County Observer and Monmouthshire Central Advertiser Abergavenny and Raglan Herald Usk and Pontypool Messenger and Chepstow Argus

SIR GEORGE WHITE AND SCHOOL I CADET CORPS. The following letter has been sent from Gibraltar by General Sir George White to Mr. F. H. Sikes, of Manor Park House, Sutton, who started a Cadet Corps (now numbering 66, and lately reviewed by the Lord-Lieutenant of Surrey) at his school, in commemoration of Ladysmith Dear Sir,—I have received with great pleasure your note of the 1st Nov. I consider the forma- tion of cadet corps a most patriotic and practical outcoire of the grand feeling lately called out throughout the Empire, which has brought our country so well through what would otherwise have been a most dangerous national crisis. It com- mends itself to me also as a capital way of sowing the seeds of patriotism in the hearts of the future manhood of England, and I am therefore very glad to give my testimony in support of your undertaking. To the cadets I would say, Remember as you stand shoulder to shoulder in the ranks of your companies that the parade is but the symbol of a higher class ol comradeship, involving the subordination of in- dividual desire and ease to the interests of the com- pany at large; in fact, esprit de corps." I cannot imagine a finer watch-word than "Honos" (refer- ring to a motto on his correspondence paper). II contains the self-respect and control which are thE finest qualities the boy can possess, and in the aftej time it will carry the man, at the call of duty, to thE front in danger.—Believe me, dear Sir, yours verj faithfully, (Signed) GEO. S. WHITE. I

THE COMING SESSION OF PARLIA- MENT. It is not yet settled (says the Daily News) whether the Parliamentary session to begin on Dec. 3, shall be a very short one, devoted solely to the raising oi more money for the war, or shall be a long one, con- tinued in 1901, and carried forward till all the businest has been done with the Government may think ought to be done in the first twelve months of a new Parlia- ment. The favourite idea in the mind of Ministers at present is that the coming meeting of Parliament might conveniently resemble the short session of last year, that apart from such ceremonies as the election of Speaker and the swearing-in of members, it should be given exclusively to Government business, that it should last two, or at the most three weeks, and should end with a prorogation before Christmas. In that case the time of the House would be monopolised by the Government, and members would meet again in February to begin a new session, their hands free to deal with general questions, because they would have disposed of war finance for some months. If Ministers finally resolve to carry out this programme, the closure and their big majority will enable them easily to cut short discussion before Christmas. In the meantime Mr. C. J. Williams (Clerk of Works) and his staff at the Palace of Westminster are making the House beautiful, still more beautiful for the reception of our law-givers on December 3. Members will find no great changes, but everything, including even the statues, is being cleaned and polished with loving care, while old furniture is making way for new, and new furniture is being put in places where hitherto none has been thought necessary. The greatest work of the officials,this re- cess is being done on behalf of the reporters who may feel that the humanitarian movement which has distinguished the nineteenth century has 'benefited them as much as anybody. Time was when there was no writing accommodation for journalists in the Palace of Westminster, and when they had to go outside for sustenance for the carnal man, unless they partook of the cold beef which one of the janitors supplied, bring- ing it, according to tradition, in his hat. The Press gallery is still favoured with the presence of men who remember those Bohemian arrangements. Less than twenty years ago the reporters, though they had won writing rooms, could only dine in a corridor un- less they went to a restaurant. But since then mighty things have been done for them. They possess two large writing rooms, one for dining, another for smoking, a third for tea, and now Mr. Williams and his merry men are arranging for the use of the Press five additional chambers overlooking Palace-yard. The extra accomodation was needed, but looking back on the primitive past the reporters may almost think themselves pampered. Their joy, however, will not be complete when Parliament meets, for the Clerk of Works fears that his task in their new quarters will not be quite finished.

AN eccenteric bachelor, with an intense love for the sea, once furnished for his own use a smuggler's cave on the coast of Cornwall, where he couJd always be within sound of the breakers. He lived there quite contentedly for over seven years, and only gave up his hobby on account of a bad attack of rheu- matism, which he attributed to the dampness of the cave. He is very wealthy, and is at present living is" a large and magnificently-furnished house in Kent. On the north coast of Scotland there are a large number of fishermen who live from one year's end te another in caves that they have hollowed out in the side of the cliffs. They are rough, hardy men, and their chief boast is their absolute indeDendence.

IF YOU CANNOT SLEEP because you have a cough or tickling in your throat, use the unrivalled remedy, KEATING'S'COUGH LOZENGES, one alone affords relief-well called sweet relief "-in cases of cough, asthma, bronchitis. Sold everywhere in tins, 13kd. each; free for stamps. Thomas Keating, Chemist, London. TAKING the Australian Colonies in the aggregate, there are only 75 unmarried females for every 100 unmarried males. In New South of Wales alone, according to the last census, there are nearly 100,000 more unmarried males than unmarried females. In Victoria the excess is upwards of 75,000; in Queensland it is almost 57,000 in Southern Australia, over 17,000; in Western Aus- tralia. 9000 in Tasmania, about the same and in New Zealand, a little less than 44,000.

SOUTH AFRICA. i OCCUPATION OF KLERKSDORP. The following telegram from Lord Roberts has been received at the War Office: JOHANNESBURG, Nov. 16, 10,55 p.m. Barton and Douglas occupied Klerksdorp to-day without opposition. The former advanced from Potchefstroom, the latter from. Ventersdorp. Douglas had some desultory fighting each day with Liebenberg's commando, who endeavoured to protect their cattle, but would not make any stand. Our casualties were three men wounded. We captured eight prisoners and a large number of sheep and cattle. Twenty-nine refugees accom- panied Douglas from Ventersdorp to avoid being commandeered by the Boers to fight. Barton reports that. he captured seven prisoners on his way to Klerksdorp, besides some horses, mules, and cattle. A party of the 2nd Colistream Guards were at- tacked by Boers on the 14th near Potchefstroom while clearing away a temporary bridge. Two men were killed and one man and Lieutenant Herbert-Stepney were wounded, the latter in the hand, slightly. W. Knox reports from Kroonstad that a patrol from Rhenoster captured four prisoners yesterday morning. Hunter, who has relieved Kelly-Kenny in com- mand of Bloemfontein, reports that Lieut.-Colonel White's advance party met some of the enemy near Abraham's Kraal OH the 13th inst. Lieutenant Main- waring, 29th Company Imperial Yeomanry, was wounded in the thigh and chest, severe. One man of the same company was killed and one wounded. Stephenson reports the capture of five Boers just north of Sabie, close to Portuguese territory. I regret to state that Major Welch, Hampshire Regiment, and two men of R.H.A., wounded near Bothaville on 6th inst., have died. Colonel Ross is still dangerously ill but improving. The rest of the officers and men wounded on same occasion are doing well. During the process of putting a large convoy of waggons int.o Vryheid on the 14th inst. the escort was attacked, but the Boers were driven off without any casualties by the good practice made by the 67th Battery. Several of the enemy were seen to fall, and their ambulance was at work for some time. A party of Boers approached Vlaklaagte on the 14th inst. and wounded slightly two men of the Scottish Rifles. PORTUGAL DOES NOT RECOGNISE TRANSVAAL. Mr. Pott, the former Consul for the Transvaal at Lorenzo Marques, has been notified by the Portu- guese authorities that he must not fly the Transvaal and Free State flags any longer, as the Portuguese Government does not recognise those countries. FIGHT NEAR EDENBURG. Reuter despatches state that General Delarey, with 1000 men, is reported to be between Vryburg and Fourteen Streams, and that there has been a fight near Edenburg, in which the Boers are said to have been severely handled and to have lost 75 killed and wounded. HOW THE CAPE TOWN HIGHLANDERS WERE DECIMATED. Renter's Agency has received a letter, dated Modder River, October 29, written by one of the Cape Town Highlanders giving the following graphic account of the disaster to that regiment at Jacobs- dal on October 25: Our affair at Jacobsdal," says the writer, was simply murder and nothing else. Fifty of us (Cape Town Highlanders) were sent from Modder River under a captain and lieutenant to protect the place. We had had to be constantly on the alert, with only about four hours sleop in three days, and were all utterly fagged out. Jacobsdal is a village with about 100 houses, a church, and barracks, and until we went there was protected by eight mounted police. On our arrival the captain, instead of quartering us in the barracks, had tents erected in the middle of the market square, which is entirely surrounded by houses. At 4.30 on the morning of Thursday, 25th inst., the sentry on the quarter guard challenged some- body, and was instantly shot down with two bullets in him. We jumped up at once and received a terrific volley in our tents from three sides of the market, square. Our men feil in their tents right and left, wounded and dying. Four men tried to make for the barracks 50 yards distant, but were shot down. One reached there; the others fell simply riddled with bullets. The only thing for us to do was to lie flat on our backs and take our chance. All around the wounded were groaning, and now and then we heard a voice saying, 'Good-bye, I'm hit.' The position was awful. There we lay, expecting every moment to be our last, and unable to do anything. To show one's head meant death. After an hour and a half of this kind of thing five of us made a rush for the hospital. Three reached the building, one being killed on the very threshold. One of the Cape Artillery made a rush to save a wounded man in the square. As he was bandaging his comrade he was shot dead with two bullet wounds. The firing continued until 2.30 in the afternoon. Meanwhile news had reached Modder River that the town was in the hands of the Boers, and reinforcements, consisting of another 50 of our fellows and fivelmounted men, were despatched to our assistance. On their arrival the enemy, doubtless thinking they were the advance guard of a large force, left and rode for the kopjes behind the town. Thus we were relieved after being about nine hours under fire. We then collected our dead and wounded, and found that ont of the 40 of us in the tents 11 had been killed, and 17 wounded. Three of the latter died during the night, making our dead number 14. It is a miracle that any of us escaped. Five of the killed were very great chums of mine. They were all hit by explosive bullets. The enemy seem to have had no others. The wounds were terrific, some large enough to put a closed fist into. In some cases heads were almost entirely blown away. After collecting our dead and wounded we went round the town, and searched all the houses. Thirty-six suspicious houses wereburntto the ground. They simply teemed with ammunition which was exploding at intervals during the night. We found that the women we were protecting had been feeding the rebels while they were firing upon us. We managed to kill the commandant and two others, but do not know of any more. The commandant seems to have been living in the village for four days before the attack, and no doubt all the inhabitants, except four or five English families, were rebels. We retired for the night to a well-entrenched hill. but none of us slept. Next morning we returned to the village and buried our poor comrades. It was a sad sight. We had scarcely time to bury the dead before the Boers were seen advancing on the town in large numbers, and we had to make for the entrenchments. Seeing we were prepared the enemy again retired, and a number of our men returned to the village and com- mandeered all the available carts in which to take away our wounded. After setting tlreto all our stores we retired on Modder River, arriving at mid- night, sad and worn out. Since then we have been sleeping in the trenches, expecting an attack from the big commando which is said to be in the neigh- bourhood. We want to be rettdy for them this time, and get some of our own back." Renter's Agency has also received communication of the following letter from Mr. Harvey P. Finlay- son, who was in charge of the detachment of Cape Mounted Police at Modder River, which relieved the Cape Town Highlanders when they were beset by Boers at Jacobsdal: "At 7.30 a.m., 25th, four niggers came to the camp bringing the news that the Boers had surprised Jacobsdal at daybreak, and were at the time they left occupying the market square. I immediately ordered all my men to saddle up, although we had been out all night patrolling to Honeynest Kloof, and then ordered 40 foot men to parade, fully armed and equipped, as soon as pos- sible. My men were all ready and in the saddle by 7.45 a.m., but the foot men were not ready until nine a.m. We started in skirmishing order, and all went well till we got about half way (six miles), when I saw great numbers of Boers galloping over the flat in the direction of Jacobsdal. As our horses were not in the best of condition I thought it useless to try to cut them off, so proceeded towards the town. When we got to a rise, which is about two miles from Jacobsdal and overlooking it, I saw a man, hatless, coming at full gallop towards us, and on his getting closer I recognised him as the Modder River doctor,fwho, it seems, had taken it into his head to go to Jacobsdal for lunch, not knowing that the Boers were in posses- sion. He was within 300 vards of the town when they commenced firing on him, and his escape was nothing short of marvellous. We had arranged that I and four Cape Artillerymen should take the right flank, the rest of my men the left flank, and the foot- men the centre, but the foot-men delayed so long that I got tired of waiting, and asked the artillerymen who were with me if they were prepared to rush the town. They all agreed willingly, so we galloped the intervening two miles. Not a shot was fired until we got into the market square, when fire opened from each of the four sides, and it was very hot for a little time. Of course I did not know where our fellows were. We waited there in the market j square for several minutes, but seeing some Boers ride off towards Koffeefontein we gave chase. Un- | fortunately their horses were much more fresh than lOurs and they easily outdistanced us. We then charged the town from a different direction. By this time the Boers were getting thoroughly sick and beginning to disperse, so we dismounted and com- I menced arresting men from whose houses the firing had come. We (five men) relieved Jacobsdal at 2.50 p.m., and the foot men, who were supposed to be the relieving party, arrived very quietly at 5.15 p.m., after every Boer had gone 1J hours. "Unfortunately, I was instructed by special messenger to return as soon as possible to Modder River, as they were expecting an attack every minute. We arrived here at one o'clock in the morning, and have been scouting ever since (it is midday and we are in for dinner), and have to start again at once — pretty hard work. The Boers behaved in a shameful way. One man, Rogers, of the C.A., went into the market square with a Red Cross flag to help a wounded comrade. Before he reached him he had two bullets through the leg (all the bullets they fired were explosive). He then turned round and was staggering back to the house when a bullet struck him in the back of the head, penetrating the brain and making a great hole in the forehead. After the Boers saw that he was dead they fired 20 shots into his back, purely out of devilment. Another man got 15 bullets into him after death. The alarm was given in this way. One of the C.A. was on guard over their gun (a 15-pounder) when he heard some whispering on the far side of a wall about ten yards from him. He challenged, and 1immediately saw seven Boer rifles pointing at him over the wall. They fired and missed him. That started the business. The garrison was in tents in the middle of the market square, a sensible place. Two of them made a dash for the houses, and both were shot before they had gone 20 yards. The Boers then opened fire from all round the square upon the tents. The men lay there from 4.30 a.m., when the first shot was fired, till we relieved them at 3 p.m. The casualties were 12 killed and 18 wounded. Since then three men have died from wounds, and I am afraid there are three or four more yet to go, as the explosive bullets at such short distance made awful wounds. One man had half his head blown off. The loss on the Boer side, as far as we can find out, is the commander killed and eight men, but there may be more, and of course the wounded are unknown. There are supposed to be 300 Boers at Klokfon- tein, on the railway, seven miles down the line from here. The armoured train takes every other train, both passenger and goods, as far as Orange • River. This work is intensely exciting, but my head goes wrong, and I should very much like a good sleep, with no responsibility, just for a change." VIGOROUS GUERILLA TACTICS. A small party of Boers,faccording to a report from Lord Roberts, published on Tuesday by the War Office, attacked a British outpost at Eden, to I the east of Thaba 'Nchu, on the 16th inst. They killed four men of the 2nd Battalion Bedford Regi- ment, wounded one, and captured another man, who was subsequently released. Later on the Boere attacked the outpost at Spring Hounck with artillery and demanded the surrender of the garrison. The commander refused, and then the enemy retired. The railway and the telegraph in the vicinity of Edenburg have been repeatedly destroyed. The Scots Gnards are now proceeding to Bloemfontein from Pretoria. An attempt to blow up some railway culverts at Brussels, near Kimberley, was frustrated by the arrival of an armoured train. General Barton occupied Klerks- dorp on the 16th inst., and was enthusiastically cheered by the majority of the inhabitants. Thirteen men of the York and Lancaster Regiment, who were travelling in a waggon, were ambuscaded by Boers near Utrecht. The waggon was seized, but the men were released. Four of them were wounded. Lord Roberts has informed the Cape Town Corporation that the date of his return from the front is still un- certain. I GENERAL BADEN-POWELL'S POLICE. The following notification has been issued from the Colonial Office: Owing to the large number of applications re- ceived at the South African Constabulary Recruiting Office, it has been found impossible to reply to appli- cants promptly. The applications are being dealt with in order of receipt, and will be answered as soon as possible. Intending applicants are reminded that candidates must be between 20 and 35, and able to ride and shoot. It is useless for persona who do not fulfil these conditions to apply. I RECOVERY OF SECURITIES. Information has been received that all the securities deposited with the late Government of the Orange Free State by the various insurance societies j doing business in the country have been recovered } and re-deposited in the Treasury at Bloemfontein. A list of the securities can be seen at the Colonial Office. THE VICTORIA CROSS. The Queen has been graciously pleased to award the Victoria Cross to Lieutenant Francis Newton Parsons (now deceased), of the Essex Regiment. On the morning of February 18, 1900, at Paarde- berg, on the south bank of the River Modder, Private Ferguson, 1st Battalion Essex Regiment, was wounded, and fell in a place devoid of cover. While trying to crawl under cover he was again wounded, in the stomach. Lieu- tenant Parsons at once went to his :assistance, ( dressed his wound under heavy fire, went down twice (still under heavy fire) to the bank of the river to get water for Private Ferguson, and subsequently carried him to a place of safety. This officer was recom- mended for the Victoria Cross by Lieut.-General Kelly-Kenny, C.B., on March 3 last. Lieutenant Parsons was killed on March 10 in the engagement, at Dreifontein, on which occasion he again displayed | conspicuous gallantry.

THE SIPIDO CASE. A debate was opened in the Belgian Chamber on Tuesday with regard to the extradition of Sipido. M. Vandervelde (Socialist) condemned the Govern- ment, and brought forward an Order of the Day regretting the illegal measures taken. M. Van den Heuvel, Minister of Justice, said the Belgian Ministry had first to express its regret to the British Government, which had been affronted in the person of the Heir Apparent, and then to deliver up the author of the outrage to a Court of Justice. That had been done. The discussion was adjourned. j

1 THE EMPRESS FREDERICK. ) The Empress Frederick, who is now in fairly good health,, celebrated, on Wednesday, her 60th birth- day at Friedrichshof, in the Taunus Mountains. The Emperor left Count Henckel's Silesian estate on Tuesday afternoon to congratulate his mother in s' person. Prince and Princess Henry of Prussia, Prince and Princess Adolphus of Schaumberg, the Hereditary Prince and Princess of Saxe-Meiningen, and Prince and Princess Charles of Hesse are now at Friedrichshof. j Numerous presents were sent to the Empress by i members of her family, including a bath-chair, the gift of Queen Victoria.

As to the lives of Parliaments, our own is the longest-lived of all—seven years. The Austrian Parliament lives six years. The Italian, German, Prussian, and Spanish live five years. The French, the Dutch, and Belgian, the Portuguese, and the Roumanian live four years. The Danish and the Swiss live three years. The United States Parliament lives two years and the Austro-Hungarian only one year. LORD HAMILTON'OF -D ALZELLjarri vedjhome at Mother- well from South Africa to take over the estates in a very unassuming manner. He reached home in time for breakfast on Sunday, and his presence was not generally noticed until he walked into the family pew at Dalzell parish church. Lord Hamilton (then the Hon. Gavin Hamilton) went out to South Africa with the Imperial Yeomanry, and was in Johannesburg at the time of his father's death.

MARKET NEWS. MARK-LANE.—Home-grown wheat continues in small supply, but ample for requirements, and is still mostly submitted on the local markets. North German continues a competitor. Prices are easier. Fine whites, 30s choice, 31s; and good reds, 631b. delivered, 30s. Foreign dull, and American descrip- tions are 3d to 6d easier since Mondaj last. No. I Northern Spring, old, quoted at 33s 3d landed. No. 1 hard Manitoba, 34s. landed. Hard Duluth, 34s ex-ship, 34s 6d ex-quay. Australian, 31s 6d to 32s ex-store, 4861b., and New Zealand Tuscan, 30s to 31s. The flour market is unaltered, and granaries continue well supplied, which, in face of the general situation, not unnatu- rally renders consumers cautious. Town house- hold, 25s 6d; and white 28s 6d per sack. Top price, town made, 30s. net. American first patents quoted at 25s to 26s second ditto, 23s to 24s. First bakers, 20s to 21 s; and second 17s to 18s. Hungarian up to 28s 6d per sack. Grinding barley remains steady, and in short supply. Persian, 21s ex-ship; Azov, 18s 6d ex-ship, 19s 6d ex-quay. Oats, l^d to 3d firmer on the week. American mixed clipped quoted at 14s 3d to 14s 6d ex-ship, 14s 6d to 14s 9d ex-quay white clipped in these positions, 158, and 15s 9d respectively. Maize maintained. American mixed 21s ex-ship; 22s landed. Odessa unchanged. The market for beans remains inactive, and peas generally firm. Egyptian splits held for 21s 3d ex-mill. Canadian white peas, 29s ex-ship and 30s ex-granary. Maize germ meal remains in sellers' favour. LONDON METROPOLITAN CATTLE.—A slow demand predominated, and business in both prime and second qualities made quiet headway, prices showing occasional weakness. Fat butchering cows in fair request, and trifle firmer for the better qualities. Quotations: Scotch, 4s lOd; Devons, 4s 8d to 4s lOd Herefords, 4s 8d to 4s 9d; runts, 4s 4d to 48 6d; Norfolks, 4s 8d Lincoln shorthorns, 4s 4d to 4s 6d; Irish, 4s to 4s 4d fat cows, 3s 6d to 3a 8d, exceptionally 3s lOd. Irish stores failed to elicit attention. Sheep supplies were ona fair iicale, btit a slow inquiry was experienced for wethers, ewes, however, meeting with fair support. Prices marked no appre- ciable change 7|- to 8-stone Down wethers, 5s lOd 2 to 6s; 9-stone ditto, 5s 8d to 5s lOd; 10-stone half-breds, 5s 4d; 10-stone Irish, 5s Od to 5s 2d; 10-stons Down ewes, 4s to 4s 2d ll-stone half-bred ditto, 3s 8d to 3s lOd per 81b. to sink the offal. Calfe nominal. Pigs met a moderate demand. Milch cows. f.16 to Z22 per head. Coarse and inferior beasts quoted 3s to 3s 8d; second quality ditto, 4s to 4s 4d; prime large oxen, 4s 4d to 4s 6d; ditto Scots, &c., 4s 8d to 4s lOd. Sheep, 3s 4d to 4s 2d; second quality ditto, 4s 6d to 5s and first, 5s 6d to 6s per 81b. SMITHFIELD MEAT.—Fair supplies, but trade ruled slow. Quotations: Beef: Scotch, 4s 2d to 4s 8d; English, 4s to 4s 2d; American, Deptford killed, 3s 8d to 3s lid Liverpool, 3s 8d to 3s lOd Ameri- can refrigerated, hind quarters, 3s lOd; fore- quarters, 2s 8d to 2s lOd. Mutton Scotch, 4s 4d to 4s 8d; English wethers, 4s 2d to 4s 6d; ewes, 3s to 3s 4d. Veal: English and Dutch, 3s 8d to 4s 4d. Pork: English, 3s 8d to 4s; Dutch, 3s 4d to 3. 8d; and Irish, 3s 2d to 3s 6d per 81 b. POULTRY AND GAME.—Heavy supplies were on the market, and the trade ruled slow. Quotations: Fowls: Yorkshire, 2s to 2s 6d Essex, 2s 3d to 2s 9d; Welsh, Is 9d to 2s Boston, 2s to 2s 3d Surrey, 2s 9C1 to 3s 6d; Sussex, 2s 6d to 3s; Irish, Is 6d to Is 9d turkey, cocks, 6s to 9s hen ditto, 4s to 5s; geese, 4s 6d to 5s 6d; country ducks, 2s 6d to 3s; Bordeaux pigeons, 8d to lOd feathered, 7d to 9d; wild rabbits, 8d to lOd; tame, Is to Is 2d each; Australian, 7s 6d to 9s 6d per dozen; pheasants, 3s 6d to 4s young partridges, 3s 6d to 4s; old, 2s; young grouse, 4s 6d to 5s; old, 3s 6d per brace; hares, 3s to 3s 3d; leverets, 2s; wild duck, Is 9d to 2s pintail, Is 6d; teal, Is; woodcock, 2s to 3s snipe, 6d to 10d; golden plover, 7d to lOd; black, 5d to 6d each. BILLINGSGATE FisH.-Good supplies were offered, for which a good demand prevailed. Soles, Is Id to Is 6d; slips, lOd to Is 2d red mullet, Is to Is 6d; dories, 2d to 3d per lb.; turbot, 9s 6d to 16s; brill, 7s to 9s; halibut, 7s to 9s lemon soles, 6s to 8s; plaice, 5s to 6s per stone; large steamer olaice, 36s to 40s per trunk; Aberdeen plaice, 45s: whiting, 6s to 8s; gurnet, 8s; hake, 15s to 20s; skate, 9s to 12s; live cod, 20s to 25s per box; English mackerel, 15s to 18s per 60; large fresh haddocks, 14s to 18s per trunk; loose, 4a per stone: live eels, 14s to 21s; dead, 8s to 15s per draft; lobsters, 15s to 35s per score; crabs, 25s per hamper; Dutch smelts, 26 to 4s per basket; whitebait, Is per quart. WOOL.-Still no change can be reported respecting this trade, and hope deferred has its effect upon holders of wool, for, since shear-time, the course of business has been very disheartening. At the lowest Eoints a little trade might be done, but holders, aving held on so long, are still disposed to continue the same attitude, and any firmness is due more to their reluctance to sell, rather than being caused by de- mand for the raw material. Colonial wools are fairly steady, and a moderate amount of business has been transacted. Spinners obtain low offers for new busi- ness, which makes it still a matter of considerable difficulty for them to deal, as prices are frequently below those relatively quoted for wool. In some cases to keep machinery going they may be accepted, but this is not always the case. Downs, 7d to 9d Kents, 6d to 6§d half-breds, 6|d to nd. WHITECHAPEL HAY AND STRAW.-Superior picked hay. 86s to 90s good bar. 77s to 82s inferior, 608 to 70s best clover, 97s to 100s good clover, 84s to 90s inferior, 60s to 72s straw, 26s to 36s. COVENT GARDEN.—English apples, 4s 6d to 7a 6d per bushel; Nova Scotian, 8s to 18s per barrel English grapes, 8d to 2s per lb.; Almeria, 10s to 198 per barrel; English tomatoes, 4s 6d to 5s 6d; chestnuts, 7s to 10s per sack parsley, Is to Is 6d; carrots, 2s to 3s; turnips, 2s 6d to 3s 6d per dozen bunches; lettuce, Is tc, Is 9d per score cucumbers, 2s to 4s per dozen: Valencia onions, 6s to 7s per case; cabbages, 2s 6d to 4s 6d per tally; celery, 9s to 14s per dozen rolls potatoes, 70s to 95s per ton. SEED TKADE.—In the absence of any consumptive or speculative inquiries, cloverseeds are inactive, quotations consequently remain unchanged. Rather more doing in tares. Rye neglected. Mustard and rape seed command full prices. Canaryseed dearer. Hemp and millet unaltered. Linseed slow. Hari- cots and peas firm. Windsors and longpods in good request. The new scarlet runners come cheap and good. CAMBRIDGE CATTLE.—There was a good number of fat beasts to hand, prices being quite up to those of last week. A large show of store beasts, and trade was better, all being sold. A slightly improved trade for fat sheep. Very few store sheep were offered. A good brisk trade all round for fat pigs, whilst for all classes of store pigs a fair trade was done. Short supplies of hay, straw, and roots. Prices Beef, 7s to 8s: mutton, 4s to 5s 6d pork, 6s 9d to 7s 6d. READING CATTLE. — The supply of both beef, mutton, and veal was an average one, but business was not brisk in either department. Best beef made 4s 4d to 4s 8d per stone; secondary, 3s 6d to 4s. Best mutton sold at 5s 2d to 5s 8d and secondary 4s 6d to 5s. Best veal sold at 5s 4d to 5s 8d; secondary 4s 8d to 5s 2d. GRIMSBY Fisii.-Plaice, 5s to 6s; lemon soles, 7s 6d per stone soles, Is 8d to Is lOd per lb.; live dabs, 18s; dead ditto, 17s kit haddocks, 16s to 20s; gibbed ditto, 20s to 25s; live ditto, 278 per box whitings, 2s 6d; whitches, 5s to 6s per stone gurnets, 7s per box turbot, Is 4d brills, Is Id per lb.; live ling, 6s; dead ditto, 5s live cod, 10s to 12s; dead ditto, 6s to 10s; live skate, 5s; dead ditto, 3s each; Findon haddocks, 4s to 5s live hali- but, 6s; dead ditto, 7s English shrimps, 3s 6d; foreign ditto, 3s 3d; prawns, 3s per stone; kippers, 3s; bloaters, 2s; red herrings. 2s per box; catfish, 30s; live coalftsh, 35s dead ditto, 30s per score; English oysters, 6s 6d: American ditto, 4s 6d per 100; smelts. 3s 6d per box whelks, 3s 6d per wash; salt cod, 12s 6d per cwt.; conger eels, 5s to 8s each hake, 80s: roker, 25s; mackerel, 5s per score; ice, le 6d per cwt.; live codlings, 15s; dead ditto, 121 per box.