast flowers in the path of the Princesses. The Royal party were received by the superior officers and authorities. The Duke of Sparta, amid the acclamations of the crowd, reviewed the troops drawn up near the station, while the Princesses proceeded to the cathedral, where a Te Deum was sung, and thence to the Palace, in front of which two batteries and a squadron of cavalry are stationed. ADMIRALS ASK FOR MORII TROOPS. In order to ensure .tranquillity in the towns occupied by the mixed forces, the admirals tele- graphed on Monday moraing to their respective Governments requesting in each case the immediate despatch of an additional battalion of 600 men. The admirals have decided upon, the occupation of the post of Akrotiri. The European mixed detachment, consisting of French, Italians, and Russians, accom- panied by Turkish troops, with three mountain guns, left Canea at a quarter past eight on Monday morning for the blockhouse of Butsunaria, protecting the springs whence Canea obtains its water supply. The force was under the command of a French captain. The departure of the troops was greeted with cheers from the Highlanders and the native Mussulmans who had assembled to see the men march out. The blockhouse was-safely reached without incident at ten o'clock. The Austrian detachment of troops has arrived at Suda. They will occupy the fortress of Izeddin. The conduct of the Turkish troops marching from Salonika was fairly good until Veria was reached. While passing the hamlet of Barbessi, however, the soldiers of the battalion recently sent from Veria to Katerina entered the Orthodox Church of the village, and carried away some sacred pictures, which they burned. Afterwards, when passing a village neat Tergovista, they pillaged the cottages of several Christian peasants.

THE Marine Biological Association at Plymouth is "sending to sea a large number of bottles containing post-cards already addressed, with a request that when found they may be returned, with a note of the date and the locality. The object is to ascertain the direction of currents in the sea with the view of gain- ing information as to the life-history of food fishes. It is important to know the direction of currents, in order to be able to tell where the eggs from the fish spawning upon any particular ground will be carried. At present it is not known whether the eggs from the plaice spawning in the Eddystone grounds are carried towards Plymouth and Whitsand Bay, or whether they are carried eastward towards some point on the Devonshire coast, or westward to the coast of Corn- wall. SOME toys of English make were shown at the last meeting of the Technical Committee of the Cam- bridge Town Council. The toys in question were made by peasanta of Wilta and Dorset in the long winter evenings, and as much as 30s. a week is now being earned by the rustic manufacturers, for the toys fetch good prices. So struck were the com- mittee by the toys, that a resolution was carried that a class for instruction in toy-making be started forth- with at the Technical Institute for the good of the county. A skilled workman has declared that only six inexpensive tools are required, and that 10 hours' instruction ought to suffice for the veriest dunder- head. WHITE mustard has been tried as a forage for cattle in Tunisia, and found to do well. It is relished by cattle, and contains a good deal of nourishment (88*2 per cent. of water, 2'6 of proteic matter, 341 fatty matter, 2*4 matter soluble in alcohol, 1*7 of starch, and 2*4 of cellulose, with mineral matters). THE King of Greece once laid: "1 have brought up my sons to believe that they will become as nothing in the kingdom if they do not make them- selves worthy by personal efforts of their own roles which they will have to play in future years." As children they had an English nurse, aud their baby- hood was so cosmopolitan that they could speak English, Greek, and German before they could read or write. IN view of the contemplated visit of President Faure to Russia this summer there is a movement on foot at Moscow in favour of restoring to France the gun carriages and cannon balls taken from that country in 1812 and placed since then in the Kremlin. This, it is urged, would be a graceful return for France's courteay in returning trophies of the Crimean War, notably the banners taken from the Church of Eupatoria. TUJB Queen spends hoars of the day while she is at Cimiez in the open air. She goes out for an hour and a half in her donkey chair after breakfast, and after lunch she goes driving in an open carriage for nearly three hours. In the interval, of course, there are visitors to be received, and State and private busi- ness to be done. There is dinner at a quarter to nine, and the Queen retiree to her own apartments at half-past 10. On the occasions when the Queen has opened Parliament in penon she has proceeded in State to the House of Lords and commanded Black Red to let the Commons know "that it is her Majesty's pleasure that they attend her immediately in this House." Black Bod has proceeded to the House of Commons and formally commanded their presence, on which the Speaker and Commons go up to the Bar of the House of Lords, and the Queen has then delivered her speech, which has been read by the Lord Chancellor, kneeling on one knee. BIOWK-GLASS brickn, invented by a Frenchman named Falconnier, attracted considerable attention at the recent Stuttgart Exhibition. It is claimed that they admit abundance of light, and, being non-con- ductors of heat, tend to keep a building warm in winter and cool in snmtner. The surfaces are so ribbed and curved that it is impossible to see through the bricks, which are held to be specially applicable to the construction of restaurants, reading rooms, and other placet of public resort where light is re- quired, but where a view of the interior from outside is undesirable

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT. HOUSE OF LORDS.—MARCH 29. INFANT LIFE PROTECTION. The Earl of Denbigh, who moved the second reading of the Infant Life Protection Bill, said that it was substantially the same as last year's bill after it had been amended by a Select Committee. It a, med principally at "professionals those who were paid a considerable lump sum and then passed on children to various other Jiands until the children were lost sight of, or, in many cases, done away with but there was no desire to deal with persona who took the children out of pure neighbourly feeling or at the instance of charitable societies. The Bishop of Winchester, in supporting the bill, agreed that the existing Act was virtually a dead letter, owing to the cumbrous and unworkable nature of its machinery. Lord Belper, on behalf of the Home Office, expressed sympathy with the objects of the measure, but doubted whether it would do much to put an end to those dreadful cases of professional baby-farming which were brought to light from time to time. He thought that the bill would tend more in the direction of ameliorating the general treat- ment of infants. As the Home Office felt that there were very considerable difficulties regarding many of the points in the bill, he suggested that it should not betaken up by the Standing Committee until after Easter. The bill was read a second time. HOUSE OF COMMONS. SIR A. MILKER'S APPOINTMENT. Mr. P. Stanhope asked whether the Colonial Secretary would lay on the table the instructions given to Sir Alfred Milner upon his appointment as High Commissioner in British South Africa. Mr. Chamberlain replied that as he was able to fully com- municate his views and instructions to S r A. Milner by word of mouth it would not be necessary to give him written instructions. But no verbal in- structions would be given to the new High Com- missioner inconsistent with the statements made by the Government in the House with regard to their policy in South Africa. Answering the same questioner, Mr. Chamberlain said he believed that the South African League represented the viewa of a large number of the inhabitants of South Africa. He had no reason to believe that telegrams similar to those sent by the league were communicated to the London Press for the purpose of speculative Stock Exchange operations. On the contrary, they were fent in reply to statements made by a witness before the Select Committee, who had given evidence in respect of the views of the people of Cape Colony, and it was necessary to give the witness an opportunity of answering them. In reply to Sir E. Ashmead-Bartlett Mr. Chamberlain officially announced that the Johannesburg Star had been suppressed for three months by the Transvaal Government, on the ground of being dangerous to public peace. The proprietors of the newspaper, be added, on the authority of the High Commissioner, intended to bring the action of the Transvaal Government under the review of the High Court of Judicature. Mr. Chamberlain added that by the suppression of the Star and the Critic the Uitlanders had been deprived of their two principal organs in the Press. CRETE. Mr. Curzon, answering various questions on the subject of Crete, read a long statement, which was frequentlyrinterrupted by cries of derision from the Nationalist members, recounting the circumstances under which the international Admirals came to a unanimous decision to open fire for the purpose of dislodging the Creten insurgents from the posi- tion they had captured at Malaxa, commanding Suda Arsenal, in opposition to the written protest of the Admirals. Owing to the repeated attacks of the insurgents, who now had their cannon on outposts commanding Canea, the Admirals decided on Saturday that it would be necessary to treat the insurgents as enemies, and to demand more troops from their respective Govern- ments before long to afford efficient protection to the town under their charge. On the same day the British Admiral telegraphed that Colonel Yassos, of the Greek Army, was reported to have replied to the Admiral's warning by ordering the capture of the Malaxa blockhouse, and the information sent on Sunday was to the effect that Colonel Yassos had declared open war against the Great Powers. FINANCE RELATIONS BETWEEN ENGLAND AND IRELAND. Pursuant to notice, Mr. Blake raised a discussion on the financial relations between England and Ire- land by moving a resolution which affirmed that the Report of the recent Royal Commission established the existence of an undue burden of taxation on Ire- land, which constituted a great grievance and made it the duty of the Government to propose remedial legislation at an early date. In the course of an elabo- rate historical and fiscal review, which occupied more than two hours, the hon. member maintained that the only safe standing ground was the provisions of the Act of Union. All the materials for inquiry had been collected by the late Commission, and the question, he urged, was now essentially one for the decision of Parliament. He, therefore, commended his motion to the House on the ground that the pro- posed new inquiry was based upon wrong principles, and that it would be useless and dilatory. Mr. J. Redmond, who seconded the resolution, stigmatised the proposed new Commission as a dishonest evasion of the responsibilities of the Government, and charged Mr. Gladstone with being the author of much of the unjust taxation under which Ireland laboured at present. In connection with this point he enlarged on the fallacy of the financial policy of 1853, that identical taxation impose upon articles consumed under different circumstances meant equality of taxation. Mr. Whittaker, from the Opposition side, moved an amendment to the effect that as long as the Ex- chequers of Great Britain and Ireland remained con- solidated all portions of the United Kingdom must be regarded as forming one country for fiscal pur- poses, and that if any genuine and tangible grievance existed it could only be satisfactorily removed by so adjusting the present fiscal system as to render it just and equitable to all persons, in whatever part of the United Kingdom they might reside. Colonel Waring and Sir T. Esmonde having also spoken, The Chancellor of the Exchequer said that what the House had to deal with was not matters of history, but the present position of affairs. The Government would do nothing in the direction of meeting a demand which tended to a separate financial system between the two countries. In their belief the arrangement of 1853 was far more equitable, as between individuals, classes, and counties, than any system based upon taxable capacity," which was a matter of the wildest specu- lation. If they were to give back to Ireland from the common purse the E2,750,000 which the Irish members claimed, the result would be that Ireland would contribute nothing whatever to the common expenditure of the United Kingdom, but would receive a tribute from England and Scotland of E600,000 a year. Proceeding, amidst Nationalist cries of "End the partnership" and "Give us back our country," the right hon. gentleman dealt with the allegation that Irish local expenditure was monstrous and excessive. For every El that was spent on local administration in Ireland the Ex- chequer, he asserted, paid 13s. 6d., while the rates paid only 6s. 6d.; whereas for every El spent on similar administration in Great Britain the Exchequer paid 9s. 6d. and the rates 10s. 6d. That was the secret of this large Irish expenditure. The expendi- ture from the Exchequer on Irish local services exceeded by £ 2,165,000 a year what it would be if it was in the same proportion to the popula- tion as in England. How, he asked, was this to be made up? No less than £ 1,570,000 of this 42,16,5,000 excess was due to the cost of services undertaken and provided for by the State in Ireland, but in England a great deal fell upon the local rates. In this matter the Govern- ment desired to do full justice to the claims of Ireland-and of Scotland too-under the pro- visions of the Act of Union, and to see that the facta of the present expenditure were carefully investigated and fully ascertained. When that had been done be could assure the House that it would be the desire and endeavour of the Government to do full justice to the poorest parts of the United Kingdom. It must be subject, however, to one condition. The Government would do nothing, they would take no step what- ever to depart from that system of common taxa- tion which was established in 1817, or to impair either the financial or the political permanence of the union between Great Britain and Ireland. Least of all they would give no countenance to the monstrous doctrine that any part of the United Kingdom should be relieved from her fair obligation to contribute to the necessities of the National Debt, the army and the navy, and the maintenance of our great Empire. On the motion of Sir B. Clarke the debate was adjourned. The Military la&d Act (18V2) Amendment Bili passed through ConinyXtde with an amendment. VOTE OS ACCOUNT, On the report of the "tote on Account, Mr. P. Stanhope raised the question of Crete, and moved the reduction of the item for the salary of the Foreign Secretary by;EI666. Mr. Balfour, in again protesting against these fragmentary, unsatisfactory, and inconclusive discussions, said that be desired to state once more in the clearest terms thtot the great Powers in general, and in this country in particular, felt themselves pledged to give autonomy to Crete. By autonomy they distinctly meant that Crete should not henceforth be subject to domination or control in her local affairs from Constantinople and the Porte. The discussion was continued amidst considerable excitement by Mr. Bryce and Mr. Dillon. Mr. Curzon, in reply, declared that it was a monstrous travesty and perversion of truth to say that the Powers bad taken the ride of Turkey, and said that their action had been the means of saving the lives of thousands of insurgents. Their one object was the restoration of peace and order in the island. Sir R. Reid, Mr. J. E. Ellis, Sir C. Dilke, Sir E. Ashmead-Bartlett, and Mr. Allan continued the discussion. On a division the reduction was negatived by 163 against 60, and the vote on account was then agreed to. The House adjourned at 10 minutes to two.

THE LATE CAPTAIN BYRNE. A SOLDIER'S FUNERAL. The funeral of Captain Byrne on Saturday, so far as I accompanied it (writes a contributor to the Daily Graphic) was a very touching and a rather unusual sight. The little procession-it was but a hearse and a single brougham-set out from St. Thomas's Hot- pital a little after ten o'clock in the morning, almost unnoticed. Two or three policemen walked in front of the hearse, and six sergeants of marines marched beside it. Behind it walked Captain Byrne's soldier servant, who picked him up wounded, and who came home with him, and following the orderly were Colonel Bird in uniform and Colonel Camp* bell, A.D.C., and Colonel Scafe in mournin# Not a very imposing Bight; but the ornat hearse, which was of a familar type of ornate uglit. ness, bad yet one redeeming feature. It was that its sides were of glass and left the coffin-draped with the Union Jack, and heaped with fragile flowers, and surmounted with the officer's sword and helmet- bare to the public view. So that—although as the hearse came out of the hospital gates it had no one with it but the soldiers-by the time it reached the main thoroughfare of the Westminster-bridge- road it had already attracted a following. The police stopped the traffic for us as we crossed the road, and we passed between a wall on either side of omnibuses and brewers' drays and vans, our following increasing at every step. That was in itself by no means a surprising thing; a crowd will gather in London on any pretext. But what was both unexpected and touching was the demeanour alike of those whom we met, and those whom we passed. People turned and joined us, falling in behind the hearse and march;ag reverently with it. The omnibuses and other vehicles drew up, and paused, standing respectfti;is- on one side till we had passed. The people in the h&nsoms saluted as we passed-a custom which, though common enough abroad, is rare in England; but it is a custom which is graceful anywhere; and the people stood up on the omnicuses bareheaded as we went by. So did the people on the causeway who did not join our fast-growing procession; often enough the drivers of the cabs and omnibuses did so, and so did the very poorest people. Everywhere it was off hats to the soldier's funeral. By the time the hearse was- climbing the granite hill of Waterloo Station a large crowd accompanied it; and when the coffin and the soldiers came to rest amid the -office vans and cabs of the departure platform the following throng disposed itself at a respectful distance on the pave- ments of the station. There was an absence of stress and crowding, even of curiosity, that was quite re- markable. At last the Portsmouth train backed -down the platform, and the sergeants of Marines lifted the heavy coffin from the hearse and carried it to the train van. The crowd watched, silent and reverent, and among them all there was hardly a head that was not bared as the soldiers carried the coffin across the platform. When it had been placed in the van the soldiers saluted, drew up in line; and dismissed. Captain Byrne's servant and his friends took their places in the train, and a number of the crowd pressed forward, yet without any unseemly struggle, to take a lock at ttte flag and flower-covered bier in the van of the train.. Cut ioslty soon dwindled and a large part of the crow d disappeared. But a number remained to the very end and watched the train out of the station. Chance left me at the last moment next to an omnibus driver and a conductor, who had descended from their waiting omnibus to watch the departure. Like all the rest of the crowd, they had had very little to say beyond asking from those next to them whose funeral it was; and having learnt it was that of Captain Byrne-from Benin-had been satisfied of the interest of the occasion. But as the train slowly steamed out of the station the driver turned to his companion, Well, well, poor chap," said he, "and now he's gone to his last long home"; and then the two of them turned away with the rest of the crowd. On the arrival of the train at Stokes Bay Station the coffin was borne from the train by eight colour- sergeants of the Portsmouth Division of the Royal Marines and placed on a gun-carriage. The firing party, consisting of six non-commissioned officers and a hundred men of the corps, under the command of Captain Lywood, were drawn up outside the station, and, as the coffin was brought out, presented arms. The procession then moved off, the firing party, with arms reversed, being in front. Next came the band of the Royal Marines, playing funeral marches, and then the gun-carriage, bearing the coffin, attended on either side by the eight colour-sergeants, while out- side of them were eight Msrine officers belonging to the Portsmouth division, who acted as pall-bearers. A private carriage with Mr* and Miss Byrne followed. Next marched the officer-, lon-cominiesioned officers, and privates of fhe Portsmouth Division Royal Marines, numbering nbout ,1(\1, under the command of Colonel-Comraandant E. W. G. By& A strong contingent of ri%v-ii officers. includ;g Admiral Sir Nowell Salmon, V.C., K.C.-ft., Corr mtadar-in-Chief at Portsmouth, Admiral Superintendent Rice, and representatives of the Naval Dep(^A and ships of war also took part in the procession, the junior officers inad- vance. The Portsmouth military authorities were also represented. On reaching the cemetery the firing party halted at the entrance and rested on their arms reversed, facing inwards, and forming a lane, through which the coffin and bearers, headed by the officiating clergy, passed to the chapel, in which a portion of the Burial Office was said. The service concluded, a volley was fired over the grave, followed by a bugle call and a general salute. Then there was a second volley, bugle call, and salute, and after that a third and last volley, succeeded by an extended call the Last Post," and the solemn ceremony was con- cluded. There were many floral tributes, including wreaths from the various divisions of Marines.

IN Brittany there is said to prevail a curious marriage custom. On certain fete days the young ladies appear in red petticoats, with white or yellow borders around them. The number of borders de- notes the portion the father is willing to give his daughter. Each white band denotes silver—lOOfr. per annum; each yellow hand represents cali- 1000fr. a year. TUE great telescope of the Berlin Exhibition last year is being erected at the Observatory of Grune- wald for the observation of the stars. This ""l** able instrument is a novelty, and a g cannon on its carriage. The tube is over 60 length, and is moved by an electric two object-glasses, one for the eje, the give an image of the sun nearly two » Lid will not be protected from the weather by a cupola, which would be very expensive, owing to its diO»*,SSthe fathers of the United Presbyterian rhnrrh Dr Andrew Thomson, is about to resign the nastorate of Brtwghton-place Church, Edinburgh, KbehM held since 1842, He then succeeded Dr John Brown, the father of the more famous author of Bab and his Friends." Dr. Thomson has writtea Many books, but the most famous production from his pen is, perhaps, a tract, "The Scottish Sabbath," which wag read before the Evangelical Alliance at Geneva in 1861, and afterwards translatec into French, German, Dutch, and Italian. On tit. occasion of hk jubilee, in 1892, he reoeived a tribute of regard the Edinburgh oitoeoe oi aii denomination*