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

u»i mi iimaascaiasaasaBfeEagy GOSSIP ON DRESS, DBSPITS fact that many fashionable arrange- ments are sail kept in abeyance by the continuance of public tfiourning, there are not wanting signs of vivacity in those circles which are known by the general term Society." The continuance of bright weather has conduced to this result, and many bright costumes have made their appearance. To those who are about to make choice of materials for present wear, the following extracts from the Quetn will be of interest: The new zephyr cloth, both striped and spotted, makes a charming gown for morning wear, combined with plain material, and trimmed with Russian lace of scarlet and blue thread, with fawn or creamy white. Some of navy blue, with well raised spots of rose colour or pale blue, are attractive look- ing. and are used as polonaises over petticoats of the plain zephyr cloth, edged with a series of narrow and parti-coloured kiltings, which also trim the round basque of the bodice, and border the waistcoat of spotted material, with jabot of gathered lace. Trii3 mixture of navy blue and red, blue of two shades or crimson, with every shade of mushroom or vert-de-gris are all the height of fashion and good taste, and the numerous tints of bege look particularly well in zephyr cloth and other kindred stuffs embroidered in small designs in red and blue, and trimmed with Russian lace. A pretty costume of this colour had a plaited skirt of a deep shade; the folds were rather wide, and each was cut slantwise at the edge like the teeth of a gigantic saw, and bordered with coloured lace. Below these folds was a flounce of red and blue zephyr cloth made in alternate accordion" kilts, about six inches in width, and, maybe, the same in depth. The upper part of the skirt was of a lighter shade of cloth, embroidered all over with a design of tiny feathers worked in blue and red, and bordered with Russian lace. It formed a sharp-pointed apron front, artistically folded, and at the sides were short festoons, which mingled with the drapery at the back, arranged as a half-spread fan. The gathered bodice was of the embroidered material also; it had the round basque, cut in teeth, and edged with lace, which fell over an a-ecordian kilting cloth of the deeper shade. The sleeves were raised slightly on the shoulders, but were otherwise plain, with cuffs of gathered lace, which also surrounded the neck. On the right shoul- der was a twisted knot of satin ribbon, red and blue, which was carried across the chest like a military sash to the left hip, where it was again knotted, and fell in two unequal loops. The outer edge of this sash was trimmed with narrow lace, and its effect was novel, and decidedly uncommon. The costume was completed by a jocky-ehaped toque of bege lace, with peak of blue satin bordered with gold, and adorned with a red rosette. THE lighter make of woollen materials intended for present wear are endless in variety and fashion, more peculiar, we think, than pretty. Heads of shrill-toned chanticleers, horses' heads, horse shoes, with spurs, and riding whips, appear woven on many of these woods, and doubtless find favour in the eyes of the searchers for absolute novelty. Others are woven in imitation of cross-stitch embroidery, either as an" all- over pattern, or in single placed designs. All are used in combination with shot silk, as petticoats, linings, ruches, and revers. These chameleon-like silks, with plain satin stripes, for skirts, and gathered waists, with bodices and overdress of cashmere, are a favourite and fashionable mixture for morning dress mushroom and porcelain-blue with pale blue stripes, or lavender and greenish-gold with stripes of the former colour, being particularly stylish and well-conceived e I combinations. Silk Merveilleux, in all delicate shades, and of English manufacture, is an admirable spring material, and of three distinct varieties; the first shot, and the other two striped respectively with narrow and wider lines of self-coloured satin; all three to be used, however, on the same costume. The indescribable charm of this beautiful silk can best be hinted at by giving a few of the most happily chosen inixtures--as, for example, grey and lavender, with lavender stripes; yellow and grey, with grey stripes; pink and navy, with navy stripes (this is especially attractive) or porcelain blue and full gold, with stripes of the latter shade. VELVET striped satins-moss eolour, biscuit, and grey, are handsome and well worn, with skirts of plain velvet, Sicilienne, or fine cashmere. They have longitudinal and narrow lines, arranged in groups of three on a dull silk background of a distinctly lighter shade, Rich satihs, that literally "stand alone," are strewn with trefoil ornaments of fris6 silk; fawn on red, mushroom brown on fawn, crimson on sapphire- blue, and red on olive-green are a few of the most tasteful combinations, while all are stylish and of par- ticularly good appearance. Plain skirts of this exquisite material are worn with an overdress of cash- mere of the same shade, having an applique trimming of velvet trefoils, outlined with self-coloured beads, and the bodice has a waistcoat and cuffs of similar trefoil ornaments laid on a background or lighter or contrasting satin. Very noticeable was a mixture of rosewood-brown satin, velvet, and cashmere, with waistcoat lining and cuffs of vivid saffron-yellow beneath the velvet trefoils. With this was worn a Princesse bonnet of brown French lace and beads, with coronet of saffron velvet and a large spray of daffodils, on which were poised two butter- flies of brown and gilded feathers. MUSLIN is once more fashionable, and is likely to be in vogue for all summer dresses for day and evening wear, for concerts, dinners, dances, and what not. White Madras and spotted muslin make charming ball gowns for young girls, draped over skirts of pale-coloured satin, covered with a deep flounce of fine embroidery, worked in white floss silk, or in many brilliant colours. The low bodices are also of satin, cut round on the shoulders, with berthes of similar embroidery. French muslins, the ground pale cream colour, strewn with sprays of roses or shaded lilac bloooni, are once again the mode, the delightful material draping gracefully over petticoats of satin or faille. Complete gowns of bege lace, the skirt one mass of billowy flounces, are remarkably effective over satin of geranium-red or crocus yellow. We saw one made up over the latter colour, the flounces of the skirt, which were graduated in width, being caught up at intervals with tassels of yellow beads, finished with small silk balls, and down one side was a row of yellow rosettes, increasing in size to the edge of the satin skirt. The bodice was of yellow brocade, the berthe and short-curved sleeves of bege French lace, the round opening outlined by a single row of large-sized yellow beads, a string of which, finished with tassels, tied up the lace, and formed epaulettes on each shoulder. TIIE Daily News devotes a special article to the subject of Spring Costumes," in which the writer observes: Deep lace flounces are to be much worn this season. The fortunate possessors of old lace, measuring a yard or a metre in depth, may now congratulate themselves on the opportunity of utilising it. Pingat, the Parisian milliner, is arranging lace of this depth over satin, with the top gathered in folds into the waist, and thence falling outwards towards the sides. The deep lace, in its uninterrupted lines, gives apparent height to the figure. Very tall women would do well to choose those flounces, which measure about half a yard in width, and of which three are used to trim a skirt. Some very beautiful imitations of Brussels and Chantilly have been produced to meet the demand that will arise directly this new behest or fashion becomes known. These imitations reproduce the designs of the old lace, and even the colour, and are by no means so inexpensive as to lead to the fear that everybody" will be wearing lace flounces. Five guineas a yard is not exactly a quotation that places the fabric within the reach of all. Our mothers wore these lace flounces, and out from their lavender perfumed hiding-places they will now come to "revisit the glimpses of the moon." What stories they could tell, these softly-tinted old laces, by age made yet more mellow," of now for- gotten words and sighs, and the more than half- forgotten emotions they indicated! "The flounces on^my wedding dress," says some old lady, seeing in memory's mirror a picture of herself standing at the altar in the scant skirt of her girlhood's days—" they trimmed Arthur's christening robe," she adds, sighing "Poor Arthur!" and then, "Well, child, you may have them for your next dance." Thus are inanimate things woven in with the histories of individuals and 4 of families. Titis year's mantles for the mid-season are, for the most part, short at the back and very much trimmed round the edges and down the front. A hundred yards of lace are sometimes used for the trimming of a dress, and thirty yards for a mantle. Jackets are either very long, showing scarcely even the margin of the dress, or quite short, with but a few inches of basque. When long, they come into the category of ulsters, and take the plact of the now forgotten Newmarket, dethorned by the crinolette. A slight trimming of braid runs round all the odges, and defines the position of the pockets. The short jackets, on the other hand, have that air of smartness which is now one of the characteristics of the well dressed. The basque is of equal length all round. It is some- times untrimmed. Occasionally these jackets are edged with astrakhan but more suitable to the season is the soft and pretty feather trimming called mnrabout. Many of them are braided, some in the Hussar style, and others with the straightor lines to be seen on the Royal Artillery jackets. Ta add to the military air, the side seams up the back covered with a row of braid, and a little braiding appears also on the front of the collar. The sleeves are quite tight, and reach comfortably to the wrist. The prettiest costumes are those in which this short jacket is similar in material and colour .to the skirt, but it is quite allowable that it should be different in both respects. Gendarme blue or dark red cloth may be worn with grey, brown, or black skirts. Dark red, especially, is in favour, and is extremely becoming to some complexions, particularly when softened by being edged with brown marabout. An eminent authority on such matters has originated a grey jacket with trimmings of naturalastrakhan, which is in shades of grey, and so soft and fleecy as to make one wonder why a texture so beautiful should almost invariably be spoiled by the process of dyeing it black.

MR. RUSSELL LOWELL ON BROWNING. Mr. J. Russell Lowell, the American Minister, pre- sided at a meeting of the Browning Society, held in" the London University (at which a paper by Mr. J. Cotter Morison on Caliban upon Setebos was read by Mr. Furnival), and in opening tbo proceedings remarked that, to him at least, a Browning Society was not necessary for the understanding of Browning, to whose writings he owed a debt of gratitude, which had gone on increasing for the last forty years. The fashion of this world passed away, but the fashion of those things which were made in the world of imagination, and it was most emphatically in that world that Mr. Browning had worked, were enduring and never passed. So far as he had followed the proceedings of the Browning Society, it seemed that more stress had been laid upon many other of Browning's works than a series which appeared to him among the most important of those the poet had produced, namely, his dramas. In them ho never painted from the actual fact, but from an idealization of the fact. His characters were all true to the ever- lasting lines of human nature; but of none of th6m could it be said, as, for instance, it could be of Du Maurier's drawings, that we met them last night or last week. They were almost always elevated, as characters in a drama always should be, to an ideal plain. To paraphrase a remark of Mr. Arnold, there was in Browning's poems a tendency always in favour of largemindedness, of greatness of soul, of self- sacrifice and devotion, and they always left the mind ennobled after the reading of them. One particular objection had been made against Browning that he had not form." But what was form ?" Did it mean finish, and, if so, did it mean the finish of lines, single verses, or stanzas ? Or did it mean style, or that largest i scope which made artistic unity ? It was difficult to say; but one thing was certain, namelv, that the men who had discussed form most had not always been the most successful in producing examples of it. Goethe discussed it constantly, and yet the poem by which he was universally known—the "Faust"— could anybody with any sense of form call othe than formless? If "form" meant something less restricted, if it meant the use of adequate ana har- monious means to produce a certain end, during the use of which thought found itself stimulated and re- inforced by powerful emotion, and that emotion, sub- siding, left thought as a key of life, and as a motive for the conduct of it, then he knew no one who had given truer examples of form than the great poet after whom this society took its name. One danger of the Browning Society was that it might lead them to become partisans, insisting upon people approv- ing of the interior in equal measure with the better work of the artist. That would be an evil. Every one who read Browning with attention, and loved him as he did, must admit that he was occa- sionally whirled away by the very sweep and torrert of his own abundance. Sometimes we got a thicket instead of a perfect tree. But making all these deductions, there was no poet who, in his opinion, had given them a greater variety and who had snown more originality. What he always felt about Browning was that he did not belong to any particular period of one's life, but that he stayed by you. Not that he was always a guide, but no one had given so many hints which would point men in the right direction; and as to the objection that he made one think too much, Mr. Lowell saw no validity in it. That which distinguished Browning more, perhaps, than anything else was his strength. He was, of all others, a masculine, a virile poet.

THE ART OF FICTION." The first of the after Easter Friday discourses of the Royal Institution was given by Mr. Walter Besant on The Art of Fiction." He commenced by laying down these three propositions-" 1. That story- telling or fiction is a definite art as much as the sister arts of music, painting, or sculpture; 2, that, like the sister arts, it is subject to definite laws which may be laid down in rule as surely as the laws of harmony, and these laws can be taught; 3, that though these laws may be taught, the art itself, like the other arts, cannot be taught—it is a natural endowment. It followed, he said, that novelists must rank as artists. We did not attempt to compare a great musician with a distinguished painter, and the relative rank a novelist attained can be estimated among novelists only. But the present estimation of the world was to put the whole group of novel writers in a low position. It was held that the telling of stories was incompatible with the occupations of a well-balanced brain. He is nothing but a novelist" has been applied to men who by the power of observ- ing humanity, their force of expression, and the pains they had taken in their work, have held a mighty influence. Fiction was a real art, it was the oldest art, and still was, as it always had been, the most popular. It was, too, the most widely spread teaching power we have, and a man might say with pride, "I care not who makes the laws of a people so long as I may help to write its novel." It was concerned with the whole field of humanity, it dealt with men and women in action, and in all their various passions. It directed sym- pathy, not mere pity, but sympathy in the old sense of the term, which required an understanding of the sufferings on which it dwelt. Nothing was too grand for it, nothing too petty, so long as it was human. It might be laid down as a fundamental law that nothing in fiction must be invented. Anything that was not the result of experience was worthless. Everything must be real. True to the life is the highest praise that could be bestowed. Then there must be a power of description which itself depended on trained observation. Description must be guided by selection with an eye to dramatic perspective, and the drawing must be clear and distinct. There must be a direct purpose in the story, and a high moral purpose, not a party one such as was once the motive and then, when all these requirements had been kept in view, the beauty of workmanship down to the choice of words, just suited to express what is in- tended, and a balancing of sentences must receive laborious care. The art was a tempting one. For any one who had a story to tell and had patiently studied the art how to tell it, success was sure, but the miserable work turned out in such quantities showed how few trouble to fit themselves for their work.

MINING WEALTH OF AMERICA.—The inexhaustible riches of the United States from gold and silver mining may be partially estimated by the fact that the aggre- gate production of gold up to June 30, 1883, has been 1,632,364,670 dols. That of silver has been 598,083,217 dols., making a grand total of 2,230,447,887 dols., or £ 446,089,577. Reduced to the equivalent weights, the total gold output has been 78,965,572 troy ounces, or 2707 4 avoirdupois net tons, while the silver weight represents 462,590,469 troy ounces, or 15,860 tons. Putting the statistics into another form, the gold produced in the country up to the present time, if brought together, would be sufficient to load 271 ordinary freight cars the silver supposed to be collected as fine bullion, would require 1586 cars for its transportation. The gold would tax the carrying capacity of a large ocean steamship, while the silver would form cargoes for a considerable fleet.

THE FATAL FIRE IN LONDON. In London, on Friday in last week, Sir John B. Moncton, City Coroner pro. tevi., held an inquiry at the Coroner's Court, Golden-lane, relative to the deaths of three females who lost their lives in the fire that occurred at the Bell tavern, Old Bailey, on the previous Wednesday morning. The bodies were identified as those of Sarah Ann Suggate, aged 43, manageress of the establishment Emma Rachael Palmer, aged 24, barmaid; and Elizabeth Braxton, aged 25, barmaid. Mr. Billinghuret was the first witness called. He said he resided at 80, Leadenhall-street, City, except during the sessions of the Central Criminal Court, when he usually slept at 61. Old Bailey, the Bell Hotel and tavern. He identified the bodies of the deceased pesons, who had been in his service. Miss Suggate, who was a relative of his, was the manageress of the establishment, and the other two were bar- maids. On Tuesday night witness left the Bell Hotel to go to his other establishment in Leadenhall-street. Miss Palmer bad then retired to rest, but the other two were serving in the bar. Witness returned to the Bell between one and two o'clock on Wednesday morning, and Miss Suggate opened the door to let him in. They had a little drink in the bar, but re- mained there only a few minutes. Witness then went upstairs, and Miss Suggate, according to custom, put out all the lights and secured the doors of the establishment. She then went upstairs. The Coroner Was there a fire in the bar ? Witness: I could not say. There were two fire- places, and it was usual to keep the fires up until just before the house was closed. I did not notice on this occasion whether there was any fire there. There was a fire in a small kitchen at the back, where the cooking was performed; but in his opinion the out- break did not originate there. After he had retired to his room Miss Suggate went downstairs to get a glass of water. She took a lighted candle in her hand, returned in a few minutes, and stood speaking to witness at the door of his room. Just as she was about to retire to her own room they both heard a noise in the bar which closely resembled the footfalls of some person. Witness observed to Miss Suggate, I am afraid you have not fastened the door, and a policeman has come in to tell us of it." He went downstairs, and then saw that the bar was full of smoke. Witness at once gave the alarm, and told Miss Suggate to save herself. She called out instantly to Miss Palmer and Miss Braxton, who slept in separate bedrooms. Witness noticed that the smoke was issuing from the spirit room, but judging from the short time that had elapsed since the place was secured that the fire could not be very extensive, he called out to Miss Suggate to bring water to extinguish the flames. The door of the spirit room was near the foot of the staircase. Witness endeavoured to open the door, but the smoke was so overpowering that he was compelled to desist. Calling upon Miss Suggate and the other inmates to make their escape, witness ran out of the house by the door leading into a passage at the side of the premises. He was too much excited to notice that he was not followed, and seeing several persons about he implored them to go for assistance. In a few minutes he found that the females were still in the house, and on endeavouring to get back into the house, he found that the flames had made so much headway that he could not get in, He therefore rushed into the yard at the back of the premises, and endeavoured to unfasten a ladder which was secured to the wall by means of a padlock. In this he was assisted by a constable who came upon the scene. As they had not the key, however, it could not be unfastened, and witness then assisted the officer to climb upon the wall of the kitchen, but he was unable to do anything to rescue the females, as that portion of the building was in flames. Witness noticed Miss Suggate and Miss Palmer a# their bedroom window on the second floor. The former asked if they should jump out of the window, but he told them not to do so, and to wait for the escape. Had they jumped out they would have fallen through the glass roof of the kitchen, which was then in flames. Another constable came up just then, and when they tried to get out into the street they found all exit cut off by the flames breaking out of the side door into the passage. Miss Braxton slept in the room above that tenanted by the other deceased persons, and she made her appearance for a short time at the window, but the smoke soon compelled her to retreat into the interior If the room. By a Juror: There was a trap-door in the roof, but the flames rushing up the well staircase cut off com- munication with the rest of the house, and although there was a ladder kept on the roof, the deceased persons could not have made use of it. By the Coroner Witness's theory of the origin of the outbreak was that it was caused by Miss Suggate when she went downstairs to get the glass of water. She probably placed the candle she carried in close proximity to some papers that were in the bar, and set them'on fire. The papers were against the spirit pipe, which was cased with wood, which, owing to old age, would ignite very quickly. The establishment was very old, and mostly constructed of wood, which a was so dry that it would burn like matchwood. The rapid spread of the flames was thus accounted for. The premises were insured at the ordinary rate. Witness had two domestic servants in his employ, but they did not sleep on the premises. One had left his service that day, but he knew nothing whatever of the circumstances, as those matters were left to Miss Suggate. James Leach, second-class fireman, said he was first on the scene with the hose-cart from Snow-hill. The place was then well alight, and hearing that there were persons inside, he indeavoured to help them by getting on the roof of the adjoining build- ing. A portion of the roof of the burning building had, however, at this time fallen in, and r, he could do nothing towards effecting a rescue. The escape arrived very quickly, but could not be used, as the back of the premises were inaccessible owing to the passage being blocked. Other evidence was given, and the Coroner having summed up, the jury at once returned a verdict of Accidental death," and exonerated all persons from blame.

AN ASSOCIATION OF MURDERERS. A Berlin contemporary publishes some curious and startling information respecting a criminal association which has lately fallen into the hands of the Sicilian police, and the members of which, 104 in number, are to be tried for their lives at Palermo during the first week in May. It would appear that on April 15, 1883, Signor Antonio Scordato, the mayor of a small town named Bagheria, situate a short distance from Palermo, accompanied some friends who had been visiting him to the railway station at a late hour of the evening. As the party was passing by a small wood abutting on the high road several shots were fired at it. from the covert, and three of the mayor's companions fell dead upon the ground. In the course of the researches instituted into this tragical occur- rence by the local authorities, suspicion fell upon four householders of Bagheria, who were accordingly arrested and conveyed to Palermo, where they pre- sently confessed themselves to be active members of a murder-club established in Bagheria, and numbering fifty-nine members, pledged to exercise the practice of homicide for their common advantage and profit. Those affiliated to this association were bound by their agreement to execute private vengeances for hire, their wages in such cases being in due course paid in to the association's cashier for equitable repartition at certain fixed periods. As, financially speaking, the club flourished exceedingly it sought to extend its business by establishing a branch in the town of Sicarazzi, where forty-five citizens took the required oaths, and proceeded to carry out the pro- gramme of the parent association with great spirit and perseverance. It has been ascertained that within a few months thirty persons perished at the hands of the assassins belonging to the branch club alone. Denounced by the four Bagheria murderers above referred to, all these miscreants have been seized, and are now awaiting their doom in the town gaol of Palermo.

THE HANDKERCHIEF TRICK.—A would-be swell, wishing for an excuse to speak to a beautiful woman in the street, with whom he was unacquainted, drew his nice white cambric handkerchief from his pocket as he approached her, and inquired if she hadn't dropped it. She glanced at the handkerchief, nodded assent, thanked him, and marched on, leaving the ex- quisite to be laughed at by his companions. STRIKING REPROOF.—It being reported that Lady Caroline Lamb had, in a moment of passion, knocked down one of her pages with a stool, the poet Moore, to whom this was told by Lord Strangford, observed, Oh, nothing is more natural for a. literary lady than to double down a page." I would rather," re- plied his lordship, advise Lady Caroline to turn over a new leaf.'

i-: L .jL N EPITOME OF NEWS. BRITISH AND FOREIGN. The steamer Nevada landed twenty-one Mormon mis- sionaries and 400 Mormon emigrants at New York on Sunday. They left next day for Utah. Preparations are now going forward for the Con- ference which it is intended to hold at Berne at the beginning of August to promote arbitration as a sub- stitute for war. The question of the neutralisation of oceanic canals will be one of the subjects discussed at the Conference. An evening paper says that Mark Twain received an unusually large number of letters on the 1st of April. By preconcerted arrangement two hundred and fifty well-known literary men and politicians wrote to him for his autograph. Prince Alexandria, of Bulgaria, has arrived at Rust- chuck, after having made a fourteen days journey on horseback through his Principality. The total number of beasts entered for consumption at the Metropolitan Cattle Market for the week ending Saturday last was 2730 head; the corresponding period of 1883, 2580; 1882, 2620; 1881, 3210; 1880, 3660; 1879,3240; 1S78, 3430; 1877, 3400, 1876, 4080; and 1875,4100. St. John's Church, Highbury-park, London, was broken into late on Sunday night or (arly on Monday morning. The thieves took the contents of the boxes, the white altar cloth, and clerical robes, the property of the vicar. The Testry door was wrenched open by a crowbar. The panorama of the defence of Paris (sortie under the guns of Mont Valerien, on January 19,1871) which Wks lately exhibited at the Crystal Palace, has been opened at Berlin. It drew a large number of visitors, including Prince William and all the military ehiefs in Berlin. At Gotha, on Easter Day, the corpse of ar. American lady was cremated; this being the 163rd case of the kind since the establishment of the Crematorium there. A few evenings ago at Bucharest, during a perform- ance at the Sidoli circus, a rafter of the roof fell down. All the lamps were extinguished, and the walls, which were constructed of wood, caught fire. A panic ensued, and five persons were crushed to death, many others being injured. The Guion mail steamer Oregon, which left Queens. town on the 13th inst., arrived at New York at five p.m- on Saturday, all well, making the extraordinary passage of six days nine hours twenty-two minutes, or twelve hours less than the shortest passage on record, which was made by her sister vessel, the Alaska. On Sunday morning it was found that the goods station belonging to the Great Western Railway Com- pany at Coedpoeth, four miles from Wrexham, had been broken into. The place was completely ran- sacked, but nothing seems to have suited the taste of the thieves but groceries, large quantities of which were carried away. Just before Christmas the same ware- house was broken into, and quantities of cheese, butter, and tinned meat were stolen. The Lincoln great annual horse fair commenced on Monday. The number of animals offered for sale was larger than usual, but many were farming or draught horses which have hitherto been mostly shown later on in the week. The best animals, suitable for riding, car- riage, or military purposes found ready purchasers, especially amongst buyers from France, who were particularly anxious to effect the purchase of mares. Prices ranged from 80gs. to 200gs. On Monday evening a man named John Humphrey, of Dundee, jumped overboard from the river steamer Marquis of Bute when approaching Junellon Pier, on the Clyde. The man was with difficulty rescued, when it was found that both his legs were broken. He was conveyed to Greenock Infirmary, where he expired. At Liverpool on Monday an inquest was held on the body of W. Sutton, a gamekeeper in the employ of the Earl of Sefton, who died from injuries received on the day of the Grand National steeplechase. A labourer, named Patrick Kearney, and some other men were fighting in a public-house. Sutton went to the assist- ance of the landlord, and Kearnev struck him over the "head with the buckle of his belt, inflicting injuries which proved fatal. A verdict of manslaughter was returned. T On Monday Francis Henry was charged before the Newry magistrates with committing a murderous assault upon his mother. The accused was beating his father when his mother interfered. He turned fiercely upon her, and struck her with a basin, inflicting a fearful wound on the head, and fracturing her skull. The father was also badly beaten. The prisoner was remanded. There has arrived in St. Petersburg a boy of 13 who had travelled 1500 miles on foot in order to obtain in- struction on the violin at the Conservatory. He started from Vladikavkas, a Cossack village, where from the age of 6 he had given concerts, and he hoped to obtain a permanent appointment in the capital. It has been decided to hold an International Exhibi tion in Bombay during the cold season of 1885-86, if possible and a sub-committee has been appointed to prepare a report to the Government on the feasibility of the scheme. In the Southampton Docks, on Saturday, two men were hoisting a njaintopmast and crosstree on a ship under repair, when the crosstree fell some eighty feet on to the deck, carrying with it a rigger, who was picked up dead, and killing a man on whom it fell. A third rigger bad his arm broken and hishoulder dis- located. The additions to the Zoological Society's Gardens, Regent's Park, London, during last week included a pig-tailed monkey from Java, presented by Dr. Ben- thall; a weeper capuchin, from Brazil, presented by Miss Vincent a short-eared owl, British, presented by Mr. Oscar Burrows; a smooth snake, a common viper, a common snake, a slow-worm from Hampshire, pre- sented by Mr. W. H. B. Pain; an alligator, from the Mississippi; a horrid rattlesnake, from Florida, pre- sented by Mr. A. Begg a philantomba antelope, from South Africa, deposited a moose, from North America, two mute swans, European, a common viper, British, purchased; six long-fronted gerbilles, born in the gardens. A despatch from Garsten, in Upper Austria, an- nounces that a revolt has occurred in the convict prison there, the inmates of which are educated persons con- victed of crimes of lesser magnitude. The military were called in and suppressed the revolt after much bloodshed. Between 20 and 30 of the convicts were wounded, seven of them seriously. The committee of naval and engineer officers who are sitting at Portsmouth to prepare a scheme for the for- mation of a torpedo ground, have visited all the avail- able sites, and have recommended the Admiralty to select Forton Lake. The elaboration of the scheme in all its details is likely to take some weeks, and it is understood that the original estimate of £ 50.000 or £ 60,000 will be considerably exceeded. According to a despatch from Wilkes Barre. a lace factory is about to be started there by a Nottingham manufacturer. This will be the first of the kind estab- lished in America. The necessary machinery will be imported from England. A hundred and twenty farm labourers and domestic servants left Spalding on Wednesday for Liverpool, from whence they will embark for Quebec, intending to settle in Ontario. A year ago 300 left Spalding for the same destination. An extraordinary discovery has just been made at Perry Barr, a suburb of Birmingham. In this neigh- bourhood is a farm known as Booth's Farm, originally occupied by William Booth, the notorious forger of Bank of England notes, who was executed at Stafford in 1812. In digging over his orchard the present pro- prietor has disinterred two copper-plate engravings of £ 1 and £ 2 notes. They both bear the date of 1811, and are in a perfect state of preservation. A heavy fall of snow was experienced in East York- shire on Wednesday, and some parts of the Wold Hills were covered several inches deep. Snow also fell on Tuesday over the Grampian and other ranges, and con- tinued all night on the low grounds. In Kincardine and Aberdeenshire the depth on Wednesday morning was some inches. The flood season throughout the dominion of Canada is over, and no damage has been reported from any quarter. The St. Lawrence River is now clear of ice. There were 2568 births and 1649 deaths registered in London last week. Allowing for increase of popula- tion, the births were 167 and the deaths 89 below the average numbers in the corresponding weeks of the last ten years. The annual death-rate from all causes, which had been 21-9 and 19-1 per 1000 in the two pre- ceding weeks, rose again to 2T4. The number of Bills of Sale published in England and Wales for the week ending April 19th, was 176. The number in the corresponding week of last year was 264, showing a decrease of 88, being a net decrease in 1884, to date, of 241. The number published in Ire- land for the same week were 7. The number published in corresponding week of last year was 40, showing a decrease of 33, being a net decrease, in 1884, to date, of 271. While the chief officials of the Cracow police were assembled on Tuesday afternoon at the Court House for the purpose of drawing up their report a bomb was thrown against the window. An explosion ensued, without, however, causing any damage to the building. The author of the outrage was seriously injured, and was immediately arrested. I In London, on Tuesday, at the Central Crimin Court, John Clifford, who pleaded guilty to four indict- ments for stealing jewellery, &c., and Harry j whe pleaded guilty to five for obtaini^ money from a benefit society by a fra1^ were each sentenced to 18 months har The Apache Indians last week raided into San Migu e Mexico, massacreing twelve men and women. They afterwards attacked a caravan near the town, and mur- dered five more victims. Messrs. Cassell and Company have in the press a work by Mr. W. H. Barneby, entitled Life and Labour in the Far Far West," being a description of a tour undertaken by the author during the spring and summer of 1883 in North America. The author took special notes as to the suitability of the country as a field for emigration and for the investment of capital. The recent Luther celebration, it is said. produoed about 7000 Luther publications, from 300,000 to 500,000 copies of some of them being issued. A sparrow has built its nest behind one of the ex- tended wings of a large hawk which is nailed against a vermin wall at a keeper's in Glenfinart, Greenock, N.B. The" City Press" says In the course of the excava- tions for the Metropolitan extension, at Seething-lane, the arms of a bronze Roman statue of heroic size, singu- larly perfect, ha'e been found. Two coins, one of Nero, and the other N-esptsian, were also discovered. A grayling of ilb. was caught in the Tay by Mr. G. Macpherson, on the Delvine water, a few miles below Dunkeld. The local authorities who were consulted say that this is the first grayling ever caught in the lower reaches of the Tay with the exception of one, also caught this year. The survivors of the dreadful tragedy in August, 1882, Patrick Joyce and Martin Joyce, have applied to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland for compensation u: der the Crimes Act for the murder of their father, step-mother, grandmother, sister, and brother, who were murdered in their beds, in the depth of the night, at Maamstrassa., and for which several men were hanged. His Excel- lency has dirEcted the usual inquiry. The Seine General Council have agreed to a scheme for the purchase of an estate in Algeria for l,100,000f., as an agricultural school for 200 indigent children of the Department of the Seine. The work of dismantling the fortress of Sedan, where the Emperor Napoleon III. surrendered his sword in 1870, has now been completed. All that remains of the fortifications are the Donjon, with its subterranean passages, and the high walls commanding the town, but neither will be made use of in any way in future for military purposes. At the last meeting of the French Academy M. Caro gave an interesting account of his journey to Edin- burgh, where he represented that body on t he occasion of the tercentenary celebration of the foundation of Edinburgh University. M. Cairo specially expressed his gratitude for the hearty welcome and kind recep- tion which he, as well as the other representatives of French learned bodies, met with in the capital of Scot- land. The Paris Jardin des Plantes has received from Gaboon a full grown male gorilla, three or four years old. This, it is claimed, is the first live gorilla which has been seen in Europe, the so-called gorilla exhibited at Dresden a few years since having been a chimpanzee. A boy violinist, who it may be eafely predicted, will in the future be heard of by the world. has given a recital in presence of a distinguished audience ;n Paris. The name of this child artiste is Ernest Moret. an 1 he is stated to be twelve years old, though he i not look more than ten. Besides taking the first' in classical quartetts, young Moret played several by celebrated composers in a manner so finished ,1 full of expression as fairly to astound the audience The English residents in Frankfort have forwarded an address of condolence to the Queen on the occasion of the death of the late Duke of Albany. Her)1 ajesty has conveyed her acknowledgements to the renders through Herr Oppenheimer, the British Consul General. The management of the Baldwin Locomotive" "orks at Philadelphia, the largest American locomotive factory, is making extensive discharges of workmen, owing to a decline in orders resulting from the depres- sion of the iron trade and the restricted amount of railway construction. Last week's receipts of cotton at all United States ports were 21,000 bales since l6t September. 4,686,000 bales. Week's exports to Great Britain, 19,000 bales to the Continent, 14,000 bales. Total since 1st Sep- tember, 3,444.000 bales; stock at all ports. 578,000 bales. Stock at interior ports, 49,000 bales. The Sagamore Mill, nt Fall River, Massachusetts, a large cotton factory, has been burnt down. the con- sequent loss being estimated at 600,000 dols. The origin of the fire is believed to be an incendiary act on the part of some men on strike, who have been locked out for some time past, their places being supplied by others. Paris advices of last week state that business has continued quiet in the French wheat trade, but that affairs have, on the whole, shown a little more firmness. At Marseilles transactions in wheat have continued restricted. At a conference of the Ancient Order of Foresters, held in Leeds on Saturday, it was stated that the exe- cutive council for this year and next, and the high court meeting for 1885, would take pi see at Leeds. The number of members is close upon 620,000, showing an increase in 50 years of 610,000. The Colonies and India savs: A woman named Harriett Cleaver has been struck dead by lightning at Evans Creek, Stoney Pinch, near Mudgec, New South Wales. She had just covered up her sewing machine, and had one of the needles in her hand when the electric fluid penetrated the slabs of the hut and killed her on the spot. The needle was twisted in all directions." On Saturday night Owen Gilmore and James Phillips, two Irishmen, quarrelled in a low part of Sunderland. Phillips afterwards went home. but was followed by Gilmore, who renewed the quarrel, and obtaining possession of a shoemaker's knife attempted to stab Phillips. The wife of the latter warded off the blow, and the knife struck Gilmore himself in the thigh, severing the main artery, which bled profusely, death resulting in an hour. While a groom named Cliff, in the employ of Mr. W. Lee, of Borras, Wrexham, was walking through the yard < f an inn at n on Saturday night he received a kick from a horse. l.ich killed him on the spot. About two months ago the daughter of 1tr, Simons, aerated water manufacturer of Warwick, was severely bitten in the cheek by a mad dog. In the course of last week symptoms of hydrophobia presented them- selves, and on Sunday morning the child died in great agony. The compensation to farmers for damage to the land in the neighbourhood of Portsdown-hill on the occasion of the Easter Volunteer Manoevres has been estimated at about 1650. This sum will be defrayed out of the public subscription raised at Portsmo uth. On the arrival of the Scythia at Queenstown on Saturday from New York the master reported having passed on April 19 a large iceberg, and on the 22nd a wooden vessel, coppered, of about 1000 tons register, bottom np. with bows stove in and with rudder gone. He also passed several logs of timber in the same vicinity. The success of the mackerel fishing at Kinsale and along the southern coast of Ireland during last week was most encouraging, some boats making from £ 80 to £100 a night. The help which has been given to the fishermen with equal generosity and discrimination by the Baroness Burdett-Coutts has been productive of the utmost benefit. The arrivals of live stock and fresh meat at Liverpool during last week from American and Canadian ports amounted to 1654 cattle, 23 sheep, 6242 quarters of beef, and 684 carcases of mutton; against a total of 1336 cattle, 428 sheep, 8433 quarters of beef, and 983 carcases of mutton, showing an increase in the imports of live cattle, but a falling off in sheep and fresh meat. The Right Rev. W. S. Wilson, Bishop of the United Dioceses of Glasgow and Galloway, was at a special service in Trinity Episcopalian Church, Ayr, presented with a pastoral staff, episcopal ring, and an address, on completion of the twenty-fifth year of his bishopric. James Savage has been sentenced at Liverpool to penal servitude for five years for committing a brutal assault on a young woman named Spencer, by kicking and otherwise iU-trepting her, so that one of her ears was completely torn off. A young man named Donohoo has been arrested at Athlone on a charge of parricide. He attacked his father while working in the garden, and held him on the ground while he cut his throat with a table knife. Donohoo, who has recently returned from America, is believed to be insane. The other evening a pony driver entering one of the underground stables in the Gate Wen Colliery, about two miles from Wrexham, found the dead body of a man lying on the ground. An alarm was raised, an the deceased was identified as a man named Thomas, a collier, of Bryntegbrymbo. While the 15th (King's^ Hussars were in the Long Valley, Aldershot, a charge "After resulted in two squadrons coming into received the charge i, ™ ESS SSSISSAS- eh,rr i mistaken identity has come to V It appears that a master slater wcloSly Ambles a deserter from one of our cavalry regiments that he has been locked up no fewer than times within a few weeks, being at once set at liberty when his identity had been established. The victim of this serious mistake has never been in the army. The additions to the Zoological Society's Gardens Regent's Park, London, during last week included a Ludio monkey, from West Africa, presented by Mr. F W. Robinson a Macaque monkey, from India, pre- sented by Mr. E. Drew; a Vulpine phalanger from Australia, presented by Mr. J. C. Martin; a Central American agouti, from Central America, presented by Mr. Hugh Wilson a herring gull, European, presented by Mr. Thomas Daws; a common riper, British, pre- sented by Mr. H. German; a Burchell's zebra, from South Africa; three Michie's tufted deer: four Darwin's pucras; an Eliot's pheasant, from China, deposited; three corn buntings, British, purchased.

#c.I-I: IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT. In the HOUSE OF LORDS, April 28, the Royal assent W/18 given by Commission to ft number of bills which had passed both House s. The Duke of Richmond read a letter from the Duchess of Albany, in reply to the address of con- dolence with her Royal Highness adopted by their lord- ships' House.. Lord Northbrook, replying to Lord Belmere, stated that certain measures had been adopted by the Ad- miralty with the object of improving the position of senior lieutenants of the navy on half-pay. Their lordships rose at a quarter to five o'clock. In the HOCSF. OF COMMONS Mr. Chamberlain told Mr. Gorst that the second reading of the Merchant Shipping Bill would be proposed on the first Govern- ment night the exigencies of Supply might leave free after the House had gone into Committee on the Fran- chise BilL GENERAL GORDON. Mr. Dawnay asked whether, in the event of a sufficient sum being raised by public subscription in re- sponse to General Gordon's appeal to organize a volunteer f -Yee to proceed to his relief, her Majesty's Government would afford all necessary facilitiss for the expedition. Mr. Gladstone, in reply, said I can only say at present that the safety of General Gordon being a matter which would involve us in the obligation to consider the question from a practical point of view, we do not see how we could rely upon voluntary effort. THE FRANCHISE BILL. The debate on going into Committee on the Franchise Bill was opened by Mr. Raikes, who moved an instruc- tion to the Committee to make provision for the redis- tribution of seats between the existing constituencies, and for the representation of populous urban sanitary districts at present unrepresented. In support of this, Mr. Raikes went at length into some of the anomalies of the present system, which he showed would be enor- mously increased by enfranchisement pure and simple. For instance, while 1,600.000 borough voters would con- tinue to return 297 members, the 189 county members would be returned by 2,000,000. The necessity for re- distribution would therefore be immensely strengthened by the passing of the bill. So also would be the case for the representation of minorities, and a scheme which shrank from dealing with both these capital points was unworthy of the House. Mr. Gladstone replied briefly, insisting that every argument used by Mr. Raikes had been fully urged in the former debates, and a solemn decision had been pronounced upon them. He regarded the speech, there- fore, as made for the consumption of time, and he de- clined himself and hoped his friends would decline to discuss these arguments over again. Lord R. Churchill characterised the position assumed by the Premier as a rigid and a barbarous application of the cloture," and his advice to the Liberal party as a peremptory order to silence. If the Government would undertake to introduce their Redistribution scheme immediately after the passing of this bill, they would get rid of .many difficulties and greatly facilitate progress. Mr. E. Clarke also protested against the Prime Minister's assumption to silence discussion and main- tained that the question of redistribution never had yet been fairly debated; nor had the country been fairly informed as to the effect of this bill on the agri- cultural constituencies. The Opposition under such circumstances would be indifferent to the charge of obstruction. Mr. Brodrick then moved the adjournment of the dsbate as a protest against the refusal of the Govern- ment to discuss the question of redistribution, to which Sir William Harcourt replied that the Ministerial side held that they had already discussed the question suf- ficiently, and declined to be parties to further discussion which would be a, waste of time. Mr. Gibson vigorously condemned the conduct of the Government, and declared that compared with former bills the Opposition had shown great moderation in discussion. Mr. Gladstone defended the course he had taken, and observed that the Liberal party could not be expected to play into the hands of their opponents. p. "lr & Northcote retorted that neither could the pposition be expected to play iuto the hands of the .overnment. It was incumbent upon them under the circumstances to put on record their protest against the manner in which the Government were conducting the debate upon a measure of this great importance. On a division the motion for adjournment was nega- tived by 108 to 71, and the debate was then resumed r>y Mr- Elton, who, speaking in the interests of the est or England, which was threatened with a diminu- tion of representation, objected to proceed further until more light was cast on the redistribution scheme. Major-General Alexander dwelt on the claims of Scotland to increased representation, and Mr. Rankin vindicated the uses of the small boroughs. Mr. Whitley did not object to the extension of the franchise, but held that this bill as it stood would sacrifice the rights of many electors. Unless the House took a firm stand now he did not believe that there would be redistribution before the dis- solution. 1RR7 said he had always believed the Act of I8b7 to be a mistake, and he was not disposed to take another leap in the dark. This bill was founded on the same principle of enfranchising numbers at the expense 0 intelligence and property, and it emphasised the inequaliti between representation and taxation. tb f royd argued that though the bill might confer e franchise on large numbers, without redistribution would not give them proportionate electoral power. f, ,r' Gregory supported the instruction; and Mr. T. ■ spoke strongly on the absolute necessity of Including redistribution in the bill. Without it he held the scheme of reform to be a fraud on the people. y)_a division the instruction was negatived by 174 o 147; and the announcement of the numbers was beif1^ much cheering from the Opposition Mr. Tomlinson then moved that it be an instruction to the Committee to enlarge the scope of the bill so as to provide where desirable for the extension of the boun- daries of Parliamentary boroughs. This was Mipported by Mr. E. Clarke and Mr. Grantham, and opposed by Mr. Gladstone and the Attorney-General, who contended that it was merely a repetition of the redistribution motion in another form. On a division it was negatived by 158 to 132 and an instruction by Sir R. Cross that the Committee make provision for the due registration of all persons en- franchised by the bill was ruled out of order, as the Committee would have power to do this without an adjourned*' ^urtller progress with the bill was then Some other business was disposed of, and the House adjourned at half-past one o'clock.