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

FOOT-AND-MOUTH DISEASE. Step by step this disease has at last been brought into a narrow limit, but it is still necessary to close fairs and markets in districts where it is raging (says Lund and Water.) Where there are only a few iso- lated cases, it is wiser to slaughter the infected animals and compensate the owners. We trust that at no "Very distant time this troublesome disorder will be stamped out. Surely every one is now fully convinced that the disease is spread by contagion, and contagion alone; and stockowners must one and all for the future guard in every possible way against its further advance from any farm whereon it may happen to weak out. Immediately the fairs and markets were closed, the official returns showed a vast decrease weekly, to the extent of from 2000 to 3000 in England, and a proportionate quantity in Wales, Scotland, and Ire- '1 land. The compulsory orders for the removal of in diseased districts should have had something hke the same good results as closing fairs and markets, but while the latter precautions proved all powerful, the former were as weak as water. The reason is obvious enough now—orders were tampered ?|fo> in some cases no orders were asked for, and yeasts were moved in infected areas without them, •tt is possible some of those to whom authority was jpven to deal them out were too careless, or, through being deceived, granted them to move beasts into or from districts where the disease was raging. Something like the same state of things may be ex- pected from foreign importations. Our only remedy is to close our ports to all importations of live cattle from infected countries, as no matter what care is taken upon landing, the disease will sooner or later be sure to break through the limited area, and spread in the same rapid way as it has previously done. The urgent need of protection from foreign diseases is now engag- Ing the attention of Parliament, as it should have done long ago. Stockowners cannot be held quite blameless in this matter. They would not be con- duced of the use of orders, of the exceedingly con- tagious character of the disease, and of its power of being conveyed. Their losses will, no doubt, prove a lesson to them in the future, and the enormous loss to the country at large from the last outbreak should be sufficiently strong reminder to our Ministers that looking to the farmers' interest in this particular, they are also acting pro bono publico.

MURDER IN A CONVENT. Writing on Friday night in last, week, the Paris correspondent of the Standard says: What has by this time probably proved a very terrible double ttiurder has just been perpetrated at the Convent of the Servinne, near Marseilles, followed by the suicide of the murderer. The criminal was one of the gardeners of he establishment, named Chave, who had been dismissed about ten days ago on account of his laziness and who seems to have had no other reason f,or the perpetration of the cowardly crime than that he deeply resented having been sent away. The crime, '2J which the superior of the Convent, Madame ■martini, lost her life, and sister L £ ome de Sorval was 80 seriously wounded as not to be expected to recover, committed under the following circumstances Last Wednesday, after the mid-day meal, the sisters left e Convent to walk in the grounds. They had l'ehed a rather secluded spot when they were sur- P^sed by the sudden appearance before them of the }smissed gardener. The Superior, however, spoke indly to him, and inquired whether he had found Irwi j Chave did not even reply, but, drawing a nlwu from his pocket, instantly discharged the six barrels at the Superior and Mdlle. L6onie g? Sorval, who was walking bedside her. The other isters ran away in the greatest consternation, calling th*" I3' which, not being immediately at hand, gave murderer time to approach his victims and to e abour them on the head with the butt end of his i .^Ppn. Madame Martini, however, had already been eh f ^7 a bullet in the head and another in the W ■8 ^or I*5onie de Sorval, she was profusely from two wounds, of which one in the chest is extremely serious. The peasants of the neighbourhood, having been at- tracted by the screams of the terrified Sisters, now succeeded in surrounding the murderer as he was trying to make good his escape. Chave, who had reloaded his revolver, kept them, however, at a respectful distance till some gendarmes arrived. Two of them walked courageously to within about three yards of the spot where the assassin stood with his pistol levelled at their heads. They told him to lower his weapon, but instead of doing so Chave fired two shots, but fortunately missed his aim. Seeing the danger to which they were exposing their lives, one of the gendarmes drew his pistol, and without giving the murderer time to take fresh aim shot him through the chest. Another bullet, which wounded Chave behind the ear, caused him to fall heavily to the ground. He did not, however, relinquish the hold of his pistol, with which, by a convulsive movement, he inflicted on himself a third mortal wound.

SERIOUS RAILWAY ACCIDENT IN SCOTLAND. A railway collision, which resulted in the destruc- tion of a large quantity of plant, occurred at Kirrie- muir Junction, near Forfar, on Saturday evening. This junction is situated about three miles west from Forfar, on the north-eastern section of the Caledonian Railway, and the trains are worked on the block system so far as the main line is concerned, but a baton is used for the branch trains. It appears that a goods train from Perth to Aberdeen bad got as far as the junction, where it was shunted from the down to the up line to let the mail bags train pass on to Aberdeen. In the meantime, another goods train had left Forfar for Perth on its way to London. It is stated that the signals were against this train, but because of the heavy snowfall the rails were in such a condition that the brakes had little or no power over the wheels. The weather, moreover, was at the time very thick, and the result was that the driver of the Forfar train was unable to pull up his train, which dashed with considerable velocity into the Perth train, then standing at the junction. The effect was that the engine of the Forfar goods was driven off the metals, nine waggons were smashed, and the rails torn up. Part of the waggons were loaded with heavy logs of wood, some of which fell across the lines and on the signal wires, rendering the signals inoperative. The officials were aware that the mail train was due, but as nothing could be done with the signals disabled, the mail train came dashing on, and first encountered one of the waggons, which stove in the front of the engine. It then came upon some of the dCbris, and left the rails. The scene was now one of the greatest confusion, engines and waggons being blocked. Both lines and a large part of the ground were torn up. Besides the nine waggons destroyed, the engine of the Forfar train was terribly broken, and that of the Perth train partially disabled, while the engine of the mail train was all but overturned and was considerably damaged. The driver of the mail train was much shaken, but was able to remain in charge of the engine. The guard also suffered, but he soon recovered. The Post- office officials owed their safety to the fact that a van bad been placed between the engine and the vehicle. The damage, exclusive of the goods, which consisted of live stock and wood, will amount to about X1500, both lines being blocked.

AN ADIRONDACK HOSPITAL. The remarkable effect of the climate of the Adiron- dack wilderness in certain forms of pulmonary disease has led some benevolent persons to undertake a cha- ritable scheme, which, so far as we know, is unique. This is the establishment of a sanitary settlement near Saranac Lake for the benefit of patients who cannot afford the usual life in hotels or camps. The move- ment is under the charge of Dr. E. L. Trudeau, who has long been identified with what is sometimes called The Adirondack Cure." The plan is to buy a farm near Saranac Lake, enlarge the farm house by the addition of a sitting-room and dining-room, and build and furnish fifteen cheap cottages for patients, so that the inmates can live separately, meeting only for meals, and, when they choose, for social intercourse. The farm would maintain from six to ten cows, besides yielding vegetable products for the support of the institution, and a good deal of the farm labour could be done by patients. Physicians, trustees, treasurer, &c., have offered their services gratuitously, and the only outlay for salaries, wages, &c., would be on manual labour about the farm and buildings. A charge of S3 a week for each patient will cover the running expenses of the establishment, including board, and there will be no physicians' fees. The cost of the farm, new buildings, furniture, stock, and everything necessary to put the institution in operation is estimated at only S7500, and of this modest amount 553600 had been subscribed a few days ago.-New York Tribune.

UNLAWFULLY WOUNDING A WIFE. In London, at the Central Criminal Court, Henry Hobbs, 31, carpenter, was indicted for wounding Phoebe Hobbs, with intent to murder her. The prisoner and the prosecutrix, his wife, had not lived happily together, and she obtained a situation as housemaid at the Royal India Asylum, Ealing. On the day in question the prisoner visited her, told her that he was going away, asked her to take care of = some papers for him, and, saying he was going to give her a keeper" for her wedding ring, asked her to give him the size of her finger. As she was doing this the prisoner seized her and took a razor out of his pocket. A struggle took place, in the course of which the prosecutrix's fingers were cut and she was bruised about the body. An attendant came into the room and left for the doctor, and a second attempt was alleged to have then been made by the prisoner. It was urged in defence that the prisoner had only intended to frighten his wife in order to get her to live with him again, and the wounds were inflicted by the prosecutrix seizing the razor. The jury found the prisoner guilty of unlawfully wounding. Mr. Justice Cave, in passing sentence, said the prisoner's conduct had been outrageous, and he warned him against any repetition of it. He sen- tenced the prisoner to six months' hard labour.

CUTTINGS FROM AMERICAN PAPERS. Three separate skeletons of Guiteau, the assassin of President Garfield, are on view in the States: his skeleton when he was a boy, his skeleton before he shot Garfield, and his skeleton when lie was hanged. A couple of Vassar girls were found by a professor fencing with broomsticks in a gymnasium. He reminded the young girls that such an accomplishment would not aid them in securing husbands. It will help us to keep them in," replied one of the girls. A Philadelphia publishing house advertises a certain writer as the popular American female authoress." Lest there should still be doubt as to the sex of the person, it might not be out of place, perhaps, to add that this female authoress is a she woman. Once, when somewhat under the influence of the genial bowl, a citizen of Oswego wandered off into the fields and went to sleep. On rising, he forgot to put on his old cocked hat. Some boys found it and took it to him, thinking to cover him with confusion. In which lot did you find it ?" he inquired blandly. In Mr. White's pasture, near the barn." Well, boys, go take it right back; that is my place to keep it." A Californian critic says that Chinamen make good actors. They never forget their cues. Fishermen do not succeed on the stage. They steal one another's llD"What are these cups for?" asked a well-dressed man of a New Orleans jeweller, pointing to some elegant silver cups on the showcase. "These are race CUDS. to be flriven as prizes to the best racer." If that's so, suppose you and I race for one, an(i we stranger, with the cup in hand, started, the jeweller after him. The stranger won the cup. The story comes from Philadelphia that a lady, who visited four churches in one day missed her umbrella on returning home. She immediately revisited all four churches, and found her umbrella in the last one. When the umbrella was handed to her she thankfully said to the janitor, The people at this church are much more honest than those at the others." "No, sir," said the Cincinnati sage, "you needn't tell me a woman ever had her dress pocket picked. I don't believe a thief could discover it. I know I've tried for two hours to find the pocket of one of my wife's dresses, and then had to give it up."

At the monthly meeting of the Liverpool Teacher's Association, Mr. Shaw, the president, said that in Liverpool at present no fewer than twelve teachers were suffering from general, debility through work To remedy the evil the ment grant must be abolished from thecode the high percentage of passes in the clas subjects reduced^ greater freedom of classification al lowed, and the amount of work required in girls and infants' schools materially reduced.

QUEER SPECIMENS OF FISH. In the tower of the roof of Fulton Market, New York, is a room, around the sides of which are arranged cabinets containing preserved specimens of fish with queer-looking heads, fish with queer-looking tails, and fish that seem to have found their way about the waters of the sea without the assistance of either heads or tails. A book-case filled with well- bound and well-thumbed volumes on the subject of ichthyology occupies one corner of the room, and a cabinet containing flasks, tubes and bottles of chemi- cals stands in another. Here is the fish collection of J. Carson Brevoort, a gentleman who has spent several years in stocking his cabinets with specimens of the finny tribe from all parts of the world. Failing health compelled him to give up all further work in this direction, and being of a liberal mind he turned over his collection into this one. These fish were taken from the sea off the coasts of China, Japan, the West Indies, South America, Labrador, the East Indies and Africa. \Ve have found some specimens never before seen in this country; among them five species of the trunk, or cocold fish, and several varieties of the electric eel. Look at this little fellow," said Mr. Blackford, pointing to a blunt, flat-shaped fish of a peculiar type. You see, his dorsal and ventril fins extend out as far as his tail. Here are two specimens of the trigger- fish, so called because they have a fin on the lower side of the body, which when touched flies back like the trigger of a gun. Here are a square fish, a smooth puffer, and a half-a-dozen specimens of groupers and snappers. Lots of queer-looking fish in the sea, aren't there ?"-Detroit Free Prc.

A SERIOUS CHARGE. In London, at the Central Criminal Court, Sidney Clay, 21, shopkeeper, surrendered to his recognisances to answer an indictment charging him with soliciting and endeavouring to persuade Eustace Julion de Gruyther to kill and murder a male child, of the age of two months or thereabouts. Mr. Poland and Mr. Montagu Williams conducted the prosecution Mr. Forrest Fulton and Mr. James appeared for the defence. The opening statement of Mr. Poland showed that the defendant kept a tobacconist's shop in the Holloway-road, and the mother of the child was a young woman named Morris, who was confined on the 19th of November last. The defendant was the father. An arrangement was made that the child r should be taken care of by a Mrs. Manning, and on Christmas-eve she took charge of the child, the arrangement being that the prisoner was to pay her .E3 in advance, then 10s. a week for the maintenance of the child. This the prisoner did, but, the child subsequently becoming unwell, it was taken by Mrs. Manning and mother to the prosecutor, Dr. de Gruyther, a physician and surgeon, practising in Jackson-road, Holloway. The prosecutor prescribed for the child, and after the two women had taken it away, the defendant called upon him, and spoke to him about the child, saying that he was the father. The defendant said the child had already cost him a lot of money, he was a married man, and if it became known it would be his ruin. The prose- cutor said he would not say anything about it, as he was merely attending the child in the ordinary way. On the 17th of January the defendant asked the doctor how the child was getting on, and he replied that it was improving, and that he thought it would live, and on a subsequent occasion a conversation took place, and the proposition was made by the defendant which formed the subject of the indictment. The defendant, according to the prosecutor's account, asked him whether he could not put something in the medicine so as to slowly poison the child, adding that he would pay him any reasonable remuneration. The prose- cutor told him that he should do nothing of the kind, and that the defendant could not tempt him to commit murder. The defendant asked whether the child was in a fit state to be vaccinated, and the doctor replied that it was not. The defendant, it was stated, then suggested that that would be a way out of the difficulty, but the prosecutor refused again to have anything to do with it. After some further conversa- tion about giving a certificate, the defendant left, and the prosecutor next day informed the police of what the defendant had proposed to him, the result being the present prosecution. Evidence was given in support of the charge, and it was stated that the defendant was not a married man. Mr. Fulton addressed the Court for the defence, urging that the defendant was not in earnest when he made the propositions which were the subject of the charge. The defendant was not a married man, and there was no suggestion that the defendant was in straitened circumstances, that the child was now living, and no attempt had been made to carry out the proposals which, it was clear, had not been made seriously. Evidence was called as to the defendant's good character. Mr. Justice Cave having summed up, pointed out that the question was whether the accused seriously proposed to the prosecutor to murder the child. The jury found the prisoner guilty, but recom- mended him to mercy on account of his youth and his previous good character. Mr. Justice Cave, in passing sentence, said the prisoner had been found guilty of a very serious ^offence, and he should have felt bound to pass a more serious sentence had it not been for the recommen- dation to mercy of the jury. He should have been disposed to have dealt more leniently with him still if he had taken advantage of the opportunities lie had had of making an honest woman of the poor girl. The accused had seduced her, and, although she had lived in the hope of the prisoner marrying her, he (Mr. Justice Cave) confessed that he had not been surprised to find that the prisoner had not taken any such step. He sentenced the prisoner to six months' imprisonment with hard labour.

THE DUKE OF CAMBRIDGE ON MILITARY TRAINING. A special general order has been issued from the Horse Guards, War Office, notifying that the Field- Marshal Commanding-in-Chief desires to express his satisfaction with the manner in which general officers commanding, commanding officers, and officers of all grades, have assisted in giving effect to the military training of soldiers prescribed by General Order 50 of 1883. Great interest, his Royal Highness says, has been generally evinced by all ranks in the com- pany training, and considerable progress made, but much remains to be done. The following orders will regulate the training from March 1 (the course will be limited to one month). It will be conducted between the 1st of March and the 31st of October. A syllabus of the course has been approved, and will be furnished to all concerned. This course will be generally adhered to, but where special circumstances, such as the absence of proper training ground necessitate a deviation from it, general officers will make such alterations as may appear expedient, taking care that the whole of the instruction is fully utilised. Considerable scope is left to commanding officers in arranging details, to which their careful attention is directed. In making these arrangements the principle will be followed that each elementary subject must be in turn completely mastered before another is proceeded with. When mastered, it will afterwards be only incidently reverted to in combina- tion with more advanced subjects. During inclement weather instruction will be given in barrack-rooms by means of lectures, explanations, and questions. To enable officers to give instruction of real value, each day's work should be carefully prepared previously by company commanders, and an outline of it given to the other officers and non-commissioned officers of the company. Each practice in field training will be based on a definite supposition and object, and will be carried out as far possible under the conditions of actual warfare. Explanation will in all cases precede practice on the ground, and should form an important part of the instruction. Instruction will extend over four or five hours daily, and for practical work on the ground short parades should be avoided, a period of from two to three hours consecutively being generally desirable. Whenever practicable, general officers will personally supervise the troops under training, and test the merits of the instruction imparted, by exer- cising the companies of different battalions against one another.

MR. MATTHEW ARNOLD IN AMERICA. In New York the other evening Mr. Matthew Arnold had an informal reception at the Authors' Club. In a brief speech he said I have been re- ceived in this country with unbounded kindness. Much of that kindness, though it has gratified me, has also surprised me, I was so little prepared for it; but for your kindness I feel better prepared, on account of the kindness I have experienced from the literary class at home. I owe everything to the literary class, to the class of writers here in this club, the authors. In the privacy of this family circle I will make a confession, and reveal the insecurity of my po- sition, That great public to which we all speak has never quite comprehended what I am after, and so far as it has comprehended it does not much like it: If it were not for the literary class having given me its support the great public would never have attended to me at all, and at this moment if the literary class withdrew its support the public would en- tirely cease to attend to me, and would give itself up to such charmers as the Rev. Joseph Cook. I believe I owe this generous support of the literary class to their finding in me that which pleased Gil Bias on his road to Merida, when he cried, 'Le ctxur au metier" (Put your heart into your business.) I believe I have done that, and on that account the class has been favourable to me. I make no distinction between the literary class here and that in England. Here as there I believe there is very much against any one who pursues literature seriously and with conscience. Society will always try to impose its decisions and preferences upon a man of letters. The crowd will always try to impose its decisions and preferences upon him. Journalism, which is not quite the same as literature, will always try to impose its decisions and impressions upon him. Unless, gentlemen, we ourselves take our own work seriously the case is lost."

THE ALLEGED PLOT TO BLOW UP THE GERMAN EMBASSY. In London, on Saturday, at the Bow-street Police- court, Jacob Kalbom, otherwise Leon Farrall, was charged on remand with perjury alleged to have been committed in evidence given on the prosecution of Wm. Woolf and Edward Bondurand, on the charge of being in .the alleged unlawful possession of explosives. Mr. Chilcott appeared on behalf of Wm. Woolf, the prosecutor and M. Albert interpreted the evidence. The assignments of perjury were founded on two portions of prisoner's evidence-lf-rstlv, as to his assertion that Woolf was present in Bondurand's house iji Panton-street on the 20th November, when a canister of powder was taken there; and, secondly, as to the circumstances deposed to by the prisoner under which he alleged an interview took place at W.oolf'. house in Vincentrsquare, when the plot to blow up the German Embassy was alleged to have been discovered. On the 19th November Woolf was cross-examined, and denied that he had entered into any such discussion. He admitted that prisoner had called on him on the 19th in the evening, later, how- ever, tn prisoner had sworn to. Witness averred that prisoner's object was to obtain a sample of vinegar. He denied that he had sent for prisoner on a matter of importance, or that Bondurand had E3 for prisoner to purchase powder. Witness admitted purchasing the utensils which afterwards contained the explosives, but declared that he had bought them for Louis Bondurand, who was in the habit of paying him a commission on all purchases. Samuel Turner, of 1, Essex-square, Catherine-street, j Buckingham-gate, the prosecutor's father-in-law, was called, and deposed that he was present on the 19th of November, when prisoner called at Woolf's house. He remained about ten minutes, and during that time Woolf was only in the room about five minutes. Mrs. Woolf was called, and deposed that on the 20th November her husband did not leave the house until dinner time, and it could not be correct, as sworn to by prisoner, that prosecutor had been in Panton-street between nine and ten on that day, as he was at home attending to domestic matters in conse- quence of witness's illness. In reply to Sir James Ingham, the two last witnesses admitted that a conversation had been carried on in French between Woolf and the prisoner. They did not understand what passed, but the con- versation was of very short duration. Mary Rose, a domestic servant in prosecutor's employ was called, and confirmed Mrs. Woolf's evi- dence. Charles Haywood, a sale porter, deposed that on the 20th of November Woolf was at an auction sale in the Wilton-road, on the afternoon of that day. This concluded the case for the prosecution. -Sir James Ingham said he did not think he was called upon to exprea any opinion, but he did not feel justified in committing the prisoner for trial. Woolfe decided to be bound over under the Vexa- tious Indictment Act.

THE FRANCHISE BILL AND RE-DIS- TRIBUTION. The Right Hon. W. E. Forster has addressed the following letter on the question of redistribution and the representation of the people to a London paper "Entirely agreeing as I do with the policy of the Government in not including redistribution in their Franchise Bill, and therefore wishing to avoid, as much as possible, over burdening the franchise debate with redistribution questions, I venture to ask you to insert a few statistical figures, which, it seems to me, the public ought to bear in mind in conjunction with some figures given by Mr. Gladstone in his powerful and lucid speech. I understood Mr. Gladstone to say that, in his opinion, the representation of Ireland ought not to be diminished, while that of Scotland ought to be increased. In his closing summary of the effect of the Franchise Bill he made a most powerful appeal to reformers to waive questions of detail, and to accept the continuance of anomalies, objectionable in themselves, in consideration of the great result which the bill would give in adding to the present number of voters nearly 2,000,000. I have gone,' he said, into the matter as carefully as I can, and I the best results I can attain are t iese The bill, if it passes as we present it, will add to the English constituency over 1,300,000. It will add to the Scotch constituency, Scotland being better provided for in this respect than either of the other countries, over 200,000, and to the Irish constituency over 400,000. Now Sir Charles Dilke, in his speech to his constituents on Jan. 22, said—' I have looked very carefully into figures, and I much doubt whether it is the case that a redistribution, based upon the number of electors after the registers have been made out under equal franchise, will diminish the number of members who sit for Ireland. Here is confirmation of the view that redistribution should not be attempted in detail until the registers under tho new franchise had been made out. My own belief is that the registers will show that Ireland is entitled to about the present number.' True, Mr. Gladstone said that he is not in favour of any pure population scale,' but it may be well to point out the necessary deductions from the latest information obtained by the Government, as embodied in his speech. According to the last Parliamentary return-viz., that moved for by Mr. Arnold —the present registered voters are as follows England, 2,618,453; Scotland, 310,441 Ire- land, 224,018—total, 3,152,912. If we add to Eng- land, 1,300,000; Scotland, 200,000; and Ireland, 400,000 we have, in round numbers England, 3,920,000; Scotland, 510,000; Ireland, 625,000— total, 5,055,000. The present number of members is —For England, 489; Scotland, 60; Ireland, 103- total, 652. If we were to give to each kingdom its proportion, according to electors as calculated by Mi*. Gladstone, England would have 505 members, Scotland 66 members, Ireland 81 members-total, 652. Suppos- ing, then, Scotland to gain only six members, but to gain them solely at the expense of England, and supposing, also, the total number of M.P.'s not to be increased, England, instead of gaining sixteen members, its pro- portionate share according to number of electors, as shown by Mr. Gladstone, will lose six members."

DISPUTED OWNERSHIP OF A WATCH. In London, at the Worship-street Police-court, Mr. Moore, solicitor, made an application to Mr. Bushbv, on behalf of a person named Brown, for the recovery from the possession of the police of the G division of a gold watch and chain, valued at £ 20, which was being retained under the following circum- stances It appeared that in March last the person named was apprehended for the unlawful possession of the watch and chain, which were alleged to be stolen property. The charge against him was dis- missed, but the magistrate ordered that it should be retained by the police. It was now sought to recover it from them, as it was believed the value was about to be applied to the Police Superannuation Fund. It was explained for the man Brown that he purchased it at a coffee-house in Petticoats-lane on a Sunday morning. At this coffee-house tables of jewellery were set out, and the dealers sat round them to dispose of their goods, Mr. Moore adding that it was understood no one came away without having bought something. It was sworn in evidence, for the police, that the numbers and marks on the watch corresponded with those described to a pawnbroker as stolen in Sep- tember, 1882, and the man Brown was found wearing it in the following March, having bought it in November. The pawnbroker swore that the name it now bears had been engraved on a new plate which had been newly placed on the watch. On the other hand, a jewellery worker" said, for the applicant, that he usually attended the coffee-house named to make purchases, and he could positively say that the name had not been newly added in this watch, although it often happened that names of eminent makers were substituted for others in order to falsely enhance the value of the watch.—In answer to the Court the witness described the sale-room mentioned. He said it was at the back of a public-house at Duke-street, Aldgate, near Petticoatlane. Most of the dealers attending it were Jews, and they brought considerable quantities of all kinds of jewellery. Any person attending the room, which was called a coffee-room," was supposed to be an intending buyer. No names were exchanged, and no receipts given for bargains concluded. The addresses and the sworn evidence occupied one hour, and at the conclusion Mr. Bushby referred to the Police Act. He said he was empowered under the statute to order the delivery of the article to any one whom he considered to be the rightful owner. Although the watch was bought under circumstances which favoured dishonesty he was unable to say Brown was the rightful owner, just as he was unable to say he was not the rightful owner, so that he could not order the delivery of the goods to the applicant. The alternative stated by the Act was that were the owner could not be ascertained (as was the case here) the magistrate might make such order as he thought meet. He therefore ordered that the watch should be kept by the police for the twelve calendar months, which were nearly expired, and that if by that time no claimant appeared it should be applied to for the benefit of the Superannuation Fund. The chain was delivered over to the applicant, who produced a receipt of its sale, which was attested and considered satisfactory by the Court.

SEED SOWING OPERATIONS. Small sowings may now be made in a warm situa- tion of the following seeds: Early London, Dean's snowball, and Veitch's autumn giant cauliflowers; Snow's winter white broccoli, drumhead and early Ulm savoys, Brussels sprouts, cottager's and Scotch kales, and a box of curled parsley (in heat) for transplanting later on. Make another sowing of broad beans and peas, and draw a little soil up to those sown early in January, and stake the latter forthwith. This done, lay on five or six inches thick of rotten dung on either side the rows of peas, which will serve a threefold purpose, viz., that of protecting the ycung haulms from cutting winds during the present month, main- taining the roots in a more equable condition than would otherwise be the case, and conserving the water given them during the summer months. Old cab- bage stumps should be removed forthwith, and the ground be made ready for potatoes, of which a small planting of the early kidneys may be made at once in drills, five inches deep, two feet asunder, and ten or twelve inches apart in the row. It will be advisable to defer planting the main crops of potatoes a fortnight longer, with a view to their escaping the danger of late frosts. If the ground has been liberally manured for the preceding crop, and is moderately rich, it will not be necessary to manure it for the potato crop; in fact the latter, under the circumstances, will be better in quality and quantity without it. Onion, parsnip, and carrot seeds should be sown as recommended in last calendar, as soon as the condition of the ground will admit of the work being done. Early plantings of cauliflowers should, if not already done, have the spruce boughs with which the plants have been protected removed and be earthed up. Seed-beds and seedlings just coming through the surface of the bed will require to be protected with a piece of netting from the ravages of birds.— Gardeners' Chronicle.

GYMNASTICS FOR GIRLS. Should girls practise gymnastics ? If so, to what extent and in what way? We readily answer the first part of the question in the affirmative. To answer the second, it is necessary first to consider in what, fundamentally, the value of gymnastic exercise consists. All such practice, we take it, exists in response to a need which is felt, whether it can be described or not--a need of muscular tissue for work and its function, a need as real as that of nutrition, with which it is intimately associated. On nourishment, and on the due indulgence of this unnamed appetite for work, development depends. It is clear, then, that exercises which will duly, not unduly, tax the female frame are desirable. Putting the shot or throwing the hammer, for instance, as now conducted, are out of the question. On the other hand, dumb-bell practice, or that with Indian clubs, has certain marked advantages, especially as regards the training of the muscles of the upper half of the body. They are invaluable aids to fine deportment. But we cannot see why a recent critic should prescribe the use of the former ad libitum, while he would have no parallel bar exercise, no trapeze, no horizontal bar, or ladder exercise. An ideal gymnasium should rather include a variety of methods, the one to assist or correct the action of the other. What is above all necessary is that feminine, and even masculine, performers, should aim at what is due to their muscles, and should tax them not for labour nor for rivalry, but for healthful recreation. It is also necessary, of course, that any physical deformity or weakness which interferes with the {ileasure of gymnastic exercise should suffice to greatly imit it, or even to forbid it entirely.—Lancet.

EPITOME OF NEWS. BRITISH AND FOREIGN. Another serious landslip took place on the Oxford and Birmingham Canal at Fenny Compton, near Ban- bury, on Saturday. The damage done is considerable, and cannot be repaired under a month. The traffic had already been suspended for three weeks in consequence of a landslip which occurred a short time ago, and the repairs done during that period have been demolished. The bed of the canal for some distance has been en- tirely carried away. The recent severe storm caused several wrecks on the New England and New Jersey coasts, chiefly of schooners, by which 10 lives were lost. Five others were drowned by the capsizing of a sloop at Bolivar, North Carolina. Thirteen thousand emigrants arrived at New York last week, showing that the incoming current is swell- ing. Castle Garden Labour Bureau has many requests for employment, and the belief is they will mostly be satisfied, as there is an increasing demand especially from the South for all kinds of help. In Paris the other day a member of the staff of the Gaulois bad an interview with the Queen of Tahiti, who, in the course of a conversation, said: I propose visiting England, and will reside with an aunt of mine, who dwells near London. Then I shall return to Tahiti as I came, but neither in London or New York will I receive journalists again." A small box exploded in the parcels department of the Post-office at Gnesen in Poland on the 28th ult. The official on duty was severely injured in the face and many windows were broken. The box was found on examination to contain a clockwork arrangement, which bad been connected with some explosive material. A bill has been passed in the American House of Representatives for the prevention and cure of pleuro- pneumonia among cattle. The balance at the credit of depositors in the Govern- ment Savings Banks in Canada, on the 31st of October last, was §14,711,402. M During the past seven months 197,000 Kurmans have crossed into British Burmah in order to avoid service in the army. The tinware works of the United States Stamping Company, at Portland, Connecticut, have been de- stroyed by fire. The loss is estimated at 400,000 dols. A letter from Constantinople states that the ball lately held in that city on behalf of the Armenian Schools yielded a sum of £ 800. It was attended by Lord Dufferin, and most of the European residents. On Sunday, at Wrexham, where Sunday drunken- ness has greatly increased since the passing of the Welsh Sunday Closing Act, the police made a raid upon a number of illicit drinking dens in various parts of the town. Finding wholesale drinking going on in some of them they seized some dozen or twenty barrels o cans, jugs, kc., and conveyed them to the police StTh°ennumber of live stock and the qu^^ty^fte^ meat landed at Liverpool £ ere considerably from American and Canadian ^ginning of in excess of anyprevmusw g}jeep which were only the year, with the exception o consequently tKrivate w £ e SS'ly amounted to 1097 cattle, 510 sheep, 9400 quarters of beef, and 1615 carcases of mutton. The Secretary of the American Iron and Steel Asso- ciation states that the total production of iron and steel rails in America in 1883 amounted to 1,360,000 net tons, or 20 per cent. less than in 1882. The wife of John Bagshaw, of Oldham, has been found in the River Wye. The deceased had been missing since Monday in last week. She latterly has resided at Freewood, and is said to have been in some- what depressed spirits. It is stated that a number of Radical members, headed by Mr. Labouchere and Sir George Campbell, will oppose the Supplementary Estimate for military operations in Egypt. The Count de Almedina has just founded a new museum and picture gallery in the capital of Portugal. The Government has agreed to grant a subsidy in aid of its maintenance. There seems some hope that Washington will at last have a library worthy of the Federal Government. The Senate has passed a Bill appropriating S500,000 ( £ 100,000) to begin the work. The ultimate cost is estimated at more than three million dollars (£600,000), to provide accommodation for 3,000,000 books. The Paris dustmen make on an average 1100 to E150 a year. They pick out from dustbins and gutters articles of value of over £ 1,800,000 a year, which is divided up among them. Her Majesty has been pleased to confer the dignity of a Viscounty upon the Right Hon. Sir Henry Bouverie W. Brand, G.C.B., late Speaker of the House of Commons. The title by which he will be elevated to the Peerage will be that of Viscount Hampden, of Glynde, in the county of Sussex. A Parliamentary return of loans sanctioned under to the Irish Land Act from the 21st of December, 1881, the 31st of January, 1884, shows that 76,150 applications have been found inadmissable and 322,515 have been recommended, while 108,525 are at present being con- sidered. The amount actually advanced is about £ 127,000. A labourer named William Ashton, of Ambergafee, who was in custody at the Belper lock-up, committed suicide by hanging himself with his scarf during Satur- day night. He was waiting his trial on a charge of stealing wine from the "White Horse Hotel, Ambergate. The Printers' Pension Corporation Council have the gratification of announcing that John Saunders Gil- liat, Esq., Governor of the Bank of England, has con- sented to preside at the anniversary festival of this Corporation for 1884. At a recent sitting of the Dominion House of Com- mons at Ottawa, Sir S. L. Tilley, Minister of Finance, stated that while the credit and financial condition of Canada was never better, the state of trade was unsatis- factory, owing to the prevailing depression, which he attributed to the decline in the exports of lumber, and to over importation. From Philadelphia it is reported that the loss by the recent fire at Powers and Weightman's works is esti- mated to exceed SI,000,000. The property destroyed consisted largely of Peruvian barks and their products. The firm were extensive manufacturers of quinine; and a large number of workmen must lose employment. Last week was another quiet one with respect to actual shipwrecks, the number reported being 30, or about the same as the previous week, against 44 at this time last year. Though the weather in the Atlantic particularly was very bad, most vessels escaped with whole hulls, only four having been abandoned at sea. British wrecks numbered 17, of which six were steamers. Total lives lost 115, five vessels being lost with all hands. The aggregate wrecks since 1st January, 1884, are now 401, against 474 last year. A shocking accident happened to an Artilleryman during the march of the troops from Barham Downs to Dover, after a review at the former place. One of the drivers fell off a gun carriage while the horses were in full trot. He was run over, and had both legs broken below the thighs. Lord Randolph Churchill has collected some inile- resting statistics showing the various periods which the House of Commons has occupied, at stages of successive Reform Bills, which will be made use of during the coming debate. It is stated that 46,000 inhabitants of Somersetshire have declared in favour of the Sunday closing of public houses, and petitions are still being signed. f An explosion recently occurred at a powder jjoll ueur Omaha, by which four boys were b,w r: Vioms. From an official paper issut^ by t* UOTeriiTrK'nt^of Bombay it appears that a rr., "tcriom ('J'IÙ "xiubitia itself from time to time among ct. k ir. luc.* It is stated that between the 1st and the 25t.fc oi Ju!" 1881, 750 cats died at Ahmednagar; and l ): cats died in Poona, the chief symptom being -nitmg. The Municipal Council of Paris has pa .d a resolu- tion to exhibit, in each of the 20 town halls of that city, the meteorological n jtices issued every day by the French Office. It having been represented thai the tower proposed to be erected on the South Nab, near Bolton w oodfi, as a memorial of the late Lord Frederick Cavendish by the people of the West Riding of Yorkshire, would tend to mar the beauty of the landscape of Wharfedale Valley, it has been decided to abandon the scheme, and to erect a monument in Bradford instead. Mr. M'Cullagh Torrens is endeavouring to form a Committee of Members of Parliament to promote the movement in favour of relieving parents who send their children to denominational schools from the payment of the School rates. A Bill has been passed by the American Senate authorising the construction of seven steel vessels for the United States Navy. The Home Secretary has intimated that under all the circumstances he feels justified in granting a reprieve to Sarah Mallinson and William Sharp, sentenced to death at the late Liverpool Assizes. A reprieve has also been received for James Llovd. sentenced to death for murdering his wife at Birmingham. Lord Rosebery, during his visit to Australia, drew up articles for one of the biggest matches which has ever been made in that or any other country. The animals engaged are Buckingham and Iolanthe, both two-year- olds, the latter being in receipt of 21b., and they run for l000 sovs. a side, half forfeit, the distance being six furlongs. The match will take place at the Sydney Autumn meeting in April. The Registrar-General for Ireland reports that the number of emigrants who left Irish ports in 1883 was 108,916. an increase of 19,350. as compared with 1882; the number of males being 55,393, or 8147 more than in the previous vear and of females, 53,523, an increase of 11,203. A ship captain, recently arrived from Callao, has just presented to the Arbroath Museum a mummy which had been discovered by some workmen while dIggIng at the site of an ancient burying-ground in Peru. The mummy, which is in an excellent state of preservation, is in a sitting position, and appears to be the remains of a full-grown female. The robe in which the body is wrapped is well preserved. The Postal. Telegraphic, and Telephonic Gazette states that an intermediate scale of 4d. for 21b., 70. for 41b., and 10gd. for 61b. is to be introduced for the Parcels Post. A system of receipts for parcels will also tentatively be adopted in several large provincial towns. Last year 220,922,650 lottery tickets were sold by the lottery offices in the kingdom of Italy, on which 71,S26,683f. were staked. The winnings on these ventures amounted to 44,411,528f., leaving a net profit of 27.415.154f. to the State. Only 44 winnings were about 10,000f. each the highest two being oTe of 7S,OOOf. made in Turin, and the other of 50,090i m The bill to amend the law regulating the duty on in- habited houses has been brought in by Sir H. Drum- mond-Wolff, Lord A. Percy, and other members, and is intended to place lodging-houses on the same foot- ing as shops, hotels, and farmhouses, which pay an in- habited house duty of 6d. in the pound instead of 9d., which they now pay like private houses. The Board of Trade have awarded a binocular glass to Captain Piotro Alsaki, master of the Italian barque Risorta, of Genoa, in recognition of his humanity and kindness to the shipwrecked crew of the barque Burmah, of Dundee, whom he rescued at sea on the 19th December, 1883, and landed at Gibraltar. The City Press" states that the arbitrator appointed to determine the amount to be paid by the Metropolitan and Metropolitan District Railway Companies, as com- pensation for Weigh House Chapel, has now given his award. The area of the sit? was about 7000 feet; the amount of claim was £ 72,000; and for the railway company valued the property at about ±3 The arbitrator has awarded £ 37,450.. In consequence of a statement received r I American Consul at Birmingham, reporting the exis- -I- .rv county tence of foot-and-mouth disease m n jjag been in England, the Wasliington Consuls in requested to instruct all the jces unless after England not to certify. satisfied that the cattle veterinary examination they are in a healthy c°n<Uti°n. ai goc;ety-s Gardens, The additions to during last week included a RegentVpark, Lonao presented hy Mr W. Bonnet ^eer from Ceylon; a European fia- Graeme Southem Europe, presented by Mr. James M-Gree-or; a vulpine phalanger from Australia, presented Mr A-'H. Lowder a pine martin (British) presented bv Mr! Edward de Stafford a common hare (British), presented by Mr. G. rottier a Rhesus monkey from India, presented by Master A. J. Neill; two laughing kingfishers from Australia, presented by Dr. Evans a black-footed penguin from South Africa, presented by Mr. F. Bloor; a Greek tortoise (European), presented by Miss M. L. Fergusson; a stump-tailed lizard from New Holland, a bearded lizard from Australia, presented by Mr. J. W. Bostock a pike from British fresh waters, presented by Mr. Charles D. Hoblyn, F.Z.S. a lesser white-nosed monkey from West Africa; a ruddy ich- neumon from India, a bactrian camel ^om Central A^, three white crowned pigeons from the West Indies, purchased.