Flintshire Observer Mining Journal and General Advertiser for the Counties of Flint Denbigh

WONDERFUL PAIN BEABEES. "Women endure painful snrgical operations nrueh better than do men," said a medical traveller. Men will receive frightful wounds without flinching, then act like babiesat the sight of the surgeon's .knife and needle. As a rule the.- most robust nations bear pain with less fortitude than those notecl for effeminacy. A native of Bengal will look placidly on while you saw off his leg, while your bold Briton must have an opiate before getting a tooth pulled. The Mexicans and Cubans endure pain much better than do the Americans, while a Turlf will let a surgeon saw him to pieces'^ without raising half the dMrirbance that a big German soldier will over the setting of a broken bone. But for a genuine stoic in the matter of patient long-suffering commend me to an Indian who lias not been tainted with the white man's civilisation. There is no torture human ingenuity cim devise that will break his nerve."

'r MILITAEV engineers are practically agreed that no material for fortification is superior to earth. When clay is not obtainable, as on the seashore, sand is collected into bags, and these are, laid in regular I' heaps aloj)g the line of the proposed fortification. In such a fortification the balls from the enemy's cannon sink without doing any damage, and shells explode harmlessly. VERY little is known of the mysterious ruins under- neath the city of Constantinople. A Turkish super- sition says, however, that a strange cistern shows an expanse of inky water, in which stands »n array of columns, the limits of which liaye never been reached. A Christian once started to row in a reached. A Christian once started to row in a boat to its furthest limit, and he has not got back yet.

CARTER'S LITTLE w LIVER PILLS. Ah, taall IddepNI PIU. D018. jtfKfulTTLE BsuJl a*R| IVER rut,, ml plt/iS Forty la » Partly Ttgrtalblt. Can Torpid liver, Bile, lkllow Complexion, and Sick Headaches promptly: and •ore them to utoMtf rare*. gbtmiaU, U- 1M BEAU HFUL TEETH fOY *11 who OM daily on tha ( brush a few drop* of SOZODONT tho plMMnUit dentitmes ia So world. Cleanses the teeth and spatm between them as nothing else will. Sound and pearly white teeth, rosy lips, and fragrant breath ensured. i Ask for SQJZODOITE. Ss. 84. — — ■■ .1 ■ A

THE high seas include the whole extent of sea so far as it is not the exclusive property of any particu- lar country. The rule of international law is that every country bordering on the sea has the exclusive sovereignty over suoh sea to the extent of three miles from its shore but all beyond, which is not within three miles of some other country, is open or common to all countries. THE Pennsylvania oil-fields, which are about 350 square miles in extent, have already yielded 516,000,000 barrels of petroleum.. Thwrft-are ether great fields in Russia, Mexico,. India, Canada* and tbee,-Argentine Republic, and it is said that the area of the oil- producing region in Peru alone is 7500 square miles. THE largest willow-tree grown in England was at Borebam, Essex, and for quality and size was one of the finest willows on record. It measured, when down, 101ft. long, oft. 9in, in diameter, weighed upwards of 11 tons, and was as sound as a bell. It was planted in 1835, and was taken down several years ago for the sole purpose of making cricket-bats -1179 being made out of it. OWING to illness, brought on by overwork, the Rev. Sebastian Bowden has decided not to bring out his long-promised work on the religion of Shakespeare until next year. Father Bowden has been fortunate in securing the late Mr. Simpson s manuscript notes on the poet, which were originally intended for put- lication in the successor to the lll-tated RamlI, ith which the writer was intimately connected. These notes will be incorporated by father Bowden in his new work, which promises to throw considerable light on a part of the poet s character which has hitherto been but inadequately dealt with. The much-disputed authorship of part of Henry VIII." will also be commented upon by Father Bowden, who holds that there can be but little doubt that Fletchef was responsible for the disputed passages.

DIAMOND JUBILEE CELEBRATIONS. PARADE OF TROOPS IN EAS1 LONDON. The East-end of London had a foretaste of the Jubilee on Saturday afternoon, when contingents of mounted men belonging to the 1st and 2ud Life Guards, the King's, the Prince of Wales's, and the Princess Kojal'a Dragoon Guards, the Royal Horse Artillery, and the Army Service Corps, sa well as a contingent of the colonial troops, marched through the east of London to the Man- sion House, and thence to their respective barracks. Effective enough in itself, however, the show was sadly marred by the absence of music. Bands there were, of course, for each of the regi- ments represented was accompanied by its musicians, who, however, instead of playing from start to finish, made fitful music, and the absence of the blare of trumpets and the roll ef drums robbed the display of at least 75 per cent, of its inspiriting character. This absence of music will probably rob the Jubilee pro- cession of much of its colour and dash, for the effect of martial strains on a populace cannot be over-esti- mated. All along the line of route, which stretched from the rendezvous in V ictoria-park through the Grove- road, Mile-end-road, Whitechapel-road, Whitechapel High-street, Aldghte, Leadenhall-street, and Corn- hill to the Mansion House, both sides of the streets were lined with a dense crowd, which overspread the narrow confines of the pavement and foregathered into the road, leaving only a pathway sufficiently wide for the procession to file through. If one thing was apparent more than the orderly behaviuur and the ready obedience of the crowd to the com- mands of the policemen, it was the enthusiastic wel- come which was accorded to the colonial troops, who were cheered again and again along the route. Guards, Dragoons, and Artillery came in for frequent cheering, but the enthusiasm reached its height at the appearance of the colonials, who were led by the New South Walea Lancers, followed by the Canadian mounted troops, Victoria mounted troops, New Zealand mounted troops, the Cyprus, Zaptiehs, mounted troops, Queensland mounted troops, Cape of Good Hope mounted troops, the South Australian mounted troops, Nutal mounted troops, the Crown Colonies mounted troops, and the Rhodesian Iforse, all of whom, riding in close order, were cheered to the uttermost, con- spicuous among them being a man with only one arm, who sat on iiis horse as if he had been a descendant of some centaur of old and was a part of the animal. After the contingent proper came the band of the Scottish Rille Volunteers, a detachment ef Scolonial infantry, succeeded by the Canadian mounted troops, commanded by Major General Maurice, C.B., and officers of the staff. The tail of the procession was formed by three squadrons of the 7th (Princess Royal's) Dragoon Guards, comprising two batteries of Royal Horse Artillery, and the rear guard, around which the crowd closed so tightly that at one time it was hardly possible for two horsemen to advance abreast. As soon as the procession had passed the crowd refused to bo restrained any longer by the policemen and gathered in the centre of the street, completely blocking it for a moment. Then it began to separate, some going to the east, some to the west, some making for a turning on the north, others for the south. THE TATTOO AT WINDSOR. On Saturday evening at Windsor Castle, after her Majesty had dined with the Royal Family, the Queen, from the east side of the Royal Quadrangle, with the members of the Royal Family, witnessed the Grand Military Tatto. The bands and troops that attended were the trumpeters of the Royal Horse Guards, the bands of the 1st and 2nd Life Guards, the Royal Artillery, the Royal Engineers, the Grenadiers, Coldstreams, and Scots Guards, with the drums and fifes of the 3rd Battalion 2nd Coldstreams, 1st Scots, and the pipers of the last-named troops. The cavalry massed bands, guards of honour, and torchlight bearers were drawn up near St. O8Or. Gateway. They entered the Grand itrrgmeers" bands' marcfieS by the Norman Gateway. First of all about 260 men of the Coldstream Guards, who were all torchbearers, filed in and lined three sides of the quadrangle, Soon afterwards followed the Blues' band followed by torchbearers and a guard of honour of about 100 bayonets. Each band as it entered played the regimental air of the command, when within the quadrangle thC\ bands were massed and a company of the with torchlight bearers faced the Queen whilst the men lining the other side of the square faced inwards. The regiments marched to their places and saluted, whilst the bands played various marches Mr. Charles Godfrey conducting. The First Post having been sounded by the massed trumpeters of the Household Cavalry from the top of the Round Tower, the guard of honour gave a royal salute, the drums and fifes of the Foot Guards sounded the Last Post from the royal quadrangle, and the cavalry trumpeters completed a final flourish. The pelting rain unfortunately somewhat marred the cere- mony. THE CYCLISTS' PARADE. On Saturday afternoon a gigantic cyclists' .de- monstration was held in Battersea-park, and attracted a crowd which must have numbered many thousands. The organising was in the hands of the Cyclists' Parliamentary and Municipal Association, and it must be admitted that the arrangements showed a lamentable lack of detail, with the result that regarded as a pageant the parade was a com- plete failure. The number of cyclists present could not have been far short of a thousand, and several of the machines were decorated with the National oolours-red, white, and blue. No great originality was, however, noticeable, and, except in about half a dozen cases, the decorative part was far from strik- lBg* THANKSGIVING SERVICES. THE QUEEN AT WINDSOR. Her Majesty the Queen aad the Court attended a solemn thanksgiving service in St. George's Chapel, Windsor, on Sunday morning. Except the various Royal personages, members of the household, and the military knights of Windsor very few persons were present, the service being semi-private. The Duke and Duchess of Devon- shire and the Earl of Bosebery occupied the stall as Knights of the Garter; the Ear) and Countess of Cadogan were also numbered in the con- gregation. The Queen, who drove the short distance from the palace in a carriage and pair, arrived at the chapel at eleven o'clock, and leaning on the arm of an Indian attendant, walked to a chair placed near the altar rail. Her Majesty was accompanied by the Empress Frederick, the Duke and Duchess of Con- £ Might, Princess Henry of Battenberg, and Princess ouise. The service, which occupied about 40 ininutes, and was conducted by the Dean ot Windsor, included a hymn written for the occa- sion by the Bishop of Wakefield, as well as a special Collect, in which reference was made to the 60 years' >appy reign of the Queen, to the increased comfort |iven to humanity, and kindlier feeling between rich »nd poor which had grown up. At the conclusion of the service her Majesty summoned each member of her family to her side and affectionately embraced them. In the afternoon there was another service at St. George's Chapel. NOTABLE CONGREGATION AT ST. PAUI:S. On Sunday a special thanksgiving service in cele- bration of her Majesty's 60 years' reign was per- formed throughout the United Kingdom, the form of prayer being identical in all churches and chapels in England and Wales. At the half-past ten o'clock service on Sunday morning in the Cathedral Church of St. Paul's there was an immense congregation, owing to the fact being known that the Prince and Princess of Wales, with other members of the Royal family, would attend, as well as the Protestant representatives of most of the foreign Powers now in London. To watch the arrival of these distinguished worshippers many thousand spectators had for hours taken up points of vantage on Ludgate-hill and in the neigh- bourhood of the National Church. The service was timed to commence at 10.30, but very long before the approach of that hour the demand for admission to the cathedral was far in excess of the accom- modation at the disposal of the authorities. The apce beneath the great dome, where the front row of seats was upholstered in crimson, had been £ #• £ Apart for the Royal members of the congregation, of which the following is a complete list: The Prince and Princess of Wales, Princess Victoria of Wales, the Duke and "Duobess of York. Prince and Princess Charle(bt Denmark, the Grand Duke and Duchess of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, the Duke of Cambridge, j Prince and Princess Aribert of Anhalt, the Prince j and Princess of Schaumburg-Lippe, Prince Albert of Prussia, the Duke and Duchess of Saxe-Coburg, the Grand Duke and Grand Duchess of Hesse, Prince Alfred of Coburg, Princess Beatrice of Coburg, the Grand Duke Cyril of Russia, Prince Waldemar of Denmark, Prince Eugene of Sweden, the Grand Duke of Luxembourg, Prince and Prin- cess Frederick Charles of Hesse, Princess Frederica of Hanover and Baron von Pawel-Rammingen, and Prince Herman of Saxe-Weimar. Peers and peeresses, Ambassadors, and Ministers and their wives, thfc suites of the Princes, &c., about 200 members of the Bar, in wigs and gowns, were among the other con- spicuous members of the distinguished congregation. The occasion, beside being one of national thanks- giving, chanced to be Hospital Sunday, and a re- minder of the fact was supplied by the arrival of a guard of honour of the Medictl Staff Corps, under command of Surgeon-Major Squire, who lined the central aisle. Dr. Martin had in attendance for the service a full male-voice choir, and a splendid orchestra of about 150 selected musicians from the Royal Italian Opera, Covent-garden, Crystal Palace, &c. Shortly before 10.30 the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Bishop of London, the Cathedral clergy, and the choir proceeded to the west door of the church to re- ceive the Marlborough House party. A procession having been formed in the nave, the Royal party, headed by the olergy end choir, proceeded to their respective places, Sir Arthur Sullivan's hymn II 0, King of Kings, whose reign of old hath been from everlasting," being sung meantime to full orchestral accompaniment. The service, which proceeded immediately after the arrival of the Prince of Wales and his party, was that appointed for general use in the churches throughout the country. The Bishop of London preached in clear, incisive style from the words of St. Peter "Honour all men, fear God, honour the King." He said he was speak- ing at a moment when a common sentiment of patriotic devotion thrilled the hearts of English- men throughout the British Empire, when they were celebrating the completion of 60 years' reign of a ruler dear to her people as a noble repre- sentative of their national life. It was the longest reign in the country's annals, and they were naturally proud of it. It had been a period of progress, and its length was equal to about one-twentieth of the course of English civilisa- tion. Patriotism was good but national thank- fulness was better still. They honoured the Queen as no monarch had been honoured before, and they looked upon her as the unvarying representa- tive of tke desire to moralise all human relation- ships. At the conclusion of the service the Royal mem- bers of the congregation left the cathedral by the west door, and drove to their respective residences, the departure of the splendid Royal equipages being watched with interest by a huge crowd. THK JUDGES AT ST. PAUL'S. On Sunday afternoon her Majesty's judges, the Lord Mayor and Corporation, and the members of the various City guilds attended a service in St. Paul's Cathedral, and the sacred edifice was again crowded. to overftowing. The judges arrived at the cathedral about three o'clock, and were received at the western entrance by the Lord Mayor (Alderman Faudel Phillips) and Sheriffs Ritchie and Rogers. The judges wore their full bottom wigs and their official robes, some of the gold embroidered robes of Privy Coun- cillors and others their scarlet and ermine. After the first lesson Stainer's anthem, "Lord Thou art God," was sung by the choir, and at the termination the first verse of the National Anthem, in which the whole cengregation joined with impressive effect. Before the sermon the Bishop of Wakefield's special thanksgiving hymn, to music by Sir Arthur Sullivan, was sung. The sermon was preached by the Bishop of Adelaide, who chose for his text The lot is fallen unto me in a fair ground; yea, I have a goodly heritage." The burden of his discourse was that the greatness and stability of the empire over which the Queen rules was chiefly due to the observance of justice in administration and to philanthropy. In referring to the present occasion of rejoicing he said that the ueen as monarch had never ceased to be a woman. THE LORDS A* WESTMINSTER ABBEY. At ten o'clock on Bay morning members of the Xise of lords .Atlen 8Ifd a aerviee t and the function was m Mie ruuest sense i ,i "La historic pile indissolubly linked as it bas I been through the centuries with every phase of national life. Those of the lords who had elec'ed to robe drove down to their own House, from which they were shortly to emerge arrayed in scarlet and ermine, and to walk between a guard of Queen's Westminster Rifles and police to the eastern door of the south transept. Among those present were: The Lord Chancellor (Lord Hals- j?nry)' Usher of the Black Rod, the Deputy- Usher of the Black Rod, the Sergeant-at-Arm3 (Colonel the Hon. Sir Patrick Talbot), with the mace, the Purse Bearer, the Clerk of the Parliaments, Mr. H. Graham, the Private Secretaries, the Archbishop of York, the Marquis of Salisbury, the Marquis of Dufferin, the Duke of Westminster and Lord Windsor. The members of the Royal family present were H.R.H. the Duchess of Albany, H.R.H. the Duke of Albany, Princess Alice of Albany, the Hereditary Prin- cess of Saxe-Meiningen, and the Princess Feodora. The Lord Mayor ana the Lady Mayoressand Sheriffs drove from the Mansion House. The Lords, not robed, but occupying reservtd seats in the congrega- tion, were about one hundred, prominent among whom were the Marquis of Lansdowne (Secretary of State for War), Earl Cadogan (Lord Lieutenant of Ireland), the Bishop of St. Asaph, the Duke of Portland (Master of the Horse), the Duke of Abercorn, Earl Spencer, Lord P^nrhyn, the Earl of Winchilsea, and Lord Roberts. The Venerable Dean was assisted in the service by the Bishop of Durham (an ex-Canon of West- minster), the Sub-Dean (Canon Duckworth), Minor Canon Cheadle, and Canon Troutbeck. The strains of Gounod's March Solenelle," I played by Dr. Bridge as an opening voluntary, having died away, the special thanksgiving hymn of the Bishop of Wakefield was sung. The form of prayer authorised for succession day was j exactly followed. The music of the responses was Tallis', the scoring for the special suffrages being by Dr. Bridge. Thorne's Kyrie and Creed I were used. Dr. Bridge's anthem, Blessed be the Lord, thy God," and Dr. Martin's festival "Te Deum were also beautifully rendered. Dr. Bridge's arrangement of the National Anthem was given before the sermon. The Dean preached from the words, "I remember the days of old, I meditate on all Thy works, I muse on the work of Thy hands (Psalm cxliii. v. 5). Carrying his hearers back eight centuries, and down through succeeding dynasties, Dr. Bradley touched briefly upon the history of the past 60 years, and upon the steady increase in national wealth. Colonial development and the extension of the empire under Victoria were also alluded to, followed by a recital of the great names of statesmen, men of letters, philanthropists, and the distinguished in other departments of public work who had either found sepulture within the hallowed precincts or had been given lasting memorials upon its walls. THE COMMONS AT ST. MARGARET'S. A State service for members of the House of Commons was held at St. Margaret's Church, West- minster, on Sunday morning. All the officers and attendants of the House wore their official attire, the Speaker being dressed in a rich State robe of gold lace. The procession from the House to the church was headed by the Dean of Canterbury and the Rev. Canon Wilberforce. Then followed the Commons' J police and attendants (the Sergeant-at-Arms bearing the gold mace), and the Speaker and his train-bearer, and the three clerks of the House of Commons in their legal wigs and gowns. After them marched Mr. Balfour and Sir William Harcourt. Mr. J. W. Lowther, as chairman of committees, accompanied by rlw M °f the E*°kequer, and then other °r o™mber" of th* Priv7 Council, ful ^We#Q 300 a*d 400 P»™te members of the House of Commons. As soon as the Parliamen- tary procession had emerged from St. Stephen's Hall, arms were presented by a double rank of the Queen s Westminster Volunteers, between whose lines the Speaker and his following marched to St. Margaret's, at the door of which they were met by the clergy and choir. At the service there were a large number of ladies and most of the Colonial Premiers. The lessons were read by Canon Wilber- force as chaplain to the House of Commons, and the sermon was preached by the ex-chaplain, Dr. Farrar, Dean of Canterbury, who took as his text the 7th verse of the 45th Psalm, viz.: "Thou hast loved righteousness and hated iniquity, therefore God, eveft thy God, hath auointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows." At the outset the dean pointed out how happily the present occasion contrasted with others he enumerated, on which in our past history the representatives of the commonweaHh had assembled in their ancient church. The reign of our sovereign began in the brightest promise and bid fair to be .golden to its peaceful close. Next followed a contrast of the present reign with that of previous Queens of England and a glowing eulogium of the characteristic features of English progress during the past 60 years. After the service the preacher, the chaplain, the political leaders, and others were entertained to luncheon by the Speaker at his official residence. SOMAN CATHOLIC SMYICB. At the Brompton Oratory on Sunday morning a solemn Te Deum serviee was held, and was attended by the Representatives-Extraordinary of Catholic Sovereigns, by Catholic Ambassadors and Ministers now in London for the Diamond Jubilee, and by a large number of the nobility and gentry of England. High Mass-Cherubini's in E minor—was celebrated Coram Cardanali by his Excellency Monsignor Sambu- cetti, Archbishop of Corinth, Envoy-Extraordinary of Pope Leo XIII., and his Eminence Cardinal Vaughan also assisted at the solemn service. After the mass the Te Deum was sung. All the magnates and notables present, with their suites, wore uniforms, and pro- bably few stars and orders in Europe were not seen displayed. Among those assisting at this Catholic Jubilee Thanksgiving were Archduke Francis Fer- dinand of Austria, Prince Rupert of Bavaria, Duke of Oporto, Duke of Sotomayer (Spain), Prince Frede- rick Augustus, Duke of Saxony, rrinto .d Princass of Naples, and Duke of Wurtemberg; the Dnim of Norfolk, Marquis of Ripon, Lord Russell'-of Killowen/ and a host of other distinguished personages. At St.. George's Cathedral, South London, after High Mass, the Te Deum was sang in thanksgiving for the Queen's long reign. The Catholic Bishop of Southwark preached. IN THE GREAT 8YNAGOGUB. A thanksgiving service was held on Sunday at the Great Synagogue in Duke's-place, London, in honour of the sixtieth anniversary of her Majesty's accession. It was attended by the Lord Mayor, in his robes and chain of office, also by his chaplain, his sword-bearer and mace-bearer, and the Jewish members of the Common Council. With him were Sheriff Ritchie and Sheriff Rogers, the Recorder, and' two Under Sheriffs. In honour of the event the synagogue was in a gala dress, the front of the ark, with its masses of flowers and palms, being particularly orna- mental. The choir of male voices was for the occasion augmented by' ladies, as well as by a band of wood and stringed instruments. The effect, was peculiar, the men sitting on the ground floor while the ladies were in the galleries. Every man, of course, wore his hat. Not being Saturday, only those taking part in the service wore the taleth," or pray- ing scarf. The sermon was preached by the Chief Rabbi, Dr. Adler, from Proverbs xxix. 31: "Many daughters hare done virtuously, but thou ex- cellest them all." This was a eulogy of her Majesty, and was followed by the special prayer cod" posed for the occasion. Before it began Lord Roths- child opened the ark, from which Dr. Adler took a scroll of the law and ascending to the reading desk read the prayer. The service was concluded by the performance of the National Anthem.

TIlE Duke ot Argyll ia a veteran statesman and I politician. Born on April 30, 1823, he succeeded his father in titles so numerous and a hereditary position so powerful, that the familiar story can well be ex- cused which represents a Highland peasant thinking of the Queen as a prood woman when her fourth daughter was married to the duke's eldest son, the Marquis of Lome. The offices which the duke has held are exceedingly numerous. Three times he has been Lord Privy Seal, and he has I held the offices of Postmaster-General and Secretary of State for India. His Grace is Hereditary Master of the Queen's Household in Scotland, and Here- ditary Sheriff of Argyllshire. He is Chancellor of the University of St. Andrews, and has been Rector of the University of Glasgow. The Duke-in a prolific writer upon scientific, political, and social subjects, and a frequent contributor to the leading periodicals. He has been married thrice, and is a Knight of the Garter and of the Thistle. FOR detecting carbon monoxide gas in the air of mines, M. A. Mermet, a French authority, finds a dilute solution of potassium permanganate, contain- ing a little nitric acid, highly efficient, the effect being to decolorise the permanganate solution. The reaction goes on more rapidly when the solution also contains silver nitrate, one part of carbonic oxide per 500 to 5000 parts of air decolorising the liquid in from one to 24 hours. IT was suggested once by an enthusiastic Hungarian- nobleman who was studying music in Paris that Madame Nordica could sing a wonderful song called St. Elizabeth in the Hungarian language precisely as it ought to be sung. Unfortunately the lady did not know this difficult tongue, and in despair she on the point of giving up the song, when the young nobleman declared that he would teach her the words. Delighted with the prospect, Madame Nordica an- swered. Very well; if you do, I will love vou all yourlife." The young man kept his word, and Lilian Nordica kept hers, and now ia the wife of her noble professor of Hungarian.

GOOD SEATS AT ITALF-A-CROWIN I HOW PRICKS RULED AT TUE CORONATION. Either our grandfathers and mothers were mere niggardly than their latter-day descendants, or else the property-owners and tenants along th3 line of route of the Coronation procession in London (says the Daily Mail) which took place on June 28, 1838, were slow to appreciate the glorious chance the event offered them. There seem to have been, however, plenty of speculators, and thousands of stands, and miles of galleries were erected, bpt prices ranged ridiculously low. The largest and most massive rows of stands were those extending along the inside of the railings dividing St. James's from the Green Park. Tiiey stretched from Sunderland House almost to Hyde Park-corner, and the charge per head was haga- crown. So far as I could see," remarked a T'imes reporter, in describing the scene, "not'a single seat" was unoccupied." Weshould"ituagine not. The seats, for some reason or other, seemed to have been the] lowest priced of all the quarter of a million or so that were provided by the public or private enter- prises, but standing room on many of the house-tops en route could be had for Is. and Is. 6d. The authorities of St. George's Hospital had covered the whole of the eastern and northern sides of the build- ing with wooden galleries. No charge was made for seats but users were expected to contribute towards the funds of the institution. At Hyde-park-corner and the western portion of Piccadilly, 20s. and 30s. were aeked for seats, but whole windows could be had at from three to five guineas. One householder in Grosvenor-place, who was evidently born in advance of his times, did mdeed make a feeble attempt to stick out against these rjjiggardly prices, by advertising that he could pro- "ffde seats for 100 respectable ladies and gentlemen at, five guineas apiece." This notice appeared for six consecutive days immediately prior to the eventful iata, but there were evidently few or no takers, for on Coronation morning a supplementary notice offers the same seats for a guinea refreshments included." Of course, the clubs were to the fore, but their committees, disdaining to make money out of a national jubilation, allotted the whole of the available seating space for the benefit of the members and their friends. The hospitality shown was most lavish. The United University Club entertained 1200 people, while the Carlton spent £ 4000 on decoration, and about the same amount on refreshments for its guests. Crockford's was smothered with bunting from cellars to attic, and dispensed stout, oysterp, and brown bread-and-butter to all and sundry from six in the morning until midnight. At some of the clubs charges varying from one to two-and-a-half guineas were made for seats, the sums thus raised, however, being devoted to charity. The scene in Trafalgar-square at nine o'clock on the eventful morning was most imposing. It was estimated that not fewer than 200,000 people were packed into this finest site in Europe," many of whom bad been in their places during the whole of the previous night. Standing room on the base of the Nelson Column—the lions were not in existence in those days-fetched two or three shillings, but toany of those who had paid were afterwards pulled from their places by the mob and the vacated "lots" again put up to auction. ,> In the Abbey itself seats were at a premium, for although more than 8000 tickets were issued to the general public—11,000 spectators in all were accom- modated—the lucky holders of the magic bits of pasteboard preferred to retain them for their own private and personal use to disposing of them for any sum, however tempting. One curious incident of that far-off eventful day is worthy of mention, if only to illustrate the folly of popular superstition. While the Queen was in the Abbey, a large bird, by some said to be a wild goose and by others a gull, made its appearance over the building, and continued, for the space of more than half an hour, to fly leisurely round and round. This was regarded as an evil omen, and more than one old lady was heard to remark that the girl queen would not long survive her coronation. How idle were these superstitious fears it has been left to time to ■how. ————-—■————

WILLS AND BEQUESTS. The will (dated Jan. 2, 1897) of Sir William Cleaver Francis Robinson, K.C.M.G., 5, Cromwell- housep, South Kensington, who died on May 2, was .p,ovtd on June 5 by Ellis Elias, one of the executors, the value -of the personal estate amounting to £ 74,55^ The testator gives his household furniture, plate, t £ 2000, and -0. necuritiea to the value of 00 as she may select, to his wife, Dame Olivia Edith Dean Robinson; JS1000 to his sister, Frances felizabeth Harper £1000 to his housekeeper, Maria Mfrkwell; £ 100 to his executor; 4:500 each to his children, and £ 100 each to the Government Hospital, the Protestant Orphanage, the Roman Catholic Orphanage, and St. George's Cathedral Poor-box Fund, all of Perth, Western Australia. The residue of his real and personal estate he leaves, upon trust, for his wife for life, and then to all his children in equal shares. The will (dated Jan. 30, 1897) of Mr. Henry Beaumont Taylor, of Ravendeane Edgerton, Hudders- field, who died on Feb. 22, was proved on May 11 by John Edward Taylor, the nephew, Charles Mills, and Louis Hodgkinson, the executors, the value of the personal estate amounting to £ 72,010. The testator bequeaths £ 2t> to the British and Foreign Bible Society; and E20 each, to the Huddenfield Blind Society, the Huddersfield Deaf and Dumb Society, the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Chil- dren, the Huddersfield Invalid Kitchen, and the Royal National Lifeboat Institution. He also bequeaths E1500 each to his grandchildren, Beatrice Eleanor Brooke, Gertrude Hilda Haldane, and George Henry Percy Taylor, who are already sum- tiently provided for; £1000 to his nephew John Edward Taylor, and pecuniary legacies and annuities ^o nephews and nieces, the guardian of his son, execu- tor", servants, and others. The residue of his real tod personal estate he leaves, upon trust, for his son Henry Hodgkinson Taylor. The will (dated Sept. 29, 1893), with a codicil (dated July 6, 1896), of the Right Hon. Harriet Sophia, Counters Dowager of Morley, of Whiteway, Chudleigh, Devon, who died on Feb. 15, was proved on June 2 by the Earl of Morley, the son, and Lady Emily Katherine Parker, the daughter, the executors, the value of the personal estate amounting to £ 35,878. The testatrix bequeaths her wearing apparel, one-half in value of her plate, such of her jewellery, furniture, stores, effects, horses, and car- nages at Whiteway as she may select, and E25,000 Ip. her said daughter. She also bequeaths £ 300 to her son-in-law Sir Thomas Villiers Lister, £ 3000 to her grandson George Coryton Lister, £ 1000 to her grrflnddauehter Constance Hartmann, and £ 11,000 between the five other children of her said son-in-law and her late daughter Fanny Harriet Lister. These last four legacies are to be paid out of her personal estate in exoneration of ther real estate. There are some pecuniary legacies and annuities to servants and others and all her real estate and the residue of her personal estate she leaves to her son the Earl of I;orley.-Illustrated London News.

GUILE Taylor bet all the money he had in the bank that he would walk a slack wire for twenty feet." Quay: Did he win or lose ?" Guile He lbst his balance." I KNOW," said Mrs. Barlow, that it isn't Billy that is quarrelsome. Wb, he will play here all day by himself, and I never hear a word, but just as soon as some little boy comes, there is a fight going on." On, John, the rats have eaten all my cake!" John: What! All of it ?" Young wife: "Every I feel like crying." Oh don't cry over a few rats." 7*ke<J flea k*?t me awaie a11 night, simply Kf • l0TF°l to 8et a tin of Keating s Powder." theunmalled iaHer of Fleas, Beetles, Motha, which top so eVheywhere in 3d., 6d., and Is. tin.s. Harmless to everything but Insects THE most remarkable gold beetles in the world are iound in Central America. The head and wing cases are brilliantly polished with a lastre as of gold itself. To sight and touch they have all the appear- ance of metal. Oddly enough, another species from the same region has the appearance of being wrought in solid silver, freshly burnished. These gold and silverbeetles have a market value. They are worth from £ 5 to £ 10 apiece. THE Marquis of Lorne, the least known of her Majesty's sons-in-law, possesses a most attractive personality. A Ithough exceptionally gifted-he is a wrjter, a poet, and a statesman—he is very modest., and is one of the few men who are thoroughly liked by all those with whom they are brought in contact. Lord Lome's favourite amusement is tobogganing. He is also tm excellent, skater, and when Viceroy of Canada was able to indulge in both his pet forms of amusement. Y1 .I

:'rt o:n, GREATER BRITAIN". t THE complete breakdown of telegraphs and other means of communication has delayed the reporta from Assam regarding the effects of the earthquake in that province. They are now, however, coming 1 in, and present a terrible state of affairs. At Shil- lorig the shocks of earthquake were so severe and prolonged that everything was levelled with the ground. Mr. M'Cabe was killed and Mr. Cotton and his wife had narrow escapes. Many people lost their lives at the Secre- tariat, the military lines, and the bazaar, I There are 110 details yet. Gauhati is laid in ruins. The roads are broken up into chasms, and the rail- way has disappeared, but no one was killed. At Goalpara, on the Brahmaputra, the earthquake was accompanied by a tidal wave which destroyed the bazaar and all pakka buildings. The country is covered with fissures from which mud and Eand are constantly spu.ting. At Dhubri all pakka buildings have been demolished. The river bank has subsided, the country is flooded, and the crops are ruined. Both at Goalpara and Dhubri there has been serious loss of life. j 8jm G. BADEN-POWELL, in an interesting paper on the financial relations of the Empire, rea-1 the other evening at the Royal Colonial Iastitute in London, said they all of them had at heart the improvement <, of the commercial intercourse of the Empire. He classified the several methods by which these im- provements were sought under the headings, Zoll- verein," Preferential Treatment and Reciprocity," and Low Tariffs." The central idea of a Zollverein I was Free Frade within the nation, but a fence of high duties against all foreign trade. It was now conceded that a Zollvereia policy was an absolute im- possibility in the British Empire. As to reciprocity, the essential idea was little in favour in Europe, although it was the dominating idea in North America. In general, so far as regarded indirect taxation, each I aelf-governing province of the Empire bad its own inalienable right to raise its revenue as it pleased, and with the other provinces to make what tariff arrange- ments they might wish. But the tariffs of the depen- dencies-of the Crown colouies and of India—re- mained in the hands of the mother country. In the foreign trade, treaties and agreements naturally domi- nated the situation, and in regard to these a great and beneficent piece of work remained for general exami- nation and statement of the position, and after that for effective revision with the direct aid and concur- rence of our self-governing colonies. Dealing with direct taxation within the British Empire, be said I that in the mother country, and in all the colonies— and especially the Crown colonies there was I infinite variety in the taxes levied. The more he had examined into these direct taxes the more he recognised not only the possibility, but also the need for uniformity in principle, I although not for identical measures. Treating of the death duties, he pointed out that the Radical Chancellor of the Exchequer had definitely stated that it was illegal to charge twice over Queen's taxes on the same property, and this opinion was also de- finitely stated by the chief law officer of the Cofi- servative party. This instance was most satisfac- tory proof that in the matter of death duties what some would call fiscal federation had been set up already. The powers of raising revenue respec- tively held and delegated by the Imperial Parlia- ment were not to be allowed to overlap or conflict. Spbaking on the subject of income-tax, Sir G. Baden- Powell contended that, from the constitutional as well aa from the equitable point of view, the levying of a double income-tax—one in the mother country and one in the colonies—-on capital invested in the Colonies was not to be justified. They had here it very grave cause of friction, capable of most untoward development. It was a growth of the last two or three years, which badd fair to assume very geeat pfbpflrtionfe. It was for statesmen tot grasp the nettle without further delay. There was also the question of, dueb on shipping—another item of direct taxation. It seemed to be of the highest importance that, with the free consent of all concerned, eome general agreement throughout the Empire should be arrived at in this matter, which so gravely affected the carrying trade, and consequently all those who were shippers or passengers. Referring to State assistance," the third division of the- in- stances he was taking of the financial relations of the Empire, Sir G. Baden-Powell'said that in regard to the so-called public debt of their colonies he had had occasion to analyse their totals, and two features could not be sufficiently impressed upon public attenticD In the flfst place, hefound that of every E100 borrowed from the mother country not less than £ 65 had been expended on railways, £ 25 on other remunerative public works, and under 10 per cent, on wars, deficits, and other charges not of a directly re- munerative character. In no British colony or de-i. pendency was there thought or suggestion of repudia- tion. There remained to consider any proposals tending towards closer financial anion in thesct matters. He would take the important point of the inclusion of colonial "Government stocks in the authorised list of trust securities, which had bad the, support, of Lord Salisbury, Lord Knutsford, and Lord Chancellors of both Administrations. Some such action was necessary, and, personally, he Was confident that it would not be long ere colonial Government securities came on to the authorised trust list, as they ought to have done long ago. Another question of the first importance in united financial aetion was that of State subsidies to improve the communications of the Empire. Among other matters which needed consideration were the fiscal relations established by or with the great chartered companies, as in North Borneo, on the Niger, and in South Africa. Then, again, the whole question of exchange and the remittance of Government moneys needed close attention. There was the poiicy n- dulged in by their colonies of giving bounties on a variety of exports or industries; and, finally, the re- vision of the forms in which statistical records were now kept might well be undertaken with a view to an increased uniformity in the future. Generally speaking, what was necessary was greater uniformity and no overlapping, although even more than these did they stand in need of certainty and simplicity. SERGEANT GORDON, of the 1st West India Regi- ment, is a native of Jamaica, and one of the cosmo- politan force now quartered at Chelsea Barracks. Needless to say, he is here as a member of the Jubilee detachment representing the West Indies. If that were all (writes a Chronicle correspondent) I should I hardly have troubled Sergeant Gordon as I did yester- day. You see that tall black fellow in the picturesqne uniform "—so somebody instructed me —"well," my informant continued, "he is the only coloured soldier in the Queen's service who has the VictoriaQross." Yes, there the cross was on his breast, and I went to him and asked how it came to be there. Many years ago a coloured soldier had won the same distinction, butr he was dead. That was in Gambia also," sa!a Serg^&nt Gordon,' using Eng- lish which he Will be glad to hear struck one as very good. Then he turned the trophy on his breast in order that I might see the date—Iflarch, 1892. I "We wero under Major Madden," he continued, "and the incident occurred at a place in Gambia called Tohiatablb. Of course, Gambia is in Africa, some of as of' the 1st West Indies Regiment having been sent there on service" "I suppose yo,u were at Toniatabla on thfe track of a savage chief?" We went to the stockade. 'There were only 70 of us—I being the bugler—and the stockade was full of men. We were to takedown the chief, but he would not come out, not even when were only 70 of us—I being the bugler—and the stockade was full of men. We were to takedown the chief, but he would not come out, not even when we madq our way right up to the gate of the fort. They fired, on Yte." "Well, and what happened?** app Oh, it didn't take long. We saw the gun muzzles coming through the stockades. One fired, another fired, and I saw a third pointed at Major Madden. The bullet would have hit the major, but I pulled him back behind rclq. The bulletentthrough me- right through my lungs, and I was long in bed. All right now though, strong as you like." That waa Sergeant Gordon's matter of fact account of how he saved the life of his officer— laved it at the imminent risk of losing his own. It must need great courage to throw oneself before advancing death, but Sergeant Gordon's comment was simply, Oh, I don't remember thinking any- thing except that Major Madden would be shot. His sister gave me a beautiful watch with an engraving here it is." The colour of the heroic incident can easily enough be read into the black soldier's story. I was very sorry in hospital," he declared, that I was not able to go with the others to more fighting • very sorry indeed." Serge,%nt Gordon is a much envied man at Chelsea Barracks; but he takes his honours very quietly.

Two Princes of the Royal family of Bavaria are doctors. Duke Carl practises as an oculist, and another member of the family as a physician in Mmich. Duke Carl's wife and daughters assist him a? operations, for their nerves are like steel, and their knowledge of surgery extensive.

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