The Aberystwyth Times Cardiganshire Chronicle and Merionethshire News

LLANILAR. PETTY SESSIONS, FRIDAY, Dec. 13.-Before G. W. Parry> Esq., James Loxdale, Esq., and Lewis Pugh Pugh, Esq. Drunk and Riotous.-Morgan Jones, William Phillips, and David Jones, all from the neighbourhood of Pont- rhydffendigaid, were charged by P.C. Rowlands with being drunk and making a disturbance on the 7th ult.— Edward Edwards, who lives at Tanrhyddie, gave evidence. —The Bench fined Morgan Jones and William Phillips 5s., and costs each; in default of payment, seven days' imprisonment; the case against David Jonea being dis- missed. Trespass in Pursuit of Game.Isaac Wright, William Wright, and John Morgans were charged with trespassing in pursuit of game on lands belonging to Col. Powell.— I p Evan Roberts, gamekeeper to Col. Powell, proved the charge.—The offence was admitted by the defendants. Wm. Wright and Morgans, who had been previously con- victed for poaching, were fined 21 each, together with the costs; or, in default of payment, three weeks' imprison- ment: and Isaac Wright 5s., and costs; or seven days' imprisonment. A Friendly Society Dispute.-Thomas Jones, William Parry, and William Thomas, secretary and stewards of the Phcenix Friendly Society, were summoned by Thos. Bonner, who is also a member of the society, for refusing to pay him 29 3s., his share of the funds of the society. It appears that some time ago the complainant was taken ill, and received pay from the society; during his sickness he was stated to have broken the rules of the society, and had been refused as a member, consequently he did not receive his share of the funds when divided.—Complainant stated he had been a member of the club for twenty-one years, and denied the charges made against him as to hav- ing broken the rules.—The Bench were of opinion that complainant was still a member of the society and entitled to C9 3s., which their worships ordered to be paid to him. Trespass in Pursuit of Conies.-Evan Morgan and Evan Morris were charged with trespassing in pursuit of conies on lands belonging to Colonel Powell.—Walter Simons, gamekeeper, in the employ of Colonel Powell, said he saw the defendants ferreting for rabbits on land called Cwm-Goginan. Witness spoke to the defendants, who stated that they thought it was Mr Roberts's land—they having had leave to ferret on Mr Roberts's land.—Morris was fined £ 1, and 9s. 6d. costs; or fourteen days' imprison- ment and Morgan 10s., and 9s. 6d. costs; or, in default, seven days' imprisonment. Case of Ejectment.—Son v. Father.—Thomas Pryse, Bronwaga, summoned his father for refusing to quit a house which had been let by complainant, after proper notice had been served.—Complainant produced the agreel ment letting the house to his father, and also proved service of a notice to quit on the 11th of May last.—The magistrates referred the matter to another court, stating that they had no jurisdiction.

ARTHOG. PROPOSED NEW STATION.—This growing place is situated about a mile and a half from Barmouth Junction, on the Dolgelley branch of the Cambrian Railway. Ever since the line has been opened we understand that several attempts have been made by the inhabitants to induce the company to erect some sort of a station in a more con- venient spot than the Junction, which cannot be reached by most of the inhabitants, without trespassing on the railway, under less than three miles' walk. It is also well known that there is no access by public road to the Junc- tion for goods or passengers from the Arthog side of the Mawddach. On Tuesday last a deputation of the in- habitants met Messrs Elias (traffic manager), Poole (dis- trict manager), W. R. Williams (agent of Thomas Taylor, Esq., the owner of the Arthog Hall Estate), and others, on the spot, at Arthog, where it was suggested that a station should be built, close to the railway bridge at Arthog Wharf, where there is also an excellent road into the very centre of the district. We understand that Mr Williams has, on behalf of Mr Taylor, promised to give every facility for making the necessary works, as well as the land required for the station and sidings. We believe that Mr Elias was very favourably impressed with the site pro- posed, as most convenient for the locality, and has promised to bring the matter before the directors. There is no doubt whatever that a station at Arthog would be a great boon to all the neighbourhood, and aid considerably towards the development of the local traffic of the district.

WELSHPOOL. BOROUGH PETTY SESSIONS, TUESDAY.—Before Griffith Parker, Esq., mayor, and T. Bowen, Esq. Drunkenness. -John Braddock, tinker, for being drunk on November 22nd, was summoned by P.C. Ellis, and fined 21, including costs, or fourteen days. Breach of the Peace.—James Hughes, labourer, the Pant, Guilsfield, was summoned by Supt. Strefford, for committing a breach of the peace on Sunday, 21st, in Raven-square.—Fined 17s., including costs. Sellin/f Bread otherwise than by Weight.-Arthur J. Morgan, baker and confectioner, Severn-street, was sum- moned by P. C. Ellis, with selling bread otherwise than by weight. On December 1st, a lad named Ellis Edward Ellis was sent to the shop for a 4 lb. loaf, which was reached from the shelf sixpence was paid for it, and it was handed oyer without being weighed.—P.C. Ellis met the boy at the door and asked if the loaf had been weighed. The boy told him that it had not. He then took the loaf into the shop, charging Mr Morgan with selling it without weighing. He asked Mr Morgan to weigh the loaf, which weighed 3 lb. 10 oz.-The defence was that defendant did not make 4 lb. loaves, but of 3- lb.-The Bench said that the party asked for a 4 lb. loaf, which should- have been supplied him. A fine of Is., and 8s. 6d. costs, was imposed. Larceny by Tramps.-John Smith, a well-known gaol bird, and James Johnson, tramps from Lancashire; were charged with stealing from the shop -of Mr Robert Grindley, baker,, two loaves of bread, value Is. 4d. The prosecutor missed the loaves on November 30th, and gave information totb-e police. The prisonerrs were found by P. C. Ellis near .the Town Hall, and a portion of the loaves discovered upon them. Johnson was committed for fourteen days,; and Smith discharged.—W. Watkins, a London tramp, was charged with stealing a pair of boots belonging tq Mr Chas. Morris, Broad-street. W. Williams, Mr Morris's assistant, missed the boots from the counter, and noticed the prisoner going down the street. '^Following, he noticed that haha.d the heels of a pair of boots visible under his coat.. He brought him to the police station and gave him into the custody of P.C. Ellis, to whom he admitted having taken the boots. He was committed for a month.

NEWTOWN. PIGEON SHOOTING.—The "tie" return match for RZ a side, between Mr T. E. Issardand Mr Thereby, was shot off on the racecourse on Wednesday week, and won by-the latter gentleman. MARKET (Tuesday).—Geese, 4s. to 7s. each; ducks, 4s. to 5s. per couple fowls, 2s. 6d. to 4s. 6d. per couple turkeys, 3s. 6d. to 9s. each eggs, 10 to 12 for a shilling butter, 14d. to lGd._per lb. THE MONTGOMERYSHIRE INFIRMARY.— Sermons in aid of the funds of the Montgomeryshire Infirmary were preached at the parish church by the rector, the Rev. John Edwards, M.A., on Sunday. The collections amounted to £ 7 lie. A similar appeal in the Wesleyan Chapel realized J63 lie. 5d. SEASONABLE BENEVOLENCE.—Last week, a number 'If blankets, and warm winter apparel were distributed amongst the poor of the town, the cost being defrayed by subscription. The goods were supplied from the establish- ment of Mr Pryce Jonea. Mr John Cleaton Davies, manufacturer, has, we learn, also distributed a number of blankets and a quantity of flannel. BURGLARY AT ABERHAFESP RECTORY. Aberhafesp RectQry was the scene of another burglary on Sunday night. Entrance was gained by breaking a panel of the dining-room window-shutters, and a pane of the window being broken, the burglar easily gained access. He ob- tained but little for his pains, his sole booty consisting of a bottle of raspberry vinegar and some bread, as the Rev. J. F. Treughton, having gained wisdom by one or two previous experiences of this nature, takes care to keep his plate and other valuables beyond the reach of midnight intruders. On Tuesday afternoon a tramp was appre- hended near Berriew by Inspector Davies and P. C. Danl. Richards, and conveyed to the lock-up at Newtown, on suspicion of beiag the man who was wanted. THE WORKING MEN'S INSTITUTE AND READING ROOM.— This desirable institution appears to have enlisted the sympathies and co-operation of the ladies of Newtown, as on Saturday afternoon a largely attended meeting of ladies resident in the town was held in the Public Rooms, to determine upon what course of action they should adopt to further the interests of the proposed Institute and Reading Room. The objects of the promoters were ex- plained to the meeting by the Rev. F. H. Tompson, the Rev. J. H. Gibbon, and by other gentlemen interested in the movement, and it was ultimately resolved that a soiree should be held in the Public Rooms on Thnrsday week, the proceeds to be applied to the funds of the Institute. SUDDEN DEATH AT ABERHAFESP. DISTRESSING CIRCUMSTANCES.—On Monday an inquest was held by Dr Hall at The Pentre, upon the body of Mr William France, aged 79, who died suddenly on the previous Friday morning. Mr Thomas Pryce was the foreman of the jury. From the evidence given by Jane Bebb and D. Thomas, it appeared that the deceased, who was a gentleman of property living at The Pentre, rose in his usual health on Friday. He was observed to be somewhat excited owing to the illness of his wife, who had been suddenly attacked with a stroke. In the course of the morning, he was sitting quietly in his chair near the fire, when he suddenly fell back, and expired in about five minutes. A verdict of death from natural causes was returned. On Monday, shortly before his body was removed to its last resting plaee, Mrs France died. ° THE RESULT OF A DRUNKEN FREAK AT THE LLANDINAM REJOICING. On Tuesday a respectably-dressed young man named Thomas Phillips, a draper's assistant in the town, was brought before Major Drew and R. E. Jones, Esq., at Mr Woosnam's office, charged with stealing three bottles of port wine belonging to Mr Thomas Breese, the Lion Inn, Llandinam. Mr J ohn Jones prosecuted, and Mr Richard Williams appeared for the defence.—Thomas Edward Issard, wine and spirit merchant, Newtown, said he sent a quantity of wine to Mr Thos. Breese, of Llan- dinam, including six bottles of old port, which were put up in the case produced. On the following day witness assisted Mr Breese at the Crewe-Read Demonstration," taking charge of the wine, and he saw the prisoner in the tent sitting on a bench, and, after the dinner was over, at Moat Lane he got into the same carriage with the pri- soner, who was helplessly drunk, and witness noticed a bottle of wine sticking out of his pocket, and recognised it as being one of those which he had sent, it being marked with string, and took it out of the prisoner's pocket, and handed it to P.S. Ross, who was traveling in the same carriage. The selling price of the wine was 8s. per bottle. —Thomas Breese, of the Lion Inn, Llandinam, identified the case of wine. He saw the prisioner in the house about four o'clock, and as he was drunk, he ordered him out. Subsequently-after the dinner—he missed a case of wine, and afterwards saw it in the coach house, opened, and with two bottles full of wine, and two empty ones. --Wm. Hole, said that he sat by the prisoner at the dinner. Witness took the case of wine from under the table to fill up a gap in the forms, and sat upon the case and prisoner took a knife and fork off the table, and opened the case. He took out a bottle of wine, and called to a waiter for a corkscrew. Failing to get one, he cut the top of the cork off, and pushed the remainder into the neck of the bottle, and invited witness to have some of the wine. Witness declined, and the prisoner, after helping himself, passed the bottle to the other side of the table, two gentlemen drinking with him. Edward Woolley, builder (Llan- dinam), Richard Jenkins (an orange and nut dealer, living at Newtown), Edward Turner, and Thos. Jones (Kerry), a waiter ort the night in question, also gave evidence.— P.S. Ross proved apprehending the prisoner and charging him with stealing the wine. Prisoner answered, "I was so drunk that I knew nothing about it. I was screwed early in the afternoon, and you saw me."—The prisoner, acting under the advice of his solicitor, threw himself upon the mercy of the court, pleading drunkenness as an excuse for his foolish act. The Bench committed him for trial at the Quarter Sessions, bail being accepted,"himself, in £50, and three sureties, in the persons of Mr T. Row- lands, Mr Goodwin, and Mr R. Lloyd, who presented themselves on behalf of the prisoner, who is a comparative stranger in this neighbourhood.

WREXHAM. BOROUGH POLICE COURT, MONDAY.—Before the Mayor (W. Rowland, Esq.), and T. C. Jones, Esq., Bobbery by a Prostitute. —Esther Moses was brought up on remand, charged with robbing Thomas Bebbington, a man in the serviee of Mr Sutton, of Althrey, of half-a- sovereign.—Prosecutor said he came to Wrexham on Tuesday, and went with a woman who used to live at Althrey 13 "the Old Black Horse, for a glass of ale. The prisoner was there, and asked him to treat her. He did, and she became very affectionate, and he gave her a shilling. Shortly after that he found her hand in his pocket, and he missed half-a-sovereign.—P.C. Hough- oland said he w.ent in search of the prisoner, and found her at the Dolphin, with a half sovereign concealed under her tongue. The police proved that prisoner had been up before the Bench several times before she was therefore committed to gaol for three months as an incorrigible character. Harbouring Bad Characters.-J ames Mercer, of the Old Black Horse, was summoned for this offence, the information having been laid by Mr D.C. C. Bradshaw. The evidence was substantially the same as in the robbery. Fined kl, and costs. Asqault. -Hannah Burke was summoned by her sister- in-law, Sarah Burke, for an assault. Fined Is., and. costs. Apprehended on Suspicion. -William Jones, who said he came from Oldham, was in custody, having been appre- hended with some silk in his possession, of which he failed to give a satisfactory account. —Remanded for further inquiry.

If the Viceroy owed you anything, would you distrain on his goods? Certainly not. -What would you do, then ? Sue his Canal. -Punch. An old fellow who became weary of his life thought he might commit suicide, but he did not wish to go without first forgiving all his enemies. So, cogitating within him- self, he at last removed the noose from his neck, saying, "No, 'twont do—can't go. I never can and never will forgive old Noah for letting them copper-head snakes into the ark. The nasty varmints have killed two thousand dollars' worth of my cattle, and when he and I meet I know there'll be a general fuss, see if there won't."— A merican Paper. IN RE THE NORTH WALES SLATE QUARRY SUPPLY COMPANY, LIMITED.—In the Court of Chancery, a petition was presented by an alleged creditor for the winding-up of this company, which has been registered only just a year. Some time-since all the directors repudiated their shares, resolved that there should be no more meetings, and re- signed office. Since then an attempt has been made to re- suscitate the business, but no new directors were elected Vice-Chan. Stuart saidheshouldhaveconsideredthisone of the clearest cases in the world for a winding-up, but it ap- peared from the allegations in the petition itself that the petitioner was only a mortgagee of the shares which he held, and it had been stated on behalf of the company that he had received an offer of payment in full, which he had declined. Without going further, therefore, into the case, the petition must be dismissed with costs. The Smithfield Club Cattle Show commenced on Mon- day, at the Agricultural Hall, Islington. The entries in the cattle classes were fewer by fifty than last year; and an unusual number of vacant stalls reduced the number of animals exhibited still more. This falling off was not aided by the most illustrious exhibitors, for the Queen and the Prince of Wales had exactly the same number of entries, viz., twenty-one in this show, as in the last. The quality was, however, admitted on all hands to be unsurpassable. The gold medal for the best ani- mal was awarded to the Earl of Aylesford, for his short-horn steer, which had previously taken the gold medal at Birmingham. It was, however, run very hard by the Devon steer of Mr Hambro, M.P., which took the first prize in its c ass, a most beautiful and symmetrical animal, and as near perfection as possible. There is a fine show of sheep, although some of the long- woolled classes are deficient in numbers. The principal prizes were taken in Leicesters by Lord Berners, and in Southdowns by Lords Walsingham and Sondes. Messrs Robert and John Russell, of Horton Kirby, Kent, took the first prize in Hampshire Downs, and had a second pen highly commended, the whole class being commended. The show of pigs is unusually good. The Agricultural Hall was visited on Monday by the Prince of Wales and suite, and the annual dinner was presided over by the Duke of Marlborough.

Cteneral. The French Empress has returned to Paris. The Turks are fighting with the Arabs in Mesopotamia. It is not true that Woolwich Arsenal is to be closed. •_ During a recent fortnight 3,4871bs. of meat were seized in the London markets as unfit for human food. Attempts are being made to utilise Indian coal on the railways in that country. A book ciirlled "Fairy Fancies," with illustrations by the widowed youag Marchiness of Hastings, is announced. The Gazette announces the return of Rossa for Tipper- ary without the usual designation of Esquire." A Burslem publican has been fined 40s.and,costs, for giving beer to a policeman on duty. What is said to be a mad dog bit about twenty people at Derby the other dav. A new serial tale is announced by Charles Dickens, to commence in the Spring. The keeper of a -London lodging-house has been fined for not giving notice of a case of fever in his house. Mr Charles Buxton will bring forward next session a motion on the question of the colossal armaments of Europe. A project for laying a telegraph cable between Portugal and the United States has been mooted by the Portuguese Government. Russell, a beerhouse keeper in Marylebone, has been sentenced to two months' imprisonment for keeping a house for the purpose of betting. A Scotch judge has sentenced a woman named M'Cor- mack to eighteen months' hard labour for throwing vitriol in the face of a police inspector, at Dundee. A verdict of felo de se has been returned at an inquest held -at Hovingham, Yorkshire, on the body of Jane Atkiiison, aged eighteen, daughter of a besom maker. She had killed herself by swallowing vermin poison. The Prince of Wales took the chair at the anniversary festival of the Scottish Hospital on St. Andrew's Day. His Royal Highness was dressed in Highland costume. Mr G. H. Moore has written a long letter to the Times, to say that nothing will satisfy the people of Ireland but self-go vernment. Three burglars were captured on the 2nd in Commer- cial-street, Whitechapel, London. One of them had over five hundred gold lockets in his pocket. There is to be a conference between four members of the Bradford Chamber of Commerce and four working-men delegates on the subject of trades-union legislation. The skeleton of a man was found on a truss of hay in a hovel at Oxford the other day. It is supposed that the deceased was a tramp. It is stated that as O'Donovan Rossa has been adver- tised in the London Gavette as the member f)r Tipperary, a motion 'will be made on the assembling of the House of Commons that the convict shall take his seat. Another meeting has been held to consider the unsatis- factory relations between Great Britain and her Colonies, and there was some strong speaking as to the policy of the Government. A great fire took place in the neighbourhood of Great Tower-street, London, on the night of the 2nd, and two or three warehouses and nearly a dozen dwelling-houses were destroyed. The cause is not knotvn. It is proposed to establish kitchens and eating rooms in such places as Poplar, the London Docks, Farringdon Market, Westminster, Lambeth, and Bermondsey, and a committee has been formed to carry out this object. The Globe says that two Parisian ladies of high social position have fought a duel with pistols. They did not hurt one another. The cause of the duel was an attach- ment for the same gentleman. A lad found a purse, containing bank notes and gold, in the Liverpool streets the other day and returned it to its owner, a gentleman in a carriage; and was rewarded with a twopenny firework! Col. Beresford is the Conservative candidate for South- wark. There are several Liberals offering themselves, including Mr Odger, Sir Francis Lysett, and Sir Sydney Waterlow, and one Fenian put up, Col. Burke. Mr Brad- laugh has withdrawn. A merchant, whose name was entered in a list of de- faulting firms in the Weekly Intelligencer, and who, in consequence of the injury thus received became bankrupt, has recovered £ 100 from the publisher. He had previously been a bankrupt. The British Association is about to make an enquiry on the important subject of the utilization of sewage, and every town is be asked to contribute to the expense. We should think the appeal will be liberally responded to, as there are few social questions of greater urgency. The "Repeal" section of the "Nationalist" party have started Mr John Martin, of Rostrevor, as a candidate for the county of Longford. Mr Martin was convicted of treason-felony in 1848, being then a Young Irelander, and has since been a consistent "Repealer." Shortly before midnight the other day, as a family living at Bow were retiring to bed, a paraffin lamp exploded, and set the bed furniture and other articles in the room on fire. The inmate^ escaped injury, but a quantity of the furniture was destroyed, and the building damaged. In an action for breach of promise of marriage, heard in the Court of Exchequer, an engagement extending over six years was proved, at the end of which the defendant married another lady. The jury, without hesitation, gave the plaintiff 95W damages. While a large number of labourers were eating their nopn-day meal in a silver mine in Mexico, their wives and children being with them, twenty-five thousand tons of rock fell and buried the party. A hundred persons were killed. A disastrous accident happened the other day at the village of Bradley, near Wolverhampton, where a boiler exploded killing three men and so severely injuring several others that their lives were despaired of. Five of these have since died. The Liverpool medical officer, reporting on disinfect- ants, advises carbolic acid for its efficiency and cheapness. He calls the attention cf those who visit the sick and the poor to the practical advantages of the perforated tin boxes of carbolic acid powder. A very destructive conflagration happened on Wednes- day week in the. extensive woollen mills of Messrs Mahoney, at Blarney, near Cork. The loss is estimated at so high a figure as 220,000; and, what is worse, between 200 and 300 persons are deprived of employment by the disaster. The Prince of Wales took his seat last week, in Grand Lodge, as a Past Grand Master of the Freemasons of England. The Earl of Zetland, who has been acting Grand Master for twenty-six years, resigned, and Earl de Grey was nominated in his stead. The election takes place in March next. There has been a terrible death of a woman at Wolver- hampton. She had spent a large portion of her husband's wages in getting drunk, and on returning home set herself on fire. A relative extinguished the flames but in the course of the night her clothes again took fire and she was burnt to death. A man whose wife left him some years ago, and, as he heard, was afterwards drowned, has been charged with bigamy, he having, subsequently to the supposed drown- ing, married again. The man had returned to his first wife before the charge was made. He has been remanded, and liberated on his own recognizances, the second wife refusing to appear against him. Mr Fitzjames Stephen, Q. C., has received the lucrative appointment of legal adviser to the Indian Government, in the place of Mr Mayne, who retires superannuated, but still young and in vigorous health. The salary is (says the Law Times) to be no less than 210,000 per an- num, and the term of service only seven years. The Conservative' papers are busily pointing out that the present Government, by its colonial policy, is dismember- ing the empire; but the Daily News shews that Earl Granville is following in the steps of his Corservative pre- decessors. A shrewd Scot, writing from New Zealand, says he is convinced that Lord Granville's "Self Reliance Despatch" has done more towards putting down the out- break than twelve regiments. The Pall Mall Gazette warns the Government against lightly assisting to construct a large deep-water harbour on the French ooast, such as is proposed, to facilitate the traffic between this country and France. The great help which the harbour would give to invasion, the Pall Mall thinks, ought to be taken into account. But have not the days for such considerations passed ? The encroachments which the Russians are making in the East have awakened the apprehensions of the Japan- ese. The former have built a convict establishment in the Japanese portion of the island of Saghalien, and by the cession of some Chinese territory their possessions now stretch southward to Corea. The Royal presetves at Windsor have been the scene of a serious poaching affray. Two of her Majesty's keepers the other morning encountered four poachers, a fight ensued, and after a desperate struggle the keepers were overpowered, and left for dead. After a while, they were able to make their way home, where it was found that dangerous wounds had been inflicted, and one of the poor fellows is not expected to recover. In a recent case at Cheltenham County Court, a ser- vant, who had left service without giving notice, sued her 1 ite master for a suit of mourning detained by him. She had received the mourning from her master, who contended that it was like a suit of livery, to be used during the con- tinuance of service. The judge took this view of the case and decided in favour of defendant. One of the men employed to receive money at the entrance to the Birmingham Cattle Show has been con- vi ted of dishonesty, and sentenced to six months' im- pdsonment. There was a registering turnstile to prevent f-aud, but the accused managed to pass through two persons at a time, and pocketed the surplus shillings. Nearly PA in silver was found upon him when apprehended. The project for erecting a bronze statue to the memory of Dr Chalmers in Edinburgh, which was started in 1847 but has since remained in abeyance, is now resus- citated. At a meeting recently held in the house of Dean Ramsay, and presided over by the Earl of Dalhousie, a committee was appointed to act with the surviving mem- bers of the former committee in carrying out the object. At an inquest recently held on the body of an infant, whose decease had been accelerated by exposure and want o' food, a medical opinion was expressed that one-half of t 16 children of the poor come to their deatli before they are three years old, while only ten per cent. of the children of the rich die before that age.

Some of the papers have started a rumour that the Government intend to suspend the Habeas Corpus Act in Ireland. The Daily News, however, disbelieves the statement. You say that the Lucifer Matches you use, Are the patent" of Bryant and May"; I Pray tell me, still further, wAy is it you choose Their best specials,"—do tell me, pray ? I'll tell vou, most readily.-listen to me, And the fact, then, most widely make, known From danger, through fire, with their matches you are free, For they light on no box but their own

SERIALS FOR DECEMBER. (FIRST BATCH.) LONDON SOCIETY. -A well-told story of How Mr -Minter won and lost his seat for Golborough' is, after all, not half so clever as the actual scenes before the Commis- ssioners the only novelty in the fiction being that it was Mrs Minter and a Mrs Studley that were the real com- batants for that immaculate borough. From a very interesting paper on The Romance of Medicine' yve ex- tract the following touching a fashionable disease :— Take, for instance, that f ainfal disease of gout, which, Sir Thomas Watson says, some people are anxious to have because theyvihink it fashionable I Perhaps th.:y repent when it really comes to them. A Frenchman has thus de-crimed it: 'Place your joint in a vice, and screw the vice up until you can emure it no Linger. That may lepresent rheumatism. Then give the instrument another twist, and you wijl obtain a notion of the kout. It is said of this disease, that when a man is predisposed to it, it can be brought on by tho bite of a 1ba. And yet gonty people will actually ask do-tor, to give them plenty of colchicum to cure them of gout by a particular day because they want to go out to a dinner parly I MACMILLAN'S MAGAZINE. — There are several good papers this month and further instalments of, per- haps, the best novels this serial has ever published. We learn from a paper, by Mr Smiles, on Frederick Kcenig, the inventor of the steam printing machine, that- The composite roller now in use [by printers] was the chance discovery of one Edward Dyns, printer and parish clerk of Madeley, in Shropshire. His glue-put having been upset, and Dyas not having 11 pelt-ball [such as were then used], ready at hand, took up a pie re of glue in a s. ft state and inked a forme'with it,so s itisfaotorily that he continued its use. He afterwards added treacle to keep the glue soft. This is the roller still in use. Mr Hullah contributes a paper to Macrnillan on the 'Popular Songs of the last half century,' in which he tells us that- A native of Wales, the Lite John Parry-f ttaer of our musical Gavarnie—was the composer of a song Jenny Jon»s,' whose popularity was so great, and had been so long ei joyed, that about tho yar 18 5 Mr Charles Matthews introduced it into a dramatic piece, and sang it' in character' under the impression that it was a 'national melody.' Mr Hullah does not say how long a composition must be sung by a nation before it becomes national. But there is one piece-and that not half so deserving of popularity as Jenny Jones, that has become a national melody in as many months as Mr Parry's song has been years in exist- ence. We refer to the maudlin God Bless the Prince of Wales.' CHAMBERS'S JOURNAL. There are several com- plete stories and sketches in the December part. In fact it is a volume complete in itself. What will our clerical readers think of the following report on the state of the clerical market ?- It may not be generally known that there are establishments in town where cleegymen of the Church of England can be ob- tained in the same manner (except that they are not on view') as hired domestics. 'Strong, active, willing' cli-,rgymen, as maids-of-all-work advertise themselves; clergymen with or without eneumbrances clergymen who, in addition to thoroughly performing the duties of their offlcrf, will throw in an extra or two, such as, 'can intone,' I can triin a choir,' just as the ),,dy's maid intimities she can dress hair,' or understands millinery.' A good plain clergyman can be procured at a very reasonab!e rate, and a chupoiin for private use at almost next to nothing. There are periodicals also—two of which are now lying before us —which concern themse'ves solely with that curious branch of social economy, the supply-ani-demand of ecclesiastics. It would abate the rancour of some of our radical friends, who ara so given to cry out againstrthe blotted church, and to see a purse-proud paiwo in every gentleman with a white tie, to cast their eyes over these iustruciive pages. Their indignation would then be turned to wonder at the fact of so manv divines being able to afford white ties at all. At the present writing there are, it seems, two hundred clergymen of the Church of England 'wanting places,' and the salaries they demand are ce; tainJy not of an ambitious character. There is only one man —who, with unconscious self-satire, has described his views' as 'moderate '—who ventures to demand zCI80 a year. Only seven aspire to £ 150. A single divine underbids these by ten pounds. Thirty-five ask for £ 120; and the other hundred an'l fifty or so of reverend gentlemen are actu illy going—or wanting to go-for zElOO a year or less going for a hundred (nine of them) going tor tOO (three of thein); going f r £ 80 (-ix of them); going for £70 (eight, f them): going for £ 60-the price of a butler-ifour ol them); goin for £50 (one of them); and even (one of them) going for 1 is. 61. a service, and his traveling expenses:' below which, one is not surprised to find, clergymen of the Church of England are not to be hirl, but (we suppose) are bought in.' Tile spiritual services of all these two hundred divines could be annually secured, therefore, for X2,000 a year-two-fifths of the price paid for those of one bishop. BELGRAVIA publishes the welcome announcement of a new novel from the pen of Miss Braddon. The contents of the number before us, is, as usual, varied and popular. Every line is readable, and a few extravagant. For instance, see the utterances of one Mrs Houselamb, who relates to Mr Sala her experiences of servants and hus- bands, and who says :—" Malice I .never bore and never will, but the trampled worm may turn and rend you; and sharper than a serpent's tail is an unthankful husband." The Belgravia Annual is out, and a rare shilling's worth it is, as we hope to prove by samples before long. CASSELL'S MAGAZINE commences a new series. The first, of four volumes, contains the complete stories of 'Anne Judge,' 'Poor Humanity,? 'A Fight for Life,' and For Her Sake besides a multitude of shorter tales and numberless pictures: The new series opens well with a novel by Wilkie Collins, called 'Man and Wife." The sale is sure to be enormous, for the author, who is at the very top of the tree, has not been before the public very lately, and Cassell's is one of the cheapest of the magazines. We can't say we admired the late editor's 'Fugitive Notes,' for they were too palpably an imitation of the Table Talk of Once a Week (as that serial used to talk); but the new Cassell editor for notes gives us a collection of Joe Millerisms, and some of them stale enough. Here is a sample-and the very best A priest the other day, who was examining a confirmation claf's in the south of Ireland, asked the question What is th-) sacrament of matrimony 1' A little girl at tho head of the olass answered—' 'Tis a state of torment into which sowla enter to prepare them for another and i better world.' Being,' said the priest, 1 the answer for purgatory.' Put her down,' says the curate, 'put her down to the fut of the class.' 1 L-ive her alone,' said the priest,' for anythin' yo or I know to the contrary, she may be parlitly right.'

MESSRS. GRIFFIN, MORRIS, AND GRIFFIN'S CORN AND ROOT SHOW, WOLVERHAMPTON. An inaugural exhibition of corn and roots, instituted by Messrs Griffin, Morris, and Griffin, of the Ceres Manure Works, in this town, was held in St. George's Hall, on Wednesday week, and considering that the show was, in some degree, of a private character—being confined to productions grown with manure of their manufacture—the promoters could not be otherwise than gratified at the sue- cess which attended it. In support of this we may state that there were upwards of seventy, entries, comprising twenty-four specimens of corn, and 216 roots. In both these classes the productions reflected the highest credit upon the exhibitors, as evidence of their skilful manage- ment and the application of scientific knowledge in the manipulation of the soil, and, at the same time, were flat- tering testimonials of the fertilising and improving charac- ter of the manure sent out from the above-named works. For the purpose of giving the affair a good start, and to encourage competition amongst their customers, the firm offered 29 prizes, of from one to three guineas each, and amounting in the aggregate to over 960. Taking the dis- play as a whole we were assured by one or two practical agriculturists—in no way interested in the matter —that it was as good a show as they had seen this year. Com- mencing with the corn we may mention that in addition to the samples of grain, the exhibitors likewise sent speci- mens of the several kinds-wheat, barley, and oats—as grown on the stock, some of which were remarkable for the size and weight of the ears, and the brightness and length of the straw, the latter measuring in two instances (specimens shown by Mr F. Lythall; of Banbury) over six feet. Mr F. Lythall took the first prize for beans, with a sample of the French Eye, or more commonly called the Tick Bean, of exceedingly good quality. With them he sent a bundle of stalks with the same character of bean in the pod the stalks measured 5ft. 6m. in length, and bore a most prolific crop from the top down almost to the roots. They attracted considerable attention. The root department was, however, the great feature of the exhibition; and remembering that the past season was not one of the most favourable for this class of crops, some of the specimens exhibited were really magnificent. At the lower end of the hall were two monster cabbages (the "ox "variety) each measuring nearly six feat in circum- ference, and of the astonishing weight of between 70 and 80 lbs., making together, nearly 160 lbs. weight of solid cabbage. On the next stand to these were a fine collection of Kohl Rabi; those shown by Mr Fleeming, of Stone (the first prizetaker), weighing from 18 to 20 lbs. a piece. To quote the words of the judges, "the whole of the roots in this class were extraordinarily good." In the mangold wurtzel class, both the long reds and globes were particularly noteworthy for size, Weight, and symmetry, although the three qualities did not always go together. er. The swedes and common turnips were without exageration the best which have been shown in this part of the country this season. The collection, consisting of six each, averaged f from 50 to 60 lbs. in weight, but the chief feature for which some of the collections were noteworthy were the beauti- ful shape of the bulbs; those in the latter class, to which the first prize was awarded, being a perfect picture of clear, well-grown, and good-shaped turnips, Of the potatoes we may conclude by saying that the different varieties shown were of good quality, very clean, and solid.-Midland Counties Express.

In consequence of Christmas Day falling on Saturday, Shrewsbury market will be held on Friday, the 24th inst. Mr Ezra Roberts, railway contractor, recently of Tenby, died suddenly of an attack of apoplexy at his farm at Bwlch, near Cerrigydruidion, last week. He attended chapel on Sunday, and died on Monday. Lord Napier, of Magdala, was entertained at dinner at the Albion on Monday night, by the officers of the 3rd City of London Rifle Volunteers, of which regiment his lordship is the honorary colonel. The committee of the Home Cattle Defence Association purpose holding meetings during the present week to take into consideration the course to be adopted with reference to the Contagious Diseases (Animals) Act of last session. Mr Edmund Ffoulkes (brother of the archdeacon) has written another pamphlet—"Is the Western Church un- (ter an Anathema? A problem for the Ecumenical Council." This pamphlet is not so interesting to the general reader as Mr Ffoiilkes's two last productions, which will amply repay perusal, and, though written by a Catholic, perhaps help to persuade "extreme" members of the Church of England that they will hardly find the Church of Rome all they may hope and believe. The Secretary of State for War has decided to call in all the rifles at present in use by the volunteers, except such as have been specially issued for prize shooting at Wimbledon. The arms will not be required to be sent in all at once, but by districts, and the localities named to send in their arms first are Nos. 6, 8, and 10. The first of these is under the inspectorship of Lieut. -Colonel Deshon, and includes Anglesea, Carnarvon, Cheshire, Denbigh, Derby, Flint, Isle of Man, Merioneth, Montgomery, Salop, and Stafford. *t .Hl y.

Tipyn o Bob Petii. The Poor-Law Board have communicated with the Con- way Board of Guardians, asking whether it is correct that some of the guardians are paid. The foundation stone of a (Church of England) school- chapel has been laid at Cwm, a remote district in the parish of Penmachno. Cheshire Chamber of Agriculture, with the view of testing the value of inoculation for pleuro a?3Ks 1" Exri? SEiK" Drayton 2385 18s. 4d. was subscribed, including 9200 from the Earl of Powis. A new granite sett quarry, worked bv a I, been opened on property of Mr Davn'J wn^ ^V near inlinffordd, a small hamlet situated about half-way be- tween Portmadoc and of «> H'el'if.W Institution, a reward sea, aad was ultimately totally lost ° heavy the prize for two-year-old Shronshi™ .1,^ • u j re of TT lbfortSf oFlT '° numbed deposited to tte Sfe ofthT'Sd rtnj*" which Bills are to be brought into Parliament w & Ju* Oswestry and Llangynog, EUesmere and Clv^ Vn Hereford, Hay, and Brecon, and Sevei £ TuSl rS^7' It is stated that Alderman Mead^ Xi r" 7' chased the old Town Office in Lower has pur- Chester, and intends to hand it over to thP n 5e {7Jle Erevtra ¥ WmE? cUhe We irery;°r? glad to add that Mr Frost also proposes that the business dub various Fnendiy Societies shall be transactedTthe Last week we stated that arrangement* Wi k made for four London nurses to watch tL '< wTl? Fasting Girl.» The father of the girl has si-nerl nnYehh and mouths examined. A sad event happened at Malldraeth Yard, Trefdraeth on Thursday week. A little fpllnw^f + .araetn, bed while two of hif bStt«S* which was loaded but not canned A ^UH bother,, a boy of nine, capp?^^ J killed the child in the bed. The jury of conraf^ + verdict of accidentally shot." returned a The celebrated schooner yacht, Cambria, belong to Mr Ashbury, had the honour of beino- the first ivSu yacht to navigate the Suez Canal from Port S.iH t Red Sea, having been given a most comr.Umo the in the line of vessels assembled to inauonrate^hft ° + work Among the company on board the Cambria were the Hon. Spencer Ponsonby, Mr W. H Rns^ll fti^ i Gourley MP Mr tojvW^PSandH Gustave Oppenheim, Mr O'Donnell Murphy Jto A few days ago at Hawarden Mrs GlaW,'mT™0 ■, to the Second Flint Volunteers the prizes whiVh tlf r, son was present she would call upon him to make a few & that his mother intended to offer a prize them The ^bakers of Chester met last week and resolved to discontinue the practice of givin«- ChriVinJT r Quite right; for the oust™, asgMw°caSd oniy 5 v™r»r £ i»''„ef 'ihef the Mcie5' Wesoe Sch, heipt 3; -ZLt fift'1 ths Christmas Boxes of the good old kind, we hope, wilSir oeivtaem °yr:,te ™ "Newhouscs are springing npin every direction, the rates paid by the district are rapidly increasing but cer- tainly not twopence in a twelvemonth is ever' soentTn the way of improvements The li"*+Q e spent in between, and the footpaths are scarcely'^orthvtl mu Y.oonfl 2Y y y wrtny the name. J-he result is, that not unfrecmentlv in wet weather both roads and footpaths more resemble 's oughs of despond than the streets of a civilized communfty paying largely fur something it does not get » This description given by the Cheshire Observer of a iinrKnJ the city o Chester. It has its p.arX £ in0\RZn° and it really is some satisfaction to think that and are not the dirtiest places in the kingdom At a recent meeting of the Carnarvon Town CWil r. one of the members ridiculed the namin- of an oh- scurei part of the town as .'Victoria-square," and sug- gested that it should be called "An^le-LnflrV'' irTotf„3 mania for applying fine names to°eveT mean ^w S houses is not confined to Carnarvon. Turn nP what dirty ill-paved lane we may, we come across •' terraces and parades and crescents," and find ourselves Est surrounded by the names of almost all the aristocrats and notabU ties of the time. The inhabitants suffer'JS difficult to be just enough not to transfer to the unfortu nate tenant some of the contempt with which we regard the pretentiousness ofthe Westminster Terrace" or "Albert Parade in which he resides. -terrace or Billy Barlow has committed suicide. William Bar- low, ^id to be the original of the character introduced fn one of Sam Coweh's songs, was a workman at Crewe and formerly foreman of the springmakers at the railway work*. He had been dnnking for some weeks, and a few days ago he told his landlady that-he intended to commit suicide. He carried out his purpose, for his body was found m a mill pool Many stories are told of him On one occasion he went to an inn where a supper was'about to take place, took a bullock's head-the pi&e de resist- ance of the feast-from the boiler, and substituted a bar of soap-, e Jandiady looked at her pot, she was dis- mayed to find "all the head boiled away." However the guests resolved to have the soup, which was served n'p ta them in proper style-but they didn't like soap suds. At the last meeting of the St. Asaph Board of Guardians the Rev. Thomas Williams, of St. George, complained that comments had been parenthetically inserted in a re- port of the proceedings of the Board, reflecting upon the parish to which he belonged. He wished to ask what the reporter meant to insinuate. The reoorter suQ^ested that the proper course was to write to the'editor, in which sug- gestion the chairman concurred. The rev however, wanted to take the sense of the Board as to whether a reporter who made his own comments on the proceedings was a fit and proper person to be admitted mto theroomu' The proposal was received with cries of T?11^ asketf not to waste the time of the Board. As he found no seconder, the sense of the meeting was not taken. The Rev R W. Essington, vicar of Shenstone, has written to the Staffordshire Advertiser a letter condemna- tory of the proposed Middle Class School at Denstone, for its ritualistic tendencies. To show that the warning does not emanate from one of extreme views or a soured man," Mr Essington tells us that he has lived in the pleasantest post in the diocese for more than twenty years and has associated so much with High Churchmen 2 sometimes to be taken for one of them. He has also intro- i a?d ^-°.^ern "^to his chureb, ,9- „ he has learnt its animus from the ap- Pen.d £ h,e,(lof not much like the book. He had hoped that the_ old, pleasant state of things would continue but now he is alarmed at the excesses of the Ritualists, whose object, he says, is always the same, and who "like a seat equally devoted to traditions, ceremonies, and phylacteries, compass sea and land to make one proselyte. What » ,0 pity that men like Mr Essington spoil their much-need^ V protests by bitter personal attacks. The Welshman m commenting upon the recent murder m Carmarthenshire, makes some startling assertion^ which, if true-and we cannot believe them without very strong evidence-go far to prove that that part of Wales resembles Ireland, at least m one particular—the protec- tion afforded to crime. According to our contemporary the failure of justice in the case in question may most prO- bably be traced to the fact that witnesses believe their lives will not be safe if they speak the truth "The country is in a state of terror; every man, woman, and child seems afraid to speak on the fearful topic;" and one man told a police-officer that'' one life was gone, and it was a pity to waste another." Cannot the Welshman push its investigations a little further, and let us know why tH murderer is protected ? Are tie people so much opposed to capital punishment that they would rather commit arr other murder than allow justice to be carried out or i* there some other reason? And how comes it that .10 Wales generally crime is so rare, and in Carmarthenshi*e murder can be committed with imounitv ? The North Wales Chronicle (Conservative), criticizing the recent "Twelve Days' Mission," and the ritualistIC practices that prevailed at some of the churches says-^ "Contemplating such a state of things, as we do witk astonishment, shame, and sorrow, we cannot wholly dives' ourselves of the suspicion that its instigators are really Romanists in disguise, Jesnitically insinuated into the bos jm of our churches for the secret purpose of destroy^ from within that which they have found it impossible destroy from without. (!) But, whether our suspicions W just or unjust to those whom it most closely concerns, there cannot, we think, be the slightest doubt that they are d:ung the work of Rome as effectually and complete" as she could hope to see it done even by her own ia°r0 subtle instruments. Remembering what Divine Founder of the Church has declared to be the lUt evitable ending of a house divided against itself, whø., ground have we to hope that the natural result of such an h'ippy state of things shall not overtake the Church England, if she fail to eject from her midst the reproa0*: of those errors against which she was established to be national protest and protection."

In compliance with a requisition from some of the men, the Mayor of Shrewsbury has recomend<-d that M°fl day, the 27th inst., should be observed as aholiday. The Hon. Norman Groseenor, son of Lord Ebury, elected for Chester, on Saturday, without opposition) t ie place of Earl Grosvenor, who has gone to the TJpPj House. The hon. gentleman promised to give a ge»ef sunport to the_ present Government. In a discussion in the Farmers' Club, London, on Agreements, on Monday, when Mr Cadle, ,ie- Trathewv, Mr Mechi, Mr Read, M.P., and other 8el\.ib men took part, the general feeling appeared to be there ought to be either leases or a right to com pe for unexhausted improvements. 'j