South Wales Daily News

02. TO CORRESPONDENTS. We desire to impress upon our representatives and friends the absolttte neeessity of sending in their reports immediately, so that they may appear upon the morning of the day following

PIBDA Y, MARCH 1, 1872. THE debates in both Houses of Parliament were interrupted last night by an announcement which created the greatest excitement, and elicited in a marked manner expressions of loyalty and regard for the person of the Sovereign. In the Lords Earl GRANVILLE, and in the Commons Mr. GLADSTONE, informed the members that a futile attempt had been made upon the life of the QUEEN, by a youth about nineteen or twenty years of age. It ap- pears that as Her MAJESTY was about to enter Buckingham Palace, a pistol was presented close to her head, probably in a spirit of weak bra- vado such as frequently characterises the action of narrow and imbecile minds. One account asserts that the weapon was loaded, and another that it was not, and was of such a worn-out character, as to render its discharge extremely hypothetical even if it had contained a cartridge. The occurrence, however, was none the less calcu- culated to occasion alarm, and the act, which will doubtless turn out to be of a wanton rather than a malicious nature, naturally enough excited consi- derable indignation. Her MAJESTY retained her equanimity, and the incident will serve to intensify those feelings of affection for her person which, on Tuesday, were manifested in so extraordinary a de- gree by all classes. This now notorious candidate for a gaol or lunatic asylum is named O'CONNOR, and it is said that papers having reference to Fenianism were found upon him. In default of full information we are led to conclude that the youth was simply a mischievous vagabond intent upon attracting attention to himself, and possibly the judicious administration of a birch-rod will best meet the case should it turn out that he is not a confirmed idiot. How he managed to gain access to the courtyard is not apparent, but the occur- rence may well suggest the exercise of greater pre_ caution in future, with a view to the protection of the Sovereign from insult and attack. In Cardiff the intelligence, which reached us shortly after seven o'clock, created much excitement, and the Rector of St. John's, informed of the event by a telegram from the office of this journal, offered up a prayer of thankskgiving at the close of the evening service, then being held, for the preser- vation of the QUEEN, in which the congregation devoutly joined.

THE Tories are determined to struggle against their fate and offer to the last an impotent opposition to all legislation connected with the Ballot. Last night in the House of Commons, Sir MICHAEL HICKS BEACH sought to upset the arrangements made by the Government with reference to the Parliamentary and Municipal Elections Bill and the Corrupt Practices Bill, which, as the public are aware, are separate measures and referred to different committees. Speaking on behalf of his party, the hon. member for East Gloucestershire asserted that the Ballot would lead to an increase of personation, and moved that both the Bills be dealt with by one committee. One of the objects which the Obstructive clique has in view, is to prevent the Ballot Bill passing into law this ses- sion, in the belief that an election is imminent, and that their purposes may be more readily accomplished under the present system. The usual objections were raised, as for instance that the Bill would Americanise" our political institutions, and was decidedly un-English. The discussion was, however, simply a waste of time, and although an ostensible desire to secure greater purity of elec- tion led to the motion, it became evident, as the debate progressed, tliaqthe real purpose was to delay legislation. Mr. GLADSTONE dealt with the sub- ject in an exceedingly temperate way, and evinced a disposition to adopt a policy of conciliation. But as the Corrupt Practices Bill is confessedly immature, and liable to objection on many points, it would be extremely unwise to jeopardise the Par- liamentary Elections Bill by coupling it with a scheme which will possibly be greatly amended before it becomes law. Mr. DISRAELI, who evidently saw that there was no chance of carrying the amendment, suggested a compromise, and it was ultimately withdrawn. Another attempt on the part of the Tories to check the tide of pro- gressive legislation has therefore been frustrated, and the purposes of the Government confirmed.

THE proceedings connected with Thanksgiving day have had so much interest for the public, that an announcement of the death of the last sur- viving son of BURNS, appears to have attracted very little attention. And yet the event is worthy of more than passing notice. The veteran officer who died a few days ago, was a connecting link between the present generation and the Plough- man-Poet whose influence over the hearts of mankind is growing stronger as the period in which he lived and quickened with his stirring songs the nation's pulse, and fired the sons of Scot- land with a keener hope of freedom, waxes more remote. In an era when we are liable to be charged with a neglect of poetry and a fondness for scien- tific research and mere matter-of-fact philosophy, we may well pause, for a moment, cast a retrospec- tive glance along the corridors of Time, and conjure up the young Exciseman and his children in the home where poverty of means was made tke more unbearable because associated with a plethora of intellectual wealth. It was a placid, uneventful life that WILLIAM NICOL BURNS, the octogenarian son of the Ayrshire Bard, lived both on active service and in retirement. The second of three sons,— the eldest of whom died many years ago, and the youngest in 1865,—the quiet, unassuming Anglo- Indian Colonel, passed much of his time at Cheltenham, residing in a modest mansion, wherein were carefully preserved an old-fashioned bureau, at which his distinguished father wrote Tam o' Shanter," and, among other things, a picture, presented to the Poet, in illustration of his "Cottar's Saturday Night." The subject, though not treated by a master's hand, had a special interest. As in the Poet's songs so in this humble work of art, the opposite phases of solemity and merriment, sorrow and laughter find expression. BURNS, his wife, and two of his sons are depicted in it; and at the table sits a venerable patriarch reading the I I big ha' Bible. The poet wears a sober and staid aspect, but WILLIAM NICOL, ap- parently about three years old, is engaged in cut- ting the cat's tail off with a pair of scissors. The gallant officer who was laid at rest amid kindred dust on Wednesday, was the youngster who per- performed the act, and allusion to the incident may be pardoned as affording evidence of the fact that in his case the child stood parent to the man, for his love of fun and the happiness of isposition never forsook him in old age. Of late an invalid and going very seldom abroad, he was renowned for his genial disposition and discriminate bene- volence and although he had long outlived many of his early friends, and after the loss of his brother, who resided with him, he became very much depressed, he was fond of social life, and went about doing good among the poor up to a very recent period before his death. To the inhabitants of Wales, fond as they are and prizing dearly the reminiscences of poets who lived and died identified with the People, the reflections, to which the occurrence we record must necessarily give rise, will have a special charm. They are better able than almost any other countrymen, except the Scotch themselves, to ap- preciate the undying songs of BURNS. Haters of oppression, in every form, kind and humane, having a contempt for hypocrisy and pre- tence, disgusted with shams, and thoroughly imbued with a sense of independence, this hasty mention of the severance of a tie be- tween this age and that to which the Poet belonged, will awaken anew the feelings of rever- ence with which they regard his memory and the admiration excited by his splendid fame. Let us hope that there are yet among the People poets whose destiny it is to wake to ecstasy the living lyre to stimulate a love of freedom to counter- act the degenerating influence of an undue regard for material advantages exalt the mind, purify the soul, and awaken that patriotism which in the hour of danger shall arise with a moral force superior to the mere physical prowess of armies, and stand a. wall of fire around our much-loved isle." f

THE RECENT ACCIDENT TO LADY KER. Although the present hunting season has so far proved one of the dullest on record, it has unhappily been marred by more than the average number of accidents. The latest, that to Lady CHARLES INNES i- KER, has deprived the Court of one of its beauties, society of an ornament, and brought the deepest sorrow and anxiety on her husband and their children. Lady CHARLES KER is the youngest daughter of Mr. PEERS WILLIAMS, of Temple, is sister to Lady D AX GAN and f to Colonel OWEN WILLIAMS, of tho Blues. She married j in 1860 Lord CHARLES INNES KEn, Captain in the Scots Fusilier Guards, and second son of the Duke of Box- f BURGHE. She was a splendid horsewoman, as the habitues of Rotten Row will remember and in this re- spect she probably excelled her husband, who is himself an equestrian of no mean ability. The poor lady's horse fell with her, and in endeavouring to regain its feet the animal inflicted a fatal kick upon its rider's skull. Her Majesty, with whom the deceased was all especial favorite, has been deeply afflicted by this melancholy event. The unfortunate lady is connected with several leading families in Wales.

PENARTH HARBOUR, DOCK, AND i RAILWAY. The thirty-second half-yearly meeting of the pro- prietors of the company was heldl at the Royal Hotel, yesterday. Mr. W. S. Cartwright, chairman, presided but in consequence of the absence of the required num- ber of proprietors, the meeting did not begin at the time announced. After waiting an hour, The CHAIRMAN said after waiting the time required by the Companies Clauses Act, and not a sufficient number of proprietors being present to form a quorum* the only duty that meeting could perform was to de- i clare a dividend, which had been recommended by the directors, of 4 per cent. per annum, to be paid upon the 6th of March next. That was the only business they eeuld then go into; and he proposed that they should adjourn that meeting pro forma until to- morrow, and then if there were a sufficient number of proprietors at that meeting, they would proceed to elect directors and auditor. The retiring directors were Messrs. John Nixon, H. J. Evans, and Lient.-Colonel Hunt, and the retiring auditor, Mr. James Sydney Batchelor and if a meeting was not held to-morrow- as was probable, for if the proprietors did not assemble to-day, they would not then-those gentlemen would continue directors and auditor for the ensuing half- l year. He conld not allow that opportunity to pass, although they were not a quorum, without expressing, both on his own behalf and on behalf of his colleagues, thir extreme regret at the loss they had sustained by the death of their Chairman (hear, hear). No gentleman, f by any possibility, from the formation of the company < to tha time of his death, could have devoted more care and anxiety, or have given more practical sterling help to the undertaking than Mr. Crawshay Bailey and he assured them most sincerely that the company had lost a most valuable director by the lamented de- cease of that gentleman (hear, hear). There had been periods in the history of the company when the assist- ance rendered by the late chairman had been of an eminently valuable character, and of the greatest ad- vantage to the company and, he repeated, that in every respect the company had suffered a great loss in the death of Mr. Crawshay Bailey (hear, hear). j. Lieat.-Colonel CLIVE seconded the motion. T The report of the directors for the half-year past was to the following effect 1 The Directors recommend a dividend for the half-year at the rate of 4 per cent. per annum, payment thereof to be made on the 6th of March next. Since the last half- yearly meeting the directors have, in common with the proprietary, deeply to regret the death of their late chair- man, Mr. Crawshay Bailey. His invariable attention to the interests of the company from its formation, and the very many important services which he has rendered during its former period of difficulties, must cause his loss to be deeply lamented by the proprietary, as it is by his colleagues on the Board of Direction. The directors have had much pleasure in electing Mr, Crawshay Bailey, of Mandiff Court, Abergavenny, to the seat at the Board vacant by his father's death. Two meetings in the arbi- tration with the assignees of Messrs. Smith and Knight, have been held since the date of the last report, and every endeavour of your directors is being, and will be, made to bring this matter to a conclusion. The directors who re- tire in order are Messrs. Nixon, Evans, and Lieut-Colonel Hunt, who are eligible and offer themselves for re-election. The retiring auditor is Mr. James Sydney Batchelor, who likewise offers himself for re-election.

FUNERAL OF A SON OF BURNS. William Nieol Burns, the second of the three sons of Robert Burns, who survived infancy, died at his resi- dence at Cheltenham, a few days ago, in his 82nd year, and was buried on Wednesday. Like his younger bro- ther, James, who died in November, 1865, William was an officer in the East India Company's service, from which he retired on full pay nearly thirty years ago. His elder brother, Robert, died at Dumfries about ten years since. Till within a year or two, William en- joyed remarkably good health, and latterly succumbed rather to the increasing burdens of years than to any definite complaint. He was a quiet, mild-tempered, kindly, but gonial and gentlemanly Old Indian," with none of the fiery characteristics of his father, and with little or none of his literary genius. He left the mili- tary service with the reputation of an efficient soldier, and enjoyed his leisure and the society of his nieces with little variation on the social and domestic routine of such a place as Cheltenham, beyond an annual visit to Dumfries or Edinburgh, a short Highland tour, or a trip to London. Having been only five years of age at the time of his father's death, Colonel Burns's recollec- tion of him were but slight. Colonel Burns was buried on Wednesday in the Mausoleum, at Dumfries, besides his illustrious father, and where his mother, the immortal Jane Armour, and his two brothers are also interred. Col. Burns was named William Nicol after his father's friend, the master in the Hi"h School of Edinburgh, one of the trio celebrated in 11 Willio brew'd a peck o' maut."

KIDWELLY. A MESSAGE FROM THE SEA.—William Davies, an in- habitant of this place, while walking on the beach re- cently, pickad up a bottle, with the words" Dorset and Hazell, Champagne Gingerade, Barnstaple," inscribed on the glass. and a scrip of tobacco paper with the following words writren with black-lead inside The brig was lost last night, 25th of January. All hands lost; I am float- ing on a spar.—GEO. BROWN."

ABERDARE. EXPLOSION.—On Wednesday an explosion took placi at No. 9 pit, Abernant. Four men were burnt, two of them very badly, but fortunately there was no fatal case- The pit is a mile out of town, on the border of a wood, which seemed to conceal the sad circumstance, for it hardly knewn in town till evening. Cases of this are very rare in Abernant collieries. MORE THAN INTENDED.—A few days ago bills *e?e issued announcing a lecture from Dr. Price, in which b» proposes to give an account of what he saw in Londo«> and of the doings in St. Paul's on Thanksgiving Dtf' Another bill we are informed has now appeared, evident^ not under the Doctor's auspices. The bill alludes to t»« proposed lecture of the Doctor, and adds that he will te his hearers how the people's money is spent in pomp an extravagance. t1 A PROLIFIC FAMILY.-rA few days ago a working and his wife in this neighbourhood buried their seven teenth child. Their eighteenth child still survives to com v fort them for their many losses. n THE LATE MB. A. J, MORRIS.—Steps are being fe. in this town by a local committee to forward the na0f f ment of raising a sufficient sum of money to provide » I the education of his two sons in the London Oi'V* Asylum.