Papurau Newydd Cymru

Chwiliwch 15 miliwn o erthyglau papurau newydd Cymru

Cuddio Rhestr Erthyglau

32 erthygl ar y dudalen hon

#ur fsmiwm Comsptbettf.

Newyddion
Dyfynnu
Rhannu

#ur fsmiwm Comsptbettf. f W e deem it right to state that r:e do not at all times Identify "Ucsfclvee vrtth our correspondent's opinions.) I hear it confidently stated that her Majesty will open Parliament in person, but as I cannot ascertain any ground for such a rumour beyond-the wish being father k> the thought, I can only add my wish to that of those who can confidently predict what they would like to transpire. Certainly, there is now no it-aeon why the Queen should not open Parliament in thai way which would give universal delight. V, is said that the Duke of Newcastle, finding his health inadequate to the discharge of his duties, has }.•! • "-I his resignation in the hands of her Majesty, tv.'i> the understanding that it is not to be publicly announced till a successor is appointed. The names of ord Clarendon, Lord Wodehouse, and of Lord Stimloy of A'dcrley are mentioned a3 successors, but farther than this I can say nothing. The post of Colnuia) Secretary is an arduous one, and it can scarcely be better filled than it has been by the Duke of Newcastle. The Merchandise Marks Act," or whatever is the exact title, is beginning to be put into practice, with great good to legitimate trade and to the public generally..The wrong description of goods, the fahe labds, the wilful mis-description of quantity (for in?tKnce,inreelsof cotton), all this was a cryingevil, and a r ational disgrace. As an instance, I had for years in 111 j possession a pianoforte with Broadwood's name un it; on selling it (let mo relieve myself by adding, selling it for a better), I found that for years I had been harbouring an impostor. My pianoforte was no mor-: made by Broadwood than it was made by the Kir, of Dahomey. How great an injustice this is to Messrs. Broadwood, I need not say. The same thing goes on largely with almost everything when a name has Wn acquired. The great bottled-beer brewers suffor largely in this way, and I am delighted to see tb >.L they are making cheats pay the penalty. There is in this Trade Marks Act tho same defect that there a^e ill many others, there is no public prosecutor, but, fortunately for the interests of inventors, and merchants, and tradesmen with a famous name, they can themselves prosecute and recover penalties, and this has already been done. So close are the imita- tionu of the genuine article Bometimes, that detection and conviction are very difficult; but the very fact of impostors being liable to prosecution will, in many caeca, prevent any attempt at imposition, while the heavy penalties will, it is to be hoped, strike terror into the hearts of deceivers and adulterators. I have a luggesUon, however, to make on this subject. We have Trade Protection Societies, and societies for the p- t^ecution of felons. Why not have an Anti-Adulte- ration and Falsification Society, which should make it th<>ir business toprosecnte those who falsely labelgoods, or who adulterate commodities. The society would be H public boon, and—it would pay. I have the vanity to think the hint is worth something. There hai been so much said lately about the relative powers of her Majesty, the Secretary of State, and the judges with respect to reprieving a criminal, that T hall not dwell on the subject; but I just note that U the questions involved were to have come before f-Jtv: House of Commons on a motion of inquiry, to 1).: brought forward by Lord Henry Lennox, but who has since died. There are mamy difficulties and anomalies in the matter, and the sooner these arc cleared away the better. There can be no doubt, however, that the terrible character of the penalty of death tends in itself to create anomalies, which, in my opinion, will never be removed so long as the Draconian law of death remains on the statute T>x,k. I cannot learn that the public generally take much interest in the Shakspeare Celebration. We are all lovers and admirers of Shakspeare, no doubt (even 'those of us who never read ten lines of his plays); 1-J!1t, still, somehow or other, we, as a people, scarcely liko Shikspeare being thus thrust down our throats on a particular day. We might take more kindly to the proposed celebration of them, were anything in it that would be of permanent value, such as Shaks- peare scholarships, a Shakspeare Retreat for decayed authors, artists, and actors, or anything of that sort; but the programme of the committee—I mean the London, or Cockney committee—is by no means at- tractive, and at present public enthusiasm certainly does not exist. On the other hand, it may be said that tho fussy proceedings of this committee please them- selves, and do not hurt any one'else. Certainly, there J i as been a great deal of quarrelling and self-glorifica- tion, but at present there is a lull in the storm. How many more squabbles we are to have before the mo- mentous 23rd of April (when we are all expected to become monomaniacally Shakspearian for the day), remains to be seen. Stme surprise has been expressed at the Times, in its curious desire for exclusive news or gossip, an nouncing that the infant Prince, whose arrival has created such a to-do, had been weighed, and that he was 01b. It now turns out that the little fellow was neveiweighed at all, and that, had he been subjected to this totally unnecessary and improbable operation, he would have been found nearer 61b. than 91b. A number of other curious statements have been, and are being made, which I do not think it well to repeat. The fact is, that our exuberant attachment to royalty induces newspaper gossip and false statement which is very much out of place. As to his being a fine child, and very like his father, of course he is; or he would be declared so if he were not, which is much the same thing, as far as the public is concerned. By the way, I have not yet heard that the little Newcome has been gazetted a K.G., that he has been appointed to a colonelcy, or thathe has been requested to become • a F.R.S., or a truBteeofthe British Museum but I am somewhat surprised that I have not. Perhaps I have overlooked these interesting and reliable an- nouncements. At the time I write, the Paris conspiracy is still un- explained. I shall not, therefore, venture to explain it In fact, I should like some one to explain it to me. The confession of some of the conspirators, and their implication of Mazzini, on the one hand, and the straightforward, and (as the French say) categorical denial by Mazzini on the other the counter-charges against the Paris police of having got up thiø con- spiracy for effect, and the utter improbability of any four sane men lending themselves to the Government for such a silly melodrama—all render the affair diffi- cult of solution. The r>- -t is, that.we must await the trial with patience; bul* I, for one, await it with far more excited anxiety than patience. Depend on it that some greatname is behind those four puppets who have been seized, while those who pulled the strings made their escape—for the present. We have, most of us, read with pleasure and pride the account of the triumph which Charles Mathews, an Englishman, gained on the French stage. That very agreeable rattle, it seems, pattered off French in the most rapid style, as though he were rattling away in Pattur versus Clatter." It is possible that Mr. Mathews's visit to the French capital has given our pleasure-loving neighbours a taste for English per- formances in their native language for I hear that Mr. Webster and an entire English company are going over to Paris to play in English. Mr. Mathews, too, is about to visit Paris a second time to play in French. (l fancy I hear some reader here saying mentally, Well, there's nothing woilderful in that," to which I reply, "Try it.") Apropos of French and English, I see that Paris is to have another English newspaper, to compete with Galignani, which travellers on the Continent always seize on with such pleasure. The new is to be cheaper than the old paper, but the sub- ject is worth mentioning, if only to point out the re- markable contrast between France and England. We hove not in the latter country one newspaper in French that is worthy the name—nay, nor one German jour- nal worthy of Germany or England. This is a strange overaight, I think. The news from Germany and Denmark, with respect to the question at issue, is, I regret to say, of a serious character. Austria and Prussia have sent Denmark an ultimatum, which the Dagbladet says, the latter cannot, and will not, accept. The only alternative is roof. When we consider what horrors are contained in that little word, we may well shudder at the non- acceptance of the alternative and the fears of antici- pation are but increased, when we bear in mind that ■England will have far more difficulty in keeping out of tliis war than in the case of America. Under these circumstances, it is gratifying, in one respect, to find that the war between Russia and Poland is appa. rently dying out. I say in one respect, because in this co-mtry, rightly or wrongly, the Poles have the sym- pathy of the people. But, at all events, the insurrection is dying out. Whether from the dying embers of the revolution the flames of war may again break out, remains to be seen.

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- COMMERCIAL FRAUDS AT SUNDER.…

ITHE ROYAL BIRTH.

INTERESTING EXTRACTS FROM…

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The SHAKSPEARE COMMEMORATION.

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The following in a measure…

jA SHAKSPEARE JUBILEE A CENTURY…

! HOW the INSURRECTION in…

CARDINAL WISEMAN'S PASTORAL.

A CURIOUS CASE DECIDED.

AWFUL EXPLOSION AT LIVERPOOL.

WHAT IT IS COMING TO.

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HINTS ABOUT AUSTRALIAN EMIGRATION.

ALAS FOR POLAND

DEATH of the DUKE of ATHOLE,…

A TALE FOR THE SUPERSTITIOUS!

A LESSON TO REPORTERS AND…

WESLEYAN MISSIONARY JUBILEE.

SKATING AT PARIS. *•

DEATHS OF CENTENARIANS! "…

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I A JACOBITE RHYME REVIVED.