Pontypool Free Press and Herald of the Hills

APOPLEXY MISTAKEN FOR DRUNKEN- NESS. Dr. Hardwicke has held an inquest at Bloomsbury, London, concerning the death of a man whose name is unknown. Police-con stable T. Holland said that he found the deceased lying on the ground near the National Gallery, in a stupefied state. He asked him what was the matter, when he replied that it was all right. Believing that the man was suffering from drink, he took him into custody, and when they arrived near the Criterion Theatre ho was un- able to walk any further, upon which he was sent to Vine Street Police-station, where he was charged with being drunk and incapable, after which he was placed in one of the cells. Inspector Wm. Hume said that he visited the deceased in his cell, and found that he was asleep. On visiting him some half an hour afterwards he found him breathing with diffi- culty, upon which he sent for the division police surgeon (Dr. Waters), who, after seeing him, ordered his removal to the infirmary, where he was taken in an ambulance, and the next day he was told of his death.—Dr. Samuel Lloyd, medical officer of the St. Giles's Workhouse, said he saw the deceased soon after his admission, and he was then in an insensible condition. The next morning the deceased died. He had since made a post-mortem examination, and found that death was from a fit of apoplexy. He could quite understand if the police smelt that the deceased had taken drink they might have been mistaken about the case. It was one of those cases in which it would be difficult for the police'to make out the symptoms, as it was slow apoplexy.—The coroner said this was another instance which showed that it was quite a mistake to treat such persons as the deceased had been. done. There ought to be a separate room, where such persons could be attended to with care by a a medical man.—Ihe jury returned a verdict in ac- cordance with the medical evidence.

FEARFUL ACCIDENT IN A MENAGERIE. A fearful accident has just taken place at Messrs. Sanger's, Hall-by-the-Sea, at Margate. For some time the proprietor has been exhibiting a wild beast show, and amongst the animals is a leopard. Upon the day in question, a little girl, who belongs to Lon- don, was feeding the leopard with cake, and, after taking several pieces the animal seized the child by the arm near the shoulder, and, to the horror of t¡' bystanders, began literally to eat the limb. women near shrieked for assistance, and some b( to drag the child away by the frock, causing her cruciating pain. Providentially assistance was at hand, but it was ohly-after the animal had been stunned that it released its hold. The child was taken to Dr. Young, of Cecil Street, Margate, who found that the upper part of her arm had been completely pierced by the leopard's teeth, and that the flesh of the forearm was hanging in shreds. She waa sub- sequently conveyed to London, where it is stated the limb has been amputated.

WHOLESALE ATTEMPTED ESCAPE OF CONVICTS. A very exciting scene was witnessed on Tuesday afternoon at Princetown, a village adjoining the Dartmouth convict prison. A large number of convicts were employed haymaking on the prison farm, and just as they were giving up work for the day suddenly eight of them, evidently by precon- certed arrangement, threw down their rakes and forks, scrambled through the hedge of the farm, and dashed across the moor, which here spreads out in a wide expanse. Then the chase began, a party of Warders and the prison guard started off in pursuit, and chased the escaping convicts over the stony hillocks and through the bogs with which the neighbourhood abounds, firing upon them foot intervals with their rifles. One was quickly brought down and recaptured, and three others were wounded and caught. The rest crossed the river—a branch of the Dart—hotly pursued by a posse of warders. Two Were stopped by some contractor's workmen, and the two others were speedily run down, the whole not occupying more than an hour. One of the convicts was a desperate character, who got away, and managed to elude pursuit for a week two years ago. The attempt was a very fool-hardy one, for the weather was perfectly clear, and there Was no appearance of one of those fogs which so often come down suddenly on Dartmoor, and aid materially the chances of escape, besides which, the field in which the convicts were working was overlooked by an armed picket guard, so that the runaways were scarcely out of siarht for a minute at any time.

KILLED BY A WITCH.—GROSS SUPERSTITION. A case of gross superstition, which ended fatally, came before the magistrates of Poitiers, the other day. At Pressigny, in Poitou, lives a family called Robouam, who have been sorcerers from father to Bon and from mother to daughter for generations. When the pursuits of witchcraft leave them time they do a little market gardening, but their chief revenue is derived from the ignorance, terror, and superstition of their neighbours. As they had the reputation of being able to heal the incurable and to cast spells on those who offended them they seldom met with offence. The most powerful representative of the Robouam family at present is a female witch. She undertook to cure a woman from near Poitiers of a tumour, and to that end ordered her a plasty on chest. The tho was such that tne patient was seized the same night with violent vomit- ing. She swelled up from head to foot, became olly paralysed, and expired after intense suffering. The charm that had thus worked so cruelly uponher was composed chiefly of arsenic, so that she died from Poison. The sorceress for this fatal conjuring has been sentenced to 50f. fine and one year's imprisonment.

A CONVICT'S EXPERIENCE. Thomas Scrampton, who wasconvictedat Leicester in 1875 of arson, and sentenced by Baron Bramwell to twelve years penal servitude, and who it will be remembered, received a free pardon from the Home Secretary a short time back, has since his release been interviewed by the Leicester correspondent of a con- temporary. Scrampton states that after his conviction, he spent thirteen days in the Leicester prison before he was removed to Pentonville, and during that fort," night, but for the kindly administrations of the Kev. A. A. Isaacs, he thinks he must have gone mad, especially when he thought of the nature oi the evidence which had been the cause of his conviction and the prospect of years of separation from a young wife, (to whom he had only just been married) and innumerable friends. From Leicester he was re- moved to Pentonville, and here he underwent nine Months' probation on the solitary and silent system. He worked at a loom in his own cell, in which he lived and slept, and never left but an hour every 24 hours for airing and exercise and for devo- tion. After enduring nine months and two days of this life, Scrampton was removed to Brixton, where, he states, he was very comfortable for about five months. Scrampton's occupation here was that of colouring maps. At the end of five months he Was removed to Portland, where an entire change in the system of prison government was observed Scrampton states that he suffered terribly in that prison. On the memorable day when the order came for the removal of the convict to Leicester, Scrampton Was working a mile away from the prison, his occu- pation there being that of pushing trolleys, wheeling harrows along planks, working up to his chest in a clay pit, from which he had frequently to be pulled out. He complains bitterly of his treatment while in that prison, and believes that he must have died Under the treatment had he been kept there a few Months longer. He made a resolution that if he out- lived his punishment he would expose the system of prison discipline observed in that establishment. Scrampton, since he has been liberated, has met with Congratulations on all sides.

A large porpoise has been caught by the fishermen at Boston Scaups, and taken to the Brighton Aqua- rium, where it was deposited in the large tank. Five Italians were killed and six wounded in an Encounter with sheriffs' officers, at a coal mine in Nevada, on Sunday the 17th ult. They were part of a gang of coal-burners, and were armed. The fight Was a desperate one. None of the officers were injured. The sheriff went to levy a warrant at the time. A considerable stir has been caused in Stockton, *n consequence of 300 men being locked out of tho Workhouse stoneyard, The men, all of whom have ves and families, went in a body to the office of the relieving officer and demanded relief. A mass < Meeting was subsequently held, but no breach of the peace was committed. A lodger ip Wright's Temperance Hotel, Catherine Street Edinburgh) has committed suicide by shooting himself. He is supposed to be named A. W. Haxton, and to have parents residing in Markinch, Fife, to Whom he has left a letter stating that he had found hfe not worth living for, and asking their for- giveness. Mr. Brough Smyth, formerly chief inspector of the gold fields of South Australia, has examined the Wynaad gold field, and reported to the Government that not much gold is left in the alluvial deposits, hut that the quartz reefs of that district contain more Sold than many of those which have been successfully WO'kcq iu Australia.

ST. LUKE'S CHURCH, PONTNEWYNYDD. SERMONS BY THE RECTOR OF MERTHYR, The special services in connection with the open- ing of the above church were continued on Sunday last, when sermons were preached by the Rev John Griffith, Rector of Merthyr. At the time appoint- ed for the commencement of morning worship the sacred edifice was crowded to excess, and for large numbers sitting accommodation was impossible to be provided, and many were content to stand du- ring the whole of the service. It may well be said that the preacher's "fame is in all the churches," for a scrutiny of the congregation on Sunday morn- ing would reveal the fact that the Dissenters were in the majority. The Service and Lessons for the day were read by the resident vicar, the Rev. D. O. Davies, at the conclusion of which The Rector of Merthyr announced as his text the 5th verse of the 5th chapter of St. Luke: "And Simon, answering, said unto Him, Master, we have toiled all the night, and have taken nothing nevertheless, at Thy word, I will let down the net." The preacher remarked that each succeeding Sun- day since Trinity Sunday the Church had marked out for them certain portions of scripture taken from the gospels. Sometimes it was a parable, or an incident in the life of their Blessed Lord; and how much was there in them which Christian men and women ought to do, and out of which they should learn lessons for life ? His text was one such passage, known as the Miracle of the great Draught of Fishes, and from it there were two points to which he would have those present to attend-first, the efficacy of faith under apparently hopeless circumstances; and second, perseve- rance in well-doing. Upon the first point, the preacher observed that Simon was an old fisher- man, and was acquainted with the custom of the sea. He 1. 1 +.1- Jesus said, let down your nets for a a. all due respect Peter might have sL, Master, that cannot be; the time for fislnw past; the sun is already high; the fish would be- come frightened, and would run away; and, more than that, I have good reason to think that there are no fish here, for we have been toiling all night, and under circumstances in other respects very favourable, and yet we have taken nothing." He might have said that, for everything would have been quite reasonable. But he made no reply. The nets were again thrown into the deep, and they were soon rewarded with so great a draught of fishes that they thought the nets would break, and were obliged to call for assistance. So mar- vellous, indeed, was the draught, that the fishes filled two boats, until they were both ready to sink. In this incident they saw the efficacy of faith under apparently hopeless circumstances. By way of applying his subject he would say to the young people present that there were difficulties in the manner in which they were taught and in the books which they read. For many years he had been preaching education, and when it was thought to be a most mischievous thing. While there were many good books, there were many books that would lead them astray-infidel books —books that men and women ought to know better than to publish. These books would tell them that the incident of his text, that Simon's obedience was not due to his faith, but out of compliment to Christ; it was out of mere respect to Him that he obeyed his command. Among those present there might possibly be underground workmen and others. He would ask them if, after working hard all night, they were ready to pay compliments ? Christ was to Peter a comparative stranger, for although he had heard He was a Prophet, and may have seen Him before, he knew scarcely anything of His history. Was it likely that he would pay a compliment to a comparative stranger ? Peter was notorious for plain speaking, even to his own de- triment. He always blurted out at first the thing that was uppermost. The self-seeking think twice before they speak once, and very often think more than twice and never speak at all. Peter was not the one to pay a compliment of that kind, for he was always bold and impetuous. They would remember that he failed to; be truthful on one occa- sion. He denied his Master then, but he never did it more than once. And this experience called forth the wealth of his love. Peter the coward became the brave, so that neither life nor death, nor even martyrdom, could silence his love. It was said, and the idea was represented in Rubens' celebrated picture, that he would not. elect, to bo oruoificvi iu Uw same manner as 12is blessed Lord. Tradition says that he was crucified with his head downward, in order to aggravate the pain. When the miracle of the text was performed, Peter felt that Christ was more than a Prophet, that He was a superhuman Being; and without waiting to dis- pose of the fish, he said unto Him, Master, de- part from me, for I am a sinful man." But Jesus saw the character of the man; He would not de- part from Him and from henceforth he would not allow Peter to depart from Himself. He now said unto Peter, Follow me, and I will make thee a fisher of men." He (the preacher) would say to the sceptic-and his hearers knew who they were, for the world was very full of them to-day-in the words used towards critics in Lord Beaconsfield's book, Lothair The critics are men who have failed in literature and in art, and because they cannot succeed themselves, they take and pull to pieces all who have succeeded; their course is to shine in public, and gain notoriety at any price." The same words were applicable to the sceptics, for they tried to burlesque the Bible and disparage the God who made them. He knew there was an idea prevalent among young people that it was very clever to become sceptics. He had heard some time ago of a young lad of 18 or 19, in his own parish, who, when advised to read the Bible, replied, "I won't read that old woman's book." That was his idea of the Bible—" it was an old woman's book." They may depend upon it there were great responsibilities resting upon them in connection with this question, and also upon those who went so far as to exclude the Bible from the school. It was very clever to reject the Bible;" this was the idea, and especially among young people. The impression was that it took a rise out of them to deride the Bible,and especially silly people like his hearers and himself. He was thank- ful to say, even in this learned age, that he did be- lieve the Bible, and he was not ashamed to confess it before a large congregation. The sceptics would say, You make a great deal of fuss about those people called Apostles you say they left all and followed Christ; you cite it as an instance of self- denial and self-sacrifice but what was their all ? only a boat or a few nets; and yet you put this forward as a spirit of self-sacrifice." But this was was not all. It was not only a boat or a few nets —this was not all. At Chri" home, brothers anl and children: dear. And t' as did rich ^oopie. J. never thought of that before, bù" less a fact. Some of them might haw. railway platform, in these bad times, & seen crowds of people leave the old country to seek homes in the New World. What sobbing and displays of feeling there were They were leaving all; and so it was with the Apostles—it was not only a boat or a few nets, so contemptuously referred to by the sceptic, but they were compelled to part with those who were as dear to them as the splendid mansion and fine library were to the man of wealth. But the second point he (the preacher) would refer to was perseverance.in well-doing. Peter launched the boat merely at the bidding of Christ, and when there was not the slightest ground for sup- posing that the venture would have succeeded; and this should be a great encouragement to all present this morning. If his preaching did not suceeed in the way in which God knew he desired, was he to give up ? Was he to say to himself, I will not launch the net; I see it is labour in vain; I perceive I am like Ezekiel in the valley of vision; the valley is filled with dry bones, and the bones are very dry; I hear no sound of wind sweeping up the valley to clothe the bones with life; bone does not go to bone, and sinew to sinew; I will never preach another ser- mon, and will never speak another word on behalf of God; and as Christ says, I will shake the dust from off my feet." Was he to take that course if his efforts did not succeed ? God forbid that he should do so. This incident told him that if he acted in that manner he should commit more sin; in fact, he should commit the greatest of sins if he acted in that way. It was his business to launch the boat and let down the net. It was his to sow, and it might be left to someone else to reap. They must not be like the children who sow in the night and expect to find the stalks through the ground in the morning. They could say, like Paul, It is given to one to sow, and it is given to others to reap." He must launch out the net, and leave it to God to fill; and this is what they should do, as individual, in guarding the Bible, There might be some in that congregation—and he prayed God there might be some present-who desired to live a more particularly Christian life than they had been in the habit of leading. They prayed in faith that the power the devil had over their hfearts might be lessened, and they thought that if some- thing did not take place he would have the vic- tory. This, he would say. was the greatest trial in life they could have. The devil was at them "hip and thigh;" and unless they took care, he would have them altogether. If ever they arrived at that period he would urge them not to give up prayer. The night might be long, but the morning would break. Christ's shadow would be on the shore; He would tell them the right thing to do, and they would do it. Then, like Peter, they would say, Depart from me, 0 Lord, for I am a sinful man." But from that moment He would never depart from them. There was another case to which he might allude, and unfortunately it was a very common case. He thought that the same reverence due to the father and mother was not paid as in years ago, and as he could well remember. He could remember when he scarcely dared to sit in his father's pre- sence without first receiving permission to do so. Not that there was any occasion for fear, but it was due, he thought, to a love and reverence for the father which were rarely manifest now. The customs and fashions of the times were such as to their being led away by the devil. The father who had a bad son ceased not to regard him in love. The lad, perhaps, was in all manner of scrapes continually, was led away by bad companions, and to drink before he was out of his teens. The fa- ther saw this, and grieves to think that his 'son, who was as the apple of his eye, lived in such a manner. But the father continued to pray for him, although it was likely that the son would I" brin his grey hairs down in sorrow to the grave." He (the preacher) would say to all these Do not give up praying, but pray the more earnestly. Remember the woman in the parable and the unjust judge. Her prayer was granted because of her importu- nity. And if God did not grant their prayer then, in His own good time the answer would come, and somebody else would reap the harvest when they were past and gone. These lessons should enable them to rejoice, and nerve them with fresh cou- rage. But, perhaps, there was no better illustra- tion of the blessedness of perseverance in well- doing than the church in which they were assem- bled. They had had to struggle with a variety of oi w stances thought to be apparently hopeless. A church at Pontnewy- TV'V*^ 1 i uouie Oi. but consecrated. It was now reauy ivua, cfcilu. they were working in it that morning. The preacher concluded by saying that the times were bad, but he hoped they would give as liberally as possible to reduce the debt existing on the building. At the evening service the church was crowded in every available part, and hundreds of persons had to go away disappointed, there being, literally speaking, no further standing room. The Rector took for his text the 24th chapter of the second Book of Samuel, and the 24th verse:- "And the kino* said unto Araunah, Nay; but I will surely buy3it of thee at a price: neither will I offer burnt offerings unto the Lord my God of that which doth cost me nothing. So David bought the threshing- floor and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver.—" He remarked that David the son of Jesse was one of the most prominent men they had in the Holy scriptures, and the lessons of his life were intend- ed to be lessons and examples for us. David was not, however, one who was free from the tempta- tions of the world. He did many things which were repugnant to the moral mind, and against God's commandments. He displayed the sin of human vanity, which was so common to us all. There was not one who was not more or less liable to this sin. If they came to investigate their character, they would find that those who said they had no vanity were the most vain amongst them. David was great as a king, a warrior, and a trader; but he was subject to human influences. He was a man after God's own heart in a general way, but in a certain way he was a man under the influence of the devil. The devil tempted him in a certain way, but they should strive not to let the devil take advantage of their human weak- nesses. For their transgressions against God they would be punished in this world. He hoped that those who were honest in their own hearts, and examined their own minds, would openly confess that for their transgressions they had been punished already, both in body and soul. The preacher then proceeded to give a his- tory of the life of David, his sins and earthly fail- ings, and then drew a comparison of his manifest virtues. The great mercy of God overflowed Heaven; and they ought to be thankful they had such a God as this. The real point was, were they thankful. Let them read the Bible, which was the finest book in the world, and contained most sublime truths. There was nothing that could be compared to it, but the great point was this-did their hearts go with it ? It was due from them that they should make a sacrifice unto God, but did they do so ? The great sacrifice required was themselves, and all communicants of the Church knew in what manner to make that sacrifice. Did they ever offer up to God that which cost them anything ? Did they master their passions and overcome their sins ? Had they strength to walk the narrow road ? If they did, they were offer- ing unto God that which cost them something. The preacher next referred to the Salvation Army," and while admitting their intentions were honest, denounced the course they pursued. He asked his hearers if felt sincere when they were in the house of God. They pretented to worship God to-day, but they were contemplating roguishness for the morrow. They traversed the broad path which it was so easy to walk upon, but it was the wrong way. For the last twenty years, especially, they had made religion the cloak for financial roguery. They went to church and to chapel, they joined in the responses and the prayers and the singing, but their minds were in the counting- house, or the office, or contemplating how much iron or coal they could produce during the coming week. As sure as God was true, he could not help thinking that the present bad times and the bad weather they were experiencing were sent to them as a punishment for their sins. Some who sung the londest did not sing at all. They were suffer- ing now under the displeasure of the Lord for their roguery, and their sins, and their iniquity. These bad times were due to their sins. When they were rejoicing under a great influx of trade and a large earning of money, what use did they make of the advantages given them ? Instead of making a sacrifice to God, they indulged in wickedness and unholy indulgence, and now they were being punished for it. It was a miserable absurdity to suppose that they could hope for the mercy of God unless they offered up some sacrifice to Him which eost them something.The preacher concluded by ex- horting young men to forsake the vanities of this world, and enrich their minds with the beauty of the world that is to come. The collections amounted to X20 8s for the day, which, together with the offertories at the conse- cration and the special services held on Thny "i n rrn 1 1 nri .f. Mr. renewed, ana, as neaiuy an or wnac tne original contractor had done had to be taken down and rebuilt, we may say that the whole building has been erected under Mr. Chapman's personal super- intendence, and it is due to him to say that all the work, both inside and outside, has been remark- ably well and honestly done. In fact, from what we have heard, it has been too thoroughly done for him to have more than cleared his expenses, at the contract price. The neat and even elegant appearance of the Church is the admiration of everyone who has seen it, and everything about it is in such good taste, and has been so artistic- ally finished, thttt, although there has been no attempt at ornamentation, the church is ornamen- tal without it.] A special service was held on Thursday (yester- day) evening, when the sermon was preached by the Rev Henry L. M. Walters, M.A., of Christ Church, Oxford, curate-in-charge of Monkswood and Glascoed. We understand that the reverend gentleman has announced a special service to- wards defraying the debt on Pontnewynydd Church (named after St. Luke, the physician and evan- gelist, companion of St. Paul's travels, and author of the Acts of the Apostles), which is to be held on Sunday evening next, at six o'clock, in the parish church of Monkswood. As we cordially commend the zeal and ability of this newly-arrived clergy- man, lately licensed by the aged Bishop of Llan- daff, we should like to see Monkswood Church well filled on this occasion, and hope the day is not far distant when a new church shall replace the exist- ing ancient and most unsightly building.

It appears that small quantities of gold have been for the last few years raised in North Wales. In 1878 the yield was valued at X2,8 18. The War Office has issued a statement setting forth the establishment of the British army for 1879-80. This statement gives the strength of the Household Cavalry for the period mentioned at 1302; Cavalry of the Line, 15,998; Royal Artill- ery, 35,216; Foot Guards, 5950 Infantry of the Line, 120,006; Artillery Militia, 17,622; Infantry Militia, 118,625; Yeomanry, 11,610. These bran- ches of the seri,i( e, with other arms,give a total of 836;765, adding to which 244,263 volunteers, there s a grand total of 581,018 men.

BLAENAVON LOCAL BOARD. Tlie ordinary meeting of this Board was held on Friday, the 29th ult. Present—T. Hemming, Esq. (in the chair), Rev. W. Rees, Messrs. H. Steel, W, Burgoyne, W. B. Lawrence, and J. Gill; Dr Quirk and other officers were also in attendance. Mr Steel signed t;ie usual form on taking his seat at the Board as a new member. FINANCE COMMITTEE. Paid by the Collector into the hands of the Treasurer during the month Y.396 11 1 Adverse balance, rot including cheques drawn this evening 158 13 4 Outstanding rates 1323 8 10 £ The minutes of tho last meeting were read and confirmed. MEDICAL OFFICER'S REPORT. Blaenavon Surgery, August 29th, 1879. Gentlemen,—I am glad to have to inform you that the death-rate for the month of August is very low, only 7 deaths from all causes being re- gistered, one of which was an inquest case. This is at the rate of 7.8 per 1000 per annum of the es- timated population. The health of the district is very satisfactory at present. I am, &c., MARTIN QUIRK, M.D. SURVEYOR'S REPORT. Gentlemen,—I beg to report as follows Repairs of Roatls.-The new road on this side of the Ash Tree has been thoroughly repaired. The Brook.—Twelve upright bars have been placed equidistant in the brook, to prevent stones from being carried by the water into that part which has been arched over. During the month 11 ponies and 13 sheep have been impounded. On the 25th of August I paid into the hands of Mr Francis Prosser, your collector, the sum of .£1 4s.-viz., Pound Charges, £1 Is; Hay sold, 3s. I remain, &c., JOHN PRITCHARD. The Auditor's certificate as to the correctness of the accounts read by the Clerk. -< letter was read from Mr T. H-n,1 :— July 31st, 1879. Blaenavon. ter from Messrs .tting that under jidon all claim to undertake not to tve returned Mr J. -Liln. lly, T. WATKINS. J.u1" .J urn* uu L.U") » The Collector applied to the Board for au- thority to summon all defaulters for non-pay- ment of rates, and a resolution was passod to that effect. THE ARCH AT TON MAWR. A letter was read from the contractor, Mr Burgoyne, asking for an advance of t,60, the culvert being finished. The contract price of £70 included 65 yards of fencing work, but the remaining £10 could be held over until the fencing was completed. The specification was produced, and Mr Gill on reading through it stated that several things had not been carried out which were in the specification. It stated cinders were to be used, whereas the contractor had substituted small stones instead. There was also a clause which stated the work was to be done to the satisfac- tion of the Surveyor, who was to give a certifi- catepthat it was done in accordacc with the specification before any money was paid. The Surveyor, on being asked if he was pre- pared to give such a certificate, stated that, he understood from the commencement that he was to have nothing to do with the matter, as others had taken it up, who he thought were looking after the work. He had, however, been looking at the culvert several times, and it appeared to be substantially built, but "he could not say whether or not it was done according to speci- fication. The members seemed surprised at hearing this statement, as the specification distinctly stated that the work was to be done to the satisfaction of the Surveyor, and it was evident a great misunderstanding had existed. A very animated discussion took place as to whether the advance should be made, both Mr Rees and Mr Gill stating the work had been well done, and the former gentleman thought the advance should be made. Mr Steel, however, strongly opposed making an advance to the contractor unless they had a certificate signed and stating that the work had been done in accordance with the specification and to the satisfaction of the Surveyor, for by doing without this the Board were taking the ez)tire- ieivponsibility ou their own shoulders. He pointed out that the specification signed by the contractor expressly stipulated that a certificate should be signed by the Surveyor before any money was advanced, and though he was sorry to have to make any opposition, still he felt tho Board were legally bound by the terms of the specification, and they had no right to depart from it. The con- versation now became general, and Mr Rees proposed, and Mr Lawrence seconded, that an advance of S50 should be made, leaving £ 20 in hand. Mr Steel immediately made a counter proposition, but eventually a resolution was passed which was proposed by the Chairman, that the arch be looked over and a special meet- ing called to decide the matter. It was agreed to hold the meeting on Weduesday evening. Mr T. James, the captain of the fire brigade, who had been in attendance, was called in, and stated that the engine was in good working order. He asked the Board to let him have seven hydrants to place down, but he was re- quested to briug this matter before them at a future meoting, as they did not wish to expend any money just DOW. This finished the business.

THE SPECIAL MEETING Convened for considering whether the advance, asked for by the contractor for arohing the brook at Ton Mawr, should be made, took place on Wednesday evening, the 3rd instant. There were present: Messrs H. C. Steel, J. Gill, T. Ed- e p wards, E. L. Harris, A. Morgan, T. Hubball, the Rev W. Rees, and officers Mr Gill being elected chairman. A certificate was handed in from the Sur- veyor, stating that the work had been done to his entire satisfaction. Mr Steel stated he could not understand in the face of what the Surveyor told them at the last tneetiug-viz., that he could not say whe- ther the work had been done according to spe- cification—how he could now say all was right. The Surveyor "led that the contractor had since remedied tiie small deficiencies;com- -t of. that is, packing the joints, &c^ and had been through the arch • and found that it some mom- ')e specifi- And others con- tending that some advance should be made, until Mr Steel suggested that the contractor should guarantee the arch for ascertain period, and so relievo the Board of any responsibility. The contractor, having been sent for, now en- tered the room. In answer to the Chairman as to why no mine dust had been used with the concrete, and that stones had been substituted for cinders, he stated that he had mislaid the specification, and only found out after the arch was finished that these materials should have been used. Finally, the contractor decided to give a guarantee for the safety of the arch, and he then withdrew. It was at length agreed that the contractor should give a written guarantee, to be approved of by the Board, for the safety of the arch for three years. The Surveyor was instructed to commence packing the arch as quickly as possible. It was proposed by Mr Hubball, seconded by Mr Steel, and carried, that the Board should make an offer to the Guardians of Is per yard for the stones broken at Garnderris quarry and the farm, tho stones to be taken away as re- quired and the meeting then terminated.

MARRIAGE. EICHABDS—EVANS.—September 3rd, at Siloa Chapel, Aberdare, by the Rev E. Morgans, assisted by the Rev T. Evans, (brother of the bride). David Morgan Richards, Station Master, G.W.R. Pontypool Town, to Maria Evans, Tregaron,Aber. dare, Glamorganshire. DEATHS. Aug. 29, at Pontypool, aged 74 years, Mr Thos Jones, saddler. Aug. 31, at Nightingale Village, Pontnewynjdd, aged 54 years, Jane, wife of John Charles, labourer. 1tll Sept. 1, at Hill-side Terrace, Llanhilleth, aged 36 years, Ann, wife of Mr Thos. Moses, coal miner. Sept. 3, at Gibson's Square, aged 77 years, My Henry Powell, tiler and plastexer-- Sept. 3, at Aborgayeiiny, aged 25 years, Mr Edwin Richards, ironmonger, formerly of Garndiffaith. Sept. 4, at George Street. Pontypool, aged 50 years, Mary, wife of Mr Timothy Collins, labourer.

RECOGNITION SERVICES AT BLAENAVON. The services for the recognition of the Rev O. Tidman as pastor of King-street Baptist Church, Blaenavon, were held on Monday. Mr Tidman has been officiating as pastor of this church since the early part of April last, and his labours have been marked by much zeal and success. Mrs Tidman has also devoted herself with great energy to as- sisting her husband, both in the pulpit and among the congregation. Although Mr and Mrs Tidman have become much beloved since they re- sided in Blaenavon, they have not been what may be called officially" welcomed into the King- street Church until these services were held. In the morning, sermons were preached by the Rev J. P. Thomas, of Newport, and the Rev Ll. Jones, of Abertillery: in the afternoon, by the Rev Isaac Watts, of Abergavenny, and the Rev J. Thomas, of Swansea.

A PUBLIC MEETING Was held in the evening, presided over by Richard Cory, Esq., of Cardiff, who referred in cordial terms to his acquaintance with the pastor, and expressed the warm interest he felt in the welfare of the church, and his belief and hope that a good work would be done by means of Mr Tidman's minis- trations in the town and neighbourhood. Mr W. Merriman, deacon, then gave a most thrilling and enthusiastic account of the origin and work of the church from the commencement, showing that during some twelve months a church had been formed, a commodious chapel purchased, and very efficient improvements and alterations and improvements made. A very excellent har- monium ha.d also been purchased, and that day they were holding services in recognition of the Rev Owen Tidman to the pastorate, during whose o- ministry of six months the congregations had largely increased and the Sunday School flourished, being now over 200 in number. Thirty-seven members had been added to the church, and other candidates were before them. Other departments of Christian work connected with the church- viz., affyoung men's Saturday night Bible class and prayer meeting, cottage and open-air services, Mothers and Dorcas meetings-were of a very en- couraging character. Mr Merriman concluded by stating the circumstances which led the church to give Mr Tidman the invitation to the pastorate, and the large audience showed their approval of the report by expressing it in a very hearty manner. The Chairman then called upon the Rev O. Tid- man to reply, in which he stated his reasons for accepting the call from the church, and did not regret (notwithstanding the great opposition he had met with) that his steps were directed to this place, fully believing that God would yet abun- dantly honour the faith of those who were valiant for the truth and contended earnestly for the faith delivered to the saints. Addresses were then delivered by the Revs J. x. Thomas (Newport), Ll. Jones (Abertillery), J. P. Jones (Cardiff), Isaac Watts (Abergavenny), and John Thomas (Swansea). Mrs Tidman, who was called from the body of the chapel to the platform, said she felt it a pri- vilege to stand before an audience for such a purpose as to address them upon the great work in hand-the furtherance of the Saviour's cause. She felt there were so many efficient helpers present as to make it unnecessary for her to speak, she would however obey the Chairman's behest, and not trespass too much on their time. It had been said there was no end to a woman's tongue, but her idea was that that organ, whether in man or woman, could not be used too freely in extolling the Saviour's praises, and in telling of his wondrous goodness and love. A woman advocate on any question was looked upon as a novelty, but she was sorry such an idea should be prevalent upon religious matters, and for her part she was not ashamed to plead the cause of Christ, either in public meetings or in the houses of the people. (Applause). Some persons might say and indeed had said that she and her husband had taken a wrono- step in coming to this town but neither she nor her husband believed it. She would say that rather than this it was her humble hope and belief that the Lord had placed them here, and He would, as He had done, bless their labours. She delighted in the work before her, and hoped she might be the means of winning many precious souls to the Saviour. The addresses were interspersed by Sankey's hymns, and a lively interest was maintained throughout the whole of the proceedings. It must not be omitted that the very excellent choir, under its efficient leader Mr Gwilym Williams, rendered some choice anthems during the Sunday services, and assisted in making the meetings on Monday more pleasant and profitable. The collections were exceedingly good on Sun- day, and with the Monday evening collection, in which the Chairman took a very lively and practi- cal part, realized altogether X20.

RELIGIOUS TRACT SOCIETY. The annual meeting of the Pontypool Branch of the Religious Tract Society was held at the Town School on Wednesday evening, under the presi- dency of the Rev Henry Walters, M.A., curate in charge of Monkswood and Glascoed the Rev Cyril Williams attending as Deputation from the Parent Society. 0 After a hymn and fervent prayer by the Rev John Jones, senior curate of Pontypool, the Chair- man requested Mr Wood to read the local report, by which it appeared that the society had pro- gressed in their work every year from the small beginning in 1871 of £ 3 16s to last year's remit- tance which was jE12 3s minus threepence. The Chairman then called upon the Rev J. Jones, who proposed that this able and satisfac- tory report be approved and adopted." He briefly, but cordially, commended the work of the Religious Tract Society. ]je wished for its success more particularly because of there being so much scepti- cism in the present day, and spoke of the liberality which characterises the gifts and grants of this truly Evangelical association in furnishing good Sunday evening reading to the homes of England, and in aiding Sunday School instructors to cheer, interest, and benefit their classes. Mr Jones con- cluded by commending the earnestness and spiri- tual mindedness of the Rev Cyril Williams, our annual friend at Pontypool. The Chairman, in seconding the proposition, said: At this pleasant season of the year, rejoicing in sunshine to ripen the golden corn, we who are privileged to live in country lanes, surrounded by lovely dark woods and blue mountains, look out for our nuts, apples, partridges, and pheasants. The townsfolk-with Christian welcome-at this season look for the sunshine of the deputation of the Religious Tract Society. He then alluded to the deputation being the guest of Mr and Mrs Wood, both of whom he eulogised in warm terms for their charities and kindnesses to all. He spoke of the rapidity with which fortunes were some- times made, and said, supposing a person who had made a large fortune went to consult the parson of his parish as to the bestowing of money well, that the clergyman would probably recommend, after parochial charities, the claims of the British and Foreign Bible Society, and after that, of ibe Religious Tract Society. The Rev Cyril Williams, the deputation, who addressed the meeting at some length, dwelt chiefly in his interesting speech on the work at the Paris Exhibition, and the personal adventures (in the cause of God and the conversion of souls) of the French Pastor named Monod and that active agent of the Religious Tract Society, Mr McCaul, who in Paris, Lyons, and Marseilles, had been greatly blessed by Heaven in mission work in the slums. It was wittily said in reply to a vulgar abuser of the poor, (who had called the paupers around him, contemptuously, the scum and dross of society"). Your remark shews the narrowness of your mind! How can our poorer neighbours be scum and dross ? Why the scum is at the top, and the dross at the bottom! Probably you are wealthy, and are but scum yourself!" He also informed the meeting that the French have twin societies which 4re aids to the Religious Tract Society, viz :— one at Paris for tracts, and another at Toulouse for books; and referred to the change which, he maintained, was being effected upon the minds of the people in other countries than this. In France Republicanism had, he said, considerably tended to the extension of the Protestant teligon, although that was, essentially, a Catholic country. During the past year 12 new tracts had been issued by the society, which simply meant an issue of two million oopies. After giving a touching incident of the efficacy of tracts on the field of battle, and the influence which they had in comforting the minds of those in suffering, the rev. gentleman concluded by an appeal on behalf of the funds of the society. He asked for half-guinea subscriptions (not donations) to be punctually paid each year, and pointed out the extreme liberality with which the Religious Tract Society meets such cordial supporters. The Rev T. Williams, of Rehoboth Chapel, made a very eloquent and appropriate speech. Mr Wood proposed a vote of thanks to the chairman, and also to the deputation, which was seconded by the Rev J. Wilson in an earnest and thoughtful address, in which he denied that bi- gotry could have any place in the minds of true Churchmen. The compliments having been briefly acknow- ledged, the meeting was brought to a close by singing and the Benediction. The collection amounted to £ 1 lis Sd; a half- guinea subscription was paid by r Pegler, of Panteg, and two otliers were promised; and the Deputation felt himself thus consoled for the meagre attendance at this anniversary of the Pontypool Branch of the Religious Tract Society, which ought to be better supported in this town. [During the meeting a message was handed to the Chairman from the Rev W. N. G. Eliot, Rural Dean, Rector of Panteg, explaining his unavoid- able absence, and expressing his regret that he could not be present.]

LOCAL AND DISTRICT NEWS. GOOD TEMPLARS' OUTING.-On Monday last, a party of friends connected with the Hope of Pontymoil Lodge of Good Templars paid a visit to the far-f amed ruins of Raglan Castle, and a very enjoyable day was spent. THE WINTER AsSIZES.-By order of Her Ma- jesty in Council, the county of Monmouth is united with the counties of Hereford, Worcester, and Gloucester for the conduct of the business at the next Winter Assizes, which are to be held at Gloucester. ERRATUM.—Mr Fletcher has requested us to correct an error in our report of the last meeting of the Pontypool Local Board. The list furnished by Mr Fletcher was that of payments which had been made by the Board, and not that of default- ing ratepayers, as stated. A TESTIMONIAL, consisting of a set of tools, was presented to Mr James Williams, on Saturday, at the King's Arms Inn (Mrs Cutt's), Trosnant, by the Pontymoile tin-plate workers, as a token of their respect on his leaving for Llanelly, Brecon- shire. Addresses were delivered and songs sung during the evening. SUDDEN DEATH OF AN OLD INHABITANT.—It is our painful duty to record this week the sudden death of one of the oldest inhabitants of the town, Mr C. Jones, of Commercial St, which took place at his residence on Friday night last. The de- ceased, who had carried on the saddlery business for a period of over 40 years, and had reached the ripe old age of 74 years, was apparently in his usual health on Friday; but at about 9.30, as he was retiring to rest, he was seized with a fit of apoplexy, and although medical aid was at ouce procured, in the course of half an hour he had breathed his last. I.O.G.T. DISTRICT MISSION-In connection with this mission a temperance meeting was held in the Ragged School Mission Hall, Pontymoil, on Wed- nesday evening last, by Brothers Higginson and Horrocks, under the auspices of the Hope of Pontymoil Lodge. Bro. T. M. Wintle occupied the chair, and, in a few appropriate remarks, in- troduced Bro. Higginson, who entertained the au- dience for a short time with some lively temperance melodies, accompanying himself upon a concertina. After which Bro. Horrocks delivered a humorous though powerful and searching temperance lecture, speaking from sixteen years bitter experience of the thraldom of intoxicating drink. The hall was crowded, and at the close of the meeting 23 persons came forward and signed the pledge. THE REV. W. R. CARLTON'S FAREWELL SERMON. -On Sunday evening last, the Rev W. R. Carlyon preached his farewell sermon in the Wesleyan Chapel, High St. The rev. gentleman took his text from I Corinthians, chap. ix., and the last clause of the 24th verse, So run that ye may ob- tain." After briefly introducing the subject by reference to the ancient Olympic games, the preacher sought to impress upon his hearers the absolute necessity that all who ran in the Christian race should keep the end in view, and also that it is imperative on all who enter upon the race to see that they are keeping in the right course; and having assured themselves on this point, they must continue to run with all speed and energy, having as the object of their faith and labour heaven at last. In conclusion, the rev. gentleman dwelt at some length on the difference between the prize in the ancient races and that of the runners in the heavenly race. In the first-named only one ob- tained the prize, and that was but a crown of fading laurels; but in the other there is a crown that shall never fade for all those who endure faithfully to the end. There was a very large con- gregation present, most of whom remained to shake hands with their minister (who has laboured so diligently and earnestly among them for the last three years), and to wish him success in his labours in the new Circuit to which he is appointed.

BLAENAVON. KING STREET BAPTIST CHAPEL.—The first anni- versary of this church was held on Sunday. The Rev. J. P. Jones, of Cardiff, preached in the morn- ing and evening, and Mrs Tidman delivered an able discourse in the afternoon. An anthem was very well sung by the choir at each service, and Mr Stephen Parry played the harmonium. The attendances were large, and the collections during the day amounted to upwards of < £ 11.—An account of the recognition services held on Monday will be found in another column. ———————

PENYRHEOL. The annual treat given by J. C. Hanbury, Esq., Pontypool Park, to the Penyrheol Church Day and Sunday School, took place at Penyrheol on Friday last. After tea, the children and visitors adjourned to p, field for sports. 'There were some good races for money prises, »lso,>cricket, and several other inaocent games, which every one seemed to enjoy to the heart's content. The last of the sports was scrambling for apples, pears, nuts and sweets. At 8 o'clock there was an entertainment given in the school room by Mr. Vaughan's little choir, who performed a nicely written cantata, entitled The Pic Nic," by J. R. Thomas. Miss Rosa Powell sang the pretty little solo, Merrily over the waterMiss Emily Jones sang the winning song Under shady boughsand Mr. Vaughan sang A merry and hearty laugh," which made the audience join in the laughing chorus and this pleased them so much that Mr. Vaughan was obliged to sing his song over again. The duets and chorusses were all very nicely done, especially the last chorus, Homeward bound." The rector, the Rev. W. N. G. Eliot, returned thanks to all those who had so kindly taken part in assisting at the tea, sports, and entertainment. This brought a most pleasant day's enjoyment to a close, and those who came from a distance had a lovely moonlight walk home.

GRIFFITHSTOWN. THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH.—The anniversary services of the above church were held on Sunday, at the Drill Hall, the use of which was kindly lent by Capt. Wright. The preacher was the Rev W. S. Wright, who in the morning took for his text Prov. xxiii, 23: Buy the truth." After defining the word truth, the preacher went on to state the sacrifices to be made and the precepts to be ob- served in order to Buy the truth." Paying at- tention was a needful precept to be observed, from want of which many a young man had found him- self, after a long and tedious course, still at a great distance from success. Not to be discouraged at difficulties, nor to give way to prejudice, nor to leave the heart unsubdued, should be the aim of all. Having given illustrations to make clear his meaning, the minister proceeded to show the worth of the truth thus acquired. The acquisition of truth gives pleasure to the mind. The most ardu- o workers always had pleasure in reading. The man who knows his work well is the most useful to society. Furthermore, the Christian having bought the truth revealed in Holy Writ, has him- self made free from many troubles, while he sees with the eye of faith a more blessed habitation. The discourse was Iwell adapted to, the young, of whom numbers were present.—In the afternoon Mr Williams gave an address to parents and chil- dren, entitled "Great and good women." There were a goodlynuiuber of ladies and gentlemen pre- sent a couple of the Sabbath School scholars gave recitations suitable for the occasioiTj after which came the address, which was delivered with warmth and eloquence, and was much appreciated by the attentive audience.—In the evening the text was I Cor. xiii, 13: And now abideth faith, hope, and charity," &c. The word love," he said, would convey the meaning of the word charity better to the reader. Having given some illustrations of this grace as contained in Holy Writ, he went on to show the superiority of this grace to. the others of "faith" and hope," as stated in the text. God is love. One of the chief commandments requires us to love our enemies as well as our friends. In- stances were given of faith and hope failing, as at the Cross, when love remained to embalm the body of the Lord Jesus. Love stands first in the family circle as well as rules in heaven, and may there- fore be crowned as queen of the graces. The con- gregations were large, and the collections were good during the day.

PANTEG, The Rev. H. A. James, head master of Rossall School, preached at the parish church on Sunday morning and evening to crowded congregations, in aid of the Church Extension Society in this diocese. The collections were very liberal.

PONTNEWVDB, ON Tuesday evening Bros. Horrocks and Higgin- sor\ (the Moody and Sankey of Good Templarism) who are on a tour through the locality, paid a visit to this place, and after a short meeting on the Canal Bank, adjourned to the Good Templars' Hall, wCfe for nearly two hours they delivered addresses and sang songs on the Temperance movement to a crowded audience, who listened with great attention and interest. Mr Brown, of Newport, took the chair for the first part of the meeting, and Mr E. Francis for the latter part. We understand that Bros. Horrocks and Higginson intend holding another meeting on Thursday next, in the same Hall.

UPPER CWMBRAN. ANNUAL SESSION OF GOOD TEMPLARS.—The an- nual session of the Grand Lodge of Wales of the Order of Good Templars was held at the Baptist Chapel on Monday last. The Grand Lodge was called to order by the G.W.C.T. (Bro E. Davies, of Newport), at 10.50 a.m. After the preliminary business was gone through, the reports of the G.W.C.T. and the G.W.S. z, (Bro. W. A. Davies), were read. These proved that the Order is still active, and has good hopes of again reaching the height to which it once had attained. The Grand Lodge degree was conferred on 13 brothers and six sisters. The Grand Lodge was also favoured by the presence of two distinguished visitors-Bro. T. Hardy, G.W.C. of the Midland Grand Lodge and Bro. W. Jennings, G.W.T. of England. Both gentlemen gave able addresses, which were much applauded. After the whole of the business was disposed of, the Grand Lodge was closed, after an enjoyable session, by Bro. Davies, at 5 o'clock, and stands adjourned until the first Monday in Sep- tember, 1880, when it will meet at Newport. In the evening, the delegates and friends partook of tea, and a procession was afterwards formed of about 250 persons in full regalia, headed by the Caerleon Industrial School Brass Band. After pa- rading the neighbourhood, they returned to the Board Schoolroom, which was crowded. Several eloquent addreses were delivered, the principal speakers being Bros. Hardy, Jennings, and Davies, and the Revs — Edgecombe and Tovey. The chair was occupied by Bro G. R. Pager, D.D of New- port, to whom the usual vote of thanks was ac- corded at the close. Altogether, a very enjoyable day was spent.

LOWER CMMBRAN. ELIM CONGREGATIONAL CHAPEL.—The recogni- tion services to welcome the Rev D. Evans, late of Berkeley, Gloucestershire, where held in the above place of worship on Monday and Tuesday evenings. On Monday evening two impressive sermons were preached by the Rev W. Shillito, of Newport, and the Rev T. Ll. Jones, of Pontypool. On Tuesday evening a public meeting was held. Mr D. Evans, of Lower Cwmbran, presided. Able and effective addresses were delivered by the Rev H. Oliver, B,A., Newport, Rev S. Griffiths, Aberychan, Mr Owen Jacob, (Bristol Institute) and Mr Isaac Hodges (Wesleyan), Lower Cwmbran. The services were well attended. THE Anniversary Services of the Wesleyan Chapel were held on Sunday, in the Wesley Hall, the chapel proving too small to accommodate the congregations. Two excellent sermons were preach ed by Mr Davies, of Pillgwenlly, Newport-in the morning from the first four verses of the 1st Psalm, and in the evening from Acts, chap. ix, and 9th verse. The afternoon service was devoted to singing and reciting by the children, who acquitted themselves most admirably. The attendance during the day was remarkably good, and the collections surpassed those of former years.—On Monday, the children had their annual treat. After marching in pro- cession, and singing appropriate pieces, they par- took of an excellent tea. A variety of sports were indulged in with much zest in an adjoining field, and a public meeting was held in the evening, when recitations were given and addresses de- livered.

NEWBRIDGE. ANNIVERSARY AND LECTURE. — The English Baptist Church at the above place held its anni- versary on Sunday last, when four excellent ser- mons were preached by the Rev. Robert Lloyd, Castletown, and the Rev J. G. Davies, Beulah. The congregations were large, and the collections amounted to 122 Ils Id. On the Monday follow- ing, the Rev. Mr Lloyd delivered a very instruc- tive and popular lecture, subject, Excelsior," to a crowded audience.

ABERTILLERY. THE COAL TRADE.—The colliers are leaving in large numbers, in consequence of work being so very slack. THE TiN WORKS are still working four days a week, not from want of orders, but owing to the number of hands having increased more than one- half during the last twelve months.

CAERPHILLY. A BAZAAR was held from Wednesday to Satur- day last, at the Board Schools, but in consequence of the very unfavourable weather the attendance was small. The more useful articles, however, were disposed of, and the bazaar resulted in a profit of X45, which will be applied towards de- fraying the £ 800 which the re-building of the Calvinistic Methodist Chapel will cost.

LATEST MARKETS. [BY TELEGRAPH.] MAIDSTONE CORN MARKET.—THURSDAY. The fine weather makes wheat cheaper. A few samples of new wheat at market, the quality of which varies from fair to good. 52s to 5613 is asked for them, but the price is not yet fixed. No change in feeding stuffs from last week. BRISTOL CORN MARKET.—THURSDAY. To-day wheat market was quite steady, American spring corn was scarce and commanding full prices. Winter plentiful, and Is lower. All spring corn very firm. Some new Irish Tawnies are to hand, quality and condition fair, sold 23s 6d per 304 lbs. BRISTOL CATTLE MARKET. —THURSDAY. Beef plentiful, with dull trade; best, 70s; mid- dling, f»3s to 65s. Mutton in good supply best wethers, 9d to 9id; lamb, loj. jpair show of store cattle; demand quiet, and prices lower. 6W pigs bacon, 10s 9d; porkers, lis per score. LONDON CATTLE MARKET.—THURSDAY. There were G60 beasts, including 100 foreign; market quiet; 4s to 5s 6d. 8300 sheep, including 1750 foreign; market quiet; 5s to 6s lOd. 300 calves made 5s to 6s 2d per 8 lbs. LONDON HAY MARKET.—THURSDAY. Moderate supply, trade fair, prices of best stuff dear- er. Prime clover, 100s to 135s; inferior, 85s to 90s. Prime meadow hay, 90s to 108s; inferior, 40s to 75s. Straw, 30s to 42s per load.

A FIGHTING PASTOR. An American paper states:—Rev. Mr. Kern, pastor of the German Methodist Newark, Church, N.J., and founder of a foundling asylum, was visited a few days ago by a German who for weeks has received daily assistance from the minister. He suggested to Mr. Kern that he would be glad to be cominiteed to the penitentiary, so that he he might be a burden upon the county instead of being one to his benefactor. The minister informed him that he would procure a commitment to the county gaol, where he might be supported without performing manual labour. The proposition was thankfully accepted, and Mr. Kern wrote a note to Justice Otto, requesting the committal of the bearer to gaol for such a term as the law provides for in oases of mendicants." This note, with a one-dollar bill and a package of tobacco, Mr. Kern handed to the German, with the remark that he was sorry he could not do more for him. The fellow, after placing the money and tobacco in his pockets, suddenly assumed an air of indignation, and ex- claimed, So that's the kind of man you are, eh ? Commit a man to gaol when he asks for something to eat. I'll show this note all over this city, and let the people know how far your charity goes." The Rev. Mr. Kern quickly locked the door of the room and called to his aid the school teacher of the parish. The two held the mendic int while the money and tobacco were taken from his pockets. He was then released, and Pastor Kern, it is said, literally kickec1 frhe ungracious scamp into the middle of the street

THE Central A ews says it is stated in Dublie that the Lord Lieutenant has requested th- Limerick police to furnish a report of the circum stances under which Her Majesty's name was re- ceived with hisses at the banquet to Mr Parnell, when no notice was taken of the outrage. WITH reference to a report in a Belfast paper that the Ex-Premier had consented to contest Cu. Antrim, Mr Gladstone informs the Central Xews that the report is quite new to him and entirely groxmcliesir The Swimming Match at Rhode Island between Boyton and Webb, for 1000 dols. a, side, was won by Boyton, his opponent having been obliged by cramp to give up after swimming S0 miles. The distance was 25 miles; Boyton wore his life-saving suit and Webb an ordinary bathing dresti. The wi,E,nut' did the distance in 20 hours. HOLLOWAY'S OINTMENT & PILLS..—Old Wounds, Sores, and Ulcers.—Daily experience confirms the fact which has triuwphe(I over opposition for thirty years—viz., that 11,. means are known equal Ie. Holloway's remedies, for curing bad legs, sores, wounds diseases of the skin, erysipelas, abscesses, buvite, scalds, and, in truth, all cases where the skin is broken. To cure these infirmities quickly is of primary importance, as the compulsory con- finement indoors weakens the general health. The? ready mea.ns of cure are found in Holloway's Cont- ment and Pills, which heal the sores, aad expel their cause. In the very worst cases the Ointment has succeded in effecting a cuve, after every other means has failed of giving any relief. Desperate cases best display itd virtue.