The Brecon Reporter and South Wales General Advertiser

THE COURT. THE Queen has taken her accustomed exercise in the environs of Windsor. Her Majesty appears to be enjoying good health, and frequently walks back- wards and forwards from the castle to Frogmore in a day. ON Saturday, the Queen, accompanied by Princess Helena and Princess Beatrice, drove to Bagshot-park, and honoured Sir James Clark with a visit. The Duchess of Roxburghe, the Hon. Caroline Cavendish, Major-General the Hon. A. N. Hood, were in attend- ance. ON Sunday, the Queen, Princess Helena, Princess Louise, and Princess Beatrice, and the ladies and gentlemen in waiting, attended Divine service in the private chapel. The Hon. and Very Rev. the Dean of Windsor officiated. THE Prince and Princess of Wales arrived at Windsor Castle on Monday. ON the Sunday previous to their departure the Prince and Princess of Wales, with the Countess of Macclesfield and Major Grey in waiting, attended Divine service at the Chapel Royal, St. James's. The communion serviee was read by the Rev. the Sub. Dean, the Rev. Dr. Vivian, and the Rev. R. by Harvey. Anthem," Praie6 the Lord,Hayes. Sung Master Bristowe and Carmichael, Messrs. R. Barnby, M. Smith, Cummings, and Whitehouse. Mr. Goss presided at the organ. The sermon was preached by the Rev. R. Harvey from St. Luke. ch. xv., v. 1. THE ceremony of churching the Princess of Wales took place on the Friday previous at the Chapel Royal, St. James's. The Dean at Westminster and the sub-dean of the Chapel Royal officiated. In the evening the Prince, with the principal members of his suite, did the Archbishop of Canterbury the honour of dining with him at the Lambeth Palace. The christen- ing of the infant prince was ordered to take place in her Majesty's private chapel at Windsor Castle the latter end of the week. TEE King of Hanover will be one of the godfathers; and the infant receives the names of George Frederick Ernest Albert. HER MAJESTY and the younger branches of the Royal family take their departure for Osborne on the 10th inst. The Queen will not return to Windsor until after her visit to Germany. THE Queen will make a stay of a few days at Brus- sels en route for Coburg, where the monument to the Prince Consort will be inaugurated on the 26th of August.

LITERATURE AND THE ARTS. --+- M. WIERTZ, the Belgian artist who has recently died, has decreed that his boy should be embalmed, and dressed in the costume he usually wore, amd his heart inclosed in a casket, and handed over to his residuary legatee, who has transferred it to the cus- tody of the Burgomaster of Dinant, in which town M. Wiertz was born. THE Albert Gold Medal of the Society of Arts has been awarded this year to the Emperor of the French for distinguished merit in promoting in many ways, by his personal exertions, the international progress of arts, manufactures, and commerce. The Prince of Wales, president, communicated this decision to the Emperor, by whom it has been most graciously ac- cepted. ME. G. SYKES has designed a cover for Domesday Book, to be executed in enamel and gold, with subjects on the respective sides representing, in relief, Wil- liam the Conquersr," and Queen Victoria;" the latter at the opening of the Great Exhibition. This design is said to have been well received by her Ma- jesty. OF books appearing or advertised during the last few days, we should mention Adventures among the Dyaks of Borneo," by Frederick Boyle; Ballads and Songs of Lancashire, chiefly older than the Nineteenth Century," collected, compiled, and edited, with Notes, by 3ohn Harland; A Vindication of the Marquis of Dalhousie's Indian Administration," by Sir Charles Jackson; Essays on the Trees and Shrubs of the Ancients: being the substance of four lectures delivered before the University of Oxford, intended to be supplementary to those on Roman Husbandry, already published." By C. Daubeny, M.D.; "A Course of Lectures on the Third or Transition Period of Musical History, deli- vered at the Royal Institution of Great Britain." By John Hullah. But one of the most useful works pub. lished for a lengthened period has been brought out by Messrs. Cassell, Petter, and Galpin, entitled, The North-West Passage by Land; being the Nar- rative of an Expedition from the Atlantic to the Pacific, undertaken with the view of exploring a Route across the Continent to British Columbia through British Territory, by one of the Northern Passes in the Rocky Mountains." By Viscount Milton and W. B. Cheadle, M.A., M.D. In re- ference to this work the Saturday Review says:— The title of this very remarkable ioint description of a really notable adventure is not without its signi- ficance. In exploring a practicable route across British North America, which may hereafter connect the gold fields of British Columbia with the settled territories to the east of the Rocky Mountains, Lord Milton and Dr. Cheadle have performed a far more valuable and practicable feat than if they had climbed and crawled over a dozen new Alpine Cols and they are wise in pointing the moral of their tale on the back of the volume. The individual heroism, and the national expenditure of wealth, skill, and lives, which have given a vi vid interest to the discovery of the North- West Passage by sea, have but succeeded in showing that it must necessarily be useless as a line of commercial communication. Until the .conditions of the globe are altered, European merchantmen will never steer for China and Japan through the Straits of Davis and Behring. But when the pioneering feet of Lord Milton and Dr. Cheadle have been followed across the Rocky Mountains by the surveyor and the navy, and a railway is constructed from Halifax to some point on the coast of British Columbia, the whole distance from Hong-Kong to Southampton will be capable of accomplishment (according to Lord Milton's calculation) in thirty-six days, or from fifteen to twenty days less than by the present overland route by Suez.. The pluck and energy which characterised the carrying out of this highly adventurous expedition were as creditable as the practical spirit in which it was conceived, and as the graceful and modest humour with which it is told in the volume before us." For full details of the journey we may safelv recommend I our readers to consult t he letterpress and sketches of Lord Milton and Dr. Cheadle. The same firm have also two other works wuich arethus mentioned in the Athen&umThe Children s Garden, and what they made of it." By Agnes and Maria E. Catlow. Illus- trated by Mrs. Harry Criddle. Divided into twelve chapters, each of which is named after one of the twelve months, this prose tale by two experienced -writers explains to children the processes and mys- teries of horticultural art. The book has several good ■points and qualities; and it will not be less at- tractive to little readers because an ornate page proclaims that it is dedicated by the Queen's 1 gracious permission to her Royal Highness tho Prin. cess Beatrice." « 0 "THE Boy Crusaders: a Story of the Days of St. Louis." By J. G. Edgar. With Illustrations by R. Dudley. (Cassell, Petter, and Galpin.) Another posthumous story from a sound and popular writer of history for children. In his preface, Mr. Edgar says, In this volume I have related the adventures of two striplings, who, after serving their apprenticeship to chivalry in a. feudal castle in the north of England, assumed the cross, embarked for the East, took part in the Crusade headed by the saint-king of France, and participated in the glory and disaster which attended the Christian army, after landing at Damietta, including the carnage of Mansourah, and the massacre of Minieh." The tale is not unworthy of its writer, and that is no slight praise.

SPORTS AND PASTIMES. MR. SANDYS, the judge of Dingapore, while out shooting in the jungle, was almost torn to pieces by a tiger. SOME fishermen of Calais have just captured an enormous shavk-a warning to bathers on both sides the Channel. A CURIOUS incident occurred at the late gathering of riflemen at Montrose. During the contest for the International Challenge Cup, that celebrated marks- man Sergeant Forbes of Ellon, alias the Distin- guished Bricker," had fired his rifle. At the same instant a rook crossed the range at some hundred yards' distance. The rook fell dead, pierced through the body, but the bullet failed to reach the target. THE members of the Manchester TQWQ Sol-fa Aseo. I ciation held their annual meeting the other day in the Rev. A. Mursell's school-room, Grosvenor-street; Mr. Johnson in the chair. The report read by Mr. Mather, the secretary pro tem., showed that the association was in a very inefficient condition; but this, it was explained, arose from the association having only been re-formed some six months. The aggiegate concert held a few months ago at the Free-trade Hall was, too, one of the causes of the depression into which the association had been thrown, owing to the smallness of the audience on that occasion, and the heaviness of the expenses. The financial statement showed a balance due to the treasurer of about X7. The report was adopted; thanks were voted to the retiring com- mittee and the officers of the ensuing year were elected. MR. JOHN FARQUHARSON, pearl-fisher to the Prince and Princess of Wales, and Mr. Kirkpatrick, Perth, have just completed a pearl fishing expedition on the Earn, which they have fished for a stretch of about twenty miles. Mr. Farquharson obtained forty-two pearls, and Mr. Kirkpatrick only four; but we believe the relative value of the pearls is curiously out of pro- portion to their number. Mr. Farquharson s largest pearl, for instance, does not exceed £10 in value, while Mr. Kirkpatrick's is estimated by Mr. Farquharson to be worth some X,60 to the wearer. Its weight is 26 grains, it is of fine shape, and the colour very rich. So far as this fishing extended, the river may be con- sidered as thoroughly swept, for these fishers allowed nothing to pass them. IN consequence of the excessive and continued drought, the streams in many places near the lakes in Scotland were all but dried up, so that angling could only be pursued advantageously at evening and during night. Since the.recent rain good baskets have been made at dusk with the minnow, the only successful bait at present. The sport upon the higher waters of the Earn has been very fair. On the lochs the sport has been about an average.' Lord Glenorchy killed three fish a few days ago. Another angler killed six, and another five,[some of them 81bs. in weight. Heavy baskets have likewise been made on Lochs Tummel, Earn, Garry, Freuchie, &c. CONSIDERABLE anxiety was entertained by sports- men in the early part of the season as to the forest prospects in Perthshire, the herds of tleer having suffered severely during last winter. The storms were so heavy that the deer were in many cases scat- tered all over the country in search of food, and com- mitted sad havoc in turnip-fields and stack-yards exposed to their raids. Provender was provided for them as far as possible, but in some instances it was not practicable to do this so fully as necessary. Spring, too, was later than usual, and in consequence pasture was deficient till an advanced period. The fears thereby entertained have, however, been dis- pelled by the recent brilliant weather, under which the deer have improved wonderfully, and are now in such condition that one of the best fawning seasons for years is expected. Several fawns have already been dropped, and there is no doubt that with a con- tinuance of such weather as at present there will be an excellent crop. Gamekeepers state that they have observed a number of excellent heads, and anticipate that stalkers may look for capital sport this year if fawning is at all favourable, of which no doubt is entertained.

HINTS UPON GARDENING. ARTICHOKES are HOW coming to table in plenty, that is to say, where they are grown, which is in very few places. As the heads are cut, the plants must have attention; cut the stems off to the ground, re- move dead leaves, fork over the soil, and lay on a heavy dressing of half-rotten dung. If wood-ashes are at command, cover the dung with a thin layer; they need not be watered, for at this season the heavens will soon supply them with plenty, and the labour may -b-a saved. ASPARAGUS.—Any more cutting of this crop will ruin the plantations. To many it may seem needless to make this remark, but people are cutting asparagus now, and we must advise them to desist, unless they have made up their minds to the policy of killing the goose, &c. Where the beds have not had much attention, let them be at once pointed in with a fork, all weeds raked off, and the surface covered with a mulch of half-rotten dung. Manure rotted to powder should never be used as a mulch-there is no strength in it. BEANS to be topped as soon as they show flower, and crops ready for use to be topped back a second time to within a leaf or two of the plumpest of the small pods. Earth up advancing crops. BROCCOLI must now be got out to furnish a supply during autumn. Manure liberally, and if the planting is done in dry weather, give water as abundantly as possible. CAULIFLOWER.—Plant out, and remember that for this crop the soil cannot be too rich; they will actually grow well in dung only, if well rotted. Hoe between those coming forward, but do not earth up the stems except of such as are loose at the collar. CELERY requires a heavy watering where the ground ia dry. If the fly has attacked the leaves, pick them off and burn up; generally a few leaves only are touched, and they can be spared. But as no crop will bear to be entirely disleafed, where the grub has got the upper hand, it will be in vain to expect much pro- duce. We once lost a long row of chenopodium atripliois by the grub of celery fly-a plant we never before saw attacked; this indicates a partiality for the spinach-worts, which is rather a serious matter. Dustings of soot, therefore, so useful te protect celery, may be needed also among beets and spinach. CONSERVATORY will require air night and day, unless there are many stove plants, in which case shut up while the sun is on the house. Use water in plenty, and liquid manure wherever it seems to be required. Free-growing soft-wooded plants may be assisted now by placing the pots in pans of water, and sprinkling the paths morning and evening. CUCUMBERS must have steady bottom-hest to pro. duce fine fruit. It is a common fallacy that when the weather becomes warm the beds may be left to cool down, but it is rarely fine fruit are out from frames that are never lined after the first heat is out. Keep a moist atmosphere, for cucumbers absorb immensely by their leaves- FRUIT GARDEN.-PLit netting over currants, goose- berries, and cherries, to keep the birds from the fruit. To retard or keep hanging currants and gooseberries, cover with mats. Strawberry runners to be pegged down in pots, and the superfluous runners to be cut awav an inch or two from the stools. PEAS.—Good autumn crops may be had by sowing now such sorts as wrinkled marrow, Hair's dwarf mammoth, and Veitch's perfection. A layer of manure should be put at the bottom of the trench, to draw the roots down, and prevent suffering by drought. PINES should have every needtul attention now, as at this season plenty of growth may be secured for the succession plants. Those swelling their fruit will need the help of liquid manure and atmospheric moisture, with a good steady heat. POTATOES to be frequently hoed between. A dressing of wood-ashes and guano between the rows of the main crops now will considerably increase the produce, especially on sandy or chalky soil, where disease rarely appears; on moist loams and claya it will be less safe and less necessary. As fast as erops are taken off, trench and manure for brocsolis, cauli- flowers, and winter greens. RASPBERRIES to have their suckers reduced to three or lour to every sto l; those left will rise strong, and ripen their wood well, but a forest of spray will be all weak alike, and at the winter pruning there will be a temptation to leave all, because for strength there will be little choice. Never dig between raspberries; it causes them to throw their suckers a long way from the stools; but surface manurings at this time of year, and no disturbance of the earth, causes strong suckers te rise near home. ROSES require now to be pruned back, and have a mulch and plenty of water to assist the autumn bloom. Half.ripe sbootfl of most of the perpetuals mav be struck now, with the help of a moderate bottom- heat but it is full early yet, and better to wait a week or two than waste time in putting in soft shoots. Buds to be entered on briars with discretion. If either the buds or the shoots to be entered on are in a soft state they will not take; the bark must be firm, or the work cannot be done properly. One night's heavy rain will do more to perfect the stocks and scions than a wek of artificial watering. WINTER FLOWERS must be thought of now. Pro- pagate euphorbia and splondens; repot and propagate poinsettia pulcherrimum; give salvia splendens another shift; set out in the open air solanum capsioastrum, and callicarpa purpurea: put all potted shrubs for winter blooming in a cool, moist 1 I bottom tor a month, then remove tnem to a sunny I position under a wall or fence, to hasten the ripening of the wood. WINTER GREENS to be planted out at every op- portunity. It is most important to get out good growths of Brussels sprouts as early as possible.— Gardeners' Magazine,

TOPICS OF THE WEEK. A FRIEND IN NEED.—Mr. Welch figures in this character if we may judge from the following extract from his evidence given before the Committep on the Leeds Bankruptcy Court case. In the course of his examination Mr. Welch said:—" I may mention that I have often assisted Mr. Bethell, and others too, in- cluding members of your honourable House, fre- quently." On being asked whether the assistance alluded to was of a pecuniary nature, Mr. Welch replied: "Yes, as friends; and one noble lord now owes me 8,000 and odd pounds. We settled accounts some time ago: he is a connection of Lord Palmerston. I asked him to help me, and I believe he would do it for me if he could. I have assisted many friends from time to time, perhaps incautiously, it may be foolishly; and among the rest I have assisted members of the House of Commons; two, I know I have assisted, and I have lost nothing by them.Pi-ess. RAILWAY INFLUENCE ON ELECTIONS.—It is, of course, very proper that the Duke of Marlborough should be held up to public rebuke for hjs treatment of Woodstock. He is breaking the law which forbids a peer to interfere in an election, and if the people of Woodstock may be trusted he is breaking it in the very worst way. When the local magnate simply selects out of many candidates acceptable to the con- stituency the one most acceptable to himself he may be guilty of an undue stretch of power, but he does not, at all events, nullify the representative system. His nominee votes as the electors wi3h him to vote, and their principles, therefore, are represented, though their inclinations are overruled. At Woodstock, how- ever, the people declare that they are not represented at all, that they not only cannot secure the member they want, but are compelled to resist the party which they prefer, the town, in fact, throwing its weight in the House on the side which the town abhors. Never- theless. bad as this case may be, there is another form of "influence" growing up among us, which is, at least, as dangerous as that of the great proprietors. A peer, whatever his rank or possessions, is still only an indi- vidual, and as such amenable to opinion or to ridicule, or even if he becomes too intolerable to the suasion of rotten eggs. A railway board unfortunately is ex- posed to none of these things, is as impervious to opinion, or laughter, or any softerjmissiles of an election fight, as one of its own locomotives, and railway boards interfere very decidedly in elections. A railway chair- man, if a politician and tolerably popular with his shareholders, has more influence than any great peer, possesses more patronage, controls directly more votes, can offer very much higher inducements to entire con- stituencies. He has frequently thousands of dependents all possessed of votes, can give contracts the dis- tribution of which affects the prosperity of entire boroughs, can make arrangements with local lines, which benefit or annoy a whole country-side, can, above all, offer means of locomotion such as may double or treble the income of a half-agricultural con- stituency. The great peer seldom rules in more than one or two places, but the chairman, say of the Grea.t Eastern, can exercise a distinct and appreciable influ ence in at least twenty. It is not of course a com- manding influence in the sense in which the inflaence of Blenheim is commanding at Woodstock, but it is strong enough very often to hold the balance of power, to make resistance to a chairman or chairman's nominee very dangerous work indeed, and to give the company very considerable power over party resolves. Moreover, the influence, such as it is, can be exercised very unscrupulously, first, because a board is almost irresponsible, each member accepting only a minute share of blame; and secondly, because it can allege a reason for its oppression which is not alto- gether selfish. Employes may reasonably be asked to consider the interests of the great corporation which pays them, and the'voter is told that "the company needs strength in the House." A peer when in- structing his tenantry is obliged to make some of them vote knowingly against their convictions, but the man who votes for his company can very com- fortably sink them, and allege that he is simply per- forming a professional duty. He wants his company to be well heard, and it cannot be well heard unless it has plenty of active or manageable representatives in Parliament. Nothing is so dangerous as a power' which at once intimidates you into voting against your conscience, and offers you a salve for the wound which will heal it in the eyes of your neighbours, and sometimes in your own. Again, the great peer is almost sure to be governed in the first instance by his political convictions-his judgment as to the measures required by the common weal. He may sometimes be selfish, striving for a garter or the strawberry leaves, but he expects to earn these things not by a bargain with opponents, but by the con- sistent support of those who represent his own views. But a company is sure to be guided in the first instance by its interests, to be anxious about its metropolitan station, or L s running powers, or its right of competition, or its authority to issue debentures, and to exert its influence with an eye to those results rather than to consequences more interesting to the people at large. We do not mean that influence would be bartered for concessions, or votes exchanged for private Acts of Parliament, but we do mean that it is very annoying, for example, to a Tory minister to be compelled to resist plans for slicing the metropolis into blocks, when those plans are ardently favoured by.companies which can affect thirty or forty otherwise safe seats. The citizens aggrieved usually find that it is mueh more useful to appeal to the Lords, who need not be anxious whether they irritate voters, than to attempt to move the compact body of well-primed members, who sweep railway bills through the Commons with such pertinacious energy. We have pointed to the Great Eastern as our illustration, but suppose the Great Northern to have had no votes in the House, to have stood in the position say of the Russian trade, is it equally probable that a .bill for making coal three shillings a ton cheaper in Eastern London would have been rejected ? The great rail- ways, like the great families, are happily divided in views, but were they united, the nation might find itself subjected to a tyranny to which that of the great families was a joke.-Spectator.

"■ =========== OUR MISCELLANY. Advice. The great beauty of a wife is," said a henpecked husband, "that if she abuses you herself, she won't let any one else abuse you." A Bull." Patrick, you fool, what makes you stale after that rabbit, when your gun has no lock on it ? ''Hash! my darlin', the rabbit don't know that." Shocking Threat.-Barnum is now exhibiting, at his museum, three fat girls, who are said to weigh a ton. The trio, a short time ago, threatened Barnum that, if he did not raise their wages, they would put themselves under the Banting sy.Rtem.-Pack- San Francisco paper. A Clever Servant.—A housemaid, boasting of her industrious habits, said, quite innocently, that on ascertain occasion she rose at four, made a fire, put on the kettle, prepared breakfast, and made all the beds, before a single soul was up in the house." Traditions of Somerset-house. A little above the entrance door to "the Stamps and Taxes" there is a white watch face let into the wall. Local tradition declares it was left there in votive gratitude by a labourer who fell from a scaffolding and was saved by the ribbon of his watch catching in some ornament. It was really placed there by the Royal Society as a meridian mark for a portable transit in- strument in a window of an ante-room. A tradition of Nelson belongs to this quiet square. An old clerk at Somerset-house used to describe seeing the hero of the Nile pass on his way to the Admiralty. Thin and frail, with only one arm, he would enter the vestibule at a smart, pace, and make direct for his goal, pushing across the rough, round stones of the quadrangle, in- stead of taking, like others, the smooth pavement. Nelson always took the nearest way to the object he wished to attain. Some years ago a gentleman, in a fit. of depression, committed suicide by throwing him- self down that sort of bear-pit under the ominous black statue of the Thames, opposite the gateway of Somerset-house. With the caprice of a suicide, this unhappy man did not precipitate himself headlong, but with a sort of terrible carefulness lay down on the parapet, and then rolled himself over.-Thorn- bury's Haunted London. A Dandy 1n the ilifteenth Century.—Giles had passed his 'prentice days in London in the house of one of the Court glovers, and was therefore looked upon by the provincial cits as a. perfect master of good breeding-" the glass of fashion and the mould of form." I may sketch his dress and appearance, as affording a picture of what dandies were in the closing days of the fifteenth century. Assuming the Tudor colours of white and green in consequence of the slender link, just named, which bound him to the court, he displayed the latter chiefly in his short doublet, whose wide puffed sleeves, coming only to the elbow, afforded an opportunity of exhibiting both the breast and arms of a fine Holland shirt, stitched with gold. His breeches, reaching to the knee, were of taffeta in alternate stripes of white and green; and below these, tight white hose extended to his round- toed shoes. Above his dagger, on the right side of his girdle, which was of Cadiz leather adorned with silver studs, hung a square leathern purse. But the most remarkable article of his attire, when he first entered the room, was a hat, worn not upon his head, which was covered with a green velvet coif, but hang- ing at his back with its enormous plume of soiled green and white feathers almost sweeping the ground. At the first sight of this caudal appendage, Alice had clapped her hands and cried with malicious glee: Mercy on us all! what shall we do when the peacock spreads his tail ?" A profusion of fair hair, scented and trimly curled, fell upon this gallant's neck; but not a trace of beard or whisker was permitted to dis- figure his new-reaped chin and cheek.-Froin Pictures of the Periods, by W. F. Collier, LL.D. A party of gentlemen from Bombay, one day visit- ing the stupendous cavern-temple o Elephanta, dis- covered a tiger's whelp in one of the obscure recesses of the edifice. Desirous of kidnapping the cub with- out encountering the fury of the dam, they took it up hastily and cautiously, and retreated. Being left at liberty, and extremely well fed, the tiger grew rapidly, appeared tame, and attached as a dog; it was, indeed, in every respect, entirely domesticated. At length, when having grown to a great size, and, notwithstand- ing its apparent gentleness, it began to inspire terror, by its tremendous power of doing mischief, a piece of raw meat, dripping with blood, fell in its way. Up to that time it had been kept from raw animal food; but the instant it had dipped its tongue in blood, it darted fiercely, and with glaring eyes, on its prey, tore it furiously in pieces, and, growling and roaring in the most dreadful manner, rushed off towards the jungles. The tiger is readily tamed when taken young, but its temper may be said to be scarcely so much to be depended on as that of the lion. The celebrated Charles James Fox had a young one which followed him about like a dog. He had reared it from its infancy, and fed it entirely on milk and vegetables. But, one day, while he was sitting reading, the tiger went up and licked his hand, which was hanging over the arm or the back of the chair.. Before he was aware of the fact, the animal's tongue had scraped away a portion of the skin. Mr. Fox, happening to turn round his head, instantly discovered, with horror, that the tiger's eyes were glaring, and its whole spirit was aroused at this first taste of blood. Gently rising from his seat, and without withdrawing his hand from the tiger's mouth, he led it, with kindly words, into the next room, over the chimney-piece of which was hanging a loaded' pistol. As the blood flowed more rapidly, the tiger's eyes glared more fiercely; but, providentially, Mr. Fox was able to seize the pistol; he levelled it at the tiger's head, which instantly fell dead at his feet. A younger tisrer. which was brought from China in the Pitt East Indiaman, at the age of ten months, was so tame as to admit of every kiad of familiarity from the people on board. It was as harm- less and playful as a kitten. It frequently slept in the sailors' hammocks; and when stretched on the deck, would allow two or three of them to repose with their heads resting on it for a pillow. It was like the cat, given to thieving, and frequently stole the sailors' meat. One day, having stolen a piece of beef from the carpenter, he followed it, and, after taking the flesh out of its mouth, beat it severely for the theft, which it suffered without offering to retalliate. It would frequently run out on the bowsprit, climb about the ship like a cat, and perform a number of tricks with surprising agility. There was a dog on board, with which it would often play in the most diverting man- ner. This animal was placed in the menagerie of the Tower of London, where it remained many years, and never evinced any ferocity. It was called Harry, and answered to this name like a dog.-Cassell's Popular Natural History.

GREAT LANDSLIP AT VAUXEALL. An accident of a most serious nature, and one which, owing to the prevalence of the late heavy rains, was very near being attended with the most disastrous consequences to some of the large number of work. men who have been engaged in the works near Vaux- hall for some days past, took place on Friday after- noon, in the Wandsworth-road, immediately opposite the Nine Elms-lane. the Nine Elms-lane. During the past week tha.t part of the thoroughfare between Vauxhall and Nine Elms has been opened for the purpose of laying down new gas or water mains, and for the purpose of more effectually carrying on the works the cutting had been carrried to a depth of, in some places, twenty feet, care, @f course, being taken to strongly support the sides by the usual timber supports." On Friday morning the whole of the men were engaged in the works, but towards the afternoon the rain, which had been falling very heavily, compelled them to suspend operations, at all events till it hadoeased. It appears that it had bean noticed during the morning that several portions of the earth, which is of a very sandy nature, had shown signs of cracking, but nothing serious was apprehended till just after the men had left the works, when a loud noise of cracking timbers was heard, and the whole of the cutting from the goods yard of the London and South-Western Railway to the Nine Elms-lane instantly fell in with a fearful crash, snap- ping all the pipes in two which intersected the pit like so much earthenware, and crushing the timber almost to tinder. Had any of the men been left in the cutting death must have taken place instantaneously. As it was, however, this was providentially not the case. Instant precautions were taken to stop any further mischief, which must have been caused by the traffic of vehicles along the side of the road, and the whole of the thoroughfare between Vauxhall and Nine Elms was stopped.

TRE BREADALBANE TITLE AND ESTATES. The earldom of Breadalbane, and extensive estates of the late marquis, including Tarmouth Castle and others, of the annual value of upwards of R70,000 a year, are now the subject of litigation in the House of Lords. Since the death of the late marquis three claimants have appeared for the title and estates, and their respective claims are now the subject of litiga- tion, not only here, but before the Court in Scotland. The first claimant is Donald Campbell, Esq., formerly a lieutenant in the 57th regiment, whose petition to the Queen was a few days ago referred by her Ma- jesty's Attorney-General to the Committee of Privi- leges of the House of Lords. Lieut. Campbell claims to be descended from John, the eldest son of the first Earl of Breadalbane. John A. G. Campbell, of Glen- fallock. D.L., and J.P. for Perthshire, claims not as i f J.T. U,,4. «~ 11 ° descended rrom wie ,,¡,on, uu.u »» a. collateral descen- dant. This, claim Mr. J. A. G. Campbell's cousin, Lieut. Charles Wm. Campbell, of the 19th Bengal Cavalr.),, disputes, on the ground that his uncle, the grand- father of Mr. J. A. G. Campbell, was not lawfully married, or rather that, at the time of Elizabeth M. Blanohard s marriage to Mr. Campbell, in 1782, her former husband, Christopher Ludlow, was living1 Mr. Ludlow was a medical man at Sodbury, and on Mrs. Ludlow eloping with Captain Campbell, her husband was so distressed that he removed to America, and died in 1784., two years after the alleged marriage to Captain Campbell. The counsel retained by the various prtles are the Attorney-General, the Lord Advocate of Scotland, tho Solicitor-General of Scot land, bir Hugh Cairns, Mr. Rolt, Q.C., Mr. James Anderson, Q.C., Mr. Downing Bruce, Mr. G. Pafcton, Mr. J. Adam, and Mr. Dun das Grant. In 1861 Sir John Campbell was created Earl of Breadalbane with a special remainder to which of his sons he should nominate to succeed him, whose issue failing, to the heirs male of his body, which failing, to his nearest legitimate heirs male. The earl died in 1716 having had issue three sons, Duncan, the eldest (ancestor of Lieut. Donald Campbell) John, second son, whom his father nominated as his successor in the earldom and estates, in consideration of John having agreed to pay certain debts of the family. John, the third earl, and grandson of the first earl, died im 1782, when, according to the limitation in the original patent, the estates and title ought to have reverted to Duncan, the eldest son, or his male repre- sentatives. At this period, however, the descendant of Duncan was under Bome disability in conse- quence of having taken part in the troubles of those days, and waa, it is stated, absent from Scotland. No act of attainder, however, appears to have been passed. The next heir male, however, a descendant of an uncle of the first earl, in the absence of the descendants of Dancan, took up the title, and obtained possession of the estates. The third earl had carefully provided for the descendants of Duncan turning up, for, in a deed of entail executed by him, he alludes to the fact that some of them may have been overlooked or omitted, and that by the en- tail he was then creating, the honours and estates might be separated, which was contrary to the spirit and meaning of the entail of 1701, and of the en- tail he was then creating; and he specially provided that the-party who made good his title to the earldom in court of law, the same person should be entitled to the estates. John, the fourth earl, died in 1834, haying first obtained a new patent as a baron of the United Kingdom, and also a marquis ate in 1831. Ou the death of the late marquis, in 1862, the present claims were made, and will probably bo the subject of litigation for some time.

THE PROTESTANT ELECTORAL UNION OF SCOTLAND AND LORD ELOHO. The secretary to the Protestant Electoral Union of Scotland has forwarded the following reply to the recent letter of Lord Elcho :— My Lord,—I have had to-day the honour of laying before the acting committee of the Protestant Electoral Union of Scotland your lordship's communication of the 19th, in reply to a circular which I was instructed to address to every candidate for a Scotch constituency, asking whether he would support a motion for the withdrawal of the grant to the College of Maynooth, and all other grants of money for the support of Romanism and whether he would support or oppose any proposal in Parliament for the endowment of the Roman Catholic priesthood in Ireland, out of the Consolidated Fund or otherwise. I regret that, through the omission of one of our clerks in not making the necessary alteration on the lithographed circular, an informality was omitted in addressing your lordship. The Protestant Electoral Union of Scotland is composed of men possessing electoral rights in ail parts of Scotland. Its object is to maintain, by all legitimate means, the Protestantism of the Crown and constitution; and, for this purpose,"to aid in obtaining members of Parliamant who shall oppose all legis- lative measures which tend to raise up the Papal hier- archy again as a legally-endowed and established body within this realm, and to defray the cost of Papaipro- pagandism out of the public purse.' Your lordship is therefore incorrect in alleging that the Protestant Electoral Union is a 'see'larian political association.' A sectarian association, your lordship holds, because a Protestant association. Has your lordship considered what this reasoning implies ? It implies that the Constitution is sectarian because Protestant that the nation is sectarian because Protestant that the Reformation and the Revolution which gave us this Protestant Constitution were sectarian acts, a.nd ought to be reversed. It implies, further, that, in your lordship's opinion, the religion of our country and the constitution of our country, as settled atthe Revolution of 1688, are sectarian, and ought to receive no national countenance, defence, or supremacy; and? all this your lordship affirms, despite your lordship's oath on entering Parliament, to maintain and defend' the religion and constitution of the realm, as estab- lished at the Reformation and Revolution, against the idolatrous faith and the tyrannical pretensions of Rome. We leave yeur lordship to say whether this be not a policy of revolution. Your lordship asserts that the step which the Pro- testant Electoral Union has taken is a direct inter- ference with the freedom of election'—' an attempt to- usurp the function of the constituencies, and thus to interfere between candidates and electors and your lordship denies our right to take such a step. Your lordship's denial is no a,nswer to a plea in behalf of that right. Our plea is this :-That this matter does not lie solely between your lordship and the constituency of the county of Haddington. If your lordship, as a candi- date, sought merely to represent local opinions, and to legislate on matters solely relating to the oounty of Haddington, in a House of Representatives for that constituency alone, your lordship's statement might have some relevancy. But your lordship by becoming a candidate for the county of Haddington, thereby seeks to obtain a seat in the Commons House of Parlia- ment for the United Kingdom. As a member, there- fore, of that House yoar lordship, if elected, must take the responsibility of legislating on matters which affect the entire realm. The giving of money for the support of Romanism, not out of your lordship's pri- vate purse, but out of the National Treasury, ia one of those general acts which has a vital bearing upon the interests of the whole country, and of every indi- vidual. It affects also the principles on which the Throne is established. Moreover, your lordship and others, by votes and otherwise, have already assisted in increasing the endowments of Rome to the extent of XI,000 a day, or, in other words, a sum equal to what is given for the support of the Established Church of Scotland, including the value of manses and' glebes, and thus in involving this nation in the guiit' of endowing Romish idolatry and all its evils. "Have we not seen associations formed for the exten- sion of the franchise, for the abolition of the corn laws, for the promotion of free trade-all objccta of great importance, but not of greater importance than the preservation of the fundamental principles and Pro- testant character of the constitution ? And have we not seen these associations using means to enlighten consti- tuencies, and to test candidates as regards their special object P Why should the Protestant Electoral Union be debarred the use of means, in furtherance of its ob- ject, which have been deemed perfectly legitimate at! d fair in the case of these other associations ? Seeing that too many of our statesmen seem disposed to en- dow Romanism, it is high time that Protectant elec- tors should band themselves together to use all lawful means to reverse the above suicidal policy in order to conserve those privileges which our forefathers ob- tained, but which your lordship and others are at- tempting to undermine. It is only by ri^hteou £ EES?» that a nation is exalted." ■ ♦