Evening Express

-==- TO-DAY'S WEATHER. Thf. forecast of the weiaiier thcon«1a«at the West of Etio-iand and sjouch v"s.:for io-<la* (T'bnrsdfi.T) is ,15 follows :—S. or S.5E. winds, hireng to a gale; s7"at t:nif.

Tkmperatosij Raiu- j Mk Mm. jWean. fail. Thursday 2 40 25 33*0 "00 Friday 3 44 28 36"0 *0) Saturday 4 33 32 35*0 '90 Sim-lay 5( 41 35 3S"0 *60 Moaday 6' 43 35 41*5 '-55 Tuesday ^4 45 49'5 'Zo Wednesday 8 52 45 i 48'5 *2S Wednesday I 8 52 45 i 48'5 *2S

iilarn'ages, & iBeatljs: DEATH. HA1LES.—On 7th February, at 37. Bangor- sireet, Cardiff, Percy Roland, dearly loved son of John T. and Priscilla Hailes. aged five years, eleven months.

Telephone: National. 502. Post-office. 95. Telegrams: Express," Cardiff.

FOWOEBASpSHOT. The Gorsedd authorities are trembling with fear that when the building in Catliays Park begin-, their great circle of stones will have to 1Je shunted. • • a • I What's the 111.1 tier with the preachers, any- how2 Lately we heard theyfwcre neglecting the infirmary. And now the dead are bcing buried "liko dog> TItiswaveofuieddicsomp- ness with the Church leads to the neglect of legitimate business. tt ••• Overheard at Cardiff University College: — Lady Student: I wish to go in for mechanism. Usher: I should judge that you had better go in for a, strong mechanic. It is rumoured that a Band of Hope Ceme- tery Brigade H3 to be formed in Cardiff, with the object of making ministerial five-shiliings- worths a trifle more ornate. Some people want so much for their money. • •!••• Poor Mr. John Morley! The "Daily News" plainly indicates the position he now occupies in the counsels of the Radical Party. He is spoken of in that official organ as "Sir William Har- court's correspondent." Could the "Biographer of Mr. Gladstone" fall any lower? This is the literal translation of an englyn by a Swansea bard-.—0 March. Swansea.! The resources of thy commercial instinet are great. Let anthracite and tin-plate go, and what it while Lamp ile and kockies is sold hear,' as they 'is' in Oxford-street." ♦ **«»« If the Cardiff Ministerial Union succeeds in making corner in funerals, summer prices may bc raised. I3ut the Union only embraces half the Cardiff ministers. Some day. when this theological turmoil has ceased, the Union may embrace Christianity. It is well to know that any layman man officiate at a burial in the public cemetery. Many relatives may prefer to perform this last sad office themselves, with faithful sympathy and sincere respect for the deceased, inn place of employing parsons who charge 5s. and do it in the ordinary course of business." » » • Swansea councillors are using- strong Ian. guage in regard to the Duke of Beaufort and the common rights. But Swansea, has always stopped short at the language, and never taken action strong enough to remind a butter mer- chant of milk-and-water. The meteorological report has been talking of a large depression off the west cf Ireland, and saying that a succession of gales might be expected on the coasts of the British Isles. On top of that we learn that Mr. John Dillon has resigned the chairmanship of the Irish party. Then we hear the Cardiff Infirmary is in debt, and that the cemetery is being neglected. Squalls are coming fast, that's certain. a 8 8 Mr. Dillon ;9 the last leader to fall a victim to the resignation microbe, for he refuses to stand for election as sessional chairman of the Nationalist party, and he further declares that he will not accept any sort of official position in any Irish party during the continuance of the present Parliament. We shall soon have Sir. Cory resigning from the Welsh National Protestant League if this fever spreads at its present rate. Only celebritios like the Jameses are allowed by Swansea people to go North. Otherwise they have a very fair zoological collection, so to speak. At,the Great Western High-street Station, Swan sea, will he found in the person of Inspector Harries, a lineal descendant of the celebrated Howell Harries, of Trevecca; Gam- bold, a porter, a descendant, of Gambold, the vicar of Puncheston, the noted Pembrokeshire grammarian; and last, but not the least, Inspector Martyn, who was confirmed by the Archbishop of Canterbury, thou Lord Bishop of Exeter. < » The sun has arrived at the North Cape for the season. The inhabitants of the Arctic Circle have just got over their long night, and the sui has put in an appearance. For a few months they will alternate tight and day. like gcod Christians, and their next eccentricity will be a day lasting several weeks, when the sun will never sink below their horizon. We do not envy the Arctic circlers, but we should not complain if oxtr Meteorological Office could give us ,1, little well-boiled sunshine here in Car- diff, even for an hour or bo per season. "Burled like tiegs." is the beading given the Cardiff Cemetery business in a contemporary. On reading it through, we f-nd that the ex- pression does not refer to the business-like brevity of cemetery ministrations, but to the absence of a service altogether in cases. Such a term is hardly in good taste, for there are many folk whose eyes arc opened during these seasons of theological cock-fighting, ar.d they ask whether a burial service at five shillings ic really worth the money. The "Illustrated Sporting and Dramatic News" publishes this week somo capital sketches taken during a recent Carl Rosa Opera night at the Lyceum. And the "cap- tious critic" lets himself go tinon tae merits of some of the artistes who appear next week at Cardiff. The critic paid a visit on a "Rusti- cana" n'ght, and gives his opinion thus:—'I am not forgetful of the friends of other days, and I am grateful to the Carl Rosa direction for alleviating Wagner with Gcuuod and Leon- cavallo with Baits. Miss Pauline Joran was the prima donna on the evening of our visit, and it is not too much to say that neither 'Santuza" nor 'Nedda' has ever had a race competent interpreter. The girlish pathos cf the former character, the jealousy, the ten- derness wore admirably acted and effecti'aly sung; and as 'Nedda' the sentimental, scorn- ful, passionate, frivolous—we had a very f-ne performance indeed. The scenes of the mors tragedy—ending in a real one— n the booth, were delightful; the idea of the actress representing an actress —-o seld jm realised upon the stage—was Admirably ccnvoed. I With Mr. Brozel. always an effective 'Canio,' as the husband, and Mr. Tilbury—who has a good voice and is a good actor—as the hunch- back, no better rendering of the principal parts could have been asked for. Mr. Deane wa" suffi. cient as 'Silvio,' and Mr. Wood as 'Beppa,' the harlequin. The last-named gentleman had a more important part as 'Turiddu' in 'Caval- lerta,' somewhat over-emphasising its lUl- gentieness. Mr. George A. Fox, a gentleman of imposing stage presence, brought both local and dramatic talent to the part of 'Alfio,' the deceived husband of 'Lola.' whom Miss Heenan represented with character. Miss Ludlow was pleasing as 'Lucia.' the mother of the fickle hero. I have not seen any of the Wagnerian psrform,ulces myself, 13ut my own particular devotee of the prophet of Bayreuth—who is extremely difficult to please where the master I is concerned—reports extremely favourably as to the all-round performance of the Wagnerian operas which he has seen. VpLdl

BREACH OF THE MINES ACT- OPENING A LAMP IN THE ALBION COLLIERY. At Pontypridd Petty sessions on Wednesday morning (before Mr. J. Ignatius Williams, stipendiary, and other magistrates) Patrick M Gormack. collier, employed at the Albion Colliery, Cilfynydd, was summoned for com- mitting a, breach of the Mines Act. Mr. Vazi-e Simons, solicitor, Pontypridd, prosecuted 011 behalf of Mr. Philip Jones, M.E., the manager. —Mr. Simons said that there were two charges against the defendant. One of the charges was hrought before the notice of the beuchthe previous Wednesday, but the defendant, who was legally represented, took objection to the non-production of the colliery rules signed by the mines inspector. An adjournment was made, but since then another summons had been issued against him for a breach of Ruie 188. Rule 137 read: "No person to whom a safety lamp is entrusted, or who has charge or possession of one, shall interfere in any way whatever with it beyond the necessary trim- ming of the wick by the pricker, except to put it out in accordance with the 185th and 190th special rules." Rule 188 read: "No person except êl, shot-man when firing a shot shall, under any pretence or for any other purpose. unlock a lamp in his charge iu any place in the mine, or take the top or shield off the lamp except at a lamp station." The defendant was seen by one of the colliers opening his lamp, and the matter was reported to the officials. It was found that the defendant had cut the plug of his lamp and opened it for acme pur- P'-so. When spoken to by Mr. Jones, the manage- the defendant acted in a defiant manner, and although the lamp was opened 800 feet away from the pit bottom, the defen- dant said he could not see what harm it was to "pen the lamp, as it was as safe to open) tfc there as in the open air. As there had been an explosion at the colliery, the management looked upon the offence as a most serious one. Richard Davies. a shackler. stated that on Saturday night fortnight he saw the defendant opening hi", lamp in the main deep. Ail the lamps when passed were fastened by a lead plug. He asked the defendant what he was doing, and he replied. "There is 110 harm to open it. and if they in the lamp-room won't rise the wick I will do so." Mr. Simons explained that the lamp was lit by means of an electric battery. There was no pricker, and the wick was adjusted in the lamp-room, and. because of the character of the oil. which was very inflammable, it had to be done very carefully. Thomas Meredith, fireman, said that after what the last witness told him he went to see the defendant. M'Gormaek at first denied that he had dona anything tf) the lamp. Witness examined the lamp. and saw that the plug wa1 broken. and put out the light. Mr. Philip Jones, manager of the colliery, produced a valent lamp, which was used at the colliery. He stated that the danger of opening it was by meddling with the oil. which, in tl1e unscrewing, might be worked out and get ignited. The Stipendiary inquired if it was possible that an explosion would have occurred had the lamp burst when the defend mt meddled with it. Mr. Jones replied that what the defendant had done was a most dangerous act, as there might haie been a strong "blower" of gas about at th" time. The defendant now expressed his regret for what he had done. IIp, had worked for forty. five years underground, and he hoped the Be"nch would take a lenient view of his offence. The Stipendiary said the defendant had com- mitted a very dangerous thing, and the Bench were satisfied, frnm the evidence of Mr. Jones. that the lives of the persons in the colliery might have been endangered. He did not know whether the working of these lamps was thoroughly understood, but if there had been an explosion he could not help thinking that there might have been a recurrence of the dreadful accident that occurred in the colliery about three years ago, when nearly 300 lives were lost. It seemed to the bench that the power which was reserved to the bench in the Act was specially intended for cases of this kind, where a man mi2ht commit an act which might result in serious loss of life. The defendant must have known that it was very wrong to tamper with the lamp. which had been invented specially to prevent interference whilst it was in the hands of a collier. The fact that the defendant had been working underground for 45 years was no excuse for his conduct. The offence was a bad one, and they would send him to gaol for three months with hard labour. I

THE "ABERDARE" STATUE AT CARDIFF. Our Pontypridd reporter on Wednesday interviewed his Honour Judge Gwilym Williams with reference to the delay in bringing about the ceremony of unveiling the statue of the late Lord Aberdare at Cardiff. Judge Williams said, "Yes, I know; the 'Western Mail' telegraphed to me at Bath, but I had no reason to assign for the delay, except that the date of the unveiling is not yet fixed, because we are waiting for Lord Windsor, the chairman. I am anxious, and everybody is anxious, that he should unveil the monument. and when I last saw him I tried to get him to fix a date just before or after Christmas, but he could not fix it then. That was before he went abroad, for I understand he is abroad now. At any rate, I have net heard from him since. "Is there any difficulty with anybody else?" aslied the reporter. "No, none whatever. But it is necessary that his lordship should be present to unveil the monument, or, at all events, that he should be there, whoever unveils it." "There is an idea abroad," remarked the reporter, "that there is a possibility of some friction having arisen to cause the delay." "None whatever, except that I got very angry with the sculptor some time ago because he did not finish his work soon enough. I wrote to tell him that all the people connected wuu it would die before he was ready. I ou see, Lady Aberdare died; Mr. Clark, who was the prime mover in the matter of the erection of the monument, died; and I was getting anxious. He wrote in repiy putting the blame on the Cardiff Corporation, and so that, pos- sibly, is what is meant by the friction. But there has been nothing of that sort since. The statue is there. It has been put up. It has been paid for, and it is good work and a splendid likeness. We are all proud of it, because it is a credit to the sculptor, it is worthy of Cardiff, of the Principality, and of LordAberdare." "So you cannot now fix a time for the unveil- ing?" "No. But I have a good mind to have the canvas removed from the head and shoulders of the statue—to take that responsibility upon myself—and then let the formal ceremony be a dedication." LLA AND PONTAR

DULAIS RAILWAY. COST OF THE SCHEME. Mr. James B. Walton and Mr. Thomas Arnold, the engineers to the Llanelly Harbour and Pontardulais Railway scheme, have deposited the detailed estimates of the cost of constructing this railway. The estimates, which divide the .scheme into ten sections, place the aggregate cost at £208,708, which provided for the construction of the railway as a single line throughout its whole length. The main line of this railway will be six miles six furlongs in length, but the whole scheme, which includes nine branch and junction lines, will comprise just over 19i miles of railway. The estimates show that station accommoda- tion will be provided only on the 6% miles of main line from Llanelly to the proposed junc- tion with the Swansea section of the London and North Western Railway. The share capital proposed to be raised by the company promoting this scheme is £210,000, which leaves but little margin over tho estimated cost. The capital is, in fact, les-i than the estimates if. as proposed in the Bill. £ 18,000 is expended in paying interest out of capital during construc- tion.

RUNNING-DOWN CASE AT ABERDARE. His Honour Judge Gwjlym Williams, at the monthly sitting of the Aberdare County-court on Wednesday, heard the case of James Rees, break-owner, Mill-street, against William Whit- ing, hay merchant, to recover £35 143. 7ct. loss occasioned by the death of a mare killed through the negligence of the defendant. Mr. Chas. Tvenshole and Mr. Arthur Lewis, B.A.L. (instructed by Mr. J. D. Thomas), represented the parties.—Plaintiff's driver deposed that on the 31st of December, whilst in charge of a I vehicle with two horses proceeding- down Gadiys-road, he was run into by a horse and cart in charge of Richard Morris, employed by Whiting. As a. result, the plaintiff's horse had to be destroyed the same evening—In cross- examination witness reluctantly admitted say- ing to the veterinary surgeon and others that defendant's horde's shied at a truck, and thus caused the damage.—Mr. Wm. Oxenham. veterinary surgeon, and a large number of witnesses having been called, the Judge inti- mated his belief in the statements made by th" defendant's witnesses, and ultimately gave a verdict for the defendant, with costs, humour- ously observing that the quadruped concerned "left the court without a stajn upon its repu- tation.

General News. i The Duke of Rutland writes that he disap- proves of the so-called international crusade of peace. The Home Secretary has appointed Mr. J. S. Arkwright to be his assistant private secretary (unpaid). A syndicate has been formed to purchase the building known as Tucker's Mills, Strand, Swan- sea, and to convert them illtoa cold storage and ice factory. The Great Western Railway Company decided at Paddington on Wednesday to guarantee the capital of the Fishguard and Rosslare Railway Company. The Prince of Wales, as Grand Master of Mark Masons, has appointed Sir Edward S. Hill, M.P., to be Provincial Grand Master of Mark Master Masons for South Wales. lbe North British line between Glasgow and Dumbarton Stations was b'ocked on Wed- nesday morning through some wagons leaving the metals. Three wagons were precipitated over tho embankment. Mrs. Spurgeon held a reception at the Metro- politan Tabernacle on Wednesday, and re- ceived subscriptions amounting to £6,300 towards the fund for re-building the taber- nacle. The Rev. Llewelyn M. Williams. R.D. (rector of Dowiais), has "et on foot a po!iœ-eonrt mi". sion in connection with the police-court. for the district. We understand that Captain Roberts, of the Church Army, will be the missioner. Owing to the recent heavy rain a landslip occurred on the Great Western Bar-way at Bigsweir on Wednesday afternoon. Later 11; the day another landslip occurred at Red- bnook. The train services were, of course, dis- organised. Tarrington Rectory, which is situated about a mile and a half from Eastnor and five from Ledbury, was entered by burglars n Tussday night, or early on Wednesday morning, and money and stamps are reported to hive been stolen. A fire broke out on Wednesday afternoon in Aberdeen Lunatic Asylum, and for a time the greatest excitement prevailed among the 700 inmates. A woman inmate was rescued wi'h difficulty by two of the doctors, who managed to reach her by means of ladders. The annual public meeting of the Cardiff Free Churches Council is announced to be heid next Wednesday in the Park-hall. The special speakers on the occasion will be Mr. D. Lloyd- George, M.P.. and the Rev. C. Silvester Home; M.A.. of London. The death has occurred of Mr. Francis Ramp Adams, sen., solicitor, of The Beeches, Upton Bishop, near Ross. Mr. Adams had been in failing health for some time, but a month ago he slipped down in his room and fractured his leg, Mr. Rufus Williams, the landlord of the Lion Royal Hotel, Aberystwith, was fined 2s. 6d. (including costs) for permitting a game of billiards to be played at the hotel after the usual hours on the night of the 31st of January. A gentleman staying at the hotel was found engaged in a game of billiards with Councillor Robert Peake. The engineers to the scheme "for supplying with water and gas the parishes of Fishguard, Manorowen, and Llanvvnda" have deposited an estimate in the Private Bill Office of the House of Commons giving the cost of the works pro- posed under the Bill at £5,700. The estimates are signed by Mr. James B. Walton and Mr. John Portsmouth. A Renter's telegram from Alexandria on Wednesday says:—The remains of the ial-e Nubar Pasha were interred here to-day in the cemetery of the Armenian Church with every mark of sympathy and respect. The hearse was followed by Lord Cromer, several relatives of the deceased, Major-general Lane, the Con- suls-General, and a number of notabilities. The finding of the court-martial which sat at Portsmouth recently for the trial of the Hon. Lieutenant and Quarter-master W. Vidler, Royal Army Medical Corps, was communicated to the prisoner on Wednesday afternoon. The court found Lieutenant Vidler guilty of scan- dalous conduct unbecoming an officer and a gentleman, and adjudged him to be cashiered. The executive committee of the National Liberal Federation met in London on Wednes- day. Arrangements for the annuaJ meetings at Hull on March 6, 7, and 8, were con- sidered, and invitations to Liberal members of Parliament Rud to affiliated associations to appoint delegates will be sent out immediately. The customary mass meeting will be held in the evening of March 8, and the principal speaker will be Sir Henry Campbell-Banner- man. The Press Association Manchester correspon- dent telegraphed on Wednesday night that, so far as can be gathered, the agitation for another advance of wages in the cotton trade. which concerns 80,000 people, will be continued to the end, even if a strike should eRsue. Reports from all the operatives' branches indi- cate that there is a strong feeling against accepting the employers' suggestion of a post- ponement of the application for six months. The operatives allege that wages are 8 per cent. below the rate prevailing in 1874. Speaking on Wednesday evening at the dinner of the Chamber of Shipping of the United Kingdom a,t the Hotel Metropole, Lon- don, Mr. Ritchie, replying to the toast of her Majesty's Government, said the Government had passed through perilous times, but the country had rallied behind them. irrespective of politics, and had been instrumental in securing peace. The returns showed that the shipping industry was in a prosperous state, while the condition of the sailor had been considerably improved. The shipping industry was of immense advantage to the country, and he should do everything in his power to facilitate its success. On Tuesday Mr. Thos. Walters, coroner for West Carmarthenshire, held an. inquest on the body of the twelve weeks old child of Daniel Evans, Cross Roads, P",nboyr, allll the details deposed to are rather exceptional. Deceased was one of twins, the other having died when ten days old. and the certificate of death had been refused by the registrar.—It was stated that the mother was only nineteen years of age and the father twenty, and eight persons lived in the house, which had only three rooms. The child was found dead in bed between the parents, who, however, denied that it had been overlaid.—A verdict of "Found dead in bed" was returned. Among the successful candidates at the last preliminary scientific examination are:—Biology only: D. M. Davies. University College, Aber- ystwith, and Charing Cross Hospital: O. P. N. Pearn, University College, Aberystwith, and University Tutorial College; and H. C. Samuel. University College, Cardiff, and University Tutorial College. In the intermediate examina- tion in medicine the tallowing were successful: —Entire examination: First division, H. W. James. University College. Cardiff, and St. Bartholomew's Hospital; second division. E. M. Clarke. University College, Cardiff. Excluding physiology: Second division, D. C. Evans, Uni- versity College, Cardiff. Responding to the toast of the society at a dinner held in London in connection with the Amalgamated Society of Engineers, when the council of the Union met their predecessors in office, Mr. Barnes, the secretary, said the organisation had never been seriously jeopar- dised during the recent struggle, and was to- day clear of debt and rapidly recovering lost ground. Rout and demoralisation of Trades Unionism hul been predicted as results of that contest, but he believed the net result would be to induce Trades Unionism to set their house in order and widen their aims and per- fect, their organisation. Federation of em- ployers as well as employed he welcomed as being in accord with industrial development. A terrific thunderstorm broke over Chelten- ham early on Wednesday morning, accom- panied by vivid, flashes of forked lightning, which did a great deal of damage. Trees were uprooted in all directions and fences blown down. A pinnacle of the spire of St. Gregory's Roman Catholic Church was dislodged, and fell to the pavement with such force that it pene- trated the ground some distance and smashed an underground main gas pipe.- At Charlton Kings, a suburb of Cheltenham, a house was wrecked by lightning, but the occupants fortu- nately cscapad without injury. The storm during the quarter of an hour it lasted was the fiercest known in Cheltenham for twenty years. In the City of London Court on Wednesday Messrs. Slater and Palmer, Wine Ottics-court, E.C., made a claim against the Little Western Steamship Company, Fenchureh-stroet, and Bristol, to recover damages for injuries to cer- tain stones while being shipped from London to Bristol.-Mr. Commissioner Kerr, in finùing for the defendants with costs, said his expe- rience of those cases was very large. He had long since laid it down that, unless it could be shown that the master and crew of the carrying vessel danced Po hornpipe en the goods— (ioud laughter)—or did sometbina: squally malicious so as to smash them. no liability for damage could ever be successfully established, so completely had shipowners excluded the sliyhteH chance of making themselves liable for any thins. I

£57 Stolen at Plymouth SUPPOSED CULPRIT ARRESTED AT CARDIFF. During the night of the 27th ult. the office at the Regent Brewery, Stonehouse, the head- quarters of the Plymouth Breweries (Limited), was entered, and JB57 in cash was stolen. The circumstances indicated that the robbery had been perpetrated by one well acquainted with th.3 interior arrangements of the place. John Marsh, a pensioner, formerly a beer cellarrnan to the company, was discharged, after convic- tion by the Stonehouse magistrates for taking a bottle of rum. Marsh after the robbery disappeared. Detective Haeman traced him to Scotland, and then to Neath. Haeman reached Cardiff on Tuesday, and found Marsh in lodgings. He charged him on suspicion with stealing £57 from the Plymouth Breweries. Marsh pleaded ignorance, but Haeman took him to the Cardiff Police-station, and it is alleged that en route Marsh owned up, saying, "I may 3.3 well say I did take the money." On searching Marsh at the station, Haeman, it is stated, found upwards or £ 9, a new silver lever watch, a gold ring and sleeve links, and a silver thimbie. Marsh had provided himself with a new fit-out, and there was plenty of evidence he had been spending freely. Hae- man, with Marsh, arrived at Stonehouse on Wednesday morning. Here Marsh was brought before the bench and charged. The prisoner stated he had nothing to say. Marsh was remanded until Friday in custody. •

KING'S JEWELS SfTO'LEX- EXTRAORDINARY THEFT AT THE BIRMINGHAM ART GALLERY. An extraordinary theft has been committed at the Birmingham Art Gallery. The night watchman discovered that a case, containing the King of Delhi's jewelled crown, his steel sword, the handle of which was covered with gold. and two bracelets, with jewelled finger rings attached, of exquisite workmanship, and of great value, had been prised one,1. The sword handle and one bracelet were stolon, but the thieves left the head-dress, on which are magnificent pearls, untouched. The articles were lent to the corporation for exhibition about sixteen years ago by Captain Meakin, of the 15th Hussars. About four o'clock on Monday afternoon the attendant on duty in the hall looked at the case, and it did not anpetr then to have been 1 interfered with; but there is nothing else, so far, it-o indicate the time at which the theft took place. There are two constables con- tinually engaged as watchmen. The building was closed at nine o'clock on Monday evening, and at. ten o'cljck the constable on night auty comn enced his round. As it happened, he commenced with the industrial-hall, and within five minutes he discovered that. the case had been disturbed, one side evidently having been lifted. In the absence, however, of tlie staff it was impossible to say whether the articles had been feloniously dealt with or had merely bee 1 lunoved for same administrative reason. It was not until Tuesday morning that it was clear that a robbery bad taken place. As far as the evidence goes, it is probable that the articles were taken while the gallery was open to the }lublic. The rticles. to a col- lector. are worth probably £ 2C/2, but, to an illegitimate possessor their value is compara- tively small.

A BUSOES'S-LilKEi COURT. There was an ominous opening to a little breach of premise case before Mr. Justice Dar- ling in Queen's Bench No. 5 on Wednesday morning. By some strange means thirteen jury- men crowded into the box. "May the omen be averted!" gasped Mr. H. C. Richards, Q.C., who had been retained for the fair plaintiff. "Out you come, Mr. Number Thirteen." So the superfluous juryman struggled out, and Mr. Richards began to tell his tale. The plaintiff was Rosetta Read, a Southwick builder's daughter, and the faithless swain bare the name of Frederick Philip Pain, the son of a farmer of South Weald, near Brent- wood. With a happy smile Mr. Richards went on. This was a case, he said, in which the defen- dant had been wise enough, before coming into the cold reality of the Courts of Justice, to admit the promise and to admit the breach. The defendant (continued counsel) was a pain- fully business-like young man, and his "love" letters were as business-like as he was. He evidently looked upon matrimony as a very serious affair in life, and a very brn¡ines!5-like affair. I There was evidence to show that the young man also believed in the necessity of getting a web-furnished cage before buying a, bird to 1 put in it, and there was also evidence to I show But Mr. Richards's eloquence was suddenly nipped in the bud. But Mr. Richards's eloquence was suddenly nipped in the bud. There was a hasty consultation, a loud r chuckle from Mr. Richards, a pause "to con- Pider certain matters of affection," and then an annonncement that the once more happy couple had come to the most pleasing and satisfactory terms. "Very sensible young people," remarked Mr. Justice Darling, and off went the fair plaintiff and her smiling friends.

WOOING A WIDOW. The unwelcome attentions paid to Mrs. Julia Barbara Green, a good-looking widow, in busi- ness at Crouch End, by E. J. Edwards, a Horn- sey clerk, explained the latter's presence in the dock at Highgate on Wednesday. For eighteen months, it was stated, the prisoner had penned passionate declarations of love, which he for- warded. with pamphlets, to Mrs. Green. On one occasion he gave a sidesman in church a missive to hand over to her, in which was an expression of an objectionable nature. Edwards was unknown to the lady, but she had pre- viously met him. Defendant: I will give a most unqualified apology if it is necessary, or if the court thinks it necessary. Mr. Walter Reynolds Ito plaintiff) Did it ever strike you that the letters were other than those of a man who was a little bit out of his mind? Defendant; I am not out of my mind yet. Plaintiff: I regarded them in that light, but they were so numerous that I was frightened. Mr. Reynolds: Having seen the man, are you still afraid of him? Plaintiff; No. Defendant said that he was a married man, and had lost his situation through this. He only sent the letters in answer to messages received from the Jadj". Plaintiff denied that she had ever sent him a message. She saw liim once when he had sent several letters, and he then promised never to send any more. Mr. Walter Reynolds told defendant that he would be bound over in the sum of £10, with one suretyin.610, tobeotgood behaviour for six months, or in default to go prison for four- teen days. Defendant was removed in custody, remark- ing that the only friend he had was himself.

A DESPISED PARTY. Mr. Labouchere takes a cynically frank view of the present position of the Radical party. "I was talking the other day," he says, "to a friend of mine, who has large opnortunities to learn the trend of Radical opinion in the country. I asked him what it was. He replied, 'That you Radicals in Parliament are a poor lot.' In this I am inclined to agree. My experience is that we are always asking others what they think, as though not one of us dared to have an opinion of his own; that, no matter who may own the official umbrella, we are too much inclined to seek shelter under it; that we are given to grumbling, but that when ;t comes to action we are political Hamlets: wa talk thirteen to the dozen, but we have no backbone. -!t shonld he our aim to cease to be so poor a lot that the country despises us."

THE DOCKER S LOAN. On Wednesday, at Whitechapel County-court, a moiwy-lender applied for the committal of a St. Katherine Docks labourer, whose wages were 24s. a week, and who had four young children. Plaintiff: Your Honour, the last time you committed him to Holloway he paid. Defendant. Your Honour, on that occasion the man lent me another pound to pay the bailiff, to prevent him taking me to Holloway. and he charged me 4s. interest on it. (LiMig'hter.) Judge Bacon: Oh, that was the way, was it? (To plaintiff!; His means have been diminished by borrowing frúlU you, so I shall make a new order of 3s. a month.

AN ENTERPRISING BURGLAR. Prank Lewis. a labourer, confessed, at the County of London Sessions to the committal of a- burglary and a robbery in the same night. He stole a tricycle from a shop in AVestbourne- road, and. rode on it to the scene of a former exploit, where, earlier in the evening, he had obtained access to the pantry by removing a sheet of zinc. He had concealed some pro- visions in a ;1e1\ in the garden, hut when he returned to the spot he was arrested by a con- stable, who had discovered the burglary. He WM sentenced to six months' hard labour.

Cardiff Railings Dispute DOCUMENTS RELATING TO THE CASEI. WHAjT THEY DISCLOSEw The copy of pleadings, interrogatories, corre- spondence, &c., in the action brought by the Cardiff Railway Company against the corpo- ration of Cardiff, asked for on the motion of Mr. Edward Thomas at the last meeting of the town council, has been printed, and was in the hands of mo jit of the members on Wednesday evening. On a hasty perusal of the docu- ments, which cover 43 foolscap pages, we fail to discover that any additional light is thrown upon the question in dispute. After wading through correspondence, extracts from Acts of Parliament, proofs of witnesses' evidence, Ac., the members of the council will probably come to the conalusion that the whole is weighed up. and the case put very clearly in the ex- cellent jeport which the town-clerk prepared for them at the last meeting. There can be no doubt that the public have exercised a right-of-way to ths sea at the Pier-head for a great number of years, but the Cardiff Railway Company have certain statutory rights which could not, be ignored. The time to have fought the question was in 1857, when the railway from the pier-head was constructed, ironically enough for the convenience of Mr. John Batchelor, the apostle of freedom, who was one of the proprietors of what is now the Mount Stuart Dry Dock. Surely, it will never he alleged that Mr. Batchelor. to suit his own purpose, allowed the Bute trustees to make a railway which cncroached upon the rights of the public. When the railings were first put up, in 1835, the corporation protested, and they were taken down, but since that time the rail- way has been removed 2fi. 6in. nearer the sea, so that there should be no question of encroach- ment upon the street. A great deal has been mad" of the refusal of the plaintiffs to answer a certain interrogative, and it is argued that if the ease had been fought some important evidence would be forthcoming in the interests of the public. The interrogatory referred to asked when the right of access to the sea and landing-slip had been obstructed, and the plaintiffs argued that that was a matter of evidence Hnd not material to the defendants' case. In face of the sei-Hement, which gives right of access to the sea in perpetuity, what object could possibly be gained by fighting the case in order to get a.n answer to such a, ques- tion? PLAINTIFFS' STATEMENT OF CLAIM. The first document which appears is ths application by the Cardiff Railway Company for an injunction restraining the defendants from trespassing upon lands and works of the plaintiffs on the south side of Stuart-street, and from pulling down, damaging, or interfer- ing with the wall or fence in course of erec- tion between the plaintiffs' railway and Stuart-street. This was followed by a state- ment of claim delivered on the 24th of Febru- ary. 1898, in which the plaintiffs set forth that they and their predecessors ill title had been for upwards cf forty years in possession of, as part of their undertaking, certain lands "at or near a place called the pierhead, and extending thence in a westerly direction and bounded in part. on or towards the north by a piece of land which some years since, but after the conslruction of the railway, was laid out as a street, and is now known as Stuart-street." The railwaL which forms a means oÏ communi- cation between tbe Taff Vale Railway and the Mount Sklart Graving Dock and other works, was erected in or about the year 1857, and the plaitniffs claimed that the site of that railway never formed part of Stuart-street. Shortly before the trespass complained of. the plaintiffs caused the railway to be moved slightly to tlie southward, and "in exercise of the nowprs conferred upon them by the Acts of Parliament relating to the Bute Docks, and for enclosing their docks and wor1i5 erected a substantial iron fence or railing with a gateway and gate therein." After stating that the defendants by force and violence unlaw- fully destroyed the said fence, the plaintiffs apply for a1; injunction restraining them from trespassing in future and claiming damages. THE DEFENCE. A long statement of defence was delivered on June 12 laot, the defendants alleging that the railway, instead of the being the property of the company when it was constructed, passed across a part of Stuart-street and the southern end of Bute-road. They also denied that the railing's were erect9d within the limits of the: plaintiffs' land or were so erected in exercise of the powers conferred upon the plaintiffs by Act of Parliament. The defendants also claimed on behalf of the public a lawful common public highway to and from the sea- shore and the landing-slip. THE INTERROGATORIES. Then followed the usual interrogatories and answers, which are fully given. The defen- dants asked when Bute-street and Stuart-street were laid out; when the railway was made, and how it was first worked; when persons desiring to pass to and from Bute-road or Stuart-strest to tho sea or landing-slip was prevented; "by wEom and by what authority was the landing-slip erected, and before it was erected did not members of the public land from and embark into boats on the shore at or near the landing-slip and pass thence to and from the town of Cardiff. The answers to these. queries were not sworn until Deoember 7 last, when Mr. Henry A. Roberts, secretary to the plaintiff company, stated that the southern portion of Bute- street and Stuart-street were not formed before the end of 1857 or early in 1858. The railway was made about the same time on the site of a previously existing railway, and was for a short time worked by horses. The plaintiffs declined to answer when persons desiring to pass to and from the sea and landing-slip were prevented on the ground "that the mat- ters inquired after are not material or relevant to the defendants' case, and do not tend to support the defendants' case or disprove the plaintiffs' case, and that the interrogatory inquiries after the details of the evidence to be given on the part of the plaintiffs at the trial of this action. This is the question upon which the application was made to the court, and the decision was that the interrogatory should be answered. With regard to the land- ing slip the plaintiffs stated that it was con- structed in or about the year 1841, by the late Marquess of Bute, under the powers of the Acts 11 George IV. and 1 William IV. cap. 133 (local) and 4 William IV., cap. 19 (local), or one of them in connection with the construction and for the purposes of the Bute West Dock, and for the use of persons resorting thereto. Mr. Roberts states that. to the best of his in- formation and belief, all members of the public have not ever since the landing-slip was erected used and enjoyed a common public highway to pass from Bute-street and Stuart- street to the slip and the seashore; neither did they land from or embark from boats on the shore ab or near the site of the landing-slip. PLAINTIFFS' PARLIAMENTARY POWERS, Then follows extracts from certain Acts of Parliament relating to the construction and maintenance of the Bute Docks and approaches thereto. The most important is the Act of 1865, by which the dock owners were "to luaintain and manage the docks and (inter alia) the Steam Packet Harbour and the landing-places, stages, slips, railways, tramways, sidings, Ac., immediately before this Act comprised in the trust term, or belonging to the present trustees of the trust term. Section 54 of the same Act gave the undertakers power "from time to time to wall in, or otherwise enclose, in such manner as they may think fit, all or any of the docks and works, provided that the undertakers, subject to and in accordance with their reasonable regulations in that behalf. I from time to time in force, shall afford to mer- chants and others entitled to or having charge of any goods deposited at the docks or works. all proper and sufficient access thereto." Subsequent Acts confirm the powers obtained under the Act of 1865, and extend similar powers to other works. It is not neces- sary to quote them because they throw little or no light upon the question in dispute. LOCAL BOARD MINUTES. The minutes of the Cardiff Local Board of Health show that on the 29th of December, 1857. it was resolved "that a pavement be laid on the south side of Stuart-street from the Wind- sor Hotel to the railway." In March, 1858, Stuart-street and the south end of Bute-street opposite the packet slip were declared highways. These minutes show that the railway was in existence in 1857, and that it interfered with the continuance of the pavement in a straight line from the Windsor Hotel to the eastern aide of Bute-street. Then follow a long list of dues taken by the plaintiffs in respect of wharfage at the landing-slip between 1852 and 1897, which show that the right to levy those charges has been exercised under Act of Parliament for 45 years. Correspondence between Messrs. Batchelor Bros. and Mr. J. Walker on behalf of the Bute trustees, dated 1857, proves that the railway in question was made at the request of the former, who then owned a portion of what is now the Mount Stuart Dry Dock. Nothing further bear- ing upon the case happened until the early part of 1895, when railings were erected from the docks of the company to the Mount Stuart Dry Decks. Although the plaintiffs claimed that those railings were on private property, they removed them after a protest made by the corporation. EVIDENCE FOR THE CORPORATION. The document issued on Wednesday night includes the evidence of the chief witnesses for the corporation, among them being the town- clerk and borough engineer. Mr. Harpur was to have produced plans and photographs of the locality, and describe what took place on the 5th of December, 1897, when the railings were demolished. According to his proof he was expected to say: — "Although the committee enjoined strict secrecy in reference to the matter someone had evidently made known to a section of the public what was going to take place, as there ,as a large gathering of men and two pressmen 1 present upon the arrival of the corporation men, and thesa people, to some extent, interfered with the operation of the corporation men, and hampered them in the execution of their work, helping themselves to the tools which; had been brought for the use of the corpora- tion men, and witness soon found some of these men assailing the part of the railings in Stuart-street where it was not intended to be removed, and immediately stopped them, but not until certain damage had been done by them. The removal of the fence was then continued, and by about 12.45 the fencing was completely down. Then a second time witness found some of these strange men assailing the fencing in Stuart-street, and the second time stopped them." This paragraph shows very clearly how it is that the corporation have to re-erect a portion of the railings, but the two pressmen who are accused of interfering with the work and help- ing themselves to the tools will probably have something to say to Mr. Harpur when they meet him. As a matter of fact, there were four pressmen present, and their time was too fully occupied in the performance of their legitimate business to allow them to assist in the demolition of the railings. That work was done by the Radical contingent from Cathays. The evidence of several old inhabitants is also given, and they state, of course, that they always had free access to the sea at the point, in question. Altogether the corporation had 45 witnesses, but. to save expense, only a. few proofs have been published. The others can be seen at the town-clerk's office at any time. The terms of settlement and the town- clerk's report (which have already been pub- lished) are also given, and they show clearly that the representatives of the town have effected a settlement which is wholly satisfac- tory. as it ensures for the town all that was asked for.

Burial Fees at Cardiff. THE MAN WHO EMPLOYS THE MINISTERS, INFORMING CHATS WITH TWO UNDERTAKERS. Thanks to the efforts of the Cardiff Minis- terial Union to make a, corner" in interment fees, a pcor'man's burial is becoming a matter of seme imp0rtance. A poor Inán alive is less valuable than a passable horse. The latter can always fetch his price, but Carlyle said truly that the world can afford to pay a good round sum to the man who will simply engage to go and hang himself. But if the man does not hang himself and prefers to die a natural death, then, unless his friends can attach him to some par- ticular denomination, the Ministerial Union follows him up for the financial spoils of hi3 obsequies. The situation is well defined in the following letter from the ministerial Trades Unionists, and which was read at Tuesday's meeting of the burial board committee: — Gentlemen,—In view of the present unsatis- factory and individual system of conducting unappropriated Nonconformist interments at the cemetery, the Ministerial Union, at its last meeting, after a long and careful discission of the whole question, drew up the following reso- lutions —By resolution four we desire that the conduct of all unappropriated funerals, i.e.. those of persons who, though not members in any of our Free Churches, yet desire the dead to be buried by Free Cnurch ministers, should be regulated by rota. This rota has been drawm up. and as soon as it has been received from. the printers I will forward you a copy. On behalf of the union I write to ask the burial board to co-operate with us and to express its approval of the proposed system, whereby dis- order and irregularities may be avoided.—I am, yours sincerely, RICHARD J. REES. Secretary Cardiff Ministerial Union. This letter the committee discussed in the light, burial board vein, which is in such contrast to tho weighty deliberations of the cabs com- mittee. It is now the custom that the under- taker engages the minister, so to the under- takers our reporter went for information. He saw two, and, fortunately, they were in the humour to talk. Both wore the regulation silk hat. One was followed by a retriever, not unlike the old-fashioned ostrich feather plume, and the other by a Pomeranian—in half- mourning, as it were. The gentleman with the Pomeranian was the first to be interviewed. When first seen and disturbed in a current of meditative thought he looked up, and, without any surprise, and even after being informed of the object of the visit, said: "Have you been to the Bristol pantomime?" and sang in a subdued voice a comic ditty the refrain to which was, "It takes a lot of thatl to upset me." Asked what be had to say about the letter of the Ministerial Union, the undertaker took from his mouth a big cigar, and, after a long puff, remarked with great delibeTation:- "To begin with, there has been no com- plaint about the ministerial arrangements aK the cemetery. Personally, we have never had any complaints about the ministers we employ, as we always employ 'recognised' ministers. like the Rev. Mr. Griffiths (Baptist minister, Woodville-road), the Rev. W. Spur- geon, or one of the Wesleyan ministers. I think Mr. Spurgeon is in the Ministerial Union. I don't know about Mr. Griffiths. So far as I can see. the burial board has no powe. to co-operate with the Ministerial Union." "It is said that undertakers make a bit out of the fees?" "I will stake my professional reputation thai I have never in my life made a penny piece out of these ministers. The fact of the matter is that the week before last I had thirty-two funerals out of a possible forty-five, and when an Independent minister was wanted we en- gaged Mr. Griffiths, or Mr. Spurgeon, or one of the Wesleyan ministers. The present arrangement as to fees for the burial of 'un- appropriated' Nonconformists was made by thø very Ministerial Union which is now causing all the bother. Formerly, it was sometime* difficult to get a minister. One would say h. had another appointment, or Mr. So-and«s< was away. and there was a good deal of delay occasionally through waiting for a minister. Now if the minister is going away he calls at the office, and says 'I shan't be home for some days—it may be for a week; give the job to someone else.' We can't be dictated to by the Ministerial Union. The idea is preposte- l'OUS." "What are the fees now?" "Well, these people applied to the burial board to collect the fees, and for every 5s. per funeral the board charges 3d. for collecting." "What about Church of England funerals?" "Oh, they are paid in accordance with the parish. In St. John's.it is 7s. 4d. for the clergy- man and 4s. for the sexton, and in Canton 7s. 4d. for the clergyman, but with no sexton. In Roath the fee is 5s. for the parson and 3s. for the sexton, and they are on the same foot- ling as everybody else. If a person likes to have a particular minister, no man can say him nay." "Take the Roman Ca/tholic priests. How do they come in?" "Oh, all right. They take the 5s. 2d., which is sent to them direct." "And why are they allowed to have the full amount, without any deduction for commis- sion?" "They collect their own money, and do very well." "Why should they have the full amount, whilst the others-" Here the man of funerals before the sentence! could be finished interjected an emphatic There you are What is the usual course ? Well, this. Suppose a man comes in here and says he hasn't been long in the town. and doesn't belong to any chapel; he then asks, 'I suppose you have a. regular minister to do funerals?' I says, 'Yes'; and he answers, 'I shall be obliged to leave it to you.' The funeral contractor grew very warm aa the interview came to a close. He said he wouldn't be dictated to by the "blinking" burial board, and that he proposed to issue forms, in which those who signed them would, for the sake of convenience and despatch, accept the ministerial services of the pastors he provided. Another leading undertaker—the master of the retriever—epoke to the same effect. Speak- ing interrogatively, he said: — "There has been no complaints; and why shouldn't everyone have his own minister? The present system has gone on right enough and without interruption for the last 30 years; and if application is made to the superintendent of the cemetery or the manager he will say that it has been satisfactory. A permanent minis- ter for those funerals would be very advan- tageous, and would save a lot of running about, because a- solitary minister would not be likely to forget his duty. It was a rare thing for a man to be buried without something in the form of prayer being said over his grave. On the Nonconformist side 5s. had to be paid for interments, of which the minister had 4s. 9d, and the 'burial board the balance.' "The priests have the 5s. on their own?" "They won't put up with commission. Make as much of that as you like. I don't care what you do." How things change. People of no religion in particular used to be labelled "Church of England." Such. after death, are now claimed by the Cardiff Ministerial Union. A meeting of the executive of the Cardiff Trades Council was held on Wednesday night. The proceedings were private. A pressman buttonholed the president (Mr. W. R. Thomas) as he was coming out, and in a chat as to the strength of the organisation Mr. Thomas said they had now 112 members, representing about 11,700 bona fide working men. Discussion upon Trades Unionism naturally led up to the latest development in connection with the "Ministerial Union." Mr. Thomas denied that any of these rev. gentlemen had been admitted to membership, but at the same time he saw no reason why they should not be included in the Trade Unionist ranks. They certainly had as much right as other people to look after their pecuniary interests, and, provided they were bona, fide Trades Unionists, he failed to see why they should not be repre- sented, if they applied, upon the Trade* QotmoiL.