The Brecon Reporter and South Wales General Advertiser

EPITOME OF NEWS. It is said the Emperor of Morocco will shortly visit France aad England. Constance Kent will be tried at Salisbury on Friday, the 21st of July. Mdme. Kossuth, the wife of the famous Hun- garian leader, has died at Genoa., after a ten years' illness. A teetotal firm launched a vessel at Yarmouth last week, and christened it with a bottle of ginger-beer. During the past week thirty-nine wrecks have been reported, making the total for the present year 1,103. In a recent debate in the House of Commons the value of property in the metropolis was put at .tgw,ooo,ooo. Letters from Marseilles announce the suspen- sion of the great sugar refinery in that city, directed by M. Rostand. In some parts of Dorsetshire labour is very scarce, and farmers are paying- 4s. 6cL an acre for mowing of grass—a great advance on the prices of last year. The "New York Tribune says .It seems settled that an indictment and trial for treason is to he prepared for John Mitchel, now of the New York News." Among the arrivals in England by the Delhi, last week-, were nineteen Japanese youths. They are the sons of Japanese gentlemen, and have been sent to En- gland to be educated as physicians, engineers, &c. A fire broke out at Antwerp the other evening in a barge on the rasseurs canal, and the t,ide being low at the moment the other craft around could not be removed; consequently, eight or nine vessels were totally destroyed. It has been proposed by some of the railway authorities in India to keep a complaint book at the chief railway stations, in which passengers may enter an account of any grievances they may have been subjected to. A contemporary says that there are 400,000 feathers upon the wing of a silkworm moth. Any one wanting a nice little job, and doubting- the truth of the statement, can easily satisfy himself by counting them. The Government is now said to be feeding 200,000 of the inhabitants of Virginia, of all ciasscs. Eleven thousand rations are daily issued to citizens in Richmond alone. The expenditure saved by the strike of the cabmen is, we see, reckoned at 50,000fr. a day, upon which the financier congratulates his countrymen, forgetting that it is also 50,000fr. a day out of cabby's pocket, and, there- fore, as broad as it is long. A subscription, limited to twenty centimes for each subscriber, has been opened in Italy to present to Gari- baldi a gold medal, bearing this inscription :—" To Joseph Garibaldi, from the people who do not forget." At Turin there are already 20,000 subscribers. Very little or no cider will be made this year in Devonshire, the blight having been so destructive to the apple trees. A lO"itl contemporary says :—" Good bottling cider cannot be bought much under £3 per hogshead at the present time." A child two-and-a-half years old was decapi- tated by a train near the Wiley station on the Salisbury and Bristol line a few days since. The poor little thing had strayed with another child from some adjoining fields on the railway line. Male and female envelopes are advertised in the United States. They are not the articles so commonly used by our readers, but the words are modest indications of. garments usually worn next to the skin, the names of which are forbidden to be mentioned by our delicate Transat- lantic cousins. A somewhat novel prize is to be offered for competition at the forthcoming regatta, to be rowed for by freemen and electors of Dover, and to be caned the" Candi. dates' Prize." We understand thnt Major Dickson and Mr. Preahiield, the Conservative candidates, have found the "needful" for this extra prize. On Saturday, while the household troops were being reviewed at Wormwood Scrubs, two boys got in the way of a large body of cavalry in full charge, and before they could get off the ground or the troopers could pull up they were knocked down and ridden over. One of them died shortly afterwards, and the other is in a precarious condition. Spe- cial attention was paid to the youths by order of his Royal High-ness the Prince of Wales. The Queen of Madagascar, according to a letter received in Paris, has begun to wear crinoline. She inaugurated the new fashion at a religious ceremony in which she took part on the 15th of April last, near Tanana- riva. The novelty seems to have been favourably received by the population; but only the princesses of the royal family have been authorised to adopt it. The Queen has, however, made one exception in favour of the wife of Raim- ilaiarivony, her Prime Minister. The annual wool fair at Berlin was opened last week. On Monday about 140,000 cwts. arrived, and was of- fered and taken at moderate prices. On the average there was a decline of from two to four thalers a cwt. compared with 1864. Of foreign buyers very few made their appear- ance. There were some French and Swedes, but hardly any English. The value of the exports of British pro- ducts and manufactures to the Australian colonies showed a decided increase in the first quarter of this year, having amounted to L2,761,969, as compared with L-2,232,272 in the first quarter of 1S64, and £ 2,365,322 in th3 first quarter of 1863. The increase was shared in by all the colonies, with the exception of New Zealand. During the past week the visitors to the South Kensington Museum have been as follows; -On Monday, Tuesday, and Saturday, free days, open from ten a.m. to ten p.m., 12,595; on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, students' days (admission to the public 6d.), open from ten a.m. till six p m., 2,677. Total, 15,272; from the opening of the Museum, £ 5,372,393. Notwithstanding a recent decision of the Privy Council in his favour, the income of the Bishop of Natal is still withheld, and a suit has been instituted in the Court of Chancery, with a view to obtain the payment. Considerable delay will attend these proceedings, and partly an this account it has been determined by some of his friends to raise a fund to be presented to him. Some £1,500 has alread been raised. Dr. Watson, of Derby, has presented to the National Lifeboat Institution the cost of the additional lifeboat ftr Whitby. The gift had been previously promised to the institution by Dr. Watson's sister, Miss Watson, but that lady having died somewhat suddenly, he immediately put himself in communication with the society, with the view of carrying out her benevolent wishes. A large number of gentlemen inspected the new Salisbury Hotel, which was formally opened on Satur- day. The hotel contains nearly 100 bedrooms, and the usual complement of private and general rooms. In every respect the arrangements seem to have been completed in an ad- mirable and judicious manner, and such as will give satis- faction to persons taking up their abode at the hotel. After the inspection some twenty gentlemen sat down to luncheon, at which success to the new hotel was drunk. The Strike of the masons' labourers at Bradford has been brought to an end by their employers yielding what was sought—an advance of Is. per week, making their present rate of wages 20s. per week. The strike on the part of the operative painters still continues. The men, though repeatedly invited by their employers to a conference on points of difference, declining to accept the offer, while at the same time ludicrously declaring that there shall be a settlement before they yield.

AGRICULTURE. High Farming. We extract the following from the Keld:-If we are to meet the difficulties that arise in the course of pursuing the business of farming, it can only be done by a system of high farming; that is, of adopting all the processes which have been developed by experience for securing a larger return from the crops, and a greater number of animals from the land itself. Mr. Sussex Millbank, in a paper read at the Staindrop Farmers' Club on the advantages of high farming, stated the following as the result: An increase of crops cereal, grass and roots, deep drainage and amelioration of soils, more and better stock, a satisfactory balance- sheet, and a happier and more contented class from the feeling of having successfully carried out and applied the same sound commercial principles in farming as in any other industrial pursuit." Mr. Millbank recommends autumnal cultivation for roots, ploughing in, from twelve to fourteen inches deep,about twenty loads of best farm-yard manure per acre; adding, as a refresher in the spring, about ten loads per acre in the rows, with about 2 cwt. of bones or superphosphate as a top dressing. Instead of feeding stock on turnips alone, Mr. Millbank finds it more profitable to give from 501b. to 801b. of pulped roots, mixed with chaff, and about 121b. of oil-cake and 41b. of bean-meal. He is a great advocate for oil- cake; and last year, on 120 acres of land, consumed 43 tons of oil-cake. Mr. Milbank does not recommend haymaking from permanent grass, but rather from clover and the artificial grasses. He also considers the covered-yard system as a part of high farming; and, with reference to poultry, that there was much room for improvement, as barn-door fowls could be profitably kept, and the country lost annually some X60,000 or P,70,000 in the purchase of foreign eggs. Another topic in connection with high farming is irrigation, on which Professor Yoelcker read a paper at the late meeting of the Royal Agricultural Society. A great variety of opinions prevailed aa to the cause of the efficiency of different kinds of water. Some ascribe its beneficial effects to the matter dissolved in the water; while others assert that perfectly clear and bright water was the beat. Again, some say that waters ought to be soft; while others maintained that hard waters were best adapted for irrigation. Some ascribed the fertilising effect to the carbonic acid dissolved in the water; others said that the carbonic acid was the cause of the mischief that occasionally occurred. Again, some considered that the warmth of the water was the sole agent of fertility; while others thought that neither cold nor warmth had anything to do with the matter. The fact was that in irrigation it was not the water only, but the soil that ought to be looked to for some waters were good for some soils and not for others, according to the character of the land itself. The best water for irrigation, Professor Voelcker considers to be sewage-water, because it is a natural water which contains refuse excrementitious matters which are exceedingly useful on account of the fertilising agents they contain." But even with reference to sewage there was a diversity of opinion, some maintaining that it ought to be perfectly bright and clear; while others thought that the muddier it was, and the mere suspended matter it contained, the better. Professor Voelcker thought that a moderately clear sewage was better than very muddy sewage, because this last, which contains much suspended matter, is apt to produce on the surface of the soil, especially if the soil is not very porous, a silicious film, which dries and chokes up the pores of the soil, and in this way does mischief. Of all water that ought not to be used for irrigation is sea water; in most instances it has turned out a complete failure, and has often rendered the soil sterile for three or four years. However useful salt may be when applied in small quantities as a fertiliser, it is decidedly in. jurious to the land whea applied as salt water, es- pecially in large doses. As a corollary to the irrigation question, we may notice a paper on sewage itself, the subject of which is contained in a resolution put forward by Mr. Hough- ton, the author of the paper, "That the sewage of towns has long been utilised, and may continue to be so with more or less advantages to those places where it is produced, according as land can be found suitable and easily accessible for using it upon; but the idea that night-soil, or any other manure diluted to the ex- tent it must necessarily be in town sewage, can be of any use to farmers in that state, is an erroneous one, and the practice of so disposing of it entails an im- mense loss to the country of valuable fertilising materials." A CORRESPONDENT of the Times says that the crops in South Wales as well as other parts of the kingdom are, upon the whole, making favourable pro- gress, and on many farms the wheat is in full ear. Early-sown barley is also in ear in certain localities, and the oat fields are looking remarkably well, the only drawback as regards the crops generally being the want of rain. Such has been the heat during the last few days that the grass and corn fields are almost scorched, and unless there is a fall of rain soon it is clear that the crops will be affected, and that seri- ously in some districts. A few showers of rain would, however, entirely dissipate the present fears, and be the means, to a great extent, of realising the pros- pects held out a month ago. Potatoes give promise of a good crop, and the blight has not yet made its appearance except in a few instances. The turnips have proved a failure in many places from the preva- lence of fly, and the crop will not be anything like an average one. Haymaking has become general, and, as far as can be judged, the quantity per acre will be .in excess of last year. A LETTER from Canterbury states that, during the last fortnight, easterly and north-easterly winds have been prevalent in Kent; the temperature consequently has been lower and the nights chilly. The growth of the hops has thus been checked. This is, in most instances, fortunate, as there was a tendency to excess of bine; but in the slack bine grounds the effect is very prejudicial. The leaves are slightly tinged with yellow, but there is. no increase of vermin in the East Kent plantations. The check will probably render the plants more hardy and less liable to the attacks of fly, which the planters so much dread when the bine and leaves are tender and full of sap. The lateral or midsummer shoots are coming out well, and, alto. gether, the prospects are favourable. The reports from the Weald of Kent and Sussex, though not so favourable as a week ago, are, on the whole, en- couraging. The plantations look well, but the bine is stationary, and mould has appeared in several planta- tions. THE great Midsummer fair of Boughton (Northamp- tonshire) was held on Saturday and Monday, at which there was a fine show of well-bred horses, and the full attendance of dealers created high competition for first-class horses, and those adaptable for double harness for private carriages, &c., commanded figures varying from 55 to 70 guineas, well-grown, strong young cattle for heavy draught, omnibus work, and other London purposes realised 35 to 45 guineas, cart- horses for road and team work 40 to 50 guineas, and ditto for farmers' work 15 to 25 guineas. Cart colts made 18 to 28 guineas. Well-bred riding horses sold for 20 to 40 guineas neat cobs at 25 to 35 guineas; and horses of high blood suitable for the hunting field to 110 guineas horses of inferior stamp came at low- prices. In the cattle fair fat stock fetched extra- ordinary prices, ana the demand for store stock was very active, graziers paying fully 20 per cent. above the average of late years. — »

INSPECTION OF THE LONDON RIFLE BRIGADE. This regiment underwent its annual inspection by its honorary colonel, the Duke of Cambridge, on Saturday, in Hvde-park, in the presence of the Prince of Wales, the Duke de Brabant, a large number of military officers, and an immense concourse of spec- tators. Shortly after five o'clock about two hundred of the 1st Surrey Rifles, under command of Major Irvine, took up the ground staked out by the battalion aids of the brigade on the open plateau on the northern side of the park, and admirably kept it throughout the evolutions. The brigade mustered at the Duke of York's column and marched to the park. The regi- ment, which consisted of ten strong companies, was under the command of Lieut.-Colonel Warde, assisted by Major Rose, M.P.; Major Pawson, and Captain and Adjutant Ewens, whilst Captain T. D. Sewellhad command of the first or right flank company. The Duke of Cambridge arrived on the ground punctually at six o'clock, accompanied by the Ad- jutant-General, Sir James Yorke Scarlett, K.C.B.; Lieutenant-General Sir Richard Airey, Major the Hon. James Keane, and Colonel Tyrwhitt. The Prince of Wales was in private dress, and did not arrive on the ground till some little time after the inspection had commenced, and quitted shortly before it concluded. His Royal Highness was accompanied by the Duke de Brabant and Colonel Keppel. Amongst others General Brook Taylor, Lieut.-Colonel the Hon. C. H. Lindsay, &c., were present. The brigade having been formed up in review order it received its hon. colonel, the Commander in-Chief, with a Royal salute, who having made a minute in. spection of the ranks in open order, returned to the saluting flag, which on this occasion was the Royal Standard. The regiment having broken out into open column right in front marched past very steadily in that order, but much more so in close column, some of the companies eliciting loud applause from the spectators. Having changed front the brigade again passed the saluting point at the double, a variety of the most difficult battalion movements, including marching and wheeling in square, marching in echelon, and suddenly forming company squares to receive cavalry at the double skirmishing, &c., being subse- quently performed. The word of command was then given to advance in line in review order and give the Royal salute, the band playing the National Anthem. Having been formed up first in open and then in close column, The Duke of Cambridge, accompanied by his staff, rode t, the centre and addressed the regiment. He said: Officers, non-commissioned officers, and pri- vates of the London Rifle Brigade, I most heartily congratulate you upon the excellent and satisfactory inspection you have passed upon this occasion. I can- not say that this inspection is better than that of last year, for, as I told you then, I do not think a bat- talion could have done better than you did; but I can say that it is as good, quite as good as last year. As regards yourself, Colonel Warde, I never saw anybody handle a battalion more efficiently, or, I may say, so well as you have this but that is to be expected from an officer of your experience; and I must also say that the movements were carried out without the slightest hesitation on the part of every officer and man in the regiment, for all seemed equally to know their duty. Last year I drew attention to the necessity for having the hair cut close, as tending to smartness in military appearance, and I am pleased to find that the hints I threw out on this occasion have not been lost sight of. Just to show you that my opinion as to that little matter of detail, increasing your smartness, was correct, I may tell you that the Prince of Wales-for you have had the honour of the Prince of Wales being present at your inspection to- day-remarked upon this very fact that your hair was cut short, and I was very glad to hear him noticing it. The smartness of both soldiers and volunteers in is most desirable should be attended to in detail, and I am pleased to find it has been attended to in almost every particular by this regiment. Depend upon it, while it is so you will be as smart as any volunteer regiment, if not the smartest in the service. I again congratulate you on the excellence of your movements, and believe that they can scarcely be excelled, if equalled, by any other volunteer corps, and there are many good ones, I am happy to say, can be found. I wish you a good eveniner." Lieutenant-Colonel Warde then proposed three cheers for the honorary colonel of the regiment, which was given with the brigade raising their shakos on the ends of their rifles and swords in the most enthusiastic manner, in the midst of which the duke and his staff left the ground. Colonel Warde then expressed his cordial thanks to the whole of the officers and men who had in the first place, given him so excellent a muster on that important occasion and, secondly, for having gone through the inspection in the admirable manner they had done, Before they separated, however, he begged to propose the thanks of the brigade with three cheers for the First Surrey Rifles, which corps had so kindly and admirably kept the ground for them on that occasion. Three cheers, in accordance with this proposal, were heartily given for the First Surrey, and both regiments marched of the ground amidst the cheers of the popu- ace.

LORD BROUGHAM AT THE SOCIAJT SCIENCE MEETING. The annual dinner of the Social Science Association, with' which is now incorporated the Society for the Amendment of the Law, took place on Saturday at the Ship Tavern, Greenwich, Lord Brougham, the presi- dent of the society, occupying the chair. Among the company present were the Earl of Harrowby, Lord Denman, Sir John Shaw Lefevre, Baron de Gros, Sir Fitzroy Kelly, Q.C., M.P., Mr. Locke, Q.C., M.P., Mr. Shaw Lefevre, M.P., Mr. Charles Neate, M.P., Mr. Serjeant Burke, Mr. Daniel, Q.C., Dr. Waddilow, Dr. Pankhurst, Dr. Zimmermann, Mr. R. R. Torrens, Mr. Joseph Parkes, Mr. George Harris, Mr. Hastings, Mr. Hawes, Mr. Charles Clark, &c. After the usual loyal and national teas ts had been disposed of. The noble chairman gave the health of the united societies, and referring to the objects of the society now incorporated with the Social Scienoe, and of which it had always formed an important department, he stated that its influence had been felt to a con- siderable extent in the legislation of the present session so far as it was connected with legal reforms. The present session had, he said, been fruitful of important law reforms. There was, for in- stance, the measure which had been passed for the concentration of the courts of law in one locality, and this he considered a step which was evidently calculated to lead to improvement in the administration of justice. A second measure was that of the extension of equitable jurisdiction to county courts, a measure which had been long called for, and which he considered as the necessary complement of the establishment of those useful courts. A third improve- ment had been made for reforming, to a certain extent, the municipal institutions of the country (cheers). The Social Science Association, and the society with which it was now connected, had been at all times consistent friends of progress, and they were both in favour of progress at a time when their efforts in that direction created alarm in the minds of some, and led to the resistance of not a few; but, in the face of the fears of the one and the interested views of others, the societies had uniformly given their support to every reasonable measure of progress. Their mission in that respect was predicted by a great poet, of two centuries ago, who said— To draw forth good, lend struggling progress wings, These are imperial acts, and worthy kings (cheers). The progress to which they had to lend wings was not that of reckless, extravagant theories of which persons who do not thoroughly understand were too often the clamouring advocates. The pro- gress which they supported was a safe and good one; they had experience to control, experience to suggest and to point out where errors had been committed, and which ought to be avoided in the future (cheers). They had heard a great deal of late and not a little at the present moment of a general election, in the midst of which, indeed, he might say we now are. The trouble, the great expense, and a great portion of the anxiety attending a general election had already begun, and he heartily wished members of the House of Com- mons fairly out of their troubles (a laugh). A grea.t deal was said just now about the .extension of the right of voting. Without discussing,thst question, as a simply political one, he merely stated "that he did not agree with those who were alarmed at the extension pf the right of voting, f&r fear of the new voters com- ing in and swamping who were already ^voters. There were two reasons why he had no fear on this ground-the first was that he did not believe the non. electors had any desire to overwhelm the present ones, and the second was that even if they had the wish they would not have the power of doing it (hear, hear). With respect to all the systems for furthering the progress of law amendment and other measures of social reform, he believed that the great bulk of the people were not sufficiently aware of the difficulties against which the promoters had to contend, and it frequently happened that the social reformer was too impatient, and wished to see his plans carried into effect with arapidi-y which it was notpossible to obtain. They wished to see their plans acted upon at once, were impatient of any delay, and would not wait the result of slow inquiry, sound advice, and the teachings of experience. Now, with respect to the question of the right of voting, he confessed that he would like to see one class above all others, who did not at present possess that privilege, in its enjoyment; he referred to the skilled artisans (cheers). He drew a distinction between the common, ordinary, or unskilled workman and the skilled artisan, the latter being men upoa whom the employer was really more dependent than the men were upon the masters (cheers). He thought that the right of voting might be safely given to such men, and he said he had often thought that if any test, such as that of the wage one, could be found, it might be very safely adopted. Any man who during any period, say for three months, had received a certain amount of wages ought, he thought, to be put upon the register of voters, have his name enrolled thereon, and continue ever after to enjoy the rights and privi- leges of a voter (hear). Among the changes during the present session, of which he expressed his gratification, was that which had been made for the conduct of the great mass of private business which now came before both Houses of Parliament, and which had, he be. lieved, been productive of considerable good. Some years since, when the Duke of Wellington was in office, a plan was proposed which, if adopted, would have been of very great value. The duke requested him (Lord Brougham) to propose such a change in the standing orders of both Houses as would admit of the appointment of a joint committee of twelve, five Lords and seven Commons, to hear and report upon all mat- ters of private legislation. He stated to the duke that there would not be the slightest chance of such a measure being ageed to, but he was encouraged to make the trial, the Duke of Wellington saying that they could only be beaten, and if they were they could fall back upon some other plan. The result was as he (Lord Brougham) had anticipated; the plan was re- jected, and another, though not so good as that which was first proposed, but which was still an improve- ment upon the then existing system, was adopted. He was still of opinion that the adoption of the plan of a joint committee would be of great service, and would obviate great loss of time, save wasteful expendi- ture, and the labour and anxiety to the promoters of being as they were now compelled to appear before two separate committees upon the same matters of fact. The improvement of the mode of proceeding in respect to private bill legislation was a subject well worthy the attention of the society for the improve- ment of the law. The noble lord concluded by pro- posing the toast of Prosperity to the two associa- tions now united for the purpose of more united action." The toast was drunk with the usual demonstration of cordiality. Sir John Lefevre, in eulogistic terms, proposed The health of the noble Chairman," which was re- ceived with greaij applause, and was briefly acknow- ledged by the noble lord. The "House of Lords" was then proposed, and responded to by the Earl of Harrowby. The House of Commons" was also given, and acknowledged; after which some minor toasts followed and the guests departed, well pleased with their evening's entertainment.

EXTRACTS FROM PUNCH & FUN." The Crusader's Farewell. When King Dick the Lion-hearted packed his luggage up and started (Vide Hume and Smollett jpassim) for a trip to Palestine, Tall young men, though half unwilling to accept the offered shilling, Left their wives and little children, and enlisted in the line. Wot ye well that there was grieving when those tall young men were leaving; Wot ye well that there was business being done in locks of hair; Wot ye well that rings were broken, and presented as a token By the noblest of the noble to the fairest of the fair Said a soldier, on the shady side of forty, to a lady Who was buckling on his burgonet, his breastplate, and his brand, By my halidom, I'd rather, as a husband and a father, Stop at home than go crusading in that blessed Holy Land." "Yes, I know as well as you, dear, it's the roper thing to do, dear; And I'm not afraid of fighting (as I think I said before); But it's not without emotion that I contemplate the notion, Of a trip across the Channel in a British man-of-war. No, i's not at all a question of alarm, but indiges- tion Not the lances of the Paynima, but the passage in the gale, When the awful cry of 'Steward' from the windward and the leeward, From a hundred lips arises, when a hundred lips are pale!" < « Yea, I know you're very sickly," said his lady,, rather quickly; But you'll take a glass of sherria or a little Mal- voisie, When you get as far as Dover, and when once you're half-seas over, Why you'll find yourself as jolly as you possibly can be." So her lord and master started, just a trifle chicken- hearted, And, it may be, just a trifle discontented with his lot; But whether he got sick, or felt the better for the liquor That his lady recommended, this deponent sayeth not. The Dog and the Shadow. A dog was crossing a wooden bridge with a slightly underdone mutton-chop in his mouth, when he beheld his reflection considerably magnified in the stream beneath. A common cog might have dropped the solid meat with a vague notion of getting the shadow into his possession but this was not a common dog, or I should never have taken the trouble to write a fable about him. Ah," said he, this is evidently an optical illusion, which will be explained some day by Professor Pepper at the Royal Polytechnic Insti- tution. In the meantime, it is clear that although yonder chop is larger than mine, yonder dog is also- larger, and consequently stronger, than I am; there- fore, it would be imprudent in me to stand the chances of a fight." And he went over and calmly ate his chop upon the other side. MORAL. Cultivate the Polytechnic, and never strike a person who is bigger than yourself. A Cannibal Conundrum. The following was picked up in the Strand the other day between Exeter-hall and Bell's Life office. It had evidently been dropped from some one's pocket; but whether it belonged to a missionary attending the meetings at the one locality, or a betting man looking out for the odds at the other, we know not. Nor does it matter—if the missionary's we will hope it be. longed to a good man if the other's, it clearly per- tained to a better. We found it, and hasten to lay it before our readers: "Why is a cannibal exulting after dining off a. missionary's wife like the finest racehorse of the present year ? Answer.-Because he's Glad-he-ate-her!" The original manuscript, with some real Strand mud still adhering to it, as a proof of the truth of our statement as to where we found the above, may be seen at our office. We make this announcemciat be- cause we should be sorry to have it thought that the conundrum was our own. Lifel and Character on the Rail. The official report of the Government Inspector of Railways in reference to railway travelling, contains- the following monitory statement Gentlemen passengers, as well as railway officers of all classes, constantly refuse to travel singly with a stranger of the weaker sex, under the belief that it is only common prudence in this manner to avoid all risk of being accused, for purposes of extortion, of insult or assault." Thus the moral and physical risk of railway travelling are about upon a par. The chances of broken bones and blasted character are even. For the former o £ those chances we may thank the parsimony of directors in sparing proper precautions; for the latter, the folly and injustice of magistrates and jurymen, who allow evidence to be established in the mouth of one only witness, and that witness the accuser. A Stanza from Sydenham. The singers in the Handel choir So well have earned their fame, That each should have, if he desire, A Handel to his name. THE RIGHT PLACE FOR A CHOI P.The Cathedra of Rheims. ALL "DICKY" WITH HIM.—A great sensational newspaper paragraph was made, a week ago, out of the fact that Mr. Richard Bethell was tapped on his shoulder by a sheriff's officer while enjoying the sport on Ascot-heath. His release should be headed in the largest type, "Richard's himself again." PARLIAMENTARY SENSITIVE LEAF. The funny figure which this leaf presents is causing a great sensa- tion. If you take it roughly in hand, or haul it over the coals, it will instantly curl up and show you a decent pair of heels. You may call it a delicate plant if you please, but if you mistake it for a delegate, it will fly off at a tangent or throw a somersault out of the House before you can say-Bernal Osborne. QUERY. —. Please, Sir, do the Black Ball STEAM Ships take away from England the candidates rejected by different clubs ? SING, WHALLEY, SIXG !-Mr. Whalley is opposed to any measure which will recognise the influence of the Masses. THE CANDIDATE FOB STSOTJO.—The Headless Horsman (by the kind permission of Captain Mayne Reid). REUTER ROUTED.-The news so emphatically tele- grammed by Mr. Renter of a great Russian defeat in Kokhan, turns out to be a mere Khok-an-a-bull story. Sic SEMPER TYBANNI Poland is put down by the sword. The Emperor says, mockingly, No dreams!" How can there be dreams, when Macbeth hath mur- dered sleep ? NOTHING LIKE ^Leather.—- A firm of cloth manu- facturers is advertising a new tweed as being "a beau- tiful cuir brown." Those who don't know thediffer- ence between tweed(le), dit in French, and English tweed, '11 dumbfoundered be by this rum colour. ELECTION INTELLIGENCE.—We hear from Devon- shire that Mr. Cave, the ex-sheriff, is about to contest Barnstaple in the Liberal interest. The motto the Tories of that borough will have to adopt is likely to be Cave in." — 4-

KING ARTHUR'S GRA. VE. Between two pyramids in the churchyard of Glas- tonbury was King Arthur's grave. Long unknown, its exact locality was discovered many ears subse- quent to the peried of which we write. It was when King Henry II. passed through Wales on his way to Ireland, that an old Welsh bard improvised before him at a banquet given in his honour. Interwoven in the song were legends of King Arthur, wherein the bard described his life, his glory, his prowess in battle, his death, and the grave where he lay, m the far-off island of Saxon Aval on, whose wealth of pink- blossomed apple trees gave rise to its musical name. When King Henry returned triumphant to England, he and the reigning Abbot of Glastonbury caused search to be made in the spot which tradition indicated. There, seven feet deep, lay buried a slab of stone, with "Hie jacet sepultus inclytus Rex Arturus, in Insula Avalonia" inscribed. Nine feet deeper down lay the trunk of a tree, whose hollow cradled the giant skeleton of the hero-king, with the ten grievous wounds in the skull, one deepest where the death-blow fell, and beside him all that remained of the lovely Guinevere, his peerless queen, whose locks of burnished gold, still holden together in their shining plaits, appeared radiant as in life, until the breathjng of the outer air dispersed them before the eyes of the beholders in a golden shower. Upon this enchanted ground had risen the massy walls and pillared arches of the Abbey of St. Joseph. There had David, Archbishop of Meneva, added to its proportions and laid giftsupon its altarp. There had King Ina, long years afterwards, with princely splendour, rebuilt the whole, and provided for its shrine ornaments of coat and beauty, lavish with gold and silver, and bestowed rich vessels for the services of the altar. Such it was when Ingle wood became its abbot, and Arrfbrosius led a life of peace and holiness within its walls, the friend of the sick and sorrowful, beloved of the community among whom he dwelt, devoted to his profession, greatly gifted in the music of the sanc- tuary, whose services he ordered, skilled beyond his compeers in the arts of writing and illuminating, of a wise and understanding mind insomuch that all men Bought his counsel; yet withal of a nature diffident and modest, so that but for the radiance that shone upon his brow and in his luminous eyes none would have imagined his true charaater.—Romantic Pas- sages in English History. By Mary Beverley.

Melancholy Case of Drowning.-Three gen- tlemen brothers, named Daniel, Henry, and James Charleston- were on a visit to Morecambe, and went for an excursion to Windermere. On returning by train in the evening they alighted at Hest Bank sta- tion, about two miles from Morecambe, with the in- tention of walking along the shore to the latter place. Unfortunately they wandered on to the sands, and by the time they got opposite Bare they found them- pelves being gradually surrounded by the flowing tide. They called loudly for help, and their cries were heard by a farmer, riding along the shore, who desired them to remain where they were until he came to their assistance. They appeared, however, to have misun. derstood him, and at once made for the land, but Daniel and Henry had not proceeded far ere they had got out of their depth, and they immediately sank. James proceeded up the bay, where the water was shallow, and succeeded in reaching the shoro in safety. Two boats were put off in search 01 the other brothers, but a considerable time elapsed before their bodies were found. Mr. Daniel Charleston was a B.A. of St. John's College, Cambridge; and bud only taken his degree about a week before.

Escape of a Boa.-A curious incident occurred at a performance at the Paris Hippodrome. The boa, constrictor was being exhibited in his cage in t ;ie <*i < na when the reptile, becoming impatient for the bit which was about to be served to him, rose np on its tail and dashed with force against the wire trellice- work by which it was confined. Part of it gave way, and the boa passed through the opening and fell to the ground. A panic among the spectators followed, and every one attempted to escape; but the serpent tamer quickly seized the reptile, and having secured it in a cage of thick glass, order was restored, and the performance continued.