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

India, and especially in the Delhi and V1S1°PS °f the Punjaub, the weather continues anxiety. In the neighbourhood of Calcutta i.h.r!"1! fallen daily. On the whole, however, u ,Pro?Pepts are fairly good, and the recent VMTII a decidedly beneficial effect on the public the small-pox and cholera epidemics prevailed during March and April

GOSSIP ON DRESS. j TIIK "private views" by which the West-end picture exhibitions are inaugurated are attended by many whose artistic tastes have little or nothing to do with the paintings on the walls, but are displayed to great advantage in the costumes which in variety and colour vie with the most charming productions of the easel. Describing one of these gatherings, a London daily paper says A lady in golden brown cashmere, lightly trimmed with blush of precisely the same tint, made one of the successes. Another, in grey cash- mere, opening over a satin skirt, also of grey, and laced down the opening with grey cord, completed a pretty costume by wearing a grey bonnet the crown of which was covered with cashmere like the dress, and trimmed with rows of silver braid and a large bunch of silver thistles. A lady appeared in a polonaise of greyish blue Ottoman, the skirt of which opened over a petticoat of the richest possible brocade, the ground of which was blue, while the flowers were in a tint of pale and creamy gold. The bonnet matched the costume, as is now again the in evitable law, and was so raised and cut away at the back as to display almost the whole of the coiffure, dragged high towards the crown, and held by tortoise- ,e shell crescents slightly deeper in tint than the hair itself. Some curious contrasts could occasionally be observed. A highly elaborate toilet of mushroom coloured satin and velvet, with bonnet to match, in which a bunch of king-cups offered relief from the pale fawn tints, jostled a Burne-Jonesian girl in a long, dark red silk mantle and nightcap to match. VERY little blue was to be seen. It is too early for- pale blue, and Englishwomen are beginning to dis- cover that the intermediate shades between indigo and sky blue are extremely trying. Nor did the new gipsy red make its appearance—a soft, yet very vivid tint which is likely to be m much demand this season. But of the deeper reds there was abundance. Ablack velvet costume with bonnet to match owed its sole re- lief to a bunch of red flowers in the latter. Another bonnet was made entirely of red velvet, with a group of lilies of the valley for trimming. A third of the new shape, narrow and high, was signed Louise, and consisted apparently of spiders' webs. These, when closely examined, proved to be the work of human fingers, and not an insect's toil. The webs are wrought in silver on a scarcely visible light network of net or tulle in a soft shade of blueish gray. The spiders are worked in mouse- colour with the white lines on the body, as seen in the natural creature. This marvellous embroidery formed the crown; while the brim consisted of a roll of dark- grey velvet, round which a cord of oxydized silver formed a kind of network. The strings were of grey terry, and a large bow of the same, placed at one side of the bonnet formed the only trimming. MOSS-COLOURED straw is in great favour for bonnets, and one seen at a private view had a large wreath of tea-roses tucked under the brim. The prettiest are those which jerk up quite suddenly just a little over the left eyebrow, the" jerk" being filled in with a daintily-tied little bow of folded ribbon, or a rose or jonquil with velvet leaves. One and all the new bonnets "and hats are so cut away at the back as freely to display the hair, and, as a consequence, .false plaits are again in demand. There are scanty growths which yield but little of the where- withal to make a plait or roll to crown the sum- mit of the capillary edifice, and these must be supplemented, or the effect will be meagre indeed. In the case of hats, the brim, wide enough in front, gradually narrows toward the back until its dimensions are reduced to the width of two or three rows of straw. A hat of this kind was to be seen in company with a mushroom-coloured dress turned up with terra-cotta-tinted satin. The straw of the hat matched the mushroom" of the dress, and some carnations which formed the trimming had been made to assume for the nonce the tint of terra-cotta. The effect of the whole was undeniably good, being assisted by the clear, soft tones of an unimpeachable complexion. UNDER the heading of Paris Fashions," a journal published in that gay capital says: Lace was never more generally worn than at present, and perhaps never more applied to various purposes. Sunshades and walking dresses are partially composed of it, to say nothing of the many charming effects in evening dress which it helps to produce. It. is useful, and adaptable as few things are. A dress of black silk or satin, covered with black lace flounces, or draped with lace tunic, may suit almost any of society's exigencies. It may serve for out-of-door, as well as for evening wear. The taste for shot silks is on the increase, if that is possible. Some of the specimens almost vie with the sheen and lustre of nature, as seen on the wings of certain insects, and on the feathers of certain birds. Some costumes, partially composed of this changing silk, present the eye with a luxury of colour. Cross rays of pink and blue, or of pink and gold, or of pink and deep red, blend exqui- sitely and afford soope for variety and harmony of colour in the material composing the other portions of the dress. The jupe is often made with downward pleats. In fact, this style is particularly noticeable t th e moment, and admits of much latitude in the size of the pleat, which varies from four or five inches to half an inch in width. Horizontal flounces and perpendicular pleats may meet upon tho same dress, the front of the skirt being pleated, and the back trimmed with flounces. Bands and loops of ribbon or velvet are unsparingly sprinkled upon the costume, and it is often in this sprinkling that the couturiere gives the artistic finishing touch to her work. Runy and pale pink, gold and russet brown, pearl grey and crimson, together with every shade of yellow, are among prevailing colours. Gold braid, gold lace, gold beads, and a variety of yellow flowers, from daffodils to buttercups, occupy a large place in millinery, as does the choux, often of amber, maize, or goldbrown velvet. Materials for summer dresses, from baptiste percale and surah to crape and cash- mere, mostly display figured surfaces. Sometimes single flowers are strewn upon a plain ground, some- times there is a blending of many colours and design, giving to the dress a ccrtain antique air. Parisian ladies are showing no decided intention of altering the manner of wearing their hair. They continue to display the napes of their necks to perfection, and to grace the crowns of their heads with a rope of hair twisted into the form of a figure 8. For evening dress a suspicion of powder is sometimes sprinkled upon the hair of ladies whose locks are beginning to silver with time. ACCORDING to a writer in the Queen, an eminent London firm have lately supplied H.R.H. the Prin- cess of Wales with a travelling cloak made of black cheviot outlined with rows of stitching, and they have also completed some pretty gowns for the Prin- cesses Victoria and Ella of Hesse. One was a small checked material of black and white, the skirt of two deep kiltings a very short apron and full back drapery was braided in black and silver in an elabo- rate design, the bodice ornamented to match, and finished with buttons of horse-shoes in black and silver. A second was a most elegant costume of cream vicuna, braided with cream and gold. The front of the skirt had three long panels, or, rather, wide box-plaits, and the back had narrow kiltings from the waist to the edge of the skirt. The pointed drapery, with braided border, was caught up high on the left hip and finished with cords of gold and cream, and one end was fastened to the basque of the bodice, which had narrow coat lappels in front, showing a braided vest, with high round collar en suite. WE are also told that the same firm have recently despatched to Darmstadt some evening frocks for the youthful daughters of the Prince and Princess of Wales, which are charmingly simple and elegant. These young ladies, as every one knows, are always attired alike, and the frocks brought under our notice were therefore in sets of three. The first were of striped nun's veiling of exquisite softness, and of deli- ca^° creamy white, over petticoats of silk to match, and the trimmings were of lace of a new and un- common design, representing the fronds of the grace- ful maidenhair ferns; the skirts had equi-distant groups of loose, longitudinal folds, which again were crossed at intervals by rows of close-set gathers, and the plain parts between the gathered folds were cut at their lower edge in long wide points, which were bordered with frillings of lace, while below was a narrow flounce, kilted, and similarly trimmed. On the upper part of the skirts was a drapery arranged as two festoons, high on the right side, low on the left, and very much puffed at the back. The bodices were plainly made, the square-cut openings merely onflined with lace and 2e long sleeves were finished at the wnsts with oTdsof the material and ruffles of "maidenhair lace. The only additions were waistbands of rich black ribbon, with loops and ends at the side. The second "set" of pretty and tasteful frocks were made of black grenadine, with trimmings of fine French lace; the skirts composed of fine narrow kiltings, each one edged with lace, above which was a festooned scarf, forming an apron front. At the back the skirts were fully draped, and the square-cut bodices, slightly gathered at the waist, had long plain sleeves to the wrist.

THE PIGEON SHOOTING BILL In the House of Lords, on the 9th inst., Lord Balfour of Burleigh moved t he second reading of the Cruelty to Animals Act Amendment Bill, and said that last year a bill having the same object in view was brought before their lordships—viz., to suppress the practice of pigeon shooting. In another place that bill passed a second reading by a majority of 195 to 40. It was brought up to their lordships' House late in August, and when only a few of their lordships were present it came on for a second reading, and was rejected by a majority of 30 to 17. Now the supporters of the bill thought that that was hardly a decision which should be considered as final, and con- sequently the bill, though in a modified form, was brought before them again, and he hoped that the second reading would be passed by a large majority. The bill was essentially the same as that of last year, the great object being to suppress pigeon shooting as now carried on by clubs. The bill would not at all interfere with legiti- mate sport, though he would not attempt to define what legitimate sport meant, but he might say that pigeon shooting, as at present practised, was most revolting-it was a means of putting animals to death for purposes of gambling. He would not attempt to explain the cruelties practised, for they all knew that they were practised, and that the sufferings of the birds were very great. It might be said that cruelties did not occur in well-regulated clubs, but the secre" tary of the association for putting down cruelty to animals reported that the officers could not obtain admission to private grounds or to public-house grounds, and consequently they could not see what was going on there, and to obtain a conviction for cruelty the evidence must be exact and com- plete. There were other matches besides those of pigeons-viz., starling and sparrow, and to prevent cruelties being practised at those shootings the law was clearly insufficient, as they were not domestic animals, as pigeons were. Some said that if this bill were passed it would prevent as harmless a pastime as that of shooting pheasants and partridges, but that was wholly incorrect, as pigeons were shot from traps, and that was very different to shooting in covers or in the fields. This bill was intended to put a stop to the great cruelties now practised in many parts of the country. Some noble lords had told him that they would not support the bill, though they did not favour pigoon shooting, but because it partook too much of paternal legislation. But the same thing might have, and indeed had been, said against every bill to prevent cruelty to animals during the past sixty years. He hoped that their lordships would agree to the second reading. The Earl of Redesdale said that, as he had done last session, he should oppose the bill on the ground that it came before the House under false pretences. He denied altogether that there was necessarily any cruelty in pigeon shooting. He contended that there was no cruelty in shooting at a bird for the purpose of killing it, and that there was nothing more cruel in pigeon shooting than in partridge or pheasant shoot- ing. The noble mover of the second reading of this bill knew, however, that the best way of gaining sup- port for it was to put it forward as a measure for the prevention of cruelty to animals. He objected al- together to this mode of legislation. There was nothing objectionable in a man showing his skill in the use of a gun or any other instrument, and there was no more cruelty in shooting at a bird with the intent to kill it than in shooting at a target. There was a large class of persons in this country who ob- jected to all field sports, and who regarded shooting of any kind as cruelty. He begged to move that the bill be read a second time that day six months. Lord Aberdare remarked that he should give the bill his best support on the ground that this par- ticular form of sport tended to brutalize the people. There were thousands of places throughout the country where pigeon and other forms of trap shoot- ing were carried on amid circumstances of revolting cruelty. When Martin's Act for the Prevention of Cruelty to Horses and Asses was brought forward in 1821, it was met by the objection that if once this line of legislation were allowed to be commenced there was no knowing where it would stop, and that, perhaps, measures would be brought forward to prevent cruelty to dogs, and, it was added, amid roars of laughter, perhaps even to cats. In the pre- sent case the so-called L.port was of an inferior, a poor and contemptible character, it did nothing to develop the qualities of strength and activity in the persons who engaged in it, and was, moreover, sub- ject to the very grossest abuses on a large scale. There were other amusements which were subject to abuse --as, for instance, the theatre and the racecourse but he should be sorry to see either of those amuse- ments put an end to because there were abuses con- nected with them, because they had redeeming features which could not be claimed for the so-called sport of pigeon-shooting. Earl Cowper intended to oppose the bill, though he did so with the greatest reluctance. He did not object to sport, but to the associations which had grown up around certain branches of sport. The cruelty to the birds at the moment was, he believed, no worse than in any other form of putting them to death. He had heard it said that horrible things were done, but was there enough evidence to justify them at that time in passing such a measure ? Earl Fortescue said that people cried out about the sufferings of pigeons, and yet they would not have dead meat imported, and were oblivious to the cruelties inflicted on animals in transit. The country suffered both from what was done in Parliament and from what was not done, and when Parliament had matters of the greatest importance to deal with, they were asked to consider trifling matters of this sort. Nero fiddled while Rome was burning, and it was unworthy for them to waste their time on such a bill. Lord Waveney supported the bill, maintaining that if we killed the lower animals we should at least give them a fair chance. The Earl of Galloway said he had not engaged in pigeon shooting for many years, but that was not because he considered the sport was cruel. He was notanadmirerof the large batttics that took place. In one week of six days he read that six guns had killed 8358 head of game, which gave an average of 230 or 240 for each gun each day. He did not think it came very well from the noble lord who was one of this party of six guns to come forward and move the second reading of this bill. The Archbishop of Canterbury said he could not admit for a moment that this bill came forward under false pretences. What was wanted was to put down, not skilful shooting, but a great mass of cruelty connected with pigeon shooting, which belonged, not to a class of sport dear to Englishmen, but to another class which was passing out of use. It was that old system of inflicting punishment on confined creatures to which he objected. There could be no doubt about the fact that acts of cruelty were committed. He had been informed by persons living in the neighbour- hood that they constantly picked up injured birds,which lived a considerable time, some of them with one eye gouged out, some with beaks twisted across and other- wise mutilated in a shocking manner, in order to make them fly in a particular direction. These things,of course, were not to be attributed to the shooters, but to those who gathered round to gamble. It had been suggested that sjch legislation was unworthy of the dignity of that House. Nothing was unworthy of its dignity which tended to lessen suffering, and if there was any doubt as to the suffering that was caused, it could easily be set at rest by inquiry. But the acts of cruelty, it was urged, were the work of a brutalized mob. No doubt the mob that collected on these occasions was a brutalized one, but this practice brutalized them still further, and they were a sort of terror and annoyance—he did not like the word danger-to the neighbourhood; but if there was a dangerous class it was that class of loafers who went about all day with a gun in their hand ready to shoot or to pick up birds wherever they fell, regardless of boundaries, fences, and all rights of property. He trusted the House would not sanction a system which brutalized the population and inflicted incredible suffering on a large number of innocent creatures. Their lordships then divided—For the second read- ing, 48; against, 78; majority, 30.

THE MAHOMED AN LAW AND THE USE OF TOBACCO. A famous mollah at Cabul having declared the use of tobacco to be contrary to the Mahomedan law, the Ameer of Afghanistan has submitted the question to a council of mollahs from all paits of the country, if their decision be against the indulgence in tobacco its use in Afghanistan will be prohibited, but if they pro- nounce it lawful the anti-tobacco prophet is promised mprisonment at Candahar.

AMERICAN IMMIGRATION. During the year 1883 there passed through Castle Garden 388,541 immigrants. Compared with 1882, this showed a falling off to the extent of 66,864. Of the immigrants arriving in 1683, 170,000 were Ger- mans, a little over 90,000 came from the British Islands (more than one-half of them were Irish), 25,000 came from Italy, 20,000 from Sweden, and 11,000 each from Norway and Hungary. In 1883 there landed at New York 58,596 cabin passengers from Europe, which was an increase of 540 over the figures of 1882. Although the Southern States have been making unusual efforts to attract imnrgrants, according to the most trustworthy statistics, out of the 388,541 persons who arrived at Castle Garden last year, only 1707 went South. Of these, 2689 went to the State of Texas and 1487 to Maryland. The State of Georgia, though it offered many attractions, received only 188, while North Carolina added only 27 immi- grants to her population, and Mississippi had an ac- cession of 50 only. There are many sections in the Southern States which offer unusual advantages to small farmers.

-+ BIRDS THAT DO NOT FLY. The most apparently distinctive feature of birds lies in the fact that they fly, remarks a recent writer. It is this that gives them their feathers, their wings, and their peculiar bone structure. And yet, truism as such a statement sounds, there are a great many birds that do not fly-and it is among these terrestrial or swimming kinds that we must look for the nearest modern approaches to the primitive bird type. From the very beginning birds had to endure the fierce com- petition of the mammals, which had been developed at a slightly earlier period, and they have for the most part taken almost entirely to the air, where done they possess a distinct superiority over their mammalian compeers. There are cer- tain spots, however, where mammals have been un- able to penetrate, as in oceanic islands, and there are certain other spots which were insulated for a long period from the great continents, so that they pos- sessed none of the higher classes of mammals, as in the case of Australia, South America, New Zealand, and South Africa. In these districts terrestrial birds bad a chance which they had not in the great circum- polar land track, now divided into two portions, North America on the west and Europe and Asia on the east. It is in Australia and the southern extremi- ties of America and Africa, therefore, that we must look for the most antiquated forms of birds still surviving in the world at the present day. The decadent and now almost extinct order of struthious birds, to which ostriches and cassowaries belong, supplies us with the best examples of such antique forms. These birds, are all distinguished from every other known species, except the transitional Solenhofen creature and a few other old types, by the fact that they have no keel to the flat breast-bone, a peculiarity which at once marks them out as not adapted for flight. Every one whose anatomical studies have been carried on as far as the carving of a chicken or a pheasant for dinner knows that the two halves of the breast are divided by a sharp keel or edge protruding from the breast-bone, but in the ostrich and their allies such a keel is wanting and the breast-bone is rounded and blunt. At one time these flat-cliested birds were widely dis- tributed over the whole world, for they are found in fossil forms from China to Peru, but as the mam- iai I malian race increased and multiplied and replenished the earth, only the best adapted keeled birds were able to hold their own against these four-legged com- pititors in the great continents.

THE CLASSIC FETES OF POMPEII. The special correspondent of the Daily News, writ- ing on Sunday, gives the following accounts of the fetes, which has just taken place at Pompeii: Yesterday at two o'clock under fervid sunshine the old Forum of Pompeii was thickly lined with spectators awaiting the appearance of the Emperor Y espasian." Long drawn blasts of trumpets an- nounced the approach of the procession, headed by ten Pretorians on horseback, one of whom had a true Roman cast of features, which well suited his scrupu- lously copied costume. These were followed by youths carrying tripods, from which rose clouds of incense, and others bearing the images of Isis, Bacchus, Venus, and a large bronze statue of Augustus. The group of the Priests of Isis, with closely sliaven heads, naked arms and shoulders, and flowing white robes with heavy fringes, the augurs with green wreaths, the band of musicians crowned with flowers, the Emperor reclining on pantherskin, in his silk curtain litter borne by eight yellow capped bearers, P. the groups of senators, and the Pompeian populace, all slowly advancing to the sound of twisted trumpets, flutes, and tambourines, through the narrow streets of Pompeii gave as realistic a picture as could be possibly achieved under the searching light of day. The crowning success, however, was the appearance of the Emperor's tribune in the circus surmounted by eagles and trophies, decorated with statues and palms, and shaded by the typical awning. The Emperor Vespasian in crimson, white and gold, sat with Imperial dignity in the centre, surrounded by priests and augurs, and groups of white- robed senators on either hand. Beyond these again open galleries were filled with Pompeians in robes of every colour, whose attitudes, assisted by the beauti- ful Roman drapery that lends itself so pliantly to every position of the body, were really of such un- studied grace, as one bent forward, another half reclined, or a third shielded himself from the sun, with a portion of his robes, that each group might have been a valuable model to any historical painter. The whole picture was splendid and unique, backed by the exquisite outline of Vesuvius which is now in all its glory of spring green mixed with the grey and purple tints of ashes and lava. The trumpets signalled the commencement of the race, the Emperor threw down his handkerchief, and out rushed four chariots and careered round the long circus, the drivers standing in attitudes expressive of the utmost effort, their bodies entwined by the yellow reins, their bright-coloured mantles floating in the wind. At the second round the white and red chariots lost each unfortunately a wheel, but the race was continued, and won by the blue chariot, whose splendid black horses were dexterously guided round the difficult turnings. Then fol- lowed horse races, wrestling matches, and acrobatic performances, the winners receiving palms and the plaudits of the Pompeian and modern spectators. After a pause occupied in visiting the correctly restored taverns, where an injudicious mixture of antique and modern waiters made the latter look especially mean and ugly, the wedding procession passed through Pompeii. This spectacle was less successful, only saved from failure by the chanting of the beautiful nuptial hymn and the music of the flutes; but the whole impression of these classic revivals was entirely satisfactory, and, with allowance for hurried preparation and restricted means, great credit is due both to the promoters and the performers.

EPITOME OF NEWS. BRITISH AND FOREIGN. A collision, attended with loss of life, occurred off the Tuscar on Saturday between the steamer Cormorant, from Cork to Liverpool with cattle and a general cargo, and the barque George Bewley, of Liverpool, bound for Chester with coals. The barque sank in a few minutes. The mate and two others of the crew were drowned, while Captain Hammond was seriously injured. The Cormorant was greatly injured, and had a large hole in the port bow. A telegram from Cabul states that the brigand Sadu has carried off 300 camels laden with provisions intended for the troops in the Mongol country. On Saturday night as the mail train was proceeding from Bochnia to Slotwina, on the Cracow-Lemberg Railway, the mail van caught fire through the explosion of a package. The van was detached, and the fire extinguished, but none of the contents were saved. The French Academy of moral and political sciences has elected Mr. Fawcett a correspondent m the political economy section. The first exhibition of pictures ever attempted in Scotland on a Sunday was made in the Corn Exchange, Galashiels, last Sunday afternoon. The collection belongs to a London art dealer, and is worth E22,000. During the four hours the exhibition was open it was visited by upwards of 3000 persons. The opening of the exhibition had been announced and advocated in a letter published in the local newspaper the previous day. The large attendance excited much surprise. Prince and Princess Louis of Battenberg arrived at Windsor Castle from Germany on Sunday morning on a vieit to the Queen. A public dinner was given at the Singapore Club to Sir Frederick I," elJ, the Governor of the Straits Settle- ments, previous to his departure home on leave. Over a hundred person were present. Lady Weld decorated two Sikh policemen at Singapore with medals for good service, a- d others were rewarded with service and good-conduct badges. The Indians in Alaska are said to have used, in mak- in salmon nets, the bulk of 900 miles of telegraph wire, which was laid by the Overland Telegraph Com pany many years ago, at a cost of 3,000,000 dols. A communication has been received at Newcastle from the Home-ofiice stating that her Majesty had been pleased to direct that the sentence of death passed at the recent assizes on Sarah Jane Hc-lmes for child murder at North Shields should be commuted to penal servitude for life. The revised version of the Old Testament, which is being printed at the Oxford and Cambridge Presses, will, it is expected, be published in the autumn. The Queen, accompanied by Princess Beatrice, left "Windsor Castle on Saturday morning, and drove through the Slopes via Old Windsor, and Staines and Chertsey, to Esher, for the purpose of paying a visit to the Duchess of Albany. The Queen stayed to luncheon with the duchess, and then returned to "Windsor Castle. The Lords of the Committer; of Council on Education have received a communication from the United States Minister, announcing an International Electrical Exhi- bition, which is to be opened at Philadelphia from Sept. 2 to Oct, 11,1884. Paris advices state that although the growing crops present a favourable appearance in France, wheat quo- tations have been a little better maintained upon the French market. Some transactions have even been carried through at an advance of 5d. per quarter. On the application of Bishop Horden, a grant has been made by the Religious Tract Society in aid of the translation of the" Peep of Day into the Ojibbeway language, and of the Pilgrim's Progress in Cree, for the use of the Indians in this remote region. This will make the seventy seventh language into which Bunyan's work has been translated. Intelligence received from St. Petersburg states that Herr Brens'.edt, a Danish correspondent, after having been kept in close imprisonment for several weeks without trial, was on the 7th inst. conveyed across the Russian frontier by gendarmes. The cause of these severe measures is not explained. Herr Brenstedt's family remain in St. Petersburg without means. According to a Paris journal, an amusing discussion lately took place at the Academy of Sciences on the question of human longevity, which a member declared had been greatly curtailed since the Revolution. In support of this "proposition he defied any member to mention a single centenarian who had been born since 1793 It is stated that the Russian "ar Department has successfully completed an experiment with telephones at the Sweaborg Forts, and proposes the adoption of this means of communication in fortresses generally. A terrible thunderstorm has caused serious mischief to the cathedral at Seville and its famous campanile, known as the Giralda." Great injury has been done to the picture, of considerable artistic value, over the southern entrance of the cathedral, representing St. Sebastian before the Emperor Diocletian. Lord Carringtan has made a permanent reduction of fifteen per cent. in the rents of his Lincolnshire tenantry. The French fishing schooner Paquebot was run down I on the morning of the 28th of April, forty miles south- east of St. Pierre, by the Norwegian barque Venus, from Liverpool for Quebec. Twelve men were killed or drowned the captaiH and six of the crew wers saved and landed by the Venus at St. Pierre. A conference of peers and members of Parliament of both parties, and of representatives from the Marriage Law Reform Association, was held in a committee room of the House of Lords, when it was unanimously decided that a bill for legalising marriage with a de- ceased wife's sister should be introduced to the Lords this session. The Marquis of Waterford will probably take charge of the measure. The traffic receipts of the six great French railways from the 15th to the 21st ult. show an increase of 585,361 francs, as compared with the corresponding period of last year. The strike in the Manchester, Halifax, Warrington and district wire trade, which has lasted ten weeks, has been settled, the men having agreed to return to work at the reduced rate. A memorial of the ill-fated Paris Tuileries is to be erected in the gardens of the old Palace. Two arcades which formed part of the Pavillon de I'Horloge, and were designed by Philibert Delorme and Jean Bulland, will be reconstructed close to the Orangery. The Engineering Department of the Yorkshire Col- lege at Leeds is about to be considerably enlarged, to admit of more students at the classes, and towards this object Sir Andrew Fairbairn, M.P., and Sir John Hawk- shaw have each contributed £1000. The United States House of Representatives has appropriated 1,000,000 dollars to the New Orleans Cotton Exposition. A Parliamentary paper relating to Military Savings Banks was issued on Saturday. The number of acconts open to March 31, 1883, was 14,752; and the total amount of the fund for Military Savings Banks £ 289,030. The French Anti-Tobacco Society offers for competi- tion this year a series of premiums varying from lOOfr. to SOOfr. for the best essays on papers in an anti- tobacco sense. There are further prizes in the shape of medals and diplomas. The essays, which are to be sent in to the President, may be written in English, French, or German. At the annual meeting of the Religious Tract Society, it was stated that the issues of works from the depot for the year had been 76,721,360, including thirty millions of tracts; 707 new works had been among the publications. The year's trade receipts were zEI89,631, an increase over 1882 of 19971. An official telegram received in Madrid from the Captain-General of Cuba states that General Aguero's second in command, a man named Barona, with four others of his followers, has been captured. One of the filibustering party was killed and another wounded. General Aguero himself still manages to evade his pur- suers, who, however, are close upon his heels. The committee of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom has decided that a capital sum of XIO,000 is desirable for building and equipping the laboratory, and an income of £ 1050 a year for keeping it at work. The alarming consumption of alcohol in Switzerland has induced the Government to propose fresh legislation on the subject. A prohibitive tax will probably be put on distillation. Special sittings have been held to deal with the matter. A despatch from Laredo, Texas, states that a number of Mexican Federal partisans had assembled before a private bank in New Laredo, and demanded payment of a sum of 4000 dols., which they claimed as due to the Government. On being met with a refusal from the officials, the Mexicans entered the bank and seized a sum of 10,000 dols. Great excitement prevailed. A girl nine years of age, the daughter of a peasant, has been found murdered under circumstances of great atrocity in the village of Gfoehl, in Lower Austria. The crime has caused great excitement in the district. A bronze statue of Chief Justice John Marshall was uncovered in the Capitol grounds at Washington on Saturday by Chief Justice Waite, a large number of persons attending the ceremony. During a game at baseball in Chillicothe, Ohio, in Friday in last week, a grand stand fell, on which were 300 persons, of whom 50 were wounded, 10 of them seriously. The number of visitors to the International Health Exhibition for Thursday, Friday, and Saturday last, was 29,032. American telegrams state that another heavy freshet C is going down the Lower Mississippi, coming mainly from the Red River. A despatch from Shreveport, Louisiana, alleges that the overflow is general. The Secretary for War has asked the House for an additional sum of 100,000 dols. for the relief of suf- ferers by the flood. The Sub-Dean of the Chapels Royal, the Rev. Francis Garden, M.A., died on Sunday at his residence in Vic- toria-street, London. The rev. gentleman, who had held the Court appointment since 1859, had been in declining health for some months. He was educated at Trinity College, Cambridge, where he took the Hul- sean prize in 1832, and his degree of M.A. in 1836. He was author of an outline of logic, a dictionary of English philosophical terms, and contributed, besides, various articles to the magazines. The additions to the Zoological Society's Gardens, Regent's Park, London, during last week included a Rhesus monkey from India, presented by Miss Hubbard; a pig-tailed monkey, from Java, presented by Miss Ethel Fenwick; a Macaque monkey, from India, pre- sented by Mr. F. Harrison; a Garnett's gatago, from Eastern Africa, presented by Lieutenant James Knowles, R.N.; a Dow's tapir, from Venezuela, pre- sented by Mr. Reginald Pringle; a spotted ichneumon, from Nepal, presented by Mr. John Walker; two Clapperton's francolins, from West Africa, presented by Major H. Wade Dalton two Chukar partridges, from North-West India, presented by Lieut.-Colonel C. Swinhoe; a herring gull, European, presented by Miss Laura Dunnage; two barn owls, British, pre- sented by Mr. R. Church; two hairy snakes, from South Africa, presented by Mr. E. Watson; two w*, cranes, from South Africa, two spur-winged &6Sse'f vinaceous turtle doves, three harlequin West Africa, deposited; a grey-cheeked manga y, from West Africa, two white cranes, from Cabot's horned tragopan, from Chma gymnogene, from Africa, two Yucatan blue Jays, from Yucatan, two axolotis, from Mexico, purcnasea, a moustache monkey, from West Africa, received m exchange; a Maholi galago, seven coypus, born in the gardens. A fire. resulting in the complete destruction of a large block of warehouses, stored with grain, cotton, and produce, broke out late on Saturday night at Kirk- dale, Liverpool. The loss will be little less than £ 40,000. At the Surrey Sessions, on Wednesday, two men named Jones and Hurley, were sentenced to five years' penal servitude for maliciously assaulting a constable two others who were with them being sent for 18 months' and six months' hard labour. Thomas Smith, lying under sentence of death in Durham Gaol for the murder of his wife at Stockton, was respited on Wednesday by the Secretary. It is expected that his sentence will be commuted to penal servitude for life. The Comte de Preston, a grandson of Viscount Gormanston, a peer of Ireland, has died at the chateau of Schoonbeek, in Belgium, at the age of one hundred years and eight months. He was connected with some of the highest nobility of Belgium. Room is now being made in the north transept of Westminster Abbey for a monument of Lord Stratford de Red cliff e. It will be placed by the side of the statues of George Canning and his son, Lord Canning, who. it will be remembered, died Viceroy of India. At the Middlesex Sessions, on Wednesday. John Ryan, who had a long catalogue of convictions against him, wa6 convicted of a violent assault with a poker on a constable, and sentenced to five years' penal servitude. Mr. G. Shaw Lefevre, Chief Commissioner of Works, is about to put the following inscription on the pedestal of the monument of Lord Bsaconfield, which has lately been placed in the north transept of Westminster Abbey: Erected by Parliament to Benjamin Disraeli, Earl of Beaconsfield. Twice Prime Minister." In Vienna on Wednesday a Mormon missionary, who was arrested some time ago, was sentenced to a month's imprisonment. He tried to propagate the Mormon faith, and baptised a man and a woman in the Danube Canal in such cold weather that the man took to flight and the woman fainted. In Hungary the chief of a band of robbers, whose fol- lowers have committed many murders, and whose crimes are the subject of romance with hundreds of people, was captured on Tuesday while sleeping under a tree. In London on Wednesday, at the Westminster Police- court Carl Jahn and Louis Noeberg were charged with obtaining money by false pretences from several per- sons from whom they engaged lodgings, and then bot- rowed money on pretence of needing it to remove their luggage, &c. There were some fifteen cases against them. They were committed for trial. A telegram received at Paris from Hanoi of Wednes- day's date states that dissension, accompanied by desperate fighting, has broken out between the Chinese and the Black Flags at Laokai. The new building of the New York Produce Exchange was opened on Tuesday with impressive ceremonies, a vast crowd being present. The new building, with the site, cost 3,000,000 dols. Its chief merit is its great size. the aggregate floor surface being over seven acres in extent. The Produce Exchange has 3000 members, and each seat is worth 4100 dols. The Marine National Bank of New York has closed its doors. The event was quite unexpected. The bank was a debtor to the Clearing House for a sum of 500,000 dols., but paid the amount before closing its doors. This year the British and Foreign Anti-Slavery Society completes the fiftieth year of its existence. The event will be celebrated by a great public meeting, which will be held on the 1st of August, the anniversary of West India Emancipation. Matilda Moore, w-ife of a cabinet maker at Hudders- field, was charged at the police-court in that town on Monday with attempting to murder her daughter Alice, two years old. Two of the children were playing together, when the mother sent one out. She after- wards went into a neighbour's house with the other, which had its throat cut. A doctor was immediately called. The child is expected to recover. The woman had previously been in a lunatic asylum, and she was now ordered to be sent back. In the division on Wednesday on Mr. M-Lagan's Liquor Traffic Veto Bill, thirty-seven Scotch members voted against the bill, and only eight or nine for it. During a fog at Chicago a goods train on the Grand Trunk Railway ran into the rear of a passenger train on the same line, which was standing at a station in the suburbs. The coaches were telescoped, two passengers being killed and fifteen more injured. Mr. S. P. Sinha, a native of India, has obtained, in Lincoln's Inn, a scholarship of the value of one hundred guineas, in connection with an examination in common law, including criminal law." The competition was confined to students of Lincoln's Inn. In London last week 2541 births and 1697 deaths were registered. Allowing for increase of population, the births were 274 below, while the deaths exceeded by 82, the average numbers in the corresponding weeks of the last ten years. The annual death-rate from all causes, which had been 191, 21'4, and 21-6 in the three preceding weeks, further rose to 22'0, and exceeded the rate in any previous week of this year. At Oldham, on Tuesday morning, John Casey, a dis- charged soldier, was arrested by two members of the Royal Irish Constabulary on the charge of participation in conspiracy to murder in Sligo three years ago, the apprehension taking place while the prisoner was in bed. He denied his identity, but was at once removed from Oldham by the first train en route for Ireland. He is about 30 years of age, and had been working for a builder. On Tuesday evening, at a large town's meeting held in Derby Guildhall, it was unanimously decided to raise a public subscription in order to erect a statue of the late Mr. Bass as a memorial of the affection and esteem in which he was held by all classes of the community. It was also decided to forward an illuminated address to Mr. Bass's eldest son, Sir Arthur Bass, in recognition of his father's long services and munificent benefactions to the town. A caretaker named Tucker, in the employ of Lord Oranmore, when returning on Monday night to his home from Claremorris, was attacked by a number of men, and so severely beaten that his life is in danger. On Tuesday morning the police arrested a young man named Parterson on a charge of being concerned in the outrage, the motive for which is attributed to Tucker having summoned some persons for trespassing on Lord Oranmore's lands. Captain Humphreys, according to a Reuter's telegram from Cairo, was fatally injured on Tuesday morning by a horse which he was training for the races to be held at Cairo. The animal grew restive, reared up, and rolled over upon its rider. There was an increase of three in the number of places in England infected with cattle disease last week, but there was a decrease of nearly 100 in the number of diseased animals. Sir Henry Thompson has written a letter to Dr. Cameron expressing his gratification at the result of the debate on the cremation question, and speaking hope- fully of the future of the movement. The total number of beasts entered for consumption at the Metropolitan Cattle Market for the week ending Saturday last was 3220 head; the corresponding period of 1882. 2670; 1S81, 2600; 1880, 3400; 1879, 3920; 1878,3150; 1877,3010; 1876.4070: and 1875, 4000. The Prince ofNVales has signified his acceptance of the presidency of the Royal Windsor Tapestry "W orks in succession to his brother, the late Duke of Albany. The Duchess of Albany has also been pleased to become one of the vice-presidents at the request of the council of the association. The sale to the public of ordnance maps and books last year produced the large sum of £ 12.267. Besides these the department furnished, under the Copyright Act and otherwise, to various institutions and Govern- ments maps and kindred publications to the value of L4123. A serious accident occurred at Sheffield on Monday morning. A large block of buildings is in course of erectioa for the Mayor, and the scaffolding was carried up to the third storey. Just before the accident four men were upon it, two of whom threw down the con- tents of two hods of bricks. This sudden additional weight caused the scaffolding to break, and the men were thrown to the ground. All of them were seriously injured. In London, on Monday, Mrs. Gladstone opened the first public playground which has been devoted to the free use of children under the auspices of the Metro- politan Public Garden, Boulevard, and Playground Association. It occupies the site of the old Horse- monger-lane Gaol, and the Surrey Magistrates have granted the use of the ground as long as it can be de voted to the purposes of a playground. At one o'clock on Sunday, during a heavy storm. e ligtamg cut dow, th."Se electric nuia SWUCK of the cotton in process of top room, and fired difficulty the flames were done to the amount of several hundred poancts. The Admiralty have received news f,om Admiral Hewett to the effect that his reception in Abyssinia was most promising. The admiral, according to the latest advices, was continuing his journey to Adowa, the Abyssinian capital, which he was expected to reach on the 26th ult. The stream of German emigration is again rising, the total number of those who left the Fatherland for America in the first quarter of this year having been 29,782 as compared with 28,291 in the same period of 1883, or considerably more than a whole army corps on a war footing. A boat which left Kingstown Harbour on Sunday night with five men on a pleasure cruise has been found floating bottom upwards in Dublin Bay. It is supposed that she was upset in a squall, the occupants being drowned. Three of the men, who were industrious mechanics, leave large families totally unprovided for.