The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1876-07-01 00:00:00

isalintoits Nteilignut.

HOME, FOREIGN, AND COLONIAL.

THE COST OF DRINK IN LIVERPOOL.—'
Liverpool Mercury states that a borough magistrate
has made a rough calculation of the amount of money
spent upon drink in Liverpool per week and per year.
He points out that there are 1,240 publichouses where
drink only is sold, and 509 where food is sold in addi-
tion to drink. This latter number does not include
hotels or eating-houses. Of these 509 houses he hold; ,
that at least a third—namely, 170—are drinking
houses pure and simple. He adds this number to the
1,240 which vend nothing tilt drink, making the total
number of drinking houses 1,410. He confines his cal-
culations to these, and makes the following estimate of
their weekly receipts :—Ten at £2OO, £2,000; 20 at £l5O,
£3,000; 30 at £lOO, £3,000; 50 at £75, £3,750 • ICO at
£6O, £6,000; 200 at £5O, £10,000; 300 at £4O, £12,000;
300 at £3O, £9,000; 200 at £2O, £4,000; 100 at £lO,
£1,000; 100 at £7, £7,000,—making a grand total per
week of £54,450. This weekly total, multiplied by the
number of weeks in the Aar, gives an annual ex-
penditure of £2,831,400, which he considers under
loather than over the mark.
ONE OF THE SIX HUNDRED. —Hopeful Father
"Well, Tom, did you go after that place where the
smart boy was wanted ?"—Hopeful Son: " Yes ; and
I dessay I'd a-got it, if there hadn't been about five I
hundred and ninety-nine other smart boys got there
first I"—Judy. I

-The

• FIGHT WITH A KANGAROO.-.-.A Porte Pine
correspondent relates :—Mr. Warren, a farmer, when
out driving on Saturday, April 4, fell in with a
kangaroo which was determined not to stand any prac-
tical joking without resisting it. As soon as he was
seen, the only dog with the party—fleet of foot and a
sure killer—was sent for him, but the indignant mar-
supial refused to budge, and went for the dog, chasing
him for nearly 200 yards. Eventually they got into
fighting quarters, and as the dog appeared likely to get
the worst of it, Mr. Warren, got out of his buggy to
render assistance, but the kangaroo was equal to the
occasion, for he left the dog and made for the man,
who deemed it prudent to retire. Tem Leing nothing
but rotten wood abeut, he got into the bug 2y again and
drove the trap straight at the animal, using the pole as
a battering ram, and struck him fairly in the breast.
This knocked him over, and the horses and wheels
passed over him. Even then he rose again and was
eager for the fray, but "Spring,' with some assist-
ance, went in and placed him hors de combat after a
tussle or two. The tail weighed 151b5., and the owner
thereof stood over six feet high, and was dark coloured.
FROM KISSENGEN.—Prince Bismarck, in a
recent speech at a public school festival, advised the
•boys when in trouble to confide in their parents. He
is putting his precept into practice himself just at
Present. He's troubled with liver and has gone to his
Spa for relief.—Fun.
LOST IN THE TYROL.—The Times of Monday
says that a search party has gone out to try to recover
the remains of Mr. W. W. Barry, the author of "All
Round Ireland on Foot" and "Walking Tour in
Normandy," &c., who, it may be remembered, was
lost in a snowstorm on the Ist of October last, while
attempting a pass, in Tyrol, alone. The report sent
home is that there is still an average of 101 t. of snow
lying in the valley in which he was last seen by shep-
herds "stooping to stroke the woolly backs of the
sheep as they passed him in single file through the
snow." The search is conducted by the deceased
gentleman's brother, the Rev. H. B. Barry.
EEL FitY.—Messrs. F. Buckland and S. Wal•
pole having been recently commissioned to institute a
local inquiry on the Rivr r Severn as to the capture of
eel fry, or elvers, have jfst made public their Report.
They found that large quantities of these fry are
annually taken in the Severn, near Glocester, amount-
ing to some tone, which are sold to the poor at about
2d. per lb. It takes 1,400 or 1,500 to make a pound,
and a fisherman will take as many as a cwt. in
a night when these fry are "running" up the
river to spread over the whole watershed of the
Severn. It had been the. custom of inhabitants
about Glocester to take these fry from time im-
memorial, and although old statutes prohibited their
capture or sale, the law was not enforced until a clause
was inserted in the Salmon Act of 1873 prohibiting
their capture up to Midsummer in each year. Evidence
had been given of the decay of the valuable eel fisheries
of the Severn, which the fishermen in the middle and
upper country a'Aributed to the destruction of the fry
lower down the river. Messrs. Buckland and Walpole,
'however, recommended the repeal of all legislation
respecting the elvers or eel fry in all rivers except the
;Severn, and that in the Severn they should be per-
mitted to be taken up to April 25 inclusive. Mr.
Buckland assents to this recommendation on condition
that the sale as well as the capture of elvers should be
illegal after April 25, and points out the difficulties
which would arise I this were not done,

CHANGE OF NAME.--It is rumoured that, as a
tribute to the more than humble manner in which the
ruler of Servia consents to play fast or loose, according
to orders from St. Petersburg, the Czar has gra-
ciously eerpressed his wish that the country should
change its name from Servia to Servilia.—.Judy.
How TO CHECK HABITUAL INTEMPERANCE.—
The following is a preparation which, acting as a tonic
and stimulant, may be prescribed al a substitute for
the accustomed dram. It should be taken at the times
and in the quantities in which the drachms were
usually drunk (say twice a day) :—Mix four grains of
sulphate of iron, one drachm of spirit of nutmeg, and
eleven drachms of peppermint water.—Cassell's Family
Magazine.

BY SPECIAL LlCENSE.—Paterfamilias (im-
pressively,. to his coachman) : "Jarvis! You will
have to drive us first to the Church, then back here to
the Wedding-Breakfast, and then you will take my
daughter and her newly-married husband to the Sta-
tion. at London Bridge; so I particularly wish you to
keep thoroughly sober all day P'—Jarvis: "All right,
sir! But I should like to take a drop too much th s
evening, sir !"—Punch. .
"WILLS OF THEIR OWN." —Mr. William
Tegg has just published an entertaining volume called
Wills of their Own, in which he presents many re-
markable wills of eccentric persons. Among the most
curious of these is that of Edward Wortley Montagu,
son of Mr. Montagu, Ambassador to Constantinople
in 1716, by Lady Mary Wortley Montagu, his wif.s,
the supposed Sappho of Pope. After some bequesie
'to my noble and worthy relation, the Earl of —.9
the will adds,—' I do not give his lordship any furthir
part of my property, because the best part of that he
has contrived to take already. Item, to Sir Francis
I give one word of mine, because he never had the
good fortune to keep his own. Item,' to Lord M--
I give nothing, because I know he'll bestow it to the
poor. Item, to —, the author, for puttiog him in his
travels; I give five shillings for his wit, undeterred by
the charge of extravagance, since friends who have
read his book consider five shillings too much. Item,
to Sir Robert W— I leave my political opinions,
never doubting he can well turn them into cash, who has
always found such an excellent market to change his
own. Item, my cast off habit of swearing oaths I give
to Sir Leopold D—, in consideration that no oaths
have ever been able to find him yet."
A FAT VISITOR TO THE CENTENNIAL EXHIBI"
TION. —Theßirmingham Reptegican says :—"AWeeter n
fat boy was transferred last Friday from the Erie
broad gauge to a narrow gauge train of the Leigh
Valley Road at Waverley. His name is David
Navarre and he hails from Illinois. He was on his
way to the Centennial. His parents, who are both
small people, accompanied him. This Western boy is
fourteen years and six months old, and weighs 475
pounds. He is six feet and seven inches tall, measures
three feet and four inches across his shoulders, and
six feet and seven inches around his hips. He occu-
pied the whole aisle as he walked through the car."
THE "SHOWER OF FLESH" MYtSTERY.—The
Columbus (Ga.) Enquirer reports an occurrenoe
which throws some light upon the mysterious
"shower of flesh" which was stated to have occurred
a short time ago in Kentucky. Messrs. Dick and Ab
Kerwin were standing in the back yard of the latter
when quite a shower of flesh fell upon and around
them. At first it seemed a miracle to them, but when
they looked upwards they discovered several buzzards
about 100 feet above them flying about, and this ex-
plained the mystery. A Louisville professor has sug-
gested that this may account for the famous shower of
flesh in Kentucky. The particles of the Columbus
shower were not gathered or analysed as were those of
Kentucky.

-
THE LATE MR. BAlRD.—Varlous guesses have
been made as to the amount of the des:Jowled gentleman's
wealth and the income likely to acerne yearly to hie
firm (says the Scotsman). It is impossible in the mean.
time to give any idea of Mt. Ba.ird's private fortune;
but it is believed that in prosperous years the profits
derived from the concern of which he was so long the
head exceeded a million sterling. As a landed pro-
prietor, Mr. Baird occupied a prominent position. In
1853 he paid £22,000 for the estate of Cambu ' adoon in
Ayrshire; and, four years afterwards, £90,000 for
Knoydart, in Inverness-shire. Six years later he pur-
chased the estate of Muirktrk at a coat of £135,000,
and he inherited from his brother the estate of
Auchmedden, in Aberdeenshire, which cost about
£60,000. Mr. Baird was also the pomessor of smaller
properties in Ayrshire, while other members of the
family own estates in different parts of the country
valued at no leas than two and a half millions sterling.
LICRERISH. The gentleman who licked
creation has presented his toneue to the geological and
botanical societies of the world for microscopic exami-
nation.—Fun.
HYDROPHOBIA.—The Sanitary Record state
that having obtained from the Registrar-General's
reports the number of deaths credited to hydrophobia
from 1860 to 1864, the actual increase of deaths from
this dreadful disease calls for someimmediateandactive
legislation. The remedy is simple. Hydrophobia
never arises except as the result of a bite, or contact
with the saliva of a rabid dog. Rabies never arises
spontaneously in our dogs. It is simply a contagious
disease, and can be stamped out by proper measures,
which should be included in the Contagious Diseasee
(Animals) Act. If all owners of dogs possessed 9
license, and if each license had printed upon it the
symptoms of rabies, not one case in a thousand would
escape early detection. To enforce the possession of a
license, let all dogs be compelled, when not confined,
to wear a collar with the name and address of the owner
upon it. Let the police have orders to seize any dog
ettshtoiunt
tsuch d
district,
criocl
tl
let , sLI
ifdorgasbi
be
es
killed proclaimedbe
e t
the
t spot.o
A HohoeS PARASOL.— In the "Women's
Pavillion of the Philadelphia Exhibition, according to
the special correspondent of The Times, there is exhi-
Lited a light portable shelter to protect horses from the
sun, which is raised about two inches above the ant-
mal's back, and shades him like an umbrella. In the
same department a lady shows a fine case of birdlif
which she is said to have herself shot and stuffed.
SCALE OF IGNORANCE.—A Parliamentary Be'
turn, stating the number of children ascertained 11
the London School Board Visitors not to be attendir4
school last year, shows a great difference in the several
divisions of the Metropolis. In "the City," with 9
population of about 75,000 at the Census of 1871, there - I
were only 1.16 such children found. In Greenwich,
with 170,000 population, there .were 5,875; in South'
wark, with 209,000 population, 7,523; in Westminster, :
with 247,000 population' only 3,842; in Chelsea, with
258,000 population, 6,973; in Hackney, with 363,000
Population, 9,828; in Lambeth, with 379,C00 popula-
tion, no less than 22,299; in the Tower Hamlets, with
392,000 population, 13,062; in Finsbury, with 453,000
It' pepu a fon, 10,404; in Marylebone, with 478,000
1
population, 8,175, making a total in 1875 of 89,091
children found not attending school in a population ex*
ceeding three millions in 187 L
DRIVING A BARGAlN.—Economical Drover.
"A teeck't the Faa'kirk."—Polite Clerk. "Five-and'
ninepence, please."—Drover. " Ah'll gie ye five
shillings I"—Clerk (astonished). " Eh I"—Drover.
'Wee!, ah'il gie ye five-an'-thrippence, an' diel a bay/
bee maw 1 Is 't a bargain ?"—Punch,
treesa Garden)
dt i
ecna)olou;At Ehnemy EhN
inhabitanti
gThOwFa yP L Alq TIIN G. —The law in
New York States making provision for planting shade
who shall transplant by theis sidlaiiboleffolitthooewhispguh(bewlaicyayshitgtsll2l:
y ey
arfaeopror
afetrahhtt shadeai;ns
highway
ap
xr , 1
fruitdo!. I t.
re
fores oy fur
swttrees
ao
size shall be allowed by the overseers of highways, in
abatements3nufte.
trees set out; but no row of elms shall be place('
fruit trees
except locust,
roust locnaslet,
o which
beset matareasbet '
nearer than 70ft., no row of maples or other forest
every
.er suitable
o
50ft, apart, and no allowance as before mentioned
shall be made unless such trees shall have been set out
the year previous to the demand for said abatement of
tax, and are living and well protected from animals et
the time of such demand." .

--
HYMEN V. Low WAGES.—" At a ecent
meeting of Joiners out on strike in Glasgow, the
Chairman advised young men in the trade who lls4
entered into matrimonial engagements to postpone
their execution for a time." After giving such advice,
how dare the Chairman call himself a Joiner.—PuerA4
A FRENCH TRAGEDY.—The small Commune
of Courdemanche, in the arrondissement of Erreu%
(Eure), has just been the scene of a terrible tragedr.
A man named Fez, aged twenty:eight, and his wife
had lived there happily together; them had children,
and the conduct of the woman was beyond suspiciov.
Latterly, however, her husband had given way te,,
violent fits of jealousy. On Sunday afternoon lob
Fez and his wife went into the arci of their residence
to look after their children, whose play had disturbed
a neighbour, Lemaire, sixtreight years of age. Fe!
there perceived a young man of eighteen, name('
Clairet, to whom he attributed relations with his wife.
The sight of the youth arousing his fury, he compelled
his wife to enter the house, and as she was crossing
the threshold he fired at her with a revolver, wounding
her seriously. He then turned on Claret, but the
latter escaped. Fez, exasperated, next attacked the
old man, dircharging three barrels of his weapon a.,t
him and killing him on the spot. As another WA
remained in the pistol; he fired at Lemaire's wife, the
missile wounding her in the shoulder. The murderet
then entered his house, carried his wife to a beds
armed himself with a gun, and disappeared. When
the latest accounts left the wife of the criminal vise
alive,
.but not out of danger; the wound of Madavie
Lemalre is not of much importance.
SIGNS or PEACE.—Five hundred tons of shot
and shell, together with a stock of gunpowder to match,
were suit off last week to British stations in the
Mediterranean. This, we are told, is simply a pre-
cautionary measure taken in the interests of peace. It
takes a good deal to keep the peace, in these days, Yell
see, and a precautionary "measure" is one of these
receptacles which takes a good lot to fill it. Judy.
FEES TO PARISH CLERS.—Dr. Tristram, the
Chancellor of the Diocese of London, was engaged on
Monday in the consideration of a question of some
importance as to districts formed under kord 13,and•
ford's Church Building Act, a case having been re-
ferred to him by the Bishop cf London as to fees
payable to parish clerks. Since Mr. Langmead 120
been appointed clerk of Hampstead parish nine nee!
districts had been formed, and his fees had decreaseat
and were likely further to diminish, as a evi
cemetery was being made. Three of the alt.
trier•—st. Ste7,beris, S. Peter's, and St. Parini
—had for some time refu,e3 to account ler
the marriage and other feez. —The Rev. Joshtle_,
Kirkman, vicar of St-. Stephen's attended, an,,u
produced the order of Counc.l making the distriel
He had paid the fees for Some time on the grouiw
that they were customary, but he denied the legal
right to the same.—rhe Chancellor referred to several
Acts of Parliament, and said the t ffice of parish clert
was a freehold, and the law provided for the paYmell
of the new fees to the clerk of the old parish unleso
compensation was made.—Mr. Kirkman said if thi
Couct was of opinion that Mr. Largmead had a lege.'
claim to the fees which he had previously paid as ate'
tomary he would willingly pay the same.--Dtl
Tristram expressed an opinion in favour of the aproliaii
tion, but said that before he made his report to the
Bishop of London he would give the 'OWN of St.
Peter's and St. Paul's an :opportunity of making ibul
objection,

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT.

In the HOUSE OF LORDS, June 26, Lord Derby, at the In.
Stance of the Duke of Argyll, offered a similar explanation to
that which had been given by the Premier in the House of
Commons at an earlier hour relating to the Tbsufeefterieln
Bulgaria —Replying to a question of Lord Delawarr, Lots'
Derby admitted that the state of affairs in Servia was cri-
tical, in so far as the military preparations of the Srvhns
Were concerned. Whether it was intended to go to war he
could not state' it was for those who made the preparations
to say whether they were justified in what they were doing
by the surrounding circumstances.
Lord Fortescne, in moving for a Return of the value of
educational endowments, and of the numbers of schemes in
force in England and Wales, advocated the establishment of
Provincial Boards, whose duty it should be to communicate
to the Endowed School Commissioners their views as to
the best mode of supplying the edueational wants of the
different distticts.
The Bishop of Exeter supported the suggestion of Lord
Fortescue, observing that at present the educational resources
of the country were very much wasted.
The Duke of Richmond and Gordon thought that some
Objections might he urged to the proposal, and pointed out
that the Endowed School Commissioners always endeavoured
to Make themselves fully acquainted with the circumstances
of the districts with which they dealt. Ile had no objection
to the presentation of the Return moved for, and the motion
for the Itettuet was aecordingly agreed to.
Lord Gough, who expressed objection to the withdrawal of
tile commission allowed to teachers of the National Schools
ifl Ireland on the purchase of books and requisites, moved
for a Return of the amount of commission allowed in each
Of the years from 1873 to 1876. The motion was agreed to.
Lord Stratheden and Campbell moved for the production
of extracts of any recent correspondence between the British
Government and the Government of Berlin on the subject of
the insurrection in European Turkey.
Lord Hammond was understood to approve generally the
course pursued by the Government, but thought that Govern-
ment ought to have protested against the separate action of
the three Northern Powers.
Lord Napier and Ettrick thought that it could not be
Maintained that there might not be such an insurrection in
Turkey as would render interference on our part justifiable,
and he trusted that the Government would net commit
theniiselves to the affirmation of the principle that keno cir-
cumstances would this country interpose for the restoration
Of tranquility within the States of the Sultan.
Lord Derby admitted that the question under discussion
was one of general interest, and he acknowledged the
patriotic reserve which had been letherto observed in re-
ference to It; but he could not now venture to discuss it in
detail, as every one who had watched the course of foreign
affairs must be aware how often war was kindled by the casual
use of words by persons holding official situations. That was
one reason why he held the present discussion to be prema-
ture, and another was that all the papers relating to the sub-
ject could not at present be laid before Parliament, and
therefore the Government could not assent to Lord
Stratheden's motion. He observed that the Government
bad dissented from the Berlin Memorandum because
they thought that the proposals contained in it
were open to objection, and the consequence was that for a
time the Government were—placed in a position of isolation,
but the events which afterwards occurred at Conetantinople
altered that position. He denied that the revolution effected
there was the triumph of the fanatical party in Turkey, ter
he believed the change was as popular among the Christians as
among the Mussulmans. The Porte had been induced to
negotiate directly with the insurgents, but if hostilties re-
commenced we could then propose our mediation. The
principle on which the British Government had acted was not
to take side with one party as against another, but to leave
Turkey to institute its own proceedings.
Lord Granville anticipating that official information on
this subject would be laid before Parliament at no distant
date, bad no desire to press the Government for it at the
Present moment; but he mutt reserve his opinion as to the
Policy ,of the Government, hoping, at the same time, that it
wouldenet be supposed that he and the Peers acting with
ehirtf-evere not alive to the great interest which this country
,ad in the settlement of this question, or unmindful of the
Obligations towards the Christian subjects of the Porte which
arkey took on herself by the Treaty of 18efre
. The Motion was then negatived. and after the other
onsinesa on the paper had been gone through, their Lordships
J °tuned.
"
„,In the HOUSE OF COMMONS, Mr. Disraeli, in answer to Mr.
• E. Forster, said that the Government had no information
eehich justified the statements made in the Daily News as to
/tee cruelties alleged to have been committed by the Turkish
!Voles in Bulgaria. When the disturbances commenced
eemy were begun by strangers, who burnt houses without
eestiaction of race and creed. At that time the Turkish
Government had no troops in the country, and the war was
carried on between the Circassians and Bashi-Bazouks, who
yeere all settlers with much animosity. In fact, he believed
that no quarter was given. Sir H. Elliott was directed to
_itll the attention of the Porte to the subjeet. Turkish
troePe had been sent to Bulgaria, and steps were taken to
errest the action of the Circassians and Beshi-Baz mks, owing
to which therdisturbances seemed to have ceased.
„11l answer to the Marquis of Hartington, Mr. Disraeli said
1,?1,at the Cambridge University Bill would be taken first on
n 1? 6. As to giving facilities to Sir William Harcourt's
ion on the Extradition Question, the motion could not be
aleetissed until the House had before it the Despatch of Mr.
.e'sleh stating the case of the American Government and Lord
e'erlee's answer. Before giving any facilities he should desire
1,0 aee what the motion WAS. Though a large number of
oepers had been laid before the House relating to the pur-
chase of the Suez Canal, there yet remained to be produced
Ders relating to the eurtaxe and the administration of the
Canal; but he would give ample notice of the proeosed dis-
uneaten on the expenses of Mr. Cave's Mission.
eaOn the motion for going into Committee of Supply,
u ptain Pica entered into an elaborate criticism of the
naval administration of the country and of the personnel
and materiel of the navy. The service, he contended, was
netpopular, as was shown by the number of desertions, whilst
there was scarcely a class of officers that was not diesetistle 1.
Be also animadverted on the construction of iron.
dads, which he pronounced defective and inefficient
r ocean service, and, tracing the complaints of
efficers, the alleged unpopularity of the service, and the con-
dition of the ironclads to the present constitution of the
Admiralty, he moved that, con idering the advance made in
naval armaments and the unsatisfactory condition of the
navy, it was desirable to appoint a Royal commission to in-
quire and report whether the system under which the navy
Was administered was the most efficient and economical, and
What improvements or amendments if any, ought to be
Introduced.
Mr. Hunt, who answered the attack by insisting that Cap-
tain Pita had not made out his case, explained that most of
tle% complaints alluded to had been redressed, and that
o
__ath rs were under consideration. Further, he dented
eaO t the service was unpopular, for tho desertions
home were very few, whilst if there were
More on foreign stations it was the result of the
temptations that were held out in the nature of
high wages and other advantages. As to the con-
struction of ironclads, no ships were now being built upon
the lines of those on which the hon. member had animad-
verted ; but the beat proof of the good qu eities of the ships
that were built was that the moment the Admiralty designed
e new ship the whole world eagerly copied it. All the Naval
owers of Europe looked to the English Admiralty for new
esigns of ships. 'the other day he was in a German port,
end there he found a ship just laid down on the same
design the Admiralty had previously adopted. (Rear, hear.)
Mr. Reed defended in an interesting speech the ships for
Which he was responsible; and Mr. Bentinck, who repeated
his old argument that to place a civilian at the head of the
Admiralty was a rank and glaring blunder, declared that to
Make our Naval demonstration in the Mediterranean we
had been obliged to denude the country of its home defence.
To this statement,
Mr. Hunt gave an emphatic denial, and, amid considerable
Cheering, said that Mr. Beatinck had no warreet for it.
Besides the nine ironclads in commission at home or in the
immediate neighbourhood, the Admiralty in a month or five
Weeks could cen,mission two other, inclaeing the Thunderer,
Slid, in the course of a short time, several other important
*MN could be put into commission, besides the special coast
defence ships and the heavy gun boats in the Reserve at

oschen believed that the country, without any putt-
Culars being given, would at oncebelleve Mr. Bentinck's
Insinuation to be baseless. No Admiralty in its senses would
venture to send the whole of its available forces away to any
foreign station.
Lord C. Beresford, Mr. Gourley, Mr. Gorst, and Mr. D
Jenkins, and several other members having made some
observations, Captain Pim's amendment was negatived, and
the House went into Committee of Supply on the Navy
Estimates, when the remainder of the Naval Estimates were
agreed to. The only discussion of impoitance which
occurred was on an amendment by Mr. Rylands to
reduce the Dockyard Vote by £250,0C O. Mr. Reed,
...._
Samuda, Mr. Brassey, Mr. A. Egerton, and others
"Indicated the value onDockyard labour, and Mr. Childers
objected to any reduction of the Staff of the Dockyards
?finch might embarass the Government at this moment. In
the and the amendment was withdrawn.
_, The Poor Law Amendment Bill as amended, was con-
inured, the other Orders were disposed of, and the Rouse
adiourned at a quarter-past two o'clock.

In the HOUSE fer LORDS, June 27, the Industrial and Provi-
dent Societies, the Prevention of Crimes Act Amendment,
the Cruelty to Animals (Vivisection), and other Bills were
advanced a stage.
qaestion was put to the Government as'to the calibre
of the guns on the forts at Malta, when Lord Cadogan re-
Plied
that the Government fully recognized the importance
ct m e
ing the forts of Malta with guns of sufficient al
Cope with any that might be brought to bear against them;
and, With regard to Valetta, he was informed that the forti-
fications were in a satisfactory state.
Copies of the oorrespondence on the subj-1
ect of a proposed
araalgamation of the Royal Irish Academy with socaeties in
Depart.
Dublin, and its relations with the Science and Art
Merit (South Kenzington?, and of the documents referred to
Were granted.
The other business having been disposed of, their Lord-
ships adjourned.
The HOUSE or Comforts sat at two o'clock. In answer
to a question Irons Mr. O'Reilly, the Chancellor of the
Exchequer said there was not the smallest foundation for
the statements made in Hungarian or Russian papers, that
British ships had landed a large quantity of provisiqns,
cartridges, money, dec. for the Turkish troops. Neffleg
directly or indirectly lied England given assistance to the
Turkish troops. Her Majesty's Government had obserted
e4nlDlete neutrality, and expected other Governments to
observe it also.
The consideration of the Poor-Law Amendment Bill was
completed, and the third reading fixed for the folio% leg day.
On the Order of the Day for going into Committee on the
Scotch Poor Law Bill, Mr. Baxter moved the rejection of the
Bill, with the view of affording Scotch members the oppor-
tunity of discussing its provision What was principally
Objected to was' the large Power given Le the Board of
Sopervision—the power of audit— and the a7delition to house
taxation. A debate 'ensued, in which several members took
part, and at halt past six the debate was adjourned.
The second reading of the 'Civil Bills Court (Ireland) Bill
Was moved by the Solicitor-General for Ireland, and talked
out by Sir C. O'Loghlen, so that it stood adjourned until the
following day.
At the Evening Sitting, Mr, Richard called attention to
the relations of this country with China, and moved a Reso-
'talon calling for the Revision of the Treaties, so as to pro-
Mote the interests of legitimate commerce and to secure the
Jilat rights of the Chinese Government and people. Ile
support of his Resolution, Mr. Richard narrated the history
Of , our dealings with China, tracing a ear eaisender-
standings and wars to the mercantile greed and unscru-
Dulousness of a British commercial clique, whose proceed-
laits, he said, were sometimes little better than smuggling
fuld piracy.
M. Stewart also made some remarks against the Opium
Traffic ; but
Sir G. Campbell deprecated a re-opening of this important
subject, and denied e mP hatically that the recent exploratious
alter a new route to China had anyihilig to do with the
Opium Traffic. Ile agreed, however, that our relations with
China had often been marked with lejustice.
"Etir G. Balfour, who was interrupted by an attempt atae4ourit out," maintained that if the Opium Traffic were
4uolieie.ed, Ilngtend must be prepared to pay her eliare for
it.
Sir C. Dilke agreed with Mr. Rlcharl, but pointed out that the revision of the Treaties shoeld be effeete t along
ivth the
ether Powers, and Mr. Charley also spoke in condemnation
Of the Opium Traffic.
raMr. Bourke declined to defend the suecessive Governments
ch had been responsible from time to time for Cninese
but he denied that the merchants were in any way
enterested in war, or that the British Gavernnaent had per.
t ted them to have the direction of British policy. Con-
.lllllng hims th
elf to e Opium Traffic, Mr. Boni ke pointed out
St India, and the large revenue she derived from it, must
Inwue considered, and that if not another ounce were
u in Ik4la tho consumption in India would
(*lot he in the least diminished. Moreover, Chinese
on must not be entirely trusted, because the
tatroa- ‘4BlO made the same complaints of every article
nuced under Treaty, and it they had th-jr choice
etweeti Missionaries and opium they would certainly give
ult the misaionaries. Opium could now be grown in any
of China. As to the revision of the Treaties, the
a overnment had long had that subject under consideration,
Jed they were anxious not to do anything which would
weaken the authority of the Central Government. They

were now consulting France, Germany, and the United
States, and they would certainly not move without the co-
operation of other Powers.
After some observations from Sir J. Kennaway, the motion
was withdrawn.

In answer to Mr. Me!don, Sir M. Hicks-Beach declined to
grant a Committee to inquire into the claims of the Royal
Irt4L Constabulary pensioners who retired befre the month
of August, IE7I ; but the Chancellor of the Exchequer,
' while remarking that he had not heard anything to change
, his original opinion, promised that the Government
would look once more into the subject. Mr. Meldon agreed
to accept this offer, but when the question was put several
Irish members insisted on a division, which was accordingly
taken, with the remit that the motion was negatived by 75
103.

Tbe other business was disnosed of, and the House adjourned
at twenty minutes to two o'clock.

In the TiOUSE OF Common, .7 one 23, Mr. Potter moved the
second reading of the Real Estate Intestacy Bill, which, he
explained, proposed to assimilate the law of real property to
that of pertonal property in cases of intestacy. it aimed at
removing from the statute-book the unjust and unwise
preference given to the eldest son when there was no will.
The law as it stood at the present day was unsuitable to the
circumstances of the time; it was a remnant of the old
feudal times. It the proposed amendment of the law were
made, it would be productive of a great simplidcation in
title aft ch.

Mr. LPatham seconded the motion, and in doing so con-
tended that the Bill would not alter the devolution of the
larger estates.
Mr. Gregory moved that the Bill be real a second time
this day three months, and contended that no reason had
been shown for altering a law which had been in existence
since the Norman Conquest. He asked if it would be wise
to pass a Bill which would have the effect of causing the
sales of small estates, and of altering a law which was
understood and approved by the great majority of the
country.
After a debate in which Mr. Beresford Hope, Mr. Goldney,
Mr..Leveson Gower, Sir W. Harcourt, Mr: Herschel!, and
several other hon. members took part,

Mr. Lowe said he considered that as the State had given
over to the man the right to make a will, and as he was the
person who was responsible for making provision for his
children, it was only natural that he should have the right to
dispose of all the property he possessed in the manner which
he considered best for his family. The present system was
a flagrant and manifest injustice, and he considered there
was nothing less conservative than to cling to a principle
which did not commend itself to the common sense of man-
kind.

The Attorney-General said the question was a very simple
and narrow one, but it could not be decided without very
careful consideration. The Bill came before the house in a
very specious form, and when there was a theoretical benefit
to be earned, it was very likely to meet with considerable
support, but it behoved them to consider how far the benefits
which were placed before them in theory were likely to arise.
The question was not one of theory, but whether it was ex-
pedient and politic, taking a large view of the interest of the
community, that any such change as that proposed should be
made. The Bill proposed sweeping and radical changes, and he
had an idea that that being the case those who supported it
ought to have shown that there was a wish in the country
for an alteration. There might be cases in which a man died
intestate in which injustice resulted; but the question
evae if because there were these individual cases of hard-
ship they were to upset a law which had been found to
work well for centuries. Already the owners of property
had to a great extent the absolute power of dealing with
it by settlement or devise, and there were the means
existing by which property could be settled in a family.
He considered that the Bill would tend to place a
limit upon the power of owners of small estates, and
he opposed the Bill because really a man could now deal
with his real property very much as he liked, and in that
disposition he ought not to be further fettered and con-
trolled. The Bill would, he believed, be detrimental to the
country were it to become law, and it would extinguish a
class of small freeholders, who were as much to be respected
as any other class of the community. Further than this, it
would create great confusion in tithes, and it would disturb
the whole system upon which the revenue was raised, (Hear,
hear.)
After a few remarks from Mr. Potter in reply, the House
elivided:—For the second reading, 175; against, 210;
majority, 35.
The Poor Law Amendment Bill, and the Friendly Societies
Act (1875) Amendment Bill, were read a third time and
passed, and the House then adjourned.

•.