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Chwiliwch 15 miliwn o erthyglau papurau newydd Cymru

Cuddio Rhestr Erthyglau

6 erthygl ar y dudalen hon

fonion (&or«sponk»l.

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fonion (&or«sponk»l. fWe deem it ripht to stste that we do not at all times Identify ourselves with our Correspondent's opÙliona.) Seldom has a more profound sensation been created either in the metropolis or in the country than by the news of the sudden death of the Duke of Albany. In the two cases within our own time in which members of the Royal family have been gathered to their fathers, the public mind has to a certain extent been prepared for the intelligence. Both on the 14th December, 1861. and on the same date in 1868, the Prince Consort and Princess Alice respectively had been ill several days, and although in each instance the tidings of the end was a shock, in neither case could the announcement be said to have been un- expected. But here was a young man not yet 31 years of age, less than two years married with according to our finite vision every accessory in this world tending to make up the sum total of human happiness, and all at once the rumour spreads through the capital on a bleak March afternoon that he is no more. No doubt it takes something start- ling to move to one feeling the mighty mass of the London population: but there was only one common expression tb i rf sympathy with the Queen and the widowed duchess. Perhaps the most solemn concomitant associated with the death of a member of th e Royal family is the filing of the great bell of St. Paul's Cathedral. It has been the custom for centuries to do this on such occasions; and such is the import- ance attached to it that the Secretary of State for the Home Department makes the formal request in an official letter addressed to the Lord Mavor. When the Prince Consort died the bell was tolled at midnight; on the death of Princess Alice on a Saturday afternoon and now, on the decease of the Duke of Albany, between eight and nine in the even- ing. The tolling was continued at regular intervals of a minute for an hour, and very weird and im- pressive was the sound at a time when the great streams of traffic flowing through the main arteries of the city had ceased, and the deep-toned notes of the mammoth bell was carried by the evening wind far and wide over the metropolis, mingling with the z;1 subdued hum of voices in the streets, and finally dying away amid the silence of the broad tideway of the Thames. The Duke of Albany's death breaks up every arrangement which had been made for the London season, which, after Easter, would have had its en- gagements in full swing. No drawing-rooms, levees, receptions, or assemblies can be hel<%while the Court is in deep mourning, and, as this will be continued until the 11th of May, the Health Exhibition, which was to have been opened by the Prince of Wales on the 7th of that month, will probably have to wait- The Prince of Wales, it may be remarked, was very speedily in London from Liverpool, and with equal celerity was off to Cannes on Saturday to superintend the removal of his brother's remains to Windsor. It has been often said that London is like no other city in the world for the many phases of life which it presents; and if we take only its night side-say between eleven and twelve o'clock—between Charing- cross and Ludgate-circus, the scene to be witnessed is one not easily forgotten. It is in the Strand that the majority of the metropolitan theatres are situated, and shortly before midnight they discharge their audiences one after another out into that crowded thoroughfare. Westward the streets are not so brilliantly lighted as eastward, for Fleet-street is the home of the newspaper offices, which at that time are in the full blaze of activity- Not only are the gas lamps thickly dotted along the line of the pavements, but elec- tric globes, some high, others low, but all flooding the thoroughfares with a resplendent light, combine to make the spectacle one full of animated life. Let the traveller contrast this midnight spectacle in the capital with that presented to him at the same time in any provincial town into which he has been, either Liverpool, Manchester, Birmingham, Glasgow, Leeds, or Bristol. Even in Liverpool the public-houses are closed at eleven o'clock, and before twelve there are very few wayfarers in the streets, which are thus left for the live-long night to the solitary pacings and guardianship of the police. Age gradually creeps over the present Parliament. Four years ago this week, the polls were opened for the general election. The first day's fighting was on the last day of March, 1880, and the elections ex- tended over a period of three weeks, the two Houses aspemblinsr on the 29th of April, when the present Viscount Hampden was unanimously re-elected Speaker. The House of Commons has, therefore turned the corner of its existence; indeed, it has very nearly arrived at the average age of the ten Parliaments of the present reign. The record of its legislative work does not promise to be commensurate with the length of its existence. The Volunteer arrangements for the forthcoming Easter are so entirely different from those of previous years that those members of the citizen army who will take part in them scarcely know at present what to make of the brigading process which is to be carried out at some of the military stations. What- ever might have been the worth of the Brighton Review in a practical way, there is little doubt of its popularity as an annual institution. It provided an outing .for men much in need of it, without that demand upon their time or the strain upon their attention likely to be the result of brigading with the regulars. Flat racing commenced in earnest last week at Lincoln, and some very good sport was witnessed on the Carholme. The principal event was, of course, the Lincolnshire Handicap, which was run for on the Wednesday. This big race attracted a pretty good field. The favourite, up to the morning before, was Fulmen, the top-weight, being backed at eight to one. After lie had been given a good gallop early, and was being prepared for his journey to Lincoln he became restive in his box, and injured himsel, very severely. Of course, this accident prevented all chances of his running, and after being knocked about in the betting till he stood at the odds of 50 to 1, his owner put the pen through his name on the morning of the race. The second favourite was Tonans, who had to carry 8st. 41bs., and was ridden by Wood. This horse was very unfortunate in two or three races in the autumn of last year. He has, however, retrieved his reputation at Lincoln. The race at the finish was not very exciting. Tonans reached the post first, three quarters of a length in front of Toast- master, and Boulevard was third. By winning this race, Tonans will incur a penalty of 81bs. in the City and Suburban, run at Epsom next month, thus making it 8st. 121bs. Turning to steeplechasing, the principal event was the Liverpool Grand National, which was decided at Aintree on Friday, the 28th. Although the Prince of Wales's horse, the Scot, was well backed, he finished eighth in the race; Mr. Boyd's Voluptuary being the fortunate animal. It was on the stand at Aintree that the Prince of Wales heard the sad news of his brother's death, and he at once left the course and returned to London. Wood, the jockey, has opened the season well by winning the Lincolnshire Handicap, and there will, no doubt, be a. close race between this rider and Archer for the greatest number of winning mounts. The announcement has been made that in conse- quence of the funeral of .the Duke of Albany, the University Boat-race has been postponed till Monday, April 7th. The Oxonians arrived on the tide- J way three or four days after their rivals. The excitement on the day the crws were first seen together at work on the Thames did not seem to be so great as in former years. But the race will be rowed under more favourable conditions than was the case last year. Then it had to be rowed on Thursday, March loth, at about six o'clock in the evening. It was a cold day, and to make matters worse, the contest was finished during a snowstorm. This time, however, points to a much better state of things, as being rowed three weeks later, the weather is likely to be more genial. The Dark Blues have been the favourites, and the betting, as a rule, generally foreshadows the result. This was completely set at nought last year, Cambridge being backed at the long odds of 4 to 1, and were beaten by three lengths. The Cantabs have the fortune to retain the ser- vices of four old blues, and were able, after some little difficulty to select a suitable stroke. In the Oxonian boat are to be seen two old blues. They chose for stroke a man who had been success- ful in the Trial eights, and he seems to be working very well, but is considered by some critics too light to stay the long and tiring course. Taking the average weight of both, they are found to be quite up to the usual standard. v-.raJ.wor'IõWU..1Iõ.I. w_- _IIW

DEATH OF THE DUKE OF ALBANY.

DOUBLE EXECUTION AT EDINBURGH.

[No title]

--_. THE FRENCH IN TONQUIN.

lIKstellaimnts JWelligeitfc.