The Brecon Reporter and South Wales General Advertiser

ABEICUISOEE -+-- Position and Prospects of the Hop Trade. The following remarks in regard to the hop trade are from the annual trade circular of Messrs. Woollo- ton and Son, of the Borough :— After five seasons of comparative scarcity it is satisfactory to be favoured with a crop of hops which will probably be remembered not less for general excellence of quality than for extraordinary abundance. It is to be regretted that no accurate statistics can be obtained as to the number of acres under cultivation, nor as to the actual amount of pro- duce, but guided by the most careful observation, we appre- hend that there are now scarcely less than 60,000 acres producing hops, and that the crop of 1865 is equal to more than an old duty of £ 300,000. Consumers are perhaps somewhat better supplied with stock than at this time last year, but few brewers are large holders, and from the great scarcity on the market of year- ling and old hops, a demand may be expected for the new growth, so soon as it can safely be affirmed that prices are in conformity with reason. We think it unvrise to take alarm at the reports indus- triously circulated of mould, blight, and red rust: so im- mense a crop must alwai s be partially affected with some misfortune. It is indisputable that throughout the season there will be an abundant supply of prime quality, and an maportamt surplus. As to the foreign crop, large importations must at one time be expected, for Belgium produces the largest and best crop known since 1846, Bavaria quite one-third more than last year, and of the finest quality and condition; while Bohemia and the other European districts grow consider- ably more than sufficient for their local necessities. From America we again hear of "blight" and total failure," pos- sibly to be followed by as large exports to this market as last season, when similar accounts were repoi ted. We pronoun ce no opinion as to the stability of the pre- sent nominal value of hops, and only add that with judicious care in the selection of their stock, or else by confidence in the judgment and fair trading of those to whom they en- trust their orders, brewers (in the moderate price of hops) will this season have some compensation for the partial failure in the crop of barley, and also for the direct taxation exacted from them on the abolition of the Customs and Excise Duties. TT-in French have added to the list of diseases of animals, which in England is circumscribed to cows, pigs, and prawns, by giving the same disaster to fowls and silkworms. THE annual show of the Pouch Wexford Farming Society was held last week in a field adjacent to the town of Wexford. It was attended with considerable success, the number of entries, particularly in short horns, being greater than last year, the quality of the stock very superior, the spectators numerous, and the weather all that could be desired. A GENTLEMAN near Wareham, in Dorset, who has a small field in which there are crops of carrots and mangold-wurzel, with which hares and rabbits have been making free, has put a dog's house in the field, which a small puppy inhabits. The puppy is loose by day, and he barks all night long. This effectually scares away the hares and rabbits. THE potato disease is computed to have destroyed half the crop in the neighbourhood of Spalding. A Boston report states, however, that in that part of Lincolnshire, the disease is very partial in its effects. Rocks and regents are nearly all bad in some districts, while flukes and seedlings are generally well spoken of. There is a good supply of potatoes about God- manchester; unfortunately, however, the disease pre- vails to some extent, and increases its ravages the longer the roots are kept in the ground. ME: THOIVTXS MAJOR, bailiff at Greenway-farm, Brixham, has furnished the following particulars of what is presumed to be hydrophobia among the cattle of his farm:—"A mad dog broke loose from Torquay in the early part of July, and we found him dead on our grounds on the 11th of the same month, amongst a herd of nine or ten dairy cows and on the 9th of August we found one of the cows show strange symptoms. A veterinary surgeon was at once called in, who seemed, for the time, to be unaware of the nature of the malady; but the following day nothing could 'be more plain than that it was a case of hydro- phobia. At once all proper precautions were taken to prevent other cows from going near the one affected, and she was shot and buried after twenty-four hours; and all straw, dung-, and everything near where she had been were burned. Fourteen dajs afterwards another cow was taken with the same symptoms, but Tiot so violently, and she grew weaker hourly. She was also shot and buried as the other. Since then all the other cows have been and still are healthy and well." IT will be remembered that some months ago several meetings were held in the midland counties with a view to secure the abolition of statute hirings, or "mop fairs," as they are termed, and the substitution therefore of register offices. As far as Warwickshire was concerned it was resolved that the members of the committee then appointed by Lord Leigh's suggestion should distribute blank forms amongst the landholders in the different divisions, for the purpose of getting as many signatures as possible in favour of this proposal in order to obviate the evils of drunkenness, and worse species of immorality which the magistrates find re- gularly follow "statutes" or "mops," at which ser- vants are hired in the open streets. A meeting to re- ceive a report of the result was held at Warwick on Saturday last, at which there were present Lord Leigh, Mr. Adderley, M.P., and several other zealous sup- porters of the movement, when it was stated that -eighty of the tenant farmers of the county had given their signatures in pledge of their determination no longer to hire in this way. Some had refused to give their signatures because they would not pledge them- selves, and it was, therefore, resolved to make such an alteration in the forms of subscription as would meet their views of the case. The hiring business, it would be mentioned, at the mops has considerably diminished since the above movement began.

HINTS UPON GARDENING. Gardening Operations for the Week. BEDDING PLANTS struck in the open ground must be potted forthwith; in all cases a poor sandy soil and plenty of drainage must be used, especially if the plants are to be kept in pits or other places where they will be exposed to a low temperature during hard weather. Take up all choice plants now that it is in- tended to keep through the winter, and pot them; if left in the ground any longer, they will be likely to die after potting. BULBS of all kinds which it is inconvenient to plant early because of the ground being occupied, may be started in a mixture of leaf-mould and old dung, or in cocoa-nut waste, so as to be lifted in clumps with good roots to tlfc positions in which they are to flower as soon as those positions are ready for &faem. Where I an early bloom of snowdrops and crocuses is required and the ground cannot be made ready for the bulbs, this plan answers the purpose to perfection. CAPSICUMS AND TOMATOES mav be gathered be. fore they are ripe if needful, and ripened by laying them on a shelf in a warm greenhoase. FLOWERING SHRUBS to be forced for the conserva- tory should now be thought of, to get them potted up and plunged ready to e taken in to force. Get them into as email pots as possible without doing any serious harm to their roots, and plunge in a bed of cocoa-nut waste, in a sheltered position, till required to go to the forcing-house. FUCHSIAS may be kept in bloom late by the aid of weak manure-water and a close warm house. The shading may be removed and the pots have a sprink. ling of fresh sheep or deer dung as a top dressing. Gather ripe berries of any varieties from which seed is required; bruise the berries with sand, and expose the mixture of pulp and sand to the sun till quite dry; then store it in chip boxes till spring, when sow sand and see3s together. Raisers of seedlings who can keep the young plants in the stove all winter may sow at once in a mixture of three parts leaf and one of sandy loam, and start in a gentle heat. HASD-WOODED PLANTS must be kept well aired and in full sunshine, to ripen the wood and give them strength to pass the winter in an ordinary greenhouse temperature. Heath, epacrises, pimelias, &c., to have free ventilation, and the rauk shoots piuehtd in, to preserve uniformity of growth. LETTUCES required for use in winter to be planted out, a portion in frames, and another portion on a warm sloping border. The cabbage kinds will bear frost with the least injury. Some forward plants of cos put out now on a tMh warm border will come into use late in the autumn. ONIONS to be tarn up when the weather is dry, and well ripened for storing. Those from autumn sowing will now want thinning, and the thinnings may be planted on a svarm rich border to make large bulbs next season, or for use duricg winter. ¡ ORCHARD-HOUSE TREES to have small supplies of water, and full exposure to the sun, near a wall or fence facing south, where the heat will be reflected on I them, and they will ripen their wood wdl. Ail fruit trees that were forced, especially cherries, peaches, and nectarines, should now be quite at rest, and leaf- í less. To make an end of their season, shake the re- maining leaves off, and give them their winter pruning, and re-pot any that require it. Those not re-potted to have the top soil of the pots removed, and its place supplied with fresh turfy soil and rotten dung heaped up round the stem ef the tree. PLANTING may proceeded with from this time to the end of November, beginning with evergreens, and getting them into their places, and meanwhile pre- paring the stations for deciduous trees, fruits, &o. Whenever it is possible to prepare the ground some time before planting it should be done; and where orchards and shrubberies are to be planted in Novem- ber the soil should now be trenched up and made ready, even to manuring if required. ROSES budded this season require now to be looked over, the wild growth cut in slightly, the ties loosened, and any wild buds starting below the work to be rubbed off. Roses struck from cuttings to be potted off as soon as rooted into sixty-sized pots, and be put on a gentle dung heat, to promote the filling of the pots with roots. Roses layered in the open ground may be removed and potted in fact, it is better to winter all roses on their own roots in pots the first season after striking them, if there are conveniences or doing BO. VINES must be got ripe in the wood now, if they are not so already, or all sorts of evils will befall them. Cut off the ends of any shoots that are green and any that continue to grow too luxuriantly may be checked by removing all or part of their leaves, at the same time keeping their roots as dry as possible. All super- fluous shoots to be removed as soon as possible, and the vines in the early house to be pruned at once, and the border covered to keep it dry and warm wooden shutters are sometimes used, but we prefer straw hurdles. -Gardeners' Magazine.

SPORTS AND PASTIMES. -+- AT the prize meeting of the 12th company of the Queen's (Westminster) Rifle Volunteers, the Consola- tion Prize, value X5 5s., presented by H. Graves, Esq., was won by Private Thomas Wise, late Hon. Secretary of the Shooting Association, with the following scores: 200 yards, five shots, 1-5 points; 400 yards, five shots, 15 points. The weather was intensely hazy, and there was a high wind from the left rear. IN 1856 several landed proprietors of Caen and its neighbourhood introduced several hundreds of thou- sands of young eels into their tanks and ponds, and fed them at a great cost, but to their mortification discovered the speculation to be a dead loss, one of them getting only X6 worth of produce against .£95 of expenses. Moreover, all the pieces of water and small rivers into which the eels had penetrated in conse- quence of the overflowing of the former, were all but completely deprived of their stock of other fish, such as carp, tench, roach, &c., of which there was pre- viously great abundance; the voracity of the eel being such as to render it impossible to keep other kinds of fish in company with it. THE Carnlochan Deer Forest is at present very thin of deer, consequently so much sport has not been met with as was anticipated. The deer at thisjparticular season are on the very top of the highest ridges of the highest mountains. They are hardly to be reached, for there is always an old back trusted by the herd, like a soldier keeping sentry over a beleagured city, when upon the first signal of alarm, a peculiar cry- half wail, half moan—which is distinctly heard afar, the hinda spring off in advance with a high bounding leap, their beautiful heads and their symmetrical legs seem to cleave the air; the stags, with their noble antlers proudly borne aloft, following after. In about a week's time the deer will again seek the lower grounds, when better sport will be got. Lord Londes. borough was out the other day and had good sport, four deer falling to his rifle; on the 8th, he brought down a hind. A Novel Swimming Match. Men who can swim their half-dozen miles in the Thames are as plentiful as blackberries. Not long since Walker, a north country swimmer, swam from Londen-bridge to Greenwich, a distance of 5 miles 300 yards, in an hour, and very recently we have heard of the astonishing feat of a German swimming across Lake Constance where it is twelve miles in width. Distance races, in which those who swim get over a certain number of miles in the shortest time, are now getting quite common but on Saturday an element of novelty was introduced by making the essential condition one of end urance. The competitors were to see who could swim the longest, as well as the furthest, without touching anything, a.nd without taking any stimulant or refresh- ment, as the aquatic German who traverses Lake Constance doea liberally. A gold medal, value JE5. was given as a first prize, with the entrance fees divided for the second and third men. No really well-known London crack swimmer entered, with the exception of the veteran Beck with, and he did so with the avowed intention of only refreshing himself by swimming two or three miles, not with any idea of competing for the prizes. In a race of so novel a kind, the ability te withstand the depressing effect of long immersion would be sufficient to ensure sue- cess. A man with a tolerably good covering of fat, in addition to its floating power, would benefit greatly by the well known cold-resisting quality of this oleaginous coating. One of the competitors who enjoyed this advantage proved the winner, having seen younger, stronger, and better swimmers successively give up as they became chilled and oramped by long immersion. Several of the competitors struggled gamely on until they became dead beat, and then were taken out of the water in a very exhausted condition. Indeed, the trial of their powers was so severe that similar races are not likely to become very popular. The compe- titors varied in age, from lads of 15 or 16 to men of 40 years, and probably even older. The following were the names of those who con- tended, Fred. Poole, Charles Whyte, William Adams, W. Aviss (of Coventry), E. A. Paxon, G. J. Jarrat, W. Wood, J. Slade, A. Chaine, C. Williams. E. Rowley, R. Cooper, C. Powell, F. Beckwith, and W. Payton. The committee of the club arranged that a boat containing an umpire should be told off for each three competitors, to see that the conditions of the match were not infringed, andalso as a precautionary measure, in case of any of them being seized by cramp. Towards the end of the race, as the number of competitors was diminished by men giving up, a boat accompanied each one. This precaution was not needless, for several men swam on .until they would without such assistance being close at hand, have gone down like a deep-sea. lead. The start took place from Teddington Lock, from boats placed across the river in line with the tail of the look. The men of course were stripped to their slight bath- ing drawers, which are retained for the sake of decency. All took the water together, about five minutes to three o'clock, some diving head tirsc ana coming up several yards in their course down stream, others jumping in feet first. The veteran Beckwith and a slight bat plucky youngster named Aviss soon showed in front, hea.ding the rest of the competitors, and im- proving their position for the first half mile every stroke. Young Aviss, who had come all the way from Coventry to measure his strength against the metro. politans, swam in splendid style, and in a distance race of moderate length appeared as if he would have won with ease. After a short time he swam away from Beckwith, who, not putting out his strength, was challenged by Whyte, the next competitor, and fell back into the third place, which he retained, swimming easily until Eel Pie Island was reached, twenty-five minutes after the start, when he gave up. His example in this respect soon began to be followed by others, until the number was consider. ably diminished. At Richmond the order was—young Aviss leading nearly a quarter of a mile. Whyte coming next, followed by Adams, Powell, Poole, Wood, and Rowley. Between Richmond and Kew Adams and Powell gave in and retired from the contest. The others swam on to Mortlake, when young Aviss's strength gave out, and the poor lad was handed in half dead, and carried ashore to the Ship. The race now lay between Whyte, Wood, and Rowley, Poole having given up about the same time as Aviss. Whyte had a fine lead, and from his being in the habit of bathing all the year round in the Serpentine, and being considered capable of bearing cold, his chance- was thought to be exceedingly good. Wood, of Hud- dersfield, though far "J the rear, was swimming strongly, and being by the fattest of the com- petitors, had a great deal in his favour. Whyte, on the contrary, was exceedingly spare, and therefore likely to suffer from the long immersion. About half a mile rn the Middlesex side of the Stratid-on-the- Green, Wood was seized with cramp, and had to call for assistance, but before it could be rendered he recovered himself, and again went on again as gamely as ever. Before reaching the railway bridge at Barnes Whyte and Wood had the Taf-e to themselves; the former was far ahead, but when about half a mile on the Hammersmith side of the bridge his powers gave out, and he was got ashore in a fainting condition, after swimming between seven and eight miles, and being in the water three hours and twenty minutes. Wood, who was still strong, came gallantly up, and after passing about twenty yards beyond where poor Whyte was being rubbed on the bank, was hailed by the referee as the winner. Being towed to the shore he had strength enough to walk up unassisted and dress himself, and would no doubt have been able to reach Hammersmith.

TERRIBLE COLLIERY ACCIDENT NEAR WIGAN. Eight Persons Killed. A most appalling colliery catastrophe, by which eight men and boys were deprived of life, with only a few seconds' warning, oocurred late on Tuesday after- noon, at the California. Pit, situated at Penaington- green, between three and four miles from Wigan. The colliery forms part of the extensive wenks of the Kirk- less-hall Coal and Iron Company. It has been in ex- istence for a considerable time; and though only one scam-the Arley Mine-is worked, the yearly out-put" has been for many years as great as at any pit in the Wigan coalfield; while the accidents, and parti- cularly those of a fatal character, have been remark- ably few in proportion to the number of men employed. When the pit is in full work between 300 and 400 colliers and drawers are engaged; but on Tuesday morning only 277 lamps were given out on the pit bank, the reason being that the previous Saturday was Pay Saturday," Monday consequently Play Mon- day," and on Tuesday, when the fortnight's work is commenced, the whole of the men are never ready to begin their labour. On Tuesday two full hours are seldom made, and though the men descended the pit at the usual hour in the morning the operation of wind- ing them up the shaft began soon after three o'clock in the afternoon. .0. At a quarter to four some 100 of the men had been conveyed safely to the surface, and eight more colliers and drawers were placed safely in the upper portion of the two-decker cage by the hooker-on to descend the shaft, a distance of about 315 yards. The cage was within about forty-five yards of the top—two-and- a-half strokes from the engine—when suddenly, and from some cause at present totally unexplained, the rope slipped off the cone-shaped drum on to the shaft, and though the engine was immediately checked, the cage fell down the pit, snapping the steel wire in two like thread, and then dashing along with its living- freight at a fearful rate to the bottom — a fall of fully 270 yards. The workmen at the pit eye had fortunately sufficient time to get out of the way of the cage, which, moving with extraordinary velocity, crashed through the boarding which covered the dib-hole, and was huddled in the 7ft. of water which it contained. For a short time the utmost consternation prevailed, but those in charge on the pit bank were not long in making preparations to learn the extent of the disaster. The capstan was soon in order, and about five o'clock four men, named James Smallshaw, Roger Taylor, Peter Heyes, and Daniel Higson, were lowered in a basket by its means. They found that the shaft had been very slightly injured, for the cage being held in its position by the rods and the rope-some hundred yards of which it had taken with it in its fall-had lodged safely on the top of the ascending cage. Con- siderable damage had of course been done at the bottom, but the workmen who had been waiting to ascend were safe, though much alarmed. There was not the slightest possibility that any one of the eight men in the dib-hole could be alive, and it was deemed the wisest course, as the rope on the other side of the shaft was uninjured, to proceed with the winding of the 160 men who were still in the pit. The news of the accident was soon disseminated for miles round, and a constant stream of relatives and friends of the men employed was quickly moving to the pit from every direction. Of the 100 who had been drawn up some had not reached home, while, of course, it was impossible to say on the pit-bank who were the eight out of the 160 down whoselivesha.d been sacrificed. Whilst, therefore, all of the great crowd which soon assembled had good reason to hope that their friends had escaped, still there could be nothing like certainty, and it was most affecting to observe the eager glances of anxious watchers at the black faces of each party of workmen as the cage reached the surface, and to notice the hearty welcome which was accorded to some few of the latest arrivals, who were receivad as if they had risen from the dead. At twenty minutes past six, after the cage had made about twenty journeys, all the living were out of the pit, and then, under the direction of Mr. Samuel Lancaster, who was assisted by the underlooker of the pit, Roger Taylor, and by another officer of the same rank named James Chivers, prepa- rations were made for the recovery of the bodies. The cage was soon fastened to the strong capstan rope, and in twenty minutes it was easily raised out of the dib hole. It was completely smashed, and the bodies, all of which were inside, were fearfully crushed, though all were identified without difficulty, as in only one case was there any consider- able disfigurement of the features. The bodies were carefully wrapped up at the bottom, and sent in couples to the top, where carta were in readiness to convey them to the Running Horses Inn, Aspul, there to await the coroner's inquest. The names of the deceased are James Ramsdale, John Dann, George Ingham, John Holland, William Bradshaw, Robert Fletcher, Robert Eatock, and Edward Anderton. The cause of the accident rests at present unex- plained, but some light may perhaps be thrown upon it at the inquest. The rope which was of steel, and about 3^ inches in circumference, had been on the drum since the 13th of May, and was in good working order. It was of steel, and calculated to resist a strain of ten or twelve tons, but this, of course, would be nothing compared with the force of the jerk by which it was broken. The drum was of conical shape, and the slipping of the rope which caused the accident would be a circumstance very similar to the slipping of a lad's string when he winds his peg-top.

CHASE AFTER FRAUDULENT BANKRUPTS. On the 15th June Messrs. George and J. Blackburn manufacturers, of Upper-lane Mill, Little Gomersal, near Leeds, absconded, taking with them money and goods to the value of about < £ 25,000. It was found that they had gone to New York, and Superintendent Hunt, of the Leeds detective force, was sent in pursuit of the runaways, who in the meantime had been made bankrupts. When Hunt arrived in New York he found all the goods had been delivered at that port, and he also ascertained where they were warehoused. and the additional fact that the two absconding bank- rupts had travelled from England under the assumed names of Baring an¡jl Linton. Walter Blackburn, the younger brother, had also sailed over to the States with them in the same ship. Mr. Hunt was for several days unable to trace them, but as he was watching about the steamboat quay one morning, he learnt a scrap of intelligence from one of his runners which induced him to look out for the arrival of a fourth brother from England. When this youngest branch of the family arrived, Mr. Hunt took up his quarters at the same hotel, and there he learnt that the only thing which prevented this latest importation from communicating with his brothers was the fear that he (Superintendent Hunt) would shortly be arriving from England, and that intercourse under such circumstances would be dangerous. Mr, Hunt pacified his fears, however, and actually accompanied young Blackburn down to the quay to see whether the next steamer brought over the redoubtable de- tective who had inspired the lad's mind with such consternation. When the dreaded detective from Queenstown did not make his appearance by the next boat, the confidence of young Black- burn became gradually restored, and three days afterwards he went to Trenton, in New Jersey. Mr. I Hunt followed up the track, and at Trenton he amployed a man to watch the lad's movements. It then transpired that a cousin of the Blackburn's had hired a warehouse for the purpose of receiving the bales of goods fraudulently removed from the hands of English creditors. Mr. Hunt soon afterwards re- turned to New York to watch the proceedings of the gang at the Custom-house, through which the goods would have to be cleared. He held in his possession a bill of lading which had been intercepted at Liverpool, and he rightly concluded that the Blackburns would come down to the pier to look after the bales of cloth. Very shortly, while standing opposite the office of the Inman Company, he observed George Blackburn, the elder brother, and Walter Blackburn, stand- ing in the passage leadiJRg to the depot. He walked up to them, saying, Good morning, gentlemen; what is your business hereP" at the same time sticking his pen behind his ear. They replied that they had called for a bill of lading for twenty bales of goods which had been sent out from Queenstown by the Edinburgh. Mr. Hunt replied: "The gentleman who holds that bill of lading is at the branch office, in Exchange- place, and though I am in a great hurry, I will accompany you there, as I have a little business to transact with him on my own account." They con- sented to accompany him. Mr. Hunt then con- ducted them to Exchange-place. Here he left them in the lobby whilst he went into an empty room, and raised his voice as if in conversation with an occupant to this effect: TbeBe gentlemen outside have called respecting a bill of lading, and they inform me that they are in a hurry and wish to be going." Mr. Hunt knew that they had in their pos- session at the time the bills of lading for twenty-six bales of goods, and it was his object, if he could effect it, to obtain these valuable documents by any lawful means in his power, but if necessary by a strategic coup de main. He quickly decided upon the latter course of action, and, walking back into the lobby, said to the elder Blackburn, We are particular about those bills of lading; have you invoices with you ? Blackburn replied in the affirmative. Mr. Hunt asked to see them, upon which George Blackburn drew them from his pocket. Mr. Hunt requested them to endorse the documents, which endorsements were at once made by the young man, Walter Blackburn. Mr. Hunt then returned into the room, placed the docu- ment in a secret pocket, and went back to the Black- burns with the bill of lading for twenty bales of goods, to which he also obtained the necessary endorsement. He then told them to call again at three o'clock that afternoon, upon which George Blackburn jumped up and fiercely exclaimed, There is something damnable about this-there is something wrong." Hunt quietly replied, Yes, Blackburn, there is something wrong about you—there is your photograph, pulling the carte de,vis,tte from his pocket, and I hold a warrant against you for embezzlement." Blackburn immediately blanched upon finding his most fearful anticipa. tions realised, and Mr. Hunt then followed up his advantage by demanding their cash. They declared they were without pecuniary means, and slunk out of the office. Mr. Hunt subsequently showed his bills of lading, and obtained the usual olearance permits, and these he depositeclin the hands of the lawyer to whem he had been delegated, who will take the neces- sary steps to see the goods duly forwarded to England, where they will be applied to the credit of the official assignee under the bankruptcy. The value of the property thus recovered to the estate of the Black- burns is roughly estimated at between X5,000 and jJ6.000.

CAPTURE OF AN HOTEL SWINDLER. A respectable-looking young man, who gave the name of Reuben Leech Ibbotson, of Bradford, York. shire, aged twenty-three, and who stated he was a commercial traveller, was brought up at the borough police-court, Derby, on Saturday last, charged with stealing a silk umbrella, the property of Mr. Thomas Baker, a commercial traveller, of Carlisle. There is no doubt the prisoner has for a considerable time past been travelling through England and committing robberies at different hotels in which he had been staying. How he got into custody at Derby was as follows :—Mr. Baker said a week ago last Wednesday he was staying at Mrs. Stubb's, King's Head Hotel, Buxton, for the benefit of his health, and prisoner was also at the same house, and represented himself as a traveller. He felt convinced, from the prisoner's appearance, and the manner in which he conducted him- self, that he was not a commercial," although he said he represented Bannerman and Sons, wholesale drapers, Manchester. On the following Sunday evening prisoner left the above hotel without paying his bill, amounting to £ 3 15s., and taking with him Mr. Baker's umbrella. Nothing was heard of him until Mr. Baker arrived at Smithard's Temperance Hotel, Derby, on Friday last, when he found the prisoner at the same hotel, and in his possession was the umbrella he had stolen. He accused him of the robbery, and then gave him into custody. Mr. Hilton, head constable, said that the prisoner, on Friday evening, ordered "tea and fowls" at Mr. Smithard's hotel, although he had no money in his pockets. He was remanded for a week, and we have no doubt the police will be able to get up a nice little history of his swindling transaations.

THE DAVENPORT BROTHERS IN PARIS. The Davenport Brothers appeared for the first, and probably the last; time in Paris last week. They had taken the precaution to print upon the tickets (price 25fr. each) a notice that thespectators must implicitly obey the instructions of the interpreter. Notwith- standing the price charged, the room was filled, but already before the commencement of the performance there were symptoms that things would not pass so quiety as in the private abode of the adepts. M. Robin had the evening before given an exhibition very closely resembling the spiritual manifestations of which the parfratrum are the mediums, so that the audience was not only critical, but well up in the subject. Some delay occurred in commencing the performance; a meagre band of musicians endeavoured in vain to fill it up with attempts at a valse, which the impatience of the public would not permit them to finish. At last a white-cravated, blue-coated, gilt-buttoned individual, with gloves irreproachably clean, ap- peared on the stage. He explained in some- what dreamy language that the brothers made no pretensions to supernatural powers; that they were mere passive agents of spiritual manifestations, which, they do not pretend to explain. They do not ask for faith; they address themselves to science, to which they present certain phenomena, facts which science and the press may discuss. The speech was a long one, the audience got tired, and called out for the ex- periments," the two brothers," and some wicked wag added, Les Deux Scews. They came forward at last, looking worn and rather frightened. The inter- preter then invited two of the audience to come upon the stage to watd» ct.rr-j were greeted with howls of Con- freres but these changed to applause when they named themselves, M. H. de Péne, well known for a celebrated duel, and editor of the Gazette des Etrangers and the Vicomte Clary. They inspected cords and cup- boar a, saw nothing suspicious, and the brothers were as securely as usual tied to their bench. The doom are closed, the unearthly hubbub of unmusical instru- ments commences the spectators ask for light, the spirits, by their interpreter, objeot; the public is for a moment silent, and the brothers walk out of their box unbound. One of the gentlemen who tied them thinks the ropes produced are not the same as he had used, but the objection does not prevent a second manifestation. This time the brothers, who had entered the box unbound, are found solidly attached to the bench, but a spectator, whose attention had been uninterruptedly fixed on the bench, jumps on the stage, puts his hand on the bench round which the cords are wound, touches a spring, the bench bends in the middle, and the cards fall at the feet of the cap- tives, who were themselves plumped down—not on their heads. The rush, the row, was terrific, but the appear- ance of the commissary of police, who announced that the money would be returned, sucoeeded in restoring quiet. The company, after examining the mysteries of the cupboard, retired, not sorry to find their money in their pockets, delighted at having detected the im- posture, and glad to breathe some fresh air, for the heat had been stifling.

IMPORTANT CONVICTIONS OF COW- KEEPERS UNlJER THE ORDERS IN COUNCIL. Mr. Burcham was engaged for several hours at the South wark Police-court in investigating charges against two persons summoned by Mr. Stanley, the Govern- ment inspector and veterinary surgeon of the district, for having in their possession and unlawfully driving through the public streets cattle suffering from the cattle disease. The first summons was against Mr. Thomas Meredith, cowkeeper and dairyman, Flying Horse-yard, who was charged with removing five animals from his yard suffering from the cattle disease without the authority of Mr. Stanley. The second summons was against George Smith, Montrose-lodge, St. James 8-road, Holloway, for driving and causing to be driven along the Southwark-bridge-road, the five animals above mentioned. The question turned upon whether the five animals were or were not f m-3 el" behalf of the prosecution, the evidence or ivir. atanley and Mr. Brown went to show that the cows were diseased; but for the defence there was the evidence of George Higgins, a slaughterman.—Mr. W. Weld, one of the inspectors appointed by the Com- missioners -of Sewers, and inspector of cattle; and lur. J. Newman, an inspector of Newgate-market, who all gave their opinion that there was no disease what- ever about the cows.—Mr. Burcham said that with respect to four of the cowa the evidence did not satisfy him that they were labouring under the disease, but the fifth animal he thought had the symptoms. Con- sidering the evidence on both sides, he had no other alternative but to convict the defendant Smith. The other defendant, Meredith, had already been convicted for sending forth diseased cattle without a lioense from the inspector. He felt bound to inflict such a. fine as would deter others from following the example of the defendants, both of whom had not only violated the law, but after warning, had set it at defiance. He adjudged each of the defendants to pay a penalty of .£10, with the ordinary costs.—Mr. Burcham after- wards consented to suspend the warrants of distress for a few days, to give time to consider a point of law which had been raised.

Compound Interest.—It is well known to what prodigious sums money improved for some time compound interest will increase. A. penny, so improved from our Saviour's birth as to double itself every four- from our Saviour's birth as to double itself every four- teen years, or, which is nearly the same, put out b t five per oent. compound interest at our Saviour's would by this time have increased to more money than would be contained in 150 millions of globes, each equal to the earth in magnitude, aad all solid gold. shilling put out at six per cent compound interest would in the same time have increased to a greater sum in gold than the whole solar sjstem could hold, supposing a sphere equal in diameter to the diameter of Saturn's orbit. And the earth is to such a sphere half a square foot, or a quarto p»ge, to the whole enrface of the earth.-Notes and Queries.