The Aberystwith Observer

,u Ol^lALTAMaAMiSr '(!i'"li. Jr J THE SEATS BILL. n the HOTJSS OF LORDS, June 8th, on the motion to tta 1°.Committee on the Redistribution of Seats Bill, claim of the Royal University of Ireland to separate presentation was urged by several peers, but the Earl &afc !?kcrley declined to accede to the request, alleging /here was a strong and growing feeling against the representation of universities. A Marquis of Salisbury also pointed out that the Wsuggested would necessitate a series of impor- j iterations in the bill. Ue ,e House having gone into Committee, an amend- KWas ad°pted at the in stance of the Marquis of |e Ury,with the assent of the Government, reversing ( C*86 ^a^eri b>' the Commons with, regard to the (jje of Westminster. A provision, indentical with I the Marquis of .Salisbury had placed upon p f fer>empowering the Queen in Council, uponpeti- lie n inhabitants of a county division, to alter ^foh16 division, was moved by the Earl of er%, but, being objected to by the Duke of Rich- ^hdraD^ ^or(ion an<i Viscount Cranbrook, was kt5?t0P°sal by the Marquis of Lothian to take Jed- Li°Qt: ^e county of Roxburgh and group it with (5 tOU§hs was carried against the Government by Several divisions were taken with regard to i^nclature of new constituencies, and eventually '6tePo te? passe(* trough committee and ordered to In a, ZULULAND. nsWer to the Earl of Jersey, the Earl of Derby ^Ulul Proclamation had been issued by the Boers in protesting against the action of Lieutenant ln ta^mg possession of St. Lucia Bay, and |ing the rights of the new Republic over the bay lUdiat entire country. Sir Henry Bulwer had re- the Boer pretensions without loss of time, and had been approved by her Majesty's Govern- ^b'p c^a™8 Germany with regard to the bay ^Ht6? disposed of by diplomatic action, and were \i l to De revive< 1 lordships rose at a quarter to nine o'clock. IN J. NEW MEMBERS. HOUSB OF COMMONS, Mr. Sinclair and Sir « nu took the oath and their seats for county 3 and Denbighshire respectively. HJT PRINCESS BEATRICE'S MARRIAGE PORTION. >or>cbere gave notice that he should oppose the '•ice ^0r a ffiarriaSe Por^on to the Princess IN SIR PETER LUMSDEN'S "OPINIONS." jSt-py to Mr Arr,olc3' Mr-J- K- 0ross saM the Jl°n of the Prime Minister and the Secretary of or India had been directed to statements reported f&Pej Co been made by Sir Peter Lumsden to a news- j^J^espondent at Vienna. Sir Peter Lumsden's ^Ml0a n°t been annulled. He had always Stinw^sserted, regardless of all party questions, the did evacuation of Caadahar was an error. %rail tot consider himself responsible for alleged incorrectly reported by newspaper corre- u' an<^ he disavowed any intention of making c* upon the Government which he served. RAK THE SOUDAN "SURPRISE." lo i of Hartington informed Sir G. Campbell I^SonJ. ^rolseley, who had been instructed to make <!om_ inquiries into the conduct of operations in the ,"J Generals Graham and M'Neill, strongly jjuei any further inquiry. Up to the present f'eliur ^olseley had not reported further, and the Commanding in-Chief held the opinion, ij. noble marquis expressed his concurrence, :tl1t¡¡ bWfoUld be advisable to await Lord Wolseley's 0re coming to any final decision. J>0 THE GOVERNMENT ON THE BUDGET PRO- IHE GREAT EXCITEMENT IN THE HOUSE. Nt6 ?ct'l°r °f the Exchequer, in moving the D.S of the Budget Bill, made some brief re- 8h*8- to rfefe:rence to the suggested repayment v/ho had paid the 2s. increased duty on This he maintained, was contrary to prece- ^°U8e increased duty had been sanctioned by the 'n all probability it had been paid by the e, eri,iately. He went also at length into « a§lard increased duty cn spirits, showing that C<icl the revenue was 5J times larger than in j'it jj' 4^ times larger than in Ireland. .^icks-Beach moved an amendment con- ges ,[*e Proposed increase of the beer and spirit Wjje absence of any corresponding increase of a ^ODp'f declining to increase the duty on iT^ion while the resolutions in regard to local P?ssed in 1883 and 1884 remain unfulfilled, j the first branch of the amendment, he di8 s°Oie article of more general consumption, to\¡jd looted altogether from the suggestion that wine substituted for beer as a popular beverage. If 5s fatt the wine duties were to be proposed t liHe j0^ a bargain, he complained that the Go- fe? ^oth ta!vfn altogether the wrong course, <»,, '-pain and France knew they had nothing coarse to compel Spain to Nkea^Se,r?lai facilities would have been also+n?> J antaSeous to her wines. He Sud brannh nF +1, Bger °f adulteration. As to the w^sal +-,• tlle ^solution, be argued that the S aconn iD?,reaKe succession duties did not take tW t"e capacity of real property to bear them, k at a1! taxation of real property was to be dealt j0". »l. should be by way of a complete equilisa- !)« for 1-me 0 ?Sricultural depression was not oppor- burdens on land, and as the t'8 Jear were estimated to produce so small a sum -L v Postn' e urged the Chancellor of the Exchequer Wetlsiv matter until he could deal com- with the duties on real and personal pro- Qlr 0 e in a sarcastic vein on the JJW] shown by Sir M. Hicks-Beach for an in- c ih^ on tea5 remarking that, however un- Aet J. present Budget might be, the Opposition ittNd°SLbe more disliked. As to an increase in adverse to Spain, he pointed out that '^erfete with a growing colonial trade, and J>a/erise<3 as claptrap the argument founded on 8ifl ^c]1SOri the beer duties with the duty on wine 3*? dn|;va? a beverage of the rich. As to the succes- tersQ ,Was an a°t of justice as between landed dproperty, and there was no reason why it elayed. The Government, be said in con- yarded the Budget as a whole as a matter of "waters ';iE<^ the amendment were carried its t to c„r '"ould hfive to form a Government of their L^ttl (j out their own financial policy. h 0 Vj f^torj, referring to a preference expressed f°r Radical teetotallers" as against 6 P°liticians," twisted him with haviDg Jifr.Polif1'101'6 pothouse meetings than any other C^als ■a member, and commented at length on the 111 Budget to suspend the repayment of tl> O's i V in an animated speech, maintained tj}e Imposed increase of the spirit duty would It1*86 of C* re^ev'1:g taxation in England at the i& •O'TJ xPayersin Scotland and Ireland. QV-the ,.e!rie, Mr. C. S. Read, and Mr. Coope joined tl8cUf.s'on> all(1' Dr. Cameron, who strongly '^Xaf0 an increase in the duty on whisky, contended °t ti°Q s^ou^ equally upon the different sec- C0lnmunity, which, as regards the duty on ev*be attained by imposing a duty of 4d. or gallon of proof spirit in either beer, wine, contended that there was a decided un- fii amendment, which, he maintained, was in LSe of iDg tbe working-man argument for the ad- k;*t. f)rf1, 0 wealthier classes. 'HW n" dwelt on the injustice to the agricul- est which would bo caused by ibe increase In vNafv c'^ties, and on its demoralising effect in Vr; "Whif ifdulteration • ri -a^ criticised the proposed increase of duties, especially if they were to be per- il 4 H\\n ^'Connor referred to the returns illustrating in various British industries and the in- tk M s(riK°re%n trade, contending that the Budget 'h. reia blow at home industry while benefiting 0h^Pro<3ucer- 0^Hrjj, ,r'cell°r of the Exchequer declared that the w\]f' °aronet opposite had set up the proposition party to which he belonged that tea V!^ of'rf article on which duty should be increased 0f ^uty on spirits. The Government were dis 8Writs°^n'on that duties on liquor, such as beer °r a'Were preferable to increased duties on tea, of the articles of necessary consumption. It ? °f r]e that it was better to adopt his gradual (lMp a with the death duties than to postpone >0 lHg j, When the more drastic plan of at once ''idh tava\pr°Perty on the same footing as personalty W? en adopted. In having recourse to taxa- 1illor ^or Patti;d payment of expenditure warlike preparations, the Government W^tripti sound principle of making articles of K 'o share with property the burdens which eCe<Jeilt0riD<! upon an emergency, and had followed SirSa. set uP°q a previous occasioD, when brandy ote expressed the hope that tke decision V t wou-d be taken on purely fiscal grounds. •? of the I ixehequer had given as a reason Vi* hai?1?8 anc^ beer that the revenue from those c'al decreased. But he thought it was a E°t to tax a falling revenue, because SolH T ? ^urther revenue was not likely to be ?0t ?stQ, th^ n a<^ apologising for such a financial If if Chancellor of the Exchequer took credit ^8 f °Wever; the reason given by the right hon. gOo(j Pitting a further tax on beer ami spirits If iine' would apply equally to wine. (Hear, V J t'fitici i matter were to be dealt with on purely rther t ^eer an £ i spirits would not be selected axation. His right hon. friend gave tea as an illustration of articles to which resort might have been had, and did not make the proposition which the President of the Local Government Board seized upon so fiercely and flung at him. (Opposition cheers and counter cheers.) That was altogether a mis- representation. If the object were to punish those who were thought to support war and what was called Jingoism, there was a fallacy in the proceed- ing. Who was it who had the power to bring about all the evil things which were referred to as Jingo- ism ?" Why, the Government of the day. And who supported them ? The hypothesis was that it was those who were to be punished by this legislation; whereas, it was the Government who had brought about this state of things, and they were supported by what the President of the Board of Trade called Radical tee- totalers." (Opposition cheers and laughter.) This was a year when they had a right to expect a very carefully arranged Budget. The conditions of trade and agriculture, and of the country generally, made it necessary to have a careful diagnosis of the causes of those conditions. He believed that, taking house tax and land tax into account, houses and lands bore their share of burdens equally with personal property, with- out going into matters of local charges at all. (Oppo- sition cheers.) The Government were not fortunate in their commercial treaties—he did not indeed know that they were fortnnate in any of their undertakings. (Hear, hear.) The financial failures of the Govern- ment had arisen from their fidgeting, and not dealing with questions on broad principles, so that there was an uncertainty as to what the Government intended, and as to what they would do. In the present case nothing could be more unsatisfactory and injurious than their action. If the beer and spirit taxes were to be educa- tional, to educate the people to temperance, why did the Government forget their morality as soon as they had a few millions to spare ? (Opposition cheers.) The real point of the Government was to get over a difficulty-to carry over the beer duty to the next Parliament, just as it had been suggested to carry the Crimes Act over and let the next Parliament deal with it. (Opposition cheers and laughter.) He did not think that would redound to the credit of the Government. His own view was that they ought to raise the money they required in the form that would be least for the disadvantage of the country as a whole, and that as far as possible they should keep their taxation steady, though, of course, he admitted that it was not possible to do so absolutely. With respect to the two modes of paying off debt, the Prime Minister was contemptuous of his (Sir S. Northcote's) plan, and said that the real way was to establish terminable annuities. (Mr. Gladstone: I never said so.) Well, he had a recollec- tion of having something like a fight across the table over it, and of the right hon. gentleman treating his proposal with some amount of contempt. But the course taken by the Government destroyed entirely the effect of their terminable annuities. He hoped the House would accept the amendment of his right hon. friend, and he was sure that there would be no difficulty in readjusting the Budget to meet the contention which he had raised. (Hear, hear.) Mr. Gladstone, who was loudly cheered on rising, said there was but a moderate connection between the speech they had listened to and the motion on which the judgment of the House was invited. (Ministerial cheers.) The motion of his right hon. friend only appeared in the speech by fits and starts. The speech of his right hon. friend (Sir Stafford Northcote) con- sisted of a criticism of the Government, and a highly laudatory review of the finance he himself conducted (Ministerial cheers) — an exposition of general principles which some might call truisms and others platitudes — (laughter) — with only an occasional reference to the subject before the House. The right hon. gentleman said he found nothing in the finance of the Government but a series ot the most miserable failures—(Opposition cheers)- and he thought the present year was eminently favourable to a general review and exposition of all matters connected with the financial state and prospects of the country, with a view to preparing the way for the new Parliament. The right hon. gentlemen said there had been nothing but a series of failures on the part of the present Government in regard to finance. He drew a comparison between those who came into office in the year 1874 and the present Government. Then the right hon. gentleman (Sir g, Northcote), with a surplus of f 6,000,000 presented six Budgets to the House, and out of those four were deficient. (Ministerial cheers.) What had been the case of the present Government ? For four years, although they had had to meet great emergencies, they had presented a surplus of revenue over expenditure. (Cheers.) The right hon. gentleman who moved the amendment made a most candid speech. He found fault with him (Mr. Gladstone) for describing his amendment as a vote of censure. It was not a vote of censure-it was simply a Government question of life and death. (Laughter.) That it was an error, he admitted, but it was more in form than in substance. (Hear.) While he agreed with the right hon. gentleman opposite (Sir S. Northcote) that it was a very bad thing to have unsteady and fluctuating taxation, he was very glad his right hon. friend proposed to make the beer duty terminable next year, because it could not fail to have the effect of inducing the new Parlia- ment to consider seriously what he hoped it would be inclined to consider on many other grounds—namely, the general scale of the expenditure of the country. A certain amount of charge had been sanctioned by the House, and that amount of charge presented a sum of £13,000,000 to be provided for. The first question was as to whether that sum ought to be provided by taxa- tion, by borrowing money, or by arresting payment of payment, or in what proportion those different methods ought to be applied to meet the exigencies of the case. Well, had the Government submitted to the House an extreme or an unreasonable place in that respect ? When his right hon. friend first produced his Budget he pro- posed to take one moiety by taxation and to make no provision for the others, but to allow it to be taken out of the sums which were applied to the reduction of debt. He did Rot think that that was an unfair proposal. It certainly was net an extra- vagant amount to be asRed in the shape of taxa- tion—at least, if the House did consider it an extrava- gant amount, it was very desirable that that should be plainly and unequivocally examined. The next ques- tion was the apportionment of taxation between direct and indirect taxation. The right hon. gentleman oppo- site had been good enough to say he recognised that the entire burden should not be laid on property, and that a portion should be raised from articles of con sumption. The Chancellor of the Exchequer, then, had been so far fortunate in attracting the approval of the right hon. gentleman. But he (Mr. Gladstone) could not compliment the Opposition upon the pruder ce of the course they were now pursuing. The motion would be a severe blow to Chancellors of the Exchequer who should attempt to act upon the prin- ciple that part of this increased taxation should be levied indirectly. (Hear, hear.) The Chancellor of the Exchequer, in proposing a budget which affirmed the principle that taxation ought to be divided between direct and indirect taxation, was met by the party opposite not with a motion re- fusing some of the proposed taxes, but by the most obstructive of all methods of proceeding -by an adverse motion to the second reading of the Customs Bill. He believed that when the time came for an Administration to be formed out of the ranks of the party opposite they would repent of the step they were taking to-night, and as v-ell as of many other steps they had taken. (Cheers.) Sir M. Hicks Beach offered a counter budget to-night, but the leader of the Opposition did not seem altogether to support it, for he described the proposal for a tax upon tea as a mere illustration. (Laughter.) One illustration was as good as another. (Laughter and cheers.) What was the cause of all this tremendous opposition to the budget of his right hon. friend, and what was the reason the Opposition did not raise their point in committee ? He believed the secret of this adverse motion to the second reading was not to omit the beer and spirit taxes, was not through any compassion for the beer-drinker— (laughter) -the reason was to be found in the death duties. (Loud Ministerial cheers.) The Chan- cellor of the Exchequer had invaded the sanctuary of landed property. (Cheers.) Although the reference to the death duties modestly retired to a second place in the motion of the right hon. baronet (Sir M. Hicks-Beach), it constituted the ground and basis of the whole of the opposition The proposal of the Chancellor of the Exchequer was a mild one. It was not the fact that the whole of the revenue on this head would be drawn from realty; a considerable por- tion would be drawn from personalty. But the duty undoubtedly tended to the removal of a distinct anomaly as regarded the incidence of the death duties upon real property. Besides that, five years was allowed for the payment of the succession duties, and supposing another death occurred in the five years, then the duty fell back, and a new life commenced to run. It was therefore a total mistake to suppose that the very modified proposal ot his hon. friend came anywhere near the point of equalising the death duties between real and personal property. With respect to the non-taxation of wine, he did not deny that upon the surface of the case that was a very tempting object of criticism. The real question was whether it would have been prudent to tax wine. Hon. members said this was an attempt to favour the foreigner. (Hear, hear.) There was no article in our tariff which had done so much to promote the interests, not of the foreigner but of trade and industry at home, as the article of wine. The reduction of the wine duties in 1860 had not only had the effect of enormously cheapening wine at home and putting an end to all the worst kinds of adulteration, but it had had the effect of securing an opening for British industry to the extent of millions of pounds per annum. It was a delicate machinery upon which these results depended, and it was a serious matter to touch. He did not say it never ought to be touched, but the question was whether it would be wise to do so now, especially considering the small amount, say JE300,000 or B300,000, which it would bring in. The tax upon wine was already heavier than upon beer. Then the House was asked to refuse a tax of Is. a gallon on spirits, and Is. a barrel on beer of little more than one year. He did not think it had been well considered how very strong, he might say how very mild, certainly how very unusual, such a request was. A great necessity had cc.me upon the country, and, apart from the question of who was responsible, they had had a great danger impend- ing over the country. Although they now hoped that the danger might pass away they were not at that moment in a position to say it had passed away-and it would be premature to do so. The preparations to meet that necessity had been sanctioned, the charge had received the unani- mous support ot the House, and now the House was asked to provide a moiety of it by taxation and the regular Opposition, the loyal Opposition, the national Opposition, the patriotic Opposition—(loud Ministerial cheers)-and the Constitutional Opposition-(renewed cheers)—refused the Government the money. (Loud Ministerial cheers.) This was an unprecedented pro- ceeding, as the Opposition on both sides usually shrank from and abhorred the idea of withholding money for military preparations wirch had been recognised as required for the honour of the country. (Cheers.) The right hon. gentleman the leader of the Opposition not only refused the money, but suggested no other means of raising it. The leader of the Opposition now proposed to deny to the Government the means ^o meet the charge, and proposes no substitute for those means, but said that the Budget might easily be readjusted. Was that a course worthy of the position held by that right hon. gentleman—(cheers)—who claimed still to perform the functions whi2h in other times were per- formed by Sir Robert Peel and by the late Lord Derby? (Cheers.) He wished to appeal to the people of the country and to have judgment passed. (Opposition cheers.) All the ancient and approved modes of Parliament were to be abandoned, and that by a party sometimes calling itself Conservative and sometimes a Tory democracy. (Laughter and cheers.) He meant the right hon. gentleman who had just sat down, for the mover of the amendment was per- fectly intelligible; he said, You should cast your net wider and cover a broader surface," and he showed his meaning when he said, You should lay a tax upon tea." He said that the tax upon tea was moderate. The tax now of 20 per cent. upon beer was not moderate, and the tax upon tea was not less, he believed it was more than 48 per cent. at that moment. (Hear, hear.) To obtain the requisite sum from tea you must put on an additional tax of not less than 3d., thus raising the tax to 75 per cent.—(cheers)—because they would not add 3 per cent. upon the back of a 20 per cent. tax on beer. (Cheers.) Mr. O'Sullivan: 400 per cent. upon whisky. Mr. Gladstone: He spoke of beer. (Laughter.) Mr. O'Sullivan: I spoke of whisky. Mr. Gladstone His speaking was orderly, and the hon. gentleman's was not. (Laughter.) As long as he could recollect it had been uniformly held that it was desirable to lay upon spirits as much tax as it would bear. In conclusion, he would say that a fundamental objection lay to a tax upon tea. The right hon. gentleman said that it would be easy to readjust the Budget but why did he not tell them how ? (Cheers.) Were they going to tax the raw materials of industry, or were they going to reimpose Drotective duties ? (Cheers). If not, what was open to them ? Was it to be alcoholic liquors, or tea or sugar ? And that was the issue upon which they were attacked upon a question of life and death. As such the Government accepted io; and he I did not envy those who, if they gained the victory, would have to bear the consequences. (Loud cheering). The House divided- I For Sir M. Hicks-Beach's amendment 264 L Against 252 1 Majority against the Government —12 The result was received with loud and long continued Opposition cheers. Lord R. Churchill and several other Conservative members stood on the benches and waved their hats. Amid the cheering, which lasted for two or three minutes, some cries of Buckshot and Coer- cion were heard from the Irish members. After the excitement had subsided, Mr. Gladstone, who was received with loud Minis- terial cheers, said In going through the remainder of the orders of the day the proceedings in most of them will be merely nominal. No real business would be taken to-night, though I will not absolutely pledge my- self with respect to every (iescription of business with- out taking an opportunity of looking over the list, but I think as nothing would be gained by that, the best thing would be for me to move the adjournment of the House, (Cheers.) The motion was at once agreed to, and the House adjourned at ten minutes to two. THE MINISTERIAL CRISIS. In the HOUSE OF LORDS, June 9, after some formal business had been disposed of, Earl Granville adverted to what had occurred in the other ITouse on the pre- vious night, and moved the adjournment of the House until Friday. This was at once agreed to, and their lordships rose at twenty-five minntes to five o'clock. In the HOUSE OF COMMONS there was a crowded attendance, and the Prime Minister, on entering at twenty-five minutes past four o'clock, was loudly cheered from the Liberal benches. Sir M. H. Beach, on his arrival two minutes later, received an equally warm reception from the Opposition. At half-past four Mr. Gladstone rose, amid renewed cheering, and intimated that in consequence of the division on the previous night the Cabinet hadj thought it their duty through him to make a communication to her Majesty. He was not then in a position to state the nature of that communication, but it was obvious that some few days must elapse before the result of it could be arrived at so as to be made known to the House. In these circumstances, and following the course dictated alike by considerations of convenience and by invari- able custom, he moved the adjournment of the House until Friday. Sir S. Northcote acquiesced in the motion as being both convenient and usual, but wished to know whether there would be any business which it was specially im- portant to transact in connection with the Redistribu- tion Bill. Mr. Gladstone replied that if the House of Lords should carry forward the Redistribution Bill so as to cause it to reach that House by the time it re-assembled, it would be the duty of the Government to advise the House as to the propriety of proceeding to deal with any amendments made in the House of Lords; but his information was not to the effect that it was likely the Upper House would proceed with that Bill in the interval. The motion was then agreed to, and leave having been given to committees to sit, notwithstanding the adjournment of the House, Mr. Gladstone then moved that the House should adjourn. This being also agreed to without discussion, the House adjourned at twenty minutes to five o'clock until Friday.

EVACUATION OF THE SOUDAN. A Reuter's telegram from Dongola, June 10th, states that over 11,000 refugees, among them seven Egyptian soldiers, have arrived here from Khartoum and Berber. They confirm the accounts already received of events in the Soudan. The Mahdi is allowing his Egyptian prisoners to depart. Sennaar still holds out and is well supplied. A despatch from Souakim, received through the same agency, dated Wednesday last, says: The transports Italy and Persian Monarch sailed to-day for Bombay with two squadrons of the Bengal Lancers. Her Majesty's gunboat Bittern relieves the Sphinx, which is about to sail for Bombay. The rebels harass the camp by continuous night attacks.

HUNTING DOWN BUSHRANGERS. A short time ago inform cttion was received of the murder of a prison warder named Mitchel, in Coonamble Prison, New South Wales, by two bush- ranger convicts, both of whom escaped to the Bush. News has now been received of the killing of both of the men by the police who were sent to pursue them. The convicts' names were Thurston and Angel, and, according to the information just to hand, it appears thev visited the store of a man named Charles Stewart, at Hasher's-flat, on the Mudge road. They com- pelled Stewart, who was sleeping in an adjoining hut, to open his store, covering him with a revolver all the time. A number of police officers were searching the district for the convicts, and two of the men were concealed in Stewart's store. The two officers came from their place of concealment and ordered the bush- rangers to surrender. At the time Stewart was on his knees begging for his life to be spared. Thurston then fired at Stewart, killing him on the spot. Almost simultaneously the police fired at the convicts. Thurston fell dead and Angel was wounded. The latter was then taken to the Gulgong Hospital, where be died from his wounds. An inquest was held on the bodies of the bushrangers. The jury found a verdict of justifiable homicide and commended the officers for their conduct.

SETTLEMENT OF THE COLERIDGE LIBEL CASE' When the case of Adams v. Coleridge was called on in the Court of Appeal on Monday morning before the Master of the Rolls and Lords Justices Baggallay and Lindley, a consultation took place between the Attorney-General and Mr. Adams, at the conclusion of which The Attorney-General said I have to state to your lordships that the counsel for the defendant in this case will join with Mr. Adams, who is present here in court, in making the application that for certain reasons it might be advantageous that judgment should be postponed for a short time, say till Wednes- day morning. The Master of the Rolls: Certainly, after the statement you have made, Mr. Attorney-General, the judgment shall be postponed till Wednesday morning. Perhaps, however, it would be better that the judg- ment should be postponed indefinitely, or until an application be made to us by either side to deliver judgment. That would be a better course to adopt, would it not? The Attorney-General said that he would wish that that course should be adopted. Mr. Adams also expressed his approval of the suggestion. The Master of the Rolls Then at any time either party may apply to us to deliver judgment. Judgment postponed accordingly. The case was again mentioned on Tuesday in the Court of Appeal, before the Master of the ROlls and Lord Justice Lindley, Lord Justice Bowen being also on the Bench, but taking no part in the proceed- ings, as he had not heard the arguments on the appeal by the plaintiff when the matter was before the Court last week. The Attorney-General (who, with Mr. Charles, Q.C., and Mr. P. Lewis, had conducted the case for the Hon. Bernard Coleridge both at the trial before Mr. Justice Manisty and in this court to which the plaintiff had ap- pealed from the ruling of that learned judge that the verdict found by the jury in Mr. Adams's favour for X3000 could not be sustained on the ground that the defendant's letter to his sister, the Hon. Mildred Coleridge, and which constituted the libel, was privileged), addressing the Court, said: Your lordships will recollect that when the appeal in the case of Adams v. Coleridge was last before this Court I asked that judgment should be postponed for a few days, and to this the Court acceded. My pre- sent application is that judgment shall not be given at all, as terms have been arrived at. But, my lords, as this matter has been made public, I desire, with your lordships' permission, to make a statement, and in this request Mr. Adams, who is now in court, joins. As the termination of the one suit must necessarily involve the termination of the others, I will, with your lordships' permission, read the terms of the arrangement that has been come to. They are these Adams v. Hon. B. Coleridge. No judgment to be delivered and action stayed. Adams f. Lord Cole- ridge. Action to be stayed. In relation to the causes of actions in both actions it shall, remarked the Attorney-General, be left to [the name of an eminent ex-judge has been mentioned, but it has not yet been finally arranged] to determine whether com- pensation, and of what amount, should be paid to Mr. Adams. In addition to the above settle- ment, Mr. B. Coleridge, whilst unreservedly withdrawing the charges made in his letter of 11th December, 1883, states most positively that they were made on his part in perfect good faith on statements made to him, and Mr. Adams is happy frankly to accept such assurance. Lord Coleridge desires- and has long desired-to say that whatever construction may have been placed upon anything he has written or said he thinks it due to Mr. Adams to withdraw any language which might be construed as casting imputations upon his character or motives. Lord Coleridge cannot regard it as being necessary to say that he has never intended to cast any reflection upon the conduct of his daughter. It has been agreed that Miss Coleridge shall be replaced in the same pecuniary position as she would have been in if these misunderstandings had not arisen, Lord Coleridge being perfectly willing to make the suitable provision of X600 per annum by way of allowance to Miss Coleridge. The Attorney-General having concluded with the reading of the document, Mr. Adams said: My Lords,-In reference to an observation of the Attorney-General, I desire to state of my own accord that I have not the slightest inten- tion of taking any further action against any one in respect of what has passed. And I may be permitted to say, my lords, that I have to thank the Attorney- General for having relieved me from a most painful task on which I entered with the greatest reluctance. No remark having been made by the Court the matter then dropped.

gtisftllancOT grudlicjtar?. IDf:1E, FOliEIGiO!" AND COLONIAL. IMPORTANT SURVEY:—The Government has at lengtn determined to a geological survey ot the whole country as far as pi«;r?"a,bie. Ten thou- sand dollars have been assigned for preliminary expenses. GOUN AVERAGES.—The following ara the average prices of British corn for last week, as received from the inspectors and officers of Excise: Wheat, 34s. 6d.; barley, 27s. 6d.; oats, 22s. 3d. per imperial qr. Corre- sponding week last year: Wheat, 37s. Od.; barley. 27s. Id.; oats, 21s. 4d. THE ECCENTRIC BAVARIAN MONARCH.—King Louis II. of Bavaria has, it is stated, ordered the manager of the Royal Theatre at Munich to produce Sardou's "Theodora "at a cost of 200,000f. Li is Majesty will be the sole spectator of the performance, which is to be continued during his pleasure. THE DUKE OF DEVONSHIRE'S TENANTS.—Additional to rent remissions alreadv announced on the part of the Duke of Devonshire his Grace will allow his tenants in East Derbyshire 10 per cent. off last half year's rents. The Marquis of Hartington's Derbyshire tenantry will be favoured similarly. JEWISH ART.- There are 60 Jewish exhibitors at this year's Paris Salon, divided as follows Painters 23, sculptors 9, engravers 5, and 14 whose signatures are appended to drawings and cartoons. Of pictures on Jewish or Biblical subjects there are but 25 among a total of 5034 exhibits.—" Jewish Chronicle." OOPPER,-At present copper is sold as low as £ 43 and £44 a ton. Forty-eight pennies weigh as nearly as possible lib., and 107,520 go to the ton, which, being circulated as pence and halfpence, is of the value of £ 440. The cost of coining a ton is computed at £ 4, so that there is a net profit of £400 on every ton of copper dealt with. A VALUABLE DIAMOND.—The largest diamond in the world is shortly to be cut at Amsterdam, where a special workshop is being constructed. This gem is South African, and weighs 475 carats, thus beiog 195 carats heavier than the "Grand Mogul belonging to the Shah of Persia, and hitherto the biggest diamond known. THE ZOOLOGICAL GARDENS.—The additions to the Zoological Gardens during the past week include two Javan cats, a marbled cat, from Malacca, presented by Mr. Frank Swettenham a common marmoset from Brazil, presented by Dr. L. Morgan; a slender-billed cockatoo from Australia, presented by Mrs. E. H. Watson two Tuatera lizards from New Zealand, pre- sented by Professor T. J. Parker a smooth snake, a common viper, British, presented by Mr. W. H. B. Pain; a slender-billed cockatoo from Australia, 13 Tuatera lizards from New Zealand, deposited; an osprey, caught in the North Sea, purchased a Darwin's Rhea from Patagonia, received in exchange; a Log deer, two four-horned antelopes, two prairie marmots, and two long-fronted gerbilles, born in the gardens. WORKMEN'S WAGES.—A report on the wages paid to workmen in various trades throughout Europe, com- piled by order of their Government, by the United States Consuls, has just been published. From it we find that the Germans are the worst paid worKmen in Europe, while the American artisan earns monetarily nearly double that of the Englishman. For instance, a German stonemason works for 19s. 3d. per week, an Englishman for £1 12s. 6d., and an American for £5. Again, in the plumbing trade, a German's weekly average is 17s. 9d., an Englishman 1.1 12s. 6d., and an American £ 4 13s, 9d. In the bookbinding traie a German's weekly wage is €1 Is. 9d., an Englishman's £112s. 4d., and an American's £ 3 4s. 9d. These three trades are selected as being representative, but a similar ratio exists in all others. WORKS OF ART IN P ARIs.-An inventory has recently been taken of all the works of art belonging to the city of Paris, and their total value has been appraised at £ 490,266, the civil buildings being estimated at one- third, and the religious edifices at two-thirds of this sum, the two churches of St. Eustache and St. Germain des Pres containing works of art val led at £ 52,000. The depository in the Boulevard Morland contains 69 statues valued at A-'15,560, while the sculpture upon the Hotel de Ville is valued at £ 55.360. The works of art placed in the parks, public gardens, and highways are valued at S 40,000, about a third of this sum being the estimated value of the monument upon the Place de la Republique. The collection of plans and diagrams, the library, and museum, are estimated as worth about £ 120,000, and the contents of the 22 municipal libraries £25,000. MR. GLADSTONE AND DISESTABLISHMENT.—In reply to a letter by the Rev. W. Graham, Trinity, Edinburgh, on the question of Disestablishment, in which he made certain suggestions respecting Liberal unity at the general election along the lines of a reconstructed National Church, the following reply has been received: 10, Downing-street, Whitehall, June 2. Rev. Sir,— Mr. Gladstone desires me to acknowledge the receipt of the letter with which you have favoured him on the subject of Church Disestablishment in Scotland. He can, in reply, only say he sees no possibility of dealing with a question of this nature in the present Parlia- ment, nor would Parliament be likely to entertain it except upon the declaration of some strong "7 national feeling in its favour in Scotland.—I am, Rev. Sir, your obedient servant, E. W. HAMILTON.—The Rev. W. Graham." METROPOLITAN PAUPERISM.—Census of metropolitan paupers, exclusive of lunatics in asylums and vagrants, taken on the last day of the weeks named hereunder (enumerated inhabitants in 188], 3,815,000): Third week of May, 1885, indoor, 52,305; outdoor, 34,249; total, 86,554 (excluding the patients in the fever and smallpox hospitals of the Metropolitan Asylums Board; the number of these patients on the last day of the week was returned as 1593). Third week of May, 1884, indoor, 52,903; outdoor, 34,188; total, 87,091. Third week of May, 1883, indoor, 51,020; outdoor, 36,816: total, 87,836. Third week of May, 1882, indoor, 49,080; outdoor, 38,795; total, 87,875. Vagrants relieved in the metropolis on the last day of the third week of May, 1885 Men, 454; women, 182; children under 16,26—total, 662. INTERNATIONAL INVENTIONS EXHIBITION.—The num- ber of visitors to this exhibition for the week ending June 6 was 136,543. Total since the opening, 628,185 The band and trumpet corps of the Pomeranian Hussar Regiment No. 5 (Bliicher Hussars), in the German Army, the crack Prussian cavalry corps, of which the Prince cf Wales is Colonel-in Chief, have arrived in London, and commenced to perform at the exhibition in fulfilment of several weeks' engagement. The band of a regiment earned after Wellington's great ally—" Old Bliicher," as he is familiarly spoken of by his countrymen—will doubtless meet with a deservedly hearty welcome in this country, and secure a popularity as widespread as that extended to the Madgebourg Cuirassiers at the Health Exhibition last year. A SALVATION LASS'S ROMANCE.—On Saturday, at the Guildford County Bench, a Salvation Army lass, Emily Sutcliffe, was charged with attempting to commit suicide by drowning. The lass, who was only 18 years of age, jumped into a deep pond at Chilworth, near Albany, and was with difficulty rescued by a young man named Olaike, who was nearly drowned in the attempt. The lass had been associated with the Salva- tion Army at Guildford, and regularly attended Bible- class meetings. It appears that the diminishing affec- tions of her lover, and troubles with his relatives, preyed upon her mind, and that these were the cause of her attempting the rash act. She told the police that she had jumped into the water because she had been turned out of her lodgings. The Bench handed her over to the care of her father. The place where the girl jumped into the water was opposite where her sweet- heart was employed. The Bench commended the con- duct of Clarke, and presented him with half a sovereign. During the bearing of the case defendant fell from the dock in a fainting fit; her sweetheart was in the court at the time. DISCOVERY OF A R,ELIc.-An interesting archaeo- logical relic was brought to light a few days since at Traismauer, in Lower Austria, some miles south-west of Vienna. A large portion of a votive shield of bronze was found among a great quantity of fragments of glass and earthenware. On the obverse i s an eagle, and below it Jupiter in Roman war dress, with an axe in his raised right hand. On the reverse is a full moon, and below it a young Mars. It is conjectured that the shield belongs to the third century of our era. LAST WEEK'S WRECKS.—The actual shipwrecks re- ported last week were mostly British vessels, namely, sixteen, the total being twenty, making for the year 494 wrecks. Off the British Isles six (all British) sank, four of which went down through collision. Three British sailers were reported with all hands. Steamers numbered four, of which two, laden with wheat, tobacco, &c., of an aggregate tonnage of 2699, were lost off j Ushant. A colonial sailer was lost in the ice, and two (British and German) were abandoned at sea. Corre- sponding week of last year: Wrecks, 20; total for year, 936; collision, 2; lives lost, 48. THE SUNDAY SOCIETY.—The forty-fifth Sunday Art Exhibition, opened under the auspices of the Sunday Society, was open for two and a half hours last Sunday, The exhibition consisted of the collection of 763 paint- ings and 14 pieces of sculpture in the galleries of the Society of British Artists. The admission was by ticket in the usual way with the society's Sunday exhi- bitions in London, the tickets being freely given to those who make application in writing for them. The number of visitors was 632. PISCICULTURE.—The Berlin Aquarium has at last accomplished the difficult feat of showing a school of live herring in its sea-water basin. These fish are so delicate that when caught in their native element even a moment's exposure to the air will kill them. They had, therefore, to be caught under water, and to be carefully transported from the seaboard. Ten out of the nineteen which were taken in the Baltic, near the Island of Ragen, reached Berlin alive.

How are you, Smith ?" asked a Fourth-avenu man of a friend he had not seen for nearly a year How are all the girls ? Are you as sweet upon Miss Jones as you used to be?". Oh, no. I left that off several months ago." Have a quarrel?" "N 0, I married her last August."

THE DEFEAT OF THE GOVERNMENT. The Press Association says that in the chief political clubs of the metropolis there was some ex- pectation that, following the example of the late Lord Beaconsfield in 1873, when the Liberal Government were defeated on the Irish University Bill, the Con- servatives would decline at the present juncture to accept office; but the more general opinion seems to be that, yielding to the pressure of some of his more enthusiastic followers, Lord Salisbury would consent to form a provisional Administration. In the course of Tuesday morning Lord Salisbury had a private conference with Sir Stafford Northcote and several other members of the late Ministry. It may be taken for granted that, with the excep- tion of the necessary financial provisions, the final stages of the Seats Bill, and a short Registration Bill to enable the elections to take place in the autumn, all the other measures which the Govern- ment had hoped to pass—including the Crofters Bill, the Welsh Intermediate Education Bill, and the Secretary for Scotland Bill—will have to be aban- doned for the present year. This abandonment of legislation will necessarily curtail the session, which is now likely to conclude early in July, but the necessities of registration arrangements make it almost impossible to hasten the general election before the beginning of November, so that there will probably be in the interval an electioneering campaign of longer duration than was originally expected. Although the issue of the vote came as a complete surprise upon most members of the House of Commons, the Liberal whips were aware that a Government defeat was extremely probable if not inevitable, owing to the large proportion of their party who bad failed to respond to the four-line whip which had been issued. Many of these members remained away in deference to the strong pressure of a section of their consti- tuents. The Press Association adds that among the Radical party, and especially among persons belong- ing to the more advanced clubs, the opinion is freely expressed that the defeat of the Government will have the effect of preventing a Liberal Cabinet from introducing any further coercive legislation affecting Ireland. The Radicals also state their hope that even if the Conservatives decline to take office, and Mr. Gladstone continues Prime Minister, Sir Charles Dilke, Mr. Chamberlain, and Mr. Shaw Lefevre, who are known to have expressed in the Cabinet their objection to the renewal of the Crimes Act except under certain conditions, will refuse to rejoin the Administration, except with a guarantee that the Crimes Act shall be allowed to lapse. In the provinces the news of the resignation of the Ministry has created an absorbing interest, and there is much speculation as to what will be the outcome of the present crisis. In a summing-up of the latest incidents of the political crisis, published on Thursday morning, the Press Association states that no material change occurred in the political situation on Wednesday, but the resignation of the Government continued to be everywhere the main topic of interest. It was rumoured on Wednesday afternoon in usually well-informed quarters that, in reply to a telegram, the Queen had wired to Mr. Gladstone asking him to reconsider his decision. There is, however, no reason to believe that the right hon. gentleman would consent, under present circumstances, to resume the respon- sibilities of office. One conclusive reason against such a course, and one which has not previously been dis- closed, is that the Prime Minister is and has been in full accord with Sir Charles Dilke and Mr. Cham- berlain in the indisposition to sanction even a partial renewal of the Crimes Act for Ireland except for a limited period and accompanied by definite assurances of early remedial legislation. There is therefore no foundation for the statements which have been circulated from time to time that the Pre- sidents of the Local Government Board and of the Board of Trade were at issue with Mr. Gladstone in recent controversies on that subject. There is equally no likelihood of the Liberal leader attempt- ing to reconstruct a Ministry whose programme in- cluded coercive legislation for Ireland, and it is known that this is regarded as indispensable, not only by Earl Spencer, but also by several other members of what may now be referred to as the late Cabinet. It is therefore still expected that her Majesty will shortly send for the Marquis of Salisbury, who, it is generally believed, will undertake to form an Ad- ministration to carry on the necessary business of the country until the general election. If there had been a probability of Mr. Gladstone con- senting to continue in office, the Queen would have remained at Balmoral, but on all hands hope is expressed that under existing circum- stances she will at once return to Windsor, otherwise much delay and inconvenience must ensue in connec- tion with the impending change of Ministry. Mean- time Mr. Gladstone has not volunteered any advice to the Sovereign as to who should be his successor, and will not offer advice on the point unless expressly com- manded to do so. This would be altogether contrary to precedent on such occasions, and especially undesir- able in a case where the Conservatives are not entirely agreed as to whether Lord Salisbury or Sir Stafford Northcote should be selected for the supreme position. For the present Mr. Gladstone remains at Downing- street, awaiting any message which may be brought back from Balmoral by the special messenger who was despatched on Tuesday to the Queen's High- land home. On Wednesday forenoon the right hon. gentleman was visited at his official residence by Earl Granville, the Marquis of Hartington, Lord Rosebery, and other political associates and private friends. In the afternoon he went out for a drive with Mrs Gladstone. The Marquis of Salisbury and Sir Staf- ford Northcote also received visits in the course of the day from a number of their leading Parliamen- tary followers, but no formal conference of the Con- servative leaders was held, nor will any meeting of the party be summoned at present. Considerable amuse- ment was caused among the members of the former Conservative Government by the premature an- nouncement made in various quarters as to who are likely to occupy the principal offices of State in any new Administration. Those who would be mainly responsible for the actual selection have not yet considered that part of the ques- tion, and all speculations or statements as to who would form the next Conservative Cabijlfet may there- fore be dismissed as mere idle conjecture. Specula- tion was also busy as to the policy of the expected new Cabinet. It is generally believed that they would not attempt to renew any portion of the Irish Crimes Act, and there can be little doubt that the Crofters' Bill, the Welsh Education Bill, the Supreme Court of Judicature (Ireland) Bill, the Corporate Property Security Bill, the Scottish Secretary Bill, and the Universitv (Scotland) Bill will all have to be dropped. 'There is also very small expectation that the bill to authorise the introduc- tion of sixpenny telegrams will now be proceeded with, at all events not in its present form. It is likewise quite on the cards that the general election so confidently expected to take place in November may after all be postponed until January. In order to make the new register of voters operative this winter it would have been necessary to pass a short bill within two months, and considerable doubts are ex- pressed as to whether the Conservative party, if they accept office, would consider it desirable to hasten that measure, especially if there was any likelihood of their electoral prospect being improved after a couple of months' longer tenure of office, and that, too, in the recess, when there would be no embarrassment from the attacks of a hostile majority in the House of Commons. -—

EXPLOSION ON THE INFLEXIBLE. A serious explosion occurred on Monday morning on board her Majesty's ship Inflexible, the most powerful vessel of war in the British navy, lying in the extension of Portsmouth Dockyard. The explo- sion occurred in one of the coal bunkers, which was full. A coal-heaver named Jacob Millar was lowered to trim the coal, and soon after he had reached the bottom he gave the word for the shovels and a light to be sent down. This was complied with, and almost immediately another coal-heaver, named Alfred Bennett, was let down into the pit. He had accom- plished about half his journey when a terrific flash, resembmg lightning, was seen to issue from the pit, but no report whatever was heard. The poor fellow who was being lowered into the bunker was fearfully burned. The other man was also severely injured, and both were as soon as possible conveyed on stretchers to the dockyard surgery, where their wounds were dressed by the fleet surgeon. Thirteen men who were working close by were scattered in all directions, and sustained in juries of a m ore or les] serious character. It is supposed that the lids of the bunkers not being perforated so as to admit of venti- lation, the gas accumulated, and became ignited on coming into contact with a naked light. About 1200 tons of coal had been stowed on board when the ox- plosion occurred. The names of the sufferers, besides Millar and Bennett, were John Coleman, leading stoker; J. Baker, James Benge, Frederick Batchelor, George Roberts, stokers Thomas Hislop, John Suddick, Thomas Riggings, William Grant, hired labourers; and Frederick William Luff, shipwright apprentice. In most cases the injuries were of a superficial character. When the Metropolitan Police made the usual search of the ship they found the stokehole was shut and the bunkers covered, thus ex, cluding the possibility of ventilation. Coleman, the chief stoker of the party, states that there was a large flame and but slight report. He attributes the ex- plosion to the naked light being sent down before the bunkers had been cleared of gas. None of the injured men belonged to the Royal navy. They were coal- heavers belonging to the coaling steamers.

A STRANGE STORY FROM KHARTOUM. The special correspondent of the Sheffield Daily Telegraph at Cairo, in a message dated June 9, gives the following remarkable story: A Coptic mer- chant, who was one of the few men who managed to escape from Khartoum after the massacre, has arrived here, after a long and painful journey, and has made a most astounding statement to the authorities. He asserts in the most positive manner, partly from his own observation and partly from information supplied to him on the spot by credible eye-witnesses, that shortly after the massacre which followed the entry of the rebels, and before the terrible confusion re- sulting therefrom had subsided, the Mahdi, hearing that Gordon had been slain, ordered his head to be brought before him. The rebels at once produced the head of Herr Hansal, the Austrian Consul, which was at first accepted as that of the gallant Gordon. But as it lay upon the ground it was recognised by one of the rebels, who knew Hansal well, and a hue and cry for Gordon was at once raised. The city was scoured by parties of the rebels, and every European corpse was examined, but without result. Indeed, no trace could be found either of Gordon or of Abou- gatas, a rich merchant long resident in Khartoum, or of Gordon's two cavasses. Neither were any docu- ments found, and the most diligent search failed to bring to light any of the clothing usually worn by Gordon. The narrator, therefore, believes that there is at least a slight chance that Gordon may have made good his escape, and that he has fled south, in the direction of Sennaar. I have seen the Coptic merchant referred to, and can testify that he is a I smart, honest-looking man, whom one would be 'I. inclined to trust."

The dentist who announces that he will spare no pains to pull teeth well is the man to keep away from.