The Aberdare Times

THE ROMAN SEASON.—The forthcoming Ro man season is sure to turn out an unusually full and Vely th? leading journal). li the first place, everybody w gouog. A whole batch of British statesmen out of work are already on the wing to kill unwelcome leisure. LordsRussell and Clarendon, Messrs. Gladstone, Cardwell, and Milner Gibson, have rendezvoused m the purlieuB of the Corso and Babtuno street. One Empress is on the apot already another is casting about how to compass the journeyf There is a chance of a couple of bpanish QueeM, mother and daughter; and as to the mob of dethroned Monarchs, the very Scala Regia will be hardly spacious enough to admit them to kiss the Pope s toe.

EXECUTION OF JEFFERY IN LONDON FOR THE ST. GILES'S MURDER. John Richard Jeffery was executed on Tuesday morning, at eight o'clock, in front of Newgate, for the wilful murder of his child—a boy six years of age. The crime for which the wretched man forfeited his life was committed on the night of the 30th of last July, in the neighbourhood of St. Giles's, and occasioned an unusual public interest, from the fact of the murderer succeeding for some considerable time In evading the perstilt of the police. Fall particulars of the horrible murder and of the trial of the prisoner have gone the rounds of the papers. After his trial, the wretched man was removed to the condemned cell, and during his confinement he conducted himself in a manner suitable to a man in his awful position —although not absolutely as one dreading to lose his life. On the contrary, when he was informed that there was no hope for him, and that his execution would be carried out, he expressed himself glad, and said the sooner he was out of his misery the better. He attended the prison chapel regu- larly, and paid much attention to the exhortations of the Rev. Mr. Jones, the ordinary to the prison. He was visited by some of the gentlemen Scripture-readers who attended the district in which the wretched man resided, but his brother and sister were the only relatives who took a farewell of him. During last week prayers were offered for the spiritual welfare of the unfortunate culprit, and last night a prayer meeting was held at the Mission House, Turnmlll- street, Clerkenwell. He took his farewell of his brother and sister on Saturday, in the course of which he prayed fervently with them, holding each by a hand. He prayed that God would forgive his wife, and his own sins against his wife, and very frequently, with tears in his eyes, commended his brother and sister to God's mercy. He subsequently kissed them before being taken back to the condemned cell. On Monday the Rev. Mr. Jones preached the condemned ser- mon, and took bis text from the second chapter of John, 25th verse, "lam the resurrection and the life." The culprit paid marked attention to the sermon throughout, and expressed his thankfulness for it. Mr. Jonas, the governor visited the unhappy man in the course of Monday, and he was also visited twice by the Rev. Mr. M'Cree. In the evening, when with that gentleman, Jeffery displayed great contrition for his crime, and, fully acknowledging the justice of his sentence expressed a hope that he would be forgiven by God. his wife, and his friends. He again said he was anxious to ascend the scaffold firmly, and meet his fate calmly; but he disavowed any wish to obtain any expression of approval from the crewd by apparent bravado. From the fearful ordeal of execution he did not appear to shrink, but dreaded the hooting he might receive from the people. It Is said that Jeffery has made a full confession of his crime to the Rev. G. W. M'Cree, who acted as his spiritual adviser, and expressed te that gentleman his deep contrition for the awful deed of which he had been found guilty. He requested Mr. M'Cree to be with him at the last moment, and to pray with him before he died. He also expressed a strong desire that the crowd would humanely refrain from hooting, and suffer him te die in solemn silence. The object of the authorities in changing the day of execution from Monday to Tuesday—namely, that of diminishing the attendance of the riff-raff, who, unhappily, flock to witness an execution—proved unsuccessful, judging from the" crowds of this morning, and the anxiety mani- fested last night to get what was called a good position." Although the number of roughs during the night were, perhaps, below the average of those at similar previous ex- hibitions, still as the morning advanced the crowd con- siderably increased. At six o'clock a strong body of police were placed at different points of the barriers erected in the Old Bailey. Up to this hour the assemblage was unusually small. What there was took up positions Immediately round the gallows, extending back a little beyond Newgate- street. The usual aspect, however, as far as the surround- ing houses were concerned, was equally strongly developed, Inasmuch as there was hardly a window but was tenanted by morbid sight-seers, who In many instances had paid large prices for their seats. At this hour it was speculated by many officers that the crowd would by no means be great, but seven o'clock told a different tale. Thousands of persons, a very large majority of whom had the appearance of respectable working men, kept pouring in, and continued on the increase till the unhappy culprit had been executed. Mr. Sheriff Waterlow and Mr. Sheriff Lycett, with their under sheriffs, Messrs. Crossley and De Jersey, arrived at the gaol soon after seven o'clock, and subsequently proceeded to the Interior of Newgate, to superintend the carrying out of the law. Having passed through a series of gloomy passages, the procession emerged into an open court-yard, at one angle of which is situated the condemned cell. Simul- taneously with the entrance of the sheriffs at one gate, the convict, in the charge of a gaoler, emerged at an opposite one. He walked very firmly—almost cheerfully-an d having half crossed the yard, he stopped, and bowed respectfully, with a pleasing smile on his pallid countenance, to the sheriffs, and also to Mr. Jonas, who stood by their side, and then passed on into the pinioning room. Having reached this gloomy apartment, he seated himself on a form, and was attended by the Rev. Mr. Jones, the ordinary of the prison, and the Rev. Mr. M'Cree, who stood all the time with his hand on the wretched man's shoulder. Upon the sheriffs reach- ing the apartment the heavy door was closed, and the prisoner then commenced thanking Mr. Jonas and the other officials for the uniform kindness he had received since his condem- nation. He then proceeded to pray most fervently calling upon Jesus to support him in bis last moments, and to save his souL He prayed that his wife and mother might be for- given, and that he, having his faith in Jesus Christ, might have power to meet death with fortitude. The wretched man was then silent for a moment or twol fond again closing his eyes and raising his head, he poured foith a series of ejaculations for his spiritual welfare, which were responded to by all present In a solemn Amen." The chaplain then addressed a few words of consolation to him, which he appeared to devour with an expression of delight. At this moment the knell of the prison bell Indicated that his last minutes had come, whereupon he again called upon Christ for fortitude, and then moved forward with a firm step, praying earnestly. He ascended the scaffold with great firmness, and a few minutes afterwards was launched Into eternity. He struggled very much for some minutes and then all was over. He has left no writing of any description behind him, nor, as far as could be learned any special re- quests to his relations. The body hung till nine o'clock, when it was cut down and interred within the precincts of the prison.

Jpsttllmttmra Intelligence, HOME, FOREIGN, AND COLONIAL. MATRIMONIAL;—In a Scotch paper there recently appeared two advertisements exactly as follows :— Wife wanted (in good position)—physical imperfection or age Immaterial—by a gentlemanly man, aged thirty, in a respectable situation. Matrimony.—A gentleman, 23$years oi age, and of Inde- pendent means, wishes, with the view of possible mar- riage, to cultivate the acquaintance of a lady of refined mentality, innate, good breeding, and of correct principles, who is fond of music, especially sacred, and rightly inclined to all that is fair and beautiful. Phrenological reports of character exchanged, ultimately, perhaps, photographs. One is at a loss to decide whether we should more ad- mire the courageous determination of "gentlemanly" No. 1, who thinks physical imperfection or age im- material," provided only a good position" be held by the future partner of his joys, or the elaborate though slightly obscure matrimonial theory of No. 2, who stipulates for "renned mentality," and a right inclina- tion to all that is fair and beautiful. No. 2, however, cannily refers to marriage as only a possible and not an absolute intention on his part. THE ORIGIN OF A NAME.—The next edition of "The Origin of Proper Names" may be further illustrated by a circumstance which was stated at the last Middlesex Sessions during the trial of a prisoner. A man named Bishop had been also known under the alias of O'Donohue, not assumed on his part, as is usual in such cases, but acquired in the following mannerWhen in 1885 he was arrested and taken to Marlborough-street, he refused to give either name or address, and at Newgate the prisoner was tried with- out any name at all. The deputy-governor of Newgate wrote on the top of the indictment, I don't know who," which was transmuted into O'Donohue, and he served the whole of his sentence under that name and under it he was discharged. EMIGRATION STATISTICS.—During the month of September there sailed from Liverpool 55 ships, carrying 9,027 passengers. In course of the pre- vious month there were 61 ships, with 11,325 pas. sengers. The number of emigrants who sailed from Liverpool in September, 1865, was 12,946, being 3,919 more than the number who sailed during last month. A greater falling off in numbers is perceptible on com- Daring the quarters respectively ending on the 30th of September, 1866 and 1865. In the former the number of ships which sailed was 82, and they carried out 95 426 oaeseneers in the latter the number of ships w" 3 95 and they took out 37,290 passengers, of whom 2 734 were cabin passengers, under the provisions <■; the Passengers' Shipping Act. In short ships, that is, ships which did not sail under the provisions of that Act/ 3,132 had berths, making a grand total of 28,558 emigrants during the last quarter, against oy,249 in the same quarter of last year, thus showing a falling off of 10,691 in the quarter ending on Sunday, the 30th September, as compared with the same quarter of the previous year. THE ABYSSINIAN CAPTIVES.—We (" Morning Herald ") are glad to be able to announce that the go. vernment have resolved on making a new effort to rescue the unfortunate Englishmen who are still held in captivity by King Theodore in Abyssinia. In a few days Mr. Flad will leave for the court of that sove- reign, the bearer of a conciliatory and dignified letter worn the Queen, urging the release of our country- | men. Colonel Merewether will follow Mr. Flad, with suitable presents for the Abyssinian monarch, as far as Massowah, where he will await the result of Mr. Flad's mission before he proceeds further. We sin- cerely trust this new effort will be successful, but it is obvious that our countrymen are completely at the mercy of King Theodore. Anything like a display of force in the inaccessible region of Abyssinia is out of the question. It would fail to effect the release of the prisoners, and would almost inevitably involve us in a costly and resultless war. There is every reason to believe that Mr. Flad is the most likely person the government could have selected to succeed in the mission they have entrusted to him; and we hope many weeks will not elapse before he sends us back some good tidings of our unfortunate countrymen. LABELLING DOCTOR'S BOTILES.—A Travelled Parson "writes :— In some parts of Germany every bottle containing poison is labelled with a death's head and cross-bones, as black as printer's Ink can paint them. Every parcel of poisonous medicine sent to a patient has a similar label over the address. Pray help me to urge upon our chymists and druggists the adoption of this very simple method, which is plainly within the comprehension of the dullest boy that ever handled a pestle and mortar. SOLDIERS' GARDENS AT A LDERSHOT.—The autho- rities at Aldershot are doing everything in their power to encourage the practice of gardening in the camp (remarks the United Service Gazette.) Prizes are given every season for the best gardens to non-commissioned officers and men, and now it is announced that officers and others who may wish to enclose the gardens round their huts may have materials for that purpose by applying to the Deputy Assistant-Quartermaster- GeneraL Doubtless the coming summer will see the oasis cultivated to a considerable extent, for the various plantations which the engineers have been for some time planting around the camp and on other parts of the manoeuvring grounds will then add their beauties to that of the various gardens. THE ENGLISH IN JAPAN.—The following is an extract from a private letter from Kagosima, in Japan, dated the 31st of July last:— Prince Satsuma invited Captain King to pay him a visit in a ship of war, and H. MS. PrinCei8 Royal left Nagasaki on the 25th and arrived here on the 27th. Kagosima is not an open port, and the Princess Royal is the first British ship of war that has entered it on a friendly errand. Three years ago a British squadron came here and knocked down the prince's fortifications about his ears. Prince Satsuma ranks next to the Tycoon, and has more retainers than the latter. On the 28th he paid a short visit to Sir H. Parkes and Admiral King on board the Princess Royal, and again on the 30th, when he witnessed some English gun practice. He has sent on board most extensive presents of poultry, pigs, and fruit. When any of the men and officers of the Princess Royal go ashore they are obliged to be protected by a strong guard of the Prince's troops from the troublesome curiosity of thousands of the populace who follow the English officeis and sailors about the streets. The prince is exceedingly hospitable and considerate. He has had wine placed in all the temples so that the English on visiting them may refresh themselves. The Princess Royal leaves here on the 2nd August for Yokohama. A PARISIAN INCIDENT.—A grocer returning from St. Cloud the other evening, was stopped on the Pont de Grenelle by a man with a long beard, who pointing a pistol at him, proposed the usual thing under the circumstances, Money or your life!" The grocer fell upon his knees, and protested that he had spent everything at dinner. That is not right for a good father of a family," said the robber. "It is true upon my honour." "Your honour be hanged !"—Swear by your grandfather that you will come here to-morrow, catch five roach and put them in a plate together with 500 louis, and I will spare you your life." The grocer agreed; if it had been a million he would have sworn by his grandfather. As soon as he was released he went to the guard, who soon caught the robber, who turned out to be on closer examination a beautiful girl, who, it is said, was rather crack-brained, she having been crossed in love, and is constantly committing all sorts of eccen- tricities. A FRENCH VAGABOND'S VIEWS.—A curious scene is recorded of a Paris vagabond, who, on being brought up before the President of the Criminal Court, seated himself with something like dignity, not looking an object of commiseration, being a man of fine stature with a handsome beard and flowing locks. You are brought up for being a vagabond," said the President. So you please to term my social position, but it is not very polite to say so. I have different ideas about the matter." You have no residence." My residence is under heaven: I have lodged there for twenty-eight years." The President continued, "What are your means of existence?" "Not any." How do you live ?" On chance, and often on the air." "You have no relatives ?" continued the Presi- dent. "I am wholly unknown. I do not know or wish to know any one." You have no business 1" The man replied proudly, If I had wished to live a life of deception like men in towns do, I could have had a business and fortune. I preferred to remain honest." The President gave him at once a month's imprisonment and five years' surveillance. Rather hard lines, we think. The man rose with dignity, and with irony remarked, After my month perhaps you will give me the croix." SETTING A GoOD EXAMPLE.—Mr. George Orr Wilson, of Belfast, some time ago purchased an estate in the county of Kildare. formerly the property of the ill-fated Lord Edward Fitzgerald (whose melancholy fate the readers of history will remember), whose tenants or their families all still remain in the land, and to each of whom the new landlord has given a lease. He has also undertaken the management of the pro- perty himself, remitting the usual agents' fees, five per cent. The tenants have presented an address to Mr. Wilson expressing their gratitude. Upon the relations thus established the Northern Whig makes the follow- ing remarks:— In giving leases to his tenants, Mr. Wilson has given them security for the enjoyment of the outlay and the improve- ments they may make; he has, moreover, given them poli- tical and personal independence. Every tenant on the Kiirush Estate knows that what he sows he shall reap, and what he puts Into the land he shall take out of it, and has the strongest impulse to be industrious, and to do all he possibly can to improve his landlord's property for their mutual benefit. We may be satisfied that there will be no coercion of votes on the Kllrush estate; no threat of eject- ment, if a tenant obeys the dictates of his conscience, will be made by any bailiff, or "man from the office," there. Well would it be for this country and for its people if the same could be said generally. WHAT SHALL THE KING OF PRUSSIA BE CALLED ?—A correspondent writing from Berlin to the Avenir National, states that a great meeting has been held in that city, in the office of the Stern Zeitung, to decide what title of distinction should be awarded to the King of Prussia on the occasion of his recent vic- tories. The surname of "Great "was proposed, but rejected, because already applied to Frederick IL "Magnanimous" was suggested, but objected to be- cause it did not sufficiently designate William I. A member then requested a vote upon the words In- domptable," Formidable," Invulnerable," or "Unswerving." Another proposed-the expression "King Cavalier." This title received at first a good number of votes, but was abandoned on the observa- tion of a member that it had already been used by two Kings of France—Francis I. of the House of Valois, and Charles X. of the race of Bourbon. The desire appears to have been to get a surname having the merit of novelty. On a division, Indomptable and Unswerving" obtained an equal number of votes. A final ballot has now become necessary, but the writer does not say when it will take place. COSTLY RELICS.—The Paris "Presse," in rë. marking on the very large sums sometimes given at public sales for articles which have belonged to cele- brated persons, publishes a list of prices paid in former times in similar cases, and from which we extract the following, without, however, guaranteeing their authenticity:— The ivory arm-chair presented by the city of Leubeck to Gustavous Vasa, was sold in 1825 for 120,0001. to M. Schinkel, a Chamberlain of the King of Sweden the prayer- book of Charles I. of England, carried by him to the scaffold, fetched at London 2,600f; the coat worn by Charles XIL at the battle of Puttowa and preserved by Colonel Roton, who had followed him to Bender, was sold at Edinburgh in 1826 for 561,000f the Abbe de Tersan paid an immense sum for a pair of ball shoes which had belonged to Louis XIV.; and in 1816 Lord Schwarterbury (?Shaftesbury) gave 16,595f. for a tooth of Newton, whlchis now setinaring, and still remains in the family. THEFT OF AN AUTOGRAPH.—Many an anecdote has been recorded of the pilfering habits of certain lovers of old books, to which a pendant has been con- tributed in recent years by autograph collectors. A flagrant instance of legerdemain in the autographic line may be seen in the Livre des Voyageurs of the Hotel du Dome, at Randa, in the Val St. -Nicolas. In June, ] 865 J Lord Francis Douglas wrote his name on the first leaf of that book while on his way from Visp to Zer- matt." The name has been cut out by some keen au- tograph collector, and an unsightly gap new remains as a memorial of the hapless young nobleman, and of a disgraceful theft. A t has been inscribed at eaeh end of the gap, and on the opposite page some travel- ler has written:— The nsme of Lord Francis Douglas, who was killed on the Matterhorn, has been stolen from the opposite page by some autograph hunter. Stranger! I pray you pity the bad taste and the weak conscience, and wish better manners to the no doubt amiable thief. To this some other traveller has appended a note— Tuft hunter, who will frame it, and put It over his mantel- piece. Whoever the culprit may have been, we trust he was not an Englishman. With that signature the book at Randa had a touching interest, which it has now lost, and which would have given it a permanent value among the archives of the village. On the other hand, will the stealer ever dare to exhibit his prize ? Will it not, by its form and appearance, always testify against him ? BATHER ILLOGICAL!—Another journalist duel occurred on Friday last in Paris. Two gntlemen named Rossignol and Maxime, who write in some of the scores of publications belonging to the petite pruse, had a paper war which culminated in a challenge. Their seconds send to the papers an account of the meeting, in which they say that, "seeing from the manner in which they crossed their swords that they intended to act vigorously," they at once interposed, and expressing the opinion that the articles in question contained nothing affecting the honour of either party insisted that the affair should have no "further conse- quences." These seconds were not very logical. They alleged an excellent reason why they should not have brought their men upon the ground, but, the theory of duelling being admitted, one cannot understand why the manifest disposition of the combatants to use their swords vigorously" should be a reason for fairing them out ot their hands. DEATH AND DRINK.—The following is from a paper read at the Social Science Congress :-According to tables carefully drawn up by Mr. Neison from copious data, the rate of mortality amongst persons of intemperate habits is shown to be "frightfully high and unequalled by the results of any other series of observations made on any class of the population of thiacountry. At the term of life from 21 to 30 the mortality is upwards of five times that of the general community, and the effects of the different kinds of dnnk axe thus shown—The rate of mortality amongst beer dnnkers w 45-97 per 1,000 yearly; spirit drinkers 59 96, mixed beer and spirit, 61*94. "Trulv" he ST'i ^t!ere,be( anything m the usages of society calculated to destroy life the most powerful is cer- tainly the inordinate use of strong drink. It has often been said that in any place the more numerous the facilities for drinking the greater the amount of drunkenness, and, we may now surely add, the larger will be the rate of mortality. In Liverpool, the excessive mortality is by many observers.. attributed largely to drunkenness, and the mortality sub-com- mittee of the Board of Health recommends that some control over the sale of intoxicating liquors should be given to the authorities. Dr. Morgan has lately pointed out another source, not only of present disease and ill-health, but also a. cause of future deterioration of race." A STRANGE THIEF.—A short time since a colt belonging to the Rev. John Harrison, of Sutton, was discovered to have lost a large portion of a long and very handsome tail. It was at once suspected that it had been cut off by some one for the sake of the hair. Inquiries were made, but no traces could be found of the thief. About two days afterwards more hair ap- peared to have been cut off, so that evidently the thief bad again visited the yard. There seemed so much malice in this last act, for an inch or two of hair could have been of no use to any person, and that Police- constable Selmes was sent for, in the hope of his being able to discover the guilty party. Selmes accordingly visited the yard, examined the coifs tail, inspected the premises, and questioned the workmen about the farm, but failed to elicit any information as to the perpe- trator of the malicious act. After spending about half-an-hour in a a fruitless inquiry, Selmes, happening to look once more across the yard, discovered the object of his search in the person of a companion colt, which was kept in the same yard, and which was then very quietly gnawing away at the remaining stump of the tail of his unfortunate brother. WHAT BECOMES OF THE PINS.—This question has often been asked, but we have never yet met with a satisfactory answer to it. Few persons are aware of the enormous consumption of the useful little in- strument. The annual report of the United States' Secretary of the Treasury, tea years ago, contained some interesting memoranda relative to the manufac- tures, furnished by the Hon. Philip Allen, then senator from Rhode Island, in which, among other things, he stated that the number of pins made per annum in the United States was 2,607,360,000. Now the old question comes up for solution. What becomes of the pins ? The population of the country was then 26,000,000. Does each individual—man, woman, and child—consume 100 pins a year? for that would be the average supply. But it is well known that it is only one sex who use pins at all. Does each American example of the feminine gender consume 200 pins a year. From babyhood to maturity, and from that to the grave, the passion for pins, it is admitted, is a part of woman's nature; but we submit that this fact affords no satisfastory explanation of the disappear- ance of 2,607,360,000 of pins per annum. The ques- tion, therefore, still remains—What becomes of the pins? ARREST OF BRAINE.—Some grave questions will arise in the case of J. C. Braine, who has been arrested by the United States' authorities in the Eastern district of New York (remarks the Nøw York Times). He was the leader of the party who, in 1863, under the guise of being passengers, seized the Chesapeake at sea, ran her for Nova Scotia, and escaped on the approach of a United States' gunboat. The authorities of New York restored the vessel to her owners, but refused extradition of the freebooters on the ground that the charge was one of piracy triable in any country. It was not pretended that Braine held a commission from the Confederate States, though he was said to be enlisted in their service. One Parker, an officer of a Confederate vessel, was provided with a letter of mark, and was alleged to have been on board the Chesapeake but it appears .this was not till after the seizure of the Chesapeake by Braine, and her arrival in British waters. Whatever the authority, we believe that the shooting of the engineer was murder. ENLIGHTENING A JUDGE.—An unwonted in- terference with the decorum and dignity of the High Court occurred the other day (remarks the Delhi Gazette). A case had just been decided, and Mr. Roberts, the presiding judge, was engaged in some other business, when he was startled by seeing a lighted torch held over his head by some one in the court. On inquiry he found it was the losing party in the suit just decided, who said great injustice had been done to him. and he was now holding a torch to enlighten the court and enable them to administer justice. Mr. Roberts directed he should be fined fifty rupees for contempt of court. The man pro- ceeded to state his opinion still further, when he was fined 100 rupees. He was taken into custody, and released on the fine being paid. A TRAGIC AFFAIR.—A correspondent of "The Times of India," tells the following remarkable story of military insubordination in one of the companies of the northern division of the army of Madras :— A havildar of the 11th Madras native Infantry had been placed under arrest for some offence, reported by the subadar of the regiment, and which was brought before the notice of the commander by the adjutant. The story is thus con- tinued: "After his punishment the havildar, it seems, harboured a deadly revenge against the subadar and adjutant for reporting him consequently, when the regi- ment was at ball practice one morning, he loaded his musket unobserved, and, coming round from the supernumerary rank, discharged his piece into the head of the unlucky subadar. He immediately reloaded with the intention of shooting the adjutant; but observing that officer riding at him, and apprehending seizure, and eventually death by hanging, he shot himself on the spot. Singular to relate, not one of the men on parade stirred to rescue the adjutant or subadar, or to capture the miscreant, although their muskets were all loaded, and they might easily have shot him." RECLAMATION OF LAND FROM THE SEA.—The Norfolk Estuary Company have just completed another embankment of a mile and a half in length at Wolferty, adjoining the lands of his Royal Highness the Prince of Wales and the Hon. Mrs. Mary Greville Howard, which was commenced in March last, reclaiming another 300 acres of land in the Wash." This now makes a total of about 500 of the 32,000 acres to be recovered from the sea, for which the necessary funds were raised by the authority of an amended act of parlia- ment in 1849., However insignificant this may appear compared with the total amount of acreage to be recovered, still the embankments now completed are of the utmost importance, as the greater difficulty is always in the commencement of works of this nature; and we are informed it is the intention of the directors to follow this up with others of a similar nature in rapid succession. Some of the land enclosed is already drained and cultivated, and is far better soil than originally anticipated, a great part consisting of a rich alluvial clay, with sand, the two working well together. The present work referred to has been carried out by Messrs. Row and Smith, the con- tractors. A RELIC OF CORUNNA.—A few days ago, Mr. William Mensing died at Cotgrave, Notts. He was formerly a soldier in the 15th Hussars, and went through the Peninsular war. At the famous battle of Corunna, in 1809, he was one of Sir John Moore's orderlies. He was by the side of the lamented hero when he breathed his last, and was one of the sorrow- ing few who "slowly and sadly laid him down from the field of his fame fresh and gory." Probably he was the last of that gallant little band. Mr. Mensing was 81 years of age, and was highly resoected in the parish. AN OBJECTIONABLE WORD.—The Emperor of the French has no subjects—excepting, perhaps, a few of his personal friends high in office. Frenchmen are all citizens. Most of his Majesty's Ministers have, from the time of his accession, steadily declined to sub- scribe themselves otherwise than as his most obedient servants," and memorable scenes have taken place in the Chamber of Deputies whenever, either by de- sign or by accident, the Emperor's subjects" have been- mentioned. At the present time the whole non- official press is agitated by a sentence in Thursday's Moniteur wherein the French are designated" Sujets de l'Empereur." The Avenir National is especially irate, and begs to remark that "subjects" do not exist in France, which is inhabited by citizens, and that the country is insulted by the epithet, which it hopes the Moniteur will withdraw. There is a good deal in a word, and perhaps the Moniteur may withdraw it, es> pecially as the unfortunate phrase did not appear in the official part of the paper. SAGACITY OF DOGS !—Three dogs belonging to M. de S. and M. P., of Bordeaux, went hunting on their own account, but one of M. de S.'s dogs failed to return, and the other two only turned up late at night covered with sweat, blood, and mould, and evidently quite worn out with fatigue. They both made off early next morning, and returned again at night in the same state as before. This continued for several days, when at last the third dog made his appearance in the most emaciated condition between his two liberators. It appears that the emaciated animal, in pursuit of a rabbit, had gone full pelt into a hole, from which he had been unable to extricate himself. His friends had to dig him out, and were several days about it. REMINISCENCES OF THE LATE MARQUIS DE BOISST.—The father of the Marquis de Boissy was very rich and very eccentric. In the Senate he spoke but seldom, unlika his son, but what he said was caustic and to the purpose. His last appearance in the Chamber of Peers was once after 1830 to vote for the acquittal of the Ministers of Charles X., who were impeached for issuing the celebrated ordinances which led to the revolution. The Marquis had a mania for bringing water into his estate. He consulted the most eminent engineers, who, at an enormous expense, succeeded in creating a pond or basin, in which the water was twelve feet deep. He was delighted beyond measure at being told one Öt i,liat a man had been nearly drowned in his basm. The writer of this anecdote expresses his belief that if any one had brought news to the Marquis that a man had been really drowned he would have bestowed half his fortune on the bearer of the glad tidings.. His horses were sorry Rosinantes. He had five or six carnages, and a judgment may be formed of his equipage from an opinion he often expressed that no one ought to pay more than 300f. (or 121.) for a horse. He would not, like Richard the Third, give a kingdom for a horse." In the morning the Marquis usually walked round his grounds, and beggars assembled to greet him. "Go and work," said he to them one day, surely that would be better than to importune and annoy me." The beggars did not stir. Turning to his old valet, who accompanied him in his walks, with a bag of money, he said, "Pierre, if the poor wretches won't go away, give them each a louis (20f.), but, above all, let them go and work." MAKING THEM GOOD !—" I tries all I can to make 'em good, sir," said a pious agricultural labourer, speaking of his children to the village parson—"I beats 'em till I can't see to beat 'em no longer; and when they won't kneel down to pray I knocks 'em down." The same plan of enforcing religious obser- vances upon the young seems to be coming into vogue across the Atlantic. Not long ago we heard of a Medina clergyman who beat his step-son, a child of three, to death, because it contumaciously refused to lisp the Lord's prayer; and now we learn that a woman living at Kingston, in Canada, has beaten her child of five to death, with a cow-hide, because it had gone to bed without putting up its little petition for mercy. Neither of the savages, so far as we can learn, has been hanged yet. IN AN AWKWARD PREDICAMENT!—A young lady was put into a train alone to go to London. As the train was on the point of starting a gentleman rushed up and got in. At this her friends, who were Beeing her off, were rather annoyed, but thought it did not much signify. Shortly after the train had started, the gentleman jumped up and exclaimed, This carriage is too heavy, and must be lightened," and straightway his carpet-bag disappeared out of the window. He sits still a few minutes, when he begins again, and this time his coat and waistcoat follow his bag. After a little while he said, Let us pray for t the Duke of Gloucester." Down they go on their knees, the poor girl, only seventeen, too frightened to do anything but obey. When that was done they prayed for the Duke of York, and then for another— in fact, through a whole string of Dukes they then sit down, the young lady frightened out of her senses. « After a few minutes he begins again—" It won't do; I can't stand it; the train is too heavy, either you or cj I must get out; I don't want to, so you must go." The girl in despair says, But we have not prayed for the Duke of Northumberland." Ah! no more J we have." Down they go again on their knees, when luckily the train stopped at a station, and the young lady called the guard, when it was discovered that the gentleman was a lunatic escaped from Hanwell. £ GIVING IRISH FARMERS GOOD ADVICE.—At o the dinner of the Iverk Farming Society, held at Piltown, on Wednesday, the Earl of Bessborough pre- t sided, and delivered a long speech, in which he gave the tenant farmers some good advice. He noticed a curious fact—namely, that the cattle of the mountain districts always excelled the cattle of the lowland dis- tricts. He recommended that tillage should be kept j up by the farmers, on account of the employment it ( gives the people. The difficulties caused by the climate f might be met by care, energy, and forethought. He was anxious that improvement should take place in ] the social position of the farmers. He wanted to see t their houses better furnished and better kept. He ( wanted to see the men more respectable in appearance, j their wives and daughters very clean and nicely dressed. He admired the farmer's wife more when she wore a nice cloak over her head than with a tawdry j bonnet and a silk gown. He wished farmers spent more on themselves and their homes, instead of putting up large fortunes for their daughters. He was glad j that his tenants held their farms on such terms as to be able to do this, and he was proud that they had such confidence in him that they were not afraid to let him know that. THE ROMANCE OF ADVERTISING.—A collection ] of the odd sensational advertisements which have ap- peared in the agony column of The Times during the last half-a-dozen years with a faint attempt to unravel their mysteries, would form a curious volume for rail- way reading. Here are the latest oddities, which would easily work up, under skilful treatment, into a little romance; everything is as clear as daylight: — CROSS —Thousand thanks for letter. Awfully pleased and delighted to get it. Don't like the idea of the trip to L. on Tuesday at all. Hope it won't be as un. T. as the last time, when you were unkind. Wish you to stop quiet where you are, and rest from your labours. Is the surveillance very strict? Is P.O. under old man's thumb and dangerous? I'm not sure of being there on 26th. I thibk Trees' might be managed; it would be a great comfort. Don't give up; in case of going to L. be firm and writs. Yours till death.— MAQPIB." A. E. J.—Write and say where I can address a letter to you at once. Send it like the last.—Wasflsh." "White Rose.—Before I answer I must know who my correspondent h, as perhaps a joke is being played upon me. Write again. Seal your letter, and mark it' Private.' You may trust in me." RED TAPE IN FRANCE.—The precipitation with which the dear departed" are buried in France was rather awkwardly exemplified the other day. A work- man being taken to the cemetery for dead absolutely broke open his coffin and proceeded to rate the man who drove him. He resumed work in a day or two, but he had considerable difficulty in getting his inter- ment erased from the books of the commune. It would be a fine argument for a burgomaster—"But my good man, you are dead." "How can I be dead if I am here ? That is all very well, but your death has been certified to, and there is no form to erase such an entry, and I cannot scratch it out in my books. Be off, you are dead—in the eyes of the law." But, burgo- master, allow me-" I will allow you nothing, sir, but fine you for contempt of the civic power if you argue the point any longer." The Etoile, when giving the simple facts without any embellishment, says that it would be glad to hear the fact contradicted. We, on the contrary, are glad at the poor man's escape from premature interment. ENDING HAPPILY !—A romantic marriage has just been celebrated at the church of Cligancourt, in France. About five years ago two young persons re- siding at Larouchefoucauld were engaged to each other. Paul, the suitor, however, left on a tour, but promised to write very often to his Clotilde. At first letters came often, then rarely, then not at all. Clotilde was in great grief, and came to Paris to try and forget her troubles. Last week, while proceeding along the Rue des Portes Blanches, she saw her lover aim in arm with a lady. Clotilde fell down in the street insensible; and when conveyed home she her- metically closed her room and lighted some charcoal, intending to commit suicide. Almost immediately there was a knock at the door. It was Paul who knocked. Clotilde was still able to open the door. An explanation ensued, and Paul having satisfied his affianced that the lady whom he was escorting was but a friend of the family, arrangements were made for the marriage, which has just been celebrated. THE FIRST ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH.—The fol- lowing is from Saturday's London Times :—Sir,—I have just been reading Arthur Young's Travels in France," second edition, published in 1794, 72 years since, by W, Richardson, Royal Exchange, London; and at page 79, Vol. I. I find an entry in Young's diary, dated October 16, 1787, which goes, I think, a great way towards establishing the fact that a French mechanic, one M. Lomond, had then, A.D. 1787, 79 years ago, in actual operation in Paris an electric tele- graph. Here is the passage to which I allude:- Oct 16,1787.—In the evening to Mons. Lomond, a very Ingenious and inventive mechanic, who iMnmade an improve- ment of the jenny for spinning cotton. In electricity he has made a remarkable discovery. You write two or three words on a paper; he takes it with him into a room and turns a machine enclosed in a cylindrical case, at the top of which is an electrometer, a small fine pith ball; a wire connects with a similar cylinder and electrometer in a distant apart- ment, and his wife, by remarking the correspondent motions of the ball, writes down the words they Indicate from which it appears that he has formed an alphabet of motions. As the length of the wire makes no difference in the effect, a correspondence might be carried on at any di&tance- within and without a beseiged town, for instance. Whatever the use may be, the invention is beautiful. Is it not possible that the poor French mechanic may have perished in the Revolution, and his mighty invention with him?—Your obedient servant, J. BERNARD BURKE, Ulster. Dublin Castle, Oct. 4. PRUSSIA AND THE LOTTERIES.—"It is asserted," says the Union, that all the lotteries existing in the countries incorporated with the Prussian monarchy will be suppressed; but if we may believe the Europe of Frankfort, morality will gain nothing by that step for the large Prussian one will be maintained, and the number of tickets increased to 120,000 in consequence of the suppression of its rivals. The tickets will be purchased, therefore, at Berlin instead of Frankfort or elsewhere. The whole change will amount to nothing more." PROMPT JUDGMENT.—A Swede, named Rosen- crist, was arrested at Chicago, and charged with theft. On being accused he stoutly denied the theft; but, finding no credence was given to the denial, he sud- denly grew more passionate, and, lifting up his hands towards heaven, exclaimed that he hoped his tongue would rot in his mouth, his head drop from his shoulders, and God strike him dead on the spot" if he was guilty. No sooner had these words escaped his lips than he suddenly began to reel and stagger, and before support could be given he fell to the floor —dead. A DYING SCENE.—The famous Tony Lee, a player in King Charles the Second's reign, being killed in a tragedy, having a violent cold, could not forbear coughing as he lay dead upon the stage; which occa- sioning a good deal of laughing and noise in the house, he lifted up his head, and, speaking to the audience said, This makes good what my poor mother used to tell me; for she would often say that I should cough in my grave, because I used to drink in my porridge. This set the house in such good,humour that it produced a thundering clap, and made every- I one very readily pardon the solecism he had before committed. SERIES OF CASUALTIES.—A singular series of casualties have occurred in the North Sea in the fogs of last week. A steamer belonging to the Tyne ran down and sank a brig off Flamborough head on Mon- day.—On Wednesday the bark Selina reached the Tyne in tow of the Alma tug, having been dis- masted at sea on Sunday night through a colli- sion with the screw steamer St. Petersburg, of and from Leith for Cronstadt. The collision occurred about twohundred miles to the eastward of the Northumberland coast, and the steamer towed the brig in towards the land and gave her over to a Shields tug to bring into port.—The brig Countess of Zetland has arrived in Seaham harbour with the crews of two vessels on board.—The Sapid, of Sunderland, had been in collision with the Helene, of Gauersick; both vessels foundered, but before they sank the Countess of Zetland came up and rescued all the hands but one man, belonging to the Rapid, who lost his life in the aollision.—The screw steamer Haswdl ran into and sank the brig Defiance, of Sunderland, while off the Swin. The brig sank twenty minutes after she was struck. Her crew were picked up by the HasweU and brought into Sunderland. THE HYDE-PARK RIOT3.—An "on dit" is current at the clubs and elsewhere, I know not on what authority, (says a writer in the Illustrated Times) is highly to the credit of the Chancellor of the Exchequer, and shows that the persons and liberties of the public are safer in the hands of the representative of genius, wit, and learning than in those of the men who specially claim to speak on behalf of "our old nobility." The story in question is to the effect that during the disturbances in Hyde-park the Cabinet debated the question of firing on the people, and was all but unanimous in ordering it to be done, when Disraeli said that he should decline to tread in the footsteps of Sidmouth and Castlereagh, and that no such order should be given by a Government of which he was a member. The indecision in the conduct of the n- ilitary department during the disturbances in Hyde-park is explained by the vacillation of the Cabinet, and itr is gratifying to know—if the report to which I have referred be true—that we were spared the horrors of a coup-d'etat by the resolution of Mr. Disraeli. REPUBLICAN BLACKBIRDS.—The Sport" has the following :— The last of the republican blackbirds of Mondaye (Calvados) has just been shot by an advocate of Bayeux. Those birds, long cele- brated throughout the arrondissement, were certainly better known than the persons who have killed them. The remarkable facility with which blackbirds learn and retain airs of music is matter of notoriety. In 1848, an ingenious patriot attempted to turn that instinct to account to republicanise the whole wooded grounds of the neighbourhood. He brought up by hand two broods of the birds in question, taught them for three or four months the Marseillaise, and when he thought their education sufficiently advanced for them to im- part their talent to the others, he gave them their liberty. The rest of the winged tribe took a fancy to the music of Roguet de l'lsle, and for many years nothing but the "Marseillaise" was to be heard. At a later period France changed her tune, and the majority of the songsters who had not modified their repertory fell before the shot of the rural guards. Oue alone escaped the pursuit of the authorities, and claim- ing a right of asylum it took refuge in the gardens of Mondaye, where thti good monks often listen to its song with a smile. The unfortunate bird at length one day ventured beyond us hints and paid for its temerity w^h its life, lime had singularly changed the colour of its black Mid lustrous plumage. Physically, a* well as morally it had become a vwte Uanc," k

EPITOME OF NEWS.. BRITISH AND FOREIGN. a Byron's "Don Juan," has just been translated for > le first time into French verse. Upwards of 3,000 Prussian soldiers have died of v liolera in Bohemia, 875 óf whom were in the hospitals at rague. fl Twenty ounces of gold (valued at 400,000 dollars) o rere deposited lately on a single day in the branch mint at an Francisco, being the largest amount ever received in one c ay. s The Chicago papers tell of a dog that was taken rom that city across the Plains to California, but not liking 1 hat country travelled back again on foot and arrived at his c Id home very much emaciated. ( Wendell Phillips, the anti-slavery orator, who here- ofore has refused to go to Congress, on the ground that he ] :ould not swear to support the Constitution as it then was, < tas been nominated to the third Congressional District of I Massachusetts. < The French Government has decided to build a j arge temporary hotel near Passy, where travellers belong- ng to the working classes will find during the Exhibition somfortable lodgings and refreshments at moderate prices ] lxed by a tariff. Some of the Madrid papers have asserted that the < Sritish Government has admitted that the ship papers of i ¡he Tornado were suspicious, but this is untrue. The British ) Jovernment has made no such admission on the contrary < ;he British Consul at Cadiz reports the Tornado's papers te perfectly regular. The cholera seems to be spreading in Manchester Mid South Lancashire generally. It has also appeared in Newcastle and the other towns on the north-eastern coasts, The very last thing is a patent paper shirt—cost twenty-five cents, warranted perspiration proof, and wears three weeks without washing.All14riclfn Paper. It is stated that soap manufactured from coal oil is t better remover of dirt than that ordinarily used. When the President of the United States was Governor of Tennesse, he sent to the neighbouring Governor of Kentucky a coat oi his own making; and he (the Ken- tuckian), who had been a blacksmith, made him a present of a shovel and tongs. The Board of Equalisation has determined the amount of property fn New York to be as followsReal estate, 1,196,403,4,16 dols. personal, 834,820,220 dols. Total, 1,631,229,636 dols. The French managers have, of late years, largely Imported English beautiful ballet-girls for their stage, where the meese6 are :1.11 the rage. A London manager is about to return the compliment by importing piquant and pretty Frecch ballet-dancers. 54,0002. have been subscribed as a guarantee fund for an exhibition, which it is proposed to be held at Leeds, in 1863. The preliminary steps will be taken during this week. Miss Spurgeon, the daughter of the popular preacher, accompanied Queen Emma to this country. Miss Spurgeon is on her way to the Sandwich Islands, in the hope of being able to instruct the natives in the doctrines of Christianity. She Is twenty-four years of age, has a fine intellectual fsce. and very prepossessing manners."—New York Home Journal. The boiler of a steam threshing-machine burst on Friday evening on a farm belonging to Mr. Thomas, at Hannlngfield, near Chelmsford. Much damage was done and one man was killed and seven others were dreadfully injured. Three of themarenotexpactedto survive. According to the New York Herald, General Grant and Mr. Stanton have, at a personal interview, urged Presi- dent Johnson to abandon his present policy, and advise the Southern State? to accept the terms offered by Con- gress a fact, if it be a fact, of great signidcance, for General Grant Is Commander la-Caief, and Mr. Stanton, Minister-at-War. The President is reported to have replied that he believed himself in the right, but would give in directly he saw it was for the interests of his country to do so. Sword blades resembling those of Damascus are made at Sollogen ia Germany. A faggot is first formed of alternate fine bars of iron and steel. It is drawn out, doubled and twisted several tines, and then formed into a ribbon. Two sucii ribbons are welded together, enclosing between them a thin blade of the best cutting English steel. After polishing it, it is dipped in dilute sulphuric acid to give it a pattern. A strike has taken place among the coal workmen of Charlerol, and has extended to all the establishments in that district. The masters have intimated to their custo- mers that for the present they cannot supply them. One of President Johnson's former slaves called on him at Cincinnati, during the recent tour. A writer in the Augsburg Gazette, in describing recent English publications, speaks in high terms of Miss Evan's new novel, which he calls Felix Holt, the Rascal." The formal annexation of Frankfort, Nassau, and Hesse-Casstd to Prussia, took place on Monday. The Frank- furters seem to have preserved a gloomy silence during the proceedings. They did not approve of their" free city be- coming simply a part of Prussia. The Emperor of Austria has announced that he gives up the title of King of Lombardy and Venetia. Which of his many remaining titles will he yield next ? This present abdication is probably significant of a better feeling between Italy and Austria. The latter Power will soon have a repre- sentative at Florence, and it may be we shall see some- thing in the nature of a closa alliance between the two Powers. A clerk in a London banking-house, on Friday last, having neglected to attach the usual protecting chain, lost his case, containing upwards of 1,8002. in cash and bills. It was brought back to the bank the same evening, with its contents untouched, by an honest omnibus-driver. A French gentleman who left Vera Croz by the last Royal Mail packet died before ho reached St. Thomas. On oponing his baggage to ascertain who he was, In order to communicate to his friends, despatches for the Empress of Mexico and for several European Governments were found amongst his papers. It is stated that Lord Cowley has withdrawn the resignation he had placed in the bands of her Majesty's Ministers, and that the noble lord will remain at his present post until after the Exhibition of 1867. A monumental brass, designed by Mr. Butterfield, is (says the Salisbury Journal) about to be placed in the chancel of Hurslev Cnurch, to perpetuate the memory of the author of the Christian Year." Mr. Thomas Young, an English gentleman, has -been appointed to the chair of English literature in the Queen's College, Belfast, vacant by the death of the late Professor Craik. The Earl of Shaftesbury, on Saturday, laid the foundation stone of a ragged school in Angel Meadow, Man- chester, and subsequently addressed a meeting of Lancashire factory operatives in the Town-hall. In the evening he was present at the inauguration of the Choilton and Ardwick Free Library. On Saturday, the late kingdom of Hanover was formally merged into Prussia—the bellringers of the capital being induced to celebrate the death of their nation by merry peals. The ex-King has absolved his subjects from their oath of allegiance, and, with many fair promises for the future, the King of Prussia has commanded a transfer of their dutiful obedience to himself. Hanover, therefore, is blotted from the list of European states. An action has been commenced against the directors of Overend, Gurney, and Co., by Mr. Dundas, of Dundas Castle, with a view to make them personally liable lor the capital subscribed by the shareholders on the faith of the prospectus issued. The Attorney-General has been retained for the plaintiff, and the Solicitor-General for the directors. A movement, looked upon in some quarters as almost the beginning of an extension of the volunteer system to Ireland, will be inaugurated on the 10th instant on the demesne of Lord Dufferin, when a "first or AU Ireland Rifle Match" will take place, with the object of commencing the selection of the best marksmen to join the Irish teams for future cempetitions at Wimbledon. The bell which is heard in the first act of Don Juan d'Autriche" at the Theatre Francals, Pari?, is one of those which on the 24th August, 1572, gave the signal for the commencement of the bloody tragedy of St. Bartho- lomew. Being put up for sale during the Revolution, all the bells of St. Germain-l'Auxerrois were bought by a founder named Fiaubau, who parted with the smallest of them to the theatre Just named. It was rung for the first time at the theatre in 1801, at the first performance of Edousrd en Ecosse," by Alexander Duval. At the Social Seience meeting Professor Fawcett twitted Lord Shaftesbury with the condition of his tenantry. "Twenty years ago," Mr. Fawcett said, "Lord Shaftesbury led the landed interest in forcing the Factory Acts upon the manufacturing interest. But now I will say this to Lord Shdtesbury-let him extend the zeal which he showed in improving the education in your own county to his own district, nay, even to his own estate." I Madame Ristori made her debut at the French Theatre, New York, in Medea, on the 20th ult. The audience included the French and Russian Ministers, and prominent American authors, divines, lawyers, and politicians. The New York journals are enthusiastic as to her performance, though they have little to say in praise of the rest of the com- pany. The Ncw York Herald devotes no less than three columns and a half of closely-printed type to the subject, divided noder headings of this kind From our critic in the private box." "From our critic in the dress-circle.' "From our critic in the parquet." "From our critic with the promenade ticket," &c.—The receipts of Madame Rts- tori's first night's performance were 3,100 dols., of which she gets 1,000 dols. and2,10Qdols goes to the manager, and pays advertising bills and other expenses. Looking through a list of Sacred Airs for the Harmonium,'just published by a distinguished musician, we find the following among the best as illustrations of our recent remarks on the custom of playing operatic music in church. Of the twenty-four 'sacred' airs in question, one is from 'Faust,' one from 'Masanlello,' one from the 'Huguenots,' and one from Mose In Egltto.' That, musi- cally speaking, these pieces aie all fitted for the harmonium and the organ is true enough; but the associations they con- jure up are, to say the least, amusing, according to the prevailing English notions on such matters, on which, how- ever, we express no opinicn."—Pall Mall Gazette. We have to chronicle the remarkable fact of a parish vertry making a move in favour of church reform. The following resolution was carried at the last meeting of the Bishopsgate (London) vestryThat this vestry requests the churchwardens, in making their presentment to the Bishop of London at the forthcoming visitation, to convey to his lordship the expression of their feelings that the use of the creed called by the name of Athanasius is an offence to a considerable number of the members of the Church of England, and tends to keep from the pale of her com- munion many who would gladly unite on her otherwise catholic bases." Since the finishing of the harvest work in the south of Ireland, emigration from Queenstown to America, which had been almost suspended for some time, has resumed its rapid course. The Cork Examiner says:—"A considerable portion of the emigration takes place through pre-paid tickets, the friends of parties in America paying their pas. sage money there, and during the past month the number of pre paid passages has greatly increased. This shows the great anxiety of the Irish in America to have their country- men out there." A letter from Amsterdam says :—" Among the illustrious visitors now honouring Holland with their com- pany we must particularly mention tbe Brothers DavtJnpor" who have come in search of dupes and gilders. Their fam^ however, had outstripped them, and thouih they exerf^H themselves to make the Dutch believe their assertion. th Jt meet with very little patronage. A clever streeTiuSr has already declarpd that he knows tbeir secret. «n,i 4!. j revest. Catch a weasel a deep, and thefyou mly'cafch a Dutchman, sold again' by the Brothers Davenport The late Judge F of Connecticut, was not coZ^f KmarksM"8^8^ WSgtf °n?~hrmdaenr nnlitAiv 80 aa 1 can understand you Bowing V *r- Sherman replied in his blandest manner, r.rL{U 110110111 i* probably not aware of the task you are im- posing upon me.—Boston Advertiser. At a recent meeting of the Sunday League Mr. Morrell, the secretary, said legal proceedings had been com- menced against the directors of the Crystal Palace, by a prominent member of the Lord's Day Society, for a violation of the charter by opening the Palace on the second and ninth of September laat, toother than shareholders, and the til- rectors had accepted the contest. He aleo stated that an important question had arisen out of the coming Church Cungress at York The RiV. W. C D^wding, who holds similar views to the League on the Christian Sunday, had been refused permission by the committee to read a pap a at the congress on the Sutiuay question while at the same time they had allowed the question to be put on the pro- gramme tor discussion, and had appointed the Bishop of Rlpon to open the subject, and had telected the speakers from the Sabbatarian School, expressly excluding the Rev Mr. Dowdlng. A vote of sympathy with Mr. Dowdingwas passed and also a resolution in favour of a public dtBCINltou In London on the Sunday question. The Avenir National of Saturday pubiisnes vie 'reater part of a brochure, filling six of its columns 111 vhich Admiral Persano enters into a defence of his conducb it Lissa.. Owing to the excessive wet season \eaves yew Forest are being prematurely stripped of their leaves^ During last month 759^ sheep, Cherbourg prere imported into Poole, i £ Dorsetshire, An advertisement appeared ih f a^ntleman tew days since, purporting to emana.e uatiou i'n which f l,40:'i. a-year income," who wanted a Bw™w>n i maQ "to employ his time." Surely with 1,MJ. J j^bour could contrive to keep out of the already over-sto>' market. The Atlantic cable is making up for our bad harves • That is something to owe it. We mean that hundreds orders are now in the Jnited States to send corn to this country with all speed. A good story is told of a breeze between a gallan yacht-owner and the bow-oar of his cutter. The owner the other day was steering rather wildly; perceiving his bow-oar lookiiia round continually, he exclaimed, What the diavolo are you looking round at, man ? you are paid to go down with me." No, Sir," replied the cautious bow, sulkily, I'm paid to keep you afloat I" The latest Yankee invention is a machine for ruling paper by electricity. A St. Petersburg correspondent, alluding to the death of Mouravieff, informs us that "thou^dfh^vfo ing mothers, sisters, and wives now pray Almighty to Inflict that just retribution m Heaven which he escaped o earth." Amongst the curiosities recently exhibited at, the fair of St. Michel, at Havre, is a Prussian, who, with the helmet (pickelhaubc) on his head demonstrates- to in- curious the manoeuvres of the famous needle-gun, for tne small charge of Id. The crowd is always excessive, and the showman is making a little fortune. The Bishop of Orleans, who is at present staying in Dauphine. in delicate health, has just sent instructions to the clergy of his diocese to give shelter in the episcopal palace to as many of the sufferera from inundations as pos- sible; likewise to receive on his grounds all the cattle that may be saved. The ^Bishop also abandons to ths se poor people the third of his stipend, that is to say, a sum o 4,000f. The King of Birmah has been deposed, and a con- flict was being carried on between four different Princes for the possession of the throne. Mr. Bright is perhaps more dangerous than O'Connen because his influence lies In England but he has to encounter the same profound moral disapprobation whic proved fatal to the success of the great Irish agitator. — Saturday Review. Ladies' dresses are to be unusually short according to some authorities who have looked into the future of 1867 as fashionable Zadkiela. The dresses are :? be sans crinoline, and leave olf sensationally just below the knee, figured stockings and high boots to do the rest. On Thursday afternoon in last week a sharp-noJ6 skate, measuring five feet in length and three feet nine inche.. in breidth, and weighing about sixty pounds, was caught in a shallow on a sandbank in the estuary of the Ribble, near Preston, by some fishermen. The Hon. Arthur Pelham, part of whose hand was blown off by a gun accident, is progressing satisfactorily. A request has been forwarded from France to know the process of making the chilled steel for Palliser's projectiles. The Austrian Admiral Tegethoff is coming to Eog- land to study the orginization of the English Navy. An American newspaper in publishing the marriage of an old man with a young girl appends the following :— "Friends will please to accept of this infatuation." A lady who is opposed to having whist played in her house, recently sent out invitations for a social party, and leat there should be a mistake she added, No carda." It is stated that during the late war one Hungarian regiment, which had only 103 killed and wounded, came ou| with 1,696 missing and another having only 60 kilted and wounded, had 263 missing. It is supposed they had taken the opportunity to desert. A young gentleman, aged eighteen, who has devoted himself to the interesting pursuit of collecting autographs of "eminent men," has got from Mr. Bright the following answer to his application:—" England is like an ass stagger- ing un<ier two grievous burthens—the army and the navy.— JOHN BRIGHT." The Empress of the French has felt the greatest alarm for the health of tne Emperor, and made a vow, which may be seen in golden form in the church of Notre Dame des Victolres-namely, a gold lamp, with the initials L N-, which burns before the statue of the Holy Virgin in that sacred edifice. Twin Albinos were born on Friday at the Hotel Dieu in Paris—an unusual event, and one which excites con- siderable curiosity in the scientific world. Very few Albinos are met with in France, and these babies have created quite a sensation. On Saturday week a gentleman and his son, a boy of fourteen, were driving in a gig at Minnyhive. A plaid, wrapped round the son's neck got entangled with the axle of the wheel, and, in a moment, the boy was dragged down between the wheel and the side of the gig, his neck being tightly bonnd to the axle. The sufferer was was with diffi- culty extricated, and appeared to be dead for some time afterwards. He eventually recovered. A reference to the Navy List published by authority on the 1st instant, shows that only two assistant-surgeons joined the service during the last quarter, and as two others resigned their commissions during the same space of time, the service is no better off In respect to a supply of medical officers than it was on the 1st of last July. The Rev. Dr. Boyd, "A. K. H. B. preached a sermon, on Sunday, on the occasion of the opening of an organ in one of the Presbyterian churches at Liverpool. He took for his text the words of our Lord to the woman of Samaria, God is a Spirit," &c and argued that both ritual- ists and anti-ritualists might equally offer spiritual and ac- ceptable worship, and that neither they who employed nor they who rejected ritual had any right to condemn their opponents. The friends of the late Canon Stowell have deter- mined on erecting a memorial to him. It will take the form of a church, with parsonage house and schools in Saltord. The church is to contain seats for about 700 people, and its cost will be about 7,0002. An interesting meeting took place at Sabden on Siturday, on the occasion of the opening of the Cobden Memorial Mills, which have been commenced on the prin- ciple of co-operation, Mr. Hughes, M.P., who presided, addressed the meeting on the advantages and difficulties of co-operation, and strongly urged the extension of the prin- ciple as a means of removing the occasion of strikes. At the Ballinasloe sheep fair, on Thursday in last week, the largest seen there for years, even larger than that of last year, which was much in advance of former years in the numbers offered for sale, sellers wore obliged to yield to a reduction of ten shillings per head on the prices of last year, after holding out obstinately till an advanced hour in the morning. Land and Water observes that out of a total of 86,000 boxes of salmon (each containing 1121b.) received in London, 21,725 came from Scotland, 9,326 from Ireland, and 1,563 from Wales and England, and the remainder from Holland and Norway. The railway between Calcutta and Bombay is about 1,000 miles long, and is traversed by trains in about four days. The only through traffic at present consists of mails and cargo. European passengers cannot travel the whole distance on account of the heat. The Fenian Head Centre Stephens, at a picnic the other day made a speech, in which he reiterated that fight-1 ing would commence in Ireland this year, and that he would be with them in the fight. In one of Cham's recent sketches in the Charivari a gaol-bird is represented looking on at a steeplechase. A horse jumps a wall cleverly, the spectators clap their hands, and the gaol-bird exclaims—" Quelle injustice! on l'applaudit; et moi, pour avoir franchi uu mur, on m'a colle pour six mois de prison." The young King of Bavaria on his return from Munich to Stamberg on Friday last had the train suddenly stopped, that he might get out and ride on the engine in tne full moonlight. It is announced from Canada that a large emigra- tion has been going on all this year from the British pro- vinces to the western states of the Union. Mechanics, especially, thus change their homes, over 1,000 carpentert" having left Quebec during the present year. Barley fetched 53s. a quarter in last Salisbury market. The pale ale brewers are about to advance their price 6s. per barrel, chiefly in consequence of the high price of barley. An American paper announces that of 516 members of the late National Congregational Council, 431 were born In New England, and the fathers and mothers of nearly all the rest were born in New England, and yet the council was gathered from twenty-five different states and terri- tories. The Empress Eugenie has, it is said, addressed an I autograph letter to the Holy Father, requesting his per- mission to defray in the coming year the expenses of the new foreign legion from her private purse. Tne offer has been graciously accepted. The King of Prussia has ordered a cross to be given to each soldier who was engaged in the late campaign. It Is to be made of the bronze of the cannon taken from the enemy. There are to be grades even for those who actually fought, which will have the words, "God with us—to Him the honour," and will ba worn with a black ribbon bordered with orange. The non-combitaut's cross will have the motto, "To the faithful warriors of 1866," and will be attached to a white ribbon with orange and black borders. A notice of the career of Harry Grimshaw, the jockey, who was thrown out of his gig last week and killed, Is published in one of the London papers, and is thus con- cluded by the sporting moralist:—"Singular, indeed, arethe lives and deaths of some of our most distinguished turf- men and moralists who remember and recount the inci- dents of Gladiateur's year' will also be reminded of tho poet's often-quoted passage, The paths of glory lead but to the grave. A Nice paper gives the following:—"On the 8th ultimo, at Bleu^sase, Canton de Contes, arrondissement de Nice, Le Sieur A. C-, aged eighty-four, married before the Maire and M. le Cure, Mdme. aged eighty-one. After the benediction the priest, according to usage, recommended the bride and groom to bring up their children in such a way ss when they were old they might not depart therefrom. This the newly-married couple promised to do. After mass this lively brace of patriarchs danced a jig (une gigue) in the public square." The Orchestra publishes a letter from Charles Halle, the famous pianist, concerning the "musical phenomenon' Blind Tom. He says:—"The Boy's musical gifts seem to me quite marvellous, and the manner in which he repeated several pieces I played to him, which he had evidently never heard before, was most remarkable. I named to him several notes, choosing the most difficult and perplexing intervals these he instantly sang with perfect truth of intonation, although they might have puzzled a well-educated musician. Altogether Blind Tom senns to me a most singular and Inexplicable phenomenon." Kinp George, of Hanover, has absolved his former subjects, including the civil servants of the Crown, from their oath of allegiance. Tnis, every one mustacknowfedgo, js a graceful act, and lends dignity to the misfortunes which have overtaken the Royal House The other dispossessed sovereigns of Germany who h ive relieved their people from their oath of allegiance have djne so after making arrange- ments with Prussia more or less advantageous to themselves. The act of King George can only have been prompted by a liberal concern for the happiness of his former people. The well-known German painter of battle scenes, Fritz-Lallemand, has died of cholera at Vienna. He was born at Hauau in 1812, and his first great picture was that of The Jubilee Dinner of the Knights of the Order of Maria Theresa." He also painted several scenes in the last Schleswig-Holstein war by order of the Emperor. A few days ago the steeple of a Roman Catholic cathedral at Stockholm fell in while the men were at work upon It, dreadfully injuring some twenty of the labourers. Much sympathy has b'en shown for the unfortunate men. The Lutheran pastor placed bis church at the disposal of the Roman Catholics, and on the following Sunday the Roman Catholic bishop officiated within the walls of the Protestant church. The new constitution of Denmark, granting full liberty of worship, provides that no one Is to be compelled to contribute to the support of a church of which he disap- proves, but that every indivi iu»l who does not show that he is the member of some religious community in the country, must pay towards public education the personal contri- butions imposed by the law In favour of tbe national church. The Loan Exhibition at Southampton will be closed on the 26th inst., after being opened for about four mouths. Nearly 100.000 persons have visited it. Story's statue of Medea still continues to draw crowds of persons. The statue h life size, and represents the famous sorceress meditating the murder of her children, according to Euripides. Mr. Chamberlayne, one of the richest landowners in Hants, and a clever mechanician, has sent to the exhibition a model of an invention of his, for preventing accidents from the break- ing down of a wheel of a railway carriage while in motion. I This is effected by the buffer* of one carriage forming sockets J into whfoh the poles of buffers of adj iinlng carriages enter I SJ n? ctrtlage offec^tally fcuppor'aaaother.

A NEW GUNPOWDER. Every day some new discovery is being made in the instruments and appliances of war, and the last in- vention promises certainly not to be one of the least important. A Swiss inventor has discovered an ex- plosive compound which we believe has been offered for experiment to our War-office authorities. It con- sists of a powder the ingredients of which are as yet unknown, as they are the secret of the inventor. This powder is intended to be used only as a bursting charge for shells or for explosive rifle bullets in fact, it can be used as a charge for every species of projectile, and its force is so great that a bullet charged with it and fired from the ordinary Enfield rifle suffices to blow up the caisson of an artillery waggon. What its effect would be when forming the charge of the hollow pro- jectiles of the heavier species of ordnance is as yet un- known, as it has not hitherto been experimented upon on a large scale, but judging from that produced by the very small quantity of the powder contained in a hollow missile fired from the ordinary rifle, it must prove a terrible engine of destruction. Although possessing such formidable explosive qualities, this composition is, in its ordinary condition, one of the safest*known, as it only explodes when the hollow projectile charged with it strikes some object when fired from a rifle or a piece of ordnance; even then the shell does not burst till it has penetrated the substance against which it strikes. A bullet charged with this substance can be flung about and struck without any explosion resulting from the roughest treatment; upon being thrown into a fire the bullet will be fused, and no explosion ensues. Upon the pow- der being placed upon a sheet of paper and a light being applied to it, it burns slowly and without noise, nearly in the same manner as would a similar quantity of common sulphur. The mode of using it is extremely simple, as it is simply poured into the shell till it is well filled with it, and the orifice through which it was introduced is then stopped up in the manner that seems most con. venient—in the case of arifle bullet, for instance, with a piece of wax. No fuse is required to determine the ignition of the shell. One of its most important qualities, however, is, that by adding to, or diminishing one of the ingredients, the explosion of the shell, after striking, may be retarded or acceleratedjt so that in firing, we shall say at an iron-plated ship of war, it may be so arranged as to explode either between decks after having penetrated the side, or in the side of the vessel itself, and the breach made by such a formidable mine would, most probably, utterly destroy or sink the vessel. It is to be hoped that such an extraordinary discovery will be duly inquired into, and there is little doubt that if it is, from experiments that have already taken place "abroad, this new power of destruction will be an important addition to our land, and above all to our marine artillery.