County Observer and Monmouthshire Central Advertiser Abergavenny and Raglan Herald Usk and Pontypool Messenger and Chepstow Argus

THE STOLEN CANNON. FOUR MEN ARRESTED. The theft of six brass canhon from the Ro- tunda, Woolwich, last December was the subject of a charge against four men at the Police- court there on Saturday. Alfred Atkins, aged twenty-six, bricklayer's labourer, of Sutcliife- road, Plumstead, John Sexton, aged twenty- seven, scaffolder, of Station-road, Plumstead, and Charles Benjamin Jones, aged thirty-nine, of Earl-street, Plumstead, were charged with stealing the cannon, and James Davis, aged twenty-eight, engineer, of Cambridge-road, .y o Barking, with receiving them, knowing them to have been stolen. Jones is at present under- going a sentence of six weeks' hard labour at Winchester Gaol, and he was brought up in custody. o Inspector Hailstone said the Treasury in- tended to prosecute, and asked for a remand. The evidence against Atkins and Sexton, which was taken in camera last week, was read over, and was to the effect that Atkins, when arrested, denied knowledge of the matter, but afterwards said he was asked by Sexton and Jones to watch while they went into the Ro- tunda grounds. He did so, and they returned with something, but did not know what, in a van they had with them. He accompanied them to the Free Ferry. Detective-inspector Hailstone produced a, statement signed by Sexton, who stated that on December 10 Atkins, Jones, and he, who had been looking for work, sheltered from a shower of rain in the Rotunda, and noticed the cannon lying about. Some of it was small, and he (Sexton) lifted one gun to feel its weight. Jones said, "There is a Christmas dinner for someone, if they have heart enough to come for them." They afterwards discussed the sub- ject, and he (Sexton) mentioned that he knew a man named Davies, formerly employed by a firm at Woolwich in the metal department, who was now carrying on the Paragon Brass and Iron Works at North Woolwich, and who had asked him if he knew anyone who could supply metal. He saw Davies the same day, and told him he knew where there were some small can- non. Davies replied, "Fetch any metal in, for I can do with it; as much as you like." That night he met Atkins and Jones at a public- house, and they subsequently went to the Ro- tunda, where they took two small guns and carried them to the boundary wall, placing them against a tree. Early next morning they hired a horse and van from a man named George Minor, whom they told they were going to re- move furniture. They went to the Repository, and, placing the guns in the van and covering them, conveyed them to Davies' works, where they were admitted by Davies himself. The guns weighed 2 cwt., and Davies agreed to give 30s. a cwt. He paid them 30s., and pro- mised the rest, 35s., afterwards, as he was short of money. He afterwards said he had "run down" the guni into bottle-shaped ingot, and sent them away to a metal dealer named Arthur Castle, in Commercial-road. Davies showed him his foundry, and a small cupola, in which he had "run down" the guns. He said if he (Sexton) could get another half-dozen guns he would put them in his large cupola, and run them down in half-an-hour. Atkins, Jones, and he on December 17 took four more guns from the Rotunda to Davies' works, and assisted Davies to place them in a large cupola. He (Sexton) received £ 5 5s., of which ne paid 17s. to Atkins, and C2 2s. to Jones, retaining £2 2s. himself after paying for the hire of the trap. He afterwards had 10s. from Davies, who said he had seen police notices about the guns, and reports in the papers, and hoped that he (Sex- ton) and the others would keep their mouths shut. The prisoners were remanded.

A very wealthy English duke often tells his friends a story against himself which serves (says Mr. F. Meiggs in the "Daily Express") to illus- trate the expenses and surprises of salmon fish- ing. He took two beats on the Twe,ed-beats which had yielded over 200 salmon the previous season, and he paid twelve hundred pounds for the autumn fishing. The days passed, the river was iOW) an(j no £ a fis}x was killed. Just before his time was up the duke killed a grilse, a friend killed two eighteen pounders, and a gillie landed fourth fish. "I ate that grilse myself," said the duke, "It cost me £ 300, so I didn't see why I shouldn't." h_"

THE WAR I MANCHURIAN FRONTIER OCCUPIED. M. Hayashi, the Japanese Minister at Seoul, has communicated to the Korean Foreign Office the fact of the Russian retirement across the Yalu and the Japanese occupation of the frontier as a, cause of mutual congratulation. He requests the Government to instruct the prefects along the line to facilitate the engaging of coolies, and to expedite the construction of the Seoul-Fusan rail- way. I CORRESPONDENTS ON THE WAR PATH. The Japanese troops now control the whole of the Korean bank of the River Yalu, there being an especially strong force at Wiju. On Sunday the forty foreign special war correspondents arrived at Chinampo from Tokio. It is expected that they will proceed northwards with the head- quarters staff of the Japanese army. I PING YANG DESERTED. 'I In striking contrast to the warlike activity which recently prevailed there, Ping Yang is now one of the quietest places in Korea, the- bulk of the. Japanese troops who, concentrated there having already left to take part in the general advance northwards. During their sojourn in Ping Yang the Japanese soldiers greatly endeared themselves to the Koreans of the district by their exemplary conduct and friendly manners. I JAPS AT TA TUNG KU. I According to a. report received in Paris from a trustworthy Chinese source, the Japanese have succeeded in crossing the Yalu. A skirmish is reported to ha78 taken place to the east of Ta Tung Ku between the Japanese vanguard and a Russian detachment. Ta Tung Ku is situated near the mouth of the Yalu river, on the western, or Manchurian, side. I KUROPATKIN'S FREE HAND. The following has been received from St. Petersburg, dated Saturday:- "The Russian outposts on the Yalu have fallen back. The. main body of the Japanese Army, in considerable strength, is marching towards Yongampo. It is stated on good authority that General Kuropatkin has been given a free hand as to' the conduct of the war. It is further alleged in St. Petersburg that General Mishchenko and Colonel Pavloff, of the Cossacks, have been entrusted by General Kuro- patkin with an important mission, the result of which will be shortly known, and will produce 3 great impression. I PORT ARTHUR'S DANGER. The following message from St. Petersburg appears in the "Petit Parisien "Admiral Makaroff has been informed that the Japanese will make a final effort to block the entrance to Port Arthur during Easter week (O.S.). They are said to have prepared twenty large steamers destined to be sunk in the channel. Admiral Makaroff is reported to have enjoined extra vigilance and to have doubled the night watches." On Friday morning Admiral Makaroff sallied out from Port Arthur, the Japanese squadron having been sighted out at sea. The Russian vessels returned to the harbour, and it is believed that Admiral Makaroff tried to induce Admiral Togo to chase him. The "Petit Journal" publishes the following from St. Petersburg Admiral Makaroff tele- graphs from Port Arthur that a fresh attempt to surprise the place was foiled on Saturday night. The Japanese vessels, taking advantage of the present moonless nights, suddenly appeared in sight of Port Arthur. Their presence having been detected by the searchlights they withdrew after reconnoitring." THE LATE COMMANDER HIROSE. I The body of a Japanese officer which has been found and buried at Port Arthur is with- out question that of Commander Hirose, who was killed by a shell in the last attack on Port Arthur. The description of the uniform tallies with Commander Hirose's rank, and the fact that the head was missing is further confirma- tory evidence. The Japanese Government deeply appreciates the action of the Russians in giving the remains of the officer a military funeral, and the officers of the naval staff express their gratitude. Lieutenant Hirose is the greatest Japanese hero of the war. It has been arranged that after the conclusion of hostilities an endeavour will be made to secure the remains of the officers buried at Port Arthur and bring them back to Japan. "NOT EVEN A TORPEDO-BOAT LOST." Commander Hirose, whose brother was killed in the last attempt to block Port Arthur, held a reception on board the gunboat Oshima at Chemulpho on the 2nd inst., which was at- tended by the foreign naval officers. Comman- der Hirose declared in a speech that the effi- ciency of the Japanese fleet was undiminished. Not even a torpedo-boat had been lost. Com- mander Hirose referred in moving terms to his brother's glorious death and heroic example. ATTACK ON NEWCHWANG EXPECTED. General Kuropatkin has ordered up 10,000 re- serves to Newchang to resist the expected Japanese attack and a further body of 15,000 is held in readiness for reinforcements. It is stated that the Russian forces now in Manchuria number 400,000 men. SCARCITY AT VLADIVOSTOK. All the public educational institutions at Vladivostok are closed with the exception of the Institute of Oriental Languages and a boys' secondary school. The insufficiency of food sup- plies is so great, and their prices are so exorbi- tant, at Vladivistok and other towns in Eastern Siberia that a large number of the inhabitants, even among the middle classes, are compelled to forego the fare traditionally consumed by the Russian people at Eastertide. Admiral Alexeieff has prohibited under pain of severe punishment th3 sale of spirituous liquors to troop trains and soldiers on the march within the limits of his Viceroyalty. A TYPHOON IN THE YELLOW SEA. "The Times" steamer Haimun has been port- bound owing to a typhoon. The sea has been probably too rough for naval operations, ac- cording to a Wei-hai-wei message, for some days. CAUCASIAN CAVALRY FOR THE FRONT. An order has been issued by the Russian military authorities providing for the formation of a Caucasian cavalry brigade for active ser- vice. The brigade will be made up of volun- teers from the Caucasian highlanders, who are not liable to military service, and of volunteers from the Daghestan cavalry regiment. Each of the two regiments of this brigade will consist of six sotnias (about 900 men). I SCARE AT NEWCHWANG. I The reports of Japanese activity in Korea and the arrival of their transports in the Yalu have placed the Russian soldiery at Newchwang on the alert against the possibility of a Japanese attack. There was some heavy firing by the forts on Sunday night, and the citizens supposed that the Japanese had arrived and were attack- ing. An official explanation of the incident was issued on Monday. It shows that owing to the garrison's lack of understanding of the system of customs, flash signals employed at the river's mouth to signal the depth of the water on the bar for the purpose of enabling ships to go to sea, the fort, at half-past twelve at night, fired about twenty-four shots at pilot boats and at a merchantman outward bound. Another account says that big gun projectiles were fired. As the result of the firing by the forts a considerable amount of excitement was caused among the troops. The result was that two Chinese seamen were killed by sentry fire. The men in question were in the foreign settlement three miles from the fort, on the opposite side of the river, and, alarmed by the firing, they were endeavouring to cross when they were shot. PORT PRACTICALLY CLOSED TO I COMMERCE. A Chinese steamer which has returned to Chifu from Newchwang reports that she could not reach that town, as no response was made to her signals for a pilot to take her up the Liao River. Two British steamers were in the same predica- ment. Newchwang is thus practically closed to commerce. I A MILITARY RAILWAY. I According to the latest reports from Port Arthur Russian engineers have begun the con- struction of a railway embankment on the country roads in Manchuria between the towns of Tai- ping and Su-yan, previously to the building of a transportable military railway for conveying food and ammunition to the fortified posts in Man- churia and the Liao-tung Peninsula between Dagushan and Tai-ping. COST OF THE WAR TO RUSSIA. I The "Russkyi Viedomosti" discusses the ques- tion of the cost of the war. Calculating the expenses on the basis of 3,000,000 roubles per day for the maintenance in Manchuria of a army of 300,000, the writer of the article estimates that the reserve in the Russian treasury will be sufficient to cover the expenditure for five months. If the war should last longer than this period the Minister of Finance would be obliged to suggest new taxation. The "Russ" states that the treasury has means for the maintenance of the war for six months, but in the opinion of the "Viedomosti" the economic situation, brought about by the war is unfavourable. I WHAT RUSSIA OUGHT TO HAVE DONE. I The St. Petersburg correspondent of the I "Petit Parisien" has interviewed Admiral Ro- jestvensky, the chief of the Russian Naval General Staff. The Admiral declared that it was not certain that the Baltic squadron would leave for the Far East in July. It could not be stated definitely whether the" Russians would have need of the Baltic squadron. Admiral Rojestvenskv said that Admiral Togo remained faithful to his original plan of attack. Admiral Makharo-ff, during the Japanese disembarkation, was practically a prisoner by the force of cir- cumstances not of his own creation. He was immobilised at Port Arthur. At the outset of the war they should have replied to the Japanese I attack with a counter attack, which might have sacrificed the fleet, but which would have reached the heart of Japan's power. The Japanese had had no material loss. During the last attack no Japanese battleship had been I sunk. At the present moment all the damage sustained by the Japanese vessels had been made good. I CHEMULPHO SURVIVORS. I The transport Mecloc, belonging to the Mes- sageries-Maritmies Company, arrived at Suda, in Crete, at six o'clock on Monday morning from Port Said, having on board 157 men of the crew of the Russian cruiser Korietz, and 217 of the Variag, besi.des Captain Rudnefi, of the Variag, and three officers and 69 Cossacks who formed the Russian Legation guard at Seoul. The men are in excellent health and spirits. The Russian Colonel Urbanovitch came from Rethymo with three officers to welcome the heroes .of the Chemulpho fight on their way to Russia, and the Russian civil and military authorities here gave the men a hearty recep- tion. The Mayor of Canoa presented a bouquet, of flowers to Captain Rudneff, and distributed cakes among the men. At half-past eight the Russian sailors and troops went on board the Messageries-Maritimes Company's steamer Crimee, which left for Odessa amid cheers from the foreign warships in the harbour. The latter were decorated for the occasion. I PRINCE KHILKOFF'S REWARD. I Prince Khilkoff's services in connection with I the Lake Baikal Railway and the troop trans- j port generally have been rewarded by the Czar with the Cross of the White Eagle, which ranks next to that of St. Alexander Nevski. Prince Khilkoff's brief rest has completely restored his health, and he is returning to Lake Baikal almost immediately to carry out. the second part of his work. It is estimated that the completion of the line round Lake Baikal will take another five or six months. RUSSIAN SUCCESS ON THE YALU.—50 JAPANESE SCOUTS SLAIN. An official telegram of Tuesday's date from General Kuropatkin to the Czar states that General Krasnalinski, on the night, of the 8th inst., ordered a detachment of sharpshooters to cross to the left bank of the Yalu, opposite Wiju. The detachment, which was under the command of Lieutenant Dimidovitch and Sub- Lieutenant Potemkine, crossed over to the island of Samalind, in the river, and there surprised a patrol of Japanese scouts, numbering fifty, just as these were approaching the east side of the island in three boats. The Russ ans allowed the Japanese to land and tuen fired on them. Nearly ail HIb Japanese were shot, bayonetted, or drowned, and their boats were sunk. The Russians sustained no losses. The non-commissioned' officers Louch- kine and Souhaschenov distinguished themselve3 in the fight On the following day the Japanese flag at Wij u was lowered, and their outposts, which had lately been seen, fell back. On the night of the 9th inst. four Russian sharpshooters crossed the Yalu to Yenampo (? Yongampiio), and made towards the Russian village, where they found a squadron of Japanese cavalry. They remained there twelve hours. They were then betrayed by Koreans, and found themselves obliged to swim the river, their boat having struck on a sand bank. One soldier lost bis life. The Japanese pursued them in a. boat, but they in turn were attacked by a Russian boat which had come to the rescue of the swimmers. The Japanese were all killed and their boat sunk. The Japanese authorities at Seoul state that there 'have been frequent skirmishes between Sung-chu and Wiju. The main force of the first Japanese army is in the neighbourhood of Wiju. TO SET THE YALU ON FIRE.—RUSSIAN I SECRET DEVICE. The Military Administration has recently de- spatched to the Russian troops on the Yalu ap- pliances and material which will enable them to obstruct by fire the Japanese crossing of the river. The process is a military secret, which was acquired by the Russian Government from the inventor, a colonel of Engineers, belonging to the nobility of the Baltic Provinces. The first test, which cost 40,000 roubles, was carried out some years ago during the army manoeuvres at Tsarskoe Selo, on the Ijora River, in the pre- sence of the Imperial family. The sappers threw across the river a pontoon bridge, composed o*1 disused boats.. Then a small oily patch was seen to appear in the middle of the stream, close to the bridge. It gradually grew larger, and at the end of three minutes the patch was 200 yards in length. Flames then burst out, and soon they attained an immense height, constituting a formidable curtain, which completely hid the bridge. The flames rapidly reached the height of a seven-storey building, throwing out such an intense heat that the onlookers near the shore were unable to remain there. Even the Czar and his suite, at a distance of half a kilometre, were incommoded by the heat. After seven and a half minutes the working of the 'apparatus which had caused the fire was stopped, the flames died away in two minutes, and it was seen that the bridge had been com- pletely destroyed. The; apparatus was invisible to the spectators, and was placed ten kilometres from the river, towards which it was sending a liquid, prepared by a secret process, through rubber and canvas tubes, buried in the earth. If the Russians succeed in establishing this ap- paratus and the tubes along the banks of the Yalu, the crossing of the river will be absolutely impossible as long as the apparatus is at work. I VISIT OF GENERAL KUROPATKIN. I General Kuropatkin is proceeding on a tour of fnspection of the outposts on the Yalu. General Remnenkampf's Cossack division of 10,000 men nas (according to a St. Petersburg message) ar- rived on the Upper Yalu. The fourth army corps reached Harbin well over a week ago. Vladivostok is held by 13,000 One officer and fifteen Cossacks were left to recon- noitre east of the Yalu, after the Russians re- tired. They succeeded in locating the Japanesi- positions without discovery, swimming their horses a mile and a half in recrossing. THE FIGHT AT CHONG-JU. I The charge, emanating from Russian sources, that the Japanese troops engaged iu the fight at Chong-ju abused the privilege of the Red Cross flag by taking refuge in a building occupied as a hospital is indignantly denied in Tokio. and is declared to be a fabrication designed to injure the Japanese in the eyes of the world. The official investigation shows that the Japanese fcrce engaged at Chong-ju established a band- age station in the rear of their firing line, and used it exclusively for the purpose of caring for their wounded. The Japanese Red Cross Society is an old and extensive organisation, which did good service in the China war. Both the society and the army have shown themselves anxious to carry out their work in this war ac- cording to the highest ideals of civilisation. cording to the highest ideals of civilisation. REPORTED TERRIBLE RUSSIAN I DISASTER. ADMIRAL MAKAROFF DROWNED. A semi-official telegram, received in St. Petersburg on the 13th inst., says the Russian battleship Petropaulowsk has sunk off Port Arthur. Only four officers were saved, includ- ing the Grand Duke Cyril, who was wounded. Admiral Makaroff was, according to a later message, drowned in the sinking of the Petro- paulowsk.

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT. LICENSING BILL POSTPONED. The House of Commons resumed work on the 12th inst. after the Easter Recess. The only matter of importance touched upon at question time was the course of Government business, with regard to which the Prime Minister had some im- portant modifications to announce. Before the House adjourned for the Recess it was arranged that the Licensing Bill should be taken to-day. Since then, however, there has been fighting iu Tibet, and Mr. Balfour explained that, in accord- ance with statute, it was necessary to obtain Parliamentary sanction for the employment of Indian troops beyond the Indian frontier. The Premier proposed, therefore, to take this motion on Wednesday in place of the Licensing Bill. He intimated, however, that he intended to take the bill on the first available day next week. This change of arrangement involves no alteration in the date of the Budget, which will be taken next Tuesday, as stated. THE NAVY ESTIMATES. Although only a minority of members were left in the Chamber to discuss the Navy Estimates, the debate was not entirely lacking in interest. At the outset a long discussion was initiated by Mr. Gibson Bowles, Sir Charles Dilke and others urg- ing the Admiralty to increase the calibre of naval guns. Mr. Pretyman, replying for the Admiralty, was not prepared to go as far in this matter us some members desired, but announced the deci- sion to replace the four 6in. forward guns on cruisers of the improved county class with two 7'-5in. guns. The discussion then turned on the subject of boilers, Sir Charles Dilke calling attention to the fact that though* the Bellevilles had fallen into disgrace with the British Admiralty they were being very largely adopted in foreign navies. He suggested that the breakdowns that have occurred were due not so much to defects in the boilers as to the incapacity of the stokers. Mr. Pretyman admitted that the training of stokers might leave something to be desired, but the Admiralty were taking steps to deal with the matter. With regard to submarines, Mr. Pretyman said it was not pos- sible to form a decided opinion as to the ultimate place they would fill in naval warfare, but they were a weapon so far developed that it was impossible to leave them out of account. Referring to the sink- ing of the unfortunate A 1, the Secretary to the Admiralty said that bad she only sustained damage to her engine she would have risen to the surface automatically. It was obvious, therefore, that she must have met with such damage that there was an immediate inrush of water, drowning all her crew. The votes for naval armaments and personnel having been disposed of, others of a less controver- sial character were disposed of so rapidly that the House found itself in a position to adjourn shortly after seven o'clock. THE TIBET MOTION. On the motion for the adjournment, Mr. Brod- rick stated that the Tibet motion he would submit would be in the following terms: That this House consents to the revenues of India being applied to defray the expenses of any military operations which may become necessary beyond the frontiers of his Majesty's Indian pos- sessions for the purpose of protecting the political mission which has been despatched to the Tibetan Government."

THE LOST < £ 12,000. RETFORD SOLICITOR'S FAILURE. A first meeting of the creditors of Messrs. G. I¡ and C. H. Marshall, solicitors, of Retford, was held in that town on Monday. Neither of the debtors attended, but they were represented by Mr. Neal, solicitor. At the outset the Official Receiver observed í that, as appeared prominently in his remarks upon the case, the debtor, Mr. George Marshall, attributed his failure entirely to the loss of zE12,000 at the Metropole Hotel, London. The authorities of that hotel had taken the matter rather seriously to heart, and no doubt it was a very grave matter to them. In the course of the proceedings Mr. Bertrand Stewart (solicitor to the Gordon Hotels, Limited, proprietors of the Hotel Metropole, London), who attended the meeting, wished to make a statement in reference to Mr. Marshall's narrative of the lost bank-notes. Mr. Neal, however, objected, and the meeting decided not to hear him. The statement of affairs of the joint estate showed a deficiency of £ 24,125; that of Charles Henry Marshall separately a surplus of £ 1,806, and that of George Marshall separately a surplus of £ 8,136. The Official Receiver (Mr. Ward) said the prin- cipal creditors in the joint estate of the debtors were: Miss Allison, Scarborough, £ 3,854; C. Beardsall, Retford, £ 656; Brown's Trust, £ 34; Hopkin's Trust, Retford, £ 200; Mrs. Little- wood, Tuxford, zE131 Mrs. Levick, East Mark- ham, £ 102; Mrs. Metcajfe, Southwell, £ 449; 1 the Rev. W. A. Marshall, Retford, £ 2,500; Mrs. B. Pinder, Retford, £ 2,003; T. Windle, deceased, £ 1,008; the Duke of Newcastle, £ 14,600. The Duke of Newcastle's proof amounts to £ 16,434. The unsecured creditors in Charles Henry Marshall's estate included Miss Allison, Scarborough, C143 Mrs. Brown's trustees, Fen- ton, £ 210 John Stokes, deceased, £ 200; Mrs. I Matilda Smith, Thorney Vicarage, £ 400 Miss WagstafF, Scarborough, £ 450; Miss Hartshorne, East- Retford, £ 800. The principal creditors in j the estate of George Marshall were: Miss Edith j Marshall (daughters), £ 2,000; George Marshall, jun. (son), £ 2,000. Ttfe business was, added the Official Receiver, a very unfortunate one, and he was afraid it would turn out to be some- what complicated. There were three estates, and they all seemed to be mixed up with each other in a great measure. As regards the separate estate of George Marshall, a great deal must depend on the value of Mount Vernon, upon which there were mortgages, and what it would realise. Mr. Neal said it was impossible for the debtors to make any proposal at present, and a resolu- tion adjudicating both debtors bankrupt was passed, ,¡ a trustee and committee of inspection being appointed. j

A Bill has been introduced in the Assembly at Albany, New York, for the purpose of amend- in the code of civil procedure so as to include trained nurses among privileged witnesses, such as physicians and clergymen, who are not com- pelled to disclose information obtained while attending a patient. According to the "Hospi- tal," the object of this measure is twofoldr.-to protect nurses, and also to prevent them from being employed as detectives. This is because several nurses have not only been engaged in America as detectives, but have lately given evidence in their dual capacity in important legal cases.

ART AND LITERATURE. O As a nation we do not spend much on the ac- quisition of works of art. Only four pictures were last year obtained by purchase hv the directors of the National Gallery. Of 'these Zurbaran's "Portrait of a Lady as St. Mar- garet," bought from the Maiquis of Northamp- ton for i,1,000 out of the Clarke Bequest Fund, and La Fargue's "The Market-place at The Hague," secured from the Hon. C. Sctater- Booth for C300 of the Lewis Fund income, were placed in the Trafalgar-square collection. The only other additions to the main gallery were Sir" Joshua Reynold's "Mrs. Hartley and Child," and Lucas Cranach's "Portrait of a Man," gifts of Sir William Agnew and Mr. J. P. Heseltine respectively. Addition i to the Tate Gallery were more numerous. The Lewis Fund pur- chased from Mr. Hugh Stannus for CI15 two paintings by Alfred Stevens. G. F. Watts's "Life's Illusions" was presented by Mrs. Sey- mour; H. T. Wells's "Victoria Regina," by Mrs. Street and Mrs. Hadley, daughters of the artist; Claude Calthrop's "Scottish Jacobites," by Mrs. Calthrop; and David Murray's "In the Country of Constable," Adrian. Stoke's "Autumn on the Mountains," W. R. Colton's "The Springtide of Life," and H. H. Arm- stead's "Remorse" (the two latter marble statuary), by Mr. Heseltine. The most valuable work in existence is said to be a copy of the Koran now treasured in the Mahommedan city of Isonan-Ruza, Persia. The covers, 9tin. by 4in., are of solid gold an eighth, of an inch thick, while precious stones set in symbolic designs figure in the centre and at each of the corners. The book is written upon parchment, and this part of the work is valued at £ 25^000. Why, asks the "County Gentleman," will people hang their pictures, and, particularly their mirrors, so absurdly high? A picture should hang so that it is in a line with the eves, and can conveniently be seen when the observer is standing, not so that he must crane his neck upwards, and then only descry the ornament dimly. As for a looking-glass, when it is hung high, it only reflects the ceiling, and makes everyone dizzy who sees that portion of the room's anatomy all askew in it. Hung at the proper height it makes a picture of part of the room which is most pretty. Mr. Frederic Harrison's article on Sir Leslie Stephen in the "Cornhill" magazine is a sincere and dignified memoriST. He avoids, as he says, all "'floral tributes" in the spirit of Stephen's own feelings in such matters—feelings which he once vented in. the indignant exclamation:: "Can you not praise the dead man sufficiently unless you tell lies about him?" Of Stephen's literary achievement, Mr. Harrison says:—"In his own field, Stephen was all that we need as an interpreter, judge, and stimulus. He never pretended to be an all-round critic, or a guide to general literature, much less to the history of thought as a whole. His strength lay in his concentration on his own field—his strength, and, to some extent also, his weakness." At last something is likely to be done to pre- serve from final disappearance the last vestiges of Da Vinci's great masterpiece. "The Last Supper," painted on the refectorv wall of a monastery in Milan. It is not the" fact, as has been reported, that the painting has ceased to exist, but the danger has become so imminent that, after supinely neglecting two reports by Prof. Cavenaghi urging measures for rejoining the parts that have lost cohesion, without at- tempting any interference with the panels or colours, the Municipal Council at last passed a formal vote for the preservation of a work which is pronounced "the glory, not alone of Milan and of Italy, but of the civilised world." The vote declares that the last vestiges of the com- 'z;' position threaten utterly to disappear. Few members of the Royal Academy (says the "Globe") will be better represented in the coming exhibition than Mr. G. H. Boughten. He has this year departed from his usual direction, and instead of a large figure subject will show a couple of important landscapes, which are admirable in their breadth of handling and their charm of style. His figure pictures are small ones; the chief of them is a full- length of a girl in an old-fashioned riding dress standing in a corner of a picturesque garden. To the New Gallery he will send a half-length of a dark girl in a costume of black and purple, a fascinating study in low tones of colour. Mr. J. W. Waterhouse, another artist whose pictures generally make centres of interest in the Academy, will probably contribute only a small canvas, as neither of the large pictures on which he has been engaged during the past twelve months is ready for exhibition. Mr. Alfred East's largest picture, an expansive view of the Valley of the Rhone, is a charac-teristic study of golden sunlight, and is notable as a well-judged arrangement of landscape details, broadly treated and delightful in its decorative quality. Among his other works are a brilliant Japanese landscape, full of gay colour; and a charming woodland scene in a French river valley, a harmony in tones of grey and green which he has dealt with most sympathetically. He has chosen this year works which illus- trate very successfully the various phases of his art. A correspondent of the "Author" describes the grave of the late Mr. George Gissing in the cemetery of St. Jean de Luz. It commands" an admirable view of the mountains of Spain-a view that he delighted in himself." The grave is at present covered with flowers, mostly sent from England, and it is suggested that a plan might be adopted by which Gissing's friends and warm admirers of his writings might continue these tributes in years to come. The grave of Guy de Maupassant is kept beautiful with; flewers by the French Society of Authors, to whom the mother of Maupassant left a sum of money for this purpose. The Secretary of the London Society of Authors will be glad to receive t any_ contributions towards the carrying out of a similar tribute to George Gissing. Messrs. W. B. Robertson and Frederick Walker have written, by special permission of the King, very interesting descriptions of the Royal clocks in Windsor Castle Bucking- ham Palace, St. James's Palace, and Hampton Court, and the books has been published in hand- some quarto form, by John Walker, Limited. There are about 250 clocks—or, more accurately, timepieces, for they are not all striking, and the term clock means a timepiece that strikes, hence, no doubt, the Scottish "knock"—in Windsor Castle, and over 170 in Buckingham Palace. Of these only those that present special features- artistic, decorative, historic, or mechanical are treated, 83 in all. As to St. James's Palace, ten of the comparatively few clocks there are described; of these the Buhl clock in the banqueting hall is the gem of the collection. The book is embellished by a number of admirably reproduced photographs of the more interesting clocks, and the letterpress descrip- tions are very clear. Short notes about the makers of many of the clocks are appended, there is 9, useful glossary of horological terms, and the work altogether is an artistic and interesting production, and one which will be received with; satisfaction by all interested in the many attrac- tions of our Royal Palaces. Mr. Robertson and Mr. Walker are distinctly deserving of con- gratulation for the conscientious and thorough- going manner in which they have taken advantage of the unique opportunity given them. *>y his Majesty of placing their specialistic know- ledge of the beautiful and costly collection of clocks belonging to the King before the book- buying public, and that at a popular price. Mr. Frederick Walker, it should be mentioned, is a 3nember of the eminent London firm of Clock- makers to the King, who publish the book, end Mr. W. B. Robertson is widely known in the literary world as the painstaking wielder of a picturesque pen. U

Tours throughout Canada are being organised by the Montreal Board of Trade for the benefit of English university graduates. Since the beginning of the cotton season in September last, the output of cotton gpods in. England has been reduced by 750,000 bales. A murderer who is to be hanged at Pitts- burg next month has protested against being executed on the same day and in the same gaol as a condemned negro.