The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1868-05-30 00:00:00

nt(lligtact,
FO 3 T.' "IN, AND COLONIAL.

SINGULA R DEATH.—A fisherman lost his life in
the l'iracanjulia in a strange manner (says a Brazilian
paper). Intending to fish one night, he threw a large
baited hook into the river, securing its strong line to
one of his legs, and lay down to sleep on the bank, in
the expectation of being awakened by the jerk of any
fish takilig the hook. In the course of the night a
young son that was with him heard his father crying
out. He ran to the fishing place and found hini gone.
Next morning he procured sonic neighbours, and these,
on going doss n the stream in a boat, saw the boily en-
tangled in the branches of fallen trees. Oct approach-
ing., they were surprised by its darting swiftly cii, as if
tsiwed; but after some time theysucceeded in overtaking
and securing it, when they discovered that the 'posing
agent, and that which had probably caused the mans
death, was a Large fish known as the 5iU, which was
firmly hooked, and in its struggles had caused the cord
to cut the unfortunate man's leg to the very bone

AN OLD QUOTATION WITII A NEW APPLICA-
TIoN.--Those who think that the proceedings against
. . . .

President Johnson
.are not over wise, svill be ;;:ladciii..see

that so far the American Senate is not disposed to
own the too soft impeachment"- -Punch.
A NEW AMUSEMENT FOR GENTI EMEN
velocipede is becoming a formidable rival to the horse
in Paris. One velocipedist (it has been found necessary
to invent the word) rolled down the Champs Elysiies
in Paris, the other day in an " Americaine," drawn by
two velocipedes, on which were mounted two postiff ins
or " jockeis." The proprietor of the vehicle was " sui
gentleman" belonging to "la haute fashion." We are
assured, too, that M. de Visin, the distinguished
equestrian who rode over the steeplechase course-of the
llois tie Bouloime a fortnight ago without touching
his horse's bridle, has made " on match " with Prince
Achille Murat, in which M. de Visin on a velocipede
backs himself against the Prince on horseback. The
velocipedal skill of M. de Visin is said to be something
extraordinary. A few weeks ago he undertook to
travel on a velocipede from Angers to Paris, and
actually went as far as Tours, a distance of about fifty-
four miles. when the machine broke.
TIIE DUKE OF EDINBURGH'S WOUND.— The
Lanai contains& descrijotion, illustrated with sketches,
of the bullet with which the Duke of Edinburgh was
wounded. The missile appears to have been one of
those ordinarily used with a revolver. It is small and
of conical form; and, when extracted, was flattened
and otherwise altered in shape at one extremity. This
was no doubt caused by the ball having impigned
obliquely upon the ninth rib of the right side of the
spine, by which it happily became deflected, and,
instead of passing, through the body, pursued a course
• forwards to the position from which it was extracted.
The medical officer who forwarded the sketch of the
! bullet, added that no bad consequences had resulted
from the injury which the rib must have sustained.
Too GOOD TO ns TRUE.—The Paris correspon-
dent ,if the _Hominy Star tells the following story,
which, as be rightly says, scents too good to be true.
He writes :
mu will remember the adventure 4,1 the Prussian Emd-
neer officers whose good pleasure it was to spend some days
Is the vicinity of Meudon, and in the garb of workmen to
drink at a cabaret, by an unaccounted-for accident frequented
by the men employed in the manufacture of the portable
cannon invented by the Emperor. lice stmy goes that
Marshal Niel is particularly curious us to the mann'acture
of Gentian beer, and wishing to ascertain precisely the
amount of bops used in breweries abaig the Rhine, sent a
party of French Engineer officers to make inquiries on this
interesting subject. By another unaccounted-for accident
these officers were only interested is the manner in whieh
lice- was niade in fortress towns. This peculiarity struck
M. Bismarck. ,cico, to save further trout de and expense, has
obligingly forwarded Marshal Niel plans of all the Prussian-
Rheitane fortresses, together with a design of the bust
breweries in eavh of the Rhenium frostier cities."
FOXES IN Curl:cll.—ln a so:11111cl valley of
the York-shire wolds stands the anliellt church lif
Wharram Percy, quite apart from all human habita-
tbm. Only ion Sundays is the dmrch frequented,
and the congre4ation have been somewhat suri wised tII
find a breed of foxes in possession. An air drain for
ventilation from the outside has hecn used as an
" earth,- and by this means access has been gained ,to
the pulpit, beneath which an eld fox and her litter of
fine cubs are, except when unearthed during I iivitie
service, comfortably domiciled. The novelty has been
communicated to Moreau, Lord iddleton's huntsman,
wle declares that during forty years' experience Inc
never before heard of such a circumstance, and never
met with a riner linsal of foxes.

A AWE, ILE INTER DE. -- The Va gran t Act
Amendment 11111 was discussed in the House of
.01111110118 last week. Mr. Lowther said the sole
purpose of the measure al 'neared to be to prevent the
game viii ran called " pitch farthing," and it did not
deal with tipeat, earibsharping, or other games, nor
with the general questivn of street obstructions. Mr.
Panll thonght the words of clause l ought to lie
amended, because he was afraid if two of them role
home together and tossed up to ore who should pay
Sits hak-erolvn for the cal: they might both be pro- :
cemled against as rogues awl vagabonds under thelSill.
Mr. Karslake asked if marbles came under the defini-
tion of the Act as "articles used as an instrument Cr
means of gaming?" Mr. Paull said lie saw children
often playing at buttons. Would they conic under
the Act? Mr. Pease said that the clause as amended
would not interfere with childish games.
LOST IN Mr' BC-u' --A narrative a the stiffer-
ings experienced by two ladies who were lost in the
bush between Bairusdale and Stratford, Gipps Land,
is furnished by an Australian c,mtemporary : -
They were driving a light conveyance, and left Mrs.
Latham's, at sandy Creek, about six o'clock, intending, if
possible, to reach Stratford in reasonable time. The night
110 Were •, dark and stormy. awl as a number of bush fires
had been lighted t w the purpose of burning timber off the
!Mod the horse wandered from the I waten track, and the fair
travellers got benighted. Finding that all atteLdas to regain
the road were ft tailless, they fastened the horse up to a tree,
camped for the night, and wished for the turning. Of course
they had no Wood' sleeping, lad the misery they encountered
was more of a mental than physieul nature, there was
indliing save the kangaroo and oppossum to disturb their
rather unpleasant retirement. When the day broke, they
succeded in finding the track, and in an hour's smart
travelling reached Mr. Dickens's Shakspeare Hotel, where
Clue worthy host administere I those comforts which were
nece,sary to their recovery after a night's eximsnre to the
eq ll i ll octial storm. Coder the kind treatment of Mr.
Dickens, they moat regained their wonted cheerfulness. but
have resolved never again to venture 4in a journey through
the bush after nightfall.
TIIE PLANET VENT'S BY DAY.--The sight of the
planet Venus in the mid-day sky just now, which has
led people to write to the papers, declaring that they
had seen some new and wonderful comet, recalls the
memory of for ter occasions when the same pile-
nomonon created far greater iterturbation. Gubgnani
mentions the following facts
on the Inn July, 1716, Venus was observed in full daylight
in Landon. This Was considered a miracle by the populace,
and a harbinger of misfortunes. In 1756 the same pheno-
menon causcd sack excitement at Paris that the polke had
11, interfere and restore peace. At the present moment the
planet is visible by daylight in Paris, and passes al un-
perceived. Arago relates tint acteneral Bonaparte wasone
day proceeding to the Palace of Luxembourg, where the. Duce-
tory was to give hint a banquet, he was quite surprised to
see the people assembled in the Use he Touron,
gaging at the sky inore than at himself and his brilliant
rettune. Ile asked s,tututsl as the [natter, and learnt that the
object of their astonishment Was a star visible at noon, and
which they too:, for that if the conquer, of Italy, an illusion
to which the General teas not insensible. Tins star w-as no
other than Venus.
Goon NEWS !—Mr. George Potter gave evi-
dence, on Monday morning, before the Select Com-
mittee on Sale of Liquors on Sunday Bill. Mr.
Potter said he MA well studied the provisions of the
present bill, awl was greatly in favour of it. The
condition of the working classes had been his study
for years. No doubt amongst skilled labourers of late
years there had been a great decrease in drinking
habits, but amongst unskilled laluntrers the same pro-
gress had not been made. He did not believe it was
necessary to the comfort of Sunday excursionists that
they should find public-houses open to them when they
returned to town. When he used to go out on Sunday
excursions he frequently found hitmelf more exhausted
and more unlit for work on the Monday morning than
when he had left it on the Saturday evening. In
amwer to further questions Mr. Potter said he thought
Sunday excursions the hardest work a man could do.
Thougb in favour of the bill he did not defend it on
religious grounds, but for the sake of preherving
Sunday as a day of rest.
JAMMED TO DEATH !--An inquest has been
hehl in London on the bodv of Mr. Cordes, aged sixty-
two years. The deceased was foreman of the St.
Katharine's Docks, and whilst proceeding along Bath-
street, Mile End-DWI, with a pot of flowers in his
haul, one of Messrs. Mann's brewers' drays came
:along and got close to Mtn bet. ire lie observed it Ile
stepped on to a curb close tel a wall, lout the standing
room being only fourteen inches it became clear to the
bystanders that he would be crushed to death, and
they called out to him. He appeared to become
paralysed at the buininence of the danger, and did
not move, lie was friAtfully jammed against the
wall, the whole of his ribs on each side of his body
being smashed in. lie was removed to the hospital,
where he died soon after. It was shown that no
blame attached to the driver of tile dray, as he was at
Iris proper place at the heml of the leading horsd, and
he did not see the position tel the deceased until the
accident had occurred. The jtu-y returned a verdict
of " Accidental Death."
A SIMPLE RECORD OF AN INVENTOR'S CAREER
—The inventions of Mr. (nosy Dr.) James Gale, for
rendering gunpowder inexplmive, except when re-
quired for immediate use, being one of the latest and
most remarkable, has often been noticed ; but perham
many of our readers are not aware that Dr. Gale has
for many years suffered from total blindness hint they
will find in the story of Ids life, just cg rnpilkal by Mr.
John Plummer, and publishml by Mr. Tweedie, how
nobly he has surmounted the trials and diffieldrieS in-
separable from his great affliction, and achieved mar-
vellous success as an inventor, man of liminess, and
bilanthropist. The narrative is a sin]] de record of Dr.
Gale's career, but it abounds in incidents that invest it
with peculiar interest. If it only afforded a ray of en-
couragement to those to whom the light of day is for
ever denied, it would be usef Id and worthy of perusal ;
but, beyond this, it is a valuable addition to the bio-
grnphies of self-made anti self-reliant, but withal -
xeffidh, men, whose projects and inventions have been
stimulated by an ardour and enthusiasm that may
.airly be deemed heroic.
A CRAVING FOR DEFTER FOOD.—An inquest
has been held in London, on the body of a ltlacksmith,
who died while undergoing a sentence of a twelve-
months' imprisonment in the House of Correction,
Cold Bath-fields, or rather the day after his sentence
had expired. His wife said that he sea,, a great
eater, and that eve- time she had seen him since his
incarceration he had complained that he was being
starved to death, He made the IRMO complaint to the

BARON BIOoTT AND TILE BERILY.—On Tnesday
afternoon, at the close of the Nisi Prius sittings in the
Court of Exchequer, one of the counsel, addressing the
presiding judge, Baron Pigott, said, Of course your I
lordship will not sit to-morrow ?" Baron Pigott--" Not
sit to-morrow ! Why? There is business to be done,
is there not l" The counsel -- " But, my led, it is the
Derby-day." Baron Pi4ott--" Oh, nonsense, we must
sit ; the more people we can keep away from such
places the better." The counsel looked blank, and
the jurymen in waiting. on being directed by Mr.
Pollock to attend id tell o'clock on Wednesday
morning, kokeil still Core blank and disappointed, on
' which Mr. Pollock told the sixty who had been sum-
moned, aml most of whom were in court, that if fifteen
of their number could arrange to be in attendance in
the morning, the others might stay away. As the
learned Baron was about leaving the Bench, Serjeant
Tindal Atkinson made tie bright discovery that the
next case on the list, and the only one for the present,
was a llry one of dilapidations, and that as there was
nothing else for Thursday, it might as well be taken
on that day as on Wednesday. To tins Baron Pigott
gooll-Immonredly assented, and the court wits adjourned
until Thursday.

noo.
THE BRIFGE BETWEEN ENGLAND AND FRANCE.
Boutet, the French engineer who has produced a
design for a railway bridge from Dover to Calais, or,
strictly speaking, from Shakspere's Cliff to Cape
Griiinez, a distance of about twenty miles, lia„s seen
the Emperor Napoleon on the subject. and an account
44 the interview is judilished by the French papers.
The Emperor was I ierfectly informed on every Pint of
the undertaking, and made several inquiries, which
elicited Ling and apparently satisfactory explanations.
After devoting more than half an hour to the Con-
sideration of the inventor's plans, his Majesty requested
him to draw up a detailed report on the means of
construction, the cost of each portion of the work-,
the time that the execution 44 the whole would occupy.
and finally the probable ppitits of the enterprise. "
will niviielf stably it, and we will second you." he said ;
and added, " This project is far more ractical than
all the tunnels and other means which have been
proposes], none of which inspire me with the slightest
confidence." M. lloutet's bridge may really be re-
garded as a series of bridges, ten in number, each with
a span of about two
A PLAGUE OF LOCUSTS.—A plague t,f locusts is
scourging the island of Sardinia. Towards the
end of April tile municipality of Sassari pub-
lished a manifesto offering 75 centimes for every
kilogramme of locusts brought in. The result of
this offer was an average supply for several days of
40 cwt. per day. in lt] days 10,000 E having been thus
paid away. Then the reward was lowered to to
eentimes -per kilo.; and, unluckily, this reduced tariff
was applied to several saelis locusts which had been
brought in the day before the abatement had been
made known. This exasperated the gatherers, and a
strike ensued. A letter from Saisaria says :--
A day lost means so many myriads of locusts rescued
front extermination, and overrunning the whole island. No
one can fonti an idea of the thing without seeing it. If the
bunt be not resumed to-morrow, in a few dap; we shall see
the crops of every kind, the COI% iii tile fields. vegetabl,,
meadows. the young ohu,sst if the vine, utterly de troyed
throughout the us hole plain of the Saßiareie. The mind-
cipality has opened subscriptions for a loan of 100,004
Mit this will certainly not suffice. If the Government
does not come to the assistance of the parishes. oontrihnting
a share of the expense, it may give its tax-gatherers in
the island of Sardinia a holiday for this year.

CLEVER DETECTIV. 9 —The New Orloang papers
give an account of the clever capture of a bank robber
by two islice detectives of that city. The Canal Bank
of New Orleans was robbed of 50,000 (lids. in bills.
They were enclosed in an envelope and placed on a
shelf inside the bank counter. The detectives saw at
once that the robber must have been a tall man with

long arms, and from the mark of a tack in the imprint doctor, and not Ydi • reason, for within a few
of his footstep that he wore machine-made boots or months of his s 'et:nine so weak from the
shoes. They followed every tall man they saw in the loss of flesh an: .4 blood. that he was ad-
street, and for days secretly noticed the imprint of his witted to the biti roltir where he died. lie appears
fuotste; a, without finding the thief. One day they to have had a craving for fleshy food that the prison
sauntered into the City Hotel, and saw a tall man I diet did not satisfy. lie told his wife that he ate all
sitting there with one foot on his knee and tryiny to 1 the candle ends he could lay his hands on for the sake
benedown with a penknife a tack in the sole of his of the fat that was in them ; and, whether this was
hoot. The police went and whispered to him that 1 true or not, it seems tolerably clear that his food was
they should apprelead him for the robbery. The man 1 sufficient neither in quantity nor in quality to keep him
turned pale, was taken to the police-office, and, after 'n health and strength. The jury, nevertheless, found
s.sue time, confessed the crime, and stated that the that he died from natural causes, although they de-
hills were secreted in the mattress of his bed at the bated the propriety of adding to their verdict a tag on
hotel. Search was made there and the bins were the quality of the prison died.
found. i RATIIER FOU •DI NG

• ,paper

recently read at a meeting of one of tl. 'Scientific
Societies, with the apparently cruel title " Elasticity
if Animal Type." As this requires explanation, ',cr-
imps some intelligent compositor will have the kindness
to say what sort of type this is ; and whether it can be
used without inflicting much suffering, which would be
distressing to the workmen to cause and witness,
printers being usually most humane men. It occurs to
us that the only type which can possibly be considered
animal ia Bcl,ll44VoiS - -Plllllll.
THE El. lIIANT AND THE ACROBAT.- --At a
menagerie exhibition at Bruges. in Belgium, the white
elephant helped himself to a lady's handkerchief, and
forthwith attenu cted to deposit it in his stomach,- but
cefore he could do to it was suddenly snatch, d from
him by a well-known athlete at Bruges and handed to
die lady. To the great consternation of the spectators,
the eleptcant resented the interference, and elevated
the athlete on his tusks. Ile, however, clinched 1m
. . .

the elephant's laek, andtTaiinly sat there till the
elephant was quieter.

POPES EVIL ETE.—A letter from Rome

says
rhe Holy Father has ordered the exile of Madame Bar-
bosi-Prattoceld. This lady. well known for her beauty and'
gallantries twenty years ago, belongs to the Lilieral party.
Sharing in the stupid supertitlon of MIRA` pelple Who
its-
sister Pius IX, as a person who casts as " evil eye," she has
made use of the gesture—common in Italy as a supposed
protection from the malevolent influence—whieh is called
far la tor, a, at the moment his Holinesi was walking past.
Ihe Holy Father saw the movement and gave orders that
Madame Barbosi should leave at once. An agent of the
police, M. R greet admirer 1.1 the lady, notwith-
standing her age, nearly fifty, married her directly to save
her trona exile. These is every probability, however, that
the expedient will not he suceessful.—Geastioni.
PIENISEWuRTHY MUNIFICENCE. Mr. Mark
Firth, the Master Cutler of Sheffield, is about to erect
and endow :in almshouses, at a cost of £24,000. The
, houses are to lie erected On a site of two acres of land,
at Hanging Water, Lamnoor, a beautiful neighbour-
hood, and a favouriteoluarter of the Sheffield well-to-do
classes, and are to accommodate 24 single persons,
either men or women, and 19 married couples. The
charity will be open to natives I,f Sheffield, without
respect to religious belief. Each single inmate will re-
ceive 7s. per week, and each married couple lOs. A
chapel will be erected for the use of the inmates, and
there will be a house for the governor. Each house is
to be two storeys high, and will contain a living room
12ft. square, a bed-room of the same size, and a cellar
divided for pantry and coals, and gas and water will be
laid on to every house.
A JOCOSE EXECUTIONER.—Askern, of York,
Caleraft's rival, who banged Smith at Dumfries the
other slay, passed through Carlisle on the previous
afternoon, and, Lein, somewhat late, he went t, lB e
telegraph-office and forwarded a message in order to
. assure the officiaLs who had expected hint earlier. Our
, readers are aware that people sending a telegram are
required to fill up a form, stating the names of the
sender and the person to whom it is sent Askern
filled up one side of the form "To the Town-clerk of
Dumfries ;" but the other he left blank. The office
boy said, "Write your name on this side, sir." "It
&wen% matter, does it h" "We require it in every
case." "Very well," answered the hangman, "there
it is." And he wrote in the vacant space, "From W.
E. ClaAlstone !"
Jr HE HAD BEEN ALIVE Although Lora
Brougham spent most of his latter days at Cannes, his
biographers would scarcely have presumed to state
without proper authority that in his old age he had
made France his adopted country. There wae a time
when the deceased peer specially prided himself on
being an Englishman, but his brother, the present
Lord Brougham, gives Its to understand that he was of
a different mine before he died. The Municipa
Council of Cannes had asked to have the deceased
buried in their cemetery, and Lord Brougham gives
his assent, saying, " I lertain lIS we are that, were he
living, he would prefer that his remains should be left
in the country of his adoption." The compliment
conveyed in this passage would be likely to make a
greater impression lal tie' minds of the simple and
innocent townspeople of Cannes than the startling
suggestion that Lord Brougham might possibly be
present at Ids own funeral.
SIXES AND SEVENS—The present Efate of
affairs in the House 4 Commons is one of manifest
derangement. Is it the delirium which precedes dis-
solution? - Plow!,
MAR D SECRATION.— The following scene
_ . . _

recently tools place in an East-end church if London
It appeared that a widow of about thirty-five, with a
large family, had persuaded a young man of twenty-
four to marry her, and that when before the minister
the question " Wilt thou have this woman to be thy
wedded wife?" was put to him, he replied, "Hold on
a bit, guvner ; don't you be in quite such a hurry. I
want to know more about business first. " lii,, com-
panion behind him said, "Goon, don't you be in afunk
about it ; it's all right," but the bridegroom was not ti
be persuaded. After waiting some time the minister
said, "' Let us pray," and the intended Benedict turned
round to his friend for advice in this subject, upon
which the answer was retnrised, "that it was like going
upstairs on your knees." There was a tremendous
crowd waiting outside for them, and when they
emerged from the church those in waiting freely
bespotted them with flour, &c. The following morning
the woman came to the house for relief, stating that
she did not know where her husband was, or anything
about him.
AMs RICAN MARRIAGE-S.—The following recent
Specimens are given :
An impatient couple in Chesterfield county. Va., were
married in a buggY a few days ago. The affianced Nide
made a piurney to Richmond to select the wedding trousseau
She was met by her lover with a top buggy to carry her
house. On the road they Met the pastor of their church,
and as the listmse had already heen obtained, Ilse impatient
bri,lel4l,llllll insisted upon the ceremony I wing performed at
once—the preacher on horseback anti they in the carriage—
itls a farmer and his wife mho happened to be present as
itnesses.
The Western papers state that a young couple rode into
otteryine, mo, a few days since, in pursuit of a parson to
marry them. Learning that he was at a gore in the public
spume, they rode Up in frulit of the store, and calling hint
out. told IMn their errand, and Ise, without requiting them
to di-mount, married them as they sat, to the great amuse-
ment of a en lad of spectators who had gathered to witness
tilt ceremony. •
THE STRAY DOGS OF PARIS.—If dogs in Par's
! knew the dangers they run, by leaving home without
I leave, they would never dos°. On the outskirts of tl e
city is a pound, a kind of large shed, where all property
found straying on the public highway is placed, suds
as stray horses, cows, dogs, abandoned carts, etc. !
Facing the shed is a kennel where wandering dogs are
put. The cost for feeding, per day, a stray" horse, is ,
fixed at 240 fm. ; an ass, 120 frs. ; cute, I'7o frs. 1 a
pig. 1-20 frs. ; a dog, six Motto; a monkey or a marmot, I
nine sous; alien, live; a canary or a parrot, two. Ac' ,
cording to their age and value, dogss are nig ounded for
a greater or less period, and at the end if a few weeks !
sent to the dog market, and sold for their expenses.
Common cur dogs, however, if not claimed in to -
four hours, are sent to the condemned kennel, twelve
hours later they are bung, and every day a contractor
conies and carts away the bodies to make gloves, but-
tons, and coarse grease. The dogs are very impatient,
anol have a presentiment often of their fate. A story
is told of a little dog that escaped from the hands of
the " connnon hangman," as the rope was about being
"adjusted."' The dog ran to the end of the yard,
stood up on his hind legs, and commenced to dance, in
an original and amusing manner. This "dance of
death" stayed the executioners hand, and next day, a
travelling showman called and claimed his performing
dog. kl. Vois, the director of the ponnd, a very intel-
ligent man, has an :MOM of the most pathetic notes, to
spare lost darlings, should they arrive.
LEGAL ETIQUETTE.—A Vorrespondent writes to
us (Law Tis,e.t) to inquire what the etiquette is with
reference pt barristers advising, clients without the in-
tervention of solicitorss. He makes the inquiry
beicausse the practice is being adopted by several
barristers located in his district. All that can be said
is that barristers usually refuse to see clients without
the interventii its of solicitors, and no far it is forbidden
1 y etiquette, which we assume to be the emlsaliment
of established nsage —a body" of unwritten law. But
no measures can be adopted to enf arm the law or im-
pose penalties for disobedience.
ROMA!. ISM IN YoRKSHIRE.—On Monday a
orand display occurred at Ugthorpe, near Whitby --a
district where, it issaid, the 'Reformation never readied,
and where Romanism in its purity reign,. The occa-
sion Wan the celebration iii the improvements and
additions to the Rev. Father Rigby's well-known
" seminary," by a festival of unusual interest and im-
portance. Ugthorpe is a favoured spot. A few: years
ago 'animal Wiseman made one of Mr. Rigby s cele-
-I;:ations memorable by his presence, and mice Dr.
Manning, his successor in the Archbishopric of West-
minster, gives Hat to the crowning festival. The
Roman Catholic _Bishops of Birmingliam, Beverle,e,
and Nottingham, and other dignitaries supported Dr.
Manning, who, sifter the celebration of highs mass, de-
livered a lecture on "Education," deducing facts
favonirable to the spread of the Catholic religion, which
Wan likened to an acorn springing to the stately
oak.
As SHYLOCK Nharehnthr, with
Shafts at is DiArount.—" Give isle my principal, and
let nie go."—Pasch.
A WoMAN'ti REVOLT. —At Madrid, recently,
4,000 women employed in a cigar manufactory rose in.
revolt, and seized and barricaded the premises. The
Minister of Finance went to bring them to terms, hut ,
was saluted so hotly with stones, &c., that he had to
retreat. He retired from the sevan of action, and sent
down a body of police, with orders to take the factory
by storm, in the midst of which a young girl increased
the numbers within the factory by an infant recruit,
whose unexpected arrival created considerable con-
fusion. The police effected a breach in the outworks,
mid captured 201 of the petticoated garrison, which
did not prevent the remaining 3,800 from proceeding
on the following day to the palace yard, where the
Queen appeared on the balcony, and endeavoured to
appease the fair malcontents. 'They retired on receiv-
ing mouey distributed amongst them by her orders.
SYDNEY SMITH'S PREFEIIMI,NT.— The las Rev.
Sydney Smith owed his first valuable piece of prefer-
ment to the persistence of Lady Holland. Erskine
was a constant visitor at H. dlanil-house. As soon as
he was made Lord Chancellor, Lady Holland laid
deo. siege to him to compel bins to confer a living on
Smith. Erskine at last yielded, and Smith called on
hini to thank him for the appointment. The Chan-
! cello'. disavowed all claim to being thanked "Lady
I Holland," he " insisted on my giving it to you;
and if she had desired me to give it to the devil," he
I added, "he must have had it !" There was something
I of the same spirit in the remark of George 111. when

. _
he nominated a man he disliked-'- to a bisie Tric. The
pe, ai thus preferred coyly confessed himself unworthy
.11 the preferment. To this the King replied that he
knew that well enough. but the Prime Minister tumid-
have it so, and he (the King) hid yielded to the Ver.
sistencv. 'This mock-modest prelate may have been
the bishop of whom Smith said that he looked so like
Judas as to induce Smith at htst to firmly believe in
the apostulical mccession !- -Sa Pitaand Sinntra, by Dr.
Doran.

SUICIDE THROUGH A DISAREOINTFD WHIM
At Wellsville, Ohio, lived Andrew Bunting and wife.
On the 30th silt. the wife pressed the husband to buy
more furniture for the house, which was declined. At
breakfast she repeated her request. and the huaband
again declined, whereupon she arose from the table in
a passion. proceeded to a sideboarsl picked up a cup
Of arsenic previously prepared, and threatened to take
it if the husband did not conic to terms. Her children
cried, her husband sprang from his seat to prevent the
woman from carrying out her wicked design—too late
to save her. In spite of his efforts, she managed to
gurgle down a sufficient quantity to produce death;
which, however, did not take place until between eight
and nine o'clock in the evening, twelve hours after the
poison had been taken.
WomEN's BIGHTS W TT! A VENGE 'INCE !—A
Bill laid before Parliament liv a mintier of gentlemen,
including Mr. Mill the Philosopher, for legalising
female rights, provides, amongst other thino, that
wives shall be capable " of contrasting. suing, and
being sued, as if they were unmarried women." Suing
and being sues) ! Wives to have suitors as though they
is-em spinsters still? Oh, Mr. Mill !—PiiIICA.
CONC,CTS AT GIDRAETAR.—It would eehi that
! we had a scarcity of convicts last year for transporta-
' tion. We sent none to Gibraltar; and as 214 of those
who were there were discharged on licence in due
course and gent to England (or died) in the year, the
number dwindled down from 304 at the lieginning to
ISO by the end of the year. A costly establishment'
being kept up all the same, the expense per man
amounted to £35 9s. 4d., or '4:16,861 in, the whole.
Deducting the value of the prisoners' labour on the
public works, the charge on the public was still £7,570.
A little spitin.en of official ways crops up in the
returns for 1807. The change from winter to summer
clothing was ordered and made too early, while the
nights and mornings were still cold. There is a
salaried resident medical offieer, but he was mist mim
suited, it being not the just-tire to ask his opinion.
The result was a severe epidemic of chest affections,
lasting through June and July, causing the most
serious illnesx of the year. The Deputy Controller
reports that the whole of the day, npwarsbeof sixteen
hours, is devoted to the industrial, moral, or relighoel
training of the men. A good slay's work is obtgined
at a cost of Is. fid. to is. Sit per man. The diet for
men at hard work gime, per week, si lbs. of bread,
if oz, of fresh meat, and 10 oz. of salt meat, 5 its. of
potatoes, and seven pints of soup, of C 012113, and of
tea. •

DIoCOVERY OF FOSSIL OYSTERS —Mr. Whittle
of (Thorley, is at present sinking a new shaft down the
Arley seam of coal, between the Addington and Hon-
wich stations, on the Lancashire and Yorkshire Bail-
way, about a couple of miles from the foot of Itivington
Two seams of coal have been passed, and at a
depth of 130 yards the sinkers have cut through a bed
of fossil oysters two feet four inches in thickness. How
far the bed extends it is impossible to say. The oysters
are petrified into one solid mass as hap, as flint, are all
Perfect in form and small in size, rather less Lserhall6
than the London natives. The conclusion which im-
mediately suggests itself is that the sea must at sonic
very remote period have washed the foot of the Riving-
ton range of bills, two Indies distant. The whole of West
Lancashire is alluvial land, and at one time was covered
with a forest of oak, there being abundant proof of this
in the fact that trees are frequently found embedded in
the moss, and also inn the bed of the Ribble. The skull
and antlers of the gigantic Irish elk found not long ago
in this river also point to the fact that animals of the
mammoth tribe must have rO3lllOll through the forest
which covered the country at a period since the oysters
were embedded, aml the upper coal strata formed..
AXIOM FOR TOE ADNIIRALTY.—A Rolling Ship
planb, no Shot. —Pooch.
A DOLEFUL SIGN OF UNITY.—We read in the
New York Tana :
After the announcement of our Richmond correspondent
about Gen. Robert E. Lee's appearance in that city, dressed
a very plain suit 1 4 black broadcloth," there can be no
longer any doubt of his being at heart again an American.
All over the world the American is know n by his black
broadcloth clothes, and in Washington, where axe gathered
the 1110,4 nuttier, -n. tissemblage of national representatives,
one gets the impressiim of a perpetual funeral. Both gray
and blue have largely disappeared, again front the streets
and public places of I,ur cities, alai° "buttons" are as rare
as they ,see were plentiful, Black clothes are rather a
doleful sign of unity, to lie sure. but we must take what we
can get in that line now-a-days.
Tits:" OLDE-T INHABIT INT" DRAM—The Nil-
bele of Troutbeck, Windermere, has lost its oldest in-
habitant. Margaret Lon6quire, or, as she was called,
"Avid Peggy," dial on the 24th inst., aged 104, having
been bout on the lfith of April, 1764. She haa only
been confined to bed a few weeks, mini, with tine excep-
tion of being slightly deaf, retained all her faculties to
the last. With her accustomed sympathy, her Majesty
sent Peggy 4:3 last autumn, for she was very poor,
having received parish relief for upwards of thirty
years. Peggy opened the ball given in Trontbeck on
the occasion of the maniage of the Prince of Wales.
Longthire, so hing the champion wrestler, is her grand-
son. The baptismal register of Mrs.-Longmire extols
in the perish chew+ of Windermere, and he has lived
all her long life in the neighbourhood.
WORK In A Se•sl• N.---Tite full numerical list
and index of the papers laid before the House of Colla-
tive., and printed in (or belonging to) the Session of
1867, has been issued. The whote number of papers
was 1,121. The piddle Bills of the Session, with.khe
amendments and reprints, fill six volumes ;- reports
from committees, eight volnmes ; reports from com-
missioners 21 volumes ; miscellaneous accounts, re-
turns, anti papers, 38 volumes ; making in all 76
volumes. In the Session of 1867 the Rouse of Corn-
- .

moos sat on 124 days, for 1,043 hours hi all, 112 of them
after midnight—the average time of sitting being as
much as eight hours and nine minutes. The House
received 12.744 public petitions, with 1,145.21 G signa-
tures ; divided 144 times ; passed 146 public general
Acts, and 222 private Acts.
SPECI ‘I. FROM ABYSSINIA.—When Sir Robert
Napier found that Colonel Phayre's enterprise .in
approachihg Magdala had a brilliant result, although
not exactly in obedience to orders, be is reported to
have said that he might go farther and Phoyre worso.
—Pp net,.