The Pontypridd Chronicle and Workman's News

PRESENTATION TO MAJOR GKOVKP, PONTY- PRIDD. On Tfju:aday eveniug the non-commissioned officers and meu of the V Company, Pontypridd Detachment, of the 2nd. G.R.V. presented to Mnj 'r Gi-over a beautifuiy enlarged carbon portrait of that gentleman. The m. mbers of the corpSf numbering about 90 rank aid file met ut the Market Hall, Market Place and at six o'clock headed by thebatidofthe Company proceeded, under the command uf Lieut. Male, to Clydach Court, followed by a large number of respectably dressed civilians. The meu were brought to a halt in the front of Major Grover'a house, where they received him in tpjn order. Lieut. Male acted as spokesman on behalf of the men, and said that he believed it had fullan tj the lot of most men to p. rform pleasanf duties in life and his case had proved to be no I exception to the genera! rule. When the non- commissioned oSi ers and men of that detach- ment informed him that they intended to present Major Grover with that very beautiful testimonial and that they wished him to take part in it- although they objected to his cont:ibuting to it in any wtiy-it was with very great pleasure that he at onoe promised to do what he could to assist in the matter. The representatives of the Press, be thought were not quite in order in their notices of the proceedings. It was stated therein that the men in order to express the pleasure which they felt at Major Grover attaining his majo-isy decided to make him some recognition of the eervioes he had rende-ed to his Company. He took excep- tion to the working < f that. He thought, in fact he knew, and every man in the Company weald support him that that testimonial was not in recognition of what he had done for the Company. That testimonial partook of the nature of an affectionate tribute of their worthy oommmander as a personal friend of everyone of the Detach- ment. These who wore the Queen's uniform were well aware that there was something that bound them together, which did not exist in privute life; it was an indefinable something which bound them more closely together in one common bond, and be maintained that it was that something that had carried the British armp so successfully to quarter of the globe. It was that that carried them successfuly through the uwful, terrible, .and ac the same time brilliant Crimean War; it was that which carried them so successfully through the battle of Waterloo and made Fngland what it was at the present moment—the proudest nation of the earth. It was that feeling which would induce them to follow wherever Major Grover might lead, and which would uphold the dignity of that uniform which he now wore. He trusted that he might live many years to look upon that picture with prido —to look upon that picture as he had said before, not as a reward for what he had done for the Company, but as a mark of the confidence and esteem of the men, and that he would always during his life look baok upon that as one of those brief periods which tended to fnnoble them in bringing them more closely together. He hoped that his children and his children's children would look upon ihnt picture as one of the most valuable and honourable heiilooms which they possessed, and that they would be trained to lcok upon it as pointing out an epoch in the career of their honoured ancestor. Col.-Sergt. James, the oldest non-commissioned offioer of the Pontypridd Detachment, then on behalf of the Company, formally made the presenta- tion to Major Glover. The protrait was a magnificent carbon enlargement encised in a massive Enghish gold frame with the following inscription Presented by the non-commissioned officers and men of the V. Company, Pontypridd Detachment, to Henry Llewellyn Grover, on his promotion to the rank of Major, 1886." Capt. Williams, expressed the pleasure it gave bim to take part in the proceedings, and hoped that Major Grover would long be spared to look upon the picture which had been presetted to him.' Major Grover, who was visibly affected, in acknowledging the gift said it was a difficult thing for ai.7 person to give thanks for any com- pliments paid to him. He oould only say this that it was a most anapicious day to him, he, who had the honour of belonging to the Detach- ment since 1868, could upon that occasion accept their congratulations upon a promotion which came to him, in a double worth. He had his promotion ua Major owing to the long servioe in the Volunteer force. He felt a great deal of difficulty in thanking them for the honour they had done him that day. He could not, of course, speak of the subject matter of the portrait, but he must speak in the most warm and earnest manner of the artiatio way in which their widhes had been carried, which reflected great credit on Mr Fairest the artist. It was a work of art that Pontypridd ought to be proud of. Since he had had the oommaud of the Company when they had gone -°"°°'"°P they had always been well to the front In their turn out and discitline. He was proud ttTw1 ftn.0y had the right of wearing those spurs rr \t • ^8* show that he was a Major in Her Mijogt, service. He had served 18 years, and he hoped that he would be able to serve J.8 years in, the service. Those in the servIce who now rankèd below him would have up r^e r.p numbers would always exsist between them, and that from no. to the day of his death, the Volunteers would not be sorry to have Major Grover with them. Dr. Leckie, Staff Surgeon of the Company, said that he wan proud to see so many present I to do honour to a man who was a true Briton. He trusted that the good feelings which at present existed would continue to exist between them. The men were then marched to the old drill field (Glyncoch) where they piled arms, and had refreshment served out to them. Subsequently danoing was indnlged in the band of the Company ■applying the requisite music. Previous to marohing> home the men were led baok 'to Ctyd- ach Court where three ringing cheers were given FKMAJ^RONRAR.

,=, A LITTLE ENLIGHTENMENT, A charming accoumt- of every- day. life in .Persia has been written by Doctor Wills, an English physician who resided in that country for many years. In it he gives us many curious incidents of Persian mendacity, and states that the habit of telling falsehoods is so generally recognised that a native does not feel insulted when he is accused of it. He mentions an instance of it in t')e case of a baker whom he had oured of a cataract in the eye. "For this cure." he says, "I was rewarded with the sum of four pounds, as the man was a thriving tradesman and \vll-tr* .>, I thought liini the obliged party; but lie regretted the four pounds. One day, as 1 was sitting in the dispensary surrounded by a crowd of sick and their friends and relatives, a melancholy profession entered the room. The baker, with a rag of different colour over each eye and a huge white bandage round his head, was led, or rather supported, into the apartment; and, on my expressing astonishment, his relatives informed me that his sight was quite gone through my unfortunate treatment, and that he had come to get his four pounds back, and any compensation for the loss of his eyes that I might be pleased to make would be thankfully accepted. 'Ah, sahib, dear sahib, I am now stone blind he said. Here, with extended arms he advanced to my table, and the assembled crowd shook their heads. I had soma difficulty in getting him to remove his many bandages; but, on looking at his eyes, I saw that his vision, as I had supposed, was extremely good. I naturally was very angry, for, letting the ingratitude of the man alone, I did not care to be robbed of the credit of a cure in so public a manner. I did not take long to decide I what to do. Among other antiquated instruments that had accumulated in the dispensary was a large amputating knife in a leather box. I got this box from the cupboard and placed it before me. Taking my seat, with the man on the other side of my table, I addressed him—'Of course, if I have deprived you of your sight, it is only fair that I should remunerate you, and return you the money you have paid me.' A beatific smile spread over his face. 'Ah, sahib, I know you are a great and generous sahib I am sure you would not wrong a poor Mussulman. Oh, sahih, I want nothing but justice! 'And what, my friend, do you consider justice ? « Oh, sahib, doctor sahib, if you would re-fund the £4 that I paid, and give me, say .£40, even less, for my eyes, I should pray for you—yes, I and my famil.r-we should all pray for you Here the supporters and family chimed ill, Yes, yes, he has spoken well;' and the crowd of interested patients and their friends whispered approbation. 'Yes,' said I, 'this is what ought to be done there is no denying it in the case you describe. But,—and here I began to shout— 'but what should be done to a man who comes here with a lie in his mouth? Know you, bystanders, that this man is a liar; he sees perfectly!' Here the patient shook off his supporters and grasped my table, turning pale. 'Ah,' 1 shouted, 'you dog, I will enlighten your eyes and, opening suddenly the morocco case, I produced the huge glittering old amputating knife and brandished it in his face. Without a word, he nimbly turned and fled down my staircase, pursued by my servants, the two sentries, and the more active of my patients' friends."

SIMPLICITY REWARDED Doctor Erskine, a celebrated Scottish divine, was remarkable for his simplicity of manner and gentle temper. He returned so often from the pulpit minus his pocket-handkerchief, and could tell so little how orwherevit was lost, that Mrs. Erskine began at last to suspect that the handkerchiefs were stolen as he ascended the pulpit stairs by some of the old wives who lined it* So, both to balk and detect the culprit, she sewed a corner of the hand- kerchief to one of the pockets of his coat tails. Half way up the stairs the good doctor felt a tug, whereupon he turned round to the old woman, whose was the guilty hand, to say, with great gentleness and simplicity, No' the day, honest woman, no' the day. Mrs. Erskine has sewn it in."

TURNING THE GRINDSTONE. When I was a little boy, I remember one cold winter's morning I was accosted by a smiling man with an axe on his shoulder. My pretty boy,' said he, 'has your father agrindstone! I Yes, sir,' said I. 'You are a fine little fellow,' said tie. 'will you let me grind my axe on it ? Pleased with his com- pliment of 'fine little fellow,' '0 yes, sir,' I answered, 'it is down in the shop.' And will you, my man, said lie, patting me on the head, get a little liot water ? How could I refuse? Iran and soon brought a kettleful. 'How old are you, and what's your name?' continued he. without waiting for a reply; 'I am sure you are one of the finest fellows that ever I have seen; 'will you just turn a few minutes forme?' Tickled with the flattery, like a fool, I went to work, and bitterly did I rue the day. It was a new axe, and I toiled and tugged till I was almost tired to death. The school bell rang, and I could not get away; my hands were blistered, and it was not half ground. Atlength, however, the axe was sharpened, and the man turned to me with < Now, you little rascal, you've played the truant, scud to school, or you'll rue it.' Alas thought I, it was hard enough to turn a grindstone this cold day, but now to be called a little rascal was toe much. It sank deep into my mind an I often have I thought of it since. When I see a merchant over- polite to his customers-begging of them to take a little brandy, and throwing his goods on the Counter —thinks I, that man has an axe to grind. When I see a man flattering the people, making great pro- fessions of attachment to liberty, who is in private life a tyrant, methinks, look-out, good people, that fellow would setyou turning grindstones. When I see a man hoisted into office by party spirit, without a single qualification to render him either respectable or useful, alas, methinks, deluded people, you are doomed for a season to turn the grindstone for a booby."

YOUTHFUL BRAVERY. The gallant Admiral Hobson, having been left an orphan at a very early age, was apprenticed to a tailor; but disliking his situation, ahd inspired by the sight of a squadron of men-of-war coming round the Dun-nose, he suddenly quitted his work, ran to the beach, jumped into the first boat he saw, and plied his oars so skilfully that he quickly reached the admiral's ship, where he entered as a sea-boy. Within a day or two afterwards they met a French squadron, and during the action that ensued, while the admiral and his antagonist were engaged yard- arm and yard-arm, young Hobson contrived to get on board the enemy's ship unperceived, and struck and carried off the French Hag at the moment when he regained his own vessel the British tars shouted "Victory without any other cause than that the enemy's colours had disappeared. The French crew, thrown into confusion by this event, ran from their guns, and while the officers were ineffectually en- deavouring to rally them, the British seamen boarded their ships and forced them to surrender. At this juncture Hobson descended from the shrouds with the trench flag wrapped round his arm, and after triumphantly exhibiting his prize to the sea- men upon the main-deck he was ordered to the quarter-deck, where the admiral complimented him on his bravery, and assured him of his protection

A GLORIOUS OPPORTUNITY LOST. They tell about a man who refused to get up and light the Sre and as his wife said she wouldn't, they remained in bed 37 hours before the matter was settled. Our sympathies are, of course, with the woman, and we may be permitted to entertain a re- gret that it did not occur to her to perform a great deed of self-sadrifice upon this occasion. How neble and beautiful would have been the example set her husband—how touchingly would she have shown her wifely devotion—how keenly would she have made him teel his meanness—if she had risen and made the fire-if she had risen, we say, and made a fire under the bed in order to rout him out all of a sudden I A woman who throws away such a chance as that is false to her duty and to her sex.

What we ought not to do we should noteven think of doing. As by constant friction steel is kept highly polished, so by constant exercise is talent ever at its brightest Next to the sweetness of having a friend whom you can trust is that of possessing a friend who will trust you. He that would make a real progress in knowledge must dedicate his age as well as youth, the latter growth as weU as the first fruits, at the altar of truth. Let us so order our conduct in the world that we Say lire when we are dead in the affections of the tst, and leave an honourable testimony in the con* sciences of the worst

THE FATAL ALPINE -ACCIDENT. The examination of the marks on the body of the Marquis l'allavi -uni and on the spot where it was discovered in the Austrian Alps, place it beyond doubt that, after falling with his comrades from an enormous height, he still remained alive for some time, and, in fact, lia l sufficient strength to walk for some distance, He appears to have torn his handkerchief to pieces t,) dress his wounds. The fragments were found saturate I with bloo I. His death was caused in part by loss of bloo 1, and in part by exhaustion, largely dua, it is believed, to want of foo I. Between the date of the fatal acci- dent and the discovery of the Marquis's body a period of sixiecn days ha I elapsed, during which the wounded tourist must have been dying of hunger.

THE MARRIED WOMAN'S, MAINTENANCE ACT. At the Sheffield Police Court, a man named Wil- liam Ellis, a painter and decorator, has been sum- moned for the maintenance of his wife. The case was one of the first under the Act which came into force last nnnth, by which wives can obtain main- tenance from their husbands in case of desertion. I The defendant denied that he had deserted his wife, and said she had deserted him, and had sold all his furniture. She had made his life almost intolerable, ahd he had several times contemplated committing Suicide. She had lost him several situations, be- cause his wife was in the habit of annoying him when at work, and his masters would not stand it. The stipendiary made an order for the payrueut of 5s. a week.

I A SALE OF DROWNED SHEEP. At the Walsall County Court, William Roberts, licensed victualler, Brownhills, sued Hezekiah Elijah Hill, butcher, of the same place, for £ 5 l'Js., being the value of the carcases of twelve sheep sold to liiai under the following circuinsiancjs. On the Hitll May a dog worried a flock of sheep belonging to the plaintiff, and drove fourteen of them into the canal. Two were rescued alive, and kille(l, but the other twelve were drowned, and their carcases were sold to the defendant at the rate of 8s. each. Tile plain. tiff statel that he explicitly told the defendant that he must take them for what they were wort'i, and! he added that if they had been fit for food they would have been worth 40s. each. The defendant's case was that lie bought the carcases on the under- standing that they were fit for food, and that as tney were unfit they were not worth the m mey.— His Honour gave judgment for the plaintiff for the amount claimed.—Mr. Loxton appeared for thp plaintiff.

SINGULAR DISCLOSURES. At the Hereford Police Court, Patrick Edward Walsh (on bail), an Irish American, has been charged with breaking into the house of Annie Evans, at Hereford, on July G, and stealing pro- perty valued at X20. Mr. Corner prosecuted, and Mr. Garrold defended. The accused denied the charge, adding that the goods were his own, and that prosecutrix was his wife with whom he had lived in America, lie having been married to her at Seventh Street, Philadelphia, by a justice of the peace. i -Prosecutrix admitted living with prisoner, and that they were "pedlaring together in America. They had also lived together in England. She admitted she was married to a man named M'Guire, who left her in America, and she did n )t know whether he was dead or alive. She also married a man named Evans, at Titley, in Herefordshire 14 years ago, and deserted him the day after the wedding, He Wa8 now living in Cardiff. She further admitted going by the name of Walsh. Prisoner said the things were bought with his money, and be pawned them at prosecutrix's request to help to purchase her son out of the army. In cross-examination prosecutrix refused to answer several questions as to her career. After a long hearing Mr. Garrold characterised the prosecutrix as a dangerous woman, and the Bench said there was not sufficient evidence to send the case for trial. Prisoner was discharged accordingly.

DARING ESCAPE FKO MAID ST ONE PRISON. It has transpired that Thomas Saxby, a prisoner in Maidstone Gaol, contrived to make his escape the other day. Saxby formerly belonged to Maid- stone, and while a member of the Salvation Army carried on the business of a hair dresser in ciose proximity to the prison gates. Subsequently lie removed to Borough-green, Wrotham, where after he had resided there some few months a series of burglaries were committed. As, however, Sax by was regarded as a pious young man he, of course, was not suspected until he was found dealing with certain property which had been stolen from I)it;o:i Court. His house was then searched, and then the proceeds of other crimes were found. Ihe police of the neighbourhood admitted themselves puzzled to explain how the prisoner could have effected the robberies without being discovered. At the last assizes in Maidstone, however, Saxby was convicted and sentenced to 12 months' hard labour. Soon after his conviction it was found that he was suf- fering from heart disease, and accordingly he was sent to work in the reception ward, above which the kits ot the prisoners are stored. Recently the ward has been whitewashed, and it is supposed that the prisoner secreted a piece of scaffolding cord, with whicn, after attiring himself in another prisoner's < outside » clothes, lie scaled the wall. He was seen to tall a few yards from the prison gates, and then Isa he aisappeared. Although every search has been maae for him he has not yet been found.

THE. SERIOUS CHARGE AGAINST A GENTLEMAN. THE DEFENDAXT MISSING. T 1 n Marlborough Street Police Court, London, Jo ^ateson (o4\ described as a trenlleman. has been charged, on remand, with indecently assault- a named Arthur Chandler, on Jung 19. lnere were also other charges of a similar nature against him. The evidence previously given was to the effect that, having inserted an advertisement for a footman's place in a daily newspaper, Chandler received a reply requesting him to call at a servants registry office in Piccadilly. He went there, and in tle course of a conversation the assault was committed, being afterwards repeated in a house in rJew Burlington Street, in an aggravated form. Evidence was also given by a youth named Churchill of a somewhat similar assault upon him, and the prisoner was released from custody on two noble- men (the Marquis of Bristol and Lord Deramore) becommg bail for him in X500 each. On the remand 1 7nl^ai,d conducted the prosecution on behalf of the Treasury, and Mr. George Lewis again ap- pesired for the defence. Mr. Batesou having been L called three times, and having failed to surrender to his bail. Mr. Lewis said that he was sorry to say that he had received information to the effect that the de- fendant, who had been in a very despondent state of mind, had wandered away from his lodgings, and had not returned. Under the circumstances, he hardly knew what could be done. Mr. Poland observed that since the first occasion the matter had been put into the hands of the Di- rector of Public Prosecutions, who had instructed him to attend the Court. In consequence of what Mr. Lewis had said lie might say that the officer in charge of the case called at Mr. Bateson's lodging I one afternoon, and was told lie would be there later 111 the evening. On the following morning, liow- ?ver, the officer was told that the defendant had not returned and it was, therefore, obvious that he would not attend, the Court. He must aslc that the bail of £ 1,000 as well as the defendant's own recog- nisances in £ 1,000 should be estreated, and that°a warrant should be issued for his apprehension, when everything would be done to effect his arrest. Mr. Mansfield said that was the only course to adopt. The recognisances must be estreated, and a warrant issued.

Hop crop reports from the hop-growing regions of New York are not encouraging. C olonel Gilder, who has been under arrest for two days, has now been released on bail. Sir H. Drummond Wolff has proceeded to Alex- an liia, and Nubar Pacha will leave for Europe in a few days. M. Cremer, Liberal, ex-President of the Second Chamber of the States-General, has been re-elected to that post. Intelligence from Mexico states that the elections to the Mexican Congress, which closed on the let ult, have resulted in the return of a large majority for the Government. Hugh Brooks, alias Maxwell, who was to be exe- cuted on August 27, for the murder of Mr. Arthur Prelter, lutt appealed against his lenteuce, and in. spite twtii October next has bHn granted

| -rOPIGS-OF. THE WEEK. —1! FOR the sixtb year in succession, W., Renshaw has now secured the l awn Tennis Champion- ■ sliip; and'for the last three years the rtmper- up f from whom lie has won the championship has been 11. F. Lawforci. This year it seemed as though Lawford's chance of winning outright was a good one, as he managed to defeat E. W. Lewis, who had in an earlier round disposed of E. Renshaw but it appears that there must be a considerable difference between the two brothers. In the first sett Lawford was unable to score a single game, Renshaw winning each by 6 to love. The second sett was the only one well contested, Lawford, winning by 7 to 5 but after this it became evident that Renshaw, had his man well beaten, he winning the next two setts and the match by 6 to 3 and 6 to 4. Ren shaw, by winning for the sixth year, gains the- second cup presented by the Wimbledon Club AFTER all, is it not just possible that the Ohio Legislature have made a mistake ? They have introduced a law compelling all persons who purchase liquor to take out a certificate" that they are "legal habitual drinkers." To obtain this you must make affidavit before a judge of the county and pay half a dollar. It seeuis hard that no one should be allowed a glass of wine unless he can show a certificate stating that he is an habitual drinker. The total abstinence party in this country would see in this law no encouragement to temperance though, when one comes to think of it, few of them. believe that all drinkers are not habitual." A certi- ficate for anything in England, too, is con- sidered a creditable thing to have. Perhaps the novelists who have somewhat overdone the lost certificate of marriage business will lay their scene next in Ohio. A lover who nobly adhered to his engagement after his sweetheart had confessed that she had been unable to ob- tain a "drink certificate" would be something new I LORD ROSEBERY has not been long in adopt- 109 one ot the suggestions made by the Com- mission on the Depression of Trade. The diplo- matic and consular reports on the trade of foreign countries have hitherto been published in Blue Books only after a sufficient number have been collected to make a respectable vol- ume. The consequent delay in the publication has been one of the prime causes why these re- ports have been of so little use to the commer- cial community they are practically out of date when issued. But now it seems that the Foreign Office is to publish each report as sooa as it is complete and it will be the manufac- turer's fault if they do not reach his hands at the earliest possible date. No one who is at all acquainted with these reports will deny their value as a means of informing the producer of the wants of the foreign consumer and, with a consular system as completely organized as our own, there is no reason why the manu- facturer should not fully avail himself of the information. With the prospect of a commer- cial revival, Lord Rosebery's action may be of great service to our export trade. ♦ To the ethnologist or the philologist it is, no doubt, very convenient to have a body of Greek gypsies encamped close at hand for purposes of study and observation. The owner of the land on which they have squatted, whose fences they are breaking down and burning for firewood, may be forgiven if he takes a more practical view of the matter. Nor can the sanitary in- spector, at a time when cholera may arrive at any moment, be well satisfied to have in his district a close-packed colony of 100 people with no sanitary accommodation whatever. Even the police may fairiy think this sudden addition to the army of sturdy beggars some- what trying. The reason of their presence here appears to be that they are anxious to go to America but it is understood that the United States Government will refuse to receive them. Under these circumstances the gypsies stop in England and quarter themselves on its unfor- tunate inhabitants. The natural question to ask appears to be, Have we any law by which the master or owner of a vessel in which per- sons with no visible means of subsistence are introduced into the country can be made re- sponsible for their maintenance ? And, if not, how soon are we going to pass one ?" The mat- ter is really becoming serious. The East-end I is perfectly swamped with Russian and Polish refugees, who underbid our workmen, and re- duce wages below what is to an Englishman starvation point. THE French are getting on fast with their statues to eminent men. Diderot in the last person honoured. The people of Chinon, Rabe- lais's native place, erected a statue to their illustrious townsman some few years ago but Meudon possessed no memorial of him till iately when a burst of the jovial philosopher was un- veiled there in the presence of a distinguished literary gathering. Horace Walpole tells us that Warburton's praise of the author of Tristram Shandy" as the work of the English Rabelais was quite unintelligible to his episco- pal brethren, none of them having ever heard of such a writer. Rabelais is now better known here, and probably in his own country too, than he was a century ago but if M. Henri Fouquier, who pronounced the customary eulogy at the ceremonial be correct in his appreciation of Rabelais, the popular conception of the cure of Meudon is an absolutely erroneous one. M. Fouquier described him as an exemplary parish priest, heart and soul in the labours of his ministry, thirsting for nothing but truth, and with no other appetite for knowledge. The belles filles," whose charms he celebrates, were merely the Muses, and if he was dissolute at all it was only in Greek and Latin verse. His book is, indeed, "joyous to excess"; but it is full of "Platonic wisdom, Aristotelian know- ledge, and evangelic goodness." That Rabelais was riot the vulgar Epicurean which it was at one time the fashion to represent him, there is now little room to doubt; but one was hardly prepared to find him held up as a model pastor and an example of all the Christian virtues.

NEWS IN BRIEF~ At Castleblaney, a man named Flanagan has been committed for trial, charged with having attempted to personate a deceased voter. The Bishop of Kilmore has conferred the deanery of Kilmore, vacant by the resignation of Dean Beres- ford, upon Canon Stone, rector of Kilmore. The famous Kentish ltegiment, the liuffs, is to be presented with new colours. The ceremony will probably be performed by a member of the tloyal family. The Archbishop of Armagh has conferred the deanery of Armagh, vacant by the late dean's eteva. tion to the bishopric of Down, Connor, and Dro- more, on the llev. Dr. Chadwick, lector of Armagh. The Midland Raitway Company are extending the experimental use of steel sleepers on their line, and another length of a mile or so in extent is about to be put between Derby and Duttield. A man named Tom Sixhy, who was undergoing a term of imprisonment at Maidstone for burglary has effected his escape. A large body of police, mounted and on foot, have been scouring the district in search of him. The Duke of Northumberland, who has arrived at Syon House from Alnwick Castle, received the com. missioners and other representatives of the Colonial and Indian Exhibition at a garden party at Syon House the other afternoon. At telegram has been received at Ystrad announc- ing the sudden death of the Rev. George Evans, the popular Welsh preacher of that town. The rev. gentleman had gone to preach at Cilgeran, Cardi- ganshire, and after the service sank in the chair and died. Ttw Transcaspian Railway lias been completed^ snd is now open for traffic. Colonel Albert Froom has been selected for the- command of the tith Dragoons, now stationed ilL South Africa. The National Gazette says that neither Germany nor Austria were warned of Russia's illtention with reg" rd to liatoum. It is telegraphed that the cattle plague has broken out in the Bulgarian district of Widdin, near the Servian frontier. Mr. Ingle Joyce and Mr. Alexander Dauney l,e(,ii elucted members of the Committee of the Bar- Library, Iioval Courts of Justice. A marriage will take place shortly between the Far! of Hopetoun and the lIon. Hersey de Moleyns* third daughter of Lord and Lady Ventry. The Metropolitan Board of Works, at their last meeting, declined to make any alteration in th. Width of the approaches to the new l'utney Bridge. The naval pension of £50 a year for staff-com- manders, vacant by the death of Staff-Commander Tholllas Dowen 011 the 2tllh ult., has been conferrei on Stuff-Commander John Way. Mr. Charles Wyndham will open the Princess'* Theatre at Christmas, and will produce a new dram* by Mr. Henry A. Jones. In this the principal part will bo taken by i\.r. Charles Warner. Chief-Inspector Shore, of the Detective Depart- ment (f Scotland Yard, who has beon an active ofEcer for nearly thirty 3'ears, has succeeded Mr Williamson as superintendent of that body. The New York Yacht Club has invited the Galatea to participate iu the club's annual cruise, beginning- at -New London, Connecticut, on August 5, and also 111 the race at Newport for the Goelet Cup. The large pa ty of Greek gypsies who squatted at the Central Station. Liverpool, en route for America, have been taken to the Zoological Gardens there, pending arrangements for their shipment to America Messrs. Christie, the other day, sold at their rooms the collection of pictures formed by the late Mr. C. J. Nieuw^nhuys. There was a crowded room, and good prices were given. The sale realised £ 14.v65. The annual report of the committee of manage- ment of the Incorporated Society of Authors state that their efforts to obtain a settlement of the copy- right question have been their main work of the year. The Secretary of State for the lloiii- Department has appointed Lieutenant-Colonel W. A. Roberts, lioyal Artillery, to be a District Superintendent of the Metropolitan roUce, in the place of Mr. It. Wall- ser, resigned. Ihe Observer is autliorised to state that the thr-.at affliction from which Miss Ellen Terry is suffering, and which rendered it necessary for her to take rest., has been i:jch exaggerated. Miss Terry is only suffering from a slight coid. TheTunbridge police have rccaptured ihe convict Saxby, who escaped a few days &go from the Kiiit county prison at Maidstone. Saxby was disguised in a suit of workman's clothes which he had stoierr previous to his escape. A complimentary dinner has L.e(;p given by the members of the National Liberal Club to Mr. F. W. Chesson, who is weil-known for his philanthropic labours on behalf of aboriginal races. Mr. W. C. Borlase, M. P., presided. John Miller, in the employ of the Dock Company at Tilbury, while being conveyed across the river iOL custody, on a charge of stealing stores, jumped over- board. He narrowly escaped drowning, being res- cued by the Customs galley, after sinking twice. Himlll Bowell, a labourer, has been again reo- manded at Oxford charged with attempting to mur- der his wife and a man rumied Charles Simmons. Jealousy appears to have prompted the double crime, and Bowell cut his wife's throat in two places, and. stabbed Simmons. The Metropolitan Board of Works have decided to apply to Parliament next session for power to ac- quire the HavcIIseourt J'ark Estate, Hammersmith, for the pu pose of laying it out as a public park. This is subject to the iocal vestry contributing one- half of the cost. Mdme. Patti has consented to give a gratuitous 0 .ncert at Swansea, 011 Thursday, August 19, in aid of tike Swansea Hospital and the poor of Swansea Valley. She has already given two concerts in aid of the Swansea Hospital, the proceeds of which amounted to about £ 1,500. Ti e Dean and Chapter of St. Paul's has r5-elected the Rev. \"anon Gregory as their proctor in the new Lower House of Convocation. Canon Gregory was tirstelected Proctor for the Chapter in lSït, and has ever since represented the cathedral clergy in the Lower House. Mr. J. L. Toole, very much improved in health, lias left town for Aix-les-Bains. A number of friends assemble I to see him off. lie expects the baths of Aix to thoroughly restore him. As he ob- >erved, he goes to Aix taking his aches with him, and intends leaving his aches at Aix! Mr. Samuel Morh-y having declined to accept the oflice of chairman of the Congregational Union, to which he was elected by ballot last May, the com- mittee ".vho have been charged with appointing a substitute have decided to invite tlte Hev. Alex. Mack iuiai, of How len, to occupy the position. The Dean and Chapter of St. Paul's have acceded to the request of the committee of the Sir H. S. l'arkes Memorial Fund, and have placed at their disposal a site in the crypt of the cathedral, near the monuments to Wellington and Nelson, for the erection of a memorial tablet and bust of the late Minister at Pekin. The execution of the work has been entrusted to Mr. Brock. When General Boulanger was appointed Minister of War, he made it his first business to inspect his War Office record in order to find out what General the J)uc d'Aumale said of him when he, General Boulanger, was under the Duke's orders. And here is what he read: "Good officer, active, very intelli- gent, but badly brought up." At least, so says the Patrie. A shucking accident has occurred at Newport Docks, Monmouth. Miss Kate Shellabier was pro- ceeding on board the Golden Sunset, of which ves- sel her father is captain, ror the purpose of taking a trip down the Bristol Channel, when, as she wall crossing the gangway, her foot slipped and she fell into the dock, which was at the time nearly empty. Death was instantaneous. The newest batch of Chinese Consular reports wiU not be pleasant reading to the Anti-Opium Society. There is a diminution in the imports of the drug, but that does not imply diminution of consumption. The poppy, says Mr. Oxenham, British Consul at Chinkiang, is thrice as valuable to the farmer as corn, and there is some fear that the latter crop will be displaced by the former. Other reports tell a like tale. As showing the strong migratory instincts of trout, Nature mentions that at the. fish culture es- tablishment at Delaford, where the utmost care it- taken to isolate the various species of taimonidae, a few of the fish occasionally are found in ponds long distances from those in which they were originally located. Considering that each pond is so con- structed as to prevent such a contingency, the oc- currence is very remarkable. A copy of the first edition of the Bible In the- English language, translated by Miles Coverdale, and issued in 1535, was sold at Sotherby's the other day. It is so excessively rare that no perfect copy is known to exist, and the one under notice had the title and first few leaves supplied in fac simile, as also was the map. With all these disadvantages, t,) which was added the one of being a "grubby" 2opy, it fetched £120. At the Carnarvonshire Sheriff's Court the other 3ay, Gwendoline Evans, a sea captain's daughter, recovered £ 100 damages from Glynn Evans, a nurseryman and market gardener, of Pwllheli, for breach of promise of marriage. Defendant seduced the plaintiff, who is very respectably connected, and sent her to Liverpool, promising to follow and marry her. He' realised his property, investing the pro- ceeds in raspberry jam, old clothes, and Welsh ponies, and bolted to America. In the Chancery Division, Mr. Justice North, made perpetual an injunction restraining the Me- tropolitan Railway Company from refusing to issue tickets from or to any station of the Metropolitan District Company's station. A motion was then made to restrain the Metropolitan Company from altering their fares, save in accordance ,with an agreement which had been adopted for twelve nmnths with regard to grouping certain stations. After hearing arguments the Court dismissed the motion* « /-11 About eight miles off the island of Monte Christa and thirty from Elba, the Italian Cutter San Carol, from Genoa, with about three to-is of dynamite 011 board, was recently blown up by an explosion. The captain and crew, noticing a little smoke issuing from a crack, at once took to the boats, and thus saved their lives. They had rowed about a mile from the vessel when it blew up, with a report that was heard at Elba. Pieces of the wreck fell in the boat. A botanist gathering herbs at Monte Christe was thrown to the ground by the shock.