The Aberystwith Observer

PASSING EVENTS, RUM OURS, &0. One of those incidents which show so strikingly that the Prussian Government, notwithstanding its liberal professions, still adheres to its old reactionary instincts, occurred at Berlin last week. Some very anti-Bismarckiin letters from Berlin having recently been published in the Monde, the authorities set themselves to the task of discovering their author. Suspicion fell on a well-known German writer and ournaliat named Herman Kuhn, tfpon which four policemen broke into bis rooms, rummaged all his papers, and, after three hours' search carried away Herr Kuhn's diary and a number of private letters and manuscripts.

It is not only in the Neapolitan provinces that briiranr'ace cxifts upon a large Fcale. We read in the Corriere delta Sardegna that at 10 p.m. on the first of February the town of Orosei, on the east coast of the island, was assailed by a band of at least a hundred armed malefactors. Part of them blockaded the gendarmes' quarters, and the others attacked the house of a widow lady named Guiso, where it is presumable they expected to find booty. The house was stoutly defended by the servants and by some peasants, and the fire was kept up for three hours. By that time the country was getting alarmed; the inhabitants assembled in large numbers, some gendarmes who had been out patrolling returned to the town, and the brigands at last abandoned their attempt and retreated.

Mr. George Leeman, M.P. for York, has moved for leave to amend the law in respect of the sale and purchase of shares in banks. The ruin of hundreds of families last year by the consoiracies to break down the Agra and Masterman's and other banking institu- tions is painfully in public recollection, and recent experience of the way in which large undertakings far less dependent than joint-stock banks on credit may be brought to temporary ruin by a repetition of these practices affords conclusive evidence that they are now understood as a regular branch of speculation, and that at any future period of distrust they will be brought into operation against the leading banks with all the additional confidence and skill resulting from past success.

The Government Tenant Right Bill provides, it is said. that in case of dispute between landlord and tenant 309 to the necessity of improvements, and in certain other specified cases, the Board of Works may appoint an arbitrator. The Board of Works is also empowered to lend, for tenants' improvements, the sum of one million sterling, for which interest will be charged at the rate of four per cent.; repayment must be made in twenty-four years. These improvements must be in accordance with specifications and plans, to be lodged in the County Surveyor's office.

We have great pleasure in contradicting a report which alleges that the Lord Chief Justice of England is about to retire on account of declining health. His lordship's health, except for a slight attack of influenza, from which he has completely recovered, is, and has been, excellent, and he has no intention whatever of depriving the country of his services.

Mr. Walpole's Bill has been printed. It gives to the Royal Commission power to enforce the atten- dance of witnesses and the production of documents, and to give to any witness not being the actual perpe- trator of any act of outrage or crime, and making a full and true disclosure, a certificate of indemnity against any civil or criminal proceeding in respect of any matter touching which he has been examined; but no person is to be compelled to answer questions tending to criminate himself as such actual perpetra- tor. No evidence taken under this Bill is to be admissible against any penon in any civil or criminal proceeding whatever.

cr A bill to simplify and lessen the expense of the execution of deeds by married women," brought into Parliament by Mr. Goldney, is likely to encounter much opposition from a favoured class of solicitors. The law requires that when a married woman is about to execute a deed disposing of her real estate, or of her reversionary interest in personal property, she shall be examined, apart from her husband, by some properly qualified person, who is to ascertain that she is acting of her own free will. In country towns such examinations usually take "before 'certain solici- tors, styled" perpetual commissioners," who are appointed by the Lord Chief Justice of the Common Pleas; and the gentlemen thus nominated constitute a very select privileged class. For example, in Liver- pool there are about 200 solicitors, and less than twenty of them are perpetual commissioners." In smaller towns much inconvenience often arises from the small namber of these functionaries. It is now proposed greatly to enlarge the number, and to abrogate the exclusive privilege hitherto derived from an appoint- ment by the Court of Common Pleas.

A deputation of working men, headed by Mr. John Stuart Mill, M.P., waited on Friday on Mr. Walpole, and urged upon the right honourable gentleman to either substitute for one of the present members of the Trades'Union Commission just appointed a working man. or allow representative working men to watch the interests of the various trades during the inquiry. Mr. Walpole, in reply, said that he was given to un- derstand by the deputation that waited on him the previous week respecting the matter, and who, ha un- derstood, represented the trades' unions, that if he got Mr. Harrison on the commission the trades would be perfectly satisfied. He had since done so, and he could not further interfere with the construction of the commission. With regard to the suggestion that representatives from the traded unions should be allowed opportunities to watch the interests of their respective trades, he promised to write to the head of the commission, Sir William Erie, on the point; but that was the only further step in the matter he could promise to take. He was confident that the com- mission would afford the representatives of the trades every opportunity of being heard.

Preparations are being made for the usual Cam. bridge and Oxford boat race. The Oxford crew has been definitely fixed, and contains three old hands. The Cambridge men keep shifting, and do not seem able to make up their minds as to a erew. The men whom they have chosen are light, although skilful, and will have a tough job to contend with the superior weight of the Oxford men, who have an average of twelve stone three pounds. The race will be rowed over the usual course, from Putney to Mortlake upon the 13th of April. It 1iI to be hoped that the Universities will see fit to fix a rather more suitable hour, so that people may see it in comfort, and not be under the necessity of rising long before the lark, and posting to Putney when the city is asleep.

From the conduct of the authorities it seems as if we had a superfluity of ships of war instead of being in possession of scarcely a dozen available fighting vessels. On Wednesday the Dryad, a bran new steam ship, was taken outside the breakwater at Plymouth on a trial trip, and although the weather was fine, the officers contrived to run her ashore. Luckily the place where she struck was sandy, else she would have been knocked to pieces, and so she was got off b £ reversing her engines, but not until large pieces of her false keel were broken off, and the beach was strewed with splinters. We have heard before of ships being broken up which never had been launched, but it is quite a new expedient for getting rid of Goverment money first to build ships and then to send them out from a known port on a fine day to be beaten to pieces on the beach.

The Timet, on Tuesday, observes that on Monday the decision of the future will pass from the Cabinet to the House of Commons. It must then be apparent whether anything is to be expected from the present Government, and if the verdict be unfavourable the policy of forbearance must cease. The Times is loth to believe that the best opportunity yet presented us of solving a difficult problem is to be lost. The only means, however, of guarding against such a mis- adventure must be found in a clear definition now, while it is yet time, of what must be found in the statement of the Chancellor of the Exchequer next Monday.

The Daily News, in one of their leaders on Tues- I day. observed that if her Majesty's Government be not destined to endure the disenchantments of a life pro- tracted beyond the brief and happy span of those whom the gods love, it is neither the treachery nor the malice of an enemy that will clip their early laurels with the fatal shears. Mr. Disraeli, however, seems to fancy he is leading a folorn hope of deserters, from his own party against the citadel of the British Con- stitution, which he has sworn to defend, witn the Liberal forces cheering him on, and ready to fire into him the moment he gives way.

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT. In the House of Lords on Feb. 15, Lord Darby, in replying to a question from Lord Shaftesbury, stated that the Govern- ment had received no Information that tbe shore end of the Atlantic cable had been cut by the Fenian insurgents. The lnsm gent* would, It was expt cted, soon be forced by the troops to disperse or to surrender. A question asked by Lord Vivian respecting the duties of Volunteers in events iuch as recently occurred at Chester gave riae to an animated discussion. Lord Belmore's state- ment that Volunteers could serve as special constables in aid of the civil power, and In such character could use their weapons, being questioned by Lord de Grey, who thought the subject demanded the serious consideration of the Go- vernment. Lord Orey was of opinion that the law as It stood allowed of the Volunteers being summoned to aid the civil power to quell an Insurrection, but also allowed them to obey the Bummonsor not, aa they chose. Lord Ellen- borough and Lord Lyttleton thought Volunteers were not exempted from the civil obligation of aiding to preserve the peace but Lord Portman deprecated the calling out ot the Volunteers as such. The Duke of Cambridge urged the necessity of an Immediate settlement of the question point- ing out the embarrassing position In which military officers were at present placed by the uncertainty which prevailed as to the legality of any assistance from the Volunteers After some further conversation, Lord Malmesbury, admit- ting that a clear understanding of the law upon the subject was necessary, undertook, on the part of the Government, to endeavour to obtain it. The Bithop of London, in moving for returns and copies of despatches of the Colonial Secretary, called attention to the condition of Colonial Churches and their relation with the Established Church at-home. Taking the case of the See of Natal, the Bishop pointed out the unsatisfactory position of Church matters there, and, while allowing that there were sufficient grounds for the withdrawal of confidence in Bishop CoJenso, yet deprecated the lrjudicious and violent party spirit that had been displayed by his opponents. He al-o mweQ for a dispatch of Lord Carnarvon's 01 November 21, 1H66, relating to the appointment of a coadjutor Biahop of Niagara. Lord Carnarvon as'^nted to the production, as far as practicable, of the returns asked for, and announced his in- tention of shortly introdacifg a measure dealing with the question of the Colonial Cnurones. J*?11'.011 aPProved the course taken by the Secretary or the Colonies, » The Archbishop of York dwelt upon the injustice done to he founders of Colonial Bishoprics by the recent decision ot the Privy Council, and hoped that the Committee moved for by him last Session would be appointed to inquire into the ubject. The Bishop of Oxford expressed his satisfaction with the speech of Lord Carnarvon, and thought it was time now to recognize the fact that th* Charch of England In the colonies was a purely voluntary bt dy. The returns were agreed to, and their Lordships adjourned. In the House of Commons, Mr. Walpole (In reply to Mr C. Fortescue) Informed the House that there was every reason to believe that the movement In the south of Ireland had 1 been summarily checked, and that the armed parties hbd been surrounded in Toomies-wood by General Horsford's I The Chancellor of the Exchequer (in reply to various questions) intimated that, in moving the Reform resolutions taoort y W te wouid enter Into a statement on their t*10 motlo° for <?oing Into Committee of Supply, a dUonsiIon on the £ litem question was rah ed by Mr. moved for correspondence in reference e Turkish fortresses In Seryla and t^e Cretan insur- reckon. M I"0*'0" was seconded by Mr. B Cochrane, who con- purred in most ol'Mr. Gregory's views, praistd the moderation a a pruaenci! of Lird Stanley's despatches, and argnei that nestiony non'intervelltion was inapplicable to the Eastern Lsyard deprecated a pr.miHira ^iscuTion, wh'ch would be misrepresented in th? Eist, and would excite false hopes. it some remarks from Mr. D. Grlffi h in reference to the Servian fortresses, Mr. Gladstone expressed his inability to discover wla'i purpose of utility to Turkey was served by the retention of these fortresses, and thought the Government would do well to counsel the Porte give them up. With regard to the C-etan insurrection, he was disappointed to find in the Blue-book no evidence that the Tu- klsh Government had carried out its engagements to its Christian subjects, and was not, therefore, primarily responsible for the Insurrection and the bloodshed it had caused. Lord Stanley said the Government, in concert with the olher European Powers interested, had recently recom- mended to the Porte to m->ka such concessions as it was hoped would be satisfactory to the Servians, and the Porte had received the advice In a spirit of conciliation. With regard to the Cretan Insurrection, it was difficult to obtain any information as to its real cause, so contradictory were the statements; but, though the Candians had certainly many serious local grievances to complain of, these were not the Bole cause. The movement 11'1101 religious and'na- tional, its object beirg a complete separation from Turkey. For the future he promised to keep the house informed of the events which occurred, and of the judgment the Govern- ment formed unon them. The Sugar resolutions were reported, and in committee of the whole Honse a resolution was agreed to substituting a licence duty of 6s. for the present assessed tax of 12s. on dogs. Mr. Ayrton Introduced a bill for the relief of spiritual destitution in England and Wales. The House then arlj,1urned. In the House of Lords on Feb. 18, Lord Redesdale called attention to the complaint he made last week against Mr. Wilson France for publishing unfounded charges against him in reference to the Denbigh and Mold Railway. Mr. France had rendered explanations which were not satis- factory, and he thertfore moved that Mr France be ordered to attend to-morrow at the bar of the House. The motion was agreed to. The Earl of Euex asked the Government whether, not- withstanding the recent alarm at Chester, and actual insur- rection in the south-west of Ireland, it was Intended to allow the act for the suspension of the Habeas Corpus Act to expire at the end of this month. He expressed a strong hope that all persons arrested ia arms, who could be proved to have taken part In the insurrection, should be regarded as guilty of high treason, and be punithel with the utmost rigour of the law. He hoped also that the military would receive the support of the Government He should he sorry to be thought hard-hearted, but he thought that leniency had lseen carried too far. The E*rl of Leltrim aikeri why the Habeas Corpus Act should not be suspended In Chester as well as in Ireland. He believed that the principal part ot the disturbances in Ireland had been concocted in England. The Earl of Derby said the government had certainly no intention of proposing the suspension of the Habeas Corpus" Act in England. With regard to its continued suspension in Ireland, he could not give a positive answer at the present moment. The information from Ireland was that the outbreak had been entirely put down, and the most satisfactory part of the whole affair was the con- duct of the population. The recent disturbances showed that the Fenians were insignificant in numbers and were Joined by no one. They were now In flight, and had not succeeded in producing the slightest effect upon the snrroundiBg districts. With regard to the treatment of the prisoners who might be taken, the wish of the Government was to Judge the merits of each case by Itself. Where the guilt was of the highest description, the Government would not shrink from enforcing the utmost rigour of the law but with regard to other cases, it would not be desirable to proceed with undue severity The military officers, in suppressing the insurrection, might rely to the fullest extent upon the support and protection of the Government. The subject then dropped, and their Lordships adjourned. In the House of Commons, Mr. Kindske gave notice of his intention on Friday to move a resolution on the subject of the franchise, and Mr. Waldron of his intention to move an amendment in substitution of No. 5 of the government reform resolutions, giving votes in respect of ownership, as well as in respect of occupancy, and al80 giving votes to per. sons who have taken a degree at an university, or who have passed an examination for the army or navy or the civil ser- vice, In adcltion to those which they derive from other qualifications, and enabling them to give all their votes to one candidate, or to distribute them amongst the respective candidates. The Chancellor of the Exchequer, in reply to Mr. Skater- Booth, stated that the carrying of the Reform bill will not depend on the phasing of the bill for promoting uniformity of assessment in Bogland and Wafes, nor on the action ot the Boundary Commission. And in reply to Mr, Banes, whe asked the right hon gentleman whether, on Monday next he will specify the proposed amount of the county aud borough franchises, and whether he could for the con veuknce of the House give that Information on an earlier day, he said it would be inexpedient to comply with the requestot the hon. member, and that In pursulcg this course he was actuated by no desire to delay the progren of tbis buaineu He hoped on Monday next to offer those explanations which were atUl due to the Houie. The house having gone into committee on the sugar duties, and Mr. Hunt hsviug moved that certain duties be levitd on sugar of different classes, Mr. J. B. Smith protested against classified sugar duties, which operated a!& a protection \1y taxing those who were able to make sujar by a particular basis. The resolution was theu agreed to. The report on the duty ou dogs was brought np and agreed to. OJ.) the order of the day for going into committee of supply 1\4:r, Ayrton again brought on the subject of parliamentary reform. He said he believed there was no dbposltion what- ever on the part of the members of the opposition to make any factions opposition to any reform measure proposed by the government, but they were truly desirona to settle the question, and he put It to the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether on his receiving an assurance that no obstacle would be offered to a bill being allowed to go into committee, he would not bring in a bill at once The Chancellor of the Exchequer repeated that he was convinced the Government had taken the right course, and that he hoped they would be allowed to pursue the course which they had selected to follow, and he trusted that the House would take a charitable view of the motives of the government. Mr. Gladstone said there was a general feeling that they should In the course of this session arrive at a settlement of this question, and it followed that they wished it to be settled by those who were now in power and members on hi8 side of the house had expre8led an earnest desire to co- operate with the Government tor this purpose. On that ground he waived his objection to proceeding by resolution. He regretted that the right hon. gentleman had not fallen in with the suggestion of Mr. Ayrton, and that he had refused to give further explanations. They thought they were to have a full explanation on Monday last, but they had only received one half of it. and therefore he should have thought the right honourable gentleman would have acceded toth modest demand of the hon. member fot Leeds by offering such explanation as he said still remained due to the House. On the second reading of the Trades Union Bill the rom position of the commission that Is to be appointed: the pro- priety of mixing the two subjects of outrages, and the P«rt of the question were discussed, after which tn* second reading was agreed to w.S- N°rth?ot? introduced a bill for extending and re- gulating the Jurisdiction of the High Court of Admiralty, and for conferring Admiralty jurisdiction on the County Courts. Lord Naas moved for leave to bring in a bill to promote the improvement of land by occupying tenants In Ireland. T TIT™* discussion, leave was given to bring In the bill. Lord Naas then introdnc^d another bill to fscilitate the Improvement and leasing of land by limited owners in Ire- land. Tne provisions of the bill were principally to remove certain technicalities which row stood in the way. Mr. A Ellis alto obtained leave to bring in a bill to facili- tate the making of contracts between landlords aud tenants in Ireland. The bill, he said, was merely voluntary The House then adjourned. In the House of Lords on Feh. 19, Mr. R. 3 France attended at the bar on the summons of the House, and brought letters addressed to him bv Lord Redesdale on a paoiphlet written by him, entitled Lord Redesdale and the Railways. The Lord Chancellor (to Mr. France): What Is your pro- fession ?—Mr France A railway contractor. The Lord Cha' cellor: Are you the author of a psmphl t entitled Lord Redesdale and the New. Railways!—Mr. France: I am, my lord. The Lord Chancellor: Have you brought with you the letters written to you by Lord Redesdale ?—Mr. Fiance I have, my lord. ThA Lord Chancellor: Have you copies of the answers f— Mr. France Printed copies only, my lord. Lord Redesdale having put a few questions to him, Mr. France was permitted to withdraw. Lord Redesdale then moved that a seleet committee of their lordships be appointed to Inquire into the truth of the allegations in the famphlet written by Mr. France, and to report thereon to the House. The motion was agreed to. In the Hou'e of Commons Mr. Baillle Cochrane gave notice that on Friday, the 1st March, on going into Com- mittee of Supply, he would call the attention of the House to the importation of sugar. Mr. J. S. Mill gave notice that in committee on the 2nd and 3rd William IV chap 25, he would move that in order to secure to the utmost extent possible a real and equal representation of the people, it was expedient that any body ot electors amounting to a certain number should have the power of combiulng together for the purpose of electing a representative. Lord N»a* gave notice, that to-morrow he would move for leave to introduce a bn for the renewal for a short period of the luøpemlon of the Habeas Corpus \ct in Ireland w t H' B Sheridan asked the First Commissioner of *TTh^ller» hav'D§ view the recent lamentable loss of « t3n R"gent's I*ark, 11 was intended to lessen the depth _hl^1 al waters of the public parks and if so, to TJIH ? »? Proposed to reduce them. w ° M»nners said it was intended to lowar t^e iL Partc to a depth of four feet. With regard to the water in the other parks he was not ia a position to say what steps would be taken. Mr. Crum-Ewlng asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, whether any reply had been received to the letter addressed by him to Sir John Crampton, dated 8th February instructing h'm to demand the .immediate release of the crew of the Tornado Lord Stanley said he had received a telegram to the effect that forty-five of the crew had been released. There still remained In custody seven officers and one teaman. Mr. Edwards asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he proposed to Introduce any measure during the present Session to secure the more efficient in- spection of collieries and their workings, with the view of preventing the recurrence of such lamentable sacrifice of life as attended the late accidents at Barnsley and else- where. Mr. Walpole said he had directed all the inspectors of mines to meet together, in order that they might make sug- gestions, with the view of preventing the recurrence of such melancholy accidents. In addition to that, he had directed two inspectors to attend the inquests lately held. AH of the reports when received would be referred to a select committee, and until that committee made their report he thought it would be premature to give an answer to the question.

CRUELTY BY A CLERGYMAN IN AUSTRALIA. A abort time ago the Melbourne flue gave an account of a gross piece of cruelty practised by the Ilev. C. Booth, Episcopalian minister at Wangaratta, in his own church. Since then some correspondence on the matter has taken place between the bishop and the cburch trustees, who reported to his lordship that on Sunday, the 28th October last, the Rev. U. Booth was in the act of giving out the first hymn, when a dog being noticed running about the church near the rea ling desk, a young girl attempted to seize and remove it. The girl succeeded in catching the dog, but it struggled and became entangled in her clothes, necessitating her stooping to the ground the better to secure it. Whiløt she was doing this the Rev. C. Booth left his reading desk, and scrambled on his hands and knees to seize the dog, in the space between the seats and the chancel. Having obtained possession of it, he was carrying it down the aisle, when he was met by Mr. Daniel Hugh Evans, who offered to relieve him of the dog. The Rev. Caleb Booth placed the fore part of the dog in Mr, Evans' arms, but retained his hold of one of the hind legs of the animal. Taking this in both hands, he attempted more than once, and at last succeeded in breaking the bone of the dog's leg, having done which he left the dog in Mr. Evans' possession, walked back to the reading desk, and pro- ceeded with the service. The snapping of the bone was heard distinctly from one end of the church to the other, to the intense horror and disgust of all who heard it. Several females were rendered quite sick, and many persons of both sexes left the church. The bishop deferred his reply Until he had received an account of the matter from Mr. Booth. In writing to the trustees his lordship said :— The Rev. Mr. Booth, although he endeavours to extsnuste the guilt of his conduct, does not deny the substantial truth of the charge against him; 80 that there Is 110 occasion for me to appoint a commission of inquiry. Moreover, shocking as was the act of breaking a dog's leg, and that at such a time and in Iuch a place, I do not think, al at present ad- vised, that it constitute ran otfencefor which I could remove a clorgymm from bh cure, nor, therefore, one for which I could suspend him during an Inquiry. All that I could, ac- cording to my present opinion, legally do as his bishop, was to reprove him for his grievous sin T havo known the Rev. C Booth for many years, and, while I am well aware of the infirniisy of his tamper, whic'i haq mora than once been the occasion of his acting inconsistently with his character as a minister of Christ, I am assured of his being a true disciple of the good Je. m, and a faithful and earnest and self-deny- Ing minister of the Gospel. I therefore regard hia tin, grievous as it was, as the effect of a sudden temptation of the Davil, to which be yielded, like David did of old in the case of Uriah's wife, and Peter when he denied his Maxtor and I do not the less esteem him to be a man of Gid, whom the Lord shall, at the last, present holy and wlthont blame before His Father in heaven. Having this confidence in him myself, I have cherished the hope that it was shared by you and by the large body of members of the'church at Wangaratta; and that, shocked and grieved as you all must be at such an instance of momentary frenzy (for as such Hook npon it), you would call to mind his long and faithful services among yon, and would not be disposed to cast him forth a dishonoured man, helpless and hopeless: fer where- ever he shall &0, he will be known, not for the Rood lerrice whi^h he has done In the ministry, but for the heartless cruelty with which he has been stigmatised. Mr. Booth haa tendered to me the resignation of hll incumbency, and it now rests with you whether I accept U or not. If JOU wiah me to do 10, I wW; but if I do, I cannot appoint Um to any other cure in this diocese. He must either abandon the work of the ministry, or he must go far hence to some other land were the report of bis Icandatoulllct hal not reached. At Wangaratta, if he remain there, he may redeem his character; at any other place In Victoria it would be impossible. Mr. Booth, understanding that if his resignation were accepted he could be appointed to no other cure, took the step of withdrawing it, and the bishop further wrote to the trustees stating that he did not feel justified in removing him.^ Since this reply of the bishop's Mr. Booth has continued to officiate at Wan- garatta, although the greater part of his oongregation have left him.

THE CASE OF ROBERT SYMES. In the House of Commons on Monday evening, Mr, Ot- way rose to a?k a question of the Secretary of State for War in reference to an inquest on the body of Robert Symes. a private of the 74th Regiment, on whom corporal punishment had been inflicted by sentence of a district court-martial, and said that, as the question related to the life and death of one of Her Majesty's subjects, he hoped the House would permit him to state the facts on which he based the ques- tion. ("No, no,") He was quite in order In statlnz the facts. It had been stated in many newspapers, and especially tn the Lancet, that a soldier belonging to the 74th High- landers died in the military hospital at Limerick on the 9th Inst., after receiving corporal punishment, having been sen- tenced to receive fifty lashes, and to be confined for 168 days. Shortly afterwards an inquest was held on the body, at which three military medical officers and one civilian gave their evidence. The evideaoe was to the effect that his death was caused by fever, which set in owing to the punishment which had been inflicted, and the Jury found that the de- ceased died in consequence of congestion of the brain super- vening on the punishment to which he had been subjected. Now, he wished to ask the right hon. gentleman whether the statement given In the newspapers was substantially correct, and whether the pualthment which the soldier had received was of undue and extraordinary severity, or no un- usual punishment for offences such as he had committed. General Peel: In consequence of the notice given by the hon. gentleman, I seot to Ireland for information on the facts, and I find that they are as follows :—Private Robert Sim, 74th Regiment, was tried by district court-martial on the 9,h of January for an act of gross insubornination In having struck with his nst a Serjeant of the regiment, and kicked him on the face when he was knocked down. He was sentenced to 365 days imprisonment, with hard labour (197 of which were remitted), and fifty .lashes. The staff surgoon examined the man on three different occasions and pronounced him to be in a good state of health, and fit to undergo corporal punishment; he was flogged on the 14th of January, a staff assistant-surgeon being present at the parade. After punishment he was sent to the oells, where he was allowed bedding, and seen daily by a medical officer. On the 29th of January (14 day, afterwards) he was admitted Into hospital suffering from fever; his back had nearly healed. On the next day erysipelas of the face and head commenced to set in, and he died on the 9th of February. The postmortem examination showed that death was occasioned by congestion of the brain consequent on the erysipelas.; his back had healed at the time of his death; he had always been a healthy man, but ot bad character.

miscellaneous Intelligence, HOME, FOREIGN, AND COLONIAL. ROYAL MARRIAGES WITH ACTRESSES.—One of the most popular actresses at the Carl Theatre, Vienna, hall retired from the stage on the occasion of her approaching marriage with a Prince of Thurn ann Taxis, one of whose brothers is married to a sinter of the Empress of Austria. Another brother, who was an adjutant to the King of Bavaria, eloped the other day with a celebrated actress from Munich, and married her in Switzerland. AN UNPUNISHED MURDER.—In the village of Croyde, Devonshire, a woman named Mrs. Gloves was digging at the back part of her house for sand when she discovered a human skeleton. It was handed over to the police, who believe it to be that of a lad snpoosed to have been foully murdered in the year 1834. The suddeu disappearance of the lad at the time led to the strongest suspicions against his father, who is now dead. He lived at Croyde, and was ap- prenticed at Barnitaple. He ran away from work, and at home brought hiB father into endless trouble and ex- pense. The latter one day took the lad away, and on his return alone said he had sent his son across to Appledore. The lad, who was the only child, was never heard of afterwards, and the mother died of a broken heart. AMUSEMENTS FOR VISITORS TO PARIS.—The preparations which are being made for the accommo- dation and amusement of visitors to the Paris Exhi- bition are adapted to suit the tastes of everybody, from the refined Celestial out of China to the brutal bar- barian of the Western hemisphere. A contemporary advertises "good news for the fancy." Mr. Jesse Hatton is to have in the Champs Elysees an exhibition of the good old English sport of boxing and he warns the fancy that well-behaved boxers must make early application." The exhibition is announced to be "under "the special patronage and sanction of the French authorities." It is further declared that "the fairer portion of creation will not be forgotten, and if the enterprise succeeds it is expected that a bevy of French and English beauties will be engaged to add a charm to the speculation." This may be taken to mean that if anv ladies have any differences to settle, such as lately arose or are Raid to have arisen between the lady who acted and probably still acts La Belle Helene and another lady, they may settle them ac. cording to the rules of the P. R. CRINOLINES DECREASING!—For some months past the much-abused crinoline has been gradually de. creasing its dimensions, and the new form of skirt has necessitated a total change in its form. Cages now measure round the edge from two yards and a half to two and three quarters in width there are no steels whatever at the. top, and above the cage a well-gored narrow white petticoat is worn, and above this a second white petticoat, which is elaborately trimmed. As the fashion of long trains necessitates the frequent exhibition of the petticoat when moving about a room, this second skirt ia frequently ornamented with Valen. ciennes lace and rich embroidery. These under garments prove very costly; xo the more moderate substitute for those rich decorations is a trelliswork formed with fine white braid and a star embroidered in satin stitch in the centre of every lozenge of the trellis work. This ornament is braided and embroidered in the flounce of the petticoat, and is very easily worked. Petticoats for evening wear are made within an inch as long as the dresses, and it should be borne in mind that the train of a skirt now measures, at the very least, three-quarters of a yard. NOT LIKE PALMERSTON I-Speaking of the sudden fall of the Italian ministry, the corespondent of the Daily News says :— It is admitted on all hands that Baron Rtcasoll might hav. eaully avoided the catastrophe on which his haughty and unbending obstinacy has caused him to rush. He offended the House deeply by the despotic language in which he attempted to justify the course which the Government had taken. His supporters strove earnestly to prevent him from rushing on bta tate. But the baron Is not a man to be turned aside or controlled. "A glance at the house," said one deputy to ma, "would have told nim what he had to expect if be would push It to a vote," "Ah!" said to me another gentleman, high in office, "how easily your Palmer- ston would have set it all right in five minutes with a smile on hla lips. How easily, if living, he would set it all right even now. Bit that is the result of half a century of par- liamentary life an.t Ricasoll h no Palmerston. There is no yielding In him. He may be broken, but not bent." LONGITCDE MEASURED BY ELECTRICITY.—The Atlantic cable has been made the means of ascertain- ing more accurately the respective longitudes of England and America. The probable error of the re- sulting longitude is about four hundredths of a second. Perhaps it will give the reader a clearer idea of the nicety implied in this by stating that a distance of about 1,900 miles has been measured, and that the measure is not probably more than forty feet from the truth The time required for a signal to pass through the cable has been discovered with still greater pre. cision to be 31-lOOths of a second, which is probably not in error by one-hundredth of a second. This is equivalent to a velocity of 6,020 miles a second, and is notably less than the velocity of the electric fluid upon land lines, which numerous observations have shown to average 16,000 miles a second. PRAYER ABUSED !—IN A trial of a Fenian in Dublin last week, the Solicitor-General read the fol- lowing prayer, which was written on the fly-leaf of a Praver-book, found in the possession of John Bennett Walsh :— A Prayer for James Stephen*.—Praise be to Thee, 0 Lord, for the escape of our noble countryman, James Stephens. Glory and honour to Thy name. Protect under thy Almighty shield onr countryman. Seph-m Guard bim from the mares ot our enemies. Grant him a speedy return to his native land under happy auspices. Pout" down blessings upon our dear country grant h«-r a speedv relief from ttio bondage of the oppressor. May our exiled countrymen soon return to the land of their nativity, and may the blessings of Independence be soon enj >yed by our people. E'DKBDOWN,—A Consular Report of this year on Iceland gives an account of the way in which down is exacted from the eider duolc. Early in June the bird, always repairing to the same spot, com»-s to some small holme or islet in a bay or fjord, and lavs its egs»H, after lining its nest with the down plucked frum its own borly. All soon 118 th", esrgs are laid, the owner of the hatching-ground robs the n..st of the down and a part of tne eggs, both of which the poor bird replaces a second and a third time, when she is left in peace to complete the process of tacuba. tion, but with her body completely denuded of down. This nethod is adopted because the down of the dead bird loses its elasticity, and is of comparatively little value. The hen bird gives eight or nine ounces cf down to a nest, but when cleansed the weight is diminished by half. The value of the cleansed down is about 19s. per lb. The annual produce in Iceland is valued at about 5.000Z. In some instances, one mall holme will give its owner an annual income of 150l. Such is the care taken of these birds that during the hatching Beason no guns are allowed tt) be fired, in their vicinity; and foreign vessels arriving are for. bidden to nre salutes. A VALUABLE BIRD!—At Daylesford, Victoria, recently, there was a tight between a tame cockatoo and a snake two feet long, in which the former was an easy victor. The bird saw the snake basking ic the sun, and when sufficiently near it for the purpose, made an unusually high hop and struck the snake a severe blow on the head with its beak. The assault was repeated in the same manner, and some timid females, who were witnesses of the affair, observed that Pretty Pclly dropped a piece of the snake's head from its beak before it again repeated its tactics. When some men arrived at the scene of action they found that Polly had, by the pecking process, deprived the snake of its head. THE WAY TO TREAT BRIGANDS.—A letter from Viterbo, in the Opinione of Turin, states that last week the diligence from Rome to that place was attacked by three armed men in masks, who ordered the travellers to alight and give up all they possessed. Amongst the passengers, however, there was a Lieu- tenant Savihi, of the Native Chasseurs, who replied to the summonll of the brigands by a brace of shots from a revolver, which wounded one of the aggressors badly and laid him prostrate, on which the other two took to flight. The lieutenant, after having in vain attempted to overtake them, returned to the carriage, bound the wounded brigand and accommodated him with a seat in the diligence as far as Viterbo. There the man was handed over to the officers of justice. How THEY MANAGE IT IN GERMANY I-The following story is related of an election for the North Grerman Parliament :— n a small place tn the district of Coblem, the Mayor sent round the public crier to proclaim, with the assistance of his bell, the following extraordinary communicationWith the bell be it herewith proclaimed that on the 12th there is an election for Parliament, and Mr. Stumm is going to be elected" The following day, however, the opposition party engaged the same town crier to bell out as follows :—" With the bell be It herewith proclaimed that on the 12th there is an election for Parliament; Mr. Stumm, however, II not going to be elected, but Mr Cetto Is." The ancient town crier, who Is also n'ght watchman, added to this proclama- tion his own sentiments to the effect that those who wont stlect either of these may do just as they like." TOILETTE OF THE EMPRESS EUGENIE.—The dress worn by the Empress Eugenie at the opening of the French Chamber was of white satin, the upper part of the sleeve and cuff and the basquine edged with the doches, (sable.) The bonnet was almost invisible, a thing of white crape, and wreathed with dark velvet leaves; but depending from the edge, falling on her hair, were large diamond drops. On the narrow brown velvet strings was a diamond of great size, and diamonds also formed her earrings. The dress, save the sable edge, was utterly untrimmed. She took her place in the tribune Princess Clothilde, in grey satin, and wearing a white lace shawl, on her right; and Princess Mathilde, in an Algerian cloak, on her left. The little Prince in black velvet knlokerbockers, scarlet stockings, and wearing the broad ribbon of the Legion d'Honneur, en sautoir, sat on his father's right, while his somewhat portly cousin occupied the left of the throne. AN INTERESTING RACK.—A curious wager has been decided between the French and English residing at St. Pierre, near Calais, for a stake of 400f. The question was who would go in the shortest time from Calais to Boulogne on foot, without running or trotting. The disputants left the Calais cemetery at 1.14 in the afternoon, and reached Ma Campagne, the Frenchman in five hours nve minutes, and the English- man in five hours and thirty minutes, so that the latter lost by twenty-five minutes. The Frenchman w a cattle driver, named Charles Galant, and the Englishman is Mr. Raubot, a steward of one of the boats running between Calais and London. Each of the competitors received lOOf. They were both very much exhausted on arriving at Boulogne. This may be imagined on considering the distance. The diligence takes four hours and a half to perform it, and often more. DISTINGUISHED IN THE FIELD.—The imprison- ment of Lord E. Vane Tempest, for an assault on Mr. Ames, has led to some correspondence in the Dublin papers as to the part he is said to have taken in the American war, and one writer who offers his testimony on the subject under the signature of "Firmus et fidelis," says:— Lord Ernest Vane Tempest was a distinguished cavalry officer in the late fearful contest in America, and was known by the name of Capt. Stewart. I was told by a tarmer In my own neighbourhood, In the north of Ireland, whose Ion either served under him or belonged to the same division, that he was looked Upon aa on* of the most dating and accomplished cavalry officers of the whole service, and that he was distinguished for his noble and handsome appear- ance, his frank and generous disposition, and tJiat he was a universal favourite with both offlstrs and men. SHOCKING A MARRIAGE PARTY !—In Paris, the other day, a pretty brunette, ripe as a Murillo cherry in September, and about the same colour, went at the age of seventeen to the Mayor to be married to a gentleman of the convenient age of fifty-three. The Mayor then said to her, Mademoiselle, do you consent to be the wife of Monsieur Ie Baron L- V The very nut-brown young lady burst out laughing, and said, How droll you are This is tha first time any one has thought fit to ask me euch a question. Certainly, if I had been asked before. I sheuld have 8aid 'No,' buta>J it ill, come on." Everyone was dreadfuly shocked. A pretty prospect for the poor husband 1 EXTRAORDINARY DEATH.—A gentleman named Leyton, a retired offi :er, possessed of considerable property, and living in Unthank's-road, Norwich, has been found dead in his bed under extraordinary and shocking circumstances. The deceased parted with his housekeeper on the 23rd of December, and he was not seen by the neighbours after the 24th of that month. It is supposed that be had lain dead for about fifty days before an entrance was forced into the house, and when found his remains were in an ad- vanced state of decomposition. It is understood that the deceased some months since, while walking in St. Griles'-street, Norwich, caught his foot in a lady's crinoline, and, being thrown down, sustained an in- ternal rupture.—Securities for money to a large amount were found in the house of the deceased, who, never- theless, perished miserably and entirely forsaken by his fellow-creatures. A SINGULAR PRESENTIMENT.—An American paper says:— In the death of Csptaln Wood, of New York, who was lost from the yacht Fleetwirlflln the great ocean race, a singular presentiment of his wits has been iulflllsd. Under date of December 15,1S66, the wrot" her mother :—"My husband sailed for Europe on yacht Fleetwing the lltb, and I am completely prostrated with grief and anxiety, fewUng that he will never return. You will think this childish, but to me It Is reality." FATAL ACCIDENT TO A HUNWMAN.—News has reached Exeter of a most shocking occurrence in North Devon. Mr. Redler, a retired tradesman of South- multon, had been hunting with Squire Smyth's har- riers, and on his return between ten and eleven at night, the spirited young horse which he rode became restive, one of the reins broke, and the animal came into collision with the parapet of Borner's-bridge, thereby breaking its neck and throwing the rider on the wall of the bridge. Mr. Redler fell into the stream beneath, and was carried by the current into the main river. Death was instantaneous, the skull being broken to pieces. After four hours' search, the body of the unfortunate huntsman was found near Parkhouse-bridge, having drifted from one bridge to another. The dead body of the horse was also dig- covered. BURIED ALIVE!—In the early part of October last there died at Rome, with choleraic symptoms, Signora Amalia Barbieri, wife of Count BefinicellL After the funeral solemnities the body was deposited in the Campo Santo until it could be transferred to the church of the Maddalena when the tomb which was being prepared had been completed. The tomb being finished a few days since, the corpse was unoovered, when the fact became evident that the unfortunate lady had been placed in her coffin while she was yet living. The hands were bitten, the face was lacerated, the hair disordered and torn. The lid of the coffin had been forced up, and the muscles were contracted by the violent efforts that had been made. The unhappy lady, whose health had been delicate, was overtaken by a sudden attack, and as she evinced no sign of life it was presumed she was dead. The rumours of cholera led to her being haatily placed witkin the tomb. TAPPING THE TELEGRAPH !—A Liverpool cor- respondent writes :— There can be no doubt that among the Fenians who have been recently aperatlng aboui Itlllamey there are a few ex- perts, as Ilfor all tapping the wres go.. III the late war in America J >rrest, Stuart, and the notorious Morgan gained much popularity In CODlequence of the manner In whioh they tapped the wires, and thereby conveyed Important Federal news to the Southern authorities. One or two tricks of this kind have Just been enacted In Ireiand, and the Fenians, had there really been any serious assemblage, oould have tapped every wire from Falrhead to Valencia. A NOVEL EXHIBITION.—The Moscow com- mittee for the ethnographic exhibition to be held in the ancient capital of Russia next autumn is actively engaged in collecting specimens of national dresses, implement, and curiosities, not only from aU parts of Russia, but also from neighbouring countries. The exhibition is to comprise all the various tribes of Sclavonic descent, and from a political point of view, will be no less Austrian and Turkish than Russian. Even the Prussian Sclavonians will not be for- gotten, nor the few forlorn Vindians, the last remnant of the once numerous aboriginals of Brandenburg and Saxony. THE DRINK AGAIN —An inquest has been held in London on the body of a general dealer, aged thirty-four years.—Eliza Taylor, the deceased's widow, said that he always liked his beer," but three years ago he took to immoderate drinking, and lor months together he would not come home sober for a single night. Last Tuesday week he came home in his usual condition—so drunk that he could not stand-and witness helped him upstairs and laid him on the bed. In a few hours afterwards she found him lying on his face and quite cold. She sent for a doctor who pronounced him dead. The parish surgeon said that he had been suffocated by 15 ing on his face while in a state of insensibility from drink. The coroner, in summing up, remarked that excessive drinking, though it did not always lead to a fatal result so directly as in the present case, was unquestionably the cause of a great number of the untimely deaths that came to his notice. The jury returned a verdIct That deceased was found dead from suffocation con- sequent on excessive drinking of intoxicating liquors. A NOBLE DEFENDANT. The Prince of Orange is defendant in a curious suit which is now before the French law courts. M. Vanden Daele some years since made a good deal of money out of a beer-Rhop in Paris called the Saucisse d'Or, to which he attracted a large circle of customers by selling sausages, in one of which each evening was to be found a live franc piece in gold?* Part of his profits he invested in an estate in the Ardennes, This he sold last year to the Prince of Orange for 300,000 franca represented by bills. Upon the title-deeds of this property the Prince tried to borrow 150,000 francs from the Credit Foncier, but, not succeeding, put one of his friends into the chateau, with directions to buy cattle and agricultural implements, and to make the most out of the produce. His Royal Highness, it now appears, has neglected either to take up his bills or to pay the expenses in- curred by his agent, and actions are pending for the recovery of the sums due in each case. A BISHOP'S BEHAVIOUR. The" Parochial Critic" gives the following :— On Monday afternoon a bishop walltandlng on the steps before the Athenseum Club House, In London, when a young man quietly asked if he would buy a programme, "only a halfpenny." Instead of saying he did not want one, he savagely called upon a commissionaire to remove the ven- dor, an order which was disobeyed. Had the bishop heard the comments made upon his conduct by two gentlemen connected with the press, who witnessed the bishop's bad behaviour, or the maledictions of the man he had rudely re- pulsed, his Christian graces would have been still further developed. A CURIOUS CASE.—Judge Johnson, of the dis- trict of Bedford, Canada East, the same who tried the Fenians recently, has just disposed of a curious case (remarks the New York Times.) A man provided the funeral expenses of a deceased brother, who died in extreme poverty, and, among other things, furnished the candles burned in the church on the occasion. After the funeral he took home with him the half- consumed candles. The cure claimed these as a perquisite, and the man went to law about it. Judge Johnson decided that the cure should have the candle ends.

EPITOME OF NEWS. BRITISH AND FOREIGN. It appears by a parliamentary return that the ecclesiastical commissioners for England Incurred the sum of 6,9841. as cost expenses, &C., Incident to the defence of certain actions brought against them In reference to manorial rights in "the oounty of Durham. The Winchester rifle has been finally adopted by the Swiss government, and with some alterations In point of calibre, will be Introduced into the republican army. In America a bill has been introduced into the Hoase of Representatives to prevent the transportation of criminals to the United States. A bon mot is current in Paris on the Emperor's Speech. It appears that some delay occurred as to the distribution of the Speech at the Bourse, where it was awaited with feverish impatience. Who knows, inquired a Legitimist, "perhaps it has been seized f" "Mr. Disraeli is now experiencing some of the tortures which he so Ingeniously devised last year for Mr. Gladstone. He is being questioned about Reform in all kinds of ways."—Morning Star. In the House of Commons en Monday evening, Mr. M'Lagan asked the President of the Board of Trade whether it was the intention of the Government to adopt the same means for the collection of agricultural statistics in ENGLAND and Scotland, as last year; and, if not, whether it was their intention to introduce any measure this lelslon for their collection, to which Sir S. Northcote replied that the Government proposed to adopt the same measures that were taken last year. The London papers are authorised to state that the cause of the Princess of Wales's Indisposition is acute rheumatism, from which her Royal Highness has been suffer- ing for some days past. There is, however, no symptom to cause anxiety. The Railway News understands" that represen- tatives of the debenture-holders and of the other securities of the London, Chatham, and Dover Railway Company have been In communication with the directors, and that there is now every prospect of an amicable settlement of all points In dispute. Mr. Edward Baines, M.P., publishes a letter in the Leeds Mercury, In which he denounces Hr, Disraeli's re- solution* on Reform as violating alike Constitutional prin- ciples, Parliamentary usage, and common sense. Mr. Haines's own opinion is against entertaining the resolutions at all; but if Mr" Gladstone should think differently, Mr. Baines will defer to his Judgment. The forty-firstannualexhibition of the Royal Scottish Academy opened at Edinburgh on Saturday. The collection includes 889 paintings in oil and water colours, and above fifty pieces of sculpture. The Great Eastern Railway Company is about to receive some additional locomotives from France. Those ordered some time since are fonnd to answer the purpose very wall, hut the new engines will, it Is understood, be of a somewhat lighter description. The price to be paid is 2,5001. per engine, which would show a reduction of about 2001 per engine, when compared with the rates hitherto paid. A ballet girl named Jessie Leeson was charged at Leeds, on Saturday, with stealing a suit of men's clothes. The stolen property belonged to the son of her landlady. The girl. In a mad freak, had assumed the male attire, and taken np her quarters at an Inn, under the name of Sir Harry Clifton, playing her part so well that for snme time no suspicion arose. Ultimately, however, the police fereted out thefsecret and took her into custody. "Sir Harry" was remandeÎ1. At the ball in the Tuileries on Thursday in last week, the Empress Eugenie wore a newly arranged tiara, In the centre Of which was that stone described by Lord Macaulay "The family of Pitt was wealthy and respectable. His grandfather was governor of Madras, and brought back from India that celebrated diamond which the Regent Orleans, by the advice of St. Simon, purchased for upwards 6f two millions of llvres, and which is still considered as the most precious of the crown Jewels of France." The effect, as FF Is now set, Is wonderful. The workmen employed in the silk factories of Lecco, Lombardy, have struck for an increase of wages. We have had the most extraordinary changes of temperature ever known, and everybody is very 111 Indeed. Liberia and Siberia, no doubt, have their several advantages as to climate but when benignant nature bestows them on you turn by turn, day by day, it becomes slightly trying, and now everybody Is so 'gripped' that thought II a failure, and any attsmo* at speech iø a cough Qr a sneeze.Par1a corres- pondent of Daily Telegraph. Some time since Frederick Bruce addressed a letter of condolence to the widow of the late Portugueie Minister to the United States (Morao) A letter has been received by Sir Frederick from I ha son of the late Minister Morao, an- nouncing that the widow had also died. George Peabody has made a donation of one million dollars in cash and another million in Mitslsslppl Bonds for educating the youth of the South, without distinc- tion or colour. The Negro Testimony bill has been defeated in the Kentucky Senate. Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Lucretia Mott, Theodore Tiltou, Frederick Douglas, Susan B Anthony, and other I Reformers" muscultne and feminine, white and block, have memoralised Congress to estmblUh suffrage without regard to colour or sex."—New York Correspondent. Mr. Spurgeon's tabernacle is to be closed one month lor renovation. As Exeter Hall Is not large enough to accommodate the usual congregation, it is proposed to engage the Agricultural Hall, Islington, whilst the repairs are being made. Acupressure is now established as the rule of practice In the Aberdeen Hospital, with great success. Under it, the whole process of healing occupies hours or days, Instead of weeks of dressing and discomfort and suffering. According to the Quinquennial Census of the population of France, recently published, It appears that the totalnopulation. including the troops on foreign service, has Increased from 87,612,094 to 38,192,094. A telegram from Berlin announces that Count Blsmark has been returned as a member to the North German Parliament by ten different Electoral Colleges. The island of Jersey has been visited by the fatal dllease of cholera, the medical men reporting that the calel manifest all the malignity of the worst type of the disease. In the Chinese section of the Paris Exhibition there is to be a restaurant kept by two women from the Celestial empire. Singular names are now and again given to race- horses. One horse has been named John Leech, another the Duke of Athole, a third Tom Jones, a fourth The Poacher, and a fifth The Swell. Many mayors of the chief towns in England are commencing subscription lists to send working men to Paris during the Exhibition, to Instruct them. The Lords of the Treasury, with a view of relieving the great distress prevailing at the east end of London, have given authority to the War Department to order 1,000 tons of iron fit tor the manufacture of guns to the Mill wall Iron Works Company. A boy, thirteen years of age, has been drowned in the Surrey Canal, through a singular accident. He had been swimming or washing a large retriever dog, and had a strap round his wrist, the other end being fastened to the dog's eollar. The dog made a sudden plunge and dragged the boy into deep water. After a few struggles the dog got free, but the boy was drowned. The Prince and Princess of Wales (says the Court Journal) will visit Denmark in May next, in order to be PRE^NC at the twenty-fifth anniversary of the marriage of the King and Queen, on the 26th of that month, and the occasion Is to oe one of great rejoicing; beside their Royal Highnesses, the King of Greece, and the Hereditary Grand Duke of Russia and the Grand Duchess are to be present. "It is proved that bachelorhood is more destructive to life than the most unwholesome trades, or than residence in an unhealthy house or district, where there has never been the most distant attempt at sanitary improvement of any kind."—Scotch Registrar General. A labourer who had been in the employment of Mr. H A Fitzgerald, J, P., of Ring, Dungarvan, emigrated five years ago to the "land of freedom." He has recently returned, and it appears that during that period he contri- buted no less than 120I. to the Fenian Iwlndle I Finding "all burst," as he graphically describes it, he has returned a more disgusted, and, we hope, a wiser man than he left. The Inland Revenue returns show that the habit of smoking is gradually extending. *5 1841 the weight of tobacco consumed in the United Kingdom was less than H oz per head of the population in 1851 it had risen to a fraction over lib. per head; In 1861 It Wal lib. Sl oz.; in 1863, lib 4i oz.; In 1864, lib, 4:1<>11. The last mail from Australia conveys the intelli- gence that traces of the unfortunate explorer, Leichhardt, have been found on the Gulf of Cairp<sntaria, and also a portion of a skmll near a tree, which bore the mark of Leichhardt. The well-known Mr. Leonard Jerome, of New York, has given 5 000 dollars to Princeton College. New Jersey, the Interest of which II to be annually expended for a medal to he awarded to the student who shall be deemed first gentleman" in the college. Mr. Jerome caustically adds that he is led to make this endowment, believing that'the most pressing necessity of America at present Is the acquisition of good manners and gentlemanly con- duct. The case of the Tichborne baronetcy, which has created so much interest, not only throughout Hampshire, but In many parts of the country, is apparently set at rest. There seems to be no longer any doubt that the person who claims to be the baronet and owner ot the eatate, near Alsford, is the real Sir Rog.r Tichborne. On Friday the church bells rang out a merry peal in honour of his arrival at the estate. Heavy damages were given action for seduction, which was tried in the^DNWIN Court of Com- mon Pleas The parties were of high respectability, and under an engagement of iVf°H« IML" R?,N ,?AS effected and a month after the birth of her child she died of a broken heart. Th" defence wss A traverse of the alleged seduction but the defendant did not appear in the witness box to sustain his denial. The Jury found for the plaintiff I,000f. damages. The Horological Institute are calling attention to the serious decline in the Bnglish watch trade, one of the rea«ons being, as they assert, the cost of stamping the oases at Goldsmiths' Hall. Formerly, the Hall could mark London- made cases only, but now Coventry can send up cases to be stamped, and pass them off as London made." The numoer of Swiss watches Imported for sale into England is aoout 85 000 annually the number of watches manufactured in this country in the year is about 26,000. Mr. Sal a, now at Rome, will be amused to see, in bis paper on S.ckvllle-street, DubUn, the EXPOSITORS have put NO more cabs and ale," instead of cakes and ale. — Another curious slip occurred recently In a pamphlet—it should have been, "He was an honest man an.1 a cotter OF the village The compositor put it paradoxically, "He was an honest man and a 'robber of the village. A great reform meeting was held on Monday night in the Drill-hall, Bristol; the mayor in the chair. At least 6,000 perlons were present, and reRolnttons were pasted unanimous'y declaring that the Government proposition hope of a satisfactory measure, and th*t no blU would be satisfactory which does not aimtt the working classes to the franchise, give the protection of the bal oc, and provide for the equal dihtrlbution of seats. A petition to the House of Commons was adopted, and thanks were voted to the member* for the borough. The Malta Times of the 31st ult. says :—"We have good grounds for stating that it Is the intention of the Home Government to expend a very large sum of money on Increasing the armament of this fortress The amount determined on will probably exceed half a mi'lion sterling." The notorious custom prevailing in some destitute districts of Nassau, of parents selling their daugh" r8 to serve in low establishments in England and the United States, has led to stringent measures on tte part of the Government. Not only have the police been directed to keen a vigilant eye on the suspected districts, but a pnmium of 100H. is offered to anyone denouncing a case. "We have reason to believe that Sir Henry Storks is about to resign the governorship of Malta, and will return to this country In about two months from the present time. We may presume that some arrangement will be made for rendering his services available to the pub'ic at either the War Office or Horse Guards."—Army and Navy Gazette. What curious ideas some persons have of the neces- sary qualifications for a goveTD"SS! This reflection II sug- gested to us (Pall Mall Gazette) by the following advertise- ment, which we reprint literally:—"Wet rurse wanted, in June next, by a lady. who is anxious to make arrangements before starting for Paris, whence she will return In two months. An educated Single Person preferred, with a view to a permanent engagement as Governess for the elder children." In the midland counties the authorities have in many instances taken special measures for the security of the rinei belonging to the volunteers. At Derby the arms have been removed to a stronger store than the volunteer armoury. These precautions have been deemed necessary in consequence of the Fenian outbreak. The cholera has broken out in Normandy and Brittany The Turkish paper, Havandis, eays that the Eastern question will bo solved not by the Western Powers, but by Turkey, who will emancipate the Christians, re-establish a good understanding with the Mussulmans, and convoke a national assembly. It is stated that a large quantity of pictures, plate, &c., have been extracted from a bank at Madrid, where they were deposited for ssfaty, and that a person high in autho- rity was privy to the robbery. A literary paper in Paris having proposed for dis- cission the question, What is a woman ? a correspondent sent to the editor the following answer:—"A woman is a small article of luxurious furniture, which ought not to make the Journey of life without a label, inscribed Very fragile.' The author of "Aunt Margaret's Trouble" will contribute the next serial story to All th, Tear Round, at the conclusion of Black Sheep." A magnificent new church at Liverpool, built at a cost ol 14 OOOz. by Mr. Anderson, a local merchant, was con- secrated last Friday. In the Hamp case, which resulted in the jury being discharged, after a trial of eight days, It is stated that four were desirous of finding a verdict for the plaintiff, seven for thf defendant, and one was neutral. The number of railway bills deposited for legislation during the present session is 156. Ot these, sixteen are for new lines by new companies, and fifty-two tor new lines by existing companies. The length of new lines is S64 miles; and there are in addition fifty-one miles of deviation lines, and forty miles of tramways for streets. Letters from Damascus announce the arrival there of the great annual caravan from Bagdad, consisting of 2 600 camels, one half of which were laden with toumbeki (the tobacco which is used for nargiles), while theremaiader carried the travellers. This year the Desert is reported to have been perfectly quiet; no attempt has been made to molest any traveller, and the caravan passed witbeut en countering any difficulty. At the forthcoming assises for North and South Lancashire there will be a Roman Catholic High-Sheriff a Roman Catholic Under-sheriff, and a Roman Catholic Judge —Mr. Justice Shee. This is the first time such an event ever occurred in the county of Lancaster, or, Indeed, in any county in England, since the Reformation. The other judge who will accompany Mr. Justice Shee is a Dissenter, Mr. Justice Mellor, who is a member of the Independent denomination. The following, according to a report issued by the Italian Ministry of Finance, Is the distribution of the revenue of the Italian Chnrch :-¿rcbblshoprlcs and bishop- rics, 8 152,885 lire; adminlotration, 11,375,464; prebends, 17,722.208; benefices, 8,738,233; chapters and canonries, 12,280,639; chaplaincies, 4 428,720; religious houses, 16,769,155: seminaries, 8,582 985; brotherhoods, 4 716,057; treasury, 14,284,648: total, 102,050,401 lire (4,250,OOOi ) At the Bradford borough, police-court on Saturday William Close was brought up on remand, charged with appropriating 65t, the property of the Amalgamated Society of Carpenters and Joiners. After hearing the speeches of counsel both for the prosecution and for the defence, the bencb decided to discbarge the prUoner, because the locletJ was not purely a benefit society within the meaning of the Act, and therefore the prisoner could not be legally con- victed of appropriating the money, which, it was alleged, he had not accounted for to the society. The large number of 495 horses are officially registered at Newmarket as paying for galloping on the training grounds. "High-sounding designations are fast displacing the simple ones which have hitherto served for certain callings. Hair-dressers are now, and have long been, capillary artist" confectioners are 'artists in sugar;' clerks are 'attaches,' and I see that bagmen now inscribe on their cards, re- presentatives of commerce.—Paris correspondent of the Express Legal steps are being taken in more than one direc- tion to arrest the prafioes of certain of those quacks who, having being struck df the rolls of the colleges, still add to their names the initials Indicating the possession of their titles. This is a cognizable offence and the aid of the law will at once be invoked to put a stop to it. On St. Valentine's Day 600,000 letters passed through the London Post Office. The Welsh Eisteddfodd is to be held this year at Carmarthen, in the course of September. The statement which has appeared in several papers that a son of the Eirl of Shafteibury has been articled to an engineer is devoid of foundation. Whilst labouring under delirium tremens, a man, the other day, placed himself on the Yeovil Railway before an advancing engine, and W81 killed. According to the British Medical Review heart dig. ease ill a prevalent malaoy among Engliah soldiers; the strain of the knspssck straps prodnces on the heart a sob- stance analagous to corn, the size of a five ahilllng niece, called by medical surgeons the soldier's spot." 14 76 per cmt. ot the men disciuarged in 18611 were lost to the service from this cause. A Prussian corvette has arrived in China to take part in operations against the pirates. The Grand Jury of the district of Columbia has found an ind ctment against Surratt, in America, who, it will be remembered, made his escape Immediately after the murder of Mr. Lincoln, but was captured in Romo, and again escaped, only to he taken again. The Indictment is accompanied by a presentment charging John Wilkes Booth with the murder of Abraham Lincoln. There are in France upwards of 2,000 prison* and houses of correction, and the average number of people of both sexes confined in them la 55,000 The cost of the main- tenance of these establishments is 14,400,000 francs. The American House of Representatives, after a warm debate concerning the suppression of Protestant worship in Rome, has decided to discontinue the American ligation in that city, and will hereafter be represented there only by a consul. A young Greek at Washington has given to the American papers a letter he has received from Athens giving an account of the murder by the Turks of nine students, formerly of the University of Athens. Three of them, on refusing to give up their Christian faith at the demand of the Pasha, were. according to this letter, roasted at a fire and their bodies given to the dogs. In compliance with the desire of the Bishop of Chester, the thanksgiving for peace and deliverance from enemies was read in all the churches ot the city of Cheetac on Sunday last. The Emperor Napoleon has sent 20,000 francs and King Victor Emmanuel 2,000 francs to Algeria, to b" applied to the relief of the sufferers from the late earthquake. It is now probable that about the 4th of March, when the fortieth Congress comes into power, Washington will he the Icene of two valt national conventions, one met to remonstrate agitnst the impeachment of the President, and the other to urge the lame. The present statute respecting the Habeas Corpus Act in Ireland will not expire until Tuesday the 2C'.h Inst. The first Act of the last Session was to awpend the Act until the 1st of September, and on the loth August the sus- pension was to be continued until twenty-one days alter the commencement of the then succeeding Session. Early as it is in the year, the Executive Committee of the Volunteers who visited Brussels last year Is already making preparations to receive the Belgian visitors, who will numoer, tt is said, some 2 000. They will be under very distinguished command, it is btlieved, the Belgians desiring that His Royal Highness the Comte de Flandres should lead them across the strait. Great activity at present prevails in the ship-build- ing department of the Deptford dockyard, orders having been received to construct four composite gnnboats and a lighter. Mrs. hidden, of Bayswater, London, an eccentrio lady, of Intemperate habits, who some years ago was in pos- session ot S'l.OOOZ., has been found burnt to death in her bedroom. 8he had been reading, and it Is supposed drink. Ing a portion of her usual "every other day allowance," a bottle of wine, a bottle of brandy, and a quart of ale, when the bed-clothes caught fire, and smouldered. The unfortu- nate woman tumbled under the bed, and was discovered there, suffocated. The Cirque Napoleon in Paris rejoices in the posse%» slon of two acrobats, the like of whom for daring attempts to break thfir necks on the trapeze, and for elegance ot movement, were perhaps never seen in this circus. The height at which their feats are performed Is very great, and, albeit there is a.net strained across beneath to eatch them if they should faU, there Is au indescribable anxiety in t,n& breast 01 every spectator till the men are ou terra firma again, when the shouts of applause are beyond the linUs of mere ordinary theatrical enthusiasm. Among the other curiosities to be displayed at the French Exhibition are the two hind feet of the horse C >mus, which the Prince of Wales used to ride at Oxford, and sub- lequently presented to Charlet Davis. Two of the feet ot this noble animal are to be shod with gold for his Royal Highness, the other two are destined to illustrate the 1!D.- proved system of shoeing hunters introduced Into the "shires "by Mr. Dollar. The sea-bear, so long a favourite with all thfj visitors to tie Zoological Gardens in London. is dead. Lsome nieces of canvas and a hoop having been found, it U teared that he may have suffered from the effects of these substances whlrk he had swallowed passing through the internal o^ 'uT lt Is said that the grief of M. le Comte, the sea-hear's faithful guardian, i» heartrending the Poor man was much to the animal, and tended It as if it were h's own child. This; remarkable specimen of the sea-bear (otaria hthaea) was captured by Le Comte and some of his fellow sailors in 1862, on the coast of Patagonia. Some time ago, a strange scene was described in the papers which occurred in the Common Council Chamber -V.7 r, >Jwhen an inkstand "aimed low," like CQarles O Malley s decanter, was flung at the chairman's head and the chairman retaliated with a pocket pistol. We are scarcely surprised, therefore,, tt tMaring that at the next meeting of the Council policemen were ordered to be present. A member of the Council having demanded in wrath why they were there, another member replied, "be- cause the inkstands are not fastened down." A private in the Grenadier Guards, named Leawood nearly lost his n'gbc in attempting to escape' from the Qaeen'sBenchPr^n, where he w £ g » term of imprisonment for desertion. With some strip* of linen, stolen from the infirmary, he had made, a rone with which be att,«npted to lower himself fretn the oufer walk btit the bf1thi ee yards frotu tne top. and he fell a distance crt thirty feet. Fortunately for him, the spot where h. fell was unpaved, but a. it w-^ he was seriouflfinj^red London Press reports that sixty.two i««t^London tradesmen were fined atNewington sessions lass week for having in their possession unjust weights, sca'es, and measures The fines amounted to 15R 10j One ox the tradesmen was fined for having a piece of putty under a machine, though he attempted to cast the odium of the crime upon bis wife. Another sold flour cheaper than his fellow-tradesmen, and to make np the loss he gave- light weight he was fined 61. Another, although his wife as- serted that he was "hinnoc nt as an unborn baby," was fined a like amount for having a religious tract and some dripping \¡nùem6atb a machine. Two actions have been brought in the Court of Com- mon Pleas, by Mrs Squire and her daughter, who, n" a jour- ne.y to the Isle of Wight, stayed at the Ro-al Kent Hotel, at Ryde, and while there were robbed of jewelry and »ther articles to the va'ue of 001 It wag proved that a stranga "gentleman" tad been shown np to tbe floor on which plaintiffs' bedroom WM situated to wash Ms hands, nnd it wai alleged that he must have bten the rbief hut the He- fenc-? was that irom tre Incoherent statements of the plaln- tiffs, it was not certain the property was lost at the hotel. The Jury gave a verdict of 301, in each case under the reeent statute, whioh limits an innkeeper's liability in such cases to that sum.