The Pontypridd Chronicle and Workman's News

MINISTERIAL CRISIS. I MR. GLADSTONE'S JOURNEY TO J OSBORNE. Mr. Gladstone left Carlton House-terrace pOOn vbtwr 9 o'clock on Monday morning and drove to the Waterloo Station of the South-Western Railway lor the purpose of proceeding to Osborne to have v au audience of the Queen. He was accompanied by Mr. Herbert Gladstone, and on arriving at the lltation was cheered by a crowd of persons -ho had assembled to witness his departure. The tifcin by which he travelled started at half-past gIrMe, -and Mr. Herbert Gladstone remained in Ernest conversation with his father till the train *s in motion. At various stations on the way to Portsmouth Mr. Gladstone wpb cheered by en- thusiastio Liberals who had gathered to do honour to their leader. At Woking and Guildford the demonstrations were particularly hearty. Mr. Gladstone smiled and bowed his acknowledgments but did not speak. Mr. Gladstone arrivfd at Portsmouth goon after 12 o'clock, and was mt by a large and en- thusiastic crowd. Arrangements had been made by the railway officials to prevent a crush- j but &8 Mr. Gladstone passed through the bar- rier leading from the station platform to the pier, the crowd burst the barrier and went down the gangway with him cheering vociferously. Captain Colomb, of the flagship Duke of Wellington, officially received Mr. Glad- atone, and he,with the railway officials, tried their utmost to keep the crowd back, but their efforts were unavailing. Mr. Gladstone bowed frequently, carrying his hat in his hand. He shook hands with all who ca.mein his way, and when he got on board the s-earner specially chartered to convey him to Osborne there were loud cries for a speech. With, great difgCujty Alderman Baker, the chairman of the Liberal Association, aid Mr. Blake, the Mayor of Portsmouth, forced their way on board, and were engaged for a few minutes in conversation with Mr. Gladstone, who tad entered the saloon with view of avoiding the crowd. Eventually Alder- Marl Baker was enabled to express the loyalty of the Portsmouth Liberals towards the right honour- able gentleman, to which Ir. Gladstone replied, "4 1 thank you personally very muoh, but I cannot prese my thanks to my friends. My future will toe a very short one but, this not being a political sit, I need say no more." After this Mr. Gladstone again and again bowed to the cheering multitude from the door of the saloon. looking pale with excitement, caused by the ftash through which he had to force his way, and the steamer then moved off for Osborne. Just before leaving, Mr. Gladstone said it was very probable he would return via, Southampton but this would entirely depend upon the time at which he concluded his interview with the Queen. The Victoria reached her Majesty's landing-stage at East Cowes at one o'clock, and Mr. Gladstone went ashore in a small launch, the tide at the time not serving for the vessel to go alongside. A con- siderable crowd had assembled, and the rig, t hon. gentleman was loudly cheered as he entered one of the Riyal carriages. He had travelled the journey to Cowes alone, and proceeded up to Osborne House without a companion. Immediately on his arrival Mr. Gladstone had an audience of her Majesty and undertook the formation of a Ministry. The right hon. gentleman remained at 08borne two hours and a-half. theareater portion of that time being palled with the Queen. At half-past 3 Mr. Gladstone left Osborne, and was driven back to the Queen's lauding sttge, where he again received a cordial greeting. The passage to Southampton waa a very pleasant one, and on reaching the Royal pier there a large number of persons had assembled to greet Mr. Gladstone. The right hon. gentleman at once entered the train. Mr. Gladstone travelled the whole distance to London alone, and reached Waterloo at a quarter to 8 o'clock. Numbers of people had previously gathered on the arrival platform, and Mrs. Gladstone was waiting in a carriage. As the train drew up loul cheers were raised, and the cheering was renewed when Mr. Gladstone alighted from his compartment and bowed his way through the crowd to hie carriage. He at once drove away, with Mrs. Gladstone, to Carlton House-terrace, and on reaching his residence received a visit from Earl Granville, who had previously been in Consultation with Earl Spencer.

THE EASTERN CRISIS. ATTITUDE OF THE POWERS. A collective note of the Powers just presented to the Servian Government sets forth that, while taking note of the reply to the first collective note, to which Servia declines to comply with their emands, the Powers have agreed to declare that they will not sanction any warlike steps by whomsoever undertaken, that they will protect jhose who are attacked, and that whatever be the tion6 y not aQy territorial modifica- G*?18 al,efrt*d °.0DCerfc of Europe is regarded in a fiction and the warlike armaments ortification of the frontiers are being pressed lUrwJt without intermission. The Government, e irritated state of public opinion, to its resolution r° re-iat the dictation of the costs. The nation at large, says the Posjg. of the Standard, is thoroughly W1 .e conviction that it is preferable ratify t. War, with all its perilous consequences, cunist^^ n to yield. To disarm, under present 3ir- di8ho!aOUr would be regarded as a cowardly and As the UhqJL a.bandoninent of the national rights, -every mtetg-. am<y at present prevailing is ruining m claims is settlement of tho Greek measures for th0 -f, The Turks are taking active the Greek fleet, wh u'if their various ports against Sir Horace Rut^. j* been recalled. White that the repo,? fJaB informed Sir William language towards M?x>ei ^ad used insulting in their friendly el..ti()bh':is, and that a I upure be had devoid of foundation. The occurred, is entirely •hewn towards Sir Horace a?afioa of the rancour the fact that the British w explained by «shed some distasteful revelation "0*"6 fc»n pub- -^ondition of Greece. to the financial

WHY NOT TAX IZEVOLVV ? Mr ^dre ssing the gratid jury at the Line «ho',i:'l8t'ce ManiBty stated that numerous Ca«tlfe,*li before*1?- ^ith cheap revolvers had reumuiy c<>1 check and he thought it time that. RoiQ Men Went T>ut upon the UBe of th »•' art, cles> pone of £ ei'berate]y to buy revolvers he i-ur- get tbem ol'Dg at persons, and c°ul<j about 78. caps, bullets, and evervlIlin<? f°r regard to tj There was generally a difficulty with revolver. i,^e identity of the person who bought a protections aff,, ? ca-'e of poisons there were certain was no such pr„?ed'. but in the sale "f revo;vers there ing it wou d ctl0"' and he could not help think' dealt with the (1* a Uise statutory enactment that identity. If the ChAIon„ so as to afford a means of something to ta* ,cei!oro{ tlie Exchequer wanted guns9 In his opirr no' tax revolvers the »ame as was a more fit per8o"n, the mau whoL ke^a 1 -volver ■of a gun r taxaklou than the possessor

RIOTOUS SCENE AT A SALE. The aale of 15 head of cttle, the property of Mrs, Kdduff, for arrears of rent amounting to 298, gave rilie to a riotous scene at Athlone. Country con- tingents from the various branches of the National Leaguethronged into town, some of them to the music of fife and drum. A startling feature in the business was the appearance of the young O'Donoghue,nephew to the lateSir John Ennis, at the bead of a large body of the ballinahoun tenantry. About 100 po iee were drafted in from the neighbouring etati. ns. A-: emergency man was present to assist the bidding At I o'clock the sub-sheriff put uli the cattle for xafe. The emergency man at once bid tM), when the }>e became so infuriated that th*y broke through the cordon of police and s-ized and cuffed him, and h was rescued attersome difficulty by the police. Eventually the cattle were bought for the tenant at 2105.

THE WOOLLEN INDUSTRY. At the annual meeting of the Huddersfield Chamber of Commerce the report which was adopted, stated that the woollen industry had been lets affected by the depression in trade than othe great industries of the country, and in spite of declining prices and profits the mills in the neighbourhood had been fairly einplo) ed. It was essential to the maintenance of the staple industries that the disadvantages of foreign competition and foreign tariffs should be compensated by enhatced care, skill, and foresight, and the-council re-joiced to find that these elements had been successfully cultivated in the district. They believed that the annexation of Burmah would open up a most important field for British products, and that manufacturers would find in our newly- acquired possession a field for their products, which wou'd compensate in some measure for the lo*s <>f those more immediate murkets which hoati.e tariffs had virtually closed to us. As to the provisional agreement with Spain, tbe council advocated the imposition of increased duties upon SpaniHh wines, with a view to compelling the extension to our manu- factures of the M,),t tavoured nation treatment.

NATIONAL RIFLE ASSOCIATION. The twenty-sixth annual report of the National Rifle Association—"formed, in 18CO, to give per- manence to to unteer c-,rps and to encourage rifle- shooting throughout the Queen's dominions"—has jut been issued. It deals with matters ot inteiest not only to the large body of riflemen who annually attend the great meeting at Wimbledon, but to military men everywhere who take an interest in t-ervice firearms. The late meeti. g was in every rest ect regarded at satisfactory. Financially the balance of receipts over expenditure amounted to £ 1.348, a material increase in gate money being attributed to the exceptionally fine weather. The shooting in those competitions which are restricted to what, for distinction's sake at Wimbledon, are denominated military breechloaders, also sb..ws a very marked improvement, indicating that the object for which this series of prizes was in- augurated by his lioyai Highness the Commander-in- Chief at the institution of the National Rifle Asso- ciation, has been fully attained, his Royal Highness's specialprizeat 1,000 yards being secured with a purely military firearm, with a higher score than wasmade in any of the other competitions, where every latitude was allowed as to sights and ammunition. The results ot almost every other competition indicate that the volunteers are becoming proficient in their B»w service weapon, the averages comparing favour- ably with those of the years in which the Martini- Henry was only issued on loan. The introduction of a revolver competition gave particular prominence to the meeting of 188;); although the prizeswere restricted entirelv to officers, warrant officers, and petty officers of the different forces, but it is expected that in luture the contest will be thrown open to all comers.

Mr. WiHiaiu Capron, proprietor of a club at Rich- mond whose lawn borders the river, has obtained 2.50 damages In the Queen's Bench Division against Mr. Sewell, the lessee of some adjoining land laid out for building purposes, for lopping down to their trnu ks a number of trees ou plaintiff's land to obtain a better view for the new property. A singular occurrence is reported from Herne Bay, Six or seven years ago a seaman left -his wife and family with the intention of going to sea. Time passed, but no news was heard of him, and the wife concluded that her husband had been drowned. At the end of -about two years the supposed widow again married, and everything went on smoothly until a few days ago, when the first husband unexpectedly made his appearance.

SHOCKING CRIME OF A BARBER. Amothtfr terrible crime has been committed in Paris, at low lodgiiig-hou-se in the Rue Monsieur le Prince, in the Quartter Latin. A young woman named Huntaie hacap^e.who professed to be a laundress, but bore a very indifferent character, occupied a room on the second floor and was in the habit of receiving, •JHong other visitors, a hairdresser, Georges Roblot. Koblot, having lost his place, came to Paris in search of employment, and as was his wont when in town —to.«k up his abode with Eugenie Sacap £ e. On Friday morning about half-past eight o'clock he went to a hairdressers' agency, but returned shortly after- wards with a case containing his razors. At 10 o'clock Roblot again went out, speaking to the hall porter as he passed the door. He was perfectly calm, and his movements attracted itto attention, as lie was well known in the house. Hardly, however, had he got into the street, when groans were heard pro- ceeding from the room occupied by Eugenie Sacapee. The Iortel and ttomeof thetei ants of the neighbouring rooms hurried to the i, pot and found the woman lying on the floor welt ring in her blood. Her throat had been cut, and 12 fearful b-tabb were found on her body. Two knives and two razorslieem to have been used in this butchery. Medical assistance was at once pro- cured, and Etip^n e Snc«i ee was conveyed in an alinont dying state to the Hospital de la Charity. The people of the house assign jealousy as a motive for the crime

PIGEONS AS MESSENGERS IN WAR. At the Royal United Service Institution, a paper has been read by Captain H. T. W. Allatt on "The Use of Pigeons as Mfs-engers in War. and the Military Pigeon Systems of Europe." Captain Allatt shewed that pigeons had been employed from very early times as innnsmgnrs of war; and gave at some length the details of their u-e during the siege o Paris. The valuable services rendered by these birds at that time had led to the organisation of pigeon pos's by several Continental nations and under the fostering care of the respective War Ministers theie were now about 350 private flying clubs in Germany and lIome 300 in France, where birds were trained to supplement the military lofts. On the eastern and south-eastern frontiers of Fran -e there wrre 10 stations well IItocked with bird-, all communicating direct IY ,r by intermediate transmitting stations with Paris. The German military pigeon system was gtdl more complete and extensive, and received much encouragement from the Emperor and the War Office. In Austria, Russia, Italy, Spain, and Portugal similar systems existed on a less extensive scale. In conclusion, the lecturer leferred to the EtiglUh love of pigeon flying and stated that there were probably abcut 2,000 trained birds in this country, 400 having been trained to fly 200 miles, the remain- ing 1,600 from 100 to 200 miles. The loss in training, owing to thick weather and other causes, was enormous, probably six out of every nine birds. Without venturirg to suggest that Government should estblish an official system, Captain Allatt pointed out that in case of emergency pigeon posts might be established between England and the continent. aa was, indeed, the cpse half a century ago.

SIR ANDREW CLARK ON HEALTH. Sir Andrew Clark, M.D, in opening the in. augural meeting of a course of lectures at BayMwater, promoted by the National Health Society, said that if people generally knew as well as doctors what a great part health bore in the constitution ef. society, and how surely it lay at the founda- tion of the duties, the happiness, and the pros- perity of the present generation and of the generation growing up, they would not be sur- prised that he spoke of this subject in a grave and almost solea.n way. He should describe health as that state in which the body was not consciously present to us in which it was a joy to see, to think, to feel, to be the state in which work was easy and duty not over gi eat a trial; the state in which one went forward on the journey of life getting and gi ving Joy. Such a condition of health as this was not common am ngst men. Why? All men oUllht to be healthy. Men were not made to be diseased. But they were not healthy because wittingly or unwit- tingly, they broke the Jaws of health. He often thought that very few persons really believed there were such things as laws of health. But there were and if they did not seem to be aa rigid as the laws of mechanics, it was because the human machine was self-repairing and was not always shewing the signs of the breaking of its laws. But these could not be broken with impunity. In youth and the fulness of life they were broken with apparent impunity, because nature was long-suf- fering, but she was not merciful. The most solemn truth which his proiesaion bA taught him was, that nature was implacable; she never forgot, and she never forgave. Of late people had been rebelling against the enunciation of these truths, and said they would trubt to their instincts. But their instincts, their inclinations, their appetites, could never be left alone with safety. They must be in the custody of two policemen—experience and under- standing—or they would always and everywhere lead one astray. It was because people followed their instincts, it was on account of their sins, ignorance, and follies, that doctors lived. If peop e wished to take all security for health they should learn the laws of health, not only because they were for the good of man, but because they weie the impressions of the commandments of God. In London at leust half the Population were ill-^un- fitted for the work, for the achievements, for the duties which they might do, because they would not acknowledge the fact that health of mind depended chiefly on health of body, and, because they refused to pay the price of self-denial which would secure them that precious boon. The moment they resolved to pay the price of good health, to deny themselves, to obey the laws of health, everything would go right, discipline itself would become one of the most precious rewards which they got ior their self-denial, and they would be helped more than he could find language to de-cribe to achieve all that was highest and best in life.

AMERICAN AUTHORS ON COPYRIGHT. At the instigation of the American Copyright League, Senator Hawley has introduced a bill dealing with international copyright. its main clause reads: "Citizens of foreiRn countries, of which the laws, treaties, or conventions confer, or shall hereafter confer, upon the citizens of the United States rights of copyright equal to those accorded to their own citizens, shall have in the United States rights of copyright equal to tho-e enjoyed by the citizens of the United States." This bill* which is not retrospective, provides only tor author's copyright, leaving the American publishers, printers, paper-makers, &c., to shift for themselves under the present duty of 25 per cent, imposed on foreign books. It was desired to separate the protection question from the copyright question, but they will ultimately blend (says the Times corre- spondent) by reason of amendments to be pro- posed to this bill, providing that books entitled to copyright in America shall be printed in America. In giving evidence before the Senate Committee, Mr. Samuel Clemens ("Mark Twain") said that he would do nothing to jeopardise Mr. Hawley's bill, but he doubted his ability to pass it in its rigid simpli- city. He said some persons were called "pirates." But since they were pirates by collusionwith the American Government, which made them pirates, they had a right to be pirates. They had been working under that right for a long time, publishing pirated books, and had invested their money in the confidence that th y would be supported, and that no injustice would be dene them. He feared that Mr. Hawley's bill would work great injustice to them. He would like a printing c'au-e put in the bill. Authors were less concerned pecuniarily than were a lot of other people—publishers, printers, binders, &c.. He saw no objection to the inserting of a clause requiring foreigners' books when, "copyrighted "here to be printed here. Mr. Clemens described the method of obtaining English copyright. He had for years rec< ived a larger royalty. in England than in America: The loyalty paid in England on General Grant's book was the largest paid on any book in any country in any age of the world. The royalties paid in France and Germany were also exceedingly large. These came as ttie result of the convention with Eng- land.—Mr. Lowell said that nobody would maintain that there was property in an idea; the property right was in the ion of presenting the idea. The Constitution rerv.-nised this in granting patents, which were nothing but an idea fashioned in a cer- tain way. Mr. Lowell said that there was one kind of books better than cheap books-that was books honestly crme by. He took a moial view of the qnehtiw. Many such arguments as Mr. Hubbard. a previous witness, bad used might be used in defending i ocket-pioking. One could live easier if living upon other people's labours; but this was not considei ed honest when he was young. Mr. Lowell sllOk" tot an hour, chiefly answering questions put by the committee. Mr. Dana Estes, a publisher of Boston, advoc u< d the passing of the hill. as any bill was better than none. He was often compelled lo return manuscripts unopened because the existing orxangements made it imoosaible to Dublish thejn with proft, owing to the oolikpettttoh ot ptrated foreign works. A memorial, Pigned by the lead nil American authors, has be II presented advocating the Hawley bill

MISCELLANEOUS. February 8 is the day fixed for the execution of the Netherby murderers. It is reported that General Salomon, President of Hayti, has been assassinated. The Mexican Government has announced its inten. tion to establish an agency in London to register and liquidate bonds. A new company, with a capital of 500,000dol., has been formed, to work an extensive coal-field which has been discovered near Calgary, Winnipeg. The coal is believed to be of excellent quality. Mr. Justice West has presented to the Egyptian Government a scheme for the complete remodelling of the native tribunals, which Nubar Pasha hal declined to accept. The British Government, how- ever, insists upon the adoption of the scheme, which will entail an annual reduction of salaries to the extent of £ 25,000. To the (I ismay of two other passengers, a commer- cial traveller named Watson, whilst travelling by express from Peteiborough to London, fired a revolver out of the carriage window. The train was stopped, and the two men went into anotht-r carriage. At the next station Watson was found dead with a bullet In his head. Vice-Chancel'or Bacon has granted an injunction against a firm at Derby to restrain them from infring- ing a trade mark. The Derby Photographic Dry Plate Company had registered a trade mark for their dry plates, and the defendant nrm had copied the mark, the only difference being the substitution of Der. went" for Derby." The Vice-Chancellor said the defendants must not interfere with the plaintiff's business. A me«ting of unemployed men, numbering about 400, was held on Suuday on Cler ken well-green, and a ptocession, increasu g in numbers, went by a circuitous rcute to Trafalgar-square. The want of employment was partly attributed to the overwork of r.ilway.,ind tramcar men and workmen in Govern- ment departments, and the institution of public works was advocated. A meeting of a similar character was held at Bermondsey. At the Cornwall assizes a photographic artist named Truscol t. ha brought an action against the Manchester Co-operative Insurance Company, to recover 2240 damages through the destiuction of his premises at Falmouth by fire. The defendants pleaded arson, and proved that, the plaintiff had recovered damages ior fire at Sheffield, Newton Abbot, Wellington, and Truro. The jury stopped the case, giving a verdict for the company. The Probate Court has just had before it a curious case. The testator died at Harrogate in June, at the age of 83, leaving property said to be worth 2100 000. The peisons named in the will, which is dated 1828, are dead, but the child of one of them claimed the estate as next of kin. The deceased's papers indicated that another will was made in 1842; this has not been found. The grant now made to the next of kin is subject to a decision upon one point by the Chancery Division. RachaeJ Howie, a needlewoman,and Antonia Speal have each been sentenced to three months' hard laboiir at the Thames police-court for fortune-telling. The prisoners appeared to have been carrying on a regular business in the fortune-telling line, the charge in each case of advice being sixpence. The matter came to the knowledge of the police, and the prisoners were found in the act of practising their questionable calling. One of them admitted that she had cut cards for ladies. The numbfr of immigrants to the United States in 1885 was 320,411, against 403,320 in 18S4, being a reduction of 15.000 from thn United Kingdom, and of 47,000 from Germany. Russia and Italy sent each about 1,000 more. As the available area of the public lands decreases doubts are rising whether immigration is an unmixed good. The Commissioners of Labour, both in New York and Connecticut, in their official reports discuss this problem, with a leaning to the conclusion in the negative. Lorn House, Sutton. has been broken into, and thoroughly ransacked. In the library every desk and drawer had been forced. In the drawing room, after brexking open the different cupboards, the burglars had evidently made a desperate attempt to force an iron safe containing a considerable amount of valuable prop. rty, but failed. They left behind them a jemmy, crowbar, sledge hammer, and other housebreaking tools. The property stol. n consisted principally of silver plate, valued at between 95,000.%ud 26,000. At Malton a young farm servant, named William T»azenby, has been charged with "unlawfully taking wheat contrary to the orders of his master." Mr. Hebden Borton, farmer, of Barton-le-Stieet, said that he recently lost a valuable cart mare, very suddenly, and on examination it was found that she had died from eating wheat. Defendant was charged with giving the animal the wheat, but he denied it. He now, however, pleaded guilty to taking the wheat, and after a severe admonition he was tined tl, in- cluding costs. At an inquest on thebodies of the two eccentric old ladies who were found dead under suspicious circum- stances at a house in Mile End, a relative stated that they each had about 9700 in the bank, and the house they lived in was their own. The place was found in a neglected state. A doctor, who had made a post- mortem examination (,f the bodies, gave it as his opinion that the elder sister had died from failure of the heart's action, and the other from starvation and excessive drinking. The jury returned a verdict in accordance with this evidence. Mr. Gladstone has sent the following letter, dated January 22. to Lord Waveney, in reply to resolutions from the Ulster Reform Club and the Ulster Liberal Society, which had been forwarded to him "I have to acknowledge your letter and its enclosures, and to express my regret, li.ch I am sure is also yours, that you were not able to send me a less gloomy account. I last night made the best attempt I could to obtain from the Government, who alone can speak of the Antirecountry with authority,some definite statement of their view.- on the social condition of Ireland, but it was entirely without effect." The sprat season, just terminated, has been the worst experienced by the Whitstable fishermen for a great Dumber of years. There have been enormous catches off the Essex coast, but thefishermen have been unabletoobtain anything like remunerative prices for the fi-h Owing to the agricultural depression, very few farmers have bought any for manure and the con- sequence has been that the sprats have been sold at extremely low prices. Asa rule, these fish, when they arrive from the Essex coast, are not fit for human con- sumption, but even if this were not so it would not pay the fishermen to send them to London, owing to the high railway rates. Painful leports come from several Russian pro- vinces, wheie the l«st autumn crops have wholly or partially failed. In several districts of Podolsk every abe-bodied inhabitant has migrated towards Moscow, leaving only the women, children, and de. crepid old men,who are without means of subsistence. Matters are little better in Minsk, where Prince Radziwill has just entirely t emitted the half year's rents of his tenants. In Jaroslav the hmger typhus epidemic rages unabated, though the Government continues its strenuous efforts by means of sledge cara- vans to send medical and bodily relief to the distressed and d inhabitants. The capital sentence in the case of Mary Hannah Leach, now in Gioucester prison, who was condemned to death for the murder of her child,has been respited. The Rev. Mr. Armour, Minister of the Free Church, at Sanday, in the Island of Orkney, has made his appearance before the Sheriff at Kirkwall, charge J with havingcaused an uproar at aConservative melp, tinirbypersis,ingin speakingand pitting questions aft- r he had been called to order by the chairman. The Sheriff held that the conduct of the reverend gen leman led to subsequent rioting, for engaging in which five men were sent to prison,and ordered that Mr. Armour uhould be imprisoned for four days.The members of the Free Church Presbytery at once moved in the mutter, and in the evening Mr. Armour was released on a bill of suspension issued by order of Lord M'Laren, after being in prison for seven hours. The Rev. A. Francis, carate ii. charge of Burgh. near Woodbridge, has been find haif-a-crown at Ipswich for being drunk and incapable. He gave the name of Richard Crosby, described himself as a teacher, and said he did not know the effects of spirits, two bottles of which were found upon him. At the assizes at Bodmin, Mr. and Mrs. Edwards, farmer*, have recovered from Mr. and Mrs. Bray, neighbours of theirs, B150 damages for slander. The slander consisted in Bray making a statement which reflected upon the moral character of Mrs..Edwards. Bray said it was a joke made to tease his own wife, but he refused to make any public, apology. Plaintiffs alleged that their business in Fowey market had suffered in consequence. The judge commented strongly on the conduct of the defendants, and said he could not understand such a joke. <

SERIOUS END TO A JOKE. At Che-ter assizes an action has been brought bp Mr. Twiss, Malpas, Cheshire, avainst the Lancashire and Yorkshire Accident Insurance C(:mpanv to recovt-r £ 500 on a policy o; int.urat.ee taken out by 5ir. Ba-keiville, Stretton, Cht-sh re, for whose family Mr! Twiss is executor. In M«y last Mr. Baskervilla at: elided a cattle sale at the Garden Hotel, Cheshire*. At the back of the hotel a yonng woman was ffliyaged washing, and Mr. Baskerville jokingly threatened to kiss her. She put up her handr, audi Mr. B;<skerville stepping back fell over a tub on to a pan, which he smashed, cutting his hand badly. Iiiflammatii n set ill, and he < ied. The company now den ed the claim on beveral grounds, one of which was that a condition endoised on the back of the policy was that notice of accident must be gives within seven days. This had not been done, and it was submitted that on this point plaintiff must be nonsuited. On behalf of the plaintiff it was contended that the conditIOn should have been in the body off the. policy, but the judge dissented from this, an# ordered a nonsuit with costs.

ACQUITTED, BUT DISGRACED. Thomaa Pope, a musician, has been tried at Exeter, before Mr. Justice Stephen, on a charge of having abducted Eva Price, a girl under the age of 18L The defendant pleaded L-uilfy to goinp of fwith thtt gir', but said he believed her t" be over the, a,e specified. The evidence proved that she was 16 in August lat. Ihe prisoner was lodging at a public-house kept by the girl's father. In November th pair disappeared, but were traced to Crediton, Taunton, and other places, where they lived as man and wife. The girl admitted that the had told the prisoner she thought she was over ]8. but as a fact she did not know her age. The jury, ujx n this evidence, returned a verdict of not guilty. On the verdict being declared, loud apl)lause t nsue-. on which his lordship gave orders to the police to take into custody any man whom they had seen making a noise. No one, however, was brought forward and his lordship, continuing, said he felt gieatly disgusted at hearing the applause upon the acquittal of a man who had disgraced himself in a most in- famous manner. He did not criticise in any way the verdict of the jury, but he wished those who had applauded to recollect that he considered that they shared the guilt of the accused, and were capable of doing the same thing themselves. Addressing the prisoner, he said, "Leave the court. You sire dis- charged, but you are disgraced." —

REVENGE OF A DISCHARGED SERVANT. Frederick Overton has been convicted at the assizes at Lincoln ot shooting at John Cheales with intent t murder. The prosecutor, Lord Yaiborough's stud groom, had the prisoner as helper in the stables under him. Overton gave way to drink, and Cheales had to reprove him for taking too much beer. Overton re- plied that he was ready to go if anybody couid be found to do his work better. Thereupon he received aweek's notice to quit. He replied to this by aying to Che alee, "If you discharge me you are a dead man." Sboitly afl erwardll Overton went to the pun room and helped. himself to a revolver and five cartridges on the pretence that he wanted to shoot a cat. With the weapon in his pocket he went to Cheahs's house and wanted to know what Cheales had to eay against him. After some altercation he was ordered out. He theil produced therevolvrr and pointed it at the prosecutor. Mrs. Cheales, who was present, gave him a push, and. as she did so the revolver went off, the bullet just missing the prosecutor's head. A second shot scorched his shirt sleeve. He went out of the room, followed, by his wife, who hea>d the click of the trigger, as though the prisoner were attempting a third shot. As he fired, Overton said, "I'll be hung or transported for him." For the defence, it was contended that the, prisoner was ut der the influence of drink, and had not really acted with a murderous intention. The jury. however, found the prisoner guilty ot shooting witha, intent to murder, and he was sentenced to penal Benitl tude for 20 years.

ruScfrr^1CMr^- at the Proston Bank- wateSL K B- Booth, of Booth Bros., he cnt B T' f nm Hi^»ai>d B ackpool, admitted that thaf nt^v!0 5 writ* ent firtn* notwithstanding wem me and county-court summonses stock Pourin<i> Jo upon "lna, an(j that if he had taken would have been insolvenfci He had also Dut in t raeet pressing needs. He had- t0nJo hands of a mt>ney.lender at li^lton some «»tion ^'0t *d 0n° 1 firms. The exami-

MRS. FAWCETT ON WOMAN'S RIGHTS. Mrs. Henry Fawoett, widow f the latti Mr. Fawcett, M.r., has given a Jecture at a work »g men's club at Hornsey, on th» hut>ject, Whv wonit-n want the Suffrage." She (-u.-erved tti? .ki over 300 members had been returned to the present House of Commons pledged to support th., principle of the extension of the suffrage to women householders, while only 104 wero elected • who w^re known to be opposed to it. No few. than 800,000 of such householders were still outbid. th" polle.-f the constitution, and their palillil,i in this exclusion were paupers, felons, and lunatio. but even those were not permanently excludt-u from the franchise. Women wanted the fran- chise with a view of amending the laws which now iaflicted griev. us injustice and suffering amoi.^ their sex. Under the existing law a mother had no right to the companionship of her own lamily. The law gave every power to the father and no' to the mother even after the death of her husband God and nature had ordained that every child sh«.ui have two parents, father and mother, but a clutyi- y law interposed which said that the child should hav. only one parent, the father. Then the law ol divorce, ap»inst which Mr. Gladstone so stronKly protest when it was sought to be enacted 15 years ago,einable., a man to get a divorce iiom his wife if the were I r4ivti to. have, be* it usfsithful to him, but a woman couli only procure a divorce if her husband J'ad been gllllb of cruelty as well as adultery. This w rong required righting, and it and other unjust ltgislation awain-t women could alone be amended by wnintn bemg em- powered to exercise the Parliamentaiy franchise they already exercised the municipal franchise, and were allowed to vote in the elections of Poor Law guardians and members of School Boards.

FARM PUPILS FOR AMERICA. Henry Fianklin Shearman,whose liabilities amount to £10,000, and his nominal assets to 2100, has come up for public examination in the Brighton Bank- ruptcy Court. III the course of his answers the debtor -aid he was not in any business now, but his last business was as manager of an agricultural agency, before which he was engaged in connection with American railway contracts. He had had offices in St. Swithin's-lane and Finsbury- pavement. At the latter place he ha l an office for sending out young men as farm pupils to America. During about two years and a-half he sent out about 200 pupils altogether, at a rough guess. He received premiums from th, ni--isome 50guineas, that being the lowest, and the highest was 75 guineas. He did not know that he had received Jel3,000 in that way in about two jears, and, being reminded that the amount could b- easily calculated from the figures he had given, he said he did not know that thtre were 200. He did not remember one of the pupils, named Knight, representing te. him that he was only receiving five dollars a month, whereas he was promised ten dollars. He had raised an action for libel against the Scotsman newspaper for pub- lishing statements copied from a Chicago paper that his system of sending out young men to America was a swindle. The result of that was a commis- sion which took evidence, but he was unable to say that certain persons whose names were men- tiomd by the official receiver had sworn before that commission that the system was a swindle and that it had been compared by one witness to a sort of confidei ce trick. At the close of the examination, the debtor asked to be allowed to make a statement, in which he said the business was stil! being carried satisfactorily, though there might be complaints "om some young men who were no good to them- selves— The examination was adjourned, so that creditors in America might have an opportunity ot being communicated with.

ARMED BURGLARS BESIEGED. Thiee m< n were robbing a house at Croissr, Mai St. -Germain, when the i ojter came t^ome and hearin| t hem at work gave the a'arm, with the reaujj th»t the burglars were regularly besieged by tu gendarmerie and the iural police. Froq t<ehind the window shutters the hoisebreakm rep atedly ditci arged their revolvers at the crow< ot i-eople who were surrounding the house, bal fortunately hit nobody. One of them jumped dowl iioui tlie wiui ow sill, and with his revolver wounded a c> nstab!e,who discharged his fiieurm at his assailant he ;atter, uttering a yell of phin, sptang into | di i h and >'isappeaied. He was picked up next mora iog mortally wounded 1 y a shot which ha<i perforated bobi- his lungs. Half frozen, and in a comatose stater but still clenching his tmp y revolver. he died shortijt .f,er being n moved to the hospital. His two comap panions have been ariested. The three burglars wuf under 19.

A BIGAMIST'S DEFENCE. At Leeds, before Mr. Justice Smith, Josiah Fowler" 33, baker, has been tried on a charge of bigamy- The facts were as follows. In October, 1873, that prisoner married Eilen Buxton at the parish chulca at Sheffield, in which town they lived for some few- years after their marriage. Eventually they movedf to Huddersfield, where they remained until the year 1882, when the prisoner deserted his wife, leaving her and their six children chargeable to the parish. During the same year he went to Hull,where he lodged with a woman called Watworth, with whom he went through the ceremony of marriage in November, 1882, under the name 01 James Sykes. having concealed the fact that he was,at the time, a married man. He lived, with Watworth until October, 1885, when he was arrested at Hull. He was sentenced to three months'- impii-onment for neglecting to maintain his wife and; family, and on his release was brought up on the charge of bigamy. The woman Watworth was a widow, with five children. She stated, in reply to questions put to her, that the prisoner had been very good to her and was extremely kind to her children. 10 ac The prisoner upon being call* d upon for his defence,, stated he had matters of a delicate nature to refer to. and asked his lordship whether it would not be ad- visable to have the gallery cleared of women. The. prisoner's suggestion was not acted upon. He them made a long statement as to the details of his married life, and said that he had left his wife because it was impossible to live with her. She had, he alleged, made his life a perfect misery to him. Even- tually the learned judge interfered, and intiJllatect that he could not allow the prisoner to make further remarks that were totally irrelevant. The prisoner thereupon brought his remarks to a close, concluding- his speech by expressing a hope that the great Judge of all the world would guide his lordship to A right judgment. The prisoner was found guilty, and sen- tenced to 12 months' imprisonment with hard labour.

AGRICULTURAL STATISTICS. The Agricultural Department has just issued sta- tistics shewing the extent in statute acres and the estimated average produce per acre of the. principal crops in Great Britain for the year 1885. Taking the differences shewn by a comparison of the figures relating to the crops in Great Britain in 188$- with the estimated oidinary average yield peg acie, the re>-ults shew an iucrease in wheat and! barley, whiie the rate for oats, peas, beans, potatoon. turnips, mangolds, and hops respectively decreased, and hay was practically an average crop. The grosA proouce in 18bo compaied with that in 1884 ehewat for the certal crops in Great Britain an estimated decrease in whest of 2,628,211 bushels. Of barley there is an increase of 5,338,519 bushels. In outs the total i roduce shewn is less than that of the preceding! year by 1,032,423 bushels; ii may be observed, how- ever (the report states), that the dimit-ution for Greafe Brita n here referred to is due to the large deciease oj 3,306,194 bushels in Scotland, as iu England and Wales taken together there is an increase of 2,273,77 bushels of oats as compared with the crop oi 1884J For peas the falling off m the estimated total produc* tion in Great Britain as compaied with 1884 amounts, to 1,336,558 bushels, the decrease in beans being 2,610,783 bushels. In root crops, for which a similas comparison c«n be made, there is an estimated decrease in potatoes of 544,699 tons, while turnips and mangolds have decreased by 6,562,497 tons ancl 87,869 tons respectively. For Ireland all the cropA here given shew an increased average rate of produce per acre in 188 compared with the preced- ing year. The yield of wheat per acre increased 00) by 1'57 bushels, barley by 0'18 of a bushel, oats by 0-62 of a tushe), pests by 137 bushels, beans by 5 14 bushels, potatoes hy 0 2 of a ton, turnips by 0 4 of a ton.mangolds by0-7 of a ton, and hay by 0.. ot a ton. Ti e gross produce in Ireland in 1885, as compaied with 1884, shews in cereal crops an increase in wheat of 197,016 bushels, in barley oi 465,998 bushels, and in oats of 69,581 bushels. Potatoes shew an increase of 135,386 tons, turnips of 43,85 tons,and mangolds of 60,253 tons. There is also Ufc. increase of 333,320 tons in hay,