The Aberdare Times

Iflisdiaromts Intellijma, HOME, FOREIGN, AND COLONIAL. AN AMERICAN EPITAPH.- The following is the conclusion of an epitaph on a tombstone in East Tennessee :—" She lived a life of virtue and died of cholera morbus, caused by eating green fruit in the full hope of a blessed immortality, at the early age of 21 years, 7 months, and 16 days. Reader, go thou and do likewise." IDLE NEGROES.—In a recent debate in the United States Senate, Mr. Saulsby (Democrat), of Delaware, said :— One thing we know, and that is that hundreds of thou- sands of the negro race have been supported out of the Treasury of the United States; and the white people of this country are taxed to pay that expense. For the first time in the history of the country has the thing occurred that the great mass of the people have been taxed to support in idle- ness a class of people too lazy and too worthless to support themselves. Look around at these galleries at any time of the day and you will see the beneficiaries of this bureau crowding them and listening to the debates of this body. How many of the honest, hard-working white men of this country are there who can afford to came to the city of Washington and sit day after day, week after week, and ™nnth after month, listening to your deliberations They JSrrnnt afford to do it. But under the protective care of this Freedmen's Bureau your galleries can be crowded pvprv dav with negroes listening to your deliberations, but rtS nothing to support themselves and being supported out of the tales levied upon the whole people of this coun- TL7FASHI0NS OF THE SOUTH DTTRING THE WAR — The Richmond Times says that fashion is beginning to re-assert its empire in the South. During the war, men and women did not care much what they wore, so that they wore something. Nor was the style or cut of garments much regarded, for there was a sort of carnival of old clothes. It was not uncommon to meet a gentleman with a coat or pantaloons which looked as if they had been cut out with a broad axe and nailed together huriedly by a rough carpenter. The patterns, too, were as strongly spliced with variety, as well as the odour of great antiquity. The old swallow-tail and shad-belly coat, which is thought by many to be the style worn by Noah when he harangued the antediluvians on the probabilities of an unprecedented freshet, was exhumed, and restored to general favour. Hats, not inaptly designated as camp kettles, stove-pipes, and bee gums, by many soldiers of Lee s army, whenever they encountered the luckless wearer and called upon him "to come out of it were very prevalent among sober-sided civilians. Coon-skin and skull caps, of a strange and unique model, were worn in bold and utter defiance of all pre- vious proprieties of fashion. The ladies of the South exhibited a similar spirit in yielding to the necessities ot the times, The distensions of crinoline were neg- lected, and our dames and damsels looked as lovely and attractive in homespun and linseys as they had ever done in silks and satins. Bonnets of the coal scuttle, gig top, and chicken coop type, fossils of fashion which were the pride and glory of Elizabethan age, were drawn fcrth from dusty closets and old time band boxes, and were conscribed and forced into ser- vice. Shoes which were regular old knockera and beetle crushers, covered tender toes and well-turned ankles, which had been used to the finest calf-skin and most delicate morocco. There was eminent good sense and good taste in all this, and we hope that the lessons of wisdom and economy inculcated by the war will not be forgotten at its conclusion." A CLEVER DIPLOMATIST.—There is a certain institution in St. Petersburg where young ladies born under peculiar circumstances are fashionably educated (writes the Hon. Grantley Berkeley in his" Life and Recollections"). The late Count de Morny, when sent by Napoleon III. to represent him, after ths Crimean campaign, at the Russian capital, knew of this. He had also learnt that among the high-born pupils of tha seminary there was one nearly related to the*Czar therefore, to indicate his Russian "proclivities" in a way that he thought would be most agreeable to the Court to which he was accredited, he paid the place an early visit, sought for, and obtained an interview with the interesting eleve, did his best to render him- self"agreeavle to her, and then applied to the Autocrat of All the Russias for permission to make her his Countess. The Emperor was delighted with the Frenchman's finesse, and while gratifying his wishes, did not forget to bestow upon the young lady a fortune corresponding with her exalted connexions. On this contingency, of course, the Ambassador had specu- lated, and having been thus enriched, on his return home, he contrived to put his new resources into first- rate investments. The Count was a very fortunate man, and though a parvenu, never forgot the honour conferred upon him by this alliance with the Russian Imperial family. A CARICATURE !—A rather smart political caricature, entitled Maximilian's Collapse," is now being circulated clandestinely in Paris. It represents the Emperor Napoleon vainly attempting to inflate a gutta-percha figure of Maximilian, which robed in an imperial mantle thickly studded with Bonaparte bees, is seated on a rickety throne, with its feet resting on a pile of lottery loan bonds, 1864-65." The head and arms of Maximilian hang dangling, half inflated. His orown has fallen to the ground, where it li-s broken while that of Napoleon is toppling on his head. Be- hind the throne stands "Jonathan," (an admirable likeness of President Johnson), grinning maliciously, for he is the cause of the disaster; he has perforated the windy figure of Maximilian w ith a stiletto marked Canning-Monroe doctrine." A POSER !—A half a dozen bu-sy-bodies among the Congregationalists have been sending round a circular to all their ministers, asking them to fill up a. schedule, stating whether or not they are teetotallers, if so, how long they have been so, and all the rest of it. They received in reply, from a minister signing himself "Torquemada," and dating from the Holy Inquisi- tion," the following counter schedule 1. Are you a polygamist ? and are you prepared to sign a pledge against polygamy if a form be sent you ? 2. How many children have you (if any; and if none, why not ?), and how much pocket money do you allow each of them ? 3. Do you ever quarrel with your wife, or any of her relations ? and if so, do you ever let the sun go down upon your wrath ? 4. How long do you allow your tailors' bills to remain unpaid? When these questions are answered by each of the six gentlemen, Torquemada will be prepared with another list." THE CONVICT W INSOR.- This wretched woman, now lying in the condemned cell of the county gaol, awaiting her sentence, has been constantly attended by the chaplain, Rev. J. Hellins, who has implored her to seek for mercy where alone it can be obtained. She appears aware of her real position, and to enter- tain no hope whatever of a reprieve. She is now en- tirely abandoned by her relatives, not a sibg'e one of whom has visited her for some time past. She takes her meals regularly, and seems to enjoy them; she also sleeps soundly. The expression of opinion by the Court of Queen's Bench as to the impropriety of Mr. Baron Channell admitting at her trial the evidence of her accomplice Harris, ha< induced many to believe that still the clemency of the Crown will be granted. MORTGAGE ON INDUSTRY.-Our National Debt, in round numbers, is three thousand millions, which, divided among thirty million* of people, is about 811. hundred dollars a head the State debt is about fifty- one millions, which, divided among four millions of people, is nearly thirteen dollww per head and our city debt is forty-one millions, or about forty-one dol- lars per head (says the Now York World). This makes a total of one hundred sad fifty-four dollars for each man, woman, and child in the city of New York, As not over one person in six is a labourer or creator of wealth, it follows that each actual producer is saddled with a debt of one thousand dollars, upon which he must pay interest for the rest of his life. The prospect is not a pleasant one for the labouring classes. To WEATHER PROFITS. Our meteorological guess as to the probable weather that we are to look for is confirmed by a reference to the records of the seasons in Gilbert White's ever pleasant "Natural History of Selborne" (says the Pall Mall Gazette). In his summary of the weather from 1768 to 1792 there is an excellent collection of facts on which* weather prophets may easily build a reputation for foresight. The au'umn and winter of 1781-1782 present features nearly identical with those of the past four or five months. From the end of October, after a very fine summer, the weather of the year 1781 is described as li open, with frequent rains;" and the same open weather continued till the 4th of the following Febru- ary. Then came nearly three weeks of hard frost, and a cold, blowing March, with frost, snow, and rain. April was cold and rainy, and May warm and r tiny. A dry June followed and then warm and almost incessant rains till the end of August. On the other hand, four months of damp and dripping weather in 1774 were succeeded by almost daily rains till the middle of the following March, with cold winds and showers of rain and snow till April, when warm and showery weather set in. Here was q. really frostless autumn, winter, and spring. In 1790 there was deep snow in April and sharp frost, so that there are precedents ready for every speculation. A NEW CRINOLINE!—A curiously-shaped new crinoline has just arrived we can only say that we hope it will not become fashionable (remarks the Queen). It is merely a sample from Paris. An immense frame like a huge tippet, covered with quilted black silk, and extended by steel, rests on the hip. Below this hangs loosely the scanty red skirt, with two steel hoops at the hem. Bustles were ever ugly deformities, but we hope we shall be preserved from such an intro- duction as this, which is only equalled by the most exaggerated French caricatures of the olden time. A MAGNIFICENT GIFT. — Mr. Peabody, who, some time since, gave 150,000l. to the poor of London, has now supplemented his magnificent donation with an additional gift of 100,000?. —making in all a quarter of a million. When it is added, as the Times puts it, that Mr. Peabody is not an Englishman, nor bound to us by any particular ties, "we appear to see every circumstance that could heighten the benevolence of the gift and overpower our gratitude." A CHILD AND ITS MOTHER.-We have heard Miss Carpenter (says a writer in Frazer's Magazine) relato an anecdote pitifully exemplifying the sort of chance some of these children have of good training from their parents. Teaching one day in her ragged school, she was addressed by a boy of ten years old with a request to be allowed to go home. Why did he wish to go home it was only one o'clock ?" After some shy demur, the child confided to her in a whis- per that he had locked up his mother, dead drunk, and thought that about this time, as usual, she would be returning to her senses, and wanting to be released LORD PALMERSTON A TRUE PROPHET.—It is just a year ago that Lord Palmerston said-" Depend upoa it, when the American war ends the troops on both fides will be glad enough to go home. They won't attack us, or the French either. The Government is too much pressed to maintain i's armies an hour longer than necessary, and the labour market in a new country is too tempting to make soldiers wish for more service." This prediction is now realised; the American army has been reduced to 50,000 men. I MR. SPURGEON ON CANDLEs.-The Rev. C. H. Spurgeon addressed a large audience at the City Hall, Glasgow, the other night, his theme being "Sermons in Candles." A number of candles of all sizes and colours-from the farthing dip to the most expensive of these luminaries-were placed upon a table on the platform. These were used by the lecturer to illustrate his subject. The lecturer, after a few general remarks, in which he hoped the lecture would be instructive as well as amusing, and referring to the fact that the candle was frequently made use of for illustration in Scripture, proceeded 'to give his first illustration. Placing seven candles on the table, of various sizes, he showed by them the seven periods of human life. Holding up a japanned candle-bax, he said it was like some respectable churches, attended by a gre-t many carriage folk, and presided over by a very dignified minister. There was nothing low or vulgar in it; but he would ask, were they doing any good to the neigh- bourhood? If there were no churches but those kind of respectable ones in the world, he was afraid they would still be in darkness. He had a greater estee/n for bumble people who did good themselves than for proud people who did nothing for the good of their fellow-creatures. He afterwards placed an unlit candle in candlesticks of various sorts, which gave no light, to show how graceless men often laid the blame of their uselessness upon their positions in life, or on the churches with which they happened to be connected whereas, if they had grace, they would be useful every- where. Attempting to light a candle upon which an extinguisher was placed was somethiug like reading the Bible with a prejudiced mind; and producing a dark lantern, he said it was like some professors who were possessed of ability, but who, instead of benefit- ing others, kept their light all to themselves. A large numbt-r of other illustrations were exhibited and re- ferred to, to show man's weakness, the last of which was a chandelier holding a large number of candles of various colours and sizes. In referring to this he hoped that they would all rally round the lion standard of Judah. In addition to the candles the lecture was illustrated with many anecdotes which were received by the audience with shouts of laughter. SAVINGS-BANKS IN AUSTRALIA.-SavinCfs-banks in Australia are being fostered by the Government on a much more liberal scale than in this country. For instance, the smallest sum receivable at home is Is., while in Australia 6d. is the minimum. The English depositors are debarred from depositing more than 3Ol. in any one year, while the only restriction attached to the colonial depositor is that the amount deposited cannot exceed 501, in a fortnight. Again, by the terms of the English Act, no deposit can exceed 1501. in the whole, and when the principal and interest together reach 20M. the accumulation of interest ceases. The Victorian depositor is not tied down to a fixed limit, but when the principal and interest combined amount to 1,000?. all interest is withheld until the depost falls below that sum. The English interest on deposits is 2g, the colonial four per cent. It might be added that the Queensland Government Savings-bank scheme sur- passes that of Victoria in about the same ratio that Victoria exceeds the United Kingdom in liberality, for while the depositor is in England debarred from depositing more than 301. in any one year, and in Vic- toria, more than 5VI. in any fortnight, in Queensland there is no limit wha ever. Secondly, while in the United Kingdom the principal and interest to anyone person's credit must not exceed 200?., and in Victoria interest is not paid in any sum over 1,000?., in Queens- land there is no restriction whatever. Thirdly, while the English interest is two-and-a-half and Victoria four per cent., the Queensland Government allow five per cent. for their depositors' money at call. A SHOCKING MURDER.—Near Detroit, on the 5th of January, John Cooper, alias Hanley, enured the house of his sister, Mrs. Wm. Lynch, and shot her with a revolver. The shot not taking effect, he seized an axe, and with its edge aimed a murderous blow at her head and face. The b'ow took effect just below the brows, cutting across the nose and eyes, and sink- ing deep in the brain. She fell to the floor a corpse, when the murderer with might and main struck the axe repeatedly into her body, cutting diagonally across the breast from the left shoulder, the bloody weapon going completely through at more than one stroke, actually cutting the heart from the body, laying it in a quivering bloody mass at her side. He afterwards exhibited the most unaccountable indifference and coolness, expressit g his joy at the deed, and declaring that^he did it partly in retaliation for the alleged act of his sister in poisoning her parents in Ireland, as he said, and partly from fear of his own life at her hand?. HISTORY OF NEWSPAPERS —Much curious infor- mation illustrative of the history of newspapers in England is scattered through the volumes of Notes and Queries but the January monthly part of that amusing periodical is especially rich on this subject, for it contains amongst other matter a description of a volume of early papers and periodicals which has long slumbered unnoticed among the Cottonian MSS. in the British Museum, and also a list of no less than 277 newspapers and journals published in this country between 1712 and 1732. The part contains also a list of the Jacobite Peers, Baronets and Knights created by James II., which has "been compiled from the Stuart papers at Windsor. REFORM RUMOURS.-The Spectator" refers to the rumour about Reform that the Government bill will be confined to a reduction of the qualification from 501. in the counties to lOl., and from 101, of rental in the borougbs to 61. of rating. The Star, in an article obviously intended to be very important, declares that the Cabinet is still discussing the com- parative advantages of rating and rental, and observes that while a rental franchise of 61. will add 200,000 to the constituency, a rating one will only add 75,000 and be entirely delusive. So will both be. An addi- tion of one-fourteenth to the register will have simply no meaning at all, and an addi ion of a fifth will have just thii meaning—that the dregs of the middle class will be represented, and the body of the working men will not. If the bill is really of this kind it is to be hoped some independent member will move that the country desires to see the question settled, and that the Ministerial bill unsettles it, and ougbt therefore to be withdrawn. It is however not to be believed that Mr. Gladstone, with such an immense career before him, will break it by consenting to appeal to the country on such a contemptible is-ue. It is the oppor- tunity f his life which he is losing in rejecting the only plan which, while enfranchising the workmen, will settle the question for thirty years. MUCH ADO ABOUT NoTHiNG !— Speaking of officials reminds me of a story (says a New York cor- respondent) as good Mr. Lincoln was wont to say, and in this instance the story is about the lamented President. Franklin W. Smith, a Boston contractor, was tried by a court-martial, and found guilty of pocketing a thousand or more dollars out of a contract with the Navy Department for supplies. The report of the Court-martial was sent to President Lincoln for his examination, who returned it with this character- istic endorsement:— Whereas Franklin W. Smith had transactions with the United States Navy Department to a million and a quarter of dollars, and had a chance to steal a quarter of a million and whereas he was charged withstealiug only 10,000 dollars, and from the final revision of the testimony it is only claimed that ho stole 100 dollars, I don't believe he stole any- thing at all. Therefore the records of the court-martial, to- gether with the finding and sentence, a,re disapproved, de- clared null and void, and the defendant is fully discharged. —(Signed) A. LINCOLN. THE FRENCH CUSTOMS.—The Customs' admin* istration has just published a comparative table of the commerce France for 1865, with that of pre- ceding years. The total value of merchandise im- ported during 1865 amounted to 2,782 millioci, ex- ceeding by more than 254 millions the toial of 1864. The exports of last year exceeded by 275 millions those of the one preceding it. In 1861, the exports of French commerce only amounted to 1,926,260,OOOf. whereas they rose to nearly 3,200 millions in 1865, showing thus in a period of five years an augmentation of 1,273 millions. The importation into France of the precious metals in 1865 exceeded the exportation by mere than 223 millions. In fine, the sum total of the duties levied by the two services of the customs and the indirect taxes, deducting the expense of draw- backs in the exportation of certain articles of pro- duction, shows a surplus of 741 millions gained by the Treasury, the same having been only 672 the year before. Ovrr*rarrsr-4.c! DAT n; JTASXA-IC^L. Oh,.j.¡. rlay Tmq passed as any other ordinary day would have passed, excepting that the several places of business in the town were closed, and that the two companies of St. James's Rifle Volunteers, who are upon duty, were marched to the parish church, to receiye the benefits of the services of the day (says a Jamaica paper). A strange notion seems to have gone abroad among the humbler classes as to what they would be permitted to do, even at their homes, during the Christmas. Several intelligent black and coloured men inquired of. us if they would be allowed to enjoy the holidays with their families in their own homes. We at once told them certainly. They were freemen and had a right to enjoy themselves with their friends, in their homes, and no person could dare interfere with them, so long as they conducted themselves properly, and did not behave disorderly to break the peace. The poor fellows brightened up, thanked, and assured us that all they wanted was their accustomed family pleasures during such a season as the present, but that they had understood that they were not to make merry and be happy." We have seen several persons from the rural districts of this parish, and we learn that the labouring population are enjoying themselves quietly and happily, their happiness being enhanced by the abundant harvest reaped during the last three or four months. NITROGLYCERINE FOR BLASTING.—A German paper states that among other disadvantages of Nobel's nitroglycerine is the fact that it freezes at a tempera- ture very probably above 92 deg..Fahr. It is said that CMen c temPerat?re °f 43 deg.—46 deg. Fahr. the oil solidifies to an icy mass, which mere friction will cause to explode. It is probable, however, that the freezing point of the oil lies somewhat lower than is here stated, though as yet no exact determination of the freezing point of the oil has been made. A news- paper from Hirchberg, in Silesia, gives a sad account of an accident caused by the frozen oil exploding by friction. Nitroglycerine is there being used in making a railway tunnel. It was kept in glass vessels, packed in straw, and placed in baskets, each vessel containing one-fourth to one-eighth of a hundredweight of the oil. For several days the oil had been frozen. It was carefully handled, and pieces were separated by means of a piece of wood and 'put into the bore-holes, and it was found that the frozen nitroglycerine exploded quite as well as the fluid. One day an overseer at the shaft hit upon the unlucky idea of hreaking into pieces with a pick a seven or eight pound lump of the frozen nitro- glycerine. The blow caused the mass to explode, and the unfortunate man was blown up into the air, and fell back into the shaft some forty or fifty feet deep, whilst two workmen who were making cartridges a short distance from him luckily escaped with slight injuries. A CANDIDATE FOR OFFICE.—On Wednesday evening, between eight and nine o'clock, (says a special Washington correspondent of the New York Times), a man of unusually large proportions called at the resi- dence of Hon. Benjamin F. Wade, United States senator of Ohio, on Four-and-a-half-street, and asked to see the senator. He was shown upstairs by the servant to Mr. Wade's room. After being seated, he stated that he was trying to obtain employment in the United States navy, and asked Mr. Wade to sign a paper of recommendation from him in order to further his object. Senator Wade refused to do so, saying he did not know him, and advised him to procure the signature of some person to whom he was known. After listening to the reply, the strange visitor, whose physiognomy Mr. Wade describes as singularly ma- licious and brutal, looked at the senator with a sig- nificant scowl, which the latter plainly interpreted as meaning mischief. At this juncture of the interview Mr. Wade arose, and stepping intio an adjoining room, armed himself with a loaded pistol and quietly returned again into the room where the man was sitting. After looking at each other in silence, the man began the conversation by saying :—"Aint you going to sign my paper V To which the senator returned a decided negative, alleging that he had no knowledge of him. Matters now began to reach a crisis. The stranger arose t* his feet, drawing out a bowie knife about 12 inches long, and remarking, I suppose you know we are alone, sir, in this room," he was proceeding to un- sheath his weapon, when Senator Wade sprang to his feet, and drawing forth his pistol, placed it within a short distance of his head, telling him to clear out im- mediately or he would shoot him. Taken somewhat by surprise, the man began to find his way to the door, followed closely by Senaror Wade, with his pistol still in close proximity to his head. The Senator saw his visitor down stairs, and before reaching the door he quietly informed him that he had a great notion to shoot him anyhow. Upon this the stranger departed. During the visit he failed to produce any papers for signature, and evidently made this a mere pretext for the interview. At the time of the visit there were no persons in the house beside Senator Wade excepting Mr. Matthews and his wife and a servant. YOUTHFUL EXTRAVAGANCE !—Conceive (says a writer in Macmillan,s Magazine) a man addressing his friend thus My dear fellow, certainly I will lend you a couple of hundreds. I'll give you all my three sisters' music-lessons, new dresses, and jaunts to the seaside this year and there's pale little Fanny, who costs my nother a good deal in physician's advice. I'll give you all her doctor's fees for six months or so, and she shall go without. I would not be so stingy as to refuse a friend such a paltry sum as you've asked of me—no, net for the world." Or thus :—"I made little nl Justerini the dancer such a splendid present last Christmas! I gave her three years of my fat old father's pbdding work as head clerk with Tightenall and Co. He's getting old, you know drowsy of an evening tired out, in fact; had rather a hard life of it; a good maiy of ius to provide for. But I was determined I'd give her the earrings. I'd have given double, ay, six years of hs hard-earned salary, sooner than not have behaved hlondsomely to her about them." Or thus :— I can't stmd a fellow refusing his chum such a paltry favour as belonging to a club, or sharing a yacht, or taking half an opera-box with him. I know I didn't hesitate a minute when Tom Osprey asked me. *I gave him my mother's carriage horses, and little Sam's favourite pony, i and my father's hunters, and that little box at Twickenham where they used to go for change of air in summer-before Tom had half done explaining about it. I'm not one of your backward fellows. I always come forward like a man when a friend wants anything." Or thus-liberal only to Self, instead of Self and Co. I always say there are certain things a fellow can't do without. Must make a certain figure and have certain comforts. I like to enjoy life, and see other fellows enjoy it. Life is not worth having if you don't put some pleasure into it I was obliged to have all my old grandmother's sables and shawls last winter-(you know she brought me up; my mother was too poor to do it) and the portion she had put by for my cousin Bessie; couldn't do without, I assure you; not at least, so as to live like a gentleman. Can't see why cousin Bessie should be in any hurry about marryine, or why the confounded prig she's engaged to makes such a point of what he calls 'mutual means of support.' All I know is, I couldn't do without her portion, and grandmother's Indian shawls and Russian sables; that's fact." A GOOD ILLUSTRATION.—" By voting for Reform," says Mr. Bright, "these men feel they vote their own disfranchisement (we are quoting from Blacktoood's Magazine). They declare that, elected only by a moiety of those who ought to elect, they are not the true exponents of the nation, and that though manifestly unfit to conduct the business of the nation, they are quite sure there are others could be found perfectly equal to that trust; and that they confi- dently bedeve there are a number of men who live in 6i. houses, who could, if so empowered, find out these persons and return them as fit and proper men to serve in parliament." This is the sum and substance of Mr. Bright's measure, divested of its abuse of Lord Derb), its sneers at university education, and some other little seasonings," by which he makes his dis- coveries palateable to his hearers. The puzzle, how. ever, is this. How are people who have made such a.n admission of their own incapability to continue to conduct the business of the nation ? When a bishop declares he does not wish tft he a bishop, his nolo episco- pari is only a bashful expression of distrust in his own worthiness. It is a courteous piece of modesty, and no more; but he never thinks of asserting, after he has assumed the mitre that the chapter have made a most unhappy choice, aud that if they had only con- sulted the sexton and the bell ringer, who occupy email (" six-pound ") tenements in the close, they could have mentioned a very respectable man who would have filled the office admirably. This is, however, what the present House of Commons will be called on to declare; and certainly such a declaration demands no small self-sacrifice. When the Irish juryman refused to concur in the verdict of guilty, because he could not afford to "hang the last life in his lease," his plea was at least intelligible. Had Mr. Bright been the judge, he would have said, Give me the verdict, and I will respite the prisoner. All I want is to hear that he ought to be hanged." THE TASMANIAN DEVIL (" Diabolus IJrsinus ") — A specimen of this animal, which is now almost extinct, a,rived in Edinburgh on Saturday for Wombwell's Menagerie. Few animals have deserved their title better than this animal. The innate and apparently ineradicable ferocity of the creature can hardly be con- ceived, except by those who have seen it. In captivity its sullen and purposeless anger is continually excited. An animal soon learns to recognise its keeper, and to welcome the hand that supplies it with food, but the Tasmanian devil seems to be diabolically devoid of gratitude, and attacks indiscriminately every one that approaches it. With the least cause it will fly at the bars of the cage and endeavour, by dint of tfeth and claws, to wreak its vengeance on the keeper, while it gives vent to its passionate feelings in skort hoarse screams of rage. The coat of the Tasmanian devil is very appropriately black, with a white spot here and there. The fur is a deep dead black, and utterly devoid of that rich silky glossiness which gives to the coats of many black animals so pleasing an effect. The great power of the devil's jaws, backed by its un- reasoning ferocity, renders it extremely formidable when attacked. There are no Tasmanian dogs, how- ever large and well trained, that can boast of a victory over a Tasmanian devil. MELANCHOLY DISASTER AT SEA.-The Cunard steamer Scotia," which arrived at Liverpool on Saturday, brings intelligence of the loss of the schooner "Pattie Martin," and the dreadful sufferings of the crew. It appears that on the night of the 7th ult. the schooner, which was bound to Hattaras Island from New Jersey, struck on the shoals just outside Hatteras Inlet Bar, and immediately filled. The captain and crew were compelled to seek shelter ia the rigging. They had hardly been there three hours when the captain, Denis M. Smith, a native of Camden, New Jersey, was f ozen to death, and in about half an hour afterwards the cook, a black man, perished from the same cause, leaving two more men, the mate, named Steelman, and a sailor named Jobs. Ill, in a most miserable condition. For five days these unfortunate men, exposed to the most inclement weather, and with- out food or water, clung to their frail support. On the evening of the third day their cravings for some- thing to eat were intolerable, and they agreed, as the only means to alleviate their hunger, to devour a por- tion of the body of the black cook, which was dohe, and upon this they managed to sustain themselves until the 12th, when they were rescued from their perilous position by some (Jape Hatteras pilots. The poor fellows were in a sad plight, being fearfully frost-bitten about the legs and feet, as well as to a certain extent mentally deranged. On reaching the shore, however, they gradually recovered their reason, but it is feared that they will lose several of their toes and fingers. The body of the captain had been recovered. It was feared that but iutie of the cargo of the schooner will be saved. will be saved. AN IMPERIAL TIFF !—The departure of Prince Napoleon from Paris was, it is said, caused by a dis- pute with the Emperor on a point of etiquette. During the visit of the King and Queen of Portugal to Paris, the Prince was invited to meet them at dinner. When he arrived at the Tuileries, the Emperor, perceiving he had come in a black coat, asked him to go back and put on his uniform; but this, it appears, wounded the dignity of the Prince, who withdrew, and did not make his appearance again that evening. "Le doux entete," as the Emperor was called by his mother, was very indignant at the Prince's conduct, and refused to see him unless he acknowledged himself in the wrong. This the Prince was not disposed to do, and has given himself another long holiday away from France accordingly. How TO GET THE MALT TAX ABOHSHED.—The Pall Mali Gazette thus sums up the Times leader on the Malt Tax The Times thinks that the country gentlemen who are agi- tating for the repeal of the malt duty cannot do better than form a close alliance with Mr. Bright and the Manchester School. One has so little confidence in the wisdom of the great British unit—the man who can read write and sum, who talks politics at a public-house, and rather late in the evening remembers that he is a householder-that one very much doubts whether the malt tax would long survive a uni- form representation of numbers. The consumers of malt liquor are far more numerous, far more interested far more energetic, and far more able to have their way, than the producers-that is, the producers of barley. The country have only to give the metropolis seventy members, Lancashire fifty, and Yorkshire nearly as many more, and they will see the malt duty knocked off as easily as the head off a pot of porter. They will see a few other things knocked off too but never mind. It will be an inestimable comfort to feel that every body has an equal share in the representation, even if he has no share in anything else. AN ENGLISH IDIOSYNCRACY. The Cour de Cassation, sitting in Paris, has rejected the appeal of the assassin Poncet. In connexion with this case a droll canard has been circulated in the French pres*. Three Englishmen were, it is said, present at Poncet's trial. In the course of the day the prisoner asked for a drink of water, which was handed to him in a tumbler. One of our countrymen at once rushed to the officer of the court and offered him twenty francs for the glass. No," replied the official, it is public property, and I cannot sell it." Twice the sum was pressed on him, but decliued. Just then the attendant, being call-d elsewhere, put down the glass. He returned immediately, but the coveted article was gone, and a bank-note for 100 franci left in its place. How characteristic of those eccentric islanders!" is of course the conclusion of the story. A STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.—The various societies for mutual assistance established by trades- men in Paris have in general been productive of bene- ficial results. The society formed by the house car- penters for economising th ir wages and affording credit to each other, has just held its first half-yearly meeting. The operations of the society were read, and the accounts, audited by a "committee appointed for that purpose, were laid before the meeting. The re- port read to the meeting by the secretary of the asso- ciation shows its prosperous condition. The great object of the association is to create a capital out of their savings sufficient to improve the condition of their body. The report was approved, and it was unanimously voted that the cash in hand should be deposited in the Caisse d'Escompte des Associations Populaires, or bank established for affording accom- modation to operative associations. A WILD BEAST FIGHT.-In two compartments, one above the other, of a caravan at Mai ler's mena- gerie, exhibiting in Liverpool, a leopard and a hyaena were recently confined-the former in the lower and the latter in the upper compartment. During the night of Thursday last. the hyaena tore up the floor of his cage so as to be able to get its head through. It would then appear that the leopard beneath seized it by the throat, and a terrific struggle ensued. The noise alarmed the watchman, and Mr. Manders and others came to the spot. It was then found that the leopard bad pulled the hyaena through the floor, and so tenacious was its hold that, although Mr. Manders freely used a heavily-loaded riding-whip on its head and shoulders, the hyaena was quite dead when at.last the leopard was beaten off. THE LATE MR. GIBSON.- The Roman corres- pondent of the Times forwards an interesting biogra- phical sketch of Mr. Gibson, whose death he records. At an early period of his life he was taken to Liver- pool by his parents, who had formed the design of emigration to America, and we are, perhaps, indebted to the superstition of his mother for the developement of the genius which has shed so much honour on our country. Just on the eve of starting she had a dream, which exercised so strong an influence on her mind that she induced her husband to abandon his original project, and thus the family settled in Liverpool. Froui a very early period of his Jife he was fond of drawing, and his first commission was from a shool- fellow. It wax for .a drawing to embellish his Bible, and the subjeet se'ected by the boy was "Napoleon crossing the Alps," from a print of David's celebrated picture. He paid me sixpence for it," sail Gibson and I remonstrated with him on the magnificence of the remuneration." The writer adds, speaking of Mr Gibson's private life, One of a simpler or a purer mind scarcely, I think, existed. His modes y and unpresuming bearing won the confidence and affection of all men, while it led to the concealment of nume- rous acts of charity unknown to the world. But there are those in Rome who bear grateful testimony to the kindness which he ever showed in counselling and forming their taste, and who now lament him'as a father. During his illness he was surrounded! by fn6n^ fif,-b°^h who> as a labour of love, smoothed his last moments, and contributed as much as human affection could do to his comfort." A RARE ANIMAL.-The Count de Bentivoglio has sent a guepard" to the Jardin d'Acclimatation in Paris. This rare animal is a native of Arabia, Surat, and Malabar, where it is used by hunters much as a hawk was by the falconers of olden times. In size the guepard resembles a panther; its body, however, is slighter, and its head somewhat smaller. In its native plains it is caught and regularly trained for hunting purposes. It quietly submits to be conveyed to the place of meeting closely hooded, and secured to its master's saddle. On game being scented, its hood is removed, and the guepard creeps on to the nearest tree or conceals itself in neighbouring bushes carefully watching the animal designated by the huntsmen, on which it springs with marvellous agility, speedily strangling it and sucking its blood. For this service its master rewards it with a piece of meat. The guepard quietly submits to be rehooded, is swung on the hunter's saddle, and conveyed back to its home. DISCOVERY OF ANCIENT JEWFLLERY. "A mere accident," says the Moniteur, has just led to important discoveries in the ruins of the old manor- house of Cebastro, which stands in the gorge of Ucos, between France and Aragon. The recent high winds threw down part of the wall of the southern tower, and expose4d to view the entrance of sepulchral vaults belonging to the period of the Gothic domination. Ex- cavations were immediately commenced, and have brought to light a great quantity of jewellery of all kinds, as diadems, bracelets, rings, and pins. The diadems bear some resemblance to the crowns pre- served in the Cluny Museum, and enable us to form an accurate opinion as to the arts and civilisation of the Visigoths."

THE LATE MR. W. F. WINDHAM. The death of this notorious young man seems to have been very sudden. He had not been quite well for a day or two, but no dangerous symptoms presented themselves until Friday morning about ten o'clock, when the deceased told an assistant at the Norfolk Hotel, Norwich, who had been in the habit of attend- ing upon him, that he felt very unwell. Only aboat an hour previously he had partaken with apparent relish of some coffee and toast, and at that time he told the waiter that he was much better. Mr. Bailey, a surgeon, who had been sent for, arrived shortly after ten a.m. on Friday; he at once observed the dangerous character of the attack, and requested that additional advice might be called in. Dr. Bateman and Dr. Eade. were accordingly sent for, but Mr. Windham gradually sank and died in the presence of the three medi- cal men and two or three of the hotel servants early in the evening. A telegram announcing the state of affairs had been forwarded to Lieutenant- General Windham in London, but the gallant officer was not presert when his nephew died, although he arrived shortly afterwards, A telegram was also sent to Mrs. Windham, who was at Paris. A post-mortem examination was made of the body jf the deceased (who it may be added was in his 26th year) the result, however, did not reveal anything suspicious, and it was not considered necessary to hold an inquest. It is understood that death was attribu- table to congestion of the lungs and heart disease. The deceased's habils it is also said had been increasingly intemperate of late. He had squandered away his first fortune, of which he obtained the control by the uufortunate verdict of a Westminster jury in January, 1862 but means had been placed at his disposal to en- able him to live comfortably and respectably if he had chosen to do so. Mr. Windham would in 1869 have become entitled to an estate at Hanworth, Norfolk, the net rental from which is from 5,000?. to 6,000?. per annum. By Mr. Windham's death this estate reverts prima facie to Mrs. Windham's infant child, but it is stated that questions of importance are likely to be raised, and it may happen that this second estate will not, after all, go from the Windham family, but will come into the hands of Lieutenant-General Windham and his children. It would be idle at present, now- ever, to indulge in further conjectures on this head. The deceased's life was insured to the extent of 12,000?. in five different offices, and these policies are held by Mrs. Windham, as being included in a purchase made by her of Mr. Windham's life interest in the Hanworth estate. On the whole it seems plain that although Mr. Windham has perished miserably, his affairs for some time to come will afford a considerable amount of em- ployment to members of the legal profession. It is said that by the death of Mr. Windham the Accidental and Marine Insurance Corporation are relieved from the payment of an annuity of 3,000?. per annum, purchased by him in 1863.

Tw Morning Star in a leader on this wretched young man s death, says The once famous, lately forgotten, hero of the great Wind- ham cause is dead. He will never wear plush livery, or act as guard to a train, or drive a mail coach, or set families by the ears and the tongues of forensic orators in motion any more. If notoriety were fame (and not everybody can dis- tinguish the one from the other), Mr. Windham might at one time have been deemed the most illustrious man in Eng- land. For a whole month and more the eyes of England, and, indeed, of Europe, were turned upon him and the history of his coarse, vulgar, and witless eccentricities. In more than one sense, so disgraceful a cause scarcely ever came before an English tribunal as the Windham case. It was disgraceful because of the filthy and disgusting details which were dragged into light it was disgraceful to our system of jurisprudence in its slowness, its monstrous ex- pense, its absurd accumulation uf superfluous testimony and advocacy. The hearing of the cause before Mr. Warren occupied thirty-four days. Begining in December, 186 i, it dragged on to the close of January, 1862 Half the leading bar of England arrayed itself on the one side, the other half on the other. Witnesses were brought from all parts of England, Ireland, and Scotland, from the Continent-even from the depths of Russia. What was the cost ? The most moderate calculation, we believe, put it down at 26,000?. we have seen it estimated at CO,0001 All this was to ascertain whether an extravagant, eccentric young man was sane is, sane enough to be allowed to spend his money), or wholly insane. An hour's personal examination would have satisfied any jury better than all the long days of forensic harangues on this side and that, and the array of witnesses to prove the one view of the case and the other. Had Wind- ham himself been examined in the first instance, the whole of the other proceedings might have been spared. But, in accordance With the grave and stern decorum of English procedure, the whole process was allowed to unroll itself coil after coil, a huge and costly Pharaoh's serpent, and no rude hand might interpose to stop its evolution. Then when the whole farce had been fairly played out came the prac- tical part of the transaction. Mr. Windham himself was interrogated. It was found at once that although a coarse, reckless, and silly young man, he was not much more coarse, reckless, and silly than many others who squander their pro- perty and their health at their own sweet will in the Hay- market or on the Epsom Downs. So he was allowed to sweep up what remnant of means his own follies and those of British law had left him, and to "walk his own wild way whither that led him." Which accordingly he did, and it led him to an early grave. Had he lived a little longer he would, it seems, have been rich but more money could only have meant for him more folly and disgrace. His death must undoubtedly be accounted a relief by many it can hardly be deemed a great calamity to anyone. Only the other day there expired in a lunatic's cell a poor wrecked and miserable creature, who was once the spoiled pet of British and continental audiences, and who was indirectly made a prominent figure in the scandalous re- velations of the great Windham cause. Such men cannot be too soon forgotten but it is right that the Windham case should be long remembered. It is a monument of the out- rageous defects of one important department of British jurisprudence, and may thus be made to serve some useful purpose.

REPEAL OF THE MALT TAX. A public meeting of gentlemen and farmers was held on Monday at the Freemasons' Tavern, under the presidency of Lord Berners, for the purpose of advocating the repeal of the malt tax. There were present Sir Fitzroy Kelly, M. P., Captain Barttelott, M. P., Sir Edward Dering, Bart, M. P., Mr. G. Sclater Booth, M.P.. Mr. George Tomline, M.P., Mr. C. S. Read, M.P. (Norfolk), Mr. C. Ducane, M.P., Colonel North, M.P., Sir George Jenkinson, Bart., Mr. P. S. Punnett (chairman of the Central Anti- Malt Tax Society), and a great many leading agricul- turists as well as the rank and file of the farming pro- fession in great numbers. The first resolution was moved by Mr. Punnett:— That this meeting is of opinion that the excise duty upon malt continues to inflict great and serious injustice upon the growers of barley, which, after wheat, is the chief pro- duct of our native soil; that it is a grievous burden upon the consumers of our national home beverage, especially the working classes, by whom beer is so largely used as a portion of their diet; and is wholly at variance with the free-trade policy of-the country. This was seconded by Mr. C. S. Read, and sup- ported by Sir Fitzroy Kelly, Colonel Barttelott, Mr. G. Sclater Booth, and Sir Edward Dering, Bart. The next resolution was That, entertaining the views expressed in the foregoing re- solution, this meeting earnestly calls upon all supporters of the cause to persevere in using every possible means to obtain the immediate reduction and ultimate total repeal of the malt tax, and sti-onglyadvies that public meetings with that ob- ject should be held forthwith throughout the country, at which the following petition to Parliament, hereby agreed to, is recommended for adoption. This petition contains the following statements :— That next to wheat, barley is the most valuable production of British soil, and yet it is loaded with a duty, when con- verted into malt. of about seventy per cent., or 21s. 8d per quarter. In 1750 the malt duty was only 4s. per quarter; in 1865 it had increased more than fivefold, viz., to 21s. 8d. per quarter. That your petitioners particularly beg to draw the attention of your Honourable House to the anomaly of a heavy duty upon malt surviving the repeal of the customs duty upon corn and the excise duty upon hops-being still maintained moreover, in undiminished severity, in the face of successive reductions in the duties upon wines, tea, and brandy. That your petitioners, from their experience, are able to assert that the duty is a great hindrance to the profit- able production and the use of all but the best quality of barley in the manufacture of beer-the recent legislation relating to light barleys notwithstand 'ng. That your petitioners submit thai, the malt duty is altogether at variance with the prin- ciples of free trade, and an exceptional and invidious tax upon a highly important production of British industry That the duty inflicts great injustice upon the consumers of beer, and is opposed to the first principles of sound taxa- tion—the effect of a heavy tax upon the raw material being to enhance the ultimate selling price of beer far beyond the mere amount paid as duty, thereby taking out of the pocket of the consumer a much larger sum than reaches the ex- chequer. That the tax is especially oppressive upon the working classes, to whom pure beer is a nourishing bever- age and an almost indispensable article ot diet. The third resolution adopted was :— That this meeting pledges itself to support, by subscrin tions and otherwise, the Central Anti-Malt Tax Association which has been established in London as the medium of communication with Parliament and the central authoritv for organizing and conducting the agitation for the repeal of the malt tax aud requests the Council of the Assocla- & £ „sk07cr±r„r,rAXe ,1"'wtta be,o,e the House of Commons on an early day.

EPITOME OF NE\VS. BRITISH AND FOREIGN. The great demand in the United States for Alderney bulls and cows has raised the price of that description of cattle considerably, and the advance is likely to be per- manent. The ship Southern Ocean," 2,500 tons burden, belonging to Messrs. Mackay, sailed on the 30th instant, from Gravesend, for Queensland; Captain Robert Craig, com- mander surgeon-superintendent, Dr. Levitt. This vessel is the seventy-third vessel that has sailed on the land order system of emigration, under the immediate direction of the Queensland government. She contains 433 souls, divided into paying, assisted, and free passengers, and consisting of mem- bers of families, 174 single men, 2i2 single females, 22.— We wish them "Godspeed." Some of our moneyed men have applied for stock in a new Boston notion'—a paper hat company (says an American paper). The company will have a capital of 80,000 dols., and own a patent, recently secured, by means of which it expects to manufacture durable, desirable, and water-proof paper hats of any form or colour, at a cost of eight to twenty-five cents a piece, and so revolutionize the hat business. Let us then have the paper hat, by all means; and then the paper shirt." There are seven daily newspapers issued in Nash- ville-six English and one German. When the war began there were four. all Eoglish. A daily paper in the German language is a new feature in the history of Nashville. The German population of the city is rapidly increasing, and its increase is regarded as an augury of good. Industry gene- rally goes with the German people, The ladies of Paris have adopted the ancient fashion of going about the city with a mask of black velvet and lace. At Brentford, George Pepper, a bargeman, has been committed for trial for the wilful murder of his wife by brut.lly illusing her; he w s intoxic .ted at 'he time. In consequence of the cattle market having been stopped at Salisbury it is contemplated to establish a dead meat market in that city, and to erect abattoirs outside Salisbury. In Scotland the agricultural labourers are agitating for a reduction in the hours of labour, and for increased wages. It is said that his Holiness the Pope has written a letter of condolence to King Victor Em >nuel on the death of his son, and another to Queen Pia, of Portugal, on the same sad occasion. It is stated that sixty-four election petitions will be presented in the House of Commons within the next fort- night. The Spectator remarks that in the whole range of English politics there is no question of which the leaders of parties are so afraid, or which is so certain to come up one day for definite settlement, as the ultimate control of the army. It is probably the one subject upon which the Royal Family,' as appeared from the correspondence of the Prince Consort with the Duke of Wellington, feel intensely,, and the only one upon which there is constant and wilful misre- presentation in the Houses. An inquest has been held at Newington on the body of Edward Oliver, aged two and a half years old, who wat fatally burnt in the absence of his parents by his dress accidentally catching fire. He rolled under the-bed in his agony, from whence he was dragged by his brother, aged only six years, who, with great presence of mind, succeeded in extinguishing the flames. The jury returned a verdict of accidental death, and complimented the boy on his intrepid conduct. Early on Monday morning a young man named Dyer, who was lodging in a public house at Stapleford, was attacked by a rat, which caught him by the right nostril and held him most tenaciously. It was not until the landlord had been called, and entered the room with a light, that the animal could be driven away, and even then the sufferer had to drive it away himself, for the landlord burst into such b fit of immoderate laughter as to be unable to render any assistance. When the rat was removed a quantity of blood fiowefl from the wounds occasioned by the biting of the animal. The people of St. Petersburg have been complaining that they have had no winter yet-only an occasional light fall of snow, which quickly melted into slush, with continual sleet and rain. One day last week a shoemaker in Leeds, under- took for a wager of five shillings to eat a rabbit uncooked. He accomplished his brutal and disgusting task, but on claiming the wager his attention was called to the liver, which he had left. To finish all disputes he at once ate this, but no sooner had he completed it than he fell back and died. On Sunday afternoon a furious storm of wind and rain and hail, accompanied by thunder and lightning, passed over Liverpool. In effect the storm was like a cyclone, moving in circles, and the rain and hail presented a moat extraordinary appearance as they were whirled round and round in spiral columns. The storm did not last above ten minutes. President Johnson is reported to be very loth to hasten the trial of Captain Semmes, as he thinks the parole given by Johnston to Sherman and signed by Semmes pre- cludes any trial for his previous actions. Extensive plans are proposed for railroads in New York city. One is for a company with 10,000,000 dols. capital, to construct a road under" Broadway, to run for several miles through the city. Another plan is to elevate the road 16ft. above the level of the Broadway pavement, by having it placed upon arches, with heavy glass windows to let light through upon the waggon road beneath. This, it is said, can be done for 2,000,000 dols. The Missouri Senate has passed a bill making habitual intemperance for a year sufficient cause for a di- vorce. In Chicago fifty divorces were granted to wives in the year 1865, ou the ground of the drunkenness of theif husbands. At Aynsford, the other day, a woman's c got entangled in the shaft of a paper mill, into w was dragged, and her neck broken. To a. deputation from Galway who waited u Lord Lieutenant on Thursday, asking that troops r stationed there to resist any attempt to effect a hesi ing, his excellency said that there were other place western coast of Ireland as likely to be selected a! for making a hostile landing, if such were contemj would be attempted. There was not a harbour or < that coast of which the same thing could not be sai( did not believe that any attempt at a hostile landir be made. A letter from Antwerp says :—" For the li night the south side of our city has resembled an ant-hill, nearly 3,000 labourers being employed in the ramparts, either with the spade or by mining. of Montebello has already nearly disappeared, as or vestiges of it remain. The works are carried on 1W pidity really marvellous; and the population, far the fine weather, collects in vast numbers to wil scene." An ambiguous expression has recently bee ducad into the shipping advertisements of the Tirrut, which, if not explained, will probably leai pute and litigation. The Westburn and Lady passenger ships are advertised to sail for Sydi amongst other inducements set forth to attract cu stated that they will carry exptrienced surgeons if I What does this mean ? Who is to require them to experienced surgeons ? And if they do not carry tl if evil ensues, what redress will the passengers 1 Pall Mall Gazette. The crowning success (in sanitary progre be achieved by the people themselves. Tempera control, and skill in protecting themselves a children from evil are every day called into re The preservation of life depends upon careful att small things, and should be taught as part of commi tion.Registrar-Ge,iieral's Report. At a recent battue in the North of Englai pheasants and 5,(:00 hares and rabbits were slaugh is estimated that the number killed were about the number reared, so that in the preserves there a been 14,000 pheasants and 15,000 hares and rabbits. grain for the support of the birds would require th tion of 246 acres, and for the hares and rabbits 1, Four hares are supposed to eat as much as a si seven rabbits eat and destroy as much as four hai estimated that about half the food of pheasants c grain iftid the other half of beans and corn. At Vienna, a young lady who was to be m: a doctor failed to appear on the wedding morninj some time spent in seeking for her, the door of hei was forced, when a strange sight presented its eyes of her mother. On a pile of wood in the the room was the young bride, enveloped in flami tore her from her horrible seat, already frightfu lond inquired her reason for this terrible resolu could not make him unhappy," said she I was n( of him." Her Majesty has issued a proclamation < her neutrality in the war between Spain and threatens to be invaded from the first if the ac( have received relative to the fitting out of the Indei man-of-war in the Thames be correct. A village cock was brought as evidence b( Liverpool stipendiary magistrate on Saturday. J at its novel position, the bewildered fowl, after the attorneys and convulsing the court by a serie crows, managed to escape from the hands of a pol It then flew about the court, utterly disarranging 1 of the reporters and officials, until finally capturi bench, where, overcome perhaps by the surroun< eiations, it relapsed into dignified silence. It is said we do not know if our lively d< who are so very clever in looking through the ( Divorce Court purposes, are aware of the fact, sore being daily enlisted in large numbers in Lo the service of Chili, and to fight against the Spani; A bookseller in Munich is advertising poen Emperor Napoleon. What next ? The Independents must be a wealthy sect are about to erect a "Nonconformist Memorial Cannon-street, London. The building will cost 89, site also costs 48,000?. A proposal is made by an American v political economy that England should invest I hundred millions in the debt of the United States to secure the lasting friendship of the two nations A French house is said to have failed to contract for supplying the city of Leeds with wat( being under-bid by an English house in the small The amount of the the contract was 13,60ul. One of the palettes used by Sir Joshua. Rey been sold by auction for 511. 10s. It had other his sociations besides those connected with the great S having been presented (as testified by an inscriptio Mr. Turner to the late Sir Martin Archer Shee. Things have come to a pretty pass in Roy Berlin, as it is said that in consequence of the re< at the State dinners and balls at Berlin, the Marsl Court has insisted upon the aid of soldiers, as well in protecting the Royal plate. An American complaining of the "inferna ystem," says he can't put his boot on without austa The following is said to bean exact statem* various countries to which have belonged all the Popes (257 in number) who have occupied the Pal from St. Peter:—1 Galilean, 17 Greeks, 4 Africans, 1 Sabine, 16 Tuscans, 2 Dalmatians. 4 Sicilians, 1( tans, 3 Sardinians, 4 Spaniards, 7 Venetians, 8 Mi French, 6 Germans, 1 from Lorraine, 1 Buraundian, 2 Piedmontese,, 1 Dutch, 1 Portuguese, 2 English, 12 and 134 Roman and other States belonging to the At a late meeting of the London Chemica papers were read On Pyrophosphotriamic Aci Salts "On Diethylated Formic Aldchyde and stitution of Glyoxylic Acid Frenchmen are now inclined to patronii collars. It is said that they like the idea very m will enable them to be provided with cigarette pa of their dirty linen-id est, paper collars. An anecdote of the Emperor of the Fren going the round of the salons. One evening a 81 party at the Tuileries were playing at what petits jeux, or Jewx innocents. The game consls provising a reply to a question drawn at hazarc basket, and it fell to his Majesty to draw the foJ nnuir^-ri How is falsehood to be distinguished fro The Emperor answered without a moment's hes By making them both pass out by the same doc may be sure that the falsehood will pass out the fil The writer of an article published by the Mt of Silesia, and charged with "having ridiculed known as the holy coat of Treves," appeared a fe1 before the tribunal of that city, and was condei week's imprisonment. The manager was als sect fine of 20 thalers. The Superintendent of the Sailors' Home, pool, has received the following singular letter Chester, Jy 30th 1866 For captains of vassals under Stand that avell that a child Ass had on a Is of grate Importance and valwe to captains So I L- rites these lines to in form his friands that ] that ma be purched for a som of money 1 under f a vessell that has a vail On boad is unliable sink it Eny Gentlaman wishing to pourchis the Artkial m: by righting to mr W- L- No 10 m- Sti Manchester. Lord John Flervey, one of the three En who were captured by the Greek brigands, writes t he has received intelligence from Athens of the dea Delis, the chief of the band by whom Lord Jo) companions were taken. He was wounded in the 1 shot it is presumed) from a detachment lying in ar spot where he and his party had to pass. His men to take him on with them, but being unable to d abandoned him, and he was afterwards found dead An inquest has been held at Downton, body of a little girl, about four years of age, wkn accidentally poisoned. On the Saturday previ( peared the child's brother obtained from a eh druggist a quantity of cyanide of potassium, wanted it to remove some marking ink from a llu The chemist put it in paper, and marked it large letters. The boy put the poison to dissolve and left the vessel containing it on the drawing rc In his absence the little girl entered the drawing- drank the contents of the eup. She was found ly: drawing-room floor crying, and died shortly afterw jury returned a verdict to the effect that the dec been accidentally poisoned. Her Majesty has granted to Fraiieiseo Gi the Italian, tvi -d and condemued at the last assizE murder of Moitch, a Russian sailor, in Swanst pardon. The condition imposed is that he must Majesty's dominions within thirty days after his re: custody, and never return thereto again during-tl his natural life; failing compliance the capital st be carried into effect. The prisoner, who has lined at the Swansea gaol since his trial, had their conveyed to him on Saturday, and. wejieed hardly the poor fellow received the welcome news w demonstration of devout thankfulness and gratit ing that he would be but too glad to comply with ditions of the reprieve.

Wi '■ fÐnr IMmt (EDrrtspubtat. We deem it right to state that we do not at all times identify ourselves with our correspondent's opinions.] A session which bids fair to be more important than any of the six which have preceded it during the reign of our Sovereign Lady Queen Victoria has commenced briskly amid great public interest and expectation. The fact of its being a new Parliament; of the leaders of the Houses of Lords and Commons being both different to what we have been accustomed to; of the death of the veteran statesman who so long occupied the most prominent place in our parliamentary history; of our representative institutions being specially on their trial," as Prince Albert long since said; and above all the fact of Parliament being opened by the Queen in person-all combine to give unusual interest to Queen Victoria's seventh Parliament. I shall not attempt t < trench uponyourdomain in recording the events which have characterise! the imagination of the legislative campaign, or in commenting on Her Majesty's speech, tempted though I be to comment on some of the iote- resting scenes that have followeed the rising of the parliamentary curtain. The Houses of Parliament have undergone some improvement since the last session. It would seem as though our Legislative Palace was destined never >, to be finished, and it is curious to see workmen now employed about it when we call to mind that its predecessor was burnt down so long ago as t e t of October, 1834. What the Palace has already cost, and what it will ultimately cost, is not easy to ascer- tain. But, cost what it may, it is a splendid pile of buildings, and a visit to it ought never to be omitted when opportunity serves. Among the improvements lately effected are the widening of the windows and the substitution of light for dark-coloured glass in the Peers' Corridor, which has a beautiful effect with regard to the splendid paintings with which the corridor is adorned; the decoration of the Queen's robing-room, which, when finished, will be a magnifi- cent apartment; and several improvements in the corridors, committee-rooms, &c. The whole place in fact has a bright and furbished appearance. And let me add a word as to the accommodation offered to the gentlemen of the fourth estate. The facilities offered, not only for the actual taking of notes, but for the writing them out, and the dispatch of copy by mes- sengers, are admirable. And yet, though members of both Houses of Parliament individually recognise the value of newspaper roports, it is remarkable that the reporters are still considered as strangers," and the reporting of debates is even now, strictly speak- ing, a breach of privilege. The laws and privileges of Parliament have not been altered a jot since Mr. John O'Connell, for a very brief term, succeeded in exclud- ing the reporters from their own gallery; but I should dearly like to see some similar attempt now made, for I believe it would result in the official recognition of a body of gentlemen without whom I firmly believe the country could not and would not be satisfied-the parliamentary reporters. The question of parliamentary reform still agitates the public mind, and everybody is speculating on the character (f the bill which Ministers will bring for- ward. Will Ministers propose a 26 ratal, or a 96 rental, or neither? (By the way, either would be no boon to the Londoners, for we have no 96 houses, either as to rental or ratal) W.H the opposition to any bill, on the part of the Conservatives be strong enough to throw it out ? Will the Radicali virtually reject, through disunion, any bill that does not go far enough ? These and other questions are being asked, but nobody can give a reply worth listening to. But before the Reform question comes on for discussion we shall have many very important topics brought for- ward, and the Eastern recess will in all probability arrive before the second reading of the Ministerial Reform measure will be moved. May I be there to see the stirring debate which will then ensue. Among the political rumours of the day is the revival of one to the effect that Lord Clarence Paget is to retire from the Secretaryship of the Admiralty, and take the command of the Mediterranean squadron and it is also said that he is to retire from the repre- sentation of that snug little Cinque Port-snug in a Parliamentary sense-for which he now sits. Lord Clarence, however good an Admiralty secretary he may make, would be perhaps more in his element in o. "'In,Apn. -to» 1: nl"\T'lfaoaarll37 "pvp.ry inch a sailor," as his gallant father was every inch a soldier. It is to be feared that Fenianism in Ireland, fos- tered by some discontented Irish in America, will yet give our Government considerable trouble. Several additional localities have lately been proclaimed, and •! it is rumoured that the whole island will, ere long, be placed under martial law, and the Habeas Corpus Act be suspended if tranquillity do not soon supersede the present alarm and insubordination. The suspension of an Act of Parliament which under ordinary circum- stances is one of the safeguards of our liberties would be matter of deep regret, but the object-to deal with "foreign conspirators," or in other words, revolution- ary emissaries from across the Atlantic-cannot other- wise be attained. It is said that several thousand Americans of Fenian tendencies or principles-if there are any Fenian principles-are still in Ireland, and this naturally creates considerable alarm. Now if the Queen or the Prince of Wales would but go over there for a few weeks, would not that do a great deal towards the disillusionising (to coin a word from the French) of the Fenians? There is one thing very certain—if such a visit did not act decisively in this matter, it would do a great deal of good to Ireland generally. To us common folks outside the walls of Parliament the subject which Mr. Bright opportunely introduced on the occasion of the Speaker being voted to the chair cannot be of much consequence. I allude to his remarks about the official dress which is exacted from those who attend the Speaker's levees and dinners. His remarks, like much that he says, were characterised by sound common sense, and must have commended themselves to the good feeling of the House, and of the Speaker himself. Mr. Cobden it seems, during the 24 years that he was in Parliament, was prevented rom attending these levees and dinners because he would not make a guy of himself by appearing in the regu- lation costume, and doubtless Mr. Bright has been similarly precluded from these visits, although he did not say as much. But I expect the matter will end with his speech. He has had his say, and that is all. Mr. Denison is known to be a great stickler for form and ceremony and precedent, and perhaps it is scarcely in his power to do what plain John Bright wishes him to do. Added to the recent news of that extraordinary resolution of Mr. Chandler's in the American Senate, to withdraw their ambassador and to issue a decree of non-intercourse with England (which, whatever the immediate result, shows the existence among a minority in America of a very bad feeling towards ourselves), comes the news of an alleged secret treaty between Russia and America. There is not much reason, per- haps, now-a-days, to fear the operation of secret trea- tieil, seeing that war is universally regarded as the werat possible national policy; but still it is suggestive to read of the patriotism of Russia and the United States. Mir. Clay, the American Minister, and Mr. Curtain, the Chief Secretary of Legation, are every- where feted among the Russians, and banquets, toasts, and flattering speeches are the order of the day. I wish I could see something of this sort between England and the United States. There is nothing equal to a good dinner to promote good feeling, and if we could only get up a grand Anglo-American banquet, and pledge each other in champagne, the effect would be more lasting than that of this delicious wine. The public, who are great admirers of the talent of Sir Edwin Landseer-a talent that at once addresses itself to the most refined taste and the commonest of common sense—have not much concerned themselves with the offer of the Presidentship of the Royal Academy to him, and his refusal of it, nor with the appointment of Mr. Grant, but the public do concern themselves with the unaccountable absence of those lions for the Nelson Column, which have been so long ordered, and, if report speaks truly, paid for. May I, in all humility, as a British tax-payer, ask when we are to have them ? The quarrel, now of long standing, between the Emperor of the French and his cousin Prince Napoleon it is rumoured, will shortly be—if it has not already been—made up, and the Prince it is hoped will become president of the International Exhibi- tion of 1867. As the Prince was long ago ap- pointed to that important post, and as no one could better fulfil its duties, it would not be desirable that the Napoleon family, the chief mem- ber of which lately spoke of France being tranquil at home," should present the spectacle of disunion and divided councils, especially as the Emperor him- self will be an exhibitor. From all that has appeared in the French journals, and in the letters of the Paris correspondents, it seems probable that the French Exhibition of next year will be superior to any exhibi- tion of the kind which the world has yet seen. Next year will emphatically be the year of cheap excursions. We shall be able to go to Paris and back for next to nothing. And yet, with all the intercommunication between England and France, it is positively marvel- lous how little the languages of the two countries are understood by each other. Very rare is it to find an Englishman who can speak French well; still rarer is it to find a Frenchman who can speak English well, though the number of Frenchmen who can speak English a little, or passably well, is greater than that of Englishmen who can do the same in French. Both countries are to blame in this matter, and they would do well to devote some of the time now devoted to Latin and Greek to the study of living languages. We in this couutry are beginning to awaken on this sub- ject, and in London especially, when our City Middle Schools are established, we shall have French and German properly taught.

THE QUEEN'S SPEECH. The swearing-in of the members of the New Parlia- ment having on Tuesday been completed, Her Majesty, in person, opened the Session with the follow- ing Speech:- MY LORDS AND GENTLEMEN— It is with great satisfaction that I have recourse-to your assistance and advice. I have recently declared my consent to a. marriage between my daughter Princess Helena and Prince Christian of Schleswig-Holstein Sonderbourg.Augustenburg. I trust this union may be prosperous and happy. The death of my beloved Uncle, the King of the Belgians, has affected me with profound grief. I feel great confidence, however that the wisdom which he evinced during his reign will animate his successor, and preserve for Belgium her in- dependence and prosperity.. My relations with Foreign Powers are fr'endly and satis- factory, and I see no cause to fear any disturbance of the 8eTheameeting of the fleets of France and England in the ports of the respective countries has tended to cement the amity of the two nations, and to prove to the world their friendly concert in the promotion of peace. I have observed with satisfaction that the United States, after terminating successfully the severe struggle in which they were so long engaged, are wisely repairing the ravages of Civil War. The abolition of slavery is an event calling forth the cordial sympathies and congratulations of this country, which has always been foremost in showing its abhorrence of an institution repugnant to every feeling of justice and humanity. I luve at the same time the satisfaction to inform you that the exertions and perseverance of my naval squadron have reduced the Slave Trade on the West Coast of Africa within very narrow limits. A correspondence has taken place between my Govern- ment and that of the United States with respect to in- juries inflicted on American commerce by cruisers under the Confederate;flag. Copies of this correspondence will be laid before you. The renewal of diplomatic relations with Brazil has given me much satisfaction, and I acknowledge with pleasure that the good offices of my ally the King of Portugal have con- tributed essentially to this happy result. I have to regret the interruption of peace between Spain and Chili The good offices of my government, in conjunc- tion with those of the Emperor of the French, have been accepted by Spain, and it is my earnest hope that the causes of disagreement may be removed in a manner honourable and satisfactory to both countries. The negotiations which have been long pending in Japan, and which have been conducted with great ability by my Minister in that country, in conjunction with the representa- tives of my allies in Japan, have been brought to a conclusion which merits my entire approbation. The existing treaties have been ratified by the Mikado; it has been stipulated that the tariff shall be revised in a manner favourable to commerce, and that the indemnity due under the terms of the Convention ot vciovet, gnAll 4v j.nr.rfuiiij ,!ia- uiiiugeil. I have concluded a Treaty of Commerce with the Emperor ef Austria, which I trust will open to that Empire the bless- ings of extended commerce, and be productive of important benefit* to both countries. The deplorable events which have occurred in the Island of Jamaica have induced me to provide at once for an im- partial inquiry, and for the due maintenance of authority during that inquiry, by appointing a distinguished military officer as Governor and Commander of the Forces. I have given him the assistance of two able and learned Commis- sioners, who will aid him in examining into the origin, na- ture, and circumstances of the recent outbreak, and the measures adopted in the course of its suppression. The Legislature of Jamaica has proposed that the present politi- cal Constitution of the Island should be replaced by a new form of Government. A bill upon this subject will be sub- mitted to your consideration. Papers on these occurrences will be laid before you. Papers on the present state of New Zealand will be laid before you. I have given directions for the return to this country of the greater portion of my Regular Forces employed in that C°I<watch with interest the proceedings which are still in progress in British North America, with a view to a closer union among the provinces, and I continue to attach great importance to that object. 1 have observed with great concern the extensive preva- lence during the last few months, of a virulent distemper among cattle in Great Britain, and it is with deep regret, and with sincere sympathy for the sufferers, that I have learnt the severe losses which it has caused in many counties and districts. It is satisfactory to know that Ireland and a con- siderable part of Scotland are as yet free from this calamity, and I trust that ty the precautions suggested by experience, and by the Divine Blessing on the means which are now being employed, its further extension may be arrested. The orders which have been made by the Lords of my Privy Council by virtue of the powers vested in them by law, with a view to prevent the spreading of this disease, will be laid before you, and your attention will be called to the expediency of an amendment of the law relating to a sub- ject so deeply affecting the interests of my people. GENTLEMEN OF THE HOUSE OF COMMONS, I have directed that the estimates of the ensuing year shall be laid before you. They have been prepared with a due regard to economy, and are at the same time consistent with the maintenance of efficiency in the public service. The condition of trade is satisfactory. MT LORDS AND GENTLEMEN, A conspiracy, adverse alike to authority, property, and religion, and disapproved and condemned alike by all who are interested in their maintenance, without distinction of creed or class, has unhappily appeared in Ireland. The Con- stitutional power of the ordinary Tribunals has been exerted for its repression, and the authority of the law has been firmly and impartially vindicated. A Bill will be submitted to you founded on the Report of the Royal Commission, on the subject of Capital Punishment, which I have directed to be laid before you. Bills will be laid before you for amending and consolidat- ing the laws relating to Bankruptcy, and for other im- provements in the law. Measures will also be submitfed to you for extending the system of public audit to branches of receipt and expendi- ture, which it has not hitherto reached, and for amending the provisions of the law with respect to certain classes of legal pensions. Your attention will be called to the subject of the Oaths taken by Members of Parliament, with a view te avoid un- necessary declarations, and to remove invidious distinctions between Members of different leligious communities in matters of legislation. I have directed th.t information should be procured in reference to the rights of voting in the election of Members to serve in Parliament for Counties, Cities, and Boroughs. When that information is complete, the attention of Par- liament will be called to the result thus obtained, with a view to such improvements in the laws which regulate the rights of voting in the election of Members of the House of Commons as may tend to strengthen our free institutions and conduce to the public welfare. In these and in all other deliberations, I fervently pray that the blessing of Almighty God may guide your counsels to the promotion of the happiness of my people.