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

THE CEIM ERALELECTIOIM. PROGRESS OF THE CAMPAIGN. j N agn I The King held! a Council on Mondlay after- noon at Buckingham Palace, at which Hia Majesty signed a proclamation dissolving the present Parliament, and ordering writs to be issued for the summoning of a new Parliament which will meet for the despatch of business on Tuesday, February 13. Another proclama- tion directs the peers of Scotland to meet in Edinburgh on January 30 to elect the sixteen peers to represent them in the ensuing Pari'a- meat. MR. CHAMBERLAIN AT BIRMINGHAM. Mr. Chamberlain, speaking in East Birming- Siam on Saturday night in support of Sir Ben- jamin Stone's candidature, said that, 116 to the question of Home Rule, he disliked the idea of a British Government which was absolutely rundier the control of the enemies of the country. All the members of the present Ministry had avowed their adherence to the Home Rule prin- ciptes of Mr. Gladstone, and, having done that, they were trying to deceive the electors by say- 4ag that Home Rule was a bogey. The distress from which the country was suffering was due practically to one thing only—want of employ- rnent. The only remedy was in new and in- creased markets, and for these markets all the other nations were fighting us, not with arms, 'but with tariffs. He and those who agreed with him were tired of this state of things, and, if the -workin- men would give them a mandate, they would put a stop to it. The protection of labour was just as much opposed to free trade as the protection of goods, and he ought to have the support of every trade unionist. After insisting that pauperism was much greater than it was fen, twenty, or, he fancied, thirty years ago, Mx. Chamberlain concluded by reiterating that, as long as they had a system of free imports, they could not hope for any change in the situa- tion as regarded unemployment. ua MR. HARCOURT AT BURY. Mr. L. V. Haroourt, First CommaTissioner of twiorks-, addreised a joint meeting of Bury and iBeywood Liberals at Bury Hippodrome on Saturday afternoon. He said the long-delayed tend greatly-desired dimoluibi»rt was at hand, and Ifehe method of the Tory Government's going was iworthy of the rest of their proceedings; de- spised by their opponents, frightened by their own friends, they sneaked out of their resfponsi- fbdlitieB 'like an absconding bankrupt with the .police upon his track. Mr. Balfour said the jpolicy of the Unionist party was a policy of pre- ference for I;he Colonies and retaliation, which Mr. Chamberlain pointed out must mean a general and necessarily a protective tariff. Why did not Mr. Balfour resign after he was de- feated in July, or dissolve in the early autumn tarnd Invite the verdict of the country in order Itohafc the Government's successors might have tetiitered upon the work of revising the esttiimiates of each Department, which was now impossible? lair. WYNDHAM AT DOVER. Mr. Wyndham, M.P., speaking ait Dover on BaJtmrday night, criticised speeches made by Mr. Ealdane, Mr. Asquitih, and Sir Edward Grey. fie said these three statesman enabled the pre- sent Cabinet to be brought into exmstence. If they had stood out the Liberal party would not now have been in power. The danger was that ifchese men being in the Cabinet might soothe fthe electors' anxieties and make them believe JGhiat, afiter all, a change of Government did not teoiatter, as they were cooing like turtle doves to tihe very mibemeeltis Sir Henry CamipbeM-Banner- I fiffiian had fluttered. Buit, coo these gentlemen tever eo softly, the return of the Lilberla.1 Govern- ment would mean that not only would the fecal fitsBu be burked, but the tyranny foreshadowed gn the Prima Minister's speech at the Albert jBaM would be enforced by the votes of Homw sRuleite and those in favour of tihe dlaesfcablieh- Snenifc of tihe Church. Political speeches were aflisio delivered on Caiturday night by Sir G. Parker at Gravasend, And Mr. Lough at West Islington. i MR. J. MORLEY AND UNEMPLOYED, I f Mr. John Morley, replying on Saturday at Arbroath to a deputation of representatives of She Labour and Socialist parties, pointed out jfchat a proposal to supplement the rates by Exchequer grants to provide work for the unemployed meant simply taking money out of fche ratepayer's pocket. Labour was, no doubt, jone essential to the production of wealth, bat fit was not the only essential; capital was (equally necessary. If, as he had gathered from brhat they said, the deipufation really meant that ffche State was bound to provide work at a (Standard wage for every man for whom private janterprise failed to furnish it, he ventured' to fell them that he thought that an unsound and pangerous proposition. 1 WHAT MR. CHURCHILL SAYS. r Mr. Churchill, speaking at Accrington on {Saturday night, re.markedi that Mr. Chamberlain proposed to find work for 300,000 people by shutting out foreign goods, and at the same ttime to raise twelve millions a year by taxes on Ifche goods shut out. I MR. BURNS IN BATTER SEA. j £ Mr. John Burns, speaking at Battersea on Saturday night, dealt with the subjects of /Chinese labour and fiscal policy. :hinese la;bourand fis-cal policy. ? MR. BIRRELL ON EDUCATION. I f Speakings .in Bristol on Saturday night, Mr. jiBirrell said he desired to see in all schools pimple religious Christian teaching, simple elementary Christian Bible New Testament beaching. One had to be very careful to use jail right words in view of recent criticism. He fewas anxious* not to divorce education from the ffieligious feelings of the people, and was willing po give facilities for denominational teachings— pot at the expense of the ratepayers on school premises, where they were satisfied it was the Pwish of the parents-attenruance not to be com- pulsory. He did not want to separate secular Mucatton altogether from the religious instincts pi the people. j ISIR H. FOWLER AT WOLVERHAMPTON. I II Addressing a meeting at Wolverhampton, oa ,saturday evening, Sir Henry Fowler said Mr. jChamberlain'a policy was founded on the theory jjthat the state of trade in this country was decreasing in a rapid! manner. Political (students were interested in the speeches pelivered bv Mr. Chamberlain between 1880 and *1885, and now they could quote Mr. Chamber- lain on both sides. Those who were protec- tionists could quote what the Birmingham statesman had been saying in the last few ths, and those who were free-traders could quote what he said twenty ye,ars ago. Mr. IChainberlain was then enjoying the ib-enefits of fcree* trade. Peace was the greatest British {interest. During the past ten years social legislation, the reforming legisla,tion of the tcountry, had' been at a standstill. The late arliament, bad done lees and wasted more time Wla,n any Parliament in the last 200 years. MR. BALFOUR'S TWO MEETINGS. I Mr. Balfour addressed two meetings in East Manchester on Monday night. At the first he Slealt at length with the question of Chinese labour, declaring that no greater crime had been committed by the members of the present Government than the pretensions they madle on ithis subject, and that they did not intend to Salter the existing system, because they dare not,, At tbe second meeting, Mr. Balfour 58iw that ^Unquestionably the price to be paid by the ^Government for Irish support was something in respect of the government of Ireland which Should be a step In the direction of Mr. Glad- ¡'. stone's Bill. In regard to the fiscal question, fcis doctrine was not that of protection, or of Imposing duties to bolster up manufactures wAich were dyfng;- but lie did complain that we were not using; our power of influencing the commercial legislation of other and competing countries. I MR. CHAMBERLAIN'S REMEDY. I Mr. Chamberlain, in a speech in support of the Unionist candidate at Wednaabury on Monday night, dewltchiefly with the unemploy- ment problem, which, he said, arose from foreign competition. The only effective remedy was to compel the foreigner to treat our trade fairly by taxing hie. products. I WHAT MR. ASQUITH SAYS. Mr. Asquith, speaking on Monday night at Huddersfield, said that if time were given them, the Government would amend the Trades Disputes Bill and extend the Workmen's Com- pensation Act. Protection was no panarcea. for unemployment. Education first, and then temperance and land reform, and. public economy would be dealt with by the new Government &a remedies for poverty and un- employment. LORD LANSDOWNE AT MANCHESTER. Lord: Lansdowne, addressing a mass meeting 11 9 of Unionists at the Free Trade Hall, Man- chester, on Monday night, held that the late Premier was justified in resigning when he did, and said that there were really three issues to be decided) at the coming election—whether the electorate preferred the promises of the new to the performances of the late Government; whther they were satisfied with the views of the Cabinet on Home Rule; and, finally, which of the two views of the fiscal question was the more reasonable. MR. MORLEY AT MONTROSE. Mr. John Morley, speaking on Monday night at Montrose, dealt with the fiscal ques- tion, and ask-ed if the case for change had been made out. Was the remedy clearly defined? Was the how, when, and where of the remedy clearly defined? He contended that not one of these conditions had been complied with, and that no case had been made out for the tremendous revolution proposed. MR. BRYCE AT ABERDEEN. ] Mr. Bryce, addressing the electors of South Aberdeen on Monday night, in criticising the present Opposition, said the late Government had gone round the corner and was now throw- ing stones to break windows of the house occu- pied by its successor. He declared that fiscal reform was introduced by one who had done more to injure the Colonies and the Empire than anyone in our time. In regard to the aim and character of Irish policy, Mr. Bryce siaid they must give the people trust in the Government which administers the law. MR. ARNOLD-FORSTER SHOUTED DOWN. A meeting held on Monday night at Thornton Heath, in support of the candidature of Mr. Arnold-Forster, was of a riccouschaxacter. Mr. Forster complained of the intentional and per- sistent interruption of an organised body of Liberal 'opponents, but for an hour stood his ground, amid great uproar and confusion. He pointed out that Mr. Lloyd-George was given a perfectly fair hearing in that constituency. I SIR CHARLES DILKE. I Sir Charles Dilbe, on Monday night, addres- j sing a meeting in Caxton Hall, Westminster, in support of the candidature of Captain Hobart, said he regarded the composition of the Govern- ment, in respect of the principal places, as ex- cellent and admirable. 11: I SIR EDWARD STRACHEY'S THREAT. T Sir Edward Strachey, Comptroller of the Household, addressing a meeting in South Somerset on Monday evening, declared that if the Liberal Government introduced a Rule Bill he would at once resign his post. MR. BURNS AND MR. CHAMBERLAIN. Mr. John Burns, addressing a meeting at Derby on Monday night, said Mr. Chamberlain went further than Jack Cade, and. outstripped all the political bribers from Cade to Mr. Jesse Collings. Mr. Chamberlain had said that one million able-bodied men were in our workhouses, whereas the number was only 214,000, and out of that number onlv 7,615 were able-bodied men. Add to these 2,200 in Ireland and 2,000 in Scot- land, and they would find Mr. Chamberlain" to be 990,000 wrong in a million, THE PREMIER AT LIVERPOOL. ) Sir H. Campbell-Bannerman, addressing a great meeting at Liverpool on Tuesday night said all the organised forces of privilege were against them, but with the public sense of right on their side they would win. Their opponents were making a desperate attempt to conduct the .struggle on a. grand organised system of false alarms, and to turn a real fight into a sham one. The issue at this election was not any Irish, Scotch, or Welsh question, but the question of free trade. Mr. Balfour's charge against the Mbe-rals of weakening the defences of the Em- pire was baseless. He looked to settled and pacific policy and mutual acknowledgment of superfluous. armaments to render reduction pos- sible. In regard to the question of Chinese labour, he regretted that the Government could not stop the importation of coolies for whom licenses had been issued before they took office. Although at the end of last October Mr. Lvttel- ton had advised the mineowners to stop the im- portation of coolies, yet 13,000 fresh licenses were suddenly issued early in November. This remarkable incident would require elucidation. Sir Henry, in conclusion, dealt with the fiscal, question. There were some lively scenes owing to the interruption of a number of women who de- manded to know whether the Premier was in favour of Women's Suffrage. The interrupters were promptly dealt with, and seven women in all were ejected. MR. BALFOUR AT MANCHESTER. I Mr. Balfour on Tuesday night addressed two meetings in East Manchester, setting forth his views on Chinese labour, the fiscal problem, and other prominent questions. I MR. ASQUITH ON PROTECTION. i Mr. Asquith, speaking at Stockton-on-Tee& on Tuesday night, said protection was the resur- rection of a twenty years old corpse. Mr. Chamberlain was the cuckoo who had taken the eggs laid by Lord Randolph Churchill in his callowest days. WHAT MR. HALDANE SAYS. I Mr. Haldane, Secretary for War, speaking on Tuesday night at Prestonpans, referred to the peculiar difficulties of Army reorganisation, and. while crediting Mr. Chamberlain with public spirit and honourable motives in his advocacy of a reversal of our fiscal policy, held that such a course* would be attended with results exactly opposite to those which Mr. Chamberlain sought to attain. MR. J. MORLEY. I Mr. John Morley, continuing his electoral campaign on Tuesday night at Bervie, devoted himself mainly to the discussion of the fiscal question. I OTHER SPEAKERS. 1 Political speeches were also delivered on Tuesday by Mr. Churchill at Manchester. Mr. Lloyd-George at Middlesbrough, Mr. Bryce at Aberdeen, Mr. A. Gibbs and Sir E. Clarke; K.C., in the City, and others.

A 8IMPLE FACT ABOUT KEATING'S COUGH LOZENGES. Ask throughout the world, in any country that.can be named, you will and them largely sold. There is absolutely no remedy thatis so speedy in giving relief, so certain to cure, and yet the most delicatt. can take them. One Lozenge gives ease. Sold in 13gd. tins.

DEAD OR ALIVE? » -| A REMARKABLE AFFAIR. 1 A strange affair is reported from Bordeaux i Eight or nine days ago a youth of the district, ] named Jean Piet, went on a drunken spree with two companions, the upshot of which was that Piet fell into the river and was drowned, or at least that was the verdict of the authorities when two days later his body was fished out of the water and interred. The boy was his j mother's favourit-e child, and nightly after the burial Mme. Piet dreamt that her son was not dead, but buried alive. So vivid were these dreams that the mother ultimately went to the authorities and implored them to grant an order for exhumation. This was refused atfirot, but the mother pleaded so eloquently that consent was at last obtained. The exhumation took place, and physicians confessed themselves puzzled by the condition of the body, and notably by the marked absence of any signs of decomposition. They have determined on a careful investigation, and the remains are to be watched night and day, in order to detect any signs of returning life. The affair is creating the greatest excitement j in the district. j —

I CHARING CROSS DISASTER, j l I RESULT OF THE INQUIRY. Sir Benjamin Baker, consulting engineer to the South-Eastern and Chatham Railway Com- pany, gave evidence on Monday, when the in- quiry was resumed by Mr. John Troutbeck into the disaster wh-ch Well six workmen at Charing Cross and the Avenue Theatre on December 5 by the fall of the roof of the railway station. A model of the roof of the station as it appeared before the collapse was placed near the jury- box. The first witness was the chief engineer, Mr. Percy Tempest, who said that since 1898 he had received no reports as to the condition of the roof, as there was nothing to report. The district engineer went up to the roof twice a year and examined it. Sir Benjamin Baker said he formed the opinion that the accident was due to the frac- ture of a tie-rod. For some reason the bar had broken with only one-third of its proper break- ing weight. When the broken portions were recovered it was apparent that in the centre of the welded bar there had never been metallic union. But for this flaw the roof would have been good for another twenty years. In reply to Mr. Pollock, K.C., who appeared for Messrs. Maple, by whom the decoration of the Avenue Theatre was being carried out, Sir Benjamin said it was providential that the breakage occurred when it did. It might have happened when the theatre and station were filled with people. Mr. George Ellson, a civil engineer, who said he found the roof in good condition in December. 1902, was asked by Mr. Boydell Houghton if he had at copy of the notes be made at the time. Mr. Bodkin said that if the witness had he should object to their production. Mr. Hough- ton knew perfectly well that on Saturday, at the instance of Mr. Cyril Maude, the railway company was served with a writ, and he de- clined to allow Mr. Ellson to be cross-examined for ulterior purposes in that action. He thought the coroner and jury would see that it was not a real attempt ta get at the truth of the matter. Thesoroneroocid.ed in favour of Mr. Houghton, and thfe witness undertook to produce the notes. Sir Wolfe Barry, C.E., w was principal assistant to Sir John Hawkshaw in the erection of the station roof, said that only a laboratory experiment could have revealed the fracture in the tie-rod. In the end. the jury returned a verdict of "Accidental death," adding that "the accident occurred through the breaking of a tie-rod through an unforeseen flaw," and that tbey at- tached no blame to any of the company's officials.

CHINESE LABOUR. I A Parliamentary paper issued on Tuesday contained! the correspondence between Lord Elgin, Secretaxy for the Colonies, and Lord Selborne, High Commissioner in South Africa, with regard; to the stoppage of the further importa- tion of Chines6 indentured labour into the Transvaal. The final decision of the Home Government with regard to licensies for impor- tation already granted is to the effect that under all the circumstances the licenses in ques- tion must be allowed to stand', the responsibility for their being granted ',be:in,, one which must entirely rest with their predecessors. The Government, adds Lord) Elgin, require that, from the date on which they assumed' office, nothing shall be done to add. to the number of Chinese labourers under contract for employ- ment in South Africa until the Transvaal shall have had an opportunity of declaring its opinion through an elected and really representative Legislature.

THE STRONGEST NERVE TONIC IS VENO'S SEAWEED TONIC. It is not possible to make a stronger or more effective nerve sfcrengthener. It possesses marvel- lous, purifying, healing, and tonic properties. A rare edible species of seaweed obtained on the Pacific coast is used; Incases of nervous weak- ness, lassitude, debility, iiifdigesiiion, liver and stomach diseases,, and eapeciaHy female weakness and habitual constipation, it is pre-eminent. Cures permanently. No return. Pleasant to> take. You feel ljetteij" at once. Doctors use It. Creden- tials and tesfcuitap&Is of the Mghest character. Ask for VENO! TONIC; Is. I!Ld. and 2s. 9d., at Chemists everywhere.

ROYALTY AT THE CAPE, I b The Duke and Duchess of Connaught and: Princess Patricia arrived lat Cape Town on Tuesday, from Southampton, by the Armadaile Castle, after a splendid voyage, and were given an enthusiastic reception as they drove to the City Hall. Their Royal Highnesses were wel- comed at the docks by Sir W. Hely Hutchinson, the Governor, the members of the Cabinet, the Mayor of Cape Town, and naval and military officers. Beautiful weather prevailed, and the lhrightly-decomted streets were crowded with people. Replying to an address by the Mayor, the Duke of Connaught said:—"I assure you of His Majesty's deep interest in everything concern- ing the happiness and prosperity of his South African subjects, and of his ardent wish for the peace and prosperity of the country. I shall never forget the warmth of this reception." Their Royal Highnesees afterwards drove to Government House at Newlands.

DISASTROUS FIRE IN INDIA. I The Palace of the Thakur of Limbi or Limn (Kalthjiawar) has been totally destroyed by fire. 1.1h>e bulk of the inmates escaped with great diffi- cuHifcv, bult several are repo-nted to have been losit. The fire, whidh there wae no means of extinguishing, was raging for over three clays, and the wholle town was ablaze. The damage is estimated ait upwards of fifty lakhs of rupees (1330,000). The Tihiakur Gabiib of Lmroibdi rules aver an area of 344 square miles, with a popula- tion of about 43,000.

A certain venerable archdeacon engaged .as a new footman a Wiell-<recominended} youth who had' served as a stable hoy. The first duty which he was oallsd upon to perform was to accompany the archdieacon an a series of forma calls. "Bring the cards, Thomas, end, leave one at each house," ordered his master. After two hours of visiting from house to house the archdeacon's list was exhausted. "This is the 1:asit house, Thomas," he said; "leave two cards here." "Beggin' your pairdon, sir," was the reply, "I can-I've only the ace o' spades left."

KUBELIK SUED. I Mr. Kubelik the famous violinist, has just ibeen sued by Mr. Schurman, the well-known impresario, for various sums in the Third Chamber of the Civil Court at Pa.ris. Mr. Sehnrmian said be had to pay £ 30 to a theatre manager in Madrid for a concert that was not held, £ 200 for the hire of- a theatre in Bar- celona, and £ 24 for the lady accompanist at five concerts. He also claimed X290 for damages. The violinist set uip "the defence that as he was domiciled in Bohemia the Franch Courts had no jurisdiction. The Court ruled t.hat such domicile was notvproved, and ordered Mr. Kubelik to pay the claim.

TO MOTHERS OP LARGE OR SMALL FAMILIES. It is a source of great uneasiness to mothers whose children suffer from coughs, colds, bron- chitis, whooping cough, or croup but this un- easiness is reduced to a minimum when VENO'S LIGHTNING COUGH CURB is in,, the house. It relieves fever in a few hours, cures an ordinary coagh in one night, and is specially adapted for children. No safer or purer remedy exists, and nothing can be given that will soi quickly curre children's coughs. Upwards of two million bottles are sold annually. Mrs. ADA S. BALLIN, 5,, Agar-street, London, Editor of" Womanhood" and a, great authority upon children's diseasesy writes: "VENç.'s LIGHTNING COUGH CURE is one of the very few cough mixtures that can safelyjie given to children; it is an exceedingly successful* remedy for coughs, colds, bronchitis, and catarrh, and is also of great service in influenza and asthma. It is very pleasant to take, and the relief it gives is very rapid." Ask for VENO'S LIGHTNING COUGH CURE, gld., Is. 1id.and2s. 9d., at Chemists and Drug Stores everywhere.

Three beggars on whom inquests were held were Bound to possess more thiWIl £600 beibween them. At the ne,w year's tr&at to the inmates of the Kingston Workhouse, the chairman of the Board of Guardians sang a couple of songs, another members almused the company as a "dJie¡ap jack," and a third told them a tragic tile with a sudden and absurd' ending. I

BROWN'S 1 J| BRONCHIAL fe. TROCHES ,§OP PO* Coughs A Cold#, p|| Tnftuanxa, Catarrh., Bronchitis, dtc. &o/eieverywhereperbcx. p|| Tnftuanxa, Catarrh., Bronchitis, dtc. &o/eieverywhereperbcx.

"I 'have never navigated a Ibarge In my life, nor have my two nautical ^assessors. Captain Cunningham and Captain HiggHoson, confessed Judge Lumley Smith, ■apropos oi a bargse collision case in the City; of €buart. "I once stee-redi a If Thames," said, Mr. A. E. Nelson,'the d^ndi £ counsel. "sWnat was the result?' -i t judge. "OJI, beautiful!" was the somewhat vague answer.

wri REGISTERED TRADE VA-X. The NEW TOILET SOAPS of THE BRITISH EMPIRE SOAP COMPANY, LIMITED. are now on sale, and the following Prizes are offered to purchasers of 6d. Tablets, viz.:— First Prize, ;c-ioo in Cash. -r n Prizes of dBICi in Cash. Twenty Prizes of R5 in Cash. Fifty Prizes of £ 2 in Cash. One Hundred Prizes of £ 1 in Cash. If you are unable to obtain our Toilet Soaps, either from your Chennst or Grocer, please write direct to the Company, 36,38, & 40, Broad Street House, New Broad Street, London, E.C., enclosing Stamps for as many Tablets as are required, when they will be forwarded post free. AGENTS WANTED.

I ELECTION ADLKESbES. SIR H. CAMPBELL-BANNERMAN'S ADDRESS. Sir H. Campbell-Bannerman, in his election address, says that, though the Unionist party have during their ten yeai« of office onjoytu advantages of an overwhelming majority in the House of Commons and the docile support of the House of Lorde, the period of their adminis- tration presents itself as a well-nigh unbroken expanse of mismanagement, of legislation con- ducted for the benefit of privileged classes and powerful interests, of wars and adventures abroad hastily embarked upon and recklessly pursued. After dwelling on the record of the late Government in regard to the South African settlement, the state of the national finances, the confused attempts at Army reorganisation, and the handling of the questions of education, licensing, and rating, Sir Henry proceeds to discuss the Unionist proposals of fiscrf reform, which he holds to be fraught with incalculable mischief to the nation and the Empire. He sets forth at length his reasons for this conviction, and adds that the policy of the present Govern- ment is well known to the electors. Should they be confirmed in office, they will, while hold- ing fast to the time-honoured principles of Liberalism, repair so far as they can the mis- chief wrought-in recent years. As to foreign affairs, the Unionist party, by renouncing those undesirable characteristics which Liberals for- merly detected in their foreign policy, have made it possible for the Government to purs" a substantial continuity of policy. MR. JOHN MORLEY. I Mr. John Motley, Secretary of State for India, on Monday issued his addirese to the electors of the Montrose District of Burghs. It isbasOOt on the arguments presented to the eLootom at his recent meeting in Arbroath, and characterised rbyM.r. Morteis customary pre- cision of phrase and unsparing logic. The following are among the counts in the indict- ment which he htas drawn up against the late Government: — It is ihardly necessiary for me to tell over again the too familiar tale, how the late Ministry blundered; into a long, costly, dangerous, and difficult war. As to their future policy, what fiseal -reform means to one zealous section of the Unionist party is to the other section lanathema, and yet this chaos is seriously presented to the country es a rprogmmme and a policy. I SIR EDWARD GREY. I The adicPrees of Sir Edward Grey (Foreign Secretary) to the electors of the Berwick-oa- Tweed division ia mainly devoted to the issue of Free, Trade v. Protection. In the adoption of Protection Sir Edward sees the coming of political corruption, increase in the price of food, and the lowering of wages. He believes tha,t a frelet discussion at the next Colonial Con- ference will make it clear that the Colonies, as at least one of them has already told us, are not prepared to abandon, or even to reduce, the duties which they now impose on British goods. While this is so there can be no question of Free Tradto within the Empire. l MR. ASQUITH. I Mr. Asquith, Chancellor of the Exchequer, I on Monday evening issued his address to the electors of the Eastern division of Fife. He finds the record of the late Government to be one of reactionary and partial legislation, cf feeble and incoherent management in some of the most important departments of the State- in particular in the War OiMee-and of profuse and unregulated extravagance. Mr. Asquith contends that Free Trade is, responsible for our supremacy in the world's markets, and that wan- tonly to tamper with our fiscal system is to invite disaster. MR A. CHAMBERLAIN. Mr. Austen Chamberlain's election address urges strenuous resistance to the policy of cowardly surrender to the forces of disloyalty in Ireland, and advocates a change in our fiscal policy r SIR CHARLES DILKE. 1 The following is the text of Sn- Cha.)rI)M DiHBa'w address to the electom of the Forest of Dean Division ^Tjrentlemen,—I solicit with confi- dence the renewal of your trust-. -Believe -me, l your devoted servant, CHARLES W. BiLKB."

A NONAGENARIAN PEER. j Lord Mash am has just reached the advanced agio of ninety-one. He is the oldest of our ennobled) self-made men, and he is as keenly intereatedi in the political and industrial-affairs of to-day iae ever he was. He was left a widower with seven children more than a quarter of a century ago, and' he took his seat in the House of Lorda when not far off eighty. Bord Masliam is, of coume, a. man of many inventions, his only compeer since his ennoble. ment having been th,e late Lord Grimthorpe, who invented innumerable clocks, bells, and XOK2) MA SHAM. I other mechanical devices which never brought feim a penny. Itord Grimthorpe, too, was the first peer of hia line, and, died! a nonogenarian. These two stalwarts had another characteristic in common, they were both vigorous contro- versaliate, who could give hard knocks-and tafce them Born at C-Ulverley Hall, near Brad- ford, in 1815, Mr. Cunliffe Lister, as he formerly was, founded1 the immense manufacturing establishment of Manningham Mills, where he made silk plush for all the world. He became a millionaire, and has devoted many 'hundreds of thousands of pounds to philanthropic pur- poses.

A HAT CAUSES A TRAGEDY. I I There was an instance in Paris recently of how even a puff of wind blowing off a man's hat can produce a tragedy. A cab, occupied by two men and a woman, was passing along the Rue Caumar- tin. The hat ofjone of the men was blown off, and ho leant from the cab door to pick it up. But at this moment another cab came in an opposite direction, and crushed the hat. Seeing the fate that had overtaken his headgear the man left the cab. His wrath was frightful. He attacked the involuntary author of the accident. The poor cabman was pulled from his box and cuffed and kicked to such an extent that he fell to the ground unconscions. The aggressor then entered the cab, and drove away with his friends. When the cabman was picked up it was seen that his right leg and skull, were fractured. He also complained of internal pains. And with good reason, for he died a few hours afterwards at Lariboisibre Hospital. An active search is being made for his murderer.

Crowded out of service by motor-omn-ttt)ufiem, lone of ifahe old hioree-dxiawn vehicles ie ibeing used by a Caanibetrwelll jobmaster as a fowl-house. As oampeiaetaibjioia fox a broken leg, susitaaned by being ejeofed diawntft-aiim from a Liverpool jthieiarfyre, J amies Rigger bias been awarded £ 25 iteumiages ¡all; the IiLvotfpool Court of Passage. Charged wfltth refractory conduct, in the work- oouse, at Romford, a tap said that when he watered the casual ward the master was euffer- ing from "lapsus memoriae."

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Professor Herkomer's picture, "The Gutardv Cheer," has been -preeented. by Mr. H. O. Willa to the city of Bristol. To induce teachers to take positions in un. pleasant neighbourhoods, the London Countj Council "will, for the future offer £ 7 10s. a yaat extra salary in poor or out-of-the-way districts.

DELICIOUS COFFEE. RED WHITE &  Breakfast &  DSnne:

Edwin Stevens, when he made up his mind to tackle vaudeville, for the first round selected Manager Meyerfe;lt, founder of the Orpheum. crcuit. The manager had a gruff manner a',d a German accent, and was, moreover, very fcuey. Turning on Mr. Stevens, brusquely, iho exclaimed: "Veil, vat do you vant?" "I would like to go into vaudeville," responded the candidate, meekly. "Vat do you do—vat is your line?" "I am a comedian," was the modest answer. "A komiker, hein?" and the manager faced him, sternly; "veil, make me laugh."

NO BETTER FOOD." Or. tHdroM Wilton, F.K.8.E., *» ft .^of- o° COLD MEDALS, &c.

General Grant records a. good story, tha-t usad to amuse mm greatly, of a certain rough car. penter who accompanied' "Stonewall" Jackson m many of his marelieg. Once when the general was making a rapid movement, he caioa to a deep stream; the bridge had been burned, and! it was necessary should be resior-edl u eoon mis possible. Jacks.onsent for his engineers and the carpenter, telling them what wa» required1, and the engineers retired to their tJente to prepare their plansl. Two liours later the carpenter re;porte: "Gineral, that bridge So finished, but them pictera ain't come yet."