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

THE CURFEW TOLLS. A town in Indiana has just revived the curfew with rather humorous results. The hour at which curfew is rung is eight o'clock, and after that hour all people under 18 found in the streets are to be arrested and taken before the mayor, who may impose a sentence of 10 days' imprisonment. But in the town in ques- tion there are many married women who have not yet attained the age of 18, and they are clamouring for the repeal or amendment of the iiieisure.-Ch)-ouicle

AIDS TO LONGEVITY. A club has been established in New York by Colonel George Smith and Mr. Walter Logan, a Wall-street lawyer, who are the organisers of the venture, to solve the problem bow to live to be 100 years of age. The promoters of the Hundred Year Club say in their prospectus We hope to collect and maintain a library of everything of value on the subject, including the theories of India, Egypt, and and the ancient Hebrews, as well as more modern ideas, to collect information regarding methods pur- sued by individuals who have attained excessive longevity, and to establish branch 'Hundred Year Clubs in aid of the work, which is social as well as educational."

THE LATE NUBAR PASHA. The Bishop of London has sanctioned the use of the Armenian language at the memorial service for the late Nubar Pasha, on Wednesday, at St. Peter's, Great Windmill-street, W., and the Archpriest Baronian, D.D., of Paris (Domestic Chaplain to the deceased Pasha), will read the Lesson. The choir of the Armenian Church at Paris will assist in rendering the musical part of the service. The anthem will be, I Know that my Redeemer Liveth (Handel). At half-past eleven a selection of sacred music will be played by the band of the Royal, Engineers. The Rev. Stephen Gladstone, of Hawarden, will deliver the address.

AMERICAN GIRLS AT COURT. A number of American girls, debutantes of society of the great cities, are coming over here (says Table Talk) to be presented to her Majesty, or the Princess of Wales, or whichever Princess it is presides in her Majesty's place, at this year's Drawing Roome. It is also announced that of recent years American girls have been growing taller with startling rapidity, and that an exceptionally tall lot of girls will be those same Drawing Room debutantes. The average height of the American girl of 1899 is 6ft. 6in.

ATTAR OF ROSES. According to the Sofia correspondent of Sell's Commercial Intelligence," the production of attar of roses in Bulgaria for the past year has not been satisfactory. This was principally on account of the hard winter, accompanied by very little snow, which was followed by so sudden a change to mild weather that many of the old plants were entirely destroyed and the younger ones injured. During the distilling period the weather was most favourable, yet in spite of this the amount obtained was only a quarter of that of the previous year.

THE New York Sun states that some mischievous hoys at Washington have given vent to their exuber- j ant spirits by snowballing the Portuguese Minister. Tiiit steamer Albertville, which has just arrived at Antwerp from the Congo, reports having lost en route six Europeans and two blacks, who succumbed to African fever. By order of the Minister of the Interior, the Russian weekly paper Orashdanin, edited by Prince Mestpcherski, has been deprived of the right to insert private advertisements, v.

RAILWAY SMASH. MANY NARROW ESCAPES. A railway collision disastrous in its effeet upon rolling stock, but, in the circumstances, remark- able for the few casualties involved, occurred on Saturday evening near Glasgow. At 7.20 the Glasgow and South Western express passenger train, which left Carlisle for Glasgow at 3.30 p.m., dashed into a Caledonian mineral train which was shunting on the Glasgow and Barr- head Joint Line of Pollockshaw, four miles from Glasgow. The express train was travelling at the rate of something like 50 miles an hour and the impact was consequently of such a great force that the express was derailed. The mineral train fared worse, it was smashed, and two of the waggons were hurled over an embankment into an adjoining street. A most remarkable and fortunate circum- stance is that no one was killed, and the passengers, with three exceptions, escaped unhurt. These excep- tions complained of shock, but having done so were able to proceed to their respective homes. Both lines were completely blocked by the wrecked and derailed trains. In the first instance it was given out that it was the Midland express for Glasgow that bad met with the accident, but this proved to be incorrect, although this particular train was immediately behind those that blocked each other's road with such an alarming result. The guard of the mineral train was the only person anything like seriously hurt. He was cut on the head and otherwise injured. How the mineral train came to be shunting at the scene and time of the accident was not at time of despatching this report known. As indicated, the passenger train was going at a great rate of speed, and this was due to the gradient at this point being a sharp one. The express was timed to cover the 24 miles from Kilmarnock to Glasgow in 35 minutes. The first vehicle was a saloon, in which were travel- ling the second team of the famous Queen's Park' Amateur Football Club, who were returning from a match at Kilmarnock. Being an express, the train was crowded with passengers, and how no lives were sacrificed or more people injured is described as a marvel, in view of the destruction which, in the resultant, blocked this important line. The incoming trains were either diverted to another branch before starting or sent back to Lugton, and thence to Glasgow by an alternative route. The English express, due at 7.39, was sent back to Kilmarnock, and reached Glasgow at 12.40 on Sunday morning, 'buses meanwhile being sent out to convey to Glasgow any belated pas- sengers. Happening as the accident did upon a busy Saturday night, there was necessarily tne utmost confusion and delay. Passengers from Glasgow to places south of Pollockshaw had to proceed to their places south of Pollockshaw had to proceed to their destination round by Paisley to Kilmarnock, and those coming to Glasgow from intermediate stations had to go back to Kilmarnock and reach their desti- nation via Paisley. Throughout Saturday night a breakdown gang held possession of the lines about Pollockshaw, clearing away the wreckage. It is a fortunate cir- cumstance that business is almost suspended on this as on all Scotch lines on Sunday, as it enabled the railway staff to keep without interruption at the work of reopening the line.

DIPLOMAT MURDERED AND SUICIDE OF THE ASSASSIN. A tragic affair occuired at the Chinese Legation in Paris on Friday evening of last week, a young attache shooting the secretary Lien-Yung dead, and subse- quently taking his own life. The murderer had been strange in his manner for some days previously being under the delusion that his colleagues were conspir- ing to send him back to Peking and that the secre- tary of the Legation was at the bottom of the plot against him. He knocked at the door 1 the secretary's room and asked him to sttji out into the lobby. No sooner had the latter done so than he put a revolver to his ear and fired, killing him instantly. He then fired two more shots, one of which lodged in the wall and another in the door. Next he turned the weapon on himself and fired twice rapidly, expiring in a few seconds. twice rapidly, expiring in a few seconds. The Temps publishes the following details regard- ing the tragedy: A young attache, M'Yn, has shot with a revolver Lien Yung, Secretary of the Lega- tion, and then blown his own brains out. M'Yn, who for some time past had been suffering from cerebral trouble of a some- what serious nature, had frequently protested against insignificant remarks which were made to him regarding his duties. He declared that he was persecuted by his colleagues, and in particular by Lien Yung, who, he said, wanted to drive him to return to China. This fixed idea preyed upon his mind to such an extent that at one time the idea was eeriously entertained at the legation of placing the young man under special medical treatment. The idea was not, however, carried out, as M'Yn's state shortly afterwards appeared to improve. Terrible evidence to the contrary has now been given. About six o'clock in the evening M'Yn arrived at the Lega- tion, and entering the office of Lien Yung, asked the latter to come with him into the corridor. Lien Yung consented, but he had scarcely left the room when the attache drew a revolver from his pocket and fired. The bullet entered Lien Yung's head, just below the left ear, and the Secretary fell mortally wounded. The murderer fired two more shots at his victim, but both missed, one bullet lodging in the office door, while the other smashed against the wall. Then turning his weapon against himself M'Yn lodged two bullets in his head. Alarmed by the reports the domestics of the Legation ran up and found the two men lying side by side in a great pool of blood. M'Yn was still breathing. He held in his right hand a revolver, one chamber of which was loaded. A doctor was sum- moned, but M'Yn was dead when he arrived. The Chinese Minister had the bodies carried into one of the rooms, and ordered the Commissary of Police to be informed. This official made a brief examination of the staff and domestics of the Legation. The bodies have been placed in treble coffins for convey- ance to Peking, where they will be-interred."

GREAT FOREST FIRE. A great fire is raging in the forests of the Spanish mountains, near Oviedo, in Astura. The flames, fanned by a southern wind, have destroyed several hamlets and villages. The fire covers an area of many leagues. The inhabitants of the districts were panic-stricken and began flying in all directions. Herds of cattle perished, and the monetary loss is appalling.

LORD CHARLES BERESFORD'S MISSION. Lord Charles Beresford, who has arrived in America from Japan, strongly advocates the open- door policy in China, and declares that it could be carried out if Great Britain, the United States, Germany, and Japan were to insist that China nhould place her amy under the care of officers belonging to those four Powers. The Chinese are excellent workmen, and would make splendid soldiers, their only need being good leadership.

'J rs: LORD RUSSELL ON COMPANY PROMOTING. Lord Russell of Killowen on Saturday opened a new technical and art school, erected at Kingston at a cost of EIO,000, and after dwelling on the im- portance of technical training, said he hoped tha Legislature would be wise enough to frame laws to deal with company promoting and the taking of illicit commissions. He trusted they would not hear of honest men being frightened to join boards of directors by reason of the stringency of an Act of Parliament; he did not believe that an honest man need fear the stringency of an Act of Parliament. Upon the subject of illicit commissions he was going to bring a bill into Parliament this Session. He had been forced to do this by his knowledge, partly professional and partly judicial, of the canker of this system of secret commissions given to the prejudice of the honest and upright trader.

THE Paris newspapers publish a paragraph stating that negotiations are proceeding between Great Britain and France in a spirit of conciliation of the Ubangi and Bahr-el-Ghazel territories. A BOILEB exploded at Stuttgart on Saturday in the steam saw mill of Herren Auperte and Richel. The boiler house was completely destroyed, and an ad- joining building, was seriously damaged. One stoker was killed.

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT. HOUSE OF LORDS.-FEBRUARY 13. The Lord Chancellor took his seat upon the Woolsack at a quarter-past four o'clock. There being none but formal business, their lordships ad- journed at half-past four o'clock. HOUSE OF COMMONS. PRIVATE BILLS. On the motion of Dr. Farquharson, a number of railway and other. private bills were brought in and read a first time. CONSTRUCTION OF CRUISERS. Mr. Goschen, replying to Sir Charles Dilke, stated that orders for two of the cruisers to be built under the supplementary naval programme of last session had been placed on January 21 and 24. Tenders for the remainder would be invited shortly. CHINESE CONCESSIONS TO FRANCE. Mr. Gibson Bowles asked the Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether her Majesty's Government have received from the French Govern- ment communication of the notes addressed by the Tsung-li-Yamen to M. Dubail, Charge d'Affaires of the French Republic at Pekin, on April 9, 1898, and published in the French Yellow Book in October last, whereby the Chinese Government gives to the French Government an assurance that the three provinces of Kwang-tung, Kwang-si, and Yunnan, bordering on Tong-king, will not be ceded or leased to any other Power, and whereby the Chinese Governments further grants to the French Government the right to construct a railway from the frontier of Tong-king to Yunnan-fu, and to grant the land required for that purpose, and, in addition, gives to the French Government a lease of 99 years of the bay of Kwang- chow-wan as a naval station. Mr. Brodrick said that the Notes in question had not been communicated to the Foreign Office either by the French or Chinese Government. The papers relating ta China would be presented as soon as possible. The voluminous character of the corres- pondence caused some delay. AN ANO)IALY IN THE CRIMINAL LAW. The Attorney-General, replying to Mr. MacNeill, said he was fully alive to the anomalous state of the criminal law, whereby a court was compelled to pro- nounce sentence of death where it was absolutely impossible to carry it out. The matter was of very great importance, and he must ask the honourable member to address any further question on the sub- ject to the Home Secretary. DEFENCE OF WEI-IIAI-WEI. Mr. Goschen, replying to Mr. Bowles, said that the reports of the officers sent to Wei-hai-wei to make surveys, &c., had been received. The question of the defences of the island was far advanced, and prac- tically ripe for decision. The proposals of the Government would necessarily come before the House. OPERATIONS IN SIERRA LEONE. Mr. Chamberlain said, in answer to Mr. S. Buxton, that the report of Sir David Chalmers on the subject of the recent military operations in Sierra Leone would have to be submitted to the Governor, Sir Frederick Cardew, before the Government could take action upon it. Sir Frederick would be in this country on leave in a day or two. Meanwhile he (Mr. Chamberlain) could express no opinion in the matters of the cause of the disturbances, or the reasons for the military operations. The latest ad- vices showed that the country was perfectly tranquil and trade was improving, and that the hut tax was being collected without difficulty. The future dis- EosMon of Bey Burai, who was now under arrest, had not been determined. DR. TANNER INTERVENES. While Mr. Long was replying to Mr. Healy on the subject of the ordnance map of the City of Cork Dr. Tanner shouted, Speak up." At the conclusion of the answer, Dr. Tanner said How soon may we expect-" The Speaker: Order, order. I must ask the hon. member not to interrupt. Dr. Tanner: Certainly, sir; but I should like the right hon. gentleman to answer. MADAGASCAR'S CLOSED DOOR. Mr. Kearley asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he would state the value of British exports to Madagascar during each quarter of the years 1897 and 1898. Mr. Ritchie said the value of British exports to Madagascar in the four quarters of 1897 was E34,105, E74,617, £ 34,770, and £ 15,118 respectively. In 1898 the corresponding totals were £9681, 1:7773, 910,987, and E6152. DEBATE ON THE ADDRESS. The debate on the address was resumed by Mr. Herbert Lewis, who moved an amend- ment expressing regret that no reference was made in the Queen's Speech to questions specially affecting the interests of the people of Wales. He claimed that Wales was entitled from time to time to separate treatment. They desired the disestablishment of the Church in Wales. A question in which the people of Wales were most interested was elementary education, a question which had been treated in a manner entirely opposed to the wishes of the Welsh people. They also desired temperance reform and land reform. He compared the com- parative generosity of the late Government in a time of financial pressuie with the parsimonious conduct of the present Government while the Exchequer was overflowing with money. Mr. Alfred Thomas seconded. The Home Secretary, in reply admitted that there might be many urgent and important questions which might fairly be dealt with separately in Wale3. He denied that the Chancellor of the Exchequer had dealt ungenerously with Wales. Many of the matters referred to by the hon. member were un- suitable for inclusion in the Queen's Speech. Would it have been in the region of practical politics for the Government to propose the Disestablishment of the Church in Wales when the great majority of the Government were not in favour of Disestablish- ment? As to the Licensing Question, they were not prepared to deal with it until the Commission now sitting had reported. The Government had shown itself ready to consider the question of private bill legislation, and if it was found to work satisfac- torily in Scotland, no doubt it could be extended to Wales. With regard to any proposals or private bills by Welsh members, he thought they would find the Government as anxious as other Governuu-nts had been to consider them on their merits: but speaking generally, the Government regarded Wales as a component part of the United Kingdom, and were not disposed to deal separately with them in matters of legislation. Mr. Howell opposed the amendment. Sir H. Campbell-Bannerman was amused to notice how exactly the complaints made for Wales re- sembled those that had come from Scotch members. Hfe therefore sympathised with those complaints, and surely so trie of Mie subjects mentioned were worth attention. Take the question of the land, upon which a Commission had presented a unanimous report; also the Sunday dosing question, upon which a Com- mission had also made recommendations. Surely these Commissions wer# not appointed merely to shelve these questions. Mr. Lloyd-George supported the amendment. He contended that public opinion was more ripe in Wales for legislation on certain questions than it was in England. Mr. J., More admired the ability of Wales, but found-it difficult to master Welsh questions on ac- count of the native language. The House divided, and the numbers were: For the amendment, 144; against, 194. THII HOUSE OF LORDS.' Mr. Labouchere moved the following amendment to the address: "We humbly represent to your Majesty that in our opinion it is expedient that any bill which shall have been passed by this House, and shall not have been submitted to your Majesty for. your" Royal Assent in the session in which it was pass ad by the House in the • ensuing session be submitted to your Majesty, and upon your Rpyal Assent being signified, forthwith become laW.of' He complained that when the titlerals. were in. power, the House of Lords mangled or rejected some of their most important bills, and that this practice had gone on long enough. It was ploughing the sands of the seashore, and it ought to be Drought to an end now. He spoke of the selfish party view that peers took of many questions, observing that their chief (unctions were to impede and crusn all Liberal legislation. Mr. Mendl seconded the amendment. The House of., Lords, he said, was fu>t only an anomaly, but a 4ab £ atous anomaly. SNOMS Y. -L Mr. Puryis asked the Leader of the Opposition to •itber appropriate or reprobate the question before the House. He opposed the amendment. BJr. Lawson Walton moved as an amendment to )fr. frroacliere's amendment That. the oower at 110.. i f. present possessed by the House of Lords to overrule the decisions cf this House urgently demands the at- tention of Parliament." His amendment, he said, ex- pressed the principle to which the Liberal party was pledged, but it did not commit the House toaparticular method of dealing with it. He (Mr. Lawson Walton) gave reasons why the House of Lords was not trusted by the people, and contended that that House exercised its discretion with wearisome monotony in favour of one particular class. The issue was not one of principle, but of method, for none contended that the House of Lords had a right tc permanently veto the expressed will of the people. The object of his amendment was to allow public opinion to be tested on a particular question before the Lords' veto abrogated it. It was for the Liberal party to say on what conditions they would ever accept office. To accept it with the House of Lords still resolute to veto their measures would be degrading. Mr. Crombie seconded Mr. Walton'n amendment. Sir H. Campbell-Bannerman could not support Mr. Labouchere, but cordially supported Mr. Lawson Walton's amendment. The position taken by the great mass of Liberals throughout the country was that the present position and powt,r of the two branches of the Legislature constituted an unfair and dangerous anomaly. Political opinion in this country was pretty evenly divided on the whole, with a tendency in favour of reform, yet in the House of Lords there was an overwhelming opinion in the other direction supported by a continuous and stereotyped majority. The Liberal party were the victim of that anomaly. There was a want of balance between the two Houses that was a source of danger. He thought Mr. Labouchere unfortunate in the terms of his amend- ment, for at this time it was unwise to specify details that would furnish a weapon to the opponents of reform, and these details might embarrass his own political friends. A general expression of opinion would at present be more effective. Mr. A. J. Balfour opposed both amendments, ridiculing the differences shown in the Opposition party on the subject. The mover on the first amend- ment said what he meant and what he wanted, while the mover of the second amendment hinted at what he wanted, but declined to say what he meaut. Ur, Labouchere's proposal was an intelligible policy from which, however, he profoundly dissented. He strongly advocated a second Chamber as a vital necessity of any healthy community, and essential to the right working of representative government, It was admitted that the House of Lords was an intolerable embarrassment to the Radical party. But that was a low level from which to view so important a question. It was the function of a second Chamber to resist too rapid and revolu- tionary changes, and to say that it did so was the highest praise of the House of Lords. That House did great service in rejecting measures that never re-appeared, and also in delaying measures that ulti- mately passed. He intended, in the first division, to vote for Mr. Labouchere's amendment, as against Mr. L. Walton's, which he wished to reject, but in the next division on Mr. Labouchere's amendment alone he would vote against it. Sir Charles Dilke said he was in favour of re- forming the House of Lords altogether, as he was a single chamber man. The House divided: For Mr. Walton's amendment 107; against 257. The House next divided on Mr. Labouchere's amendment: For 105; against 223. The House adjourned at 12.15.

FIRING ON BRITISH TRAWLERS. The skippers of the Grimsby trawlers Hugelia and Magic have reported that on Sunday week 23 British trawlers, 14 from Grimsby and nine from Hull, whilst in Fuzleford Harbour, Faroe Islands, were peremptorily ordered by the captain of a Danish gunboat to follow him to Thorshavn, the capital of the group, in order to take their trial for being in the harbour with trawls on board. Three of the craft escaped, but the remainder obeyed the order. On the journey the trawlers Albatross and-Hypatia altered their course to speak to one another, and were fired upon by the gunboat. These two trawlers were fined EIO and V.12 respectively at Thorshavn, while the others were fined 93 each. The skippers also complain that whilst awaiting trial they were kept outside in a blinding snowstorm, guarded by gendarmes, for nearly six hours, and that after being fined they were ordered to leave the harbour within one hour. They stoutly affirm that they had not contravened any regulations, having put into Fuzzleford solely through stress of weather. They further complain of inadequate pro- tection afforded by the British Government to trawlers fishing in those regions. The names of all the trawlers concerned are given, and the action of the Danish authorities is denounced in Grimsby fishing circles.

MAKING AN ALPHABET. The Cherokee Indians of North America are said to furnish the only instance in modern times of a nation inventing an alphabet. This feat (says the jYew Penny Magazine) was done by a half-bred Indian, named Sequoyah, but perhaps better known as George Guess. Until a year or two before the great idea occurred to him he did not understand a single letter. Poor, and living apart from his tribe, when he told the chiefs that he had made a book they rebuked him for his vanity. He was not dis- heartened, however, but studied harder than ever. His neighbours considered him to be crazy, and his wife thought so too, for she destroyed his papers whenever she could. At first he tried to devise a character for every word in the Cherokee tongue, but gave up the attempt. Then he thought over the number of sounds in the language. These he found to be 68. For each he adopted a character, and the characters, which form the alphabet, when combined made up words. Having reached this'point, he called in six of his neighbours, and told them that he could make a book. Again they disbelieved him. To convince them, he bade them each make a speech, which he wrote down as it was spoken. Then he read out to each man his own speech, and they all confessed that he really could make a book. ALd so in course of time the Cherokees of the eastern plains of the United States became a reading people. Though the characters in this alphabet are more numerous than in the Roman (or English) alphabet, a Cherokee boy could learn to read by means of it in two months, while he would have taken two years to do so by the use of ordinary letters.

THE COSME COLONY. The population of the Cosme Colony in Paraguay continues steadily to decrease. Nine months ago it numbered 126, of which 53 were men. There are now 37 men, 23 women, and 39 children. The season is reported to have been fairly good, although the rains have been heavy, the heat oppressive, and Bies and mosquitos unusually trying. But the crops have so far escaped the dreaded locust which devastated the colony in 1897. Tobacco manufactured from superior Cosme-grown leaf is offered in lIb, cakes, ?ost free, 6d. Yerba mate, "the famous leaf of arauguay, refreshing, wholesome, of medicinal value, and pleasanter than tea to most accustomed palates," is Is. the lIb. paoket. The colonists are also prepared to export collections of butterflies, fancy woodwork, and skins of any of the South American fauna."

film Empress Josephine was the first to publicly use a pocket handkerchief. Her teeth were bad, and she gracefully concealed this defect by holding a costly handkerchief before her lips. The ladies of the Court followed her example, and the custom was thus inaugurated as a fashion. THE most expensive fur is that of the black fox of Kamtchatka, the skin of which, when dressed, becomes a very attractive blue. A single skin is worth as much as £200. A pelisse worn by the Emperor Nicholas, lined with this fur cost £2000. THE ex-Empress Eugenie has, by her will, bequeathed a souvenir to eviry survivor of the nearly 5000 Frenchmen who were born on the same day as her own son, the late Prince Imperial. p NEWSPAPER reviewers of the biography of Sir Charles Bright, by his brother, Mr. E. B. Bright, and his son, Mr. Charles Bright, F.R.S.E., have not sufficiently noticed the historical put, perhaps because they were ignorant of its value. It supplies a fund of materials, and ought to be useful M book of reference on the pioneering of the electric telegraph. IT is reported that an extraordinary long-aiBtance telephone test has been made at Little Bock, Arkansas, by President Chas. J. Glidden, of the South-Western Telegraph and Telephone Company, who held a con- versation over the wire with a Boston friend. The distance from Little Rock to Boston is.1900 miles.

—————* ANDREE'S FATE. j BALLOON AND HUMAN REMAINS DISCOVERED IV SIBERIA. I An owner of gold mines at Krasnoyarsk named Monastyrshin has received a letter, stating that the Tunguses, a tribe inhabiting the Timur Peninsula, in Northern Siberia, informed the Chief of Police of the district on Jannary 15 that on January 7 they had found between Komo and Pit, in the province of Yeniseisk, 150 versts from the gold-bearing reefs worked by Messrs. Sauven, a kind of cabin of cloth and cordage, apparently belonging :to a balloon, and not far from it the bodies of three men, one of whom had his head crushed, while round them lay a number of instruments, the uses of which were unknown to the Tunguses. The Chief of Police has started for the spot to make investigations. It is believed that the dead men are Andree anfl his com- panions. STORY OF THE ADVENTURE. Eighteen months have passed since Andrée's expedition started. On July 11, 1897, he and his companions, Herr Nils Strinabergand Herr Fraenkal, made the ascent from Dane's Island, 617 miles from the North Pole. Dr. N. Ekholm accompan'ed Andree as far as Spitzbergen, with the intentio ( of taking part in the voyage, but declined to go because he considered that the balloon was not made satisfactorily. His view was that the balloon would remain in the air from 22 to 24 days at the outside, and less if it had to pass over the mountains higher than the course counted upon. Herr Fraenkal did not share these views, and promptly took the doctor's place. A telegram from Krasnoyarsk, in the interior of Siberia, dated September 17, 1897, stated: On September 14, at eleven o'clock at night, the people in the village of Antzifirowskoje, whnh is in the district of Yeniseisk, saw the Andree balloon for the space of five minutes." Since then, nothwithstanding the "travellers tales of sea-captains, Greenland fishers, and Siberian traders, and the researches of explorers, Andr6e and his companions seem to have been lost to human ken. ANDREE'S BROTHER DISCREDITS THE REPORT. Herr Andree's brother has informed the local paper that he does not believe the report from Krasnoyarsk regarding the alleged finding of the balloon and the three bodies. In the firs1 place, the country round is cultivated, and it therefore appears incredible that three corpses and a balloon could have been there for a year and a half without being seen. Furthermore, in stormy weather the bodies would almost to a certainty have become separated from the wreck of the balloon. The Siberian explorer, Herr Stadling, has been interviewed regarding the report from Krasnoyarsk. He stated that the people of the country where the balloon is supposed to have been found are rapacious, and the report had probably been invented by them in the bwpe of making some inoney, because the Govern- ment always pays for such news. Herr Ekholm, on the other hand, believes the news bears the stamp of probability. A Hull correspondent on Saturday interviewed Mr. Harry Lister, F.R.G.S., relative to the report as to Herr Andree's fate. Mr. Lister had just arrived from Russia, and remarked that some 15 months ago he denied through the Press the probability of statements then made as to the whereabouts of Herr Andree. Mr. Lister points out that the latest re- port emanates from the same locality as the previous one, and, knowing the country, he expresses great doubts as to the reports con- cerning the finding of the bodies of the three men. Mr. Lister says that the telegrams state that one of the men had his head crushed, the inference being that the other two had escaped such injuries but had died of starvation. Thin Mr. Lister thinks is practically impossible, for, knowing the precise locality, he asserts that it is well populated, and that it would have been next to an impossibility for the men to have been starved. As the result of inquiries on Saturday, it was ascertained by an Exchange Telegraph Company's representative that the opinion held at the Royal Geographical Society as to the reported finding of the bodies of Andree and his companions was that the information was very possibly correct. It was considered, however, somewhat remarkable that, if the balloon descended 18 months ago, as probably was the case, the explorers were unable to coinrr uni- cate with some neighbouring settlement. The Geo- graphical Society are keemy interested and are anxiously awaiting further news.

THE LORD CHIEF JUSTICE AND ILLICIT COMMISSIONS. Brief though they were, the observations made by Lord Russell of Killowen at Kingston on Saturday last have created widespread interest in Parliamentary and financial circles, following, as they do, the weighty utterances from the same high authority at the Royal Courts of Justice on Lord Mayor's Day. On the present occasion the remarks were called forth by certain passages in the address of welcome presented to his lordship. The Lord Chief Justice has (says the Daily Tele- graph) no intention to initiate legislation on the general question of company promoting, because he hopes that the bill which the Earl of Dudley has brought forward on behalf of her Majesty's Govern- ment in the House of Lords may, while not inter- fering with the legitimate and honest operation of limited liability companies, do something to effec- tually restrain the gross frauds that disgrace the country. His lordship, however, proposes to make a serious effort to check the corruption which arises from the payment of illicit commissions, and will lay a bill on the subject before Parliament at an early date. The measure, we are authorised to state, has been drafted by the experienced hands of Sir Edward Fry, formerly Lord Justice of Appeal, and been submitted to a number of Chambers of Commerce. It will be simple in character. It will render the giving and taking of illicit commissions punishable as a mis- demeanour, and make the money represented by the transactions recoverable at law. The Select Committee of the House of Lords re-appointed from last session to consider the Companies Bill have lost no time in getting to work on the much-debated subject of the reform of the laws relating to companies. On Friday night of last week the Earl of Dudley obtained the lecond reading of the bill and the re-appointment of the committee to consider it. This committee re- sumed its deliberations at noon on Monday, the Lord Chancellor presiding. The other members of the committee in attendance were the Earl of Leven and Melville, the Earl of Dudley, the Earl of Kimberley, Lord Wolverton, Lord Macnaughten, Lord Mount Stephen, Lord Shand, Lord James of Hereford, and Lord Aldenham, thus all the members being present save five. The deliberations were conducted in private, the sitting being occupied with the considera- tion of a draft report. As at present arranged, no further evidence will be taken, so that it is probable that the committee will be able to report in the, course of a few days.

THE CONVICT KATE MARSHALL. Kate Marshall, who was sentenced to death at the January Sessions of the Central Criminal Court for the murder of her sister in Dorset-street, Spitalfields, but whose sentence was afterwards commuted to one of penal servitude for life, was removed on Monday from Holloway Gaol to Wormword Scrubbs. The convict appeared to be in a weak state of health.

THERE was a sensational performance at Willis A Circus in Cape Town not long ag°*. daughter of Captain Taylor was cWenedI in the lions' den. Zifir Taylor had gone through the usual performance the party entered thei cage, and the christening was duly proceeded with the name be- stowed on the infant being Alfrica Fillis Taylor. POCKET-PICKING is an occupation that admits of a vast display of ingenuity. While disclaiming any particular merit for this country, it is an indis- putable fact that again England is in the van of all nations, in that her pickpockets hold their own against all foreign competition. In London alone over 100,000 men, women, and children gain their daily bread entirely by this unscrupulous mode of living. NANSEN is settling down in Norway, and it seems doubtful whether he will ever wander more, since he is building himself a house—a bad sign for a wanderer. DARLINGTON TOWN COUNCIL has consented to the introduction into the borough of an elec trie svstem of tramways. The ooat is estimated at over £ 120,000. THE American Consul in St. Petersburg has re- ceived instructions to establish agencies with samples I of American goods in the larger commercial towns ia> ceived instructions to establish agencies with samples I of American goods in the larger commercial towns ia> Buaia.

THE GAELIC TONGUE. In consequence of the difference of opinion that exists as to the best method of encouraging the teaching of Gaelic, it has been decided by the Gaelic Society of London to address persons in authority in Gaelic speaking districts by means of a circular letter. They are asked (says the London Scotsman) to suggest how the society can render assistance in the way of offering prizes to scholars and grants to teachers, and whether it is considered advisable to press the Government to make a special grant for passes in Gaelic, as an elementary as well as a specific subject. The letter states that the members of the society are anxious to act in such a manner as will serve the best interests of Gaelic speaking scholars, and at the same time preserve the grand old lan- guage of which every true Gael is so justly proud.

GERMANY AND THE "OPEN DOOR.' A somewhat remarkable article on The Anglo- German Alliance" appears in the Wirthschafis and Handelspolitiscke Rundschau for 1898. Its author, says the Morning Post Berlin correspondent, praises the British policy of the Open Door," and declares that the question whether Germany and Great Britain have signed a treaty in regard to Deltigoa > Bay is of comparative insignificance beside the fact, now generally acknowledged, that the two nations have a common interest in keeping the door open. He reminds his readers that towards the end of last August the opinion got abroad that Lord Salisbury was about to embrace the theory of" spheres of influence." It was probably at this moment, he continues, that the German Government became con- scious of the immense importance of the Open Door for its export trade. The interests of the two countries being thus identical, no absolute necessity existed for a formal alliance, yet the writer considers it probable that a common plan of policy was agreed on and even that a regular treaty of friendship was concluded on which Germany may congratulate her- self. More remarkable than these utterances is the reception accorded to them by the Berlin Post. The Conservative organ exhibits its complete agreement with the arguments of the Rundschau in favour of an Anglo-German Alliance, and even puts forward sug- gestions for the advancement of mutual feelings of goodwill between the two nations.