The Aberystwith Observer

DYNAMITE AT HOLE HAVEN. No alarm need be caused to the public by the sunk magazine at the creek which winds from the lhames for miles into the heart of Canvey Island, a vast track of marsh land lying in the estuary of the river be- tween Tilbury and Southend. Spread over a distance of three or four miles up the broad fleet and moored in a wide lagoon beyond are seven old hulks of various dimensions, each capable of containing ^con- siderable quantities of powder and explosive. They are all moored from each other at a place exceeding even the regulation distances assigned by the Home Office. On the island there are only a few small isolated farmB, the only cluster of habitations being at the new wood-built village of Canvey, and at the Coast-guard station, near to the Sluice public-house. None of the inhabitants appear to be uneasy at the circumstance of one of the magazines having sunk j eight days ago. The floating magazines are, with only one exception, the property of Mr. Wood, of Gravesend. The cause of the accident appears to be that about 50 tons of dynamite Wl).,e at the beginning of last week put on board one of these hulks which had not been in use for some time. Under such circumstances the timbers above the light water line get dry in the air, the wood shrinks, and the joints open, and often the I caulking will come out. When again laden this por- tion is submerged. The magazine in question leaked rapidly on Tuesday night, and, the caretaker not being able to keep the influx down, obtained first the aid of a neighbouring caretaker, and subsequently of some of the Coastguard men. But the leakage was too severe, and the vessel sank in the creek. At low water she lies high and dry on the mud-bank, so that her cargo can easily be got at and unloaded. A large barge flying the green wreck flag and a red powder flag is lying beside her. The dynamite subjected to this wetting will not be in a fit state for use in mining, and will have to be returned to the dynamite works for re-manufacture. In this removal there is not the slightest danger.

THE REVISED VERSION OF THE OLD TESTAMENT. It is, we (the Daily News) understand, against the rules of the University Press to publish any state- ment of the numbers of copies of the Scriptures issued by them, but we have authority for stating that the sales since the publishing day have been altogether unprecedented. The enormous stock provided has barely been sufficient for the demands of the trade. and in some parts of the country—Edinburgh, for instance-supplies of most of the editions have quite run out, and the whole machinery of produc- tion is now again in full activity. Oxford is again working night and day at the printing, and the establishment in Aldersgate-street and several private firms besides are piping all hands to the pumps for binding the sacred volumes. It becomes an interesting point for specula- tion as to whether the sale of the Revised Bible will assimilate at all to that of the New Testament. There was an enormous demand for the New Testament at the outset. Though, as we have said, we are not at liberty to give precise figures, we have reason to believe that considerably over a million copies were put in circulation within a comparatively short time of the first issue. But for some reason or other-or probably for several reasons—the demand suddenly collapsed. It was steadily sustained up to a certain point, and then all at once subsided, in part at least, no doubt, in consequence of the vigorous onslaught upon the work of the revisers by two or three scholars of repute. Until they opened fire there seemed to have been a wide-spread belief that the New Testament would be generally adopted. Their criticisms however at once ren- dered this doubtful. Moreover, after a time it became evident that there was a practical incon- venience m the use in pulpits of a Revised New and an Unrevised Old Testament, and the fact that com- paratively few preachers adopted the new issues told of course, powerfully, on the popularity of the new volumes. Besides this, the publication of the Revised Old Testament began to draw nearer, and that also would be sure to have its influence. Many would defer the purchase of a revised copy of the one till they could get the other also. The work is now com- plete, and it remains to be seen whether the autho- rised interpretation will hold its own against what we suppose must be allowed on all hands to be on the whole the more correct interpretation of the Sacred Scriptures.

EXTINGUISHING PARAFFIN LAMPS. Not even yet is it brought home to the popular understanding that the worst possible way to extin- guish a paraffin lamp is to blow down the chimney. By resorting to that foolish expedient, there is always the danger of forcing the flame downward into the body of inflammable gas which, when the reservoir is very near the burner, sometimes lies above the oil. Should that happen, an explosion instantly ensues, bursting the reservoir, and letting loose a deluge of flaming oil. All this is self-evident, and yet numbers of people, including many who ought to know better, continue the stupid practice, with the result of frequent accidents. One of these, which was attended by fatal consequences, is just), eported. An elderly lady sought to extinguish a paraffin lamp by blowing down the chimney, as she had been accustomed to do for years without any barm happening. But on this occasion either the oil bad become exceptionally heated or the flame was not turned down, for an explosion at once occurred, setting fire to the room, and killing its occu- pant. The coroner, who inquired into the case, ox- pressed an opinion that the vendors of such lamps should always caution purchasers about the danger of the practice. That might possibly do some slight good, although one might think that common sense would warn all sane people as to the folly of driving a body of flame into inflammable oil at a high tempe- rature.

I COMPULSORY INSURANCE IN THE POLICE FORCE. It appears from the officiai accounts that the Metro- politan police contribute to their superannuation fund out of their wages, in accordance with the regulations, a total sum of £18,781 in the year. Stoppages during sickness and fines for misconduct also go to this fund, which brings the amount up to £ 24,135. This, however, furnishes but a small proportion of the fund, as will be seen by the fact that the super- annuation allowed in the year—there are now 3704 pensioners on the list—amounted to no less than £ 170,000. The superannuation fund, in fact, derives the bulk of its revenue from the contribution from the General Metro- politan Police Fund, amounting to dS129,754, supple- mented by various small sources of income, such as fines imposed on drunken persons and for assaults on the police, proceeds of sale of old clothing, and con- tributions on a fixed scale from public departments, companies, and individuals, in addition to the pay- ments made by them for special services. The general advantages of the superannuation fund, beyond the direct contributions of the men, are of course part of the reward of their labour. From this point of view, therefore, the superannuation system in general may be regarded as one of compulsory insurance.

r;.n¡;¡m"" THE EVACUATION OF THE SOUDAN. Router's telegrams on Saturday stated that Otao *&s evacuated, the Shropshire Regiment returning to "ouakim by train. The Shropshire will give one com- ity towards the formation of the Mounted Infantry, •ihe G Battery of the 13 Brigade, Royal Horse Artil- efy. has left for Cairo. The Transport Calabria failed for England to-day, with 168 invalids on board, pe railway line was not disturbed by the enemy. It expected that about 3500 troops will remain here. From Dongola it was reported that the Mahdi is ■drawing his troops everywhere, and is retiring to &baletiri leaving his steamers at Sobat on the White ■Wile. „ ft has been decided that all the railway plant for j6 Souakirn-Berber Railway not yet discharged or°m the hired transports at Souakim shall be at °ce brought back to England, and employed in rail- aJ8 at Chatham, Woolwich, Portsmouth, &c. SURPRISE TO THE ENEMY. SOUAKIM, May 24. This afternoon the armoured train with the Gardner > fifty of the Shropshire Regiment, and the same atober of Sikhs and Bombay Infantry, proceeded the railway and surprised the enemy tearing P lue line. On the British opening fire the enemy after suffering losses estimated at several hun- «s. Another body of the rebels at ITandoub, who ised considerable damage to the line, suffered no Cities. p. SOUAKIM, May 23. ■tt&ttdoub was evacuated this morning. Small fet 8 marau<lers fired on the troops, but speedily ^ire|i on being answered by the men of the Berk- ie,Regiment. }ei reported that Otao has been burned by the kv Sickness is steadily increasing among both U, s" and Indian troops. Sixty-eight men of the 3)h'^ ^or Bombay "to-day on board the Romeo. Tc^^ing-i up the total of British and native soldiers 0 have been invalided during the last two months tlef^ hundred. The troops intended for the wen.Ce of Souakim are now concentrated here. The %n ™ harbour with railway plant will ^ence returning to England to morrow. Departure OF INVALIDED TROOPS. rp, SOUAKIM, May 25. •egj-j e hospital ship Ganges, which has done such in- ^liable service during her four months stay here, %|8^ ^or I>0rtJI!10U''h to-morrow with a pretty full ^Hhv, of invalids, in charge of Surgeon-Major > assisted by Surgeons Hoysted, Drury, Dono- ljt' and Butterworth, and Nursing-Sisters Cole, Burleigh, Wright, Norman, and Ireland. l51^alids are Colonel Gordon, Captains Battersby Acossen, Lieutenants the Hon. A. White, Qtiai-f rtl' and Higginson, Surgeon Maunders, Qiji ^'nastcr McCaffery, and Veterinary Surgeon together with 105 non-commissioned officers Many of these cases are serious, 90 per W from enteric fever. In addition to the and sisters mentioned, the invalids will be by 62 non-commissioned officer and men gOea L ^e<3ical Staff Corps. Chaplain Sedgwick also Olhe in tie Ganges. f ————— f n>, J onicle special correspondent at Don- -jVe§raphirig on Tuesday evening, says that the %(. Jpg Wanders and the other troops at Merawi °D ^'e,r journey north to-day. The civilian P8faon ^rom Dongola continues. So far 1800 ^ave ^or Colonel Leach and Napier, Royal Artillery, have arrived here 6 6 '° ^a'ro' -^e f°rmer is 011 the sick list. garrison here indulged in aquatic sports to-day. Preseiltative of the same journal in a message ship eàame date from Souakim, says :The hospital anges sailed for Portsmouth to-day, and in a to a large number of invalids, 43 non-com- 4*5, p ofncers and men took passage in her. The ^th Corps will leave for home next week, |K)n Q6 Boyal Engineers will sail in the hired trans- Ijjg feen about the same time. telegram has been received at the Offing ?e> dated Cairo, 26th May :—" Following iW»v S'c^ from Nile Major J. F. Foister, 22nd f011 °f Cornwall's Light Infantry; Lieu- itjn Beaumont, 3rd Battalion King's Royal V^P8 j Lieutenant E. C. J. Williams, 1st The ^Uatt ast Kent Regiment); Surgeon H. P. Birch •tV&h W. Crumplin, Commissariat and JJPort Staff." dispatch from Alexandria of Tuesday ^emhavL-prl u ^"gade of Guards temporarily embaiked at that port during the day. ■ ^WrnTClai, corresP°ndent of the Daily Chronicle, rp !n," 'lU dongola, on Wednesday evening, Ws nfUf Walad Hamid, a descendant of the ^itn» frg0' ^as ^een appointed governor of all the ^<1 iu tween Sukkot and Handak. It is under- virtually an independent ^ins^u' an^ W1.^ ^ave to maintain his territory and other possible claimants with- wpt 6rir assistance either from England or from loft r^wo thousand three hundred refugees have t here for Lower Egypt. >?'ei :iT° corresPon^ent; iQ a despatch of the same jColy*: Redvers Buller has telegraphed from „^at the British troops commenced with- M om that place yesterday. A troop of the and the 1st Battalion of the West Kent S? left at Wady Haifa; and a troop %sex^th Hussars and the 1st Battalion of the Kav egimeQt at Korosko. The remainder of the T8,«^e Battalion of the Duke of Cornwall's ^6Ut „rian,rJ» the 2nd Battalion of the Essex Rsgi- Ovig, hattery of Artillery will be stationed at • The railway extension will be finished. ALEXANDRIA, May 27. ^la^eina^der of the Guards Brigade would dis- °-n ^re(^nesday afternoon, according to an ^f^attileja cori*6sPon^eilt) and take up their quarters w,tofa Owing telegram has been received at the dated Souakim, May 27, 1885 ■jWg 6 following sick officers loft to-day in the lieutenant G. Legh, Lieutenant H. A. narn' auc^ Lieutenant the Hon. H.F.White, iWu rpnadier Guards Colonel R. W. T. Gordon, ^Ou"g] ail(i Sutherland Highlanders Major 0. W. H. WS' ^orc'0!1 Highlanders Lieutenant Marriott, Jjfiawr o Corps; Surgeon N. Manders; Yete- ^ptain T^e2u ^r- Gillard Colonel G. J. Parkyn, 0 Higgin;on, Quartermaster F. Battersby, ^iah Uartermaster J. M'Caffrey, of the Commis- ^j,vatl(i Transport Staff; Captain E. De Co pson, Ws. Lieutenant E. E. Macmalion, Madras Staff %C]' Lieutenant E. A. Oldham, 8th Hussars, ed to the Commissariat.

^^sibSlabV' GlJeJ1? an sample of a highly com- hd. Scholar The female form."

DEATH OF MR. C. W. THOMPSON. A notable figure in the dramatic world has passed away by the death of Mr. C. W. Thompson. For many years Mr. Thompson has been treasurer of the annual benefits of the Royal General Theatrical Fund, and it has been mainly through his endeavours that they have been so successful and the means of enrich- ing the fund so largely. Not only on behalf of the profession generally did he work, but also as the treasurer and organiser of benefit performances for its individual members. The cartoon published some years ago by Alfred Bryan represented him as pumping from a well a shower of sovereigns for the benefit of the needy and deserving. Mr. Thompson was for many years connected with the Corporation of the City of London as the surveyor and letter of the City vacant lands. As a member of the Masonic body he held high rank, and he was a Warden of one, and intimately asso- ciated with several of the City companies. His resi- dence at the Clock House, Catford-bridgs, was an open house to his legion of friends, and nothing pleased him more than to see his table surrounded by those connected with art, music, and the drama, upon which subjects he was no mean authority. His geniality and inexhaustible flow of spirits, even under the adverse circumstances of illness, made him generally popular. Mr. Thompson had been ailing for some time, but it was only on Thursday last that anything like serious fears were entertained. Peri- tonitis and barmorrhage set in, and at the early age of 42 he peacefully breathed his last on Whit-Monday at eight o'clock at his own residence. He leaves a widow and four children.

SUPPOSED MURDER OF A MOTHER.. A dreadful tragedy was enacted on Tuesday morn- ing in the quiet neighbourhood of Clondside, Bug- lanton, near Congleton, by the supposed murder of an elderly lady by her son and the attempted suicide of the latter. The man, whose name is James Horobin, lived with his mother, who was a small farmer, and was stated to have been in a state of extreme melancholy for some time past. He is alleged to have cut his mother's throat with a knife, and afterwards made a similar attempt on his own life. The unfortunate woman succumbed to her injuries but in the case of the son the gash inflicted on his throat has had a much less serious result. Dr. Baird, of Congleton, was communicated with directly after the occurrence, and on his arrival at the house Horobin is alleged to have made an attack on him, but fortunately without very serious result.

THE IRISH BISHOPS IN ROME. On Tuesday morning the Pope received the Irish bishops collectively in his private library. No one else was present. The address having been read by f Archbishop Croke, the Pope may be said to have performed tho ceremony of closing the bishops' mouths. He commenced his discourse by telling them that this must be considered as a strictly private, familiar meeting, and that nothing that passed was to be made public. That is all which is known or can be known for the present; but, inasmuch as the audience lasted close upon two hours, and the Pope spoke with explicitness during the greater part of that time, it may well be in- ferred, with sufficient certainty, that he did not expend so much time and labour on mere compliments. The fact that both the address and the Pope's reply are to remain secret is very significant as to the con- tents of both, and sufficiently indicative of the Pope having carried out the intention which he expressed to a distinguished Roman prelate last week of speaking plainly and strongly to the bishops and especially regarding their animosity towards England. At the end of his discourse the Pope blessed the bishops, their dioceses, parishes, and congregations. After the audience the bishops waited, according to custom, upon the Cardinal-Secretary of State, and, later, dined together at the Irish College, where speeches were made and toasts proposed which were loudly cheered by the Irish students gathered at the end of the room.

HOUSEBREARING AT RICHMOND. On Tuesday at the Richmond Police-court, Abel Allen, a labourer, of no fixed abode, was charged with being concerned with two other men now in cus- tody in breaking and entering Gothic House, Rich- mond, and stealing therefrom a mahogany sideboard, various cheval glasses, carpets, pictures, silk curtains, and other articles, of the value of at least £50, the property of Mr. William Capron, proprietor of the Richmond Club. Some of the facts of the case have already been published. It appears that some months I ago the Richmond Club was removed from Gothic t House to Northumberland House, a large amount of furniture, however, being left at the former residence. A few weeks after the removal Mr. Capron, on making a casual visit to his old premises, discovered that the place bad been completely ransacked, and that a massive sideboard and various weighty articles of furniture, &c., had been carried off, together with about 15 cwt. of sheet lead, which had been torn away from the roof of the house. Information having been given to the police, Detective-sergeant Bush and a number of con- stables proceeded to Gothic House and kept observa- tion, and as Bush was making an examination of the premises, he discovered a labourer named Bland asleep in one of the beds upstairs. He was taken into custody, and it was subsequently ascertained that a large quantity of the stolen property had been disposed of by an Army Reserve man named Clarke to various furniture dealers in Richmond, and that Bland and Allen bad assisted in its removal from Gothic House, without the knowledge or consent of Mr. Capron. Clarke wfis apprehended in a public- house at Ham, while endeavouring to sell some of the stolen pictures, and both he and Bland were sub- sequently committed for trial at the Surrey Sessions, and sentenced to long terms of imprisonment. Allen absconded immediately after the apprehension of Clarke, and was not captured until Monday after- noon, when he was accosted in one of the principal streets of Richmond by Police-constable Wall, who at once took him into custody upon the above charge. The prisoner then admitted having assisted Clarke, but said he did so at his request, and without the least knowledge that the furniture was stolen. He further stated that Clarke paid him for his trouble. The prisoner was remanded for a week.

A gentleman was nearly run over in a narrow London street by a dray. He shouted to the driver, Do you wunt to kill me? Whereupon the intelli- gent driver replied, If I had knowed you was a-coming this way I would have sent you a post- card."

THE "CRAMMING" SYSTEM. In some respects the University local examinations are, no doubt, advantageous, more especially by accustoming clever lads and lasses to the ordeal of being first crammed and then subjected to a dis- gorging process. This trains them for what they will have to go through when facing some com- petitive examination later on. On the other hand, it is unquestionable that, in many cases, the severity of the preparatory work for the University tourneys strains the nervous system greatly. In a Glasgow paper there ap- pears a complaint that many of the girls now going up are quite unfitted for examination, by being subjected to the scrutiny of stuients loafing around the buttresses with which the college is so well supplied." Of course it is very rude of these youths to peep at the erudite maidens as they march along, laden with the 'ologies. But an admiring glance or two ought not to upset the mental equili- brium of British girls, and, if that happens, their nervous system must be out of order. No wonder, either, if it be true that at some of the educational establishments which generally achieve the greatest success at University examinations, the cramming goes on until late in the night.

THE LEANDER. The twin-screw steam cruiser Leander which has just been completed at the Royal Dockyard, Chatham, is one of four ships to which Sir Thomas Brassey re- ferred in his statement on the navy in the House of Commons last December as having been ordered by the late Board, the other three being the Amphion, the Arethusa, and the Phaeton. Of these the last two and the Leander have been built and engined by Messrs. R. Napier and Sons, Govan, Glasgow, while the Amphion, which was built at Pembroke, is now in course of completion at Devonport. The dis- tinctive feature of the class is that they are un- armoured cruisers, having the magazines and ma- chinery protected by a steel deck 1 ',in. thick, and sloped at the sides in order to deflect any shot striking the vessel near the water line. When the coal bunkers are filled these, too, will afford some protection as they are ranged along the sides and across the ends of what has been called the vital part of the ship, and with regard to their steaming ability it may be noted that these cruisers with an authorised complement of coal of 725 tons have room in the bunkers for 1000 tons. According to the contract they are to have engines of 5000 indicated horse-power, but it is anti- cipated that the power will be somewhat greater, and that the speed of 16 knots they were designed to attain will be exceeded. They also carry three masts, and are expected to have fair sailing power. With a length of 300ft., an extreme breadth of 46ft., and a draught forward of 17ft. 6in., and aft 20ft. 6in., the load displacement is 3750 tons. For armament the Leander carries 10 6-in. breechloading guns, the weight of the projectiles from a broadside being about 500lb. In addition to these there are eight quick- firing machine guns for defence against torpedo boats, and for offensive purposes ten 14-in. Whitehead torpedoes. Four of the 6-in. guns, one on each side fore and aft, are to be fired from sponsons fitted with revolving turn-tables and shields to protect the gunners from machine-gun shots. The advantage of the projecting platform or sponson is that the for- ward guns can be trained across the bows to an angle of 4 deg, and to 45 deg. abaft the beam. Those on the quarter have very nearly as extended a sweep. The other 6-in. guns, also on the upper deck, are to be worked at the broadside ports in the ordinary way. Provision has, of coursc, been made by water- tight bulkheads and numerous compartments for keeping the ship afloat if struck by shot or otherwise injured in the hull.

DEATH OF AN ITALIAN PRINCESS IN LONDON. There has died at the Convent of the Sisters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul, Clerkenwell-road, London, the Princess Caraffa cf Naples. The de- ceased lady was known in religion as Sister Mary, and had been a member of the sisterhood from an early age. She was well known among the poor Italians in the neighbourhood cf Hatton-garden, and was greatly beloved by them for her many acts of kindness and generosity. The deceased lady was about 30 years of age.

Mother, did you say I can't go to the rink to- day ? Yes, Mamie, I did." "Why, mother ? I Because you have been there every day three times for the past three days, and so much exertion will ruin your constitution." Why, I'm not a bit tired, mother." Well, if you are not, come and help me wash these dishes." Oh, pshaw I'm that kind of tired, but not the skating kind." She helped wash the dishes all the same.

DARING DIAMOND ROBBERY IN LONDON. Some excitement was caused in the neighbourhood of Hatton Garden on Saturday by a report that a man had, after robbing a well-known diamond merchant of a quantity of valuable diamonds, attempted to murder him by shooting him. It appears that on Friday evening Mr. James Alexander, a diamond merchant, who has offices at 16, Hatton Garden, returned to them about seven o'clock and saw a strange man in the place. When he asked him what he was doing there, the man made some paltry excuse. Mr. Alexander then missed from the side of the table his purse containing diamonds and precious stones. On his asking for it, the man took from his pocket a revolver, and, after threatening Mr. Alexander, shot at him and run out of the house. He was seen to run down Hatton Garden, and to get into a hansom cab and drive quickly away. The police were called into the place; and, on learning what had occurred, they went in pursuit of the man, who, how- ever, it was found had got clear away. The police and some other persons took Mr. Alexander to St. Bartholomew's Hospital, where it was found that he had received a revolver bullet in his right hand, the wound being of a serious character. The police have obtained a description of the man who committed the outrage. It is stated that he had been noticed by several persons during the previous part of the evening loitering about the neighbourhood. The purse contained diamonds and precious stones worth several thousand pounds.

EPITOME OF NEWS. BRITISH AND FOREIGN. In a case which carre before the magistrate at Clerkenwell Police-court on Wednesday, he said he wished the law would allow him to commit people to prison who carried loaded revolvers; it was monstrous they should be allowed to do so. The prisoner, who was charged with being drunk and incapable, was found with a formidable dagger in a sheath, and a small revolver loaded in every chamber. The de^th of M. Charles Rogier is announced. He was one of the members of the Provisional Government of Belgium in 1830, and who long played a distin- guished part in Belgian politics. The Marquis of Hartington dined with the Lord- Lieutenant of Ireland at the Viceregal Lodge on Wed- nesday. Speaking at Plymouth, on Wednesday, Mr. Edward Clarke, M.P., remarked that the House of Commons shifted and changed its character with the opinions of the people, but the constitutional and national feature of it remained and should be cherished. There were some who undervalued and endeavoured to undermine its reputation, but it was the duty ef Englishmen,with- out regard to parties, to remember it was the depository of our public rights. At the Royal Observatory, Greenwich, the mean reading of the barometer last week was 29'472in. The mean temperature was 48'4 deg., and 6-3 deg. below the average in the corresponding weeks of the 20 years ending 1868. The mean was considerably below the average throughout the week. The duration of registered bright sunshine in the week was 28 9 hours, against 28.6 hours at Glynde Place, Lewes. In London last week 2391 births and 1554 deaths were registered. The annual death-rate per 1000 from all causes was 19*9. The deaths included 28 from small-pox, 93 from measles, 12 from scarlet fever, 10 from diphtheria, 68 from whooping cough, 13 from enteric fever. The fatal cases of smallpox showed a decline. A copy of the Convention between her Majesty and the King of the Belgians, acting as Founder of, and in the name of the International Association of the Congo, has been presented to Parliament. The new approaches to Southend Pier have just been opened to public use. The building, which is yet in an incomplete state, has occupied several months in erec tion, and is the property of the Local Board. Several shops and stores have been erected on the side facing the sea, and nearly all have been. let. The contract price was between £ 4000 and £ 50C0, but there has been a large amount of extras. Edward Burnside, pot hawker, of West Melton, was charged at Barnsley, on Wednesday, with furious driving between'Ardsley and Wombwell, on the 23rd inst. Whilst driving defendant came into collisic.n with a dray, which was overturned, and John Emmer- son Allan, aged 60, of Nottinghamshire, was so seriously injured that he died. Peter Allan, aged eleven years, son of a farmer, was running about while herding cattle on the Braes of Dunheath, Caithness, when he lost his balance, and fell over a cliff 300 feet high into the sea. The dead body was found at ebb tide in a pool at the foot of the precipice. One arm was broken, but the body was not otherwise mangled. The fund raised in Essex for the widow and children of the late Inspector Simmons, who was shot by burglars near Romford in January, amounts to jE1285, more than half having been collected by the committee appointed for the Liberty of Havering. Three trustees have been appointed, with instructions to invest the money for the benefit of the widow and children. A young woman, named Isabella Hewson, murdered her child, four years of age, on Wednesday afternoon at Hull by hanging it to the ceiling. It is supposed that a quarrel with her father, and the fear of being turned out of home, was the cause of the act. The ancient church of St. Oswald, at Filey, which marks the boundary between the East and North Ridings of Yorkshire, is to be restored at a cost of jE3600, most of which has already been subscribed. Jn the Scotch^Church Assembly on Wednesday a dis- cussion took place on the threatened agitation for the Disestablishment of the Church of Scotland, and the opinion was expressed that many Liberals would support the Conservatives at the coming election rather than vote for a candidate pledged to Disestablish- ment. The members of the Royal Commission on the Housing of the Poor concluded their sittings in Dublin on Wednesday, and afterwards attended a meeting of the Dublin Ladies' Sanitary Association. Sir C. Dilke said that the condition of the dwellings of the poor in Dublin, though in some cases bad, was not so deplor- able as in other Irish cities and towns, or in London. He commended the work of the Association, and said he believed that there was more difficulty in getting workers than in raising funds. Sir R. Cross, who also addressed the meeting, expressed the hope that the example set by Dublin would stimulate other Irish towns, especially Cork, to endeavour to improve the homes of the poor. Sir Stafford Northcote, addressing an open air meet- ing at Braunton on Wednesday night, reminded his audience of the approach of the general election con- sequent on the recent extension of the franchise, and, having stated that he should again offer himself as a candidate for North Devon, admonished his hearers to consider well how they would use the new privilege. He denied that he had ever opposed the addition now made to the constituencies, and stated that the first great extension of the suffrage since the Reform Bill of 1832 was the Household Franchise introduced by Mr. Disraeli. He gave the history of the recent bill, deprecating the attempt of the Government to post- pone redistribution. He denied the Liberal party a monopoly of Liberalism, and accused them of wanting to get rid of what the Conservatives desired to improve. He dealt also with the foreign policy of the Govern- ment, which he condemned as involving the country in bloodshed and expenditure, which were abortive in result and led to the disgrace of England in the eyes of the rest of the world, a policy which, he contended, offered a strong contrast to that of the Conservatives. In presence of a distinguished company, Lord Houghton unveiled, at Pembroke College, Cambridge, a bust of the poet Gray. Among the other speakers were Sir Fredeiick Leighton and the Hon. James Russell Lowell, the latter taking occasion on this the last public opportunity he should have of expressing his sincere gratitude for the kindness he had met with in England. He had arrived a distant cousin, and was being sent away something like a brother. Professor Vambury says the Prince of Wales has promised to visit the Pesth Exhibition. The Austrian Government is preparing a bill giving legal status to the members of the Anglican Church in Austria. A conference of local authorities at Aberdeen has resolved to make the town a port for the importation of foreign cattle. Mr. E. N. F. Feowick, of the North-Eastern Circuit, has been appointed to the newly-created stipendiary magistrateship at Bradford. The guarantee fund of the proposed Navigation, Travelling, and Commercial Exhibition, to be held at Liverpool next year, amounts to £ 25,000. The motion recently made at the Reform Club or the abolition of the Political Committee has been jected by a majority of two to one. The British and Foreign Uuitarian Association has petitioned the House of Commons for the withdrawal from the Church Service of the Athanasian Creed. No increase has been made in the number of Re- vising Barristers, but it is not expected that this will lead to any delay in the preparations for a general election. The Department of State have issued a Circular giving instructions to the representatives of the United States abroad as to the rights and duties of American citizens in foreign countries. The Sanitary Congress in Rome began the discussion of the subject of maritime quarantine. England strongly opposes a proposal by France that such quarantine should commence at the Red Sea end of the Suez Canal. A coroner's jury has found that the sudden death of Evelyn Douglas Jerrold, grandson of the famous author and wit, was due to natural causes, deceased having been in extremely delicate health for the last fifteen years. The death is announced of Mr. Peter William Barlow, F.R.S., M.I.C.E., who designed and con- structed the two latest road crossings of the river Thames in themetropoli —namely, the Lambeth-bridge and the Tower Subway. Dr. Collingridge, the Medical Officer of Health for the Port of London, has issued a series of regulations for the removal to hospital of persons brought within the port by any ship or boat having a dangerous in- fectious disorder. It is announced from Panama that during the late rebel attack upon Cartagena the Colombian insurgents lost 260 killed and wounded, and the Government troops nine killed and fourteen wounded. Mr. John Mitchell, who for the last 70years has sung at St. George's Chapel, Windsor Castle, has been pre- sented by the lay clerks of the Chapel Royal with an illuminated address, upon the anniversary of his joining the choir, which he entered when about 6 years old. It is authoritatively announced that the Bishop of Salisbury will resign that position during the ensuing summer. Dr. Moberly, who is in his eighty-second year, has been in a feeble condition of health for some time. The members of the Royal Commission on the Housing of the Poor sat for the first time in Ireland at the City Hall, Dublin, on Saturday, under the presi- dencv of Sir Charles Dilke, M.P. Mr. James Deykin, an alderman, of Birmingham, was accidentally drowned in Aston Reservoir on Monday. Sentence of five years' penal servitude was passed on Tuesday at the Middlesex Sessions on each of thre prisoners convicted of theft. Je hn Daly, a youth, who stabbed a young woman in Torrington-square, London, on Saturday, was charged at Bow-street Police-court, on Monday, and com- mitted for trial. He pleaded that he was intoxicated at the time, and a surgeon, who examined him after his arrival at the prison, has certi- fied that he was suffering from the effects of drink. The nj ured girl was able to give evidence. Sentence of three months' imprisonment with hard labour was passed by the Marylebone magistrate on Martin Walsh, a labourer, for assaulting a policeman. A young man named McFayden. who, by way of a joke, burnt a gentleman's ear with a long clay pipe, was on Monday sent by the Wandsworth magistrate to prison for two months, with hard labour. The annual Whitsuntide meetings of Oddfellows, Shepherds, and other benefit societies were opened on Monday at Aberystwith, Aylesbury, Bristol, Birkenhead, Reading, and other towns. Her Majesty's ship Sultan left Spithead on Monday for Portland to join the large fleet assembling there for a cruise under the command of Admiral Sir G. Hornby, The fleet will be exercised in torpedo warfare, ramming and steam tactics. Two transports, the Richmond Hill and Kimberley have sailed from Portsmouth for the Cape with mili- tary stores. They also convoy the gunboats Tickler, Griper, and Gadfly. The official return just made to the Northern Iron Trade Arbitration Board shows a further decline of Is. per ton in rails, plates, bars, and angles in two months, the net average price per ton being 5s. 4d. below the depression of six years. The total output for the two months show a decline of nearly one-halt as compared with a year and a-half since. The Spanish Government have prohibited the con- tinuance by Dr. Ferran, in the province of Valencia, of his inoculation experiments with a view to reduce the virulence of the existing epidemic of cholera. The Government have received information that, several persons thus inoculated have been attacked with cholera. On Wednesday the annual meeting of the British and Foreign Unitarian Association a resolution was adopted, on the motion of Mr. James Hey wood, expressing ap- preciation on the part of [that body of the revised edition of the Bible. A hundred years ago a Frenchman named Blanchard and an American-born Englishman named Jefferies started from Dover in a balloon, and descended at Guines, near Calais. The centenary was celebrated on Monday at Guines, and was attended by two grand- sons of Dr. Jefferies. The chief incident was a balloon ascent; but within a quarter of an hour the balloon was hidden by clouls. It was then proceeding in a north-north-easterly direction. It descended during the evening at a seaside village near Gravelines. A sham fight took place on Monday in the neigh- bourhood of Weymouth. The operators were impeded by a dense mist, which concealed from the defending force the movements of the invaders. The latter got round the defenders and seized their battery, where- upon the victory was adjudged to the invaders. The volunteers in camp in the neighbourhood of London went through a number of drills on Monday, and some gun practice, notwithstanding the very un- favourable weather. At noon on Monday a shocking building accident occurred at the Rose Mill, in course of erection at Holinwood, near Oldham. A dozen men were fixing an iron shoulder for an iron beam, when it gave way. Several men fell five storeys. Martin Grady, labourer, was killed, another had both legs broken, and two others sustained fractures of the skull. On Monday a shocking accident happened at Wood- end Colliery, Leigh. As three men were descending the pit the cage caught against an obstruction, which threw them off their feet. The signal was given to ascend, and on reaching the surface it was found that one of them had fallen uut of the cage. The dead body was afterwards found at the bottom of the shaft shock- ingly mutilated. A sad tragedy is reported from Scotland. A com- mercial traveller named David Doig, from Glasgow, and a young woman engaged a room at Miller's Temperance Hotel, Ayr. On Friday, on the room being entered, the latter was found dead, and the former lying beside her wounded and insensible, both having apparently been shot. The y oung woman, it seems, is a Miss Dick, whose father would not allow her to receive Doig's attentions.' An expedition, under the direction of Captain R. T. Stevens, of Lloyd's, has left Liverpool for Grand Canary to try and recover for the underwriters, by diving operations, the sum of £ 100,000 sunk in the steamer Alphonso XII. while on a voyage to Cuba in February last. The vessel struck on a shoal near the island of Las Palmas, and in a few minutes afterwards fell over into deep water, and went down bodily. A sad occurrence took place at Lofthouse, near Wakefield, on Sunday night. A party of seven work- j ing men proceeded to a barn on a farm in the neigh- bourhood, and shortly after they had entered the build- ing flames were ooserved issuing therefrom. An alarm was immediately raised, and on the fire being subdued the remains of one of the men were found in a terribly charred condition. The deceased,who has been identifed as Arthur Wright, aged 34 years, leaves a widow and two children. His six companions were arrested. Shortly before eleven o'clock on Monday morning great consternation prevailed in Tachbrook-street, Pimlico, by a report beirg spread that a mad dog was at large there. It was then found that a youug black retriever dog, surrounded by a numerous crowd at the corner of Warwick-street, was struggling and foaming in a. 6t, and suffering from rabies, and snapping at all who came in its way. Fortunately no person was seriously bitten, and eventually the animal, after a deal of difficulty, was secured and despatched by a veterinary surgeon in Wilton-road, opposite Victoria Station, whither it was pursued by a large number of persons, many of whom had narrow escapes. Sir Charles Strickland, who recently reduced the rents of his agricultural tenants by 15 per cent. has written a letter to them in which he states That he would have reduced them more, but he is quite sure that rearing and feeding stock pays as well as, or better, than it has ever done. The tenant farmers' friends in Parliament have, he says, passed an Act, one chief object of which is to prevent landlords from helping their tenants, by draining, or making similar improve- ments, but as he considers the Act at least as hurtful to tenants as it is to landlords, he intends to frame an agreement which shall be as fair as he can make it to both, without reference to the Act. The rupture of the commercial negotiations between England and Spain is severely criticised by the Spanish press. Mr. Swainson, who was so severely injured by the explosion at the Admiralty is now convalescent. At Liverpool a man named Cunningham has stabbed his wife and her mother, inflicting serious injuries. The great mining strike in South Yorkshire, which for seven weeks has paralysed trade and created much suffering, has practically collapsed. Sir W. A. G. Young, governor of the Gold Coast, has died at Accra from fever. A despatch from Tangiers states that M. Feraud,the new French Minister in Morocco, has had a very satis- factory interview with the Sultan, who showed every disposition to come to an arrangement with France upon all pendiog questions. At a quarter before two o'clock on Tuesday morning the General Assembly of the Established Church of Scotland gave its decision in the Kilmaurs case. By 98 to 79 it was resolved that the appeal be dismissed and the judgment of the Synod confirmed. Mr. Inglis was, therefore acquitted. Tuesday was the ISth anniversary of the birth of Princess Victoria Mary Augusta Louise Olga Pauline Claudine Agnes, only daughter of the I) ;ke and Duchess of Teck (nfe Princess Mary of Cambridge), the youthful princess having been born at Kensington Palace on May 26,1867. It is stated that, failing to get a private tenant, Lord Castletown has offered his beautiful mansion, Grants- town Manor, in the Queen's c t., with fine garden and 16 acres of demesne land attached, at a merely nominal rent to keep the roof on it, for the purposes of an hos- pital or convalescent home. His Royal Highness Prince Albert Victor left Sandringham on Monday and proceeded to Cambridge, for the purpose of resuming residence at Trinity College. His Roval Highness Prince George also left I Sandringham and proceeded to Portsmouth, via London, to resume his duties on board her Majesty's ship Excellent. j Fifty-seven delegates of the Paris Trades Unions and Workmen's Corporations started for the Antwerp Ex- hibition on Saturday evening, the Municipal Council having supplied 30,000f. to defray the cost of the delegation. Close upon 200 trade societies formed a committee for a selection of the delegates. The election was perfectly free. The annual meeting of the Yorkshire Association of Baptist Churches was opeued at Hebden Bridge under saddening circumstances. The president-elect was Alderman William Watson, of Bradford, a well-known member of the denomination. On Monday evening Mr. Watson had attended a committee meeting, and, on leaving the room, ff-11 down and expired. He was in his seventieth year. After hearing further evidence in the case in which an elderly lady named Gibbons alleged that she had been assaulted by Miss Jennings, an artist's model, the Marlbo:ough-street police magistrate on Tuesday dis- missed the summons, remarking that the complainant had no right to go into the defendant's house. An inquest was held at Sheffield, on Tuesday, on the body of a farm labourer, named Martin, whose death occurred under remarkable circumstances. He was in charge of an agricultural roller, weighing about a ton, and was taking it from Sheffield to his master's farm. On the way he slipped from his seat, and fell in front of the roller. The latter did not pass over him, but pushed him till the horses were stopped, a distance of 20 yards. He died shortly afterwards. At a meeting of Presbyterians on Tuesday night n Dublin, resolutions were adopted in favour of the use of instrumental music in public worship, and declaring that any attempt to exercise discipline against those churches that might adept it would be fraught with disaster to the Church. Some of the speakers spoke strongly on the subject, and one of them said that if I the assembly attempted to exercife discipline in this matter they would dance on the assembly. A sad accident happened on Tuesday morning to workmen at a timber yard ht Manchester. The men were winding up a block of timber by a crane when one of them, named James Hughes, let go his hold of the handle, which struck him violently and knocked him to the ground. Death was instantaneous. His com- panion was also knocked off the beam on which he was standing, and sustained very severe injuries. Titus Hipkiss, ironworker, lately of Manchester, has been sentenced to six months' imprisonment for com- mitting a murderous outrage on a girl named Harriet Green. On Monday evening the prosecutrix was sent on an errand, and when walking through a field the prisoner overtook her, stabbed her, causing her to be badly wounded, and afterwards attempted to strangle her. The girl was found bleeding with a portion of her clothes destroyed. The prisoner denied all knowledge of the outrage. At Woodend Colliery, Leigh, as three men were descending the pit, the cage caught against an obstruc- tion, which threw them off their feet. The signal was given to ascend, and on reaching the surface it was found that one of them had fallen out of the cage. The dead body was afterwards found at the bottom of the shaft shockingly mutilated. At Chilham, a child named Harlow, scarcely 18 months' old, took some lucifer matches from a chair and played with them. The mother, who is deaf, was engaged in work downstairs, and when she went to look at the child, about an hour after it had been put to bed, she was horrified to find the little one had been burned to death in its bassinette. Principal Douglas, of Glasgow (one of the Company of Revisers), has been presented to the Free Church Assembly sitting in Edinburgh a copy of the Revised Bible. He said the revisers had had tempting offers to sell the copyright, but they preferred to give that right to the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge, trusting that the Bible would be issued as cheaply as possible. The stage which left Madera, California, last week for Yosemite Valley with tourists, was attacked and robbed by highwaymen, who took all the travellers' money, jewellery, and valuables, and also the express treasure box. Much excitement was caused through- out that region, and four sheriffs, with posses, pursued the robbers. At Leicester, on Tuesday, Mary Dale was charged with abetting her husband. John Dale, late proprietor of the Harlborough Hotel, Melton, in not disclosing the whole of the estate in bankruptcy. Dale is under re- mand, and it is alleged that his wife, described as of Edgware-road, London, obtained from the bank, and from Major Stirling, over X,200, forming a large pro- portion of the estate available for the creditors, before leaving Melton, neglecting the order of the county court judge to give it up. She was remanded. The lambing season in Yorkshire is now over, and farmers report that the resalts are very satisfactory. The ewes were in capital condition all the winter, having kept strong and healthy, and the lambs, not- withstanding the long spell of cold and cheerless weather, have thriven well. Comparatively few deaths were caused by exposure or disease. The demand for lambs for the butcher has been very great, and whilst mutton has fallen in value greatly below the prices current for several years, lambs have been exceptionally high. At an early hour on Monday morning a goods train was proceeding along the Midland Railway, between Birmingham and Worcester, when one of the trucks went off the metals in consequence of the breakage of a drawbar, pulling several other waggons after it, and temporarily blocamg both the up and down lines. A breakdown gang was despatched from Birmingham without delay, but several hours elapsed before the obstruction was cleared, and the heavily-laden excur- sion for Bournemouth, which left Birmingham at a quarter after midnight, was detained for nearly four hours. Mail advices received from Panama, dated the 17th inst., state that the Colombian rebels who attacked Cartagena on the 7th inst., but were repulsed, lost 260 killed and wounded, and 257 prisoners, iucluding 73 officers and leaders. The loss of the Government troops was nine killed and 14 wounded. Mr. Stokes, the English Consul at Panama, is making searching in- vestigations regarding the fatal riot among the Jamaicans at Culebra on the 3rd inst. The despatch adds that over thirty of the rioters were killed, and that some of the wounded were not expected to recover. With a few exceptions, the London police-court charge-sheets on Tuesday contained a longer list of Whit-Monday offences than usual, but none of them were of a very serious character. At Romsey, a labouring man named William Anette, was charged with killing George Lomax. On Thursday a number of men, over whom deceased was foreman, were at work in a coppice, barking. A thirty-six gallon cask of beer was brought, and some quarrelling ensued, some of the party, the deceased included, being the worse for drink. Anette struck Lomax with his fist behind the ear, and the latter fell and died in- stantly, the cause of death being the rupture of a blood vessel on the brain. The prisoner was committed for trial. An Industrial Exhibition of Works of Members of the Branches of the Protestant Church of Ireland Tem- perance Society throughout Ireland was opened ;n the Rotunda, Dublin, on Tuesday, by the Provost of Trinity College. This is the third exhibition of the kind that has been promoted by the society, the object being to bring forward the works of members, and in general to promote Irish industries. At the first of the society's exhibitions there were 400 exhibitors, at the second 520, and on this occasion the number is 665. The exhibits comprise carvings, models, turned articles, paintings in oil and water-colour, paintings on china and terra cotta, embroidery work, and baking and cooking. Special prizes in the last-mentioned depart- ment have been given by the Rev. Canon Bagot. The members of the society are in all ranks of life, but the articles exhibited are amateur work, and all have been executed since the society's exhibition of last year. The specimens of both embroidery and plain work were extremely varied and excellent.