The Brecon Reporter and South Wales General Advertiser

DENMARK. COPENHAGEN, April 2'6. It is most positively asserted that in the event of a war between France and Prussia, Denmark will observe the atrictest neutrality.

SPAIN. MADRID, April 26. An amnesty has been accorded to all the corporals and- private soldiers concerned in the military revolts which took place in the months of January and June, 1866, A delay of 30 days is allowed for the acceptance of the amnesty.

,10.hn GjosnplI "nil Co.'s Cherry Tooth the best preparation for cleansing and preservin g the tf -ri' S 1 bj all perfumers and chemists.- i)3. Upper Thames-street honuun Toothache may be Instantly cured by Buster's N-erviue, which also forms a stopping, saves the tooth, and renders ex. ruction unnecessary. Sold by all chemists, Is. lid. per packet. One of Dr. Locock's Pulmonic Wafers, taken two or three times a day, gives instant relief and rapidly cures asthma, consumption, coughs, and all disorders of the breath and lunga* Price Is. ljd. Sold by all druggists. and lungs, Price Is. lid. Sold by all druggists.

T O "W 1ST T A. Xj K BY OTJB SPECIAL CORRES:POND:a::NT. --+-- 0Mf rtadm tain imfe-stand thatwø lio not 1tOId ourselves resp(m. tiiUfor our able ()!Jinion3. WE have not had such an Easter week in Eng- land for many years as the one just, passed. Easter Morsday was a d<1Y of public meetings and public pioaeedings in nearly every town of importance in the country. At Manchester the city was out set- tirg up a monument to Cobden. At Matlock- bridge the local officials were busy laying the foun- dation etone of a new market-hall in the most pic- turesque part of the peaks of Derbyshire, where a town-hall was never thought tecl before. At Leicester, a public meeting upon the Keform Bill w-as held as early as eleven o'clock in the morning. Birmingham presented all the animation of the old .E';furra days, and on the ■whole line from New- casij.e-ori-'lyne to Piyasoath, "demonstrations" were being beld. MR. MARSHALL VVOOD, a London sculptor, chkfly celebrated for tae classic grace of his depigns, which resemble in force fUid refinement the best works of Gibson, has executed the statue of T-bich now graces Manchester. It is a fact tht neither Woollier nor Marshall Wood, the two most successful sculptors who have produced effigies, ot Ci;.bdeB, ever saw him. Mr. Wood was chiefly guided by a cast of Cobden taken after death. The cast, in which, the nose was depressed end the lips distorted, as is usual in such cases, through the pressure of .the plaster on the inanimate features, is yet one which shows great force of character, and what would be called an impressive r, e Sive p Cobden had a vigorous formation of nose* of great breadth at the apex, which warily denote's a good digestion, which he had not. Like mos thoughtful er.), la,4 a nervous appetite, and was a careless eatfer. His under lip was marked by a curious equal, muscular development. Mr. Marshall Wood nas missed this somewhat, and there- fore given to his mouth a certain thinness ki fcfe Manchester (statue which is not tree. The general expression of the figure is undoubtedly like, and on the whole satisfactory to his friend-}. There is a very good oil painting portrait of Cobden in the National "Portrait or ill try. by Fagnani, to whom Cobden sat, and in which the artist has caught the expression of the nnder lip so characteristic of Cobden. In Marshall Wood's statue the figure stands alone on the pedestal, without any support, without aDy dis- figuring Tee, Sl-um p, pedestal, or artificial rest, which Hpoila so many statues. The great Leaguer standi easily and upright, with that loot of conscious self-possession which seldom, if ever, deserted Cobden in argument. One hand rests in the opening of his vest, the other is partly ex- uded, and his fingers slightly expanded, as was his custom in stating a case. A loose, easy-sit tino- snrtoat coat is made without anv distortions to fail into perpendicular folds, and" altogether the expression of the statue is one of simplicity dignity, modesty, intelligence, and power. ,it Y, I-lt-hf South Kensington Museum any one may se* Woolntr'e statue of the "British Mother," a work of great power and refinement of execution, upon which he has lavished all the resources of his genius. Mr. Marshall Wood has just e:> seated a figure which, in point of spirit and grace., can be compared, with this. Mr. Wood calls his the" Song of the Shirt." It is Hood's celebrated song in marble. A girl is sitting on a backless chair, with her foot upon an old hassock; a shirt upon her knee, her elbow upon the shirt and her head upon her hand, foigehal of her wretchedness, which has wasted without de-troying her beauty, and is think- ing oi the daisy-strewn fields with which her happier childhood days were familiar. The work 'a really a successful embodiment of the In about ten days it will reach the Paris Exbibi- sabjecty entirely free from anything morbid, tion—where a pLtoa htis been reserved for it in one cf the picture galiedes-where, as English sculpture is but partially represented, it will be a welcome addition to the illustrations of English genius in this department of art. IT may interest some fair readers if I state that Mr. Marshall Wood is commissioned by his Royal Highness the Prinue of Wales to execute a new bnst '.»? the Princess, and that the disposition of the .Princess's hair is far more simple and graceful than in the previous bust executed by this sculptor. In the former bust the hair hung in the heavy dÚgnon fashion prevalent when the Princess arrived in this country, and from which the Prince would permit no departure by the sculptor, who has no-IV ioavu given him to adopt the more graceful and mis; baggy disposition of the hair, which her Boyal Highness, with good taste, now cultivates. The faultless beauty of form, in this new bust is no exaggeration. There is not a curve of flattery in it. ia deed, the sculptor despairs of realising the graces of his illustrious model. As many es eight measurements were taken by the artist before producing this bust, so that the proportions may be regarded as unerringly true. The Prince him&o!f has grown more handsome of late, and the beard which he is beginning to wear adds vigour and manliness to the new bust of him Mr. Wood is executing. A PARAGRAPH in the Daily News of the 25th ult. states "an uopreeented fact," namely, that Mr. Jean di) Waldeck, an artist who exhibits at the PariK exhibition of the Palais de 1'Industrie, "was born at Vienna, 16th March, 1766, but naturalised French, and whj therefore has completed his 101st year. It must be a great advantage to be "iiat'-aralissd French" if you "therefore" can complete your 101st year. The old painter, who if; indeed one of the" Old Masters," has painted two oil pictures since he was 100 years of age. Such t,¡ unexampled feat ought to entitle Mr. W:'ilclevL'i. production to a place in the great Exhi- bition fit, Paris this year. PEKTO-rviLiiE, Pa.rkhurst, Millbank, Portland, Dirtjjfiur, Portsmouth, Brixton. Chatham, Ful- hivm, Woking, Broadmoor, are the chief English prhoai. :k-r many years past they have collec- ti cof-t the country 273,000 annually, while the earnings of the scoundrels confined there (of whom i :ie kills are of the scoundrel description) arc, only X14,,09,0 a year. I wonder that a little profitable industry cannot be got out of these visions ecamps. Can nobody make them voric for their living? TEE discussion on the cubic space of air need- I ion ful for a human being's ordinary consumption has been continued in a blue-hook on this subject in connection with metropolitan, workhouses. Dr. Angus Smith, Dr. Donkin, and Dr. Parkes have been set by 'he Poor-law Board to criticise each other. One doctor is asked to give his fresh air i views. No pooler has he done so than it is sent to Doc-or Number T.vo. As soon as this savant has re- viewed the opinions of his professional brother, his production is sent to Doctor Number Three, who duly scarifies Doctors One and Two, who in their turn reply in the defensive, and the Board and the public get what edification they can out. of the internecine discussion j and as the doctors dispute I with a good deal of good taste, instruction is to r be got cut of their papers. The new fact they seem to have made impressive is that where a í email amount of air space can be had in any chamber, care most be taken to have ventilation, for a small quantity of air continually may be more wholesome than a larger quantity stagnant. Z.

mmum "of "passimg"events. WAR or peace on the Continent of Europe has been the principal topic on the Stock Exchange, in political circles, and in the commercial world generally. The dispute about the Luxemburg question was so likely to end in war being declared between France and Prussia that almost a stig- nation ensued in foreign exchanges. So serious was the matter becoming that the Queen of Eng- land, doubtless, under the advice o? her Ministers wrote a letter to the King of Prussia, of which the following is a summary:—• I Her Majesty conjures the King of Prussia, in con- sideration of the intimate relations of the two countries, and in the name of the two family ties, to spare Europe I the horrors of a war like that which is now threatened; I' and observes that in case of war England will not be able to give Prussia even her moral support, but, disap- proving of Prussia's policy, her Majesty's Government will maintain absolute neutrality. The -tetter further adds that these sentiments are not only her Majesty's, but those of all England. Later reports, however, convey the informa- j tion that the King of Prussia has consented t) a conference on the rival claims to Luxemburg. I Therefore we may for the moment congrat-vilil, e j humanity on its escape from a war which could only bring disaster on all Europe and calamity to I mankind. But in spite of all denials to the con- i trary, there can be no doubt that the French I Government is vigorously employed in preparing for contingencies which appear to be by no mews ¡ remote. It is said in some quarters that France will not take the field against Prussia, because the troops are not yet armed with a weapon fit to cope with the famous needle-gun, but that they are making great efforts to supply every soldier with this new instri-imentof war. We are told that the French Government is highly pleased with the manner in which the British Cabinet has acted and spoken on the Luxemburg question. The Emperor ackno ^v- ledges with much gratification that Lord Stanley has shown a courteous and friendly consideration for France in her present embarrassing position, and that his lordship has done and is doing all in his power to- obtain the maintenance of peace on terms which will be acceptable to France. I SOME of the items of Indian news recently received are interesting. The hostility to the leading provisions of Mro Massey's financial ,7:1 policy is becoming excessively strong, and the new licence tax appears to be particularly obnoxious to the people. Public meetings have j been held to protest against it, and a memorial to the Secretary of State has been agreed upon. The monetary condition of the empire has under- gone considerable improvement,. and the arrange- ments for amalgamating the banks of Bombay arid Bengal are nearly completed. The Indian papers state that in consequence of an order issued by Lord Craaborne during the, time he held the. office of Secretary of State for India,.that in future. the Governor General should reside at Calcutta. during the summer months, the present Viceroy., Sir John Lawrence, has made up his mind to retire at the end of the current year. Calcutta, it is I well known, is about the unhealthiesb capital ia the world, and ought never to have been fixes upon as the seat of Government. To require the chiefs of the Eaacutive to remain in this city during the summer months is inflicting n un- necessary martyrdom upon them. THE Queen of Spain observes with great strict- ness her religions duties. On Good Friday, after divine service in the cathedral, she caref-ahy washed the feet of twelve poor old men and kissed them afterwards. Doubtless the feet were well- washed before the Qaeen performed the operation, but we question whether the men felt any tho better for their extremities being thus saluted. There is a pride in assuming humilit y." and we fear the act of her Majesty comes under this view of the matter, and we think the ceremony would have been better left undone. A magnificent repast w-as given to the poor men afterwards., which, perhaps, repaid them for their part of the performance. « WE, are happy to find that the engine-drivers' strike on the North-Eastern Railway is sow virtually at an end-some of the old hands have been taken back by the directors of the company, and all vacant places have been filled up by fresh men. A levy of 3s. on each engine-driver and 2s. j on each fireman has been made through the j country to sustain the 1,500 men on strike. A a adjourned meeting of railway operatives from tae various metropolitan railways has been held for I the purpose of forming a society, the object, ot which is to "unite all classes of rail way workmen, I whether employed in the construction or repair of engines, carriages, wagons, permanent way, or as labourers, for the purpose of obtaining a better j knowledge of each other's requirements in the way I of employment, correct information, assistance when out of employment, and for mutual pro tec- I tion in general." The strike of the engine-drivers was no sooner over than that of the tailors com- j menced. The two classes of workmen—the one j who works with the locomotive, the other whose I implement is but a small needle—represent, per- haps, the two extremes of industry. Both are dis- satisfied with the wages of their labour, and their discontent extends more or less through every oc- cupation between the two extremes marked by the tailors and the engine-drivers. This strike Ii)f the tailors is now in full force, and has extended from London to other parts of the I country. An illustration of the petty annoyances caused by the strike is farni-jhed in the following case. Previous to tbe strike taking place the men had agreed to finish any work which had been commenced, bat they resolutely refused to any new work. Now, it happened that at one es- tablishment a pair ol" trowsers which had been ordered were cut out and delivered to a workman, who, having "basted" them, brought back to be tried on by the custom, r before being made l1.p. The trowsers, having I been tried on and approved, were given to the workman to complete. The workman, however, I positively refused to do anything more to them, it would be against the orders of the com cat wee who organised the strike. Application was mud* I to other workmeo, but they also refused t.. m*ke the trowsers, alleging that it was, the re- ¡ gulations—that the trowsers must be considered as new work the mere fact of their having beea "basted" did not come within the meaning of "work begun," as the basting threads would be withdrawn, and no regular sewing had been per- formed on the garment. Now, here was a. pan- o' trowsers partly completed and waited for by 1.0 customer, and the puzzled master' applied to thf ¿ magistrate to know whether he could not have » summons against the workman who refuser? to complete the garment. Mr.' Tyrwhitt said, as many of our readers will no doubt also, say, chat i r, I was a singular plea to set up, and he suggested that t h i- provisions of an Act passed a centary or more since (7th Geo. 1., cap. 13, section 6) had a special application to London tailors; but smo < is the glorious uncertainty of the law, that magistrate himself did not know whether the i w was still in force or nof„

THE PARIS EXHIBITION. A very important meeting of British jurors was heid the other day, in which grounds of complaint against the management of the Exhibition were freely discussed. The Lord President of the Council, the Duke of Marl- borough, presided over it. One of the questions which the Lord President put to them appertains to the very existence of juries. Are they of any use whatever in International Exhibitions ? A general feeling seems to be springing up that a jury may be useful to decide upon the admission of goods for exhibition, but that the at- tempt to adjudicate on the exhibits and to reward the exhibitors is a mere delusion. Not only is there in some cases a good deal of national rivalry, each juror in a particular class fighting for the interests, of his own countrymen, so that the ultimate decision depends not on clearness of judgment, but on force of advocacy but also much worse happens. The juries, in some cases, delibe- rately determine to award the principal prize not to the best exhibit, but to the best exhibitor.. Meanwhile juries exist, and they must do their best. But the prizes are few; there is a difficulty in allotting them, and there is a great contention. In the French Exhibition of 1855 there- were only 25,000 exhibitors yet among these there were distributed 112 large gold medals, 252 smaller ones, 2,300 silver medals, 3,900. of bronze, and 4,000 certificates of honourable mention. In the pre- sent Exhibition the exhibitors are far more, and the rewards offered to them far less numerous. There are 42,000 exhibitors, and the rewards are 100 gold medals, 1,000 of silver, 3,000 of bronze, and 5,000 certificates of honourable mention. The 95 juries have among them recommended four or five times as many gold medals as the Imperial Commissioners have olfered. Each jury works independently of every other, and has the right in its own department of recommending any number of rewards of the first, second, third, or fourth class. To get rid of this difficulty in some measure, it was resolved at the meeting of British jurors to suggest that the various Governments which exhibit-or, at least, that the-departments of the British Government should with- draw their claims for gold medals. Our War Depart- ment, our Admiralty, our Post-office, our South Ken- sington department, send important contributions to this Exhibition, and it is proposed that they should be content with special mention, leaving to private exhi- bitors all the glories of gold medals. Then there is another proposal discussed—namely, that those exhi- bitors who have had a gold medal on any previous occasion should get none now, however much they may deserve it, but should be content with some-special form of certificate; At last, it is suggested let there be no gold medals at all. What the ultimate deoision will be it is not easy to foretell. VISITS OF TEACHERS. The following minute has been recently passed by the Lords of the Committee of Council on Education :—" In accordance with the practice of the Science and Art Department at the International Exhibitions at Paris in 1855, and in London in 1862, My Lords consider it desirable to offer encouragement to the masters teaching in schools of science and art to visit the present Inter- national Exhibition at Paris, with the viaw of studying those objects which may be likely to benefit the in- struction given in such schools. Their lordships, there- fore, announce to the certificated masters now engaged in giving instruction in schools of science and art con- nected with the department, that they will pay j to each such master or mistress visiting the Paris Exhibition, the sum of £ 5 in aid of their expenses, and to each an additional sum of £ 2 for any report or any useful suggestions which any such teacher may i make (in respect to his or her duties or-teaching) derived from the study of the exhibition, such report having first been published in any journal, local or otherwise, and J afterwards approved by their lordships. And further, I to each of the three best of such reports referring to j instruction in science and to each of the three best j reports referring to art, my lords will give respectively It the following prizes, in addition to the sum abovc- named, namely, for science, for the best report, zC20 I for the second best report, £ 15 and for the third best report £ 10; and the same sums.rsspeclively to the three best reports for art." I

THE EMPRESS OF THE FRENCH The Paris ¡ correspondent of the Court Journal announces that the I Empress of the French is again enceinte. We leave all the responsibility for this singularly opportune" secret" I to the well-informed imagination of our contemporary. WORKING MEN'S EXCURSION TO PARIS.—A meeting was held a few days since at Kingston-upon- Thames, for the purpose of taking into consideration the propriety of forming a local excursion committee, for the purpose of enabling working men to visit the Paris Ex- hibition. The Hon. the Mayor presided. In the absence of Mr. Thomas Cook, who was detained in Paris, Mr. Simeon Smithard, of Derby, kindly attended, and ex- plained at full length the various arrangements made by Mr. Cook for the accommodation of those desirous of visiting Paris during the Exhibition. Ultimately, after considerable discussion, a committee was 1 formed, the Mayor consenting to act as treasurer, and Mr. Smith j undertaking the duties of secretary. At the close of the proceedings, a cordial vote of thanks was unanimously given to Mr. Smithard. Drawing and Sketching from Nature I/I ad o Sasy\—" Tbe Lioanor (Registered). Invented by Gtrc.rgo HeB, Esq., late of the Government School of Design. Thia iugeaious invention enables any person (old or young) to copy engravings, drawings, paintings, photographs, &c. to skotch landscapes, flowers, portraits, architecture, &c. j &c., from nature, without any previous knowledge of draw- | ing or painting. The instrument is so simple in its appli- cition that a child may use it. Engravings, &o., of the most elaborate kind may be copied in an incredibly sliort space of time; it also teaches perspective in a most effectual manner, without, reference to tho ordinary rules; and the price brings it within the reach of all olasses. The Limner priee 23" forwarded to any part of tee United Kingdom on receipt of 27 stamps. C. Nash & Co., proprietors, 40A, King William-street, London-bridge. The public are respectfully- referred to tlie opinions of the press and testimonials. Orders should be forwarded without delay, 30,0.00 having already been sold. An agaut required in every town, A liberal discount all owed,

OPENING OF THE PRUSSIAN CHAMBERS.— SPEECH OF KING WILLIAM. BERLIN, April 29. The opening of the Prussian Diet for an extraordinary session took place to-day in the White Hall. About 250 members were present. In the diplomatic box were the representatives of England, Russia, the Hanse Towns Hesse Darmstadt, and Saxony. The court box was un- occupied. King William was accompanied by the Crown Prince, Prince Frederick Charles, Prince Albrecht, Prince Alexander, and Prince George of Prussia, Prince Augustus of Wurtemberg, and Duke William of Meck- lenburg Schwerin. His Majesty, who was received with cheers on entering the hall, delivered the following speech from the throne Illustrious, noble, and honourable gentlemen of both Houses of the Diet, a constitution of the North German Confederation, by which the united and vigorous develop- ment of the nation appears secured, has issued from the deliberations of the Parliament, to which the Prussian people sent its representatives in conformity with the law approved by you. I have summoned you around my throne to submit this constitution to your decision. The task of national unity, which the Government commenced with your co-operation, is now to be concluded by your assent. Upon this basis the protection of federal terri- tory, the care of common rights, and of the prosperity of the people, will henceforth be guaranteed by the collective populations of northern Germany and their Governments in firm community. By the introduction of the federal constitution the privileges of the repre- sentations of individual states will be subject to unavoidable restrictions in all those departments, which will be in future subordinate to the general development. But the people itself will not have to forfeit any of the rights it has hitherto possessed. It will merely transfer its maintenance to its representatives in the more ex- tended commonwealth. The consent of the freely elected deputies of the entire people will still be requisite to every law in the North German' Confederation. Pro- vision has been made by the Federal, Constitution in all respects that those? rights, whose exercise the various repreientations abandon in favour of the new community of states, shall be transferred in the same extent to the general Parliament. The secure foundation of national independence, power, and prosperity shall go hand in hand with the development of German rights and constitutional institutions. My Governmententertains the assurance that both Houses of the Diet, correctly appreciating the urgent national necessity of speedily settling the task before us, will readily afford their assistance to its completion. Gentlemen, the newly-formed Confederation at present only includes the States of North Germany,, but an inti- mate national community will always unite them with the South German States. The firm relations my Govern- ment concluded for offensive and defensive purposes with those States as early as last autumn, will have to be transferred to the enlarged North German commonwealth by special treaties. The vivid consciousness of the South German Governments and populations of the dangers of German dissension and the necessity of firm- national union, which constantly finds more, decided expression throughout the whole of Germany, will assist to hasten the solution of that important task, Th-, united strength of the nation { will be entitled, and be competent to guarantee to Germany the blessings- of peace, and effectual protec- tion of her rights and her interests. With this assurance my Government will devote itself to averting any inter- ruption to European peace by every means compatible with the honour and the interests of the fatherland. The German people, strong in unity, will be able calmly to face the vicissitudes of the future, if you, gentlemen, will aid in completing the great work of national union with that patriotism which has always been.displayed in Prussia in serious times." There was frequent. applause during the delivery of the speech. At its conclusion, Herr von Forkenbeck called for cheers for the King, who then quitted the hall. Count Bismarck thereupon declared the Diet open.

THE LUXEMBURG QUESTION. PARIS, April 2&, The France, Patrie, and Mtendard of this evening publish intelligence confirming the acceptance by France and Prussia-of a conference on the basis of the neutralisation of Luxemburg. The Etendard says It remains to determined whether the engagement to evacuate the fortress of Luxemburg will be made by Prussia prior to the assembling of the conference, or whether it will only be the consequence of the latter. The discussion of this delicate point will be opened to- morrow at Berlin* but we may now already look upon the meeting of a conference at London as certain-

CROTIA. AGRAM, April 25. The party favourable to the union of Crotia and Hungary has recently considerably increased in number. Herr Cesch, the royal commissioner for Viuinej has arrived in that town. He was enthusiastically received by the inhabitants.

THE WORKING MEN OF PARIS AND BERLIN The working men of Paris have replied as follows to the working men of Berlin :—■ "Workmen of Berliii,-We. have received with joy your pacific salutation. Like you, we desire only peace and liberty. As citizens, indeed we love our mother country, but when the spirit of the past is endeavouring to confirm prejudices, when the worshippers of force wish to revive national hate, we working men shall never forget that labour, which unites us in reciprocal bonds, can only be developed in peace and liberty. It is not a question of deciding by arms the nationality of a slip of territory, but of uniting our efforts to bring about a reign of equity. Have we not enough sources of misery and suffering to fight with, enough of un- merited wretchedness,, without going to destroy and devastate with our own hands, leaving the fields unfilled and the machine idle ? Conquerors or conquered we shall still be the victims. Labour is a duty and a right —it is the law of modern society war between peoples can only be considered a civil war-a relapse of civilisa- tion. Workmen of Germany and of France, we have only too much need of all our strength and energy to organise ourselves for the purposes of labour and ex- change. We desire peace and liberty. Peace-to produce and exchange with one another. Liberty-to establish between each other more intimate and friendly relations, for the more we know the more we shall esteem one another. Brethren of Berlin brethren of Germany! it is in the name of universal solidarity, advocated by the International Association, that we exchange with you a pacific salutation which will cement anew the indissoluble alliance of working men. ° Signed on behalf of the Paris commission, TOLAIN, FRIBOURG, VARLIN.

SHOCKING MINING FATALITY AT DUDLEY. On Thursday morning, shortly after six o'clock, a young man named Jesse Wood and a boy named Wil- liam Jones lost their lives from suffocation by choke- damp in a pit, forming part of the Hurst Colliery, Dudley. The colliery is the property of Messrs. Coch- rane, and is worked for them by Mr. E. Dainty and his son. The pit in which the accident occurred had been closed since Saturday last, but it had been ventilated during the interim, and was considered perfectly safe. A quantity of damp had, however, collected at the bottom of the shaft, and this needed dispersing. At six o'clock the colliers employed in the pit assembled on the bank, and five men, together with the deceased persons, entered the skip for the purpose of descending. The shaft was but 40 yards deep, and when near the bottom, the banksman, Joseph Round, heard the cry Hold." The signal was con- veyed, and the banksman spoke to the men, but received no answer. When the skip arrived at the mouth of the pit it was empty, the men having become stupefied with the choke damp and fallen out. Two sons of the doggy, Reuben and Richard Dainty, immediately jumped into the empty skip, and ordering the men standing round to dash buckets of water upon them as they descended, went to the rescue of the unfortunate fellows at the bottom. Their orders were carried out in good earnest, and in a few seconds the brothers arrived at the bottom, nearly drowned, but perfectly conscious, the greater part of the gas having been driven off by the water. They immediately placed the persons near them in the skip, and they were drawn up. A man named George Hale, who had a brother in the pit, then descended, and having found him, put him in the skip. Ex: hausted, with the damp, and a struggle with his brother, who, being at the point of death, fought fiercely, Hale had not power to pack the skip properly, and, after it had ascended a yard or so, both men fell out, and the skip returned empty. The brothers Dainty again went down, and brought out the brothers Hale and the boy Jones, who was the last in the bottom. Upon the arrival of the men at the bank, restoratives were applied, and every available means used to bring them back to consciousness. They were so far successful that the five men previously mentioned were pronounced out of danger. Upon examining Wood and Jones, how- ever, it was found that life in each case was extinct. The bodies were carried home to await the coroner's inquest. The choke-damp is a dangerous gas, which stupefies and then suffocates its victims. Five hours after the occurrence recorded above, the men who so narrowly escaped death were walking about with a semi- idiotic air, which showed plainly what they had suffered during the time they lay at the bottom of the shaft.

THE DISSEVERED HEAD. Much has been written and many conflicting opinions expressed as to whether the head after decapitation retains any sensibility, and the question has been revived in Paris apropos of Lemaire's execution. M. Bonnafont gives the following account of an experiment on the dissevered heads of two Arabs, which will pro- bably set the question at rest. He says :— "I was in Algiers in 1833, where I met with a military surgeon, M. de Fallois, who asked me what I thought of the assertion of Dr. Wilson, of New York, that a dissevered head' retains its sensibility for two or three minutes. I maintained the impossibility of the asserted fact on physiological grounds; but M. de I' Fallois remained unconvinced. I heard that on the fol- lowing day tNvo Arabs were to be beheaded, and ob- tained leave to- make some conclusive experiments on the subject. For this purpose, I had placed on the execution ground a small low table, on which was placed a large shallow vase nearly filled with powdered execution ground a small low table, on which was placed a large shallow vase nearly filled with powdered plaster. I then went.: to the place of execution, provided with a small ear trumpet and a very sharp lancet. It had been agreed that the charus should place the head, immediately after it was cut .off, (upon the plaster of Paris, so as to stop the haemorrhage. M. Fal- lois was to speak to the first head by name, placing the ear trumpet to the ear, whilst I examined what occurred in the eyes and on the other features. This was done, but notwithstanding all the shouts into the ear, I could not perceive the slightest sign of life. The eyes re- mained glassy and inotionless the face discoloured. The muscles gave scarcely any sign of contraction under the influence of the lancet. We changed places when experimenting with the second head, and M. de Fallois convinced himself that death was undoubted and instan- taneous. It could not be otherwise, physiologically speaking, for immediately after the division of the large arteries which convey the blood to the encephalon, a sanguineous depletion takes place, which must neces- sarily bring on syiicope.Britisli Medical Journal.

THE CORPORATION OF LONDON AND THE METROPOLITAN TRAFFIC REGU- LATION BILL. A special Court of Common Council' was held on Friday at Guildhall, at which the Lord Mayor presided, for the purpose of receiving a report from the joint Police and Law, Parliamentary, and City Courts Com- mittees, in reference to the Traffic Regulation Bill for the metropolis at present before the House of Com- mons; and also the draft of a petition to Parliament against the measure, and praying that the Corporation of London might be allowed, if necessary, to appear by counsel, and to give evidence against certain clauses contained in the proposed bill. Alderman Rose, in moving that the report be agreed to, expressed his opinion that many of the clauses in the bill were prepared by persons who evidently were entirely ignorant of the nature and extent of the commerce of the City of London; and he said that if the one prohibiting the delivery of casks between the hours of ten in the morning and six o'clock in the evening were to become law, the trade in wine, beer, sugar, and several other articles would be at once entirely put a stop to (hear, hear). Alderman J. C. Lawrence, in seconding the motion, said that instead of the bill being entitled a Bill to Regulate the Traffic of the Metropolis, it would be more properly described as one having for its object the suppression of the trade of the City of London. After some discussion, the motion for agree- ing to the report was then put and carried unanimously, and the necessary arrangements were made for at once presenting a petition on behalf of the Corporation against the second reading of the bill. The court then adjourned